Chapter 13: Scratches

I sat in the back of Sookie's car with a crying Jessica as Bill drove very fast down the road. Jessica was crying blood on my shoulder, and I ran my fingers through her hair to try and calm her down. Sookie was freaking out in the passenger seat. "Bill, slow down, please." Bill ignored her completely. "Stops this. You're scaring me."

Bill suddenly pulled the car onto the side of the road and Jessica sniffled into my shoulder. He was surprisingly quiet, but I could practically feel the anger coming off of him.

"I'm sorry," Sookie tried again. "She promised she was just gonna look in the window. I know I made a mistake, but they're her family."

"She is a vampire!" Bill snapped. "She has no family!"

"I'm a monster and I'm gonna be alone forever because of you!" Jessica shouted as she sat up. "I hate you so fucking much!"

"Be quiet," Bill snarled.

"Eat shit!" Jessica retorted.

"I said, be quiet!" he shouted, and Jessica went back to my shoulder. Bill then turned to Sookie. "You undermined my authority as her maker. You risked those peoples' safety and your own. If I had not glamoured them within an inch of their sanity, all of our lives would have been shattered."

"I know," Sookie said. "I'm sorry."

Bill apparently didn't like it. "You keep saying that! And I am expected to what? Forget this ever happened?"

"What else would you like me to say?" Sookie shot back and Bill looked away from her. "I knew when she asked me to take her I should say no, but all I could think about was Gran, and what I'd give to see her again."

I sighed quietly. Sookie always does the wrong things for the right reasons. But good intentions are not going to help this situation. I had a bad feeling about this argument.

"That does not give you license to behave like an irresponsible child!" Bill barked. "She is a loaded gun, Sookie. Not a doll for you to dress up and play with!"

Sookie apparently had had enough of being yelled at, so she got out of the car with Bill asking what she was doing. "Walking!" she shouted.

As Bill got out as well, I moved Jessica and got out of the car to catch up with Sookie. "Don't be ridiculous," Bill countered. "Bon Temps is nearly twenty miles away."

"I'd rather walk all night than spend another second in that car with you," Sookie spat. She then spun around and stormed off. I quickly moved to follow her, knowing that she'd get lost or something.

I let her stew in her anger for a little bit, but I froze when I caught the scent of the animal from the parking lot. Sookie could hear the sounds and thought it was Bill. "Bill? Bill if you're trying to scare me so I get back in that car with you, it isn't gonna work."

I quickly grabbed Sookie's arm to stop her. We could both hear something moving around us. Every time I looked at the noise, it was in another spot. Suddenly, Sookie pulled my arm to look at her. I turned to look at her and saw what she saw. A creature that looked like a bull but had a lower human half.

"What the…" I whispered. The creature then started to rush us, and I pushed Sookie behind me. "Sookie run!"

As the creature got closer, Sookie ran, and I got into a defensive stance. My eyes glowed and I felt my claws and canines extend. I swiped at the creature, and it dodged me. It swiped at my shoulder, and I rolled out of the way. I tried to sweep it's legs, but it jumped over me and landed behind me. Before I could turn around, the creature sliced my back. I screamed as the pain hit me but then my body went numb.

"Teddy!" Sookie screamed. And heard her footsteps run towards me. Suddenly, I didn't smell the creature up close any more and Sookie crashed to her knees beside me. "Teddy! Please stay awake! Bill! Bill help! Please!"

She tried to roll me over and I only screamed in response. "Why aren't you healing?" she asked in a panic.

"Something is blocking me," I groaned. "Sookie, I can't move."

"Bill!" Sookie screamed again. "Help please!"

Suddenly there was another pair of arms that picked me up and I let out another scream of pain. I looked up at Bill who looked panicked. "Theodora!" He then turned to Sookie. "What did this?"

"Bull…human…I couldn't see," she told him brokenly. "Please just help her!"

Bill bit his wrist and held it up to my mouth. I could taste the copper of his blood and then I could feel my body reject it. My body started to convulse, and I could taste foam before I blacked out from pain.

*Queen of the Wolves*

NO ONE'S POV

Jessica brought the car over and Bill ordered her to drive to Fangtasia. Bill had called Eric on the way that there was an emergency. Bill carried Teddy inside and the moment Eric smelled her blood, he was in front of them in a second. "What happened to her?" he demanded.

"Something attacked her," Bill explained quickly as Eric motioned for her to be placed on one of the ottomans. "Can you save her?"

Eric was already on the phone with someone.

*Queen of the Wolves*

Teddy's POV

The next time that I came to, I saw a small woman in scrubs putting on gloves. I could feel my back burning but the rest of me was numb. "Are you gonna help me?" I asked, my voice full of pain.

"I'll do the best that I can," she replied. "My name is Doctor Ludwig. What's your name?"

I went to answer, but her finger dug into my back. I let out a yell in pain. "Ugh! Theodora… Theodora Stackhouse." I gasped in pain and tried to catch my breath. "Tell me the truth, am I dying?"

"Yes," she replied bluntly.

"No!" Bill shouted, but the voice of Zander also sounded.

"She cannot die!" Zander shouted.

"Back off…Z," I gasped. "Let…her help."

Zander sighed as he came into my sight line. His hair hung in his face and his dirt brown eyes were worried. "You're not dying tonight, you hear me?"

"Well, we don't have a lot of choices, she's been poisoned," Ludwig stated bluntly. "You ever heard of Komodo dragons? Their mouths are teeming with bacteria. After one has bitten you, it will track you for hours, days, just waiting for the toxins to slowly eat away at your nervous system till you're good and helpless. Then it will devour you alive."

"This…didn't…look…like a…dragon," I said while panting to get air into my lungs.

"You're probably right," she conceded. "But this poison is similar but way more efficient. I think that I've seen it before but it's hard to tell without testing, and we don't have that kind of time. Give us some privacy. I need to remove her clothing. You, girl, can stay. I'll need your help."

"I'm not going anywhere," Zander declared.

"Zander," I called, and he knelt down next to me. "Go back to the others. They'll need you."

When he shook his head, Sookie came over. "I'll call you when she's better, okay? I promise."

Zander stood and gave Sookie a hug before looking at me one more time with pain in his eyes. He hesitated and I started choking on foam.

"She's running out of time," Ludwig warned, and he left as I passed out again.

*Queen of the Wolves*

The next time I woke up, it was to a searing pain in my back that made me scream. I tried to squirm away from it, but something not very strong was trying to hold me still. "I told you to hold her down!" I heard Ludwig shout.

"I'm trying!" Sookie's voice yelled back. "She's always been much stronger than me!"

"What are you doing to her?!" Bill's voice demanded.

"Hold her down!" Ludwig shouted over my screaming. "Or let her die, your choice!"

Suddenly, the smell of the ocean flooded my nose. I looked in front of me when I felt hands on my wrists that held me down. I saw Eric staring at me with stormy blue eyes. His eyes were a blue that looked like it could drown me. "You need to hold still älskling(darling)," Eric's deep voice rumbled in my ear. "You'll need her to get better."

Before I could answer, I felt the doctor dig into my wound, and I let out another scream. The pain was enough to make me pass out again.

*Queen of the Wolves*

NO ONE'S POV

Ludwig finished clearing out all of the poison and was dabbing the excess blood away. "You can give her blood now. Her body should accept it."

Bill was about to bite his wrist, but Eric stopped him. "Mine is much stronger, allow me," Eric offered.

"Never," Bill shot down immediately.

"Wait!" Sookie shouted at both of them, and they looked at her confused. "Just wait. She won't need blood."

"What are you—" Bill started but stopped himself when he saw the large scratches on Teddy's back started to close up.

It went slowly but all three large wounds closed up on their own. When it was done, it was like nothing had happened. Both Bill and Eric stood up in astonishment before looking to Sookie. "What is she?" Eric demanded.

Sookie looked unsure and hesitant for a minute, but Bill walked over to her. "Sookie, it's okay to tell us."

She sighed and nodded. "She's a wolf."

"A wolf?" Eric echoed as he looked down at the redhead. "The other breed of werewolves. What rank is she?"

"I can't tell you that," Sookie said quickly, and even Bill looked at her. "No, I can't. If she wants to tell you, then that's up to her, but I can't say."

Doctor Ludwig chose that moment to cut it. "I'll expect my payment by the end of the week," she said as she passed Eric.

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Dr. Ludwig," Eric purred at the small doctor.

"Fuck off," she shot back as she leaves.

"Clearly the pleasure it one sided," Bill commented.

"Well, she's no fan of the fang," Eric responded. "She tolerates us, because our blood is of such great value to healers."

Then Pam and Chow walked in covered in dirt and mud. "The area has been scanned," Pam snarled.

"Tracks were human, but the smell was distinctly animal," Chow explained.

"What kind?" Eric asked.

"A filthy one," Pam snapped.

"We didn't recognize it," Chow expounded.

"How intriguing," Eric said cooly. "Send an alert through the appropriate channels. Find out what the neighbors know." Pam and Chow went to walk away, but Eric stopped them. "And, Pam. Those were great pumps."

Eric turned back to Bill as he came around the ottoman with Sookie. "I don't want to move her," Bill said. "No matter how she heals, it wouldn't be good for her."

"Of course not," Eric agreed. "I'll make sure she's taken care of."

"I'm not leaving her," Sookie declared with a frown.

"And I won't leave either of them," Bill said putting an arm around Sookie.

Eric shrugged. "You are welcome to stay out here Sookie. And Bill Longshadow kept a coffin in back. He liked to feed before resting, so it'll be a bit messy, but you're welcome to it."

Eric took one last glance at Teddy before going to walk away. Bill's voice made him pause. "I wanna thank you for your hospitality," Bill said. "And for saving Theodora's life."

Eric looked over his shoulder at them and his eyes lingered on Teddy. "I'm sure there's a way she can repay me."

*Queen of the Wolves*

Teddy's POV

When I woke up next, I had a blanket over me as I laid on the ottoman. I looked down to see that I had been put in a red Fangtasia shirt that was large enough to fall to mid-thigh. My body felt heavy and sluggish, and my mind was a little foggy. It took a moment, but the fog cleared so I remembered what I was doing at Fangtasia. I sat up slowly and carefully.

"Teddy!" Sookie's voice said in surprise. I turned just in time for Sookie to wrap her arms around me. She squeezed me tightly and I grunted in pain. Sookie immediately let me go and gave me a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sore," I groaned. "Whatever poison that was is messing with my healing, it's slower."

"How is that possible?" Sookie questioned. "With whom you are? You should be able to beat it."

"Even I have my limits Sookie," I argued rubbing my temple. "What happened after I passed out?"

Sookie then turned sheepish, and her heart rate sped up. I narrowed my eyes at her reaction. Sookie flinched at my glare. "I might have told Bill and Eric that you were a wolf," she admitted in a rush.

"What?" I growled.

"Well, they were arguing over who would give you blood," she defended. "And I know you trust Bill, but I didn't think you'd want to be connected to him. You healed on your own too, so I didn't think that you would need it."

"You didn't tell them who I was, did you?" I growled at her.

"No!" she denied, and her heartbeat was steady. "I told them that you would say when you were ready. But I told them that I couldn't say anything."

"Okay," I conceded. "I believe you. But I'm in no condition to do anything." Then something occurred to me, and I looked at Sookie with a puzzled expression. "Hey, Sook, why was Zander here?"

Sookie blinked. "Oh, he said that he could feel you were in danger, and he came in with Dr. Ludwig."

"Oh, you both are awake," a female voice said that startled both of us. We turned to see Ginger with two plates in her hands. She then handed the plates to us. "I made you both two-top sandwiches. Peanut butter and chocolate syrup."

"That's very…thoughtful, Ginger," Sookie told her while I just nodded at her with a strained smile.

"Oh, that's the thing about being with vamps, ain't it?" Ginger joked. "You always forget to eat. I've lost 37 pounds since I got this job. Way better than a fat farm."

I stood slowly to put my plate on the bar. My body still felt heavy, so it was difficult to move. I was gonna ask about Bill, but I knew that with Sookie still here, he wouldn't have left. Sookie got curious about Ginger. "Do they make you stay here every day?"

"Well, sometimes I just come in for deliveries, but these days, I've been coming in for…" Ginger trailed off. Her heart rate skipped as though she was suddenly nervous. Ginger then laughed nervously as she starts to clean up the bottles on the table. "Never mind all that. You two just finish up your sandwiches and go back to sleep."

Sookie suddenly got in front of Ginger and in her face. "Lafayette?" she inquired, and my head shot up to them. "Why would Eric have Lafayette in the basement?"

"I just work here," Ginger told her with a monotone voice.

Sookie suddenly ran around the bar and got something while Ginger put the bottes down to walk away. I tried to move quickly to go after her and was only able to grab her arm before Sookie came around the bar with a gun in hand. Ginger immediately screamed and held up her hand that I wasn't holding.

"Take us to him!" Sookie demanded. "Now!"

Ginger led us to a door that opened up to the basement. We went down the stairs and what we saw made me freeze on the landing. Lafayette was sitting there chained up with a collar around his neck. I could see through the darkness, and I could see bite marks on him. The smell down here was rank, but despite that I could smell Lafayette's blood coming from his leg.

"Oh, my God," Sookie whispered, and she ran towards him. She knelt beside him and tapped him on the arm. "Lafayette. Lafayette."

"Sookie," his hoarse voice sounded awful. "Is that really you?"

"What have they done to you?" Sookie asked, horrified.

"Do I look like a vampire?" he countered.

"You look awful."

"I feel fucking worse," Lafayette confirmed. "I guess that means I ain't a vampire then, which is good."

Sookie looked over her shoulder at Ginger. "Uncuff him!"

"I don't have that key!" Ginger replied in a panicked voice. "I swear."

Sookie then turned to me. "Teddy, can you get him out?"

"I want to say yes Sookie," I said regretfully with a shake of my head. "But it's taking all of my energy to stand right now. I don't have the strength to do anything else."

She spun around to Lafayette. "I'm gonna get you outta here. I promise."

*Queen of the Wolves*

I managed to get a few more hours of sleep and while I did feel better, I still felt a little sluggish. I woke up as a door opened and Bill walked in. Slowly standing, Bill first hugged Sookie, then came over to give me a tight hug. I grunted at the force and Bill immediately let me go. "What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Whatever poison that was is slowing down my ability to heal," I explained. "I'm still a little sore."

"Well, do you need blood?" Bill offered.

"I'll be fine Bill," I told him with a slight smile, and Sookie walked up next to me.

"She's right," she started in an angry tone. "Teddy's alive and in one piece, unlike our friend Lafayette who Eric chained up like an animal and left to bleed to death."

Bill looked at the both of us in utter confusion. "What?"

"You better not have known anything about this Bill Compton, because if you did, I don't think I could ever forgive you," Sookie told the brunette vampire.

Bill just looked at her in more confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I imagine she's referring to the human in my basement," came Eric's voice and we all looked to see the Viking strolling in. "The human that traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood. Which, as you know, is a grave offence."

So, that's what Lafayette was doing here. I knew that he was a dealer, but I didn't think that he would go so far as to sell V. My body automatically relaxed at the explanation and my wolf howled in my head at Eric's presence. As he came closer, Eric's ice blue eyes looked to me and gave me a once over. However, it seemed as though I was the only one who really understood what he said.

Sookie walked forward with a furious look on her face. "His name is Lafayette, and you ought to be ashamed for what you've done to him."

The next thing that happened shocked both me and the others. I saw that Sookie was going to slap Eric and my wolf took control for a moment. My body moved next to my cousin, and I caught her arm in the air. Sookie turned to me, and I let out a warning growl. I held back enough that my eyes wouldn't glow, but I bared my teeth at her. "Don't."

'Why would you defend him?!' Sookie screamed in my head, a look of utter disbelief and fury on her face. 'After what you saw with Lafayette.'

'He's my mate Sookie,' I told herwith a scowl at her behavior. 'My wolf won't let you harm him, no matter what he's done.'

"I'm glad that you're feeling better Theodora," Eric said, causing both of us to look at him. Eric gave me another once over. "The color green may suit you, but this color suits you better."

"Go to hell," Sookie snapped. "She's not in any condition to deal with you, but I am."

"Sookie, enough," Bill pleaded.

"Oh, it's not nearly enough," Sookie snapped at Bill. "They've tortured him and bitten him and shot him and kept him down there in his own filth for weeks."

"Is this true?" Bill asked Eric.

"There are others who would have done far worse, and you know it," Eric responded with indifference.

Sookie then tried to get closer in Eric's face, buy my hand holding her arm stopped her. She gave me an angry look before turning back to the tall blonde vampire. "You're gonna let him go right now, or I swear, I'm going to the police," she threatened.

Eric lunged forward with a growl and his fangs clicked down. Sookie jumped back in surprise and grabbed my arm. "I do not respond well to threats," he growled at her. Eric then stepped back, and his eyes flicked to me. "But perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement." He then gestured towards his office. "Please."

I moved Sookies hand off my arm and went to step forward, but my knees locked on me. I started to fall forward, and cold arms caught me around my waist, hauling me into a hard chest. I looked up into the blue eyes of Eric, and he was frowning at me. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Bill spoke up before I could. "Her healing has been slowed due to the poison."

I pushed against his chest in order to stand on my own, but without my strength, his arms were like iron. I narrowed my green eyes at his blue eyes that were swirling like a storm. I had noticed that the blue would change with his emotions. Ice blue when he was annoyed with something, they would turn ocean blue in boredom or just normal, and then stormy when he was angry. I've noticed that is was normally an ice or stormy blue around me and that it wasn't always directed at me.

Before I realized what happened, I was lifted up into Eric's arms. I had to wrap my arms around his neck to keep my balance. This close to him, his scent surrounded me with the smell of fridged ocean air. I only stared at him in confusion. Eric's own eyes searched my face for something, but he seemed to not find it.

"You should conserve your strength," he explained simply. He then led the way to his office. He placed me gently in his plush black chair and for some reason, caressed my cheek for a moment. Eric then moved around the desk to sit on the edge so he could see my cousin and Bill, but also me.

Once the door closed, Eric began to explain what he wanted in exchange for letting Lafayette go. It was rather simple, but the whole thing made my blood run cold again. Godric was missing, had been for almost a week. The thing that bothered me the most was that I didn't get a call form either the Dallas pack or Godric's nest. Godric's nest was always iffy with me, so I was less surprised that they didn't call. It was the Dallas pack that I was surprised with. They were having meetings with Godric's next in order to establish friendship. Godric missing was cause for concern.

Once Eric was done explaining, Sookie summarized what he wanted. "So, if I agree to go to Dallas to help look for this missing vampire, you'll let Lafayette go?"

"No," Bill shot down. "If it hadn't been for Theodora, it would have been you that could have been poisoned. And it nearly killed your cousin last night. You are not going to Dallas."

"Bill, I can make up my own mind," she retorted.

"I will pay all of your expenses, of course," Eric interjected.

"That had better be for both of us," I cut in, and they all looked at me sharply. "I'll be rather annoyed if I have to pay for myself."

"You're not going Teddy," Sookie rebuked.

I scowled at her. "If you think I'm letting you got to Dallas by yourself, then you're out of your mind. I'm coming, end of discussion."

Sookie glared right back at me but sighed regardless. She knew that she couldn't argue with me. Bill apparently didn't agree with the decision. "You nearly died last night," he argued. "And you can barely stand now. You're healing is not keeping up and I don't care what rank you are, you are not going."

I growled at him with my canines coming out. "I'm not invalid Bill Compton. I will be just fine."

"What rank are you anyway?" Eric interjected.

My gaze shifted to him. "Like I'll tell you that after what you did."

Eric then got a secretive smile on his face that I didn't trust. He then turned back to the others. "I will pay for both of your express then. And, yes, I will release your friend."

"And we want $5,000 each," Sookie negotiated.

My eyes snapped to her, and I felt annoyance creep up on me. 'Don't get greedy Sookie,' I snapped in her head.

Sookie looked at me with a raised eyebrow. 'We both have missed a lot of work and if we don't have that money, we're screwed.'

I sighed as I knew that she was right, didn't mean I had to like it. She leaned over to explain to Bill and threw in that we needed a driveway.

"You're human is getting cocky," Eric deadpanned.

Bill then did something surprising. "They will take $10,000 each and I will escort them."

"I don't think so, no," Eric denied.

"Yes," I cut in and Eric turned to me. "Ten thousand each and Bill comes with us or it's a deal breaker. I won't be able to protect her all the time."

Eric's eyes turned a stormy blue as he stared at me. I only stared back with my emerald green gaze, not backing down. It took a moment, but the stormy blue gave way to an ocean blue, and he turned to the phone and pressed a button. He murmured in Swedish before turning back to me. "You surprise me," he said. "That is a rare quality in a breather, especially for a wolf."

I stiffened slightly when he called me that, but I forced myself to relax. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is."

"Well, you certainly disgust me," Sookie frowned at the interaction.

"Perhaps I'll grow on you," Eric suggested. "Like I did with your cousin."

"I'd prefer cancer," my cousin retorted quickly.

Eric almost rolled his eyes before turning to Bill. "You need to leave immediately."

"I will make the travel arrangements," he told Eric. "But I will need your credit card number."

Just then, the door opened, and Pam threw Lafayette to the floor. Sookie immediately ran to kneel next to him. Pam put her hands on her hips. "Such a shame," she drawled. "I was hoping I could convince Eric to let me keep you."

"No, you already have enough pets," Eric responded.

"No offense, but you ain't exactly my type, bitch," Lafayette bit back.

Pam huffed and actually looked annoyed. "Can I kick him?"

"You can try," Bill challenged.

"Enough," Eric commanded. "Have Chow fetch their car."

Pam gave Bill a look before leaving. Eric walked over to Lafayette as I went to stand and leaned on the desk for support. Sookie moved aside as Eric knelt next to Lafayette. He ran a finger down Lafayette's arm with a smirk on his face. "I'll see you around, I'm sure."

"Oh, don't bet on it, baby," Lafayette grunted. "I'm retiring. I'm done with you crazy-ass fuckers. Done."

Eric winked at him while standing. He waved Bill away who moved to pick up Lafayette. "Come on Teddy, let's go," Sookie called.

I went to walk towards her when Eric placed a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder. "I need to speak with Theodora," Eric said. "She won't be joining you."

Sookie frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. "I'll be okay Sookie. Just call Zander and have him come pick me up. I need to speak with him anyway." 'Have him call the whole pack before he gets here.'

Sookie looked hesitant but nodded and followed Bill out the door. Eric got up to close the door and then turned to me. I crossed my arms across my chest. "So, what did you want to discuss?"

"I want some answers about you," he said as he walked around me to sit in his chair.

"What do you want to know?" I asked as I turned towards him.

"When you and your cousin stare at each other, are you speaking to each other in your heads?" he started, and I nodded to him in confirmation. Eric looked at me intrigued. "Can you hear anyone? Like Sookie?"

I shook my head. "No, I can only hear Sookie, and that's only if she directs her thoughts to me. We're not sure why."

Eric nodded in contemplation. "What rank are you?"

I sighed. "I'm not saying. You still have some trust to earn."

Eric just smirked at me. "How about I make you a deal?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What kind of deal?"

"You tell me what rank you are and in exchange, I'll give you some of my blood to heal yourself," he offered. I scoffed and went to protest, but he cut me off. "We both know that you won't be fully healed by the time you go to Dallas, despite the brave face you put on. With some vampire blood, you'll heal faster."

I frowned at his words because they were true. I would be too weak to do anything while in Dallas and I needed to be at full strength. Going over my options, my wolf was urging me to agree and to satisfy the mating call. I sighed and Eric smirked in victory. "Don't go celebrating quite yet Eric," I scolded. "I have some conditions."

Eric still had his smirk in place. "Which are?"

"One, I don't tell you until we get to Dallas," I told him. "I know that you will be coming as well. You wouldn't just leave it to Sookie, Bill and me. And two, I will tell you after you give some of your blood to Lafayette."

Eric frowned at the last one and opened his mouth, but I cut him off this time. "Lafayette's leg is already infected. I could smell it. Unfortunately, he is too stubborn to go to the hospital, so it'll only get worse. I told you in our talks how much Lafayette means to me and yet you had him in your dungeon the whole time. This is how you can make it up to me and earn back my trust."

Eric still had a frown on his face. "You know he'll be angry with you."

I shrugged. "He'll get over it."

Eric nodded. "Deal."

"Deal," I nodded back.

Eric then patted his leg, and I gave him a confused look. His smirk returned. "You'll sit in my lap to take my blood. That's my condition."

I growled a little in frustration but moved towards him none the less. I sat slowly sideways on his thigh with my legs between his. Eric moved my arm so that it lay across the back of his shoulders. I held in a growl as my wolf was doing flips in my mind at how close we were.

Eric brought up his wrist, his fangs clicking down, and bit into his own wrist. He offered it to me, and I took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I used my other hand to bring his wrist to my mouth. His blood was tangy but there wasn't a whole lot of copper. It was actually good, and I drank rather greedily.

Eric tugging his wrist brought me back and I let go. I met his steely eyes and didn't look away as I gave one last swipe of my tongue over his wrist. Eric's jaw was twitching as his eyes were a steel blue, a color I hadn't seen before. "You are welcome to stay in here until your mate come to get you," he ground out as if he was in pain.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion for a moment. "Mate?"

"Zander Maddox," Eric clarified with distaste.

"Zander's not my mate," I told him, and he looked at me in surprise. "Zander is my half-brother. We have the same father, but he wasn't married to either of our mothers, so we don't share the same last name."

I was cut off from saying anymore when Eric put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me to him. Our lips met with force, and it made me gasp. Eric used that to dominate the kiss. My hands went into his hair, and he pulled my leg, so I was fully in his lap, my legs on either side of his lips. I was already feeling better, so I tried to match his rhythm.

It was like nothing that I had ever experienced. With his blood in me, one half of the mate bond opened, and I could feel everything he felt. I felt his joy, his possessiveness, and his lust. Although, I could feel that physically too as he pulled me down to grind against me. The taste of his lips was like nothing I had ever had, but something that I would never be able to get enough of.

Eric put one hand into my hair and another on my hip so he could shift the flow of the kiss. He kissed me as if he was taking control of something. As if he was plundering a village as a Viking, he was taking control of my mouth.

A knock at the door broke us apart, and we just stared at each other as I tried to catch my breath. Another knock made Eric growl in annoyance, his eyes turning to ice. I put my forehead on his shoulder as I did my best to steady my breathing while Eric called out to whoever interrupted us. "What?"

"Teddy!" Zander's voice called. "I know you're in there! Come on!"

I could feel Eric's annoyance turn into anger. Raising my head, I placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head to me. I leaned in and placed a soft and lingering kiss to his lips. I pulled back before he could deepen it and looked into his eyes. They were a steel blue again and I realized that color was desire as I felt it come off him. "Don't forget our deal," I whispered.

Slowly, I climbed off his lap and walked to the door. I opened it to see Zander with Pam behind him. His hair was up in a bun again and he looked better than the last time. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I clung to him. I could hear him sniffing me and he stiffened before pulling back. He had a glare aimed at Eric who had not moved from his chair.

I sighed and smacked him in the chest. Zander jumped and looked down at me in surprise. "Let's go," I told him.

"Theodora," Eric's voice caused me to turn around. Eric was leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his face. "I'll see you in Dallas."

"See you there," I smirked back.

"Dallas?" Zander cut in and I pushed him out the door. Pam walked in and closed the door behind her. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain with everyone else," I told him as I started walking out with him following. "I only want to explain it once."


A/N: Hello everyone! Please let me know how I did with this chapter! I had this chapter planned for a while, so please let me know!