Chapter Six: Mine, Mine, Mine
Eric's POV
My Sookie is beside herself at the news that Pam will be arriving home sooner than expected. For the past year, my Child has been around the world on investment ventures, and I know both Camilla and Sookie have missed her dearly. However, when our front door opens and my Pam is not accompanied only with luggage, both Sookie and Camilla freeze with uncertainty.
"Everyone, this is Jenny," Pam introduces a beautiful Korean girl who nods her head politely to us.
"Jenny, that is Sookie and Camilla. That is Sookie's husband, Eric. Over there is Camilla's husband Godric. Oh, and the earthquake you hear coming from upstairs is Sookie and Eric's children-"
"PAM!" Alexis launches herself at my Child, only to fumble at the last minute when she sees a human is in our midst. This hesitation causes Alexis to bellyflop onto the floor as she knows that Pam catching her would be quite unlikely if she were a human woman. My daughter has the wind knocked out of her as a result. "Sorry, slipped on the last couple steps," she covers for the incident.
"Pam, welcome back," Leif grins at his sister's misfortune.
"I thought you said they were Eric and Sookie's kids," Jenny frowns at my children.
"Yes, that's right," Pam tells her.
"They're way too young to have children this old," Jenny protests. "Or… Are they adopted?"
Camilla freezes for a second before reaching for Sookie's wedding ring and finding it intact. Next she takes out her phone and puts the camera on us.
"She can see through my casting," Camilla hisses after confirming her charm is still working.
Pam looks at her lover in surprise, "Jenny, are you musok?"
Jenny is startled by the inquiry but answers, "Several generations of my family practice it, but I got shipped off to America super young, so I never really got into it."
"Does glamour work on your girlfriend?" I ask swiftly of my child in Swedish. Pam nods frantically and quickly glamours her guest. "Put her to bed and meet us in the dining room." I command her.
Pam does as I say and I move to usher everyone to the dining room. It seats everyone easily enough, and once Pam arrives, I waste no time, "I called you home urgently and you decided to bring your fuck toy?" I watch Pam's lips curl and her fingers tighten briefly into claws, but she knows better than to snap at me right now. "How could you not take any precautions before introducing a stranger to this family?"
"Can someone please tell me what she is?" Camilla demands impatiently, obviously uncomfortable that an apparent human could see through her magic.
"A form of medium," Pam replies simply. "Even though she does not practice, with enough generational heritage, she seems to have some higher level of spiritual energy than usual."
"Great, now I'm bummed," Camilla frowns to herself. "I mean, I thought if my magic was good enough to fool the two-natured kids at school, it would work on people without formal training."
"Mediums have a natural occurring gift and are far less susceptible to illusions. If she were practicing musok there is a good chance glamour would even be difficult to use on her," I explain. "Although magic can be learned and earned, some humans are just born with the connections. It would seem Jenny is one of them on the path of a medium where you, Camilla, are a natural witch. It also makes them more receptive to otherness, so if the time comes when she needs to be informed, she is less likely to reject the information."
"Eric," my Bonded gives me a pointed look and then bobs her head at Pam. The Bond is swirling with disappointment. Unfortunately, that disappointment is directed at me.
I sigh, "Pam, I apologize for referring to Jenny as your fuck toy. I was angry with you for not taking proper precautions, but that was not a valid excuse to insult your lover with such a crude name."
Pam glances at my wife and I see her attempting to hide a smirk, "Thank you, Master."
"Now, it is time for the true meaning of this gathering," I quickly change the subject so there is little time to dwell that my wife has me wrapped around her finger. "Master, if you would, please."
"Last week," Godric rises at the head of the table, "Camilla and I ventured into the Old Kingdom. We discovered that, in an inane effort to prevent the inhabitants of Elfyria from leaving the realm, improper magics were used, and the entire population with the exception of one Cervine have been turned to stone. The Cervine, Fille, stated that Endymion claimed that once three of a kind were seated at the throne of Elfyria, the realm would be saved. He said that the energy he was bringing to the realm of humans would bring salvation. After deliberating with Eric, we have come to the conclusion that the one meant to be seated at the throne of Empyrium is-"
"Me," Sookie breathes. "It was the energy he stored from the fight with that Titan, right? That's the energy he was talking about? And it was different versions of me that fought in that battle."
"That is the conclusion we drew as well," Godric nods. "Now, before we all start running for Elfyria, I want to remind all of you that time moves much slower there than in the human realm. An hour in Elfyria, is a day here. That means, in nearly eighty years that the gates of Elfyria have been closed, it has been four years there. We have time to respond, and I think it would be in our best interest to take that time to prepare ourselves."
"Godric, why didn't you tell me?" Camilla asks of my Maker.
"Because I had my suspicions, but wanted to see if Eric agreed," Godric replies calmly. "Once we were in agreement, we discussed little else and called this meeting so everyone could participate."
"Does this mean we have to move to Elfyria?" Alexis asks worriedly. "What about college?"
"I'm sure they have doctors in Elfyria, Lex," my son tries to calm his sister.
"As I mentioned, we have time," Godric restates. "Proceeding on this matter all lies with Sookie." He turns to my Bonded and gives her an apologetic smile. "You will become the queen of Elfyria. It cannot begin until you go to that realm yourself and sit on that throne. Take your time-"
"I have to do it," Sookie tells him. "Entire races of creatures are going to die if I don't-"
"It is an eternal commitment, Sookie," I tell her slowly, hoping that information sinks in.
"I understand that," Sookie nods and I have a hard time believing her. "And I will take my time. I'll have to quit teaching… I'll need to start learning government and about the land of the fae-"
"I can use that time to try and help baby girl-" Camilla adds in.
"Will I have time to get through medical school-"
"Shit, I have no life-" Leif grumbles.
"Right there with ya, Kiddo-" Jason claps my son on the shoulder.
"I move," Godric raises his hand for silence, "that we return to this discussion after you three are officially out of your contracts and the school year is completed. After that matter is settled we can discuss our next step."
"Leif, Alexis, I want both of you to move forward with school," I tell my children. "There is plenty of time for you to complete your education."
"But what's the point of going to med school if I can't be a doctor?" Alexis asks me sadly.
"As your brother said, there were doctors in Elfyria before the Catastrophe. There is a high probability they will need one once the curse is lifted," I assure her.
I watch my daughter nod slowly in understanding. It is obvious that she is still troubled despite my assurances.
"That said," I sigh, "it should be remembered that while you and Leif are still young, you are nearly grown. You are possibly going to be attached to two older and stronger vampires in the future, and it is only your mother's responsibility to Elfyria. I myself refuse to leave her side, and therefore will remain in Elfyria. This does not mean that anyone else of our bloodline is so committed."
The room becomes quiet as I make this point. I can feel in our varied connections to one another that no one truly felt they would separate themselves so entirely from the family, and this brings me comfort.
"The land of Elfyria was not always so cut off," Godric adds after a moment. "It was not uncommon for members of the court to make excursions to the human realm for decades at a time. In fact, there were times when the Royal Family of Elfyria only returned once a year for a single day to hold court. While the governing of the fae realm may be an eternal commitment, it may not require constant supervision once it has restored."
"What caused the divide?" Sookie asks. "Why'd they cut themselves off?"
"Importation was part of the problem," Godric recollects. "Too many objects were being brought from the human realm to Elfyria, and they were contaminated with iron. There are creatures in Elfyria so sensitive to iron that it can kill them if they merely come too close."
"That in no way undermines the political fray that the mixing of Fae blood with humans stirred," I add pointedly. "Mixed breeds like yourself, Sookie, are looked down upon by most higher ranking fairies. Your seat on the throne of Elfyria will be most difficult to keep, especially with most of your gifts being passive. We are not even certain you can hear fairies. The chances that there will be fae who try to overthrow you from your lack of power-"
My Bonded smiles at me and shakes her head, effectively cutting off my warnings. "My power has always come from my family," she reminds me gently. "I endure for them above anything else. I fight for them no matter what. Elfyria didn't seem to fall do to a lack of power, but too much of it. Endymion saw us make this a reality. He promised Fille that Elfyria would be restored. Baby girl's parents shielded her, extending her chance of surviving petrification, so the inhabitants of Elfyria have to love family more than power, and those will be the ones I appeal to."
I close my eyes as I absorb her words. My hands reach out to caress my Bonded's lovely face. I knew from the instance Godric told me about Elfyria and Endymion's promise to Fille that Sookie would rise to the occasion.
"Mom," Leif comes from around the dining room table and hugs his mother from her side, "I'll be by your side too. When the time comes, and you're ready. I won't leave you two."
"Neither will I!" Alexis jumps from her seat. "I'll go to medical school, I'll beg Ludwig to teach me about the creatures of Elfyria and I'll become a great doctor for them!" she promises passionately.
"Dad," my son looks at me, "what do I do? How do I help?"
"Keep going to school. Become even smarter. Your Uncles and I will help you become stronger," I tell him. "The rest, we will figure out together."
"You're not getting rid of us easily, either," Camilla sounds off. "After the school year lets out, you can be damn sure I'll be back in the Old Kingdom trying to figure out just how much punch a witch has in that realm. You may not have active power, Sook, but I do and I'll make you a fucking tank before you take the throne."
"Your family will remain by your side, Sookie," Godric promises. "Our gifts are yours."
My wife smiles shyly at first, "Then we will use our time wisely, and you two," she points at our children, "I want you to keep living your lives. Study hard, work hard, but play just as hard, too. Our family has a lot of responsibilities, and even more to be piled on in the future. That doesn't mean we owe our entire existences to them."
"Same to you, Sookie," Pam tells her knowingly. "You are to be a queen, not a prisoner. Please do not forget that."
"Just keep reminding me."
I look at Jason who has been surprisingly quiet throughout the meeting. His lone comment in comfort of my son's self-deprecating statement is all that he has uttered this entire time. When I look at him curiously, he seems to catch on to my surprise and smirks.
"Well of course I go where Sooks goes," Jason scoffs. "Didn't think I needed to go outta my way to say it."
"Then all these matters are settled for the time being," Godric tries to bring order back to our derailed meeting. "We shall adjourn until the end of the school term and re-evaluate our path from there. Pam," he looks to my Child, "I would recommend forgoing any additional investments and return back to the states in the meantime."
"Yes, Master Godric," Pam nods agreeably. "And Jenny?"
We all fall into silence. It is so early in this relationship… Still, the medium is at least susceptible to glamour…
"Bring her with you," I permit. "You can tell her of our vampirism and that we are a rare bloodline capable of daywalking. That is all for now."
"And what do I tell her of the children?" Pam glances at Leif and Alexis worriedly.
"Be vague. Merely tell her, for all intents and purposes, they are mine and Sookie's children," I shrug. "If she can't at least accept some crumbs of information, you might discover things about your relationship that tell you how far it can be taken."
Pam's POV
Quietly, I arrive in the spare bedroom my lover is resting in. As I sit upon the edge of the bed, my cool fingertips caressing her jaw, her eyes slowly open.
"Did I fall asleep?" Jenny asks in surprise. "When did that happen?"
"I glamoured you to sleep," I answer. "Jenny, my family is comprised of vampires, a special bloodline that has the power of daywalking," I explain, watching her expression in the dim lighting.
"I wondered why your skin was so cool and flawless," Jenny gives a small titter of a laugh. I can tell that she is nervous. "Since we met during the day, I never thought…"
"I know," I nod in understanding.
"Have you glamoured me before?" Jenny asks.
"Only one other time," I answer honestly. "It was a simple measure I took when we first slept together, just to be certain that I could."
"To be certain?" Jenny frowns confusedly.
"Glamour has a rough history for this family," I tell her honestly. "One of the family could not be glamoured as a mortal, and another was so abused by another vampire's glamour that it gave all of us a deep seeded worry for future members of the bloodline."
"You didn't make me do anything weird, right?" Jenny asks, a sense of humor and perhaps apprehension in her voice.
"I only glamoured you to sleep just as I did today," I assure. "And I truly am sorry, but you saw through the charms of our resident witch and the family needed time to figure out how to proceed."
"W-what did they decide?" Jenny asks, that apprehension on her face blooming to fear.
"Seeing as I am talking to you right now and you are not back in Korea at a wedding ceremony, I think it is safe to say they gave their blessings for you and I to see each other."
Jenny lets out a relieved sigh before asking, "What happens now?"
"My family is going through a transition at this time. I have been ordered to move back to Ohio so the bloodline may regroup before the next set of changes… It is my hope that you will join me," I tell her honestly.
Jenny's eyes widen at my offer and she takes my hands as her head nods energetically. "Yes! I will join you," she tells me.
I cannot help myself and I lean in to capture her lips with my own. Her mouth smiles into our kiss and I feel my body leaning over hers, pressing Jenny into the mattress. A sudden jolt of disapproval shoots through me as Eric silently tells me now is not the time. Disappointedly, I pull back and see Jenny staring up at me in confusion.
"This is my Master's home, he disapproves of where I was leading the situation. Also, his children are home and this room is not sound proofed."
"Babe, how loud did you think I was going to get?" Jenny asks. I hear Jason laughing downstairs.
"This is a vampire house, Love," I shake my head. "Everyone can hear everything."
Jenny's pale face turns pink at my comment and she nods in understanding. With a brief kiss to her palm, I take Jenny's hand to re-introduce her to my family and show off the woman I am intent on making Mine.
Quigley's POV
"You are distracted this evening," I comment to my date. It is only our first time going out since her birthday, and I have not had the chance to kiss her again since that day I discovered Alexis was not Northman's first born.
Alexis shrugs at my observation. "We had a family meeting today," she tells me. "I guess it really made me think about immortality. It's kinda hard to comprehend as a teenager, you know?"
I nod with vague understanding, "There was a very defined moment in my life that separated mortality from immortality. Even your mother and aunt Camilla had that defining moment. You and your brother were born immortals. That must make the concept even harder to digest. As someone who did not choose this path, however, I can empathize with that confusion and… Frustration."
"Is that what this feeling is?" Alexis wonders aloud as we walk through the streets strewn with remnants of Valentine's day decorations from the previous week. I wish that I had thought to take her out for Valentine's day.
"Are you feeling like your life doesn't entirely belong to you?" I ask knowingly. Alexis nods guiltily. "You made plans and now the family is moving in a direction that makes those plans less realistic, or maybe makes you feel selfish for pursuing?" She nods again, her head bowing defeatedly. "Did you tell your family how you felt?"
"Kind of," she answers meekly.
"And what did they say?"
"They told me to keep moving toward my goals," she replies.
"And did that make you feel guilty for feeling resentment?" I guess.
"Okay, wait, can you, like, read minds?" Alexis demands abruptly making me laugh.
"No, Storeen, I can't read minds," I assure. "I am an empath, however, and you are not the first person in existence to feel this way."
"So, what do I do with these feelings?" Alexis asks.
"Accept them," I tell her. "They are how you feel. There is no shame and no crime for having feelings, Alexis. Perhaps give your family more grace in the future. You know that they love you and are aware of your plans. They would always sacrifice before making you do so."
"I know they would, but I feel guilty watching them give up so much and asking nothing of me," Alexis admits, and I feel my chest swell with love for this young woman.
"Don't be so hasty to be a martyr, Storeen. You are still very young, and the time will very likely come to put your own wants on the back burner to help others. Pay your parents' sacrifices forward. Think of the young ones they'll bring to life in the future and offer that same selflessness to them. Perhaps you will have a younger brother or sister in the upcoming years and you will need to sacrifice for them."
I watch as the notion seems to appease something inside of Alexis. She is so much like her mother, wanting to carry the burdens of her family but finding the load already distributed. We arrive at the snow trimmed gazebo and I take Alexis's hand in mine. Her pulse is pounding as I turn to face her.
"Instead of worrying about sacrifice and family dynamic, maybe you should focus on what they told you to do," I encourage.
"What they told me to focus on?" Alexis gazes up at me wondrously.
"Live, Alexis. Just keep living." I lean down the short distance to kiss this beautiful young woman. My fingers plunge into her golden hair, holding her in place as my tongue moves to tangle with hers. As her tongue touches against mine, I feel a sudden, unexpected jab. Alexis pulls away in surprise as blood fills both of our mouths. She covers her lips with what feels like embarrassment and confusion. "What is it, Alexis?" I ask, pulling her hand from her face. I barely glimpse the tiny point of a white fang poking against her bottom lip.
"I-I'm thowry," she lisps around the newly exposed canines. "Thaths neva happen bethore."
"Did you know you had fangs?" I ask tentatively and she nods. "When do they usually come out?"
"When we dwink bwood," she answers, burying her face in her hands and hiding once more.
"Your brother too?" I ask and she nods, still hiding.
"I' tharded when we were thixteen." She pulls her hands from her face far enough to start fanning herself urgently. Thankfully, most vampires become quite adept at understanding a lisping newborn when they pop their fangs for the first few months. I am surprised at the fact she still has a lisp after two years with fangs.
"Do you mean when you drink blood from a person?" I ask curiously and she nods. "Which, neither of you do very often, right?" She nods again. "And did anyone tell you the other reasons fangs can pop?"
I hear a soft 'schnik' and Alexis drops her defensive hands. "Why do you think I'm so embarrassed!?" I nod in understanding.
"There's nothing wrong with enjoying a kiss so much, Alexis," I assure her. I genuinely feel her embarrassment now as she has accidentally consumed some of my blood. I am no longer relying on my gift to navigate her feelings.
Alexis nods, "I know, but I just didn't expect it to… be so sudden or obvious and… I need you to promise me something before I go back to kissing you."
"Anything," I assure, thrilled to hear she wants me to kiss her again.
"Don't touch my ears."
I look at her curiously, "Why don't you-"
"I can't tell you right now," she stops my question. "Just promise that until I say I'm ready that you won't nip, lick or suck on my ears. Don't even touch them with your hands."
"Will you tell me why at another time?" I ask.
"I'll tell you when I'm ready," she replies.
It is an easy thing to agree to for the one I know will be Mine.
Diedre's POV
"Ah!" Leif gasps, his hands gripping my hips as I sit astride him. "N-not there!" His hand is at my chest, pushing me away as my mouth had began trailing up his neck toward his ear.
"It will feel nice," I assure him.
"Everything you do feels nice," Leif is still trying to catch his breath, and I feel his hardness pressing urgently up against me. "But I have it on good authority that if you mess with my ears, I'm gonna cum faster than you can blink."
"Hmm?" I lean away to look at his lust flushed face. His cute ears are red as well, just begging to be nipped at.
"I guess it's a fae thing," he tells me breathlessly. "And I only got the one pair of pants."
A smirk tugs at my lips. "You have it on good authority? So no one has done it to you?"
"No," he admits.
"Leif," I whisper, feeling a thrum in my loins at the notion, "are you a virgin?"
The young man beneath me huffs, "Yeah, and this is killing me."
"You are showing very good control," I tell him. "But you should know, you don't have to try so hard for me."
"I really do," Leif replies, and I feel his arms shaking. "If Uncle Jason finds out otherwise, I'll never live it down."
"Oh, I see," I smile, realizing that Stackhouse would be able to hear my thoughts on the matter if I were to think about my time with my young lover in his presence. Still, I have been celibate since losing Cassandra, and it has been so long since I last had a man. "Leif," I take his hands and glide them from my hips to my breasts, "I promise to only ever think good things about you. Won't you let me have you?"
Leif's eyes glaze over at my plea, and I watch him nod slowly. With a renewed smile, I reach between us to open his pants, reveling at how he springs free. Gods, how I missed this, I think, sinking slowly onto the hard cock and feeling him fill spaces I haven't felt in so long. There are sensations that replicas cannot mimic, and that a living member will always outperform. My body shudders as I surround him, and Leif's hands leave my breasts to hold my hips tightly.
"Oh my God, please wait," he utters, trembling beneath me. I comply with his wish, sitting with him buried deep within me. My eyes are shut as I wait for him to find his center. When I feel him holding my waist, his hips lifting experimentally, I cannot help but to reach out and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his face against my chest. He takes another ragged breath as he begins to move his hips. I surrender my control and let him move how he needs, allowing myself to absorb the pleasure until I feel a lance at my breast. Pulling away, I catch a sight of blood just above my nipple, the only evidence of the wound he has inadvertently afflicted. "Thorry," Leif mumbles around his fangs.
I smile at their reappearance. Our first date had brought the original discovery of his fangs, when I'd ran my hand down his chest teasingly. Admittedly, I am impressed this is the first I have seen of them this evening. My young mate does not give any credit to his self-control. I feel an urge to discover if he has another vampire trait, therefore, I lean in to kiss Leif and let my tongue caress the area of his gums above his fang.
The new connection the consumption of my blood has brought bursts like fireworks inside me. I feel Leif becoming frantic to move, his hips thrusting upward against me at an impressive pace. His mouth urgently kisses me back, seeking that same place within my own mouth that I have stimulated on him. I let my fangs descend so that he can fill me with the same frenzy.
Those warm hands are touching me everywhere they can, his tongue is carelessly caressing the gland of my fang, making my body shake. This warm embrace is filling me with fire, and as his clumsy tongue pierces itself on the point of my canine, I moan at the exotic flavor of his blood as he fills my body with his pleasure.
Already I am on the path of making this boy Mine.
TBC
A/N Please remember to review!
-Andi