Chapter 8 – Unspeakable Acts & Unspoken Affirmations

EPOV

After hearing the future dead man’s plans for my child, I concentrated on our bond just to reassure myself she wasn’t in any immediate danger, even though I wouldn’t have been able to ignore feeling her panic otherwise. But thankfully Pam’s emotions were steady. After I’d committed myself to becoming her Maker, I’d dug her out of the grave her parents had laid her in in the first of many ways I planned on taking care of her. While waiting for her to rise in her new vampire state, I swore to myself I would always protect her and I would be there for her in ways my own Maker could never be for me. She would never be subjected to the cruelty and degradation I learned all too well that could be forced upon a vampire by their Master. Nor would she ever have to question whether or not she could rely on me to keep her safe.

In this situation there would certainly be no exception.

“She’s pissed,” I said aloud. But seeing I had Sookie’s attention, I further explained, feeling somewhat relieved, “It’s practically her normal state of being, but I don’t sense that she feels as though she’s in any immediate danger.”

She nodded and replied, “That Gabe guy is in charge and he already made it clear to everyone there that she’s his.”

“SHE IS MINE!” I roared without thought. But I immediately regretted my actions seeing Sookie cower away from me in fright, while she softly threw out the words, “Of course she is,” as a shield.

As though she felt she needed to be shielded from me.

Before I could say any more she slid off the couch and stood up, as I listened to her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to sound offhand, while my eyes watched her move unsteadily from the room, as she said, “I…I’m just gonna go and clean up in the kitchen.”

I immediately followed after her and regretted startling her yet again when she jumped hearing me say from behind her, “I did not mean to frighten you.”

“Then you should make more noise when you walk,” she huffed out, seemingly more annoyed than anything, while trying to calm her breathing.

Even with her angry tone, I knew underneath it all it was me that she feared and it oddly felt as though I’d betrayed her because of it. She’d already done more for me than I could have ever expected or would’ve thought possible. So I was sincere when I said, “I am sorry for scaring you, but you never have any reason to be afraid of me.” I was the last person who would ever want to see her harmed.

She took a deep breath and looked up at me apologetically, while offering in a softer tone, “It’s okay Eric. I know you’re just worried about Pam.”

That was an undeniable truth and I needed to learn more about her captor, so I forced myself to focus on that instead of the ways I wanted Sookie to feel about me and asked, “Do you know where this Gabe is staying in town?”

My strength was nearly what it was before I’d been captured, so I knew I was strong enough to take on one measly human. Sensing my intent, she answered with a look of caution, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Now feeling annoyed myself, I countered as evenly as I could, “I didn’t ask for your opinion, just his whereabouts.” I didn’t want to snap at her again, but this was my child we were talking about and I wouldn’t leave her there to be preyed upon by the likes of him or anyone else.

Perhaps I’d been too nice because she didn’t back down and instead argued, “He’s staying with Rene. You know – the guy who kidnapped you the first time.”

“You think I am too weak?” I deduced aloud, with more than just my annoyance shining through, only to see her expression turn fearful again.

However I quickly surmised it wasn’t her fear of me but for me when she hotly denied, “No, I don’t. But you have understand, this is a small town chock full of scared and hateful people. I guarantee you there’s hardly a soul around here who doesn’t know that Gabe guy is here for the week and since he’s a high fluting member of the Fellowship, who do you think will get the blame if he goes missing?”

Like I gave a fuck…

“Sookie, he has my child. I will not leave her there on the off chance he won’t be returning until Saturday. Would you leave your brother or your grandmother there for any amount of time, knowing what was in store for them?”

It was a manipulative move on my part, but no less true and considering all that she’d gone through just to rescue me, I had no doubts as to what her answer would be. While I could always seek him out on my own and torture him to get my answers, I couldn’t rely on whatever he told me to be the truth. Her telepathy was an advantage I needed in order to save time, not knowing if his own orders would be followed by those holding her captive. Or if Pam’s own actions in trying to retaliate or escape could cause her final death.

Seeing the answer in her eyes I knew I had her before she ever begrudgingly replied, “No…I see your point, but how? How are we gonna get him away from Rene’s? He lives with Arlene and she has two kids. And if we manage to get him, where will we take him to…to question him?”

My first thought was for us to return here with him. While she’d been asleep the night before, I’d gone for a quick check of the surrounding land to make sure there weren’t any more love struck shifters lurking about. So I knew there were no houses close by other than Compton’s burned down hovel, but doubting she’d want the memories of his death associated with her home when we were through, I offered, “We can take him to Compton’s.”

There was an oversized shed on the property we could use that had escaped the fire that burned his house to the ground and seeing her nod her head had me adding, “When we’re at Lanier’s I can glamour the others to not remember us being there, but I will need you to get at least one of them to come to the door so I can glamour my invitation inside from them. I will erase the memories from the rest before taking the leader.”

“And you’ll leave Rene there? After everything he did?” she asked incredulously.

For now…

Pam was my priority, so I nodded hoping it would ease her worry – I assumed for her friend Arlene’s sake, But she surprised me once more by arguing, “But he’s dangerous too! I saw it! I saw everything in his head. You weren’t his only victim. Rene’s already killed and raped two women – one of whom was his own sister – just for the crime of keeping company with vampires.”

It was my turn to be incredulous when I asked, “You want me to take them both?”

Her eyes dropped to the ground, while she mumbled something about missing church that morning, before looking up at me again and answering, “Only if you think you can handle them both. I don’t want you to get hurt again, so if you just want to grab Gabe, I’ll understand.”

She’ll understand?

At least one of us would.

Thinking perhaps she didn’t fully comprehend my intent – that her human notions were askew of the realities in being a vampire sheriff – I took a seat next to hers at the table. While I didn’t want her to be afraid of me, I had to be sure she knew what was in store for them so that she would be prepared, knowing I wouldn’t be able to glamour the memory from her later.

“Sookie,” I said softly. “I know that you aren’t familiar with my kind and perhaps think my role as sheriff only extends to meting out punishments to other vampire, so I feel I must warn you…I won’t be gentle with them because they’re human. The injuries I suffered at the hands of Lanier will be nothing in comparison to what I intend to do to the one called Gabe. He intends to violate my child and for that alone his death will be mine once I have the answers I need from him. As for Lanier, I will take him now if that is your desire, but I will be forced to end him quickly. I know from his nightly taunts he was newly inducted into the Fellowship’s ranks, so he won’t be able to tell me as much as the other. I don’t have the time or the resources to do what I’d like to do to him. Freeing Pam is my priority right now.”

Her face contorted, both in fear and disgust, as she nodded her head and only said, “Do whatever you feel you have to. I know this Gabe guy is the one you need answers from and I’ll do whatever I can to help you get them, but maybe I should’ve passed on dinner.” She offered apologetically, “You might be seeing it again later on.”

I felt strangely proud of her, having expected at least some protest on her part, and said as much by admitting, “I am surprised by your acquiescence.”

A different kind of fear and disgust took over her face and her eyes dropped from mine as she said, “I know what he plans to do to her. I’ve seen what Rene’s already done. I…I know what that…” She paused and swallowed hard before shaking her head and saying, “They’re both monsters. Pam wouldn’t be his first victim and I doubt she’d be his last, just like Rene. There’s no rehabilitation for people like that. Their deaths will save countless other women from being raped and killed. And if it happens to be a painful death for them, then I’ll just consider it justice for their other victims, whether they ever know about it or not.”

She truly was remarkable – the perfect mixture of a wholesome girl-next-door and bloodthirsty avenger.

It turned me on to no end.

Not wanting to linger on those kinds of thoughts, knowing I could get lost in them (and in her if I were lucky) I stood so we could head out. But Sookie had her own ideas, standing as well and saying, “Wait! If you’re going after them, shouldn’t you eat first?”

Before I could tell her that I felt fine and the Tru Blood would do little more than leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth, she once again shyly offered me her wrist. Remembering the taste of her blood, now coupled with the feelings of lust I had for both her and our upcoming hunt, made keeping my fangs from snapping down impossible.

My tongue automatically moved to gauge their length – finding them fully regrown just like my fingers – while I tried to rein in all of the urges coursing through my veins. A task made more difficult when she innocently took my hand in hers and marveled at my fingers, saying, “It’s hard to believe you didn’t have these two nights ago.”

‘Belief’ wasn’t the only thing that was hard and she was too tempting. My fingers laced through hers so I could pull her closer, while my other arm snaked around her waist to keep her there as I hoarsely said, “It is your blood. I don’t know how or why, but I am sure of it.”

She froze as soon as her body was pressed against mine and I could both hear and feel her heart racing in her chest. Were it not for the scent that accompanied it, I might have thought she was fearful again, but alas…that wasn’t the case at all.

She was turned on too.

And it did nothing to help temper my own urges.

“Eric?” she whispered questioningly.

Using our entwined fingers to raise her wrist up, I ran my nose down the length of her forearm, inhaling her scent like a drug before I whispered in reply, “Yes Sookie?”

I could absolutely get lost in her.

“Did you…would it be better…I mean, would you like to, um…feed from somewhere else besides my wrist?” she stuttered still whispering, while a blush bloomed onto her skin, only accentuating her already heady scent.

It was me who froze then – for all of two seconds – before she found herself sitting on the countertop with a large horny vampire standing between her legs. Every part of me throbbed, while I looked into her eyes trying to ascertain what it was she was actually offering me. And while she was surprised to find herself in her new position, she broke some of the tension by nervously laughing, “Geez you’re quick.”

Pushing myself further in between her thighs, I promised, “I can take it very slow if that is what you prefer.”

There was no mistaking what I was talking about and she both tried and failed to look affronted, while I tried to talk myself into leaving her house. There were Fellowship fucks to torture and kill, and my pissed off child to rescue. But – as though she’d somehow managed to glamour me – all I could do was let my eyes slowly travel down the length of her body until they rested on her inner thigh where her femoral artery pulsed while I asked, “Where would you like me to feed from Sookie?”

She had to clear her throat twice before she could finally say, “I uh…you uh…I just figured, you know, since I can’t offer you a variety in flavor I could at least offer you something different in…presentation?”

She’d squeaked out the last word, only reminding me of her innocence, but…she had offered.

Her idiot brother’s voice filled my head saying, “It’s what Jesus would do!”

While her shorts were short enough for me to feed from her upper thigh, I knew my willpower was too short for me to resist being that close to where that scent was emanating from and not taste her there as well.

It was unlikely Jesus would do that as well.

Instead I started at the top of her head and let my nose skim along her hairline down to her jaw. She’d been ramrod straight until I exhaled softly in her ear, causing her to flinch and then giggle that it tickled, only wiggling her now relaxed body closer to me and pushing at my restraint even more. But as soon as my lips and tongue met her skin her giggles ceased. Her breathing did as well, but it soon picked up speed as I continued to kiss a path down to her shoulder and back again.

I’d been right in my assumption I could get lost in her because I don’t know how much time had passed when she eventually sighed out, “Are you…what are you doing?”

Her hands had come to rest on my hips and feeling her fingers flex into my skin made my cock twitch where it was painfully trapped behind my zipper. But I somehow managed to refrain from showing her just how happy my newly regrown fingers could make her and only offered, “I’m choosing the setting for my Sunday supper.”

I placed a long lick over the spot I was prepared to bite and watched the goose bumps rise up on her skin, but still she chuckled when she pulled me even closer and said, “It’ll be Monday morning brunch if you don’t get a move on.”

I could feel the heat emanating from in between her thighs and I definitely wanted to get lost in her right there, but she was right. It was getting late and there was no time for fucking.

Well…

There was time for fucking, but if my suspicions were correct and Sookie was indeed a virgin, I’d be damned if her first time would be just a quick fuck.

Never mind I already believed her probable first time would be with me.

That thought was too much to keep my fangs at bay any longer, so I finally allowed myself the consolation prize of having some part of me slide into her body and bit.

But the word ‘consolation’ was grossly misused.

Her moan rang out in chorus with my own as soon as her blood hit my tongue and my hands, which had been firmly planted on either side of her body, moved to encircle her waist. Her legs reciprocated in kind, while her hands slowly glided up and down my back only making me purr just like her cat, but I couldn’t muster any anger at my own reaction.

Her blood was good enough to turn any vampire into a pussy.

I only allowed myself a few sips knowing how much she’d already given me over the previous two nights and before forcing myself to pull away completely, I punctured my tongue to heal her marks with my blood and then licked her neck clean. She stared back at me in a daze, but since she was already somewhat relaxed and more than somewhat turned on, I leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I want you to take some of my blood too.”

It would ease my mind being able to feel her and in an effort to get in front of any argument she might have, I added, “Not only would I be able to sense if you were in danger, it will make you stronger as well. If Rene or another of his kind were to find out you helped me and came after you, you would be better prepared to defend yourself if I’m not able to be here to do it myself.”

She only thought for a minute before asking, “But…do you really think that’s necessary? Nobody knows how you got free or that you’re even here. Jason really does think you’re my new friend Ted who stopped in for a visit and hopes the next time he runs into you, you don’t point out what a crappy grandson he is around Gran.”

Thoughts of her brother made me strain to keep from rolling my eyes, but I managed to abstain and merely said, “What about Bill?” Had I known Sookie was a telepath when I had him in Fangtasia’s basement, my line of questioning that night would’ve been very different from what it had been. Having already spent time in her presence his excuse of finding her ‘pleasing’ – both to the eyes and olfactory senses – was quite believable and he’d hardly be the first vampire to pursue a human for those reasons. He would’ve likely already claimed her as his had she not been immune to our glamour and it also explained why Sophie-Anne had been so quick to give in to Lorena’s demands to release him into her custody.

And it gave me yet another reason to kill him.

“What about Bill?” she asked. “You said he’s sick, so I shouldn’t have to worry about him for now.”

“Sookie,” I began softly, “Bill Compton worked for our queen, Sophie-Anne Leclerq. He was her royal procurer and now that I know about your gift, I suspect it was why he was pursuing you. I have no idea how she would come to know about you, but it’s the only thing that explains why he would return to this town. He’s made no secret of how it pained him to remember his human life, so this is the last place he would come to willingly.”

Her eyebrows crinkled and I stayed my hand, so I wouldn’t give in to the temptation to rub them smooth again with my fingertip when she said, “But…but she died, right? I saw it on the news. They burned her house down after she went on TV denouncing what happened in Dallas.”

“That is true,” I nodded. “But that doesn’t negate the fact your gift is very valuable or put you at any less risk. If he didn’t keep you for himself, Compton could auction you off to the highest bidder.” Her earlier fear made a swift return, but she had to realize how much danger she could find herself in if another vampire were to get their hands on her. My own hands wanted on her as well –albeit for different reasons – and began mimicking her earlier movements, rubbing up and down her back in an effort to calm her, while I reassured, “I will protect you. I would fight them all to keep you safe, but it would be nearly impossible for me to find you unless you take some of my blood.”

“Why?” she asked softly.

I felt my own eyebrows furrow, thinking I’d explained very well why she should take my blood, but seeing my expression she followed up with, “Why would you fight other vampires to keep me safe? After talking to both you and Bill, I know you all look at things differently than I do. So if you already think I saved you because you’d saved me, then in your eyes we should be square. Why are you willing to go out of your way to protect me now?”

It felt as though her eyes were seeing straight into my soul and as beautiful as they were, I found myself unable to withstand her gaze. She was courageous, considerate, charming, and clever. Her overwhelming acceptance of not just vampire, but the entire Supernatural world she now knew existed was astonishing all by itself, so even without her gift I’d be a fool to not want to make her mine.

But how could I make her understand without admitting to her, much less to myself, that after a thousand years – in the span of forty-eight hours – she’d become my weakness.

She seemed to sense my internal struggle because her hand slowly rose to gently cup my face and when my eyes met hers she repeated a whispered, “Why?”

I’d known from our first encounter I was drawn to her, but now it quite literally felt as though there was a magnetic pull between us. I’d bedded countless women in the past – women who at times literally threw themselves at my feet begging for my attention. But none had ever captured my notice the way Sookie did and she hadn’t even tried.

And I was sure it would be pointless to resist her allure, so why attempt the impossible?

My eyes darted to her lips and back again as I slowly leaned forward, giving her every opportunity to pull back. And I saw it in her eyes when she realized what my intentions were, as well as hearing the evidence of it pounding away in her chest. If my own heart still beat it would’ve stopped – just like my lips did a hair’s breadth away from hers – when she whispered, “Eric?”

A split second before she closed the distance between us.

Shyly – inquisitively – she placed her lips on mine, hesitating only as long as it took me for the shock to wear off enough so I could return the gesture. Her hand moved from my cheek to the back of my head to hold it in place, while I pulled her body even closer. And when her tongue darted out, sliding across my lower lip, I softly growled my approval and let her in. She explored for a few moments with her tongue moving cautiously – timidly – against my own, lending credence to the idea she was inexperienced. But that thought only made me desire her more and when she stroked my fangs in turn, I could no longer hold back and gave in to my own needs.

I took control of our kiss, wordlessly telling her all of the things I couldn’t say. Showing her how much I wanted her, while letting her know a kiss would be enough for now. Whether or not her virtue was intact, I knew Sookie wasn’t the type to arbitrarily hop into bed with someone she barely knew and the undeniable fact that I was willing to wait for her told me I was already fucked.

And again, she hadn’t even tried.

My more devious side thought to slash my own tongue against my fang to get my blood into her, but for some unexplainable reason I wanted her to choose to take it instead. So I resisted the urge and when she finally pulled away to breathe, I only allowed enough space between us for the air she now desperately needed and looked into her eyes, softly stating, “That is why.”

I had no need to breathe and yet I found myself holding my breath, while she stared back at me in silent contemplation. But my anxiety began to ease just as slowly as the smile formed on her lips when she agreed, “Okay.”

I was more selfish than selfless, so I quickly raised my wrist – not wanting to give her the opportunity to change her mind – and bit, before putting the open wound to her mouth. A low moan escaped my throat as soon as her lips wrapped around my skin and drew the first mouthful of my blood inside of her. The erotic sensations coursing through me increased with every swallow she made and I couldn’t stop myself from grinding my hips against hers, now feeling her own growing lust barreling back at me through our newly formed bond. My head dropped to her shoulder as I gasped in unsteady breaths, pulling her scent into my lungs just as she pulled my blood into her body. And if I’d had more presence of mind, I would’ve likely been embarrassed for cumming so quickly, but I couldn’t have stopped it if I’d tried.

Not that I tried.

My wound had closed at the same time and she pushed at my already weakened restraint even further by licking the skin clean, So when I was finally able to look up and saw traces of my blood coating her lips, I claimed both my blood and her lips in another kiss. She didn’t resist and eagerly gave in while my cock began to stir again tasting my blood in her mouth, but I knew we could take things no further for now. My blood would’ve heightened her libido – lessened her sexual inhibitions – but I would never claim her body unless she gave it to me willingly, no matter how much I wanted her. So I calmed myself and our kiss before finally pulling away.

Her still panting lips chased after mine, but after a few seconds recognition returned to her hazy eyes, just as her blush returned to her face, and she softly giggled out, “Wow.”

“Wow, indeed,” I agreed with a smile.

She had no idea…

“Does that, um…” she asked, with her eyes quickly darting to the wet spot on my crotch, making her redden even more, and back again as she finished with, “…happen every time you give someone your blood?”

My fingers trailed down her face and I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears, answering truthfully, “I wouldn’t know. You are the first human I’ve shared my blood with.”

Shock came over her face as she asked, “Really? But… Why me?”

Her innocence made her more tempting than should be reasonably allowed, but in an attempt to try and maintain some control over the reactions she effortlessly garnered from me, I smiled wickedly at her and asked, “Is this your way of getting me to kiss you again? If it is, you only need to ask.”

Sookie gasped full of indignation before playfully swatting at my chest with her hand as she tried to hide her smile, chiding, “Oh, you…”

She could easily keep me entertained night after night for the foreseeable future, but we had other things that could not wait. While I stood there completely spellbound by my unintentional enchantress, my child’s fate was hanging in the balance. So I took a step back to clear my own head and said, “We should go.”

After all, there were other ways I could work off my frustrations and I would enjoy them almost as much.