Sookie's POV:
Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins as we entered Pam's residence. I took a quick look around the bedroom as I slowly tried to catch my breath. I still couldn't believe what has just happened. My life had taken a complete 180 in the span of 30 hours. I had just taken part in a vampire battle in the state of Louisiana. I had just killed the Queen of two states. There were so many things that we needed to discuss. I turned around to face Eric. He walked up to me, cupped my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I could see the bloodlust in his eyes and I could tell he was trying very hard to fight it off.
"We need to wash everything away," he said quietly.
He led me into the bathroom. He turned on the water in the shower as I peeled off my clothes. He quickly undressed as well. I stood under the rainwater showerhead and closed my eyes. I felt Eric's large hands on my hips.
"Did you want me to wash your hair?" he asked.
I nodded. He grabbed the shampoo and lathered up my hair. He gently massaged my scalp. The soothing motion helped me calm down as I enjoyed the feeling of Eric washing me. After he was done, I washed him as well. We finished our shower and wrapped ourselves in warm, fluffy towels.
We went into the walk-in closet which was filled with men's clothing. There were a few women's items as well. I guess Pam kept this room for Eric in case he ever returned. He handed me a long white t-shirt and I put that on.
"Eric, I….," I didn't know where to begin.
"I can tell you are very tired Sookie," he said. "We will discuss it later."
We got into the bed and faced each other. He wrapped his arm around my waist as I wrapped mine around his.
"Are you upset that she is gone?" I had to ask him that. I had just killed his wife. It was the second time I had done that as the thought of Rosamund crept up in my mind.
"No," Eric said softly. "We should rest now."
I closed my eyes and fell asleep quickly.
I woke up a few hours later thirsty and hungry. I lifted Eric's heavy arm off me and crawled out of bed. There was a small kitchenette with a mini fridge in the room. I was hoping there was water and maybe some food.
"Yes!," I whispered to myself as I found bottles of water and some snack food. Pam must've anticipated we would be spending the day and stocked up the fridge. I quietly ate and drank the water. I could still feel the tiredness in my eyes after I finished.
I crawled back into bed with Eric and snuggled up to him. I soon fell asleep again.
I later awoke again but this time Eric was looking at me intently. He was rubbing my hip.
"Hi," I smiled at him and rubbed his arm. I felt so rested and relaxed. It was the first time in a very long time that I had gotten a good nights, or should I say days sleep.
"How long have you been watching me?" I smiled.
"Not long," he said. "I did not think you would be ever lay in bed with me again."
I looked at him for a moment. "Neither did I. There are a lot of things that have occurred that I didn't think would ever happen again."
"As much as I would love to remain here with you in bed, I have much to do this evening," Eric said.
"I can only imagine," I sighed. I replayed what happened last night in my mind. I knew Eric would have to deal with the repercussions. I knew his kingdom would be in state of confusion since their queen was now dead. I didn't know what that meant for me either.
"Do not worry Sookie. I will take care of you," Eric said.
He leaned down and kissed me. I put my arms around him and deepened the kiss. It didn't take too long before things started to heat up. Eric rarely wore underwear and most certainly not in bed. He grinded his hard cock between my thighs. I let out soft moans.
"Are you sure?" he whispered into my ear.
"Yes Eric, take me!" I moaned out as I grabbed his butt trying to push him in.
In one swift fluid move, he was inside me. I gasped as he filled me. I had almost forgotten how large he was.
"Oh Eric, don't stop," I moaned as I enjoyed the feeling of him inside me.
He started pumping in an out vigorously as I held onto his ass.
I knew Eric enjoyed eye contact, but I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. I was enjoying the immense feeling of him inside me too much.
"Eric, bite me!" I said. I heard the clicking sounds of his fangs and quickly he sank his teeth in my neck. We yelled out as we both came.
I was panting as we both came down slowly from our mutual orgasms.
"That was… intense….." I panted. He was still inside me and I could feel that his cock was still hard.
I held onto him because I didn't want him to move.
"We need to get ready for the evening Lover," he whispered into my ear.
I didn't want to get up or leave this position. But I knew there was a lot of important things that we needed to address.
"Fine," I pouted.
We both groaned as he pulled out.
As we showered together, memories of shower sex began to flood my mind. Sensing my arousal, Eric lifted me up and penetrated me again. I thoroughly enjoyed this shower. I didn't want it to end.
I didn't have any clothes here but Pam had left some of hers in the closet. I put on some cream coloured slacks, along with a pale pink blouse. I had a bit of a hard time fitting into one of her bras.
Pam was already upstairs as we made our way into the living room. Her living room was spacious and feminine. The sofas were beige and the walls were pink. She had a large self-portrait hanging over the fireplace. I even spotted a picture of me and Eric sitting on the mantle.
"I trust everything was to your satisfaction downstairs. I rarely have any visitors in this home," Pam said.
"Everything was perfect, Pam. Thank you for the snacks, drinks, and the clothes. I will wash and return them whenever I get the chance to find my suitcase. I hope my suitcase is still intact," I said.
"Unfortunately, not. Freyda and her goons ransacked your hotel room last night. They destroyed everything," she stated.
"Oh, that's no good." I replied as I chewed my lower lip. I had some clothes in Bon Temps though but I was unsure when we would return to my home. I knew Eric needed to be in New Orleans and at his court.
"The council has been trying to contact you Eric. Your secretary in New Orleans has been calling my cell non-stop. I knew that you didn't want to be disturbed which is why I didn't let you know right away," she told Eric.
"Thank you, Pam. You were correct with your assumption. Sookie and I needed some time alone, even though it was not enough," he said as he squeezed my hand.
I smiled up at him.
"You must be hungry, Sookie. I take it that you have not had a proper meal in the past two days," he said.
"I ordered from Skip the Dishes. I ordered a little bit of everything from several restaurants," Pam said.
I started to smell the food coming from the dining room. "Yes, I'm famished. Thank you, Pam, for your hospitality."
"Lover, why don't you go to the dining room and eat. I have to catch up on some work and phone calls," Eric said as he patted my butt.
"Okay," I replied as he gave me a quick kiss. I headed into the dining room.
Eric's POV:
"I'm going to need your office, Pam," I said to her. "Also keep Sookie company as she eats her dinner."
"It's just down the hall," she replied.
I made my way and closed the door. I say down at her desk and dialled my secretary's number. My secretary, Beaumont Campion, was an English vampire turned in the early 1700s. He used to be a solicitor when he was human. After I had married Freyda, she chose the members of our administration, including him. I wasn't sure if I could trust him completely, but I knew that he was not overly fond of Freyda and how she ran the court. I was going to have overhaul my whole court soon and weed out the ones who were loyal to Freyda.
He picked up after one ring.
"Your highness, I am glad that you are well. May I offer my condolences for her majesty, the Queen," he replied.
"That won't be necessary," I said to him. "Freyda has met her final death. It was her own fault. She should not have pursued me from the very beginning. That was her fatal mistake.".
"Yes, but the council requires an explanation from you. They have sent a representative. He is waiting for you here at court. He is also expecting you to bring Ms. Sookie Stackhouse," he said.
"Who is it?" I snarled.
"Octavius James," he said.
I see," I replied. I knew who he was. He was named the head of the vampire council just recently. They wanted so-called new blood in the higher-ranking seats. He was about 150 years old and was from Greece. He spent a lot of time in England and adopted an English accent. Pompous ass.
"Let him know we will be there in a few hours," I said and hung up the phone. Right away I started thinking of how I was going to handle this. I would protect Sookie at all costs. I knew he would have something to say not just about the death of Freyda but of all the vampire blood that was spilled last night. I was wary that he had requested Sookie's presence as well.
I could hear Sookie and Pam finishing up in the dining room. I went out and joined them at the table.
"Pam was telling me about Fangtasia and the new young vampires that have been coming around. The long-time regulars have mourned your absence from the bar Eric," Sookie giggled.
"Yes, I hope that someday soon I can sit on my throne at Fangtasia. I miss those carefree days," I replied.
"Sookie, we have to return to New Orleans. There is a council member waiting for us. He wants to address what happened," I told Sookie. She was instantly worried but then her expression changed.
"I suppose he wants to know what happened and may punish me for killing Freyda," she said thoughtfully.
"I will not let anything happen to you Sookie," I assured her. "Whatever the price may be, I will pay it."
"Eric, I know that you would do anything for me, but I killed her. I don't regret it either. I did what I had to do. And if the vampire council want me to pay, then I will own up to it," she said with courage in her voice.
"Sookie, just don't say anything until he asks you something directly. And do not agree to anything. I will handle it," I said.
"Eric, please just let me help. I love you. Whatever happens, we need to face it together. That's the only way," she said softly as she reached for my hand.
I squeezed back and kissed the back of her hand. "You are the most courageous, most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life. I will always be yours."
I used to tell Sookie all the time that she was mine. But I think all along, I was actually hers since the moment I met her.
Pam had already chartered a flight for us to New Orleans. We were joined by Pam, several vampires from the bar, and Sookie's bodyguards.
When we reached the palace, I shuttered as I looked up at the mansion and remembered all that had taken place in it for the past decade. I was soooo going to burn it down when I had the chance.
"Your majesty," Beaumont Campion said as he greeted us at the front. He looked at Sookie and nodded respectfully. "Mr. James is in the royal chambers."
All the members of the court gasped and whispered as they bowed down to me and stared at Sookie as we walked through. I could hear some of them whispering. She killed the queen. I can't believe he brought her here. She's got some nerve…. I knew that I was going to have to punish some of these cretins later. While there was some disproval, the majority of the whispers seemed positive. I'm glad she finally ended the Queen. About time someone killed her. I hated that bitch!
We entered the Royal Chamber and Octavius James was sitting on the red sofa with a glass of blood in his hand.
"Ahh if it isn't the King of Louisiana. I have been waiting here for some time," he said smugly.
"Forgive me, but I was in Shreveport. I had some pressing matters to attend to while there," I told him with the same attitude in my tone.
He got up and walked towards us. "And this must be the famous Ms. Sookie Stackhouse. I have heard sooo much about you," he said trying to be suave as he stared at Sookie top to bottom. He sounded and looked more like a douche. "My name is Octavius James. I am the head of the Vampire Council. Surely you must have heard of me?"
"It is nice to meet you," Sookie said politely. "And sorry I don't know who you are. I mean I haven't kept up-to-date with vampire politics lately."
He stared at her with a raised eyebrow as though he was insulted that she hadn't heard of him. "Hmmm…. I gather that much. You probably have not taken an interest since your husband died. I offer my condolences, Ms. Stackhouse. Though I never met him, I have heard about his famous battles and power throughout the years. With what has happened lately with the vampire population in the world, Marius is greatly missed."
"Thank you," Sookie replied quietly.
"Enough with the pleasantries," I stated. "Time to get straight to the point, what is it that you want?"
"We had heard all about what happened last night. Her late majesty, Queen Freyda, called us and told us you were missing. She implied that Ms. Stackhouse, kidnapped you and was holding you against your will. We found out right away that this was not the case," he said as he went to retrieve his glass of blood. He took a sip and continued. "Though we have somewhat of an understanding as to why a battle had taken place last night, we were still very distressed as to how many vampires lost their lives. Given the fact that our numbers have dwindled greatly."
"It caused me great pain as well to see them meet their final deaths. But that is what they chose. They had the choice to walk away but they did not. It was either them or us," I replied.
"Nonetheless, you know you must pay," Octavius retorted.
"I will pay the reparations," I said quickly.
"Ms. Stackhouse must pay as well. She quite possibly did the worst damage. She ended the life of one of our queens," he said.
"Freyda was careless with her own life. She tried to spill blood first. She attempted to end Sookie's life. Sookie had no choice but to slay her. Again, it was either her or Sookie. Sookie won fairly. She is adept to defend herself," I told him.
He stared at us for a few moments. "Times have changed. You know that Northman. It has been a constant battle to maintain our power within our world. The humans seem to know this."
"I thought our objective was to live amongst each other, to grow together. After all, we were once humans as well," I said.
"That is what we tell the public, but behind closed doors, you know that is not entirely true," he replied. "You could take your case to the council in the next few weeks but regardless, we have made our decision as to what the reparations will be."
I tensed up. "And what may that be?"
"You will pay a sum of money to the state of Oklahoma. You will let us decide who will take over that territory. You may keep Louisiana and continue to be the King. But we will be watching your every move closely," he said as he stood in front of me. "You are one of the last oldest vampires in the world. We value your strength, your power and your persuasion."
He looked and stood in front of Sookie, "Now for you, Ms. Stackhouse. Are you staying in Louisiana for the foreseeable future?"
Sookie looked at me and back at him. "Yes, I will remain with Eric. I will live in New Orleans with him."
I felt joy when she said that to him. We had not really talked about our plans. We had not discussed our "relationship status" out loud.
"I had an inkling you would say that," he smiled. "But you did end the life of a vampire Queen. Even if you saw that your actions were justifiable."
She tensed up more.
"I would tell you how much money you are required to pay but I am sure King Northman will pay it on your behalf. You will be paying a sum but there is also something else that we require you to do. We need your telepathic services."
"Ummm okay," Sookie said unsure. "How long and where?"
"How long depends entirely on you, and you must go to Stockholm," he replied.
"Sookie is not going anywhere," I told him. "If you want her to read some minds, bring those people here."
"It's not that simple," he smiled smugly. "The individual is in Stockholm along with the work that this individual is doing for us."
"What kind of work?" I said. "If it puts Sookie in danger then the answer is no."
"You are acting like you have a choice!" he laughed. I just wanted to punch him in the face until every bone was broken. Smug bastard!
"So Ms. Stackhouse, do you agree to our terms? If you do this task for us, you will no longer owe any fealty."
We both looked at Sookie.
"I'll go," she said. "As long as I know that no one gets hurt."
"Agreed. Oh, and another thing, King Northman will not be accompanying you. He has a kingdom to run and cannot be spared," he said nonchalantly.
"That I do not agree to," I said sternly. "If Sookie goes, I go with her."
"Eric," Sookie said softly as she placed her hand on my upper arm. "It's alright. I will go and do what they ask. I will try and do this quickly and return before you know it. I am not afraid."
I looked down at her and could see that she was being earnest. I knew I had to trust her and her abilities. There were too many times in the past that I took her for granted and it always ended up hurting us both.
"You are sure?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said confidently.
I was very reluctant to let her go. I had just gotten her back and now she was leaving me again. We had not yet talked about renewing our blood bond. But I wanted her to take some of my blood so that I may sense her whereabouts and feelings.
"Very well," I said to her.
"Good, then the matter is settled," Octavius said as he grasped his hands together.
"I will take you to Stockholm tonight," he said.
"What! You want me to go so soon?" Sookie cried out.
"Yes, like you said, you wanted to try and get to your task and finish as quickly as you can," he said.
"I will be waiting at the airport in my plane," he said as he walked towards the door. "Do not keep me waiting this time."
As soon as he left, Sookie jumped into my arms. "Oh Eric, this is awful! I wonder who he wants me to read and what to do?!"
"Do not fret Sookie. I believe in you. You have your training. You are smart. You can sense danger as well as any vampire," I said as I held her. I rubbed her back soothingly.
"I brought all your weapons. I also took the liberty of buying you some new clothes from the shops here. The maids are packing your clothes already," Pam said. "I would love nothing better but to come with you."
"Thanks Pam," Sookie said.
"I want you to take my blood," I said. "I need to feel you."
Sookie looked up to me. I could see the love in her eyes. "Of course."
I bit into my wrist and she drank it quickly. Right away I could feel her life force. Her emotions stirred within me.
"I will take you to the airport."
I parked my corvette near the plane and helped Sookie out of the car. Attendants waiting in front of the plane took her baggage.
I held her close and looked into her eyes. I could not and did not want to let her go. I thought right away that I would take flight and run away with her. I could spend the rest of life on the run with her, protecting her. I knew Sookie could sense what I was feeling.
Tears brimmed her eyes. "I can't believe this. I just found you again. Now I have to leave. Life is so unfair," she said sadly.
"You will come back to me," I stated to her. We both needed to be strong. If was no use if we both faltered. "I love you greatly, my Lover."
"I love you too, Eric," she said. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
We kissed deeply. I hesitantly let her hand go as the attendants led her into the plane.
I sighed as I watched the plane take off on this cold, dreary night.