Eric's POV:
The immense burning that I felt was the most intense feeling that I had ever experienced in my long existence. I could feel the sun ripping through my skin and heating up my core. While the burning sensation felt like it lasted for eternity, it was only just a few more minutes.
As soon as it was over, I laid still. Not because of choice, but because my body was paralyzed. I was not able to comprehend what had just happened. I keep my eyes closed, but even though they were closed, a bright light still was coming through. Where was I? I knew I wasn't in the hospital with Sookie anymore. I was also feeling an overwhelming emotion that I tried to keep bottled up ever since Sookie came into my life. I was feeling fear; I was not sure if I was more fearful of where I was or if I met my true death or the fact that I could not sense Sookie anymore and our bond. I must be in hell.
I slowly open my eyes just slightly but the light was just too bright, so I keep them closed. My body also still felt like it was on fire. I start feeling fatigue and suddenly I could feel my body fading, like it was going to rest for the day. I let the feeling overtake me.
I was not sure how long I had been unconscious for but I suddenly started feeling better than before. My body seemed to be adjusting to my new surroundings. Granted, it was still bright and my body still felt extremely hot, but the burning sensation was tolerable. I keep my eyes closed but I attempt to sit up, which took most of my strength. I was hungry. I slowly open my eyes again, but it takes a few minutes to adjust. I look around to find myself in a barren land. There was sand everywhere and a few strange looking trees that I was not familiar with. Some were even blue.
This time I attempt to stand up, which took even more of my strength. I look down and saw that I had no footwear or shirt, but I was still wearing my jeans.
I stumble a few hundred metres, trying to find something or anyone.
The hunger pains that I had felt earlier become even more stronger. I needed blood. I suddenly spot life, a small creature what looked like a rat with no tail. In my limited vampire speed, I grab the animal and bite into it with my vampire fangs. I take one sip of its blood before I start gagging and puke it out.
I attempt to drink from it again but the same thing happens. Before I even realize what I am doing, I start chewing on the flesh and skin of the rodent. This time I do not gag, but enjoy swallowing and chewing on the flesh of this animal. After I finish, I start to feel a strange sensation. It was my body digesting the animal. It felt strange, I had not used my digestion system in over a thousand years, not since when I was human.
I begin feeling thirsty, but not thirsty for blood, but for something to quench my thirst. I wander around and find a water hole. After I drink, I could feel my body's strength recovering. I sit down for a few minutes and wonder where I was. I had no idea, but I knew one thing for certain, I was not home anymore. I was not on Earth. I look up into the green sky and veer to my left to see something that I had not seen in a thousand years. It was the sun. It was a sun, not the one from my world.
"I must have met my final death," I whisper to myself. I wonder if this was Valhalla. If it was, then where were all the people who had died before me?
I spend the few weeks wandering the land, trying to find people, but all I find are rodents and other strange looking creatures. I had always been a good hunter, so I use those skills to hunt prey.
I continued to wander the land even further to try and find other signs of life. But there was no one. The nights were even lonelier. There was not one second that Sookie was not on my mind. As I roamed the land, I found myself wondering if she was still alive, if Braedon had killed her after I disappeared, which is why I was not able to sense her or our bond. I would spend hours meditating trying to reach either her or Pam, but there was nothing, nothing but isolation and despair.
It was months before I finally accepted my fate, my fate was to remain here, alone. After wallowing in depression and self-pity for weeks, I start feeling hope. I needed to feel hope or else I would lose my sanity.
I was tired of sleeping on the ground and using branches and rocks as pillows. So, I began to build a shelter. I would spend months finding the right trees to build my home with.
But no matter how busy I kept myself, my mind was still on Sookie. I began to create fantasies that she was here with me. As I look back, she was the one who would get me through this isolation.
One day, as I was hunting for my next meal, I could feel a pull in my core. It was like a bubbling effect that started to get stronger, Suddenly, a loud deafening sound rings my ears. It was so painful that I collapse to the ground and put my hands over my ears to try and block it out.
As the pain and sound subsides, I begin opening my eyes slowly. My vampire sense of hearing begins to overwhelm me as the sounds of life become loud. I was back, I was sure of it. I suddenly begin feeling everything that I had lost. I could feel my child Pam, she was somewhere nearby. But most importantly, I could feel Sookie. She was somewhere close as well. I lay still and listen to the low humming of our bond. I smile with content.
I was almost feeling normal so I rise up slowly, with the intention of looking for Sookie. I needed to see her. But she had found me first.
I look at her and find myself overwhelmed with an array of emotions. It was so strong that I was unable to move.
"Eric?" Sookie asks with tears in her eyes.
Was I dreaming? I had dreamt of her so many times. Most of the dreams felt so real, that I would awake and look around for her. Then I would become so distraught, that it would take days to overcome it.
"Sookie," I say with a coarse voice.
Her surprised expression turns into happiness as she runs into my arms a few seconds later.
I immediately wrap my arms around her with no intention of ever letting her go again.
"You're alive!" Sookie cries out. "Oh my god, I can't believe it. I missed you soooo much! You have no idea!"
I close my eyes, taking her scent in and the warmth of her body. She was still beautiful. Sookie had always been the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
I had to look into her eyes. She blinks at me with tears in her eyes.
I take a tear from her cheek and pop it into my mouth, savouring the familiar, delicious taste.
"I love you," I whisper to her.
She gasps and takes a few deep breaths.
"You feel so warm," she whispers.
"It was hot where I was," I reply. I smile at her and she smiles back as we keep our foreheads adjoined.
I needed more from her. I do not hesitate before tasting her lips. I kiss her passionately and I could feel my passion and desire for her rapidly rising. I needed to be inside her.
I kiss her for a minute or so before she breaks away, gasping out for air.
"Eric, we should slow down. There's something that you don't know," Sookie says, as she tries to catch her breath.
Whatever she had to say could wait. I hoist her up into my arms, intending to take her somewhere, where we could be alone. I did not give a shit about having an audience, but I knew Sookie would not feel comfortable about being intimate in front of people.
"Eric," she says in an even voice. "We need to talk."
She wraps her arms around me. "I'm so happy you're back, but we really need to talk."
"Eric," another voice says from behind us.
I turn around with Sookie still in my arms to see who it was. It was Marten.
I suddenly feel confused as I comprehend why he was here. I look behind him to see familiar structures We were in New York City Central Park. Of course, that is why he was here. But I still did not know how he came so quickly and his reason to show up at this moment. I was going to tell him, that I would talk to him some other time, and that I needed to be with my wife at this moment, but he speaks to me first.
"Eric, put her down," he says calmly. He demeanor looked calm, but the look on his face was that of anguish.
Why was he upset? I could feel myself becoming even more confused by the situation, but at the same time I was starting to find clarity. I look at his attire, he was wearing an Armani tux with a lavender flower on the lapel. He was staring at Sookie intently. I follow his gaze and look down at what Sookie was wearing. She was wearing a white gown. I finally notice the white veil on top of her head.
What was going on?
"What is the meaning of this?" I say in an even voice. But I knew what was happening. I needed to hear it out loud, but at the same time I felt like I wanted to remain ignorant of the situation.
"Sookie is mine," Marten responds, with his eyes becoming like stone.
I look at him with fierce eyes. I was going to tell him to fuck off, before killing him, but then I feel Sookie sending me calmness through our bond.
"I thought you were dead," Sookie says. "You've been gone for over four years."
I continue to hold her, with no intention of letting her go, unless she asked me.
"Eric, can you put me down? I can't talk this way," she says as tears begin to form in her eyes again.
I do as she says and place her on her feet. She straightens out her veil and stands in front of me, taking a step away.
"What Marten says is correct," she says with her eyes down. But then she looks at me again with sadness in her eyes. "We got engaged over six months ago and tonight was our wedding."
I stare at her silently for a few seconds.
"Master!" Pam calls out. She was now standing near Marten.
"Pam," I croak out. What should have been a joyous moment of being reunited with the two people I loved most in the world, was turning into quite the opposite.
"We thought you were dead," Pam says, with red tears running down her cheeks.
We all stand silently for a moment staring at one another.
"Sookie, come," Marten calls out to my lover and holding his arm out to her.
"She is not going anywhere with you," I snarl.
"I am sorry Northman, but you are too late," he says with anger rising in his tone. "We have shared blood and she has made a promise to me."
I step in front of Sookie closely and bring her close to me. I begin sniffing her skin. Initially, I had been so caught up in her scent that I had not caught the other scent that was on her that did not belong to me. It was Marten's. I look up at him and the wind blows towards me. I sniff the air and realize he was correct, I could smell Sookie permeating from him.
Rage begins to flood my inner senses. I had known Marten for hundreds of years and had seen him and even partaken in many sexual dalliances with him with countless women in the past. He was as experienced and skilled in sex as I was. I ponder briefly to the night when I had told him to take care of Sookie if something should happen to me. I close my eyes briefly. Remorse begins to fill me, with the huge mistake I had made that night. I wonder how long he waited before he laid claim to her. Was it just days after my disappearance, that he seduced her and shared her bed? I would fulfill my desire for Sookie later, but right now I needed to kill this vampire.
I push Sookie aside intending to do just that.
"Eric!" she cries out. "No!"
I was seething as my fangs pop out, ready to attack. Pam comes to my side. Marten steadies himself and bares his fangs at me.
"Marten, no," someone else says.
I look and see that it was his maker, standing not far from him.
"To fight would not be wise," Marten's maker says calmly.
"Fadir, I must," Marten grimaces.
"This is not what Sookie wants," he says.
"She is mine," I say in a ragged tone. "If you leave now, I will not fight you."
Marten does not move from his attacking position. A larger crowd begins gathering around us.
"What is going on here?" an old voice says.
We all look and see the Ancient Pythoness standing about twenty feet away from us.
"I lay claim to my bonded wife," I tell the AP. "It seems that this King believes that it is honorable to take what is mine."
The AP stands still as we all wait for her to speak.
"It is good to see you again Northman, although you being here was not something that I had foreseen," she comments. "Were you, perhaps, in another world?"
We all continue to look at her.
"The king was not being dishonorable. He went through the proper channels and asked the council to pledge himself to the faery princess, because after all, you were dead."
"As you can see, I still remain," I respond. "Therefore, whatever claim he has is void."
"You continue to surprise me Northman," the AP replies. "This is something that I have not seen in all my years."
"Will you relinquish your claim to the girl?" the AP asks Marten.
He does not take the moment to ponder before he answers, "No."
"We are at a crossroads it seems," the AP says.
I glance at Sookie who looks distressed and is breathing rapidly.
"I made a decision," she says. "The girl will remain with the king of New York for now, until we have resolved this matter in the courts. Everyone is stand down and leave this place. We are frightening the humans."
The AP's servants carry her back towards the hotel and the rest of the crowd begins to disperse.
I grab onto Sookie with the intention of disobeying the APs.
"Eric," Sookie hushes quietly as she places her hands on my chest. "I have to go."
"No," I grunt back.
"I am so happy that you are alive," she says. "The last thing that I wish is for more bloodshed."
Sookie pushes her hands away from my chest gently and out of my arms. She turns around and walks toward Marten.
"This is not over," I seethe.
His fangs click back up and he takes Sookie into his arms and is gone with her in vampire speed.
His master remains for a few more seconds before leaving as well.
"Eric," Pam says.
"What has become of this world…" I growl.
I clench my fists in frustration and growl out loud as I punch my fist through a tree, scaring away a few people.
"Where have you been?" she asks me.
I was currently in no mood to talk about what I had been through. I was burning in anger and I was ravenous for blood and sex. I could feel my vampire urges wanting to satisfy itself for both desires. It had been too long.
"Take me to your safehouse," I tell her.
She bows her head and I follow her. I would wait till tomorrow to get Sookie back.