Chapter Three: Reactions
Sookie's POV
My children's minds are abuzz as we arrive home late in the morning. Eric tells me that he can smell that Quigley and Diedre did indeed stop by the previous night, but I already knew this because both our children are thinking very intently. Though my kids' thoughts are silent to me, we have discovered over the years that I can still tell when they are focused very persistently on me. Like little pokes prodding at me to pay attention to them Now both of them are exceptionally fixated on their new acquaintances, and they seem to be reaching for me mentally for guidance.
Eric takes my bag inside ahead of me, and I listen with a smile as Alexis and Leif skid to a halt in the kitchen.
"Mom!" Alexis greets anxiously as her brother slides across the tile and bumps her.
"Mom," Leif injects before my daughter can say another word.
"What about Dad?" Eric grouches under his breath as our kids are practically bouncing in front of me.
"Happy birthday, babies," I tell my children, kissing each of them in turn. "Did you have fun last night?"
"Diedre and Quigley came by last night," Leif says in a rush. "I can't believe you never told me there was a smoking hot vampire who had a thing for me!"
Eric chuckles, "It was a complicated matter. All of us thought it best not to put pressure on either of you."
"Either of us?" Leif frowns curiously.
I watch my husband as he takes a seat at the breakfast bar, giving Leif an encouraging nudge to sit beside him. "Did Diedre or Quigley mention the Ancient Pythoness?"
"Diedre was Binded to her," Leif begins slowly, "and she died. Which means I used to be a chick."
I hide a giggle behind my hand as I go about making a late breakfast for me and the kids. Alexis falls into pace beside me to help.
"Your spirit inhabited a female vessel," Eric corrects. "Aside from that, Diedre and Cassandra were Binded Mates for over one-thousand years, and were together even longer than that prior to creating Quigley."
I feel Alexis tense beside me, and see her face glow radiantly at the mention of Quigley. That's unexpected, I think in surprise but refuse to question her about it. Alexis will talk when she's ready.
"For Diedre to lose Cassandra, well," Eric frowns thoughtfully, "that was a pain I could not begin to comprehend. None of us were sure how old you two would be when Diedre was ready to move forward again. All of us thought it best to keep that aspect on the back burner until Diedre was ready. After all, it is not as if we do not have all the time in the world."
"But what do you mean by both of them?" It is Alexis who chimes in this question.
My husband sighs, "Despite what you two might believe about Bonding and its implications, I assure you, it is not entirely accurate. A Bonded is not a destiny or another half. It is not one individual meant for you and you alone. Bonding is an impulse for a vampire who has become capable of recognizing an appropriate Mate for themself. Your mother, whom I love with all that I am, was not the only one for whom I could have felt that connection. Now she has become that from our connection together and our time building that relationship. I could not hurt her for any reason. To feel that connection is heady and it feels permanent even before the Bonding Ritual, but it is not until the Bond is complete that it is truly forever. Even if it may seem that way."
I sigh at my husband's long winded explanation, "What your father is saying is that we are not, necessarily, soulmates. Just because Cassandra's spirit was reborn does not mean that Diedre will feel the impulse to Bond to it."
"I literally just said that," Eric grumbles at me.
"In a thousand words," I roll my eyes. "Keep it simple and stop complicating something as comprehensible as attraction and compatibility!" I look at my children again, "Pre-Bonding is the same exact thing as dating between anyone. Like, I was attracted to your father when I first saw him, but I definitely didn't hear wedding bells at the same time."
It is while my children and I are eating that I note the sideways glances between Leif and Alexis. Eric is sitting with us as usual, and I can tell he is just as intrigued by the exchanging looks between the two of them. Regardless of their obvious tell, neither one begins speaking about a topic that hints to expose their little secret.
Finally, after our morning meal, Eric leaves to conference with Pam and Godric over their latest property ventures. Pam, who was recently scouting factories in China has been the bloodline's gopher for the past couple decades. As the only one of us that is not Bonded or contractually obligated to remain in Ohio for work, she has been scouring the globe for properties, investors and whatever else my husband sets her after.
Pam enjoys every minute of it, dragging my brother along overseas whenever he is on summer vacation. She'll probably drag him to Australia this June. God, I miss her. I only saw her at Christmas a couple months ago. Last I heard she just got to Korea recently and then will be returning to the States for the kid's graduation this Spring.
Leif uncharacteristically offers to do the dishes without a fight and it jars me from my thoughts of Pam. It takes all of my self-control not to shake my daughter, because I can tell she's the one with the questions. Her mind is there, buzzing beneath the surface, waiting to have her worries assured and inquiries answered, but I try to be a good mother and let her ask when she's ready instead of prodding.
"Mama?" Alexis' voice pitches as she finally begins a conversation.
"Yes, Baby?" I croon, belying that I have been dying for this moment for the past ninety minutes or so.
"Quigley asked me out," she utters breathlessly. I'm surprised by that news, but keep my face neutral and pleasant. "Can I go out with him after our birthday party tonight?"
I shrug passively, "I don't see why not."
"Will Daddy be mad?" she squeaks.
I snort on a laugh, "Your father will probably be relieved if your first date is with Quigley."
"Will he?" she's surprised.
I see Leif pause in cleaning the dishes and read his concentrated listening. "He's strong and well trusted among our family. The fact that Diedre is his Maker and potentially connected to your brother helps a lot too."
"Why didn't Cassandra see me with Quigley if she was able to see Leif with Diedre?" Alexis questions apprehensively.
Ah, I realize with a dash of pity, there's the real question.
"Are you scared it's not the real thing like it could be for Leif because it wasn't seen by some ancient vampire with the gift of foresight?" I smile at her amusedly. When Alexis bows her head in embarrassment, but nods, I pat her hand comfortingly. "If you're waiting for Destiny to tell you that you're running after a sure thing, you'll be waiting a long, long time, Alexis. Some things have to be followed with faith, others with a touch of selfishness, and everything with conviction."
"I just don't think I have enough of any of those," Alexis admits in a whisper.
I laugh at her worry and hug my daughter. "You're my daughter, so I know you've got conviction in you. As for faith and selfishness, well, those come as you need them to."
"Really?" she looks at me hopefully.
"I promise," I grin as I get up from the table and kiss the side of Leif's head. "Thank you for doing the dishes." He flushes at having Mommy give him a kiss and a sour, but somehow pleased, look scrunches his handsome face. "I'm going to check on your father."
My kids roll their eyes, but know that means if they want to save their sensitive ears, not to come upstairs. Sex in a household with supernaturally enhanced senses means not much goes unnoticed, but my desires for my husband aren't going to get swept under a rug just because my kids can hear a pin drop over at the neighbors'.
Nope! No, siree!
I hop up the stairs to Eric's office, the one room he tried his best to have sound proofed in the house. Originally he was going to have our bedroom done, but I told him if we ever moved it could be a hard selling point for parents not to be able to hear their kids killing themselves. We compromised and only over insulated the office. Sure, the kids hear us having sex pretty often, but we leave our more imaginative and loud sex for our Friday night escape to the hotel. Mostly that means roleplaying or some rather intense dirty talk, but I'll be damned if I can't seduce my husband in my own darn house!
"Thank you, Godric. Did you catch that, Pam?" I hear Eric's voice as I open the door. He's already leering at me from behind his desk as he holds his cellphone to his ear. "Excellent. Sookie is here. I will call you back later."
I can hear Pam cackle and call out, "Hi, Pam!"
"Pam says hi," Eric assures me.
"Love you!" I yell and my husband sighs as I shut the door behind me.
"She loves you, too and says to hurry up and get on your knees," Eric tells me as he hangs up the phone.
I walk away from the door behind me and roll my eyes. "We both know if Pam were going to make a suggestion about our sexual positions, it would be to push your face between my legs."
"That it would," Eric agrees as he pushes away from the desk and opens his arms to me. I jump onto his lap and wiggle a bit. "Did I not wear you out enough last night?" he asks amusedly.
"I was worried about the kids," I confess. He nods in understanding, having felt my distraction the previous night. Perhaps that was why the sex was pretty standard instead of our more adventurous hotel sex.
"Then, you are feeling less distracted now?" he asks, pressing his fingertips into my sides and digging them into the meat of my hips. The pressure makes me wiggle again and I feel his gracious plenty pushing up to meet my center.
"Oh yes," I agree, leaning forward to capture his mouth with my own, but he turns his face away and suckles my throat instead. "Ah, are you hungry?" I feel my panties get sticky at the thought of his bite. He never bites in the hotel rooms. It's a strange quirk coming from him considering all the strange places we've had sex and he's fed or at least tasted me.
"I am always hungry for you," Eric utters against my neck and I feel his blunt teeth scrape against my collarbone. As he kisses down my breastbone, his hand on my shoulder pushes me back. I grin excitedly as I arch back and the buttons of my blouse are popped open one by one. His lips kiss and suckle exposed skin until my shirt is open all the way. Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, Eric's hands glide to my hips and lift me backward until I'm strewn across his desk.
One advantage to a neat freak like Eric is that his desk is always free of clutter and I can recline back without any obstacles. My hands reach lazily above my head until they drape over the opposite edge and I'm laid out like a smörgåsbord.
Eric wastes no time pushing my pencil skirt up over my hips. Apparently, he's in the mood for a faux rushed rendezvous. He likes merely pushing clothing aside even when we're not in a hurry. Not that I'm complaining! Sometimes a frantic tryst is just what a girl is looking for!
Lifting my hips, I encourage my husband to decide how he wants me. Soon my waist is in his hands, his pinkie and ring finger expertly capturing the edge of my panties to pull aside. Exposed now, I'm still impressed that Eric is nudging inside of me.
A low whine tumbles from my lips. As hurried as Eric was to be inside me, he is far less frantic to leave. His hips stay in close, choosing to grind our sexes together rather than thrust. Those wonderful hands are holding both my butt cheeks and swirling me around on his cock while I do my best to undulate without losing any contact.
My legs tighten over Eric's hips as his mouth begins to trail up my throat. I hold my breath and tremble when he captures my ear with his teeth. Slowly he sucks the lobe into his mouth and I feel my pussy grip him with all my strength. The deep snarl this elicits from his chest sends me over the edge. My arms and legs clamp around Eric, holding him as close as possible as my hips churn and inner walls squeeze his cock until it explodes within me.
"And here I thought you would make it last," I pant beneath my husband.
"I still have trouble holding on when I push you over with your ears," Eric chuckles, kissing my jaw. "I thought I might get through it this time."
I'm about to respond to his needs to be an overachiever, but become distracted when I feel his hand pressing thoughtfully against my belly. "What are you thinking right now?" I ask gently instead, searching the Bond to find regret and longing.
His smile turns sad but warm. "When do you think we can have more babies?" I choke on a laugh and pull him in for a tight hug. My vampire, so hesitant about becoming a father at first, was now dreading being an empty nester.
"It will happen in its own time," I tell him. "Ludwig never did figure out what kickstarted my pregnancy with the twins. It could be timing or some other factor." Before he can say another word, I add, "But I'm hoping it's several years before our next crop of kids. It would be nice to be just the two of us for a while. Not to mention, I want Leif and Alexis to feel that they can come back to us plenty when they first take off. New babies in the house could make them keep their distance. No, I'd like it better if they eased into their own lives instead of feeling pressured to stay away."
My husband smiles and nods, "How pragmatic of you."
"I learned from the best," I tease.
Eric's POV:
A knock at the front door takes me from our family kitchen to greet the guests of my children's birthday. I know it is Diedre and Quigley because any member of our bloodline wanders through our doors unencumbered by the formality of knocking.
"Good evening," I smile at the pair standing on my doorstep. I look at Quigley knowingly, and he answers with a pleased grin. "I hear you have a date tonight."
"I'll have her home by ten, Sir," Quigley replies jokingly. It takes a great deal of effort not to roll my eyes. I have been spending too much time with teenagers, I realize amusedly. Maybe Sookie was right and we could use a little time without our children in the house.
"I was hoping to steal your son as well," Diedre adds politely.
"I am sure he would follow you like a puppy," I assure the oldest vampire in our world.
"Oh? Is he in to collars?" Diedre asks a bit too seriously, and I am quickly reminded that it has been literally over a thousand years since she has bedded a male and I have never smelled sex on my son. She might break him, a protective surge courses through my body. I did not break Sookie, I remind myself.
"I think you short-circuited him, Mum," Quigley utters as I have yet to respond to Diedre's joke.
"I always wondered what paternal instincts would look like on a vampire," Diedre comments as she and Quigley shoulder past me. "I am finding it quite entertaining."
Still frozen for another moment, it takes my brain that long to register that our guests are merely teasing me. I am out of practice dealing with that degree of familiarity with anyone outside of the bloodline. If I had to be honest, Jason or Camilla are the two most likely to push at my usually serious exterior. Most would probably guess it would be Pam or Sookie, but no, it is those two. Despite their obvious youth in comparison to me, they take the most pleasure from rendering me speechless.
"I suppose I never considered the sexual proclivities of my children over the years," I confess after a moment. "Knowing that Leif was meant for you, and having raised Alexis with understanding of her reproductive responsibilities has left me unprepared for such situations."
Quigley frowns at my comment before inquiring about my daughter, "Reproductive responsibilities?"
I raise my eyebrows pointedly. "Her mother can bare the children of vampires. It warrants suspicion that Alexis may as well, although Ludwig still has not confirmed this possibility as she was waiting until Alexis was closer to Sookie's age when she became a Living Immortal. Either way, an unplanned pregnancy with any creature raises questions of the offspring's nature and ties with our bloodline's power and immunities. It is not a decision to make lightly."
"I see," Quigley's frown deepens. "I hadn't considered that. Poor lass, that's a lot of responsibility for such a young woman."
"It is," I agree. "Which means, if you are earnest about your pursuit of my daughter, you take that possibility with the utmost seriousness."
"A former Father becoming a father?" Diedre seems delighted by the notion.
"As I said; we have no idea," I remind.
I can see that I have tempered the pairs' jibing with the understanding of the very serious repercussions of sex with our family's children. It is interesting to watch their expressions changed, after centuries and millennia of consequence-free copulation. Though Diedre will not have to face any hurdles, she is moved by her progeny's obstacle to taunt no further.
With that, the three of us head to the living room where my wife, children and the rest of our bloodline (minus Pam) are gathered to celebrate. Leif is quick to light up at seeing Diedre, but Alexis squirms embarrassedly. I am certain she heard our conversation and is flustered that her father was talking to her date about sex. Still, my daughter rises graciously to greet our new arrivals, and I watch in both interest and perhaps some despair as my children react to the two vampires.
There is a visceral response in their bodies as they offer tentative physical contact with Diedre and Quigley. Tiny goosebumps up their arms, dilated pupils and blood warming their cheeks are all very vivid signals that sexual awakenings lay close upon the horizon.
All through the modest festivities, I watch as a part of me aches to see them blow out ceremonial candles and open enchanted gifts from their Aunt Camilla. Both of our children have always enjoyed the trinkets their spell casting aunt provides because they truly want for nothing. The things Camilla brings are not so easily obtained by our money. Truly, Camilla has grown quite robust in her roll as the bloodline's caster.
Soon it is time to release Leif and Alexis from the party and watch them depart with Diedre and Quigley. Just as I am masking my despair, I feel something in the back of my mind burst like a flash fire across my brain and down my spine. It is not painful. In fact, it is rather pleasant, if not confusing, as that fire encases my heart.
"Eric?" Sookie looks at me curiously as she feels a shift in our Bond as I reconcile this feeling.
"Pam?" Godric frowns, having felt my similar shift from his own link to me.
Camilla and Sookie look at my Maker and I for answers, but I just smile. "She is fine," I assure the two women. "I suppose she is having fun in Korea. Her emotions are usually so stagnant. She always surprises me when she enjoys herself."
"Oh, thanks," Sookie pouts. "So you're saying she doesn't have fun with me and Cammie?"
I clear my throat amusedly, "Not this sort of fun, Dear One."
"Oh," Camilla utters, looks at Sookie and the women laugh. "I'm sure she'll tell us all about her when she gets home."
"Pam? Trying to make me blush over lesbian sexcipades? Never!" Sookie laughs as well and shakes her head.
As my wife gossips about the sort of woman that could have turned my Child's head, I am looking at Godric wonderingly. Is this the sort of thing he felt from me nearly three decades ago?
TBC
A/N: Please, remember to review! Would love to hear how everyone is liking the story so far!
-Andi