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The characters of the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Miss Charlaine Harris. No infringement on my part is intended. The characters on True Blood belong to Mr. Alan Ball. No infringement on my part is intended.

I have no BETA, editor, or other such charming person. All mistakes are my own.

 This story is rated M.

 Chapter 4

 Samuel was laughing. “Has she a name?”

“Sookie,” Eric responded, his grin bigger.

“My brother,” Samuel was laughing louder, “how is it that you are always in the right place at the right time?”

“The luck of the fae,” Eric laughed out loud.

“That is so-o-o not funny,” Sookie scolded him. “Scoot over,” she said getting up out of her chair. “Make some room for me. If I am gonna have to plead my own innocence, then I want to be seen.”

Eric was still chuckling when he moved over in the chair as far as he could go. “You won’t fit in that spot,” he smiled at her.

Glaring at him, she responded with, “I am not queen of the fat ass.”

“Oh,” the voice from the monitor chimed in, “you have meet Sophie-Anne?”

Eric roared in laughter as Samuel chuckled along as well.

Sookie thought about sitting down in that little bitty spot and then thought better of it. This was her brother Jason and Hoytt all over, again. Separately, they were bearable. When they started feeding each other lines, she just wanted to knock their heads together. “Okay, I’ll give you that one. My hand would not fit in that space.” Glaring at Eric, she slapped his leg back over where it belonged and then sat down on his lap.

Samuel noted the grin that covered his brother’s face. His brother was happy.

“No,” she said kindly at the monitor. Staring back at her were the greenest eyes she had ever seen! “No, I have not. But I have a few words I would like to say to that bitch!

Please pardon my French,” she said with a sigh. “I have been on an emotional roller coaster for about twenty-four hours now and I am feeling a little beat up. Please pardon my manners. My name is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse.”

“Samuel, Samuel Da’vid,” he said with a bow of his head. “A pleasure Miss Sookie,” he smiled at her.

“Thank you,” she smiled in return. A genuine smile that gracedher face that she felt in her soul. This young man that looked back at her was like looking at a clean, refreshing stream that flowed directly from the heart of the mountain. He was uplifting and calm and yet had a great depth to him.

“She is charming Eric,” Samuel’s voice was hushed and sincere. “How did you meet?”

“Well,” Eric cleared his throat and Sookie thought maybe he had puffed out his chest. “She was waiting for me. Recognized me because of my long legs, blond hair and handsome face,”

he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Sookie elbowed him in the ribs and he went “Oofffff!”

“She was also admiring my vampish ways,” he said with a grin.

Sookie elbowed him again and this time he broke out into laughter.

“Deny it,” he chuckled.

Turning to look at him she said, “You are to respect a lady at all times. I did not figure you to be one to kiss and tell.”

“Oh,” Samuel looked intrigued. “Has there been kissing?”

Sookie leaned into the monitor and blushed. “No, I was just figuratively speaking.”

Samuel had his focus on Sookie but his peripheral vision was giving him a great shot of Eric who was crossed-eyed with his tongue hanging out and his fangs were down and his boy was drooling. So, no kissing yet but it looked like The Viking was up for that! Samuel could swear he heard King Eric reciting love sonnets!

“Now, you two need to stop having fun at my expense,” Sookie shook her finger at Samuel and then turned around and did the same to a very penitent looking Eric. “How do we stop this…this lie about me being a fairy?”

“Business,” Eric sighed. “Most good and rightly so. Let us talk this out.”

Eric filled Samuel in on all the comings and goings of Compton. Sookie talked about her gran and how Pam had found and removed the dead Were. They both talked about the papers and photo of Sookie Pam had found in the Were’s truck. Then tonight’s phone calls that Pamela had made.

Samuel had listened with interest to all that was said. “So why would your cousin tell Sophie-Anne that you were fae? There might be much to gain but hard to prove.”

“Who knows what she saw when she was high,” Sookie said. “She is a drug addict and who knows what else. I know at one time Gran paid for rehab. She had a coke habit and she liked crystal meth as well. That is what got her into rehab. She checked herself out and we have not heard from her until now. Honestly, I thought she was dead.”

“If you want to survive this,” Samuel looked at Sookie then Eric then his focus was back on Sookie. “You are going to have to face this head on. Just walk into the sea and expect God to part the waters.”

“Head on how?” Sookie asked.

“There are three parts to you Sookie that will bring money. Not as much as if all three were true, but still, you would be found to be desirable by one or two.”

“Okay…I am listening,” she nodded her head.

“First, telepath,” Samuel ticked off. “That could be a very nice to have. Especially during business deals. Second, fae…they all want a fae…but then again…how do you prove that, especially since your cousin has been seeing pretty lights since she took her first hit.  Third, you are a virgin. That alone in some circles would bring some excitement.”

“What are you suggesting?” her voice was quiet.

“That you relieve yourself of that state,” was Samuel’s answer.

At that moment she turned and looked at Eric who said nothing but brought her hand up to her shoulder and he leaned down and kissed it.

“I do not, would not, could not, even suggest this Sookie,” Samuel’s voice was very tender.   “My believe system would not allow it. But this is your life. They would do more than lock you in a cage.” His voice was soft and sincere and held anger. “My brother,” his voice was gentle, “he has had over a thousand years of pleasing women. I believe you could trust him not to hurt you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. He would be a kind and generous lover.”

Turning, she faced Eric and blue eyes blazed back at her. He put his arms around her and drew her to him. His chest a solid wall that she could rest upon.

Gently she ran her hand down the side of his face and could feel the stubble from his beard. Before she took her hand away, he kissed it and then tucked in into his own.

“Sookie,” Samuel waited for the moment to pass. She was going to need to trust Eric. He wanted to give them both a chance at this. “You are going to need something more than a loss of innocence. Vampires are a possessive order. They cannot auction you away if you belong to another vampire.”

“Belong…?” and Eric felt her body react and you could hear it in her voice. She was appalled!

“There is no other way to phrase this,” Samuel began. “Just as humans know husband and wife, vampires know bonded. A formal agreement based on a blood exchange relationship. Sookie, vampires will not concern themselves with your rights. In their eyes, you have none. But they will respect Eric’s rights…if they want to live.”

Sookie shook all over, trying to wake herself up from this…this…not nightmare, but it was something close to it. “So, like a wife in the 1950’s. She waits at the door for her husband to come home at the end of the day. Fixes his dinner. Keeps the house in order. Is available if he wants sex. And in exchange she gets food, shelter, protection.”

“And someone to love and someone that loves her,” Samuel added for her. “Vampires do not proclaim their feelings. If you care for something, another vamp grows jealous and will try and take it from you. So we are careful about who and what we love. But you would not be here now, talking to me, if he did not care for you.”

Taking a deep breath she let it out. “Relationships through the ages has been built on a lot less.”

“Yes,” Samuel smiled at her. “And some have even succeeded. Famously…” he added. “I do not know what you two desire from such a pairing, so I shall leave you to discuss it. But know this Sookie, I do not mean to sound ominous, but you are now known in the vampire community. The best thing for you to be known as is The Bonded of Eric Northman.

Shalom my brother. I leave you with much to think about.

Shalom to you my Sookie,” he kissed his fingertips and placed them on the screen and the monitor went dark.

“If bonded is anything like being married,” she turned and looked at Eric. “Why would you want to do this?”

“Because I like you,” he pushed the hair behind her ears. “I like your strength. I like your courage. I like how you honor your friends and try to keep them safe. I like that you know how to rig a shotgun to your front door and kill anyone who is not welcome. That you keep quarters in your ashtray and that you do not wait for your brother to return to ask his opinion on what you must do next. That you take action, do not second guess yourself and live with the consequences of your actions. That you like to fly…perhaps as much as I do and that you use what is at hand to protect yourself. That you work hard and live within your means. That your family is everything to you. Perhaps I would like to be everything to you as well. I would fight to the death for a cause that I believe in, Sookie Stackhouse. And I believe in you.”

“Oh,” she whispered as he bent down to kiss her. When his lips met hers and his tongue lightly entered her mouth, “Ohhhhh,” floated from both of them.

“I figured you two would get around to exchanging spit,” Pam eyed her maker.

Holding her tenderly for several more seconds, Eric knew she had made the decision. From this point forward, he would go carefully. When he broke off the kiss, he pulled Sookie into him and settled his arms around her. His hands resting under her breasts. “Things have changed. Do not,” he warned when Pamela started to speak. “This will involve you as well. You are always spoiling for a fight. Well get ready. I am declaring war.”
“Oh,” Pam smiled. “Who are we going to kill?”

“Whoever gets in our way and thinks to touch what is mine.”

Pam’s eyes rested on Sookie.

“New Orleans is never going to believe that I let her drive around in that Honda. Today it is going to need some serious upgrades. Ronnie’s under armor upgrade shop is now open for business. I want to see him before I go to my day rest.”

“So, how long have you been seeing her?” Pamela asked.

“We have been bonded for over a year,” was his reply.

Pam chuckled. “Seriously Eric, Compton is going to say that she was a virgin.”

“What’s your point?” he asked her. “My word against his. And everyone knows what a liar he is and how trustworthy I am.”

“Oh fuck,” Pam laughed out loud. “Not only war but mind fucking war as well!”

 

Dear Readers,

You guys left me such sweet words, I have been working on this bit as I pack.

It is not much but I like it…I hope you do as well.

As always, thanks for reading!

CES

PS…If you are kind enough to leave a review, I will try to respond before bedtime tonight. If there is free internet at the resort, I will do so during the week.

Shalom!