The air was thick with the heady sweetness of Belle Rive roses, which were in full bloom.

We passed by the side of the house where a sprawling reception area had been set up. Tables were scattered under strings of fairy lights and creamy draping cloth. The effect was quite magical, if you ignored the bug zappers intermittently crackling in the corners.

I could see a few people I knew. Sam was on the far side of all the tables, setting up the bar and already handing out drinks to the thirstier guests. He was wearing a white tux shirt and black dress pants. I couldn't see Cindy anywhere. She was meant to be manning the bar with Sam and I wondered whether she was running late. He looked relaxed and at ease, so wherever she was it must be under control.

Maria-Star Cooper was weaving her way through the crowd, a large camera in her hands. She was the assistant of Al Cumberland, a well-known photographer based in Shreveport, who also happened to be a werewolf. She shot me a smile as she made her way over.

"If it isn't my heroes, it's been awhile since I've seen you two together," she said, referring to when she'd been injured during the witch war.

"I hope you liked the flowers," Eric said drily. Pam had arranged the flowers, I figured.

If Maria-Star was surprised he remembered, she didn't show it. She gave us a curious smile and moved on, her eyes set on the far side of the yard where it was set up for the ceremony.

"She's dating Alcide now," I said quietly.

Eric didn't comment but he gave the werewolf another cursory glance, reevaluating her worth.

I wondered whether he was relieved to have all his memories back now. It must have been disarming for someone like Eric to have been on the backfoot with supes who had known him, interacted with him, in situations he couldn't recall. I wouldn't have liked it had the roles been reversed. It was one thing I'd always been truly grateful for, that for whatever reason I couldn't be glamoured by vampires to forget, or be controlled.

We'd been a little later arriving than I'd planned, on account of Eric getting quite distracted by my dress upon his arrival. He'd seen it before, as I pointed out, but as Eric had pointed out that he hadn't seen me take it off before. I couldn't argue with that. And I'd been distracted myself, what with Eric's tux. So now there was less than ten minutes until the ceremony was set to begin. I hurried toward the designated ceremony area, Eric trailing obediently behind me.

White folding chairs had been set up on the lawn, a strip of expensive-looking red carpet ran down the centre creating an aisle. At the front stood a platform featuring a makeshift altar with candles and flowers, Father Kempton Littrell in the centre.

To the right of the priest stood Portia's groom, Glen Vick. He was facing the house behind us, smiling, beads of sweat on his forehead despite the pleasant night. His thoughts rang out loud and clear. He was nervous and excited. His groomsmen were already in position beside him. To the left stood Andy Bellefleur. He looked calm and solemn, but that was only a facade, he was nervous as all get out. He had a pretty good poker face: a good trait for a cop.

There were a few empty rows toward the front and an uptight wedding planner hurried us into one of the empty rows, wanting to make sure the seats were all filled for the photographs. I felt the bond perk up with interest and I looked around, refraining from rolling my eyes when I realised the source. Bill was seated two rows behind us, alongside his girlfriend Selah Pumphrey.

Now that I was paying attention, there were a few blank spots in the crowd, signifying several vampire guests. Glen had specifically requested they have a night wedding to accommodate his important vampire clients. I was sure Portia loved him when she'd agreed to that, because she didn't like vampires at all. In fact, they gave her the creeps.

I wondered why Bill was here. It seemed unlikely he was a guest of Glen's, maybe Selah worked with Glen and Bill was her plus one. I was sure he hadn't been invited by Portia or Andy. Neither of them liked him much, even though (unbeknownst to them) Bill was their ancestor.

Bill had even organised for their family to get an injection of cash so they wouldn't lose the beautiful house. Looking at the event around me, I could tell the house wasn't the only thing they'd put the money into. This wedding was fancy. Since he'd hidden that fact from them I knew that couldn't have gotten him an invitation. Maybe Portia had invited him because they'd been on a few dates—a fact that made their relation all the more awkward. I grinned at that thought.

The quartet's song slowed and transformed, signifying it was time to begin. I was surprised to see Cindy amongst Halleigh's bridesmaids. She glowed, her fair skin and flaming red hair was a beautiful contrast to the navy chiffon dress. When she saw me she forgot herself for a moment and gave me a little wave. I smiled back at her. She'd been here one week and somehow she'd been asked to be a bridesmaid in the biggest wedding of the year.

Eric's arm fell from my shoulders to rest at the small of my back as Halleigh and Portia took their places at the front of the congregation. A little glow lit up my chest and I leaned into him a little, relishing his presence.

I found myself mentally wandering as Father Littrell, the Episcopal priest who ordinarily came to the little Bon Temps church once a fortnight, conducted the service. I wondered how Eric was going and I had a quick peek at him. His features were arranged in a polite, neutral expression. I wondered when he'd last attended a human wedding. As though Eric knew I was thinking about him, he started rubbing a finger on the bare skin at my back. A pulse answered deep in my core.

I truly didn't know how I could be thinking about sex after the last few nights, but here I was. And it wasn't like I'd been starved for physical affection before, only a week ago I'd been sleeping with Quinn. That thought might have made me feel guilty once, but it didn't now. It felt different with Eric. Maybe it was because I'd already been with him before, or maybe it was just because I'd changed.

And the fact was that somehow Eric had ignited a fresh hunger in me. If Bill had been romantic and loving, and Quinn had been hot, Eric somehow combined all those things. Sex with Eric was primal and loving and woke something in me that I hadn't felt with anyone else. It made me want to lick and bite and possess. It was distracting and all-consuming. Good grief, I should've brought a fan.

Everyone rose around me as the quartet played an instrumental cover of Hallelujah and I hurried to stand. I'd been so distracted I hadn't even heard the priest's instruction and I chided myself. Amusement stirred in Eric and I gave him a little pinch on his arm, which only seemed to amplify his mirth.

As the quartet finished up we seated once more and it was time for some marrying. Glen and Portia exchanged rings. Portia looked almost pretty as she gazed at their clasped hands. She'd never been one of my favourite people, nor I hers, but I wished her well. Glen was bony and had darkish receding hair and glasses with a thick black frame. If you called central casting and ordered an 'accountant type' they'd send you Glen. But I could tell directly from his brain that he truly loved Portia, and she loved him. Despite myself, I felt my heart softening a bit at that.

Then Father Litrell started all over again with Halleigh and Andy. We watched on as Halleigh became Mrs Andrew Bellefleur. At last the music swelled again to triumphant strains and the newlyweds exited to the house, the wedding party trailing after them. Cindy was sparkling with genuine joy on her way out, despite the fact she hadn't known anyone here more than a week. The bridal party disappeared with Al Cumberland leading the way and Maria-Star hot on their heels, snapping photos as they went.

As Eric and I made our way to the reception area, I spied Calvin Norris. The werepanther had brought Tanya Grissom as his date, which I felt pretty conflicted about. On the one hand, that meant he was probably over any interest he'd had in me, but on the other hand I hated Tanya. She had spied on me for the Pelt family. I hadn't even known that she was back in town. He gave me a nod and I smiled back at him, but didn't approach. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Tanya.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Sam, will you be okay for a second?"

Eric looked amused. "Go, lover."

I wanted to ask Sam what the hell had happened with Cindy, but right as I approached the bar Tanya did too. Calvin was nowhere in sight. Just my luck.

"Hey Tanya," Sam said. "How're you doing? It's been a while."

"Well, I had to tie up some loose ends in Mississippi," Tanya said, side-eyeing me. "But I'm back here visiting, and I wondered if you need any part-time help, Sam." She angled her body slightly so I was cut out of the conversation.

I could hear from Sam's brain that he was pleased to see Tanya. Men can be idiots, right? To be fair, I did know some things about her that Sam didn't.

"Oh sorry, didn't see you there," Tanya sneered as she turned around, her shoulder barging into me as she passed me. That bitch.

"Well, that's good news," Sam smiled. "Tanya's available for a while."

"She is, huh?" I said non-committally before asking the far more interesting question, "What happened with Cindy?"

"She'll be back, Halleigh just had a bridesmaid emergency and Cindy offered to come to the rescue. Guess she was in the right place at the right time," Sam said fondly. "Here she is now."

"I'm so sorry! I tried to slip away earlier but they needed me to make sure the photos were balanced, and I just couldn't say no to the bride on her special day!" Cindy gushed, bustling in behind the bar. She had changed into a white shirt and black dress pants, matching Sam, but she made the outfit flattering. "You look gorgeous, girl. What can I get you?"

"A champagne and a blood, please," I said as Sam's attention turned to an elderly woman behind me.

"Coming right up, they got the good stuff for this wedding, so Eric will be happy." She winked at me. I didn't love the familiarity but I smiled and left a healthy tip as I took our drinks. After all, good service is good service.

I turned around, careful of my surroundings so I wouldn't spill the Royalty Blended which Cindy had placed into a wine glass. Royalty Blended was one of the most expensive blood options, it was meant to include a premium blend of synthetic blood and real blood of actual European royalty.

A couple of vampires lined up after me and I made my way over to Eric, passing him his drink. He was in conversation with a human and a vampire, neither of whom I recognised. I made my way over to them, handing Eric his blood.

"Daniel and Marie, this is Sookie Stackhouse."

"A pleasure to meet you." I nodded at Daniel and stuck out my hand to Marie, since she was human.

The vampire, Daniel, had a bookish way about him and was wearing a blue three-piece suit that hung a bit too loose on him to look flattering. He looked young, he'd been turned in his twenties at the latest, and I estimated it had maybe been a few decades since then.

"Miss Stackhouse, nice to meet you." He had a nasally, Californian accent and a twitchy way about him. I had an immediate desire to put him at ease.

He and the human woman he was with, Marie, made an odd pair. Where he emanated nervous energy she emanated calm. She was an older woman, maybe in her late forties, with dark wavy hair. She was in conversation with Eric, so I turned my full attention to Daniel.

"How do you know the bride and groom?" Brides and grooms, I mentally corrected myself.

"Glen does my accounts."

"So you're based in Shreveport?" I asked, I was fishing, but I was surprised I'd never seen him at Fangtasia. Eric required all the local vampires to attend.

Daniel nodded. "I moved there not long after being turned." Despite his nerves they didn't seem to be directed at Eric, more at the throngs of people.

"I'm surprised I've never seen you at Fangtasia." I looked to Maria as well to make sure she felt included in the conversation.

"Daniel doesn't attend, he is a business owner himself," Eric said smoothly.

"Fangtasia?" Marie asked, "Is that one of those vampire bars I've heard about?" Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

"My bar in Shreveport, some of the vampires stop by as a favour so the tourists have something to look at." Marie mustn't know too much about vampire politics if that's how Eric was framing it.

"Forgive my ignorance. I'm from California," Marie said smoothly. "Sacramento. Where we grew up, actually."

"Oh wow, you grew up together?" I asked.

"I'm his older sister," Marie smiled at him fondly. Now she'd said it I realised they did have some similarities. "When Daniel invited me I thought it was as good an excuse to see him as any."

I'd never met anyone whose sibling had been turned before the revelation and we got into a big discussion about it. Daniel had been working in Silicon Valley when he disappeared. She'd thought Daniel was dead or missing for years, he'd only tracked her down after the revelation. She'd been overjoyed to hear from him. Daniel was quiet as she talked and I got the sense he preferred to be a wallflower than the centre of conversation, but he did speak up enough to say he had kept tabs on Marie to make sure she was doing okay.

The conversation moved on to more generic topics. Marie was a migration lawyer. Daniel had his own company—something about purchasing wholesale items from China and selling them to American-based businesses. It was all above my head, but it sounded like it was successful.

"So, why Shreveport?" I asked after he finished telling me about his business. "Seems a strange choice after living in California your whole life."

"I needed to move away from California after turning. What I heard of the vampire population here made me think it would suit my needs." It was only the flicker of his eyes to Eric that gave away his meaning.

"Eric's got a good reputation then?"

He nodded. His slight pause the only indication of his surprise that I knew the inner workings of vampire politics.

"It is not exaggerated."

That was high praise from a vampire. I smiled at Daniel.

"Excuse me, excuse me." Our conversation was interrupted by May Bellefleur, Andy and Portia's second cousin, pushing Miss Caroline Bellefleur through the crowd.

Caroline Bellefleur was all dressed up in a beige silk suit and makeup, managing to look regal in her wheelchair as she parted the crowd.

"Why hello there Sookie," she called out to me. This was unusual for Caroline. We didn't usually interact much beyond hellos at church on Sundays, but she was my elder and host, and I'd be giving her my full attention. I did my due diligence, commenting on how beautiful the house looked, what beautiful brides Portia and Halleigh were and what a wonderful evening it was turning out to be. I was relieved when dinner was announced, and the matron was called away.

Food had been set out in a buffet-style table in a mouth-watering display: stuffed chicken, rice pilaf, twice baked potatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus, caesar salad, crawfish etoufee, brisket. Instead of having a full sit-down dinner, small tables had been set up around and to the side of the dancefloor. My stomach rumbled and a cool hand slid around my waist.

Eric leaned down, "Whatever you're thinking about has me very intrigued." He punctuated his comment with a kiss on my neck which made me suddenly feel a different kind of hunger.

"I'm thinking about dinner," I laughed.

"I can't wait to see what you do to the food once you get it."

I rolled my eyes but let Eric lead me over to a spare table. He offered to get me a plate of food, but I wanted to pick so he waited at the table instead as I made my way back to the buffet table and piled up a plate.

Eric peppered me with questions about the food. He seemed to be getting some sort of vicarious pleasure watching me eat. I was almost finished my meal when my hunger gave way to another kind of need entirely.

"Can you stop that?" I whispered after a particularly large wave of lust came through the bond. I didn't sound very convincing, heck, I wasn't very convinced.

Eric's eyes, which had been trained on my lips, moved to meet mine. "Yes, I can." Another wave of lust hit me.

"Would you stop that?"

"Do you want me to?"

I pursed my lips. "If you're bored then that's too bad, I'm not leaving until we hear the speeches and have at least one dance."

"I have no interest in leaving, lover." Eric's voice was deeply sexy, and I found myself wishing I'd brought a fan again.

I was saved by the bell, or the fork, because Glen's best man rose to start the speeches. There were lots of speeches, too many really, but that could only be expected for a double wedding. Blessedly, they kept them relatively short. Finally it was time for the first dances.

The quartet from earlier had returned with a few extra members and they started with a cover of 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. It was a beautiful cover, and I found myself tearing up a little watching them all. Eric took my hand under the table, in an unexpectedly romantic gesture, and I shuffled my chair a little closer to him.

When it was time for other couples to join, Eric rose holding out his hand and we made our way onto the dancefloor. We danced slow, our bodies close. Eric's arms locked around me and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Right here, right now: there was nowhere I'd rather be. When the song finished, Eric pulled away and gave me a long look. The moment snagged, and I felt a fluttering under my ribs as his eyes held mine.

A funky beat started up and the crowd looked a little surprised until the drums kicked in, signaling the next song was 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody'. The brides started singing at the top of their lungs and after a moment I joined in. I love that song, after all.

The band was great and they had a good mix of songs. I could tell that Eric was enjoying himself too, our enjoyment multiplied in the bond. At one point Halleigh grabbed me and we danced together with her maid of honour, Dana. After that I was flushed and happy, and excused myself so I could find the ladies' room.

I saw to my human needs and reapplied my lipstick. I was pleased to see my hair was relatively neat despite all the dancing. I made my way back to the dancefloor, scanning for Eric, when my eyes were caught on someone else.

A man was standing alone in the shadows cast by the big live oak on the west side of the lawn. He was tall, slim, with long pale gold hair that was nearly as long as mine. The man stepped forward a little and I could see his face, see that he was returning my gaze. He was a lovely creature, and I was absolutely sure that he was in no way human.

"You didn't tell them," a voice said from behind me.

I turned to find Bill standing behind me, his face grave.

"Excuse me?" I asked, unimpressed with Bill's theatrics, before my brain pieced together what he was even talking about. The money he'd given to the Bellefleurs. Right. "You asked me not to."

"I thought, in your anger, you might give them the information."

I gave him an incredulous look, but Eric beat me to the punch.

"Interesting to accuse Sookie of lacking honour after she has proven again and again it is one of her defining traits." Eric passed me a glass of champagne as he appeared at my side, a fresh glass of blood in his hand.

Bill's face pinched in displeasure. "Hi Selah," I said sweetly as she approached Bill from behind.

"Hi," she looked at Eric curiously. "Who's your friend?"

Selah's eyebrows had raised slightly. You didn't have to be a telepath to know what she was thinking—exactly what most women thought when they saw him.

"Her boyfriend," Eric corrected, flashing a dazzling smile at Selah as he slipped an arm around my waist.

And if I had wondered about the trade-off for the whole 'mine' and 'boyfriend' labels before now, it was all worth it to see the look on Selah's face.

"Selah, this is Eric, he owns a bar in Shreveport. Selah's a real estate agent in Clarice," I directed the last part toward Eric, keeping my voice polite.

"That's the vampire bar right, Fangtasia?" Selah said, her eyes darting between Eric and I.

Bill was quiet and awkward, but instead of looking at Selah his gaze was fixed on me.

This was too weird. Eric seemed to agree. He slipped his arm around my waist. "It is. Perhaps Bill can take you some time. Excuse us."

As we left, I searched for the strange man again but he was gone. "Eric, did you see–"

"Yes."

"What is he?"

"A fairy." He looked over to where the creature had been standing. "A very old and very powerful fairy."

"How powerful?"

He didn't answer straight away. "He is their reigning prince."

"I think he was watching me," I said quietly.

Eric didn't respond, confirming my suspicions.

The reception was winding down and people were filtering to the front of the house for the leave-taking of the happy couples. Portia and Halleigh had disappeared upstairs to change into their going-away outfits. The throng of wedding guests had split off into pairs and smaller groups. I was all socialised out, so I led us to a free spot where we could look into the garden.

"There was a were tonight, a fox, that you were upset to see."

"Yeah, Tanya Grissom," I admitted. "She knows the Pelts, she first came to Bon Temps to spy on me for them. I didn't know she was back in town but here she is, with Calvin Norris of all people."

"She works for the Pelts," Eric said stonily.

"Come on," I said, taking his hand in mine and following the crowd to the front of the house.

It was eleven thirty by the time the brides descended the staircase in their honeymoon clothes, threw their bouquets, and departed. We cheered as the cars travelled down the driveway and disappeared between the trees. Portia and Glen were going to San Francisco and Halleigh and Andy were going to some resort in Jamaica. I couldn't help but know. I took Eric's hand again to settle into the quiet comfort of his mind.

We said our goodbyes. I made sure I said goodbye to Daniel and Marie, I'd been quite fond of that vampire all in all. He had a gentleness about him few men possessed—whether they were human or vampire. Finally, we made our escape.

I looked up at Eric, feeling suddenly proud of us. We'd done it. We'd had a great night, a normal night, if you ignored that strange old fairy we'd seen, which for now I was going to do.

"We did it," I beamed.

"We did, and you know what that means?"

"What?"

"I'm going to take you home and fuck you senseless."

"Eric," I scolded, looking around to make sure no-one had heard. I was torn between feeling scandalised and very turned on.

"Yes, lover," he asked, his tone lilting, teasing, but suddenly he stopped, all desire leaving the bond. I looked up at him, confused by his sudden change in mood.

The fairy was in the shadows by Eric's car.

"Niall, to what do I owe the pleasure?" His tone was light but the bond was pulled taut: whispering for me to be quiet, be cautious.

Niall spread his hands in the universal gesture of 'I come in peace'. Now that he was closer I could see he was extremely handsome, but also that he was obviously aged. I hadn't seen an old fairy before. His skin was almost withered, like an apple that had been in the crisper too long. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit and he carried a black cane with a gold head, but his posture was very straight and I had the feeling he didn't need it to walk at all.

"I mean no harm, to you or the girl." His voice was light, sexless, resonant. His eyes were a deep green and were fixed on me but they returned to Eric as he spoke again. "I simply wish to speak with you."

The bond relaxed slightly, and I did too, despite the strangeness of the situation. Eric looked down at me and I sensed some uncertainty, something I rarely felt from Eric. There were plenty of people around, cars passing on the street and couples walking to their cars. And I had a sense that I wasn't in danger. Although I couldn't read fairy minds, I was pretty good at reading faces, and all I was reading from him was curiosity.

"I'll wait in the car," I said, and I squeezed Eric's hand.

Eric nodded, passing me his car keys and gesturing for Niall to walk with him further down the road. I got into the car, making sure I kept an eye on Eric and the fairy. I locked the doors, leaving my seat belt unfastened in case I needed to jump out. I got out my mobile phone, keeping Sam's mobile ready in case I needed to call for backup. Better to be safe than sorry after all.

But my planning was for nought. After a few minutes, Eric made his way back to the car. The creature turned and looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite place.

"What was that all about?" I asked after we'd turned off the street.

Eric didn't answer right away, I tried to focus on the bond, but it was a swirl of emotions too thick and fast and deep to identify. I took a mental step back. Times like this I felt the differences between our species.

I had a bad feeling about this.

"It is not urgent."

"Eric," I said warningly. "If this has anything to do with me you have to tell me."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he said drily.

"What do you mean?"

"You have an excellent poker face, Sookie, but your blood does not. There is something you are not telling me."

Rats.

He turned onto Hummingbird Road, pulling over and turning to face me.

I hadn't planned on telling Eric this yet. I knew I'd have to eventually, but I wanted at least a few days to enjoy this before we talked about the future. I looked up at the house. Amelia was inside. It was now or never.

"Russell made me an offer in New Orleans." Eric was very still and silent, waiting for me to continue. "A job offer."

"And you plan to take it."

"He said he could remove the blood bond." A jolt of surprise ran through Eric, his face closing like a book snapped shut. "He said when he was young they were common, and made them all the time but they also knew how to remove them. He said he'd do that for me if I worked for him. It would just be a normal job, he wouldn't want to turn me or have sex with me. He has no desire for vamp children." I was starting to ramble in my nervousness.

"You want to be free of our bond." A statement, not a question.

"I want to be free of Andre," I swallowed. "I want to be free. But yes, I also want to be free of the bond."

Eric didn't say anything for a long moment. I tried to figure out what he was feeling from the bond but it was quiet. "Blood bonds are an archaic practice and Russell has been around for a long time. If it is possible to remove bonds then he would know." His tone was business-like, calculating.

"Can I trust him?" I asked. It was such a relief to be able to ask someone that question.

"You should never trust a vampire, Sookie," Eric said without hesitation. "Russell has a reputation for being fair and keeping his word. If you ensure the contract is in writing and have it reviewed by a lawyer, I'd recommend Cataliades, then I expect he will uphold it. As to his claims, he has no appetite for women and he does not seem to have an interest in a progeny. He is correct that Sophie-Anne would not challenge him in the near future. He is older, wiser, and has more powerful allies than she."

He looked over at me, his expression unreadable. "It is a sound move."

Something about his tone rubbed me the wrong way. "It's not a move Eric, but what other option do I have?"

"What indeed?"

I realised then what was so annoying about his manner. He was talking to me like he had when we first met, when he wasn't trying to seduce me, that is. He was cold and removed. And it struck me how much our relationship had transformed since then, and how much he had opened up in the last few weeks.

"What do you think I should do then?" I was finding it hard to keep the ire from my voice, upset by the turn this conversation had taken. My frustration lay in stark contrast to Eric's cool countenance. "Isn't this better for both of us? You don't want the bond either."

"I said I would not have chosen the bond, not that I do not want it."

"Oh."

It had never occurred to me that Eric wanted to keep the bond. I looked up at the old farmhouse, shadowy against the starry night.

"You know when Russell offered me the job, he said I could break the bond and be with Quinn. That he wouldn't intrude on our relationship. Easy as that, it would have been handed to me on a silver platter.

"As soon as I had the option, I realised I didn't want it. If I was going to be off in Jackson, the last person I wanted to take with me was Quinn, except maybe Bill."

I peeked at Eric. He was looking straight ahead, his face a mask.

"My home, my family, my friends, I don't want to leave any of them, but I would if I needed to, especially if it meant they'd be safe." I took a breath and continued. "The only thing that really gave me pause was the thought of leaving you." I smiled ruefully. "I'm sure part of that's the bond, but I know it's not all of it. Those days we spent together way back when were some of the happiest of my life, and I couldn't help wondering if it was true. Cause even a fraction of that joy I felt with you, it'd be more than I could dream of."

Eric's expression had softened, his fingers tapped the steering wheel twice. "When?"

"There's no rush from Russell, I haven't even told him I'll accept yet, but if I'm going to go then I don't see any sense in delaying it."

"Stay." Eric looked over at me, his eyes blazing.

"Eric, I can't give this opportunity up. If there's a way to loosen the ties vampires have over me, even a little, I mean I have to take it right?"

"If there is a way to remove the bond. I will find it. Then you can choose your own freedom."

"What about Andre and Sophie-Anne?"

"You said yourself they have no interest in turning you against your will." I was unimpressed with that logic, I'd been blood tied against my will after all and they hadn't seemed to mind. He must have realised it wasn't winning me over because he continued, "Regardless, they will be occupied for the next few months as Andre establishes himself as regent."

I chewed my lip, it was tempting. I hated the idea of leaving Bon Temps, but if I waited too long it would just get harder and harder to leave.

"If anything happens to change that, you can leave. I will not stop you."

Perhaps sensing I was losing my resolve, Eric leaned over to me and kissed me, soft and slow and sweet.

He pulled away, and when he spoke his voice was husky. "At the very least you will get more of this."

I closed the distance between us, pressing my mouth to his, parting his lips and deepening the kiss, my tongue grazing his fang. He groaned into my mouth and I had a feeling the tables had turned.

"Two months," I murmured.

"Twelve," he countered.

"Eric–" He captured my mouth with another kiss before I could finish denying him, only releasing me to give me his counter-offer. This was a style of negotiation I could get used to.

"Six," he said. His voice had lost the commanding authority I was used to. He wasn't ordering me to stay, he was asking. He trailed kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I shivered into him and he hummed, kissing my pulse point. It felt so good. Everything else in my life seemed muddied and complicated, but how I felt when I was with Eric like this was real simple.

Six months. It was nothing in the scheme of things, to a vampire it was the blink of an eye, but if it meant I could have more of these moments with Eric…if it meant I possibly wouldn't need to leave at all…

"Six months. But if anything changes, if Andre or Sophie-Anne try anything then I'm leaving. I don't care how long it's been."

Eric kissed me again, and the bond sung with victory (which I'd been expecting) but also relief and joy, and something deeper.

"It's a deal."

"Should we shake on it?" I asked between kisses.

"I have something better in mind." Eric zipped around to my side of the car, opening the door for me and whisking me into his arms. In under a minute I was splayed out on my bed, my gaze fixed on him.

It wasn't until afterwards that I even remembered our original deal, the whole point I'd brought up Mississippi. He was probably hoping I'd forgotten. Eric was lying on his back, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the ceiling, one arm curled behind him so he could rest on it. His bicep was particularly distracting in that position.

Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea.

He looked over at me, arching an eyebrow wickedly at the fresh lust curling in my stomach. I needed to be doused in cold water. Now was not the time to be distracted, I told myself.

"It's your turn. What'd that old fairy Niall want?" I hoped I'd pronounced his name right, I'd only heard him say it the once.

Eric's face went blank. If I didn't know better I'd say he'd forgotten all about that agreement. He reached over to me and cupped my right breast, rubbing his thumb over the nipple. What did I say about getting distracted again? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

His hand trailed to the dip of my waist, resting there. I shuffled so I was a little closer to him. He had a strange look on his face.

"Niall Brigant wants to meet you, to speak with you. He approached me so I would arrange it."

"Why would he want to meet some barmaid?" I couldn't begin to imagine why, even if he knew I was part-fairy I was hardly anything special. Not to a prince, anyway.

Eric looked at me very thoughtfully. "He doesn't. He wants to meet his great-granddaughter."

It took me a moment to catch up, to understand the import of his words.

"I'm a frickin' fairy princess?!"

Author's Note: The End!

When I started writing this story, the plan was that I would have this as a long ongoing story that I update sporadically while I worked on the sequel to Finding Normal, but I've learned that I'm not great at splitting my attention between multiple stories.

I've tried to leave this at a point where a few of the challenges are solved, but as you can probably guess the plan is to write a sequel for this story following some of the plot points that come up in the later books (and probably side-stepping others altogether).

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for all those who commented, favourited, bookmarked and followed along the way! It makes my day every time I get an alert. I'm off to finish writing my sequel to Finding Normal and this time, I'll start posting after I've finished writing it (and I can promise you Quinn will not be making an appearance).

Also massive thanks to SmokeAndEmber for beta-ing the last half of this story. I've started beta-ing the final story in her current series which continues on from the end of the SVM book series. It's so good. I know a bunch of you already follow her work, for those that don't—what are you waiting for?