Chapter 60: Vindictive

She didn't get much sleep that night. The rest of the evening at Tony's was awkward and filled with non-important but pleasant conversation that she failed to be present for. When they got drunk the gossip turned mean. Every inch of her skin wanted to leave. Olivia had come all this way for answers, and not only she'd found them, but maybe even got more than she could handle.

When they got home Olivia faked an emergency work call and booked an early flight back to Shreveport. Her family didn't even question it. They were surprised she had even shown up, considering this wasn't a family holiday. Olivia didn't even bother changing clothes, she just grabbed her carry-on, kissed her sleeping mother goodbye, hopped on a cab and left.

She drove straight to him from the airport. It was almost noon now, and she had no idea if Eric was asleep, or even home. In all honesty, she didn't have a clue what he did during the day, let alone on a Saturday. But there was a whispering feeling in her heart that told her he would be here.

The nagging feeling that she had forgotten something never left. It only lifted once she saw Eric's house around the corner. He was the missing piece she had left behind. Of course. She should have known.

No one followed her from the airport. Not Sam, or Bobby, or any unusual car. But just to make sure, she drove around the block three times while scanning her mirrors before she parked in Eric's double-wide driveway. She had told him she'd be back on Sunday night, so maybe there would have been an escort then. Her heart was pounding in her chest with anticipation. It was as if they had been apart for months, but it had only been maybe 40 hours. Olivia ran up the porch steps, and as she approached the house she could hear mellow tones of blues playing on his record player. Her hand just lunged at the door knob, twisted it and pushed it open.

She caught his eyes immediately.

Olivia stood in the foyer, breathing heavily and feeling her heart finally being able to beat unrestrained. Before he was interrupted, Eric was browsing his record collection on the credenza in the living room. He wore his usual black jeans and a black sleeveless t-shirt, which accentuated his tall and lean muscular body. There were no words to describe how he looked at her. It was heartache, mixed with happiness and relief. It was as if he expected to never see her again.

"You're back," he muttered, almost in disbelief. "You're…"

The air seized in her lungs at his little breathy words. Knowing Eric Northman, he had probably discovered she had lied about where she went 'on vacation'. Hell, he probably thought she had left for good. The emotion in his eyes reminded her of the time he found her packed bags on her bed. Eric didn't want her to leave, and it went beyond their working relationship. Liv knew it was asking a lot of him to trust her after these lies - after all their lies. But yet, he did trust her to come back. He didn't send anyone after her, he didn't blow up her phone with calls and threats. She was truly, and as promised, free to leave despite his feelings. Alcide was wrong - this place was not a cage. Eric was…

"Home," she replied with a soft smile.

The two eyed each other deeply. She took in the view of him standing in his sunny living room, the golden light made him so beautiful. Quietly, she closed the front door behind her and when she turned around, Eric was towering in front of her. He pushed a strand of hair off her face, his eyes eating her up from up close. His touch was gentle, as if he was questioning if she was really standing there.

"Hi," she whispered, her heart ringing in her ears.

His hand gently wrapped around her neck and she felt her whole body burn at the way Eric looked down on her. "Hi."

Eric pulled her face closer and kissed her as if her lips were the only sustenance he would ever need. When his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist, there was no holding back. She felt that wave of warmth take over, one that she could only describe as unadulterated happiness. There was something about being together, with the sun shining through the windows that transcended every bit of darkness they had buried themselves with.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and let his kiss take her away, to a place she belonged. Eric gently picked her up and spun around the marble foyer floor as the music echoed through the high ceilings. It felt almost like a movie, but it was real.

In one fell swoop, Eric scooped her legs up, wrapping her around his hips. Their kiss became heated, forged in passion. She felt a sudden rush of air all around her, and suddenly they were all the way upstairs, his hand pushing his bedroom door open. The curtains were half open, and the place looked immaculate as it always did. He gently sat her down at the edge of his bed and stood between her legs. Catching her breath, she watched him take his shirt off which always revealed his perfect body. His abs tapered to a V shape at his hips that were just so sensual. Her anticipation quickly turned into decadent lust.

Her fingers traced the edge of his belt. He watched her undo his pants with a smirk on his beautiful face. Even though she had seen it many times, the unveiling always made her heart skip a beat. His desire was hard and on display. She gently stroked it with both hands watching him shiver under her touch. Eric's fingers ran through her hair, his eyes demanding what she was going to do next. Olivia teased him first by only licking the tip, then enjoyed watching every inch of his body tense up. Then putting him out of his misery, she took his cock into her mouth. He trembled and moaned strange words as he caressed her hair. His fingertips now pressed firmer against her head, and she could tell he was growing desperate for more but he was riding on the edge of control. For whatever reason, that made her wetter.

Without warning, he pulled away leaving a string of saliva connecting him to her mouth for a brief moment. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand, looking up at him with questioning eyes. Olivia knew she was no porn star in bed, but did she do something wrong?

"Not to your liking?"

He gave her a perverse smile. "You're not the only one who's hungry."

Slowly, Eric kneeled by the bed and lifted her left boot onto his thigh, lowered the zipper and slid her shoe off patiently, then the other. Reaching under her dress, he pulled off her panties and once they were on the floor too, he spread her legs wide. Eric dove between her legs and tasted all of her wetness at once, making her involuntarily moan. His arms snaked under her thighs, wrapped around her hips and tilted it upwards which forced her to lay back on the bed. The way his tongue moved against her clit was nothing short of masterful. She grinded against his face, wanting every bit of pleasure possible. Her pulse was loud, carrying every bit of madness into her veins. She wanted him, she needed him.

His name escaped her lips. She called out his name over and over again, begging, praising, wanting, needing. It was the sweetest of tortures. Her breathing was erratic. There was not enough oxygen in the universe to feed the fire burning inside of her, but she didn't need it, she only needed the lust he filled her with. When she came, she let the fire consume her wholly.

As she came down from the highest of highs, his tongue found her inner thigh and his fangs sunk into her flesh without warning. The sharp pressure made her jolt in both pleasure and pain. As he drank from her, she slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, watching this stunning masculine creature at her feet, drinking her essence with a glistening face. His eyes were closed, and he was utterly lost in her. It was her turn to run her fingers through his hair, soothing him. To her, this moment, this feeling, was what the joining was. It was when the lines of where Olivia ended and Eric started became blurred. They were just one. The sun painting the sky red, bleeding, for the moon.

When he woke up from the trance, he gave her inner thigh another wide swath cleaning his bite. His ocean eyes then looked up at her, as if the subservient creature at her feet woke up lustier than ever after feeding. His desire for her was endless. Eric delicately pulled her up by her hand, as if she were a princess. Once she stood, he kissed her deeply as his hands slid her dress and bra off her body. In one swift movement he picked her up again, and this time both of them landed on the soft large bed. He rolled her on top of himself and she landed straddled over his lap. He entered her immediately, making Olivia gasp with air as she did every time. The fullness of him was an unparalleled feeling. She held onto his shoulders for leverage as she started to ride him. Eric's fingers grabbed the roundest part of her ass and held her down against him as she moved, needing desperately to be deep inside her.

Her heart was pumping strongly in her chest as she moved relentlessly, drowning in desire. She was chasing another wave of orgasm, feeling the coil in her low stomach curl tighter and tighter, determined to get its blissful release. Eric watched all of her without blinking, seeing her transform into this vulgar animal, and without needing to read his mind, she could see he loved it.

"Cum for me," he demanded softly.

It was as if he had glamoured her to do it, as her whole body contracted in orgasm, releasing that coil and sending electric shocks all the way down her legs and curling her toes. He moaned obscenities under his breath when he felt her squeeze his cock. Once it passed, her body gave out on top of him. Resting her head on his shoulders, she panted hard trying to catch her breath as her own mortal body sternly reminded her she did indeed need to breathe.

But Eric wasn't done with her. His fingers sunk deeper against her flesh, pinning her hips against his as he started thrusting from her underneath, fucking her wet pussy mercilessly. It was primal and divine and she wished she could do this, and only this, forever. They kissed between her moans and cries of pleasure. His fangs were down, and she couldn't tell if he was close to finishing or biting her again.

Suddenly he stopped and tensed up, and she could feel him throb inside her. She rolled her hips, rocking against him in circles while he climaxed, making him moan loudly. Once he settled, she slipped off of him, but his wrapped arms around her didn't let her stray too far. They lay in bed, comfortably embracing each other in silence for a long time. Her breath returned to normal, her body felt featherlight and happy to be in his arms. Her mind was empty. The world was finally, finally quiet.

All she did was watch the bedroom curtains sway gently with the breeze coming in, seeing the deep blue afternoon sky peeking through the tree branches. Eric's fingers traced lines up and down her bare back, his chest rising and falling slowly as he breathed in their scent. Sex, sweat and wetness were all he could smell and it was hot that he liked it. She wondered why they didn't see each other during the day more often. They could do this literally every day, with no distractions or interruptions. The day was theirs, wasn't it? What was the point of being joined if they spent most of their time apart?

"Now that you took care of Patrick Furnan, why don't you ever come see me during the day?" She whispered, not even sure if Eric was awake.

She tilted her head, looking up at him and met his jewel-toned eyes looking back at her, very much alert.

"I can't let Bobby or Samuel see me day walk."

Her brows creased. "Why? Don't they work for you?"

"They do, and I do somewhat trust them."

"Get them to guard someone else, and sneak in through the back," she smirked feeling like a teenager. Her mind spun all sorts of dark fantasies she could fill her daytime with as if she didn't have basically three full-time jobs to do.

"I can't make you look unguarded. It would entice the wolves to do something incredibly stupid. And if the wrong people find out, it's possible they'll stop at nothing to learn how I'm able to do it. It's best if no one knows," he gave her a gentle squeeze.

Nothing between could be simple and pure. There were always extenuating circumstances imposing on whatever shred of happiness she seemed to find.

Another long moment went by and she imagined Eric doing mundane things in the house during the day, like listening to music, cleaning, reading and watching TV all alone as if he were on house arrest. A tinge of guilt burst inside of her. Being able to walk under the sun after a thousand years in the dark and he was not allowed to fully enjoy it. Eric was still a prisoner in his own life, and all because he had a duty to protect her. She felt her heart sinking at the weight of the guilt.

"It's not so bad," he added. "Sometimes I put on a ball cap, and sunglasses and wear different clothes and go for long drives. I just pick a direction and drive for 5 or 6 hours, fill the tank and then turn around."

Now she was confused. She rolled onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. Sheriffs were forbidden from leaving their territories without cause and permission. Driving 6 hours in any direction would not only be leaving Area 5 but leaving Louisiana entirely.

Eric may be the ruler of this God-forsaken land, but he was its sole prisoner. She remembered a time when Eric took her to that secluded lake 20 feet into Area 4. That had been the furthest he was willing to risk it then. Now he was putting hundreds of miles between him and this place, and not only breaking the rules but shattering them to pieces. There may be limits to this newfound power and he was smart by keeping it secret, but Olivia felt her heart flutter at the realization Eric had found a bit of freedom in the joining. She hoped one day that he could be truly free; from this place, from the Queen, the Authority, from having to protect her.

"But you come back," she said, looking deeply into his eyes.

His finger trailed down her spine, curved around her hip and his hand squeezed her thigh. "So have you."

The circles he traced on her skin eventually lulled her into sleep. He just laid there, hearing her lungs breathe and her heart beating softly against his body as if this was the sweetest of daydreams. The sun no longer pulled him under but after thousand years of being forced into unconsciousness, he couldn't help but wait for sleep to come collect him like the grim reaper. It hadn't, not since he almost bled to true death at the bottom of that pool.

Eric had no idea where she had gone or why she had come back. She had the perfect out, the perfect lie, she had simply disappeared with the wind leaving no trace.

He had spent the past day and a half in the deepest core of hell. He was filled with fear, boiling in rage, and drowning in resentment all at once. The Magister was circling like a deadly vulture. Eric would have to somehow force Sophie-Anne to stop selling V before Jorge Alonso found anything concrete. However, his Queen was a reckless gambling addict with little to no regard for reality or the gravity of their situation. To her, the odds are always in her favour. She could always risk a little more, push a little further - consequences were for others. She did not have a care in the world if Jorge Alonso was inching closer to undoing everything they had built. Sophie-Anne wouldn't give a fuck if the Magister caught them because she knew it would be Eric who would take the fall. She could sell it to the higher-ups, and they would buy her half-spun lies because it would look far worse on the Authority if a Monarch of their own appointment was caught breaking the rules. After all, how could an innocent young Queen have fooled the all-powerful Vampire Authority?

And to be clear: fuck the Authority. They were despicable, using vampires as sacrificial pawns in their own little power games, wreaking destruction in the name of 'peace' and 'fairness'. Not an ounce of honour or integrity in their bones or blood. The crowns, the demarcation of territories, the absurd taxes, it was all a rigged system to control everything and everyone - human and vampire, to make sure that whoever sat at the big table stayed up top. Eric was of the long-forgotten era when being a King actually meant something. You made a vow to your subjects, your life and blood in exchange for their loyalty. You took care of your own people, you protected them from outsiders, you made sure everyone was fed and warm - that's the kind of King Eric had learned to be from his own father. Not this pony show of futile opulence, petty games and politics. It made him sick, watching Kings and Queens behave like spoiled children while forcing other vampires to act like domesticated animals, who were being hunted for sport by humans. Pamela and Godric, and even Olivia had suggested on more than one occasion that Eric should take out Sophie-Anne and become King himself. He would rather die the true death than become another toy for the Authority to play with - more than he already had been.

If Eric was caught dealing V, the Authority would make an example out of him too - he would be painfully and publicly executed, along with Pamela and all vampires in his inner circle. Olivia would die too if she were lucky. And worse of all, Godric now being a Chancellor would be forced to watch and suffer silently. If the Authority found out about their relationship and thought Godric was being in any way biased to protect him they would punish him too. No one was coming to save him this time.

But even if the Queen agreed to stop selling the blood, she would never let the Casino go - she desperately needed the money. Her wealth was the only column supporting her power and influence, but it was all lie. She was broke and all of this was a well-crafted fantasy world she created for herself and sold it to the world. She was bleeding money like a pig in the slaughterhouse, and being part of this Casino had been the best PR move for her reign in the past two decades. But this goddamn operation only hit one wall after the other. They got the funding and the license, but acquiring vendors, a build location and even office space for Pamela to work in had been like pulling fangs. And now, he had three times the vampire population to take care of compared to two months ago. Everyone was eager to be a part of this new magic kingdom they were supposedly building. Too eager, actually. Eric had to become more stern with punishment and more generous with rewards in order to keep the masses in line. Their numbers were the only thing keeping the werewolves at bay. The Long Tooth pack had been slowly growing in the shadows too, lurking and watching their every move. Thalia killed two weres who were prowling in the woods outside Fangtasia last night, which made him wary of the retaliation that was sure to come.

He waited for it, just like he waited for sleep.

And to top it all off, he had spent this past day and a half thinking Olivia had left him for good. That he had to deal with the crushing weight of all this bullshit without her. The thought of losing her made the weight of all his other problems feel like feathers. He couldn't bear it. Eric knew he could handle it without her help; that he could weasel his way out of this mess somehow just he had been doing this for the past twenty-odd years. But Eric didn't want to do all of this alone, and he hated it. He hated himself for trusting her word, he hated himself for needing her and hated himself even more for letting her go in the first place. What the hell was he thinking? And why had she lied? Where had she gone, and who did she see? Another client who would give her more money for her to retire even sooner? Her ex-fiance? Someone else that she cared about? What was it that she wanted that he couldn't give her?

Eric hated what he had promised, but he knew what would happen if he actually trapped her against her will - she would get ill and die, just like Godric's fairy had. It was the universe's sickest and most twisted joke.

This morning for whatever miracle, she showed up at his door. He knew he should press her, that he should demand the thousand answers he wanted but it was impossible to stay angry at her. It was impossible to feel nothing but pure relief and joy to have her again when he thought he had lost her forever. Olivia came back.

She walked right into his house, back into his arms out of her own free will and for now, this would be enough. The only gold lining was that… Even if she went to see someone else she loved, it did not subtract from what she felt for him. The joining, being here awake in a sunlit room at this very moment was undeniable proof that their souls wanted to be together. So much so that it defied nature, pissed off Gods, and transcended everything they both ever knew. That kind of love had to count for something.

It just had to. It was all he had.

And he swore to protect it as a real King would.

AN: you guys have been so unbelievably kind and patient, I decided you deserved some very earned *spice*

This was a sweet and soft chapter to preface the one. final. roller coaster I'm about to put you through. BUCKLE THE F UP

And thank you so so much to everyone who left a comment in the previous chapter, my inbox was never so full!

As always: favourite, bookmark and leave me some love in the box below!

XOXO see u soon