Sookie's legs bounced ceaselessly beneath her, a nervous energy radiating through her body that she couldn't quite temper, no matter how hard she tried. The call from Sophie-Anne had been a shock to the system, the kind of news that rattled their world to its core. Hadley, her beloved cousin, was at court, and Compton had brought her to Sophie-Anne despite the drugs still coursing through her veins. The intoxicating scent of Hadley's sweet blood was overpowering, and it had drawn Compton's attention.
Hadley had hoped to gain entry into Sophie-Anne's court, but a feat that had proven impossible. Days and nights had blurred together as she loitered around her building, desperately waiting for a glimpse of the queen, the vampire she knew as family growing up.
"Sookie, breathe… she has been found, and we all know Sophie-Anne will protect Hadley with everything she has and is," Pam said, her voice soothing as she placed a comforting hand on Sookie's shoulder. The weight of Pam's assurance was a small comfort, yet Sookie couldn't shake the anxiety that clung to her since they received the call.
"I know, but I can't help it," Sookie murmured, her heart racing. She felt different, strangely confident, transformed by the new look that Pam had insisted upon. With her hair now a vibrant red, she bore a striking resemblance to Sophie- Anne's own pale, ethereal beauty. A little magic had also helped in that endeavor. The change was meant to distract Andre, the queen's child and number two, who had an infamous weakness for red-haired girls that reminded him of his maker. Above all else, it would appear as if Eric brought her to meet Sophie-Anne due to her striking resemblance to the queen. They hoped her presence would divert his attention, keeping him from probing too deeply into the strange human who had suddenly appeared in their midst just the previous night. The queen was suddenly so protective of the human girl that she would not let out of her private chambers or let anyone else in.
The sunroom was filled to capacity, a vibrant hub of activity, laughter, and chatter meant to serve as a distraction, yet Sookie's nerves remained frayed. When Rasul led them into the room, Andre's sharp gaze immediately locked onto Sookie, his interest palpable.
"Sheriff," Andre's sickly sweet tone made Eric's eye roll barely containable, a flicker of irritation crossing his usually stoic face.
"Andre," Eric replied coolly, his voice devoid of emotion."Why Sophie-Anne turned that little piss ant was beyond him. A term he learned from Jason. Eric would admit when it came to his maker, Andre was loyal beyond reason.
"Who is this sweet-smelling thing?" Andre's eyes roamed over Sookie with a predatory intensity that made her skin crawl.
"None of your business." Eric's terse response rendered Andre momentarily speechless, but Sophie-Anne's arrival truly silenced the room.
Despite the chaos, a sense of relief washed over Sookie as Sophie-Anne moved through her court with the ease of a monarch in command. The queen's actions were a balm to Sookie's fraying nerves, but the underlying tension was impossible to ignore.
"Ahh, Sheriff, you are as always punctual," Sophie-Anne remarked, amusement dancing in her eyes as she took in Sookie, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her and smelled even sweeter than she normally did. Well, hello." She cheered as she took in the human, as though shocked by the obvious resemblance. In truth, she was. They hadn't filled her in on this aspect of the plan.
"Why, we could even be sisters, twins. How remarkable!" The queen's playful comment sent a ripple of laughter through the room. Sookie felt a blush creep over her cheeks, accentuated by the warmth of Eric's presence beside her.
"Told you," Eric leaned closer, whispering to Sookie in a teasing tone. Susannah here did not believe me when I told her of her remarkable resemblance to you." The playful banter only deepened Sookie's blush, and she glanced away, flustered by the attention.
"I cannot blame Susannah here for her skepticism. If I weren't looking at her myself, I'd scarcely believe it either," Sophie-Anne continued, her tone conspiratorial as she motioned for Sookie to follow her. "Anyway, come this way, I have a task for you. You, Susannah, can tell me more about yourself. I won't be surprised if we share an ancestor." Taking Sookie's arm, she led them away from the sunroom, her authority unquestionable.
"Andre, stay and entertain the guests," she instructed, leaving Andre looking slightly perturbed but too aware of his place to argue in front of others.
"Of course, my queen," he replied with an exaggerated bow, his disappointment hidden beneath a facade of compliance. His thoughts on Susannah, and he could get time with her.
Once they were out of sight, Sophie-Anne's footsteps quickened in her eagerness to reunite with Hadley. As she approached Hadley's bedroom, the door burst open, startling Hadley, who jumped in fright. "Sorry, my dear. I didn't think," Sophie-Anne apologized, but Hadley's momentary shock evaporated upon seeing the trio of Sookie, Eric, and Pam. In an instant, she was enveloping them in a flood of tears, throwing herself at Sookie with a desperate urgency. Despite the change in Sookie's appearance, Hadley knew her cousin; she would never forget those warm, knowing eyes.
"Oh, Had," Sookie choked out, her own tears spilling over as she clung to her cousin.
"I'm sorry, Sook! I just couldn't… it all got on top of me, then I saw him... he tried to touch me, I had to get away." Eric gritted his teeth at the news. He watched everyone else try to contain their rage. "Then I fell in with a bad crowd…" Hadley's words tumbled out in a rush, barely decipherable through her sobs.
"Shush, it's all in the past now. You are safe, and that is all that matters," Sookie reassured her, embracing her tightly.
Hadley was held tightly in her cousin's arms. The warmth of their embrace felt like a cocoon of safety and love. Across the room, Sophie-Anne found herself in Eric's arms, the powerful vampire who was her maker in every sense that mattered. His presence was both commanding and comforting. "How are you, my child?" he asked, his voice smooth like silk, his lips ghosting over her forehead in a tender and protective gesture.
Sophie-Anne took a moment to collect her thoughts, the weight of the past few days finally relenting. "Relieved," she finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "I hadn't realized how concerned I was for her well-being. To have Hadley here is an immense relief." The admission felt like a balm to her soul. In the privacy of her chamber, away from the court's prying eyes, she could allow herself her weaknesses, those moments of vulnerability that were so rare for someone of her stature.
She stepped back slightly, her eyes searching Eric's, finding reassurance in his unwavering gaze. The flicker of concern that had been etched in his features began to ease, replaced by a warmth that made her heart flutter. "Pam," she called softly, her voice tinged with longing. She pulled her sister into a hug, the embrace solidifying the bond they shared.
At that moment, as she held Pam close, Sophie-Anne felt a profound sense of belonging wash over her. Her family was finally complete.
For the next few hours, they stayed with Hadley, sharing stories and laughter. Pam glamoured Hadley so no one else could. Sophie-Anne put all the necessary precautions in place, making it clear that Hadley was under her protection. Hadley had insisted she would not go elsewhere and preferred staying with Sophie-Anne. Despite the sadness at that decision, Sookie, Jason, and Adele knew that Hadley's happiness was their priority, and they would do anything to keep her safe.
A few weeks later, the cops turned up at the farmhouse with news of Bartlett Hale's disappearance. No one would know that he had suffered for several days until his heart gave out. Adele Stackhouse's orders.
Knowing that Bartlett's very existence haunted Hadley's dreams, she had requested Eric ensure the monster felt every ounce of pain he had inflicted upon her family. Whether she meant it literally or not, Eric had taken her request to heart. The result was a gruesome end for the man who had caused so much suffering, a life extinguished in a brutal manner that he had longed to deliver the moment he stepped foot in the Stackhouse home.
The revelation of Bartlett's crime had come a mere month before he entered their lives. Had Eric arrived then, No one would have talked him out of killing that monster.
After Hadley disappeared, Eric gave Sookie his blood, while Pam gave hers to Jason. It was something they should have done long before then. Desmond Cataliades and a Fairy the demon lawyer knew spent the better part of a year training Sookie. Eric was not going to leave anything up to chance. A strong Sookie was in all their best interest. They'd made both Sookie and Jason proficient in using knives, guns, and hand-to-hand combat.
There was a dichotomy to Sookie's distance. Yes, she was safe from the likes of Felipe, but the distance between her and Eric was gnawing. It made him ache with a primal need, a longing that thrummed beneath his skin. With a heavy sigh, he checked his phone, a grin breaking across his face as he read the messages that had come through. The next step of their plan was now in motion, a calculated move that would draw Felipe's ire toward Arkansas. The van that had been used to kidnap Sookie and Sebastian had been traced to a property owned by Threadgill in Perryville.
When Felipe de Castro exited his secured chambers, he found Eric pacing. "The van was tracked to Arkansas. It is currently outside a residence owned by Victoria Saunders. However, further investigation revealed that it exists in name only to her."
"A safe house, under human ownership, preventing vampires from entering," de Castro mused, nodding in understanding. Such practices were common among vampires with the means to secure themselves, and even he had several such homes hidden all over the world.
Eric showed Felipe the van parked outside the home. Of course, it was parked there briefly for the picture and was now stripped down to its original color, and the fake plates long melted down.
"With Threadgill personally involved, I suspect Sookie is a crucial factor in this scheme. We know Compton made Threadgill aware of her existence. Were I in Victor's position, I would see Threadgill as the perfect monarch to be involved in any scheme against you," Eric concluded.
"Taking both has all but ensured my retaliation," Felipe roared, his fury palpable. "Eric, I want a plan to infiltrate Arkansas and retrieve Sookie and Sebastian. I want Threadgill to meet his true death at my hands if possible."
Eric's smile widened, a glimmer of satisfaction dancing in his eyes. "Consider it done." Felipe had ensured your own demise with this little move.
"Ms. Victoria Saunders." Mustapha smiled congenially at the older lady standing before him. Her silver hair pulled back into a tight bun, accentuated the deep lines etched into her face, evidence of a life filled with challenges and hard-earned wisdom or stupidity. He would have thought that with the lucrative agreement she had with Threadgill, a known figure, she would be in a better financial position. This belief made Mustapha's task seem all the more straightforward, as he was certain that desperation could be a powerful motivator.
"Yes?" Victoria's voice was curt, and her eyes narrowed as she peered at him through the small opening she allowed for the door. There was a guarded wariness in her demeanor that spoke of past betrayals and cautious trust.
"I have an offer for you," Mustapha began, infusing his tone with a persuasive charm. "One that my employer is willing to pay handsomely for."
"Look, I don't care…" she began, her patience already waning.
"The sum is a million dollars," Mustapha quickly interjected before Victoria could slam the door in his face. "Just for you to sign some papers and leave the state."
The seconds ticked by, filling the air with an uncomfortable silence as he waited. Finally, a flicker of interest crossed her features. "Come in." With a reluctant sigh, she opened the door wide, and Mustapha was hit with the stench of alcohol and stale cigarettes that seemed to cling to the very walls of her home. The odor assaulted his senses, and he fought to suppress the urge to gag, reminding himself that he was here for business, and insulting the woman by hurling his guts would not bode well for him.
"I will be quick," he said, forcing himself to focus. "Your name is on a property on Oakwood Lane, Perryville, that you do not own. I simply need you to sign that property over to me. Along with this NDA," he added, sliding a neatly stacked set of papers across the table, "and you'll receive this." Mustapha placed a cashier's check for one million dollars on the table, the paper glinting under the dim light.
With a cashier's check, if Victoria messed up and got caught, there would be no evidence linking the money to him or his employer. The source of the funds would be obscured, just as Eric and Felipe had instructed. Felipe's relationship with his bank was such that he'd get whatever he requested; if not, there was always glamour. He watched closely as her eyes widened at the sight of the check, momentarily eclipsing her wariness.
Without a word or question, Victoria reached for the papers, her hands trembling slightly, perhaps from the weight of the decision she was about to make. She signed without hesitation, starkly contrasting the turmoil that had likely played out in her mind. With a swift motion, she snatched the check, her expression shifting to one of greed mixed with relief. "I guess I don't need to tell you that you need to be gone from Arkansas before sunset," Mustapha said, his voice smooth as silk.
"No, you don't," Victoria replied, a sly smile creeping across her face as she stared at the check, already envisioning what the money could do for her. The glint in her eyes told him everything he needed to know; she was ready to leave her past behind, even if it meant walking away from her identity.
As he turned to leave, Mustapha felt a surge of satisfaction. The transaction was clean, and he had no doubt that Victoria would be gone by sunset.