10

Decisions, Decisions

Here it is everyone. Eric's response. I hope that y'all enjoy it.

I'd also like to say to the reviewer that told me that the story is not following the lineage of the fae and that you can't withhold your feelings of disbelief any longer. I'm glad that you like the story. Keep reading, my friend. Keep reading.

And as always, the story idea is mine but the characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

I looked at my bedside clock and it was still 2:30. It was 2:30 thirty minutes ago. I think. My grandpa and I had our talk over two hours ago and I still can't get over my rattled nerves. Grandpa only made matters worse before he went upstairs for bed. He gave me another reason why I needed to bond with Eric.

"You must understand, my dear. That this isn't just about your amazing gift of mind reading. It's also about your spark. Your spark must be protected. It is what makes you who you are. Don't ever let anyone take from you."

My grandpa has always told me that my spark is my greatest gift. I've always believed that it's my telepathy but I could be wrong. I'm not too sure about this so-called spark since I've never seen or heard from it. It's just there and it's more than obvious that only grandpa can see it. I wanted to ask grandpa, again, what's so special about it but I figured that there'd be no point. He's never really answered my question. He'll only tell me in a roundabout way that it's gotten me through this life so far.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I closed my eyes as my heart pounded in my chest.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He's here.

"Sookie," Eric said. "I can see you. I know that you are awake. There's no need in trying to play possum with me. I am a vampire. You cannot fool me." I could almost see the smug look on his face.

I jumped up from the bed without thinking because I knew that if I didn't, I wasn't going to let him in. I had my back to the curtained window because I wasn't prepared to face him just yet. Not that I could because the curtain covered the window. It didn't really matter. I wasn't ready for this.

I couldn't do it.

I was so nervous. I don't know how Eric's going to react to the idea of being bonded with me. I wasn't sure of what he was going to say or do. I knew for certain what grandpa was going to do if it didn't happen.

Grandpa said that if Eric doesn't bond with me, there's no way he's going to let me sign the contract. He said that he didn't care if I would be angry with him. "You are what's important to me, Sookie. Your anger will pass and you will understand why I had to do what I had to do. Get him to bond with you or you will not be working with him."

"Before I agree to this, you have to make me a promise. You can't hurt him and you can't have anyone else do anything to hurt him. You won't kill him?" I asked. "You won't kill him or Pam?"

He only stared at me.

"Come on, grandpa," I said. "I'll do as you ask. If he doesn't bond with me, I won't work for him but you have to promise to let them live."

"Why do you even care, Sookie?" he asked. "You don't even know them. Why does it bother you so that I would kill them to keep your secrets out of the supe world?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I said, "Because I like him … both of them. I don't want anything to happen to him … to them."

He patted me on my arm and promised that he wouldn't harm them. "I give you my word but you must get him to agree. Either he does it or it's off. You will not be working for the Northman."

And I knew that he meant it.

And I knew that I was going to do what I needed to do if I'm going to follow my dream. I pulled back the curtains and smiled. "Go to the front porch," I said. "I'll meet you there." I couldn't very well invite him into my bedroom. He's a stranger … and this is my grandparents' house. Not that I intend to do anything with him but there was no way I'd invite a strange vampire into my room.

I pulled on my robe and slid into my slippers and walked to the living room in order to take that long journey to meet my guest. But before going outside to meet him, I went into the kitchen to get the contract and a quick swallow of water. My heart was pounding in my chest. My mouth had suddenly gone dry. I was doing my best to calm myself down before going outside but I couldn't do it. I'd never been so nervous and afraid in all of my life.

When I opened the door, Eric was sitting on the porch swing and he was staring out into the night. He looked in my direction when he heard the door creak open. "Hey," I said.

"Hello," he replied.

I crossed my arms behind my back and just stood there. I didn't know what to do.

"You can sit down," he offered. "I will not bite you … unless you want me to." He smiled at me with his fangs in full view. "Do you want me to bite you, Sookie?"

I shook my head no as I smiled. Or at least tried to smile. Things were a bit too serious for me at this moment. "Not right now. We need to talk first."

His smile soon vanished. I guess he didn't expect that response from me.

"You called me," he said.

I nodded. "I did."

"What is wrong?" His voice was flat but I could hear the bit of emotion that he was trying to hide from me.

I took my seat next to him and sighed. I looked at him and said, "I need to talk to you about something … about the job."

I could feel him stiffen. "You are not going to work for me."

"I want to," I said. "I love what we did tonight. It was so exciting to me. It was the most thrilling thing I've ever done. And I want to work for you, Eric. I really want to but …"

Eric inhaled as he glared at me. "Is it because of the faery scent that I smell so strongly on you?"

"Kind of," I said.

"You gave me your word," he said. Though his voice was steady and cool, I could feel the anger rolling off of him. I'm almost certain that if grandpa had been out here with us, Eric probably would have tried to kill him. He would have assumed that my grandpa is the reason for my change of heart. Looking at the contract, he said, "Your word is binding in the supe world … even without the contract. I will hold you to what you have promised me."

"And I would expect nothing less," I assured him. "It's just that … it's just that I'm not sure how you're going to react to what I have to say. I don't want you to get upset with me or think that I'm after only one thing from you because that's not who I am. That's not me."

He slid closer to me. "What do you mean, Sookie?"

I sighed. "Give me a minute. I'll turn the light on and we'll go over the contract together."

"I do not need the light," he assured me. "I am a vampire."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But I'm not. I need to see." I stood up from the swing and reached inside the house and turned on the front porch light before returning to my seat. "We need to go over the contract," I said. "Since you said that it's okay if I made some changes, I made some changes."

I could soon feel him relax. "And it is okay. Show me what you have changed."

And I did just that. We talked about the wording and a couple of the changes and he was cool with them. He didn't balk or complain. He was willing to give me everything that grandpa said I'd need. Well, almost everything.

After initialing the changes, Eric held onto the contract and the ink pen. He stared at the side of my face for a long moment. He knew that there was more. A lot more but he didn't say anything to me. I was hoping that he would but he didn't. I'm not entirely surprised. He was going to make me say it. He was actually going to make me say it. And that's what I did.

"I want more," I said as I looked over at him.

And there it was. That smirk. That ass-itching smirk. He pressed his nose to my neck as he smiled. "You do?" he asked. I heard his fangs snick into place as he placed his hand on the side of my neck and pulled me closer to him. "What more to do you want?"

I rubbed my cheek against him as I whispered in his ear. "I want your blood."

He was no longer nuzzling my neck. His fangs were gone back into their hidey-hole. And Eric had scooted to back to the other side of the porch swing. "You want my what?"

I steadied myself as I stared him in his eyes. "I want your blood inside of me. I need your blood inside of me."

He continued to stare at me.

"I'm part fae, Eric, and I'm a telepath. I will be working for you on a nightly basis."

He continued to stare.

This time, I shifted in my seat. "Because I will be working for you, I will need protection. At least more than what you've offered me. I know that you and Pam will go with me when I have to travel but from what I've learned, I'm going to need more than your company. Once the leaders of the vampire world, your kings and queens, learn of what I can do, they are going to want me for themselves. The same goes for the pack leaders of the Weres and shifters, all of them, as well as the witches and warlocks. I know how important your blood is to you as a vampire and at any other time, I would never ask this of you but I want your blood. I want your protection. I want your full protection."

Eric still didn't speak.

I dropped my head and looked down at my hands. "When I decided that I wanted to take this step in my life, I didn't realize all of the dangers associated with it. I'd just assumed that I'd be working with the vampires and word would spread of what I could do and that would be that. I thought that they would want to hire me for my services and I'd be free to live as I want. I know now that would never happen. I will never be free to live as I want. I didn't realize that by doing this, by exposing my talents, I'd be putting myself and my family in danger. It never once occurred to me." I soon looked up at him. "I'm not a prideful or selfish person, Eric, but I can be a bit stubborn and obviously impulsive. I don't want to miss out on this opportunity but I will have to walk away if you can't offer me your blood as a sign of protection and good faith."

He looked out into the night and stared out at the stars. I couldn't tell what he was thinking or what he wanted to do. He could walk away from me right now and I wouldn't have a clue. I couldn't read his mind as I do everyone else's. I'd hoped that a flash of something would have come to me as it did earlier tonight but I heard nothing. From what I could gather, I had to keep pitching my case to him.

I placed my hand on his as I continued on. "I will do nothing to betray you. I will offer you my services for as long as I'm able to just as I'd promised but I can't do that without you. I need you, Eric. I don't want to be kidnapped by some king or queen because they've decided to harness my gift as their own. I don't want my family to die because some pack leader decides he wants a telepath to be a useful friend of the pack. I don't want spells cast upon my friends just because they know me. Please," I begged. "I need you."

Eric was staring down at my hand on his. I could only guess that he didn't like it so I made a move to take my hand from his but he stopped me. He held my hand in his. He finally looked at me. "Is your telepathy the only reason for your need of my blood? Is there more that you have to tell me?"

I shook my head no. "Not that I'm aware of," I answered. "My grandpa told me that before I could sign the contract, I needed to ask you to bond with me. He said that I needed your protection … for my good as well as that of my family. He said that we have to share blood and that's what I'm willing to do."

"Why does your grandpa need this of me?" He absently began to stroke the back of my hand with his thumb.

Again, I shook my head no. "I need this. Not him."

A slow smirk appeared on Eric's face. "Yes but he needs it at well. Why else would he ask his fae granddaughter to bond with a vampire? The vampire/fae relationships are practically nonexistent. It makes me wonder why he wants us to bond. What does he know of me?"

I could swear that his blue eyes had gone black. To protect my grandpa, I was going to keep quiet about the story that he'd told me of Eric's human life but I decided against it. We can't build a relationship off of lies and half-truths. I don't want that. I want to be as truthful as I possibly can with Eric; especially if I expect him to share his blood with me. "He knows of your human life. He told me of your lineage and why you are the best vampire for me to bond with in this world. He spoke very highly of you. I believe everything that he said about you was the truth. I believe that you can and will keep me safe just I can and will keep you safe. We can do this if we work together. And to be perfectly honest, I want to do this. I never knew that bonding with you was an option until tonight but I'm willing to do it. I don't know why," I hurriedly added. "But I want to bond with you. I want you to trust me. I want to feel that I'm being honest with you. I want you to know that you have nothing fear while you are with me. And I'm drawn to you, Eric."

"Oh, really?" he asked. Eric's arm was soon draped over my shoulder. "Is it my animal magnetism or is it my incendiary wit? Whatever your choice, either one would be fine with me." I could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood and I appreciated that.

I laughed as I playfully slapped his chest. "This could be one of the reasons why I want to bond with you. You are so funny. You have a remarkable sense of humor. You have a zest for life that I've never seen in anyone else. I'm relaxed with you and I feel safe with you." I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I'd also like to get to know you better. If that's okay."

He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "That is okay."

I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him so desperately but I didn't do it. That's not going to help solve anything. I asked him once again if he'd bond with me. "It's up to you but I wish that you'd do it. At least think about it. Give it a couple of days and you can let me know then. I just won't be able to work with anyone other than you while you think it over. Is that okay?"

He smiled. "Again, that is okay. Now," he said as he turned serious on me. "Who is your grandfather? What fae clan does he belong to?"

I couldn't answer that question outside. Though Eric and I were alone, I couldn't take that chance. I got up and motioned for Eric to follow me inside. I walked through the door but he did not. He stopped at the threshold. "Why haven't you come in?"

"You have to invite me in," he said. "Your home is the home of a human and because of that, vampires cannot enter your home without an invitation. It would do good for you to remember that for all time. It would be beneficial to make your immediate family aware of that as well. It will keep them safe … at least for now."

"I will," I promised. "Eric, would you please come in?"

And just like that he was inside my grandparents' home. And just like that, his posture changed. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I've always loved the smell of the fae," he whispered.

I frowned and was soon on the defensive. "You won't attack him, will you?"

He opened his eyes and said, "I will not. I'm old enough to be able to control myself. Pam, on the other hand, cannot. She must never come to your home when your grandparents are here." There was an ominous warning in his voice.

"I got it," I said. I looked in the directions of my grandparents' room and shivered. I needed to get this ball rolling. "You asked me what fae clan my grandpa belongs to. Well, he's a sky fae and he is from the house of Brigant. His name is …"

Eric instantly stepped away from me. He didn't look happy about my little revelation. To be honest, he looked down right angry. "Brigant? You are part of the royal family?"

I shook my head no. "I don't think so. Grandpa, Fintan, has never said anything about us being a part of the royal family. I don't know anything about that." I frowned at him and asked, "Do you know my grandpa?"

"I do," he answered. "I know his entire family." And it didn't sound like a good thing either.

I suddenly became nervous. I sat down on the couch as I looked up at him. "Do you not like the Brigants?"

"I despise them," he answered.

"Oh," I said. What else could I say? There was nothing else for me to say but oh.

He looked at me and smiled. "Calm yourself, Sookie. What I feel for your grandfather's family is in no way a reflection on you."

I looked into his eyes and I knew that he was speaking the truth. I pepped up just a bit. With my eyes wide and filled with hope, I asked, "So, does that mean you'll give me your blood?"

"It does not," he replied.

"Oh," I repeated as the little hope that I had left me.

With the contract in his hand, Eric sat on the couch next to me. He rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "I want you to know that I heard all that you have said to me and I have taken all that you have said into consideration. Do not take my slow response to this stipulation as a no or a negative. It is not I that concerns me. If truth be told, I must admit that I feel as you do."

I was soon curious. "How so?"

"I am drawn to you," he admitted. "You have a zest for life and you have a grand sense of humor. You are brave and accepting of the differences of others. Your way of thinking and being fascinates me to no end. I want to know why you are the way you are. I want to know more about you. Before you called me tonight, I'd planned on asking you to be mine."

"Really?" I asked as I smiled so hard that my cheeks began to hurt.

"Yes."

I was soon frowning. I had no idea what he meant by that. There was only one way to find out. "What does that mean?" I asked. "To be yours. What does that mean exactly?"

"You would belong to me," he responded. "No one would be allowed to touch you or to claim you as theirs because you would be mine. I would take care of you and you would have my protection. You would have the protection of all that owe me fealty. Everything that I own, everything that I am, would belong to you. I would forever keep you safe."

I thought about that for a minute … 'belong to me'. I would be his. No one else could touch me or claim me. No one else would have any rights to me. Eric would keep me safe. Those that are beneath him would be obligated to keep me safe. I couldn't pass up this opportunity. Grandpa said that I had to get him to bond with me and that's what I'm going to do. "That's the same as bonding, right?"

"It is," he answered.

I began to nod. "That's what I want. I need your protection."

Eric shook his head no. "You do not seem to understand what I am saying, lover. I want all of you. I want to bond with you but not because you need my protection and not because you are going to work for me. I want you because I want you."

What could I possibly say to something like that?

"Okay," I whispered. "What do we have to do?"

He smiled cheekily. "You have to understand what you are asking of me," he said. "You must be aware of what you're getting into when you request such an action. A bond is not to be taken lightly. With a bond, you will belong to me. You will become a part of me. When I say that you will be mine, you must have a clear understanding of what that is. Some believe that it makes them the property of the vampire. That it not true. You will not be considered my property," he clarified. "You will not be considered my pet. You will not be considered an asset. You will be considered my woman. As far as I'm concerned, you will be my equal. Our lives will be intertwined. Our souls will be as one. You will feel my every emotion just as I will feel yours. You will feel my need for you … my want for you just as I will feel those same emotions from you." He moved closer to me. "With our bond, there will be no manipulation of any kind. I may send you calm when you are nervous and afraid but your feelings will remain your own. You will still be you with me attached to your very being. Everything that you will be to me is what I'll be to you. Is that what you want? Can you handle that, Sookie?"

My heart began to thunder away in my chest and my nether regions began to feel all tingly inside and out as I nodded. "Yes," I said.

With his eyes closed and nostrils flared, Eric said, "I would have you right now if you were mine."

I scooted closer to him. "And I would let you have me."

His fangs dropped into placed as his eyes popped open from surprise.

"So, are going to bond?" I asked him.

He placed his hand on my face as he traced his thumb along my cheek. "Yes," he said. "But not tonight. This is something that you have to consider, Sookie. You need to understand clearly why you must think this through."

"I do and I will."

With his arm wrapped around my waist and his hand still on my face, he said, "Once we are bonded, I am never going to let you go. When I say that you will be mine, you will be mine. Are we clear in this?"

"Yes," I moaned. I looked from his eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes again.

He brushed his lips across mine so lightly that I almost didn't feel it. I also didn't feel him get up from the couch. When I reached for him but he wasn't there. He was already standing at the door.

"I must go," he said. "Daylight will be upon on us soon."

I nodded.

"I will see you tomorrow night," he said.

Again, I nodded.

With his back to me, he said, "Tell you grandfather that my answer is yes. I will bond with you but not on his terms. You and I will decide together when this will happen. And when that decision is made, it will not be because you want my protection … which I will freely give to you. You will never travel without me. You will never be without me. Before and after we are bonded, I am with you."

Finding my voice, I said, "I will tell him. Thank you for your consideration and the education of the bonding process. It is much appreciated."

He laughed outright. "Goodnight, Sookie."

"Goodnight, Eric."

And with that said, he was gone.