Keep Me Ch. 15

Chapter Fifteen:

Sookie froze at Jason’s demand. She watched him tentatively, unable to bring herself to look at his thoughts uninvited. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Let me think,” Jason growled, “maybe it’s that your boyfriend fuckin’ stabbed me and tied me up to a tree on my way here?” He turned his other shoulder towards her to show his sister the wound. “Sam found me and brought me back to the bar with him. I don’t think you should marry him, Sooks, ’cause his aggravated assaulting ass is gonna be in prison pretty fuckin’ soon!”

“Jason, Eric would never,” Sookie assured him.
“How many 6’4” Vikings do you think I know? Ya think I wouldn’t recognize him?” Jason snapped.

Sookie froze. Her brother would never think to refer to Eric as a Viking. “Jason, I’m really sorry, but I’m gonna have to do this.” She sighed before reaching out with her telepathy and listening to Jason’s thoughts and memories. After she compared a few of his older memories to his memory of Eric attacking him, she was certain Jason had been glamoured. Also, she was damn well aware of by whom.

“Eric, Jason’s been glamoured into thinking you stabbed him and tied him up. Is there any way you can fix that?”

“On my way in,” Eric replied, and was soon in the office, adjusting Jason’s memories. He decided to wipe the entire incident and replace it with getting a flat tire and gouging his arm while changing it.

“Okay!” Sam stood up, throwing his arms up in the air. “What the actual hell is goin’ on with you two!?” he demanded. “I get the whole thing with you showin’ up when that other vamp was messin’ with your woman, but this? How do you just… Appear?”

Sookie looked to Eric and sighed. “It’s complicated, and not really somethin’ we can explain. He just knows when I need him. I told you we were Bonded. We can feel each other.”

“Yeah, but he just comes in and starts usin’ his vamp glamour like he knows exactly what needs to be done! That’s not “feelin’”, that’s knowin’ exactly what’s happenin’.” Sam was unrelenting.

“Merlotte, you only just gotten back in my good graces. Do you really wish to be on my shit list again so soon?” Eric’s eyes were bored, but the threat was still just as real as if he were staring daggers.

“Do y’all know each other?” Sookie asked, sensing a bit of history.

“Only by reputation,” Sam grunted.

“Seeing that he is one of two Shifters in my entire area, I am aware of him,” Eric told her. “He had managed to keep himself from becoming indebted to me until this evening. However, he was quickly able to repay that debt. I will need to trick him once again,” he explained with a smirk. “Shifters are always good creatures to owe you a favor.”

Sookie sighed. “Okay, okay. Let’s just get my brother home. He’s had a long enough night.”

Eric nodded at his Bonded before pulling the older of the remaining Stackhouse children to his feet. Jason stumbled a moment before his mind seemed to finally accept its most recent alterations, and he shook his head as if to clear it. “Woah, how much’ve I had?” he mumbled, holding his temple.

“Nothin’ at all. You hit your head when you were changin’ a flat. Eric and I came to find you, and you were lyin’ on the side of the road,” Sookie explained gently. “You okay, Jason?” she asked.

“I guess. My head hurts like nobody’s business.” He rubbed his temple where he had previously only held it. “Don’t hurt like a hit, though. Hurts like a hangover.”

Sookie grimaced. “C’mon, let’s get you home.” She put her hand on his lower back and began leading him out the employee entrance. Jason’s truck was there, and Sookie did not miss his frown. “What?”

“Why’s all my tires on it?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Sookie was confused.

“Well, if I was changin’ a tire, one’ve ’em must’ve been flat, right? So, my spare is a cheapo spare. It don’t look nothin’ like the others on my truck. So, why’s all my tires the same if I was changin’ one?” he asked.

“Your brother is not as slow as I originally thought,” Eric realized.

“Spoiled rotten cousin with an over indulgent mother… When that’s who ya call family, you do your best to get away from ’em right away. Best way to do that’s gettin’ a scholarship and gettin’ the hell out.” Jason frowned. “Now, what really happened to me?”

“It is not safe to explain it. I will say this, though;” Eric turned towards him, “you were in grave danger this evening and were attacked. Luckily, Sookie had the foresight to send someone looking for you. She is the reason Merlotte found you and brought you to the bar.”

Jason looked at his sister appraisingly. “You don’t gotta give me no details, okay? Just answer yes or no if ya can, okay?” Sookie nodded slowly. “Is there… Other stuff? Stuff like you?” Sookie paused for a second before nodding again. “Is your man an other?” he asked softly. Sookie looked to Eric, and Eric nodded for her. “And did I get attacked by an other?” They both nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Sookie asked carefully.
“What was you expectin’?” Jason looked at her as he climbed up into his truck.

“Well… Aren’t you mad that we got you involved in this? You only got attacked tonight because you’re my brother,” she pointed out.

Jason closed the door to the cab before leaning out the window. “Yeah, that’s true. But that wasn’t ’cause of somethin’ you could help. I can’t help bein’ your brother any more than you can help havin’ that gift of yours. And I like the thought of finally bein’ a brother to you, and I’m sure, now, with this guy, you’re pretty happy with your gift. No matter what problems you’ve given me by bein’ who you are, or your gift has given you… Y’know what? I’m gonna tell ya somethin’.” Reaching out the window, he took Sookie’s arm, pulling it up until his hand could take hers and give it a gentle squeeze. “When we was kids, and you was just a lil’ thing; ya used to flop down in the tall grass by the house’s pond and smile up at the sun. Every time we stepped outside on a sunny day, you’d squint your eyes real tight and turn your face into the sun, and the prettiest smile I ever remember would crack open… When Mama and Daddy sent you away, I missed you a lot- especially at first.” Reaching out of the window, he rubbed his thumb across Sookie’s face and she smiled at him around the building tears in her eyes. “And every time I stepped outside into the sun, I’d squint my eyes shut real hard and turn my face into the sun. And it was like I had my baby sister back, even if it was just a second. Now that I gotcha; well, I’ll take a bump on the head and a little intrigue any ol’ day.”

Without a second’s hesitation, Sookie burst into tears and flung her arms around Jason’s neck, the door of his truck the only thing separating them. Eric felt her gratitude and love for her brother washing throughout his entire body and it left him empty. He had never been a jealous man. There was nothing anyone owned that he could not have himself, and there had never been a creature worthy of feeling possessive. However, feeling his Sookie bestow such love upon another, no matter the root or condition of that love, made him jealous and possessive. A part of him wanted to grab Stackhouse by the throat, tear him from the window of his vehicle and fling him across the parking lot.

But he was making Sookie happy. There inlay the conflict. It was an innocent love, and one that Sookie desperately needed. However, for all of the best wishes he had for his Bonded, he could not make himself content with another man, even her blood brother, making her happy. Distantly, Eric pondered if he would feel this way if it were Godric making her this happy. How would the Viking feel leaving his Bonded for an entire day and night, returning to find that his Bonded and Maker had become so close? He could not lie to himself. He would feel worthless if his Maker were to earn such a trust so quickly. The thought of the two of them tangled in the bed he shared with Sookie only infuriated him more…

“Eric?” Sookie was looking at her Bonded with worry.

“Yes, Lover?” Eric snapped from his mood instantaneously, realizing that Stackhouse was already pulling out of the parking lot.

“You ready to go?” she asked just as carefully as she had uttered his name.

Eric nodded sharply, and Sookie came to him, wrapping her arms around Eric’s middle. She smelled of her brother, and that infuriated him. Tightening his arms around her little body, Eric rocked them ever so slightly, trying to cover her with his own scent once again.

“He’s my brother, Eric,” Sookie soothed as Eric tried to subtly infuse his scent to her. “There’s no reason to be jealous.” She ran her hand gently up and down his back.

“I know.” Eric sighed.

“But you’re not happy that I like bein’ around him?” Sookie ventured.

“No.”

“Because you’re afraid he’ll hurt me too?” Sookie asked.

“No.” Eric looked at her, and she could have sworn he felt embarrassed. “Because he makes you happy, and I want to be the one to make you happy.”

Sookie smirked. “So selfish.” She cupped his chin, pulling him down to her lips. “Jason makes me happy in a different way than you do.”

“I know. I can feel the way you are happy around me, versus how you are happy around your brother.” Eric nodded. “It is more of a relieved happiness with your brother. Every time you see or speak with him, you become very tense, and then once you have spent time talking to him, you relax and enjoy the time with him. You are still the same way with your witch,” he continued thoughtfully. “You are rarely nervous around me, though.”

Sookie’s smirk grew into a grin. “That’s because you’ve seen me at my absolute worst, and still thought somethin’ of me. Still saw more in me.” Her lips lingered near his as Eric remained hunched over her, keeping his mouth within range of her own. “Not in a million years did I think that I would be where I am, knowin’ what I know, livin’ how I live. You gave me a lot, Darlin’… But not because you pitied me. Because you wanted me to have all those things. You want me to be everything I can be and more.” Nuzzling against his chest, she added, “I only get nervous around you when I know I did somethin’ wrong.”

“Why is that?” Eric already knew, but wanted to hear her say it anyway.

“Because, disappointin’ you is like lettin’ myself down.” She smiled softly. “Because you’re never truly disappointed in me. You’re always sayin’ how it just means I learned somethin’ new… And I like that. All the times I was nervous because of you? It was all in my head. Ever since we Bonded I haven’t been scared of you at all! Well, except that time I told Pam to walk out in the sunlight and you had to spank me. I was scared about that for sure. But even then, it wasn’t because I was afraid of a spankin’, it was because I was scared you wouldn’t want me anymore,” she confided.

Tangling his fingers into her hair, Eric gave Sookie another soft kiss. “I am never disappointed in you. I have questioned your decisions, and I have been angry at a choice or two that you have made… Still, you have been anything but a disappointment to me,” he assured. “Now, shall I take you back to our home?”

“Yes.” She smiled at him gratefully.

Before Eric could lift her up into the sky once again that evening, his cell phone rang, making the vampire frown and retrieve it from his inner coat pocket. “Good evening, Doctor…” Sookie’s heart raced, knowing exactly who he was talking to, and having more than a pretty good idea who the doctor would want to talk about.

“Northman, how is your Bonded doing? Any new developments in the last week?” Ludwig asked him.

“I already told you about the telekinesis, yes?”

“You have.”

“Well, the ability seems strong enough to destroy more than just glass when properly provoked. Our communicative abilities are the same, as well as my bloodline’s sleep schedules.” Eric knew that Ludwig was fishing, but he wished that she would just ask him. “Should I be looking for anything in particular?”

Ludwig grunted before admitting, “You remember how I told you that I was not sure how your blood would affect the maturation of her spark?”

“Yes?”

“Well, there are a few other things that female fairies go through as they mature. Seeing as I do not know how your Bonded is progressing, I am asking that you allow me to examine her regularly to document her progress. As a sign of good faith, I will not charge you for these extra visits. Consider them contributions to science and history.”

“History?” Eric’s eyebrows rose.

“Of course! You realize that you are the first Bonded vampire and fairy in recorded history, correct? No matter how diluted her blood is, she is still Fae!” Eric never thought he would hear the tiny doctor this excited. Never in his entire existence would he have bet on it. “Of course there have been some instances where part Fae have been turned, but never Bonded, and none of those hybrids ever had a manifested spark! It is truly a time to be excited!”

“Seeing as it is Sookie’s body, allow me to talk it over with her for a moment.” Eric pulled the phone from his ear and turned to Sookie, explaining the situation.

“What kind of stuff would she have to do?” Sookie asked, a tad apprehensive.

“Hand her the phone, Northman.” Ludwig sighed when she heard Sookie’s response. When the telepath was on the phone, the little doctor explained, “I will do an appraisal of your physique on each visit, noting any changes in tone, texture, and color of your skin and musculature. There will be a few weekly tests in your motor skills, memory and general aptitude. I would like to test the extent of this telekinesis, discovering if there are things you cannot move as well as how much weight you can move. I may have to draw blood once a month to check changes in your hormones and general composition of your blood. Fae tend to have extremely low iron in their blood- it’s what makes it so sweet to vampires, but being part Fae, has me wondering what that means for you.”

“I take iron supplements.” Sookie frowned. “And a B12 vitamin.”

“Stop taking those right this minute!” Ludwig shouted, making Sookie pull the phone from her ear. “Your vampire gave you those didn’t he? Ugh! Patients! Always trying to self medicate! It’s a travesty!” the doctor ranted for a moment longer. “Too much iron in a fairy hybrid could have put you in a coma! Anyway, stop taking both of those, and just drink your Bonded’s blood instead.”

“Okay…” Sookie’s brow scrunched with surprise and a bit of confusion. “Anythin’ else you were gonna do to me?”

“I suppose any further tests would have to be decided on after my initial examinations. I am particularly interested in cataloging the advancements in your spark’s maturation. I am curious to see if a vampire’s blood accelerates or retards the process.” Sookie did not miss the excitement in the doctor’s voice. “So, what do you say?”

“Well,” Sookie looked at Eric, “as long as you don’t do anythin’ that would upset Eric, I’m not unfamiliar with bein’ poked and prodded at. As long as patient/doctor confidentiality remains intact, I’m lead to believe that knowin’ what my body is doin’ will only be helpful. If my mind or body really can’t handle my spark maturin’ and I have to be turned, you would be the one to know when it’s time.”

“A bright specimen, too!” Ludwig sounded happy. “I might begin enjoying my observation time with you for more reasons than just research. When can I schedule my first appointment?”

Sookie looked at Eric, knowing full well that he was listening to the entire conversation; both sides of it. “After my return,” he said.

“Mornin’ or night?”

“I would prefer night. I enjoy our daytime activities to remain undisturbed.” He smirked.

“Saturday night,” Sookie told her.

“Any particular time?” Ludwig asked.

“No. Whenever it’s convenient for you. You’re a doctor, and you’re goin’ to have to do this in your spare time, so I won’t make it too hard on you. Just call before you… POP in, okay? I don’t want to accidentally blow you up,” she admitted.

“That is quite considerate of you… Perhaps the Viking can learn some things from you, too.” Ludwig hung up after that statement and Sookie laughed and shook her head.

“What a strange doctor,” Sookie said as she looked at Eric’s phone contemplatively. “I hope she understands how serious I am about the possibilities of accidentally blowin’ her up.”

Eric laughed, taking his phone from her and wrapping his arms about her before leaping up towards the night sky.

“Where’s your car?” Sookie shouted instinctively over the rushing wind past her ears. She knew he would be able to hear her without the shouting, but it was a reflex.

“Outside of town. I had to go a distance away to keep myself from being detected by Compton,” Eric explained telepathically, since Sookie could not hear as well as he could while they flew.

“Oh… By the way, my brother was glamoured back when he was a kid. Probably by Bill. I didn’t catch it in Bill’s head earlier, probably because it wasn’t enough of a point for him to bother recallin’. He had a memory of Gran tellin’ him that he wasn’t allowed to visit me when I came to live with her. It was a fake memory though,” she told him.

“That is sad. I am sure he would have enjoyed visiting you.” Eric gave her a tighter squeeze as they flew a bit faster.

There was a long moment of quiet before Sookie asked curiously, “So, now what are we doin’?”

“I believe we should go back to the house, and that you should lie down for a while,” Eric replied.

“What? Why?”

“It has been a physically and emotionally taxing day for you. I think you should relax. Let me coddle you.” He buried his face into her hair. “I do not want to send you into another 24 hour coma.”

“I don’t think stress will make another power pop up.” Sookie laughed.

“Regardless, stress is not good for the mind or body, and I do not wish for you to damage either of yours.”

“Is sex taxin’? Or am I still goin’ to get some tonight?” she teased.

“Lover, you know very well that my body is something I cannot deny you.” Sookie buried her face snuggly against his chest when he admitted this. A short time later, they landed beside Eric’s concealed Corvette and were on their way home. “Are you comfortable with the doctor’s request? Truly?” he asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Sookie asked.

“You spent your early childhood surrounded by doctors prodding at you. I thought you might find it… Unnerving,” he admitted.

“You would have felt in the Bond if it bothered me,” Sookie pointed out.

“Yes, but you might not have fully comprehended the psychological effects of Ludwig’s examinations,” Eric explained.

“Oh,” Sookie thought about it a moment, “it wasn’t really the doctors that bothered me. It was the other patients. The doctors weren’t mean to me or anythin’. Most of them were actually pretty nice. Only, I couldn’t act anythin’ close to normal in there. The hospital was really scary for me, but the doctors didn’t do anythin’ scary.”

“All right.” Eric understood her grounds on the subject.

“And I think I understood the doctor just fine. I’m not stupid anymore, you know,” she told him a bit grumpily.
“You were never stupid, Sookie.” Eric leered at her. “You have always been quite intelligent… Education is not the be-all and end-all of intelligence. There are levels of intellect that cannot be taught, and you excelled particularly well in those categories from the beginning. Your instincts have been remarkable, too… I always found it intriguing the vampires that you take to, and those that you do not.”

“What do you mean?”

Eric smirked. “Charles, in particular.”

“I thought you liked Charles?” Sookie frowned.

“I do not like him at all. He is one that must be ruled by fear rather than acknowledging those who should be respected. He is particularly young, not even five hundred, and his Child is only a century younger than himself. Hardly enough of a gap for him to be experienced enough to raise a promising progeny. Luckily, Dana was a very level headed young lady. Charles turned her to do damage control for him. She was well adept at calming harsh tempers, and is loyal to a fault. I suggested to Sophie-Anne that Dana join her House to work as a liaison for other Regents’ arrangements. The spot in the Queen’s service gave Charles a sense of power, it got Dana out from under his thumb, and gave me an ear into the court without having to submit my own Child,” Eric told her.

“So, you like Dana, not Charles,” Sookie realized.

Eric nodded. “She is a promising vampire. If I knew that her loyal streak kept her from wishing for Charles’ end, I would have killed him for her by now.”

“Was he bad to her?” Sookie asked gently.

“She had a rough time with him in the beginning,” Eric began slowly. “Charles was not prepared to control a newborn, and abused his Maker’s Command too often. He was unaware how to correct her appropriately and, in my opinion, took his punishments too far. He was too young to know how to raise a Child. But, much like you, Dana was a good student, an eager one, and that kept her from needing to endure too many hardships.”

As they pulled up to the house, Sookie stared off for a moment longer. “Eric?”

“Yes, Lover?” he replied as he came around to her side to open the car door.

“How much worse are vampire punishments in comparison to what I went through?” she asked.

Eric sighed and took her hand to pull her gently from the car. He was still thinking about how to explain while they entered the house. “You have been punished by me before.”

“You know how I mean.” She frowned.

“It depends on the Maker, which I have told you. Godric’s Maker was very cruel, and that cruelty began even before Godric was made Vampire,” Eric told her.

“How so?” Sookie asked as Eric lead her into the house.

“Perhaps you should ask him,” Eric suggested as they went into the living room. “He will be your companion most of tomorrow. His history might distract you from missing me.” The feeling of despair shot through the Bond like a bullet, and Eric immediately regretted reminding Sookie of his inevitable departure the next afternoon. “Oh, Lover, do not worry,” he soothed, brushing his fingers through her hair, as he kissed her crown. “It will be less than 24 hours. We will be all right,” he reassured.

“Why do I feel like my heart’s about to rip in two, and you’re… You’re just…” She gestured at him, not finding a suitable word for his lack of emotional response to their impending separation.

“It is there, Sookie,” he smiled carefully, “you just cannot feel it around your own unhappiness.”

“I can feel your lust when I’m lustful.” She pouted.

Eric smirked. “Yes, but you feel that because you want to experience my passion alongside your own. A part of you probably does not want to experience my grief, however.”

Sookie’s head bowed shamefully. “I must be selfish…”

“No,” Eric tilted her chin back gently, “you are going into self preservation. It may seem selfish, and by its definition, it is the epitome of selfishness. But it is not a stigmatized selfishness. If ignoring or being ignorant of my own unhappiness is what you need to do to keep yourself sane, then I will not begrudge you that necessity. I just hope that you do not rush to the conclusion that your absence from my side will not burn away at my soul every second you are vacant from my sight.”

“But I don’t want to be ignorant of anythin’ about you!” she wailed, flinging her arms around his neck and pulling herself up as far as she could until his strong arms supported her weight for her, holding her tightly to his body. “I want to know everythin’. The good, the bad, the… The… horrifyin’ stuff, too! I’m your Bonded, I want all of you, not half!”

Eric smiled into her hair as he tightened his embrace ever so slightly. “I want all of you, too,” he assured. “And to give all of myself.”

Arms still about his neck, Sookie pulled herself up the rest of the way to capture Eric’s lips with her own. The vampire responded immediately by slowly walking towards his safe room, taking his time as he enjoyed her kisses. The girl in his arms moaned as his gentle motion rocked her against his body. They arrived on their bed just as her body began craving more from him than just his sweet kisses.

Laying Sookie on the bed, Eric took his time removing her clothes. Her shoes were the first to go, kissing her ankle as he released the tiny buckle of her shoe strap and kissing up to her knee before giving a similar treatment to the other leg. This time he travelled past her knee, pushing the hem of her skirt up as he gave tribute to every inch of skin that he revealed along the way. His free hand massaged the back of her leg as he went, and Sookie rolled her hips appreciatively when the fabric was flipped up above her panties. The peach lace shimmered flirtatiously at Eric and he kissed her through the partially transparent screen between his lips and her flesh.

“Eric,” she sighed his name, a begging hand tangling its fingers into his hair now that it was within reach. Her hips rolled again as he nipped lightly at the protruding bone of her hip and gave it a soothing lick afterwards.

Soon Sookie was arching her back as Eric slid her panties down her legs, her dress remaining bunched up at her waist as his fingers came back to caress and soothe her increasing ache. Pushing Sookie onto her side, Eric nipped and kissed at her shoulder as his fingers continued their rubbing and pleasuring.

“Mmm, why’re you goin’ so slow?” she asked in a foggy whisper.

“I told you that I wished for you to be relaxed,” he reminded as his free hand brushed her hair away from her neck so that his lips could worship there next. “Does it not please you?” he asked, knowing full well that it more than pleased her.

“You always please me,” she answered softly, her eyes squeezing shut and a sharp gasp choking in her throat as his fingers began to explore inside her anticipating channel.

“It is mutual,” he assured. “You make such beautiful noises, Sookie.” Eric nipped her throat a bit more aggressively than he had been. “And the way your body twists with just the right stroke of my fingers.” He demonstrated these points by rotating his wrist, and rubbing the sensitive spot inside of her; causing her to arch her hips and let out a whimper of surprised bliss.

As his hand continued to concentrate on her womanhood, his free hand was unzipping her dress, unclasping her bra, and pushing the straps of her dress down her shoulders. The disrobing of his lover was slow, and he enjoyed every second of it by planting soft kisses and gentle love bites along her skin as it was revealed to him.

When her body got in the way of taking anymore of her clothes off, Eric rolled the woman onto her stomach and finished removing her dress entirely before swiftly disrobing himself. As she lay completely nude on her stomach, Eric draped himself across her back leaving just enough of his weight on her for the young woman to feel him all down the length of her body.

“Embed this feeling in your memory, Sookie. Memorize the weight of my body against yours, the contours of my body and how it fits to you,” Eric murmured against her ear in between loving nibbles. “I want it to be the most familiar sensation you have ever known…” One of his hands was gliding along the smooth expanse of her arm as the other held the majority of his body’s weight from crushing Sookie beneath him.

“I’ve had your body memorized awhile now,” she assured him in a soft, wanting voice.

Eric smiled against her ear. “I am glad to hear that.”

“Do you know mine?” she asked.

“Yours is still changing, but I enjoy reacquainting myself every moment I can,” he answered, kissing down the back of her neck before allowing his tongue to snake along the length of her spine, leaving wet symbols on the way. When he reached her bottom, he gave one plump cheek a firm bite before kissing away the little hurt and doing the same to the other cheek.

Pushing Sookie’s right leg up towards her chest, Eric opened her womanhood to his exploring hands and mouth. The woman hummed low in her throat as his devilish tongue coordinated with his equally sinful fingers in a sensual dance against her flesh. As the oral ravishment drew her closer and closer to ecstasy, Sookie tried to pull away from his touch. “Ah, no! With me! I want you to come with me!” she moaned, reaching back to encourage Eric to bring his body against hers once more.

In a slow, steady pressure, Eric glided his hands from her bottom to her shoulders, allowing his body to sidle up once more behind her. Sookie parted her legs awkwardly beneath him as an encouragement to enter her, but Eric took his time to rub against her, thoroughly infusing his scent with hers and vice versa.

“Eric, please.” She moaned as he continued to hesitate. Before she could beg further, Eric was filling her in a long, deep stroke. A satisfied groan rattled through the young woman’s throat as her plea was finally recognized. “Ah, yeah- mmmm…” Her fingers clenched into the bedding, holding them like a lifeline or anchor to reality while Eric’s wandering hands and worshiping lips fanned the flame of her arousal, and his agonizingly slow thrusts caused her back to arch and twist painfully.

“Cross your ankles, Lover,” Eric mumbled into her ear, groaning himself as she complied and she mewled at the new way she squeezed him. “Yes,” he hissed into her ear, making her tremble and increase his pleasure further. “I did not know your pussy could feel any tighter.”

Sookie gasped and moaned as he murmured and tickled her ear with his words. He knew how to speak to her, to increase the rush of fluids from her womanhood with just the delicate linking of words and just the right tone to maximize his effort.

“How tight can you get that little pussy, my Bonded?” he asked, biting down on her cartilage, and making her internal walls contract around his shaft. Eric groaned approvingly. “Oh, yes… Like that, Sookie.” He gave her ear another nibble, earning the same result. With languid strokes, Eric bit down on her ear at different points, feeling her squeezing all along his length.

“Er-Eric, you’re gonna make me come too soon i-if ya keep doin’ that.” Sookie groaned, her tiny hands fisting harder in the bedding.

“I will be right there with you, Sookie,” Eric encouraged, bucking against her a little harder than before. His hands dove beneath her chest, pressed between her breasts and the mattress as he began playing with her nipples.

Pressing her forehead against the mattress, Sookie reached up to push her hands against the headboard to force herself back. The stabilizer made their combined thrusts harder, and soon the girl’s clenching muscles needed no assistance from Eric’s teeth on her ear or shoulder. As they came, one in a cry and the other in snarls of pleasure, Sookie welcomed the weight of her lover as he allowed himself to collapse part of his mass once more along her back.

The pair remained locked in that gravity provided embrace, Eric keeping just enough of his weight off of her so that her heaving chest had room to accommodate her post-orgasm panting. It was some time later when the vampire began to withdraw himself from her clutching nether lips, and heard a groan of objection at the loss from Sookie.

“We cannot remain like that all evening.” He placed feather light kisses across her shoulders. “Godric is nearly here. It would be impolite not to greet him properly.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered, but he was more than aware that she was not referring to the loss of his cock from her body.

“I know, my Bonded.” Eric turned her onto her back to gaze at her saddened eyes. He sighed regretfully. “I have never wanted to be the cause of your sadness.” He kissed her lips now, tenderly.

“It’s the situation that makes me sad, not you,” she assured.

“I know this,” he smiled at her, his lips still savoring the nearness of hers, “but if I were not in the position I am… If I were not Sheriff-”

“And if I weren’t a natural witch, fairy princess, it’d be even less of a mess.” She smirked, giving him her own gentle kiss. “But you are, and I am, so this is what we have to do… And I’m your Bonded, I’m your fiancée, and I shouldn’t be so selfish by pushin’ away your end of the Bond. It’s like… Like I’m rejecting you… And for me, knowing a lifetime of rejection… I have no right to do that to the first person who accepted me, purposefully. Everyone in my life has been manipulated, and glamoured and… I will never know the truth of how anyone really felt about me. Even Jason’s memories are screwed up. Of course, he’s the only one that wasn’t completely brainwashed by Niall and Compton, but he has no clue what he is, what I really am. He may never know what I am.” Sookie shook her head. “I feel so tired, Eric,” she admitted finally.

“Fatigued, tired… Or tired of this life?” he asked carefully.

Sookie closed her eyes and smiled. “Fatigued. Despite all of the craziness, I could never be tired of the life I’m livin’. You make it worth livin’ for years, centuries… Forever.” Opening her eyes now, Sookie asked, “Drinkin’ your blood as often as I’m suppose to, how long do you think I can stay like this?”

Eric was thoughtful a moment, “With your fairy spark you could probably live a few centuries without my blood’s assistance… Since there have not been documentations, or possibly not even occasions where a Fae was consuming vampire blood regularly; it is difficult to say. Maybe a few millenniums.”

“Would I stay young, or grow old?” she asked next.

“It would take a few hundred years for you to appear closer to my age if you inherited the Faes’ longevity.”

“I want to live for a long time, but I want to become your Bonded Child before I start lookin’ old. I want to be young and beautiful for you forever,” she confessed.

Eric grinned down at her. “You will always be young and beautiful in my eyes.”

“And if your ability to stay awake durin’ the day goes away with my turnin’?” she asked.

“You have always been my sun, Sookie, and you will illuminate my evenings for the remainder of time,” he breathed.

“I am coming near, Sookie,” Godric’s voice murmured softly in her head. “Stay as you are. I will let myself in.”

Sookie smiled at Godric’s thoughtfulness. “Godric just said to stay as we are. He’ll be here soon, and says he’ll let himself in.”

Eric laughed softly. “My Maker is most generous.”

On to Chapter Sixteen