Chapter 3

Eric

There were many things that were appealing about the city of New Orleans. I'd thoroughly enjoyed the music, the art and the blood whenever I passed through. There was only one small thing that kept me from locating to such a town permanently, and that was the proximity to the Queen.

Sophie-Anne had resided in New Orleans since she'd inherited her kingdom. She enjoyed her life of luxury in her main residence. The house itself was part of the history of the city, the beautiful architecture had been preserved wonderful over the long years, but certain aspects had been updated with modern features.

I landed outside of the Queen's main residence just before midnight. Two vampire guards stood on either side of the main gate, neither questioning me as I moved past them towards the main entrance. I'd unfortunately had to visit the Queen often enough that her guards knew my face well.

Another guard greeted me at the front door. He gave me a slight nod before opening the door and leading me through the entrance was towards the day room, where the Queen spent most of her nights. The guard opened the door and allowed me to step through before closing it behind me.

I was greeted by the sight of Sophie-Anne perched on the group beside one of the chaises spread around the central pool. A blonde female—that reminded me a little of my missing human—was splayed across the chaise, the Queen lazily feeding from her femoral artery. The female moaned softly and smiled as the Queen stroked her thigh. After a moment longer, the Queen lifted her head and sighed.

She said, "Hadley, it seems we have a guest."

The female, Hadley, opened her eyes and smiled brightly at me. "Hello," she said.

The Queen stroked Hadley's thigh as she turned to look at me, blood running down her chin as she did. "Sheriff," she grinned, "care for a taste? Hadley is quite delightful."

To refuse the offer would annoy her and I wasn't in the mood to deal with her childish mood swings, so I agreed. I gave a slight nod of my head before moving to stand on the other side of the chaise. Hadley jumped slightly when I appeared behind her but was quick to bare her neck to me.

Sophie-Anne smirked up at me as I dropped my fans and placed my hand beneath Hadley's chin to angle her throat accordingly. I bit down gently, not intending to take a lot. I took a few small mouthfuls, finding Hadley's blood as the Queen described; delightful.

I lifted my head and used my thumb to wipe my lower lip. "She is certainly unique," I said.

Sophie-Anne pushed herself to stand and held out her hand. A human rushed over and held out a handkerchief to her. As she wiped her face, she said, "One of personal collection. I don't share her very often but you, like her, are very important to me." She turned back to Hadley and cupped her chin, giving her a smile before waving her off. "Now, what can I do for you Sheriff Northman? The message I received made it sound important."

It was a talent handling vampires like Sophie-Anne. While I wasn't aware of her exact age, I did know she'd been alive for at least five hundred years. It made her a little less than half my age, but she was still completely transparent.

"It has been brought to my attention that a vampire that used to reside in your court has taken it upon himself to take a human captive," I explained.

She dropped onto the chaise Hadley had previously occupied and furrowed her brow. "And this matters why? Some vampires enjoy having their food fight back." She chuckled.

"The vampire left a mess in his wake, and now those who know the girl are making noise. A shifter came into my club last night demanding I find her, or he would make sure it got out what exactly has happened."

She scoffed. "This girl could have easily been kidnapped by a human; does he have any proof that a vampire is involved?"

I explained, "While I don't believe the shifter has any solid proof, the circumstantial details he provided are enough to cause significant issue. And there are plenty of humans that would take advantage to ensure vampires are the perpetrators."

The Queen looked unimpressed but not motivated enough.

"Enough that Nan Flanagan would come knocking down your door."

With a smack of her lips, she sat forward and asked, "Who is this supposed vampire?"

"William Compton."

Her eyebrows went up and she said, "William? He was always such a good boy. Didn't like breaking rules. You're telling me he's kidnapped a human girl?"

"I believe he worked as your procurer. You didn't happen to send him to look for anyone in a town called Bon Temps?"

The wave of emotions that rolled through her was enough to give me my answer.

"I did," she said. "My Hadley's cousin." Sophie-Anne stood and closed the space between us. "Hadley promised me that her cousin was special. I sent Bill to learn exactly what was so special about the girl and a few weeks later he reported back that my Hadley was misled. The girl was nothing out of the ordinary. At the same time, he asked to be released from my service, stating he wished to return to his hometown for a time. I figured the girl might have been a toy he wanted to play with for a while, so I gave him leave."

Sophie-Anne was a terrible liar. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, was quick to anger, and hated being denied what she wanted. Just like every other spoiled brat. And while I knew there had to be more to the story, the small bits she had told me were the truth.

I said, "Your majesty, thank you for the information." I didn't believe there was anything else that she would be helpful with, and I knew she was unlikely to reveal anything further unless there was something in it for her.

"Of course, Sheriff. I always do enjoy your visits." She stretched out her hand and placed it on my chest. I wanted to grab it and rip her arm from its socket. "Before you leave, shall we have sex?"

"Alas, I have much to do and do not have the time it would take to give you the fucking you deserve," I said.

Sophie-Anne leered as she dragged her nail down my chest. She could have her own interpretation of what the 'fucking she deserved' was, while for a brief moment I pictured shoving a stake through her heart and watching her dissolve before me.

I gave her a small head nod before turning to leave. As I reached the door, she stopped me.

"Sheriff Northman, if you do locate William and he has taken the girl, I would reward you handsomely if you brought her to me before returning her home," she said.

"We shall see what comes of my investigation."

I strode out of her home with enough information to move forward. The Queen had her own desires, but they mattered little. I was more curious as to what was so special about this human. The shifter had alluded to something different about her, and now so had Sophie-Anne. And somehow, this human had driven William Compton to steal her away and disappear. It was all very curious, and a little exciting. It was just the sort of chaos I had been looking for.

I travelled far enough away from the Queen's residence to ensure no one was around before calling Pam.

She answered, "That was quick. I thought for sure you'd be detained by her majesty all evening."

I sighed. "She certainly tried, but nothing about that whiney child could ever stir me enough to enjoy her company."

Pam chuckled. "I do wonder what she would be like if that crown hadn't been placed on her head."

"I prefer to picture what it would look like if I removed her head permanently."

"If we ever get to the stage, please let me watch. Or at least film it so I can enjoy it later."

I smirked. I always enjoyed Pam's thirst for violence.

"Did you manage to get anything out of her?" she asked.

"Some. She confirmed Compton was sent to Bon Temps to procurer the girl. The report she received was that the girl wasn't anything special."

"I wonder what exactly is this special quality that everyone keeps alluding to. The girl, while as cute as a peach, certainly doesn't look like it."

"Compton chose to leave Sophie-Anne's court after meeting the girl, whatever it is, it is enough to drive him out of the comfort that court life offers."

"So, you believe he lied to the Queen to take her for himself."

"It's a strong possibility."

"If he did, he's dead."

"Maybe not."

A flare of suspicion flooded the bond I shared with Pam. She asked, "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing important. If it comes to fruition, I'll let you know."

She huffed. "You know I don't like it when you keep things from me."

I frowned. Pam knew better. "I'm not keeping anything from you. Don't pout like a child."

Pam grumbled on the other end, and I had something snap.

"Pamela," I said, "enough."

Pam was one of two vampires that I trusted completely. The other being my maker, Godric. But there were even things that I kept from them, for their own safety as well as my own. I hadn't survived a thousand years by wearing everything thought and feeling on my sleeve. Normally, Pam understood this. But it was moment like these where I remembered that she was still so young, while she was clever and cunning and bloodthirsty—like all good vampires were—she didn't like being excluded. Sometimes her nosiness was useful, other times, it just got her into trouble.

Pam sighed. "Sorry, master."

"Now, give Wright another call. He has some supernatural connections; have him use them to see what he can learn about Compton. Other places he may have property that is isolated, sups that know him, including his maker. See if he can locate Lorena," I ordered.

"Right away."

"And Pam?"

"Yes?"

I felt a flare of hopefulness come from her and it made me smile.

I said, "Ensure to replace whatever it is that you broke."

The hopefulness was quickly replaced by annoyance. "Yes, master."

I chuckled as I ended the call.


My next stop was Bon Temps. It was very unlikely that I would find anything that would lead me to the location of one Sookie Stackhouse, but I still wanted to see what I could learn about her.

There was this mystery surrounding the girl that intrigued me. All those invested in her seemed to allude to something special, but no one had been clueless enough to let it slip. I hoped by exploring her home and perhaps her place of work I could learn just what was so alluring about her.

There was every chance that Miss Stackhouse just had wonderful blood. Sometimes a rare human came along that was just too good to resist. Had bloodlust perhaps driven Compton to kill the girl and rather than admit to his own weakness had made up a feeble lie to hide it all. It was a possibility. Just like everything else.

With the information provided by Wright, I made my way to the Stackhouse residence. It was what one would expect of a family home in a small town. The age of the property showed through the visible wear and tear on the home itself as well as the surrounding assets, such as the driveway. I made my way up to the front porch and took in the faded, yet still present scents. One was distinctively vampire, but it was weak. Another was well engrained into every part of the home; it told me that it belonged to a human that had occupied the house for a very long time. It reminded me of roses and earth—perhaps the girls grandmother.

The strongest scent was something all its own. Sweet and alive. Even after weeks she had left, it burned my nose with its sharp and distinct life. No wonder Compton had been so driven to keep her. I could hardly begin to imagine what Miss Stackhouse was like when she was right in front of you.

There were a cluster of other human scents surrounding the property, more recent than the others—most likely the police when going about their search—and the traces of the girl's shifter boss lingered. It seemed the shifter came by often, doing something of a perimeter check before disappearing. It had been no less than two days since his last visit—just before he'd come barging into my club.

I approached the front door and was surprised to find it unlocked; it swung open but the invisible field that kept my kind out was ever present. I would need to confirm if the house now belonged to Miss Stackhouse as her grandmother was recently deceased, but if she were, she was still alive.

Turning to leave the property, a dog came rushing through the bushes. I paused on the porch steps and waited. The dog barked at me a few times before it turned back into the bushes. As I walked down the steps, the girl's shifter stepped back out in his human form.

"You keep clothes in the bushes?" I asked.

He glared at me. "Why are you here?"

"Doing as you so kindly requested. Looking for the girl."

"Sookie!" he snapped. "She has a name. And you don't think I checked if she was here?"

"I'm covering my bases. Besides, I trust my own sense of smell over a shifter."

The shifter clenched his jaw. "Just find her already." He turned to leave.

"Before you rush off, I need to know what makes her so special."

He paused, hesitating as he turned back around. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone who I have spoken to regarding your employee have mentioned her being special. To better understand what might have happened to her, I need to know what it is that draw those to her," I explained.

I probably didn't need to know. It would no doubt come up eventually, especially once I found Compton, but my curiosity was getting the better of me.

"Sookie doesn't draw people to her, well, not the normal kind. Most humans tended to avoid her if they could," the shifter said.

I frowned. What an interesting thing to say. I was tempted to follow it up and probe further, but I could see he wasn't going to budge, so I changed the subject. "This home? Miss Stackhouse's late grandmothers?"

He nodded.

"Do you know if it passed to Miss Stackhouse?"

Again, he nodded. "Her brother has his own place, so I assume her Gran left it to her. Why?"

"The barrier keeping vampires without an invitation is still in effect."

The shifter started at me with a blank expression.

I sighed. "It means that Miss Stackhouse is alive. If she were dead, I would have been able to enter the home."

His eyes widened and a look of relief rolled through him. "Thank, fuck!" The relief quickly faded. "What do you think he is doing to her?"

There were several things I could tell the shifter. Most would probably send him into a spiral of shock and horror. I chose instead to not given him an answer. It was probably better for all if they were unaware of the torture the girl was going through.

Instead, I said, "I will ensure to keep you updated."

The shifter nodded and left, walking down the driveway tugging at his hair.


Sookie

I had never seen the living room of the house Bill kept me inside until now. When we had first arrived, Bill had carried me in while I was unconscious. I had woken up chained in my room and that was where I had stayed. But Bill's idea had led to a change of senary.

The living room was rather large, with large floor to ceiling windows on two sides. Two large couches sat facing one another with a sturdy looking coffee table between them. An very large and worn rug covered the creaky floorboards, and that was where I found myself.

My chain had been removed and I had been led, by Bill, down the hall and into the lounge. The dead body of the girl that Lorena had bought back was slumped in the corner of the room. Bill had led me to the table where he directed me onto it. He nodded over to Lorena who smiled at him and turned on a Gramophone that was sat in the corner. Music crackled to life as Bill stepped back.

The look he gave me made me think back to the first time he had arrived on the front porch of my home. It had made my heart skip. This time, it made me want to cry. The look on his face was the look of a hunter tracking its prey.

"Dance for me," he said, his words low but filled with excitement.

I swallowed as I stood awkwardly on the table. My body was exhausted from his treatment of me. I could feel the bruises forming from where his hands had held me, traces of his semen still coated my inner thighs as well as other area of my body, and my throat ached where he had recently fed from me.

"Come on," he encouraged. He closed the space between us again and grabbed my hands. He moved them back and forth, swaying a little. "Show me about sexy you are."

I tried to follow his movement, but my body ached. I was worried what he would do exactly if I gave him what he wanted. His excitement normally led to rougher sex that I could normally stand. But I also didn't want to find out what Lorena would do to me if I upset Bill.

I could tell she hated my existence. While she had enjoyed the little play time Bill had given her, his attention was divided because of me. It was clear that Lorena didn't want to share Bill, at least not all the time, and my presence was hindering that.

Bill sighed and dropped one of my hands. He surprised me by tugging me off the table and against his chest before he bit into his wrist. My mouth was suddenly filled with blood as Bill shoved his wrist against my mouth.

"Drink," he demanded.

It was either choak or swallow, so I drank. His blood coated my tongue and my throat, leaving behind a heavy taste of sweetness. It wasn't exactly pleasant, his blood reminded me more of what it felt like when you'd had too much sugar all at once and you felt sick.

But that sick feeling left my mind as I felt the aches in my body fade. I felt stronger than I had in days and energy burst through me. Bill pulled his wrist from my throat and pushed me towards the table.

"Now, dance," he demanded.

I staggered but managed to climb back onto the coffee table and did as I was told. I swayed my body side to side and lifted my hands above me head. Bill licked his lips and moved to drop onto one of the couches.

Lorena sighed, sounding somewhat content, and walked over to join Bill. She sat down beside him, rubbing her hand up his thigh. "She is lovely," she said.

Bill smirked. "Beautiful. Absolute perfection."

Those types of words should have filled me with flattery. A man in love described his woman as such, did he not? But Bill didn't love me, I knew that now. He was proud of his caught prey and presented me like a trophy. If he could have, the room would have been filled with others to admire his prize.

I noticed Lorena stoking Bill's thigh and turned, not wanting to witness what would happen next. I knew Bill wouldn't resist. He would no doubt fuck Lorena and then me. There were still a few hours before sunrise, plenty of time for him to reverse all of the work his blood had done to me.

I made sure to keep dancing as Lorena pleasured Bill. First with her hand, then with her mouth. I heard Bill finish in her mouth, before he rolled her over to fuck her. Their aggressive movements moved the couch, it shifted across the floor, and one swift kick of her leg, Lorena knocked the table. It sent me tumbling onto the ground, my head hitting the side of the couch as I went down. But they did not stop.

Lorena wailed and cried in pleasure and Bill followed. And as the room spun and my head ached, they finally become silent.

Hands suddenly found my body. Bill's hands grabbed my hips and pulled be back. He slid me across the rug and onto my back. He pulled me so my butt was pressed against his knees, and he knelt over me.

Bill touched my head and let out a sigh. "My blood should prevent any bruise." He stroked my skin and smiled.

"William, I need you again," whined Lorena.

Bill looked up at her and then back down at me. His smile only widened, and I knew what was coming. Sunrise couldn't come soon enough.