"Eric!" Calling his name, I pop a distance away as I keep him following me in a mile's large circle through the woods. His void shifts to come at me in a straight line each time he pinpoints my location and I teleport continuously to evade him.

I'm not prepared for his hand to close around my wrist at one point, not having realized that I'd slowed down at all or even enough to be caught and I unwittingly try to shock him as though he were any enemy. Of course my light corrects the mistake made in the heat of the moment and I find myself gasping as the wind is knocked out of me, my back squarely hitting a tree a second later as his other hand goes for my throat. Eric's grip is unrelenting as I do my best to not gasp for air or panic, knowing if I do that my bodies human reactions will be the end of me. His eyes are all black, no blue anywhere as he bares his fangs dangerously, a loud growl roaring from his chest constantly as he stares me down. Thinking quickly, he's not prepared for me to teleport out of his grasp. Trying to shake off the aching in my chest I slash out with the knife as I've moved with precision to appear behind him and my hand leaves a line through his shirt which turns red almost instantly.

He slumps forward a second later, catching the tree with his arm to prevent from falling and I curse myself as my plan didn't work. I had cut across the back of his shoulder blades, his movement making my aim too low as my goal was to get to his spinal cord. If I could sever it he would be incapacitated but completely alright once I fed him some blood and such an injury is relatively painless as he'd just pass out. Popping further away, I'm panting, catching my breath as I feel his anger ramping up again by the second and I know he will be healed and moving in no time.

Glancing at the blade in my hand, I almost look away but freeze as I fully take in the red streak on each side. An idea comes to me and I measure my remaining strength, knowing it won't be long before I'm unable to teleport. Just as I feel him moving again I lick each side of the blade quickly, swallowing the miniscule blood and feeling him stutter on his destructive path. Spitting curses, I'd hoped the jolt to the bond would bring him out of it but I quickly realize that it's the most progress I've made in stopping him as I pop away from where I was. Something new comes to mind and I question myself, second guessing the decision multiple times over the minutes even as I get more and more exhausted. My eyes widen in disbelief when I next try to teleport and nothing happens, only managing to do so when he is within sight and feet from grabbing me again, adrenaline giving me another boost.

Going further than before, I have no choice but to put my plan in motion as I hesitate once more before slashing the knife down the side of my neck. I'm not prepared for how much it hurts, spoiled by Eric's usually euphoric bites and I fall back against a tree as my hand instinctively goes to the wound. When my limbs start to tremble seconds later I realize my hand must have slipped deeper than I wanted, my eyes falling down to see the red seeping into my shirt. Wind fills my ears and I close my eyes as I feel dizzy seeing so much of my own blood, my head back against the tree before I know what I'm doing. "Darlin'…" I'm not sure when I decide to say it but I hear my own voice reverberate out as I do so, my eyes opening slightly as I stare up at the sparse stars visible through the tree branches. A strange silence seems to crash all around as I can't hear anything and my eyes spring forward when I sense a tremble in the bond. I'm held rigidly against the tree trunk a moment later as my head is tilted and his fangs slide into place over the large wound I already made.

He doesn't seem to care that my arm moves up between us and it shakes uncontrollably but I manage to do what I need to, slicing his shoulder in front of me with a deft movement of my wrist. My mouth falls to the cut as he's drinking from me at the same time and I put my weight against him, gasping against his skin as his blood enters my system. It's strange but I can feel the skin stitching itself slowly back together around his bite, the bond doubling down and pulsating through both of us intensely. My bumps and bruises are healing quickly as well, his grip softening on me before I'm suddenly in his lap. The enraged rumbling in his chest never ceased filling the air but I feel it in the bond as the overwhelming fury he'd previously felt is waning, concern now prevalent alongside confusion. His skin heals beneath my lips as I lick any traces of blood away, fawning over the bond and holding it close. He's doing the same and he seems to be feeling a heavy dose of shame as he evaluates me, taking in my weakened and previously damaged state. There's an itching as I feel his tongue moving to make sure the damaged flesh is clean as it closes completely, icy blue eyes staring down at me a second later.

"You cut too deep." His tone is low and soft, kissing me gently a second later as his growling silences and I shrug slightly.

"Maybe, in the heat of the moment, yeah… but it worked, didn't it?" Held to his chest, his arms hold me securely and I am comforted, happy that he's back to normal as his chin brushes over the top of my head.

"Why would you risk yourself so wholly?" Nothing in his flat voice gives away the turmoil of emotions I can sense building in him.

"Because we are in this together and I knew you wouldn't hurt me if I reminded you of that. One more exchange and it's permanent. I don't think you'll be able to hurt me at all at that point, especially not because of some witch's curse." He's stoic physically, his eyes flicking around my face as he is trying to calm himself once more. "How much do you remember?"

"The last few minutes and perhaps… did you shock me right after I was cursed?" Raising an eyebrow, he feels uncertain of his memory.

"I stunned you, my light won't damage you, but I was able to stun you long enough to get you out of Fangtasia." Brushing the long blond hair out of his face, his mouth falls open to reveal fangs when my finger presses down his chin slightly and I stare into his eyes. "Can't have you biting anyone but me."

He smiles slightly as he leans in to kiss me, amusement clear from him in the bond as it flickers in and out. "My fae is territorial, wonderful." His grin drops half a second later as he nearly growls, pulling his phone from his pocket and glaring at it. "Marcel and Pamela have the bar under control. Let's go home." Closing the text messages, he stows the phone away again and picks me up bridal style before the ground is suddenly falling away.

I can't help the surprised cry that leaves my lips as we're suddenly high in the air, my fear spiking and Eric growling for a moment as he holds me tightly to his chest. "Say something first next time." I tell him with a glare before looking down again, interested in the way the land rolls as we move over it.

"You are handling this rather well." He remarks and I can see he's monitoring me in the bond.

"Yeah, I was never really afraid of heights and I know you won't drop me." Turning my head I see he is smirking as I finish speaking.

"Never. Besides, even if I did, I would be able to catch you again long before you get close to the ground." There's a slightly mischievous glint to his eye and I stare at him seriously.

"Do it and I won't sleep with you for a week." Arching an eyebrow, he leans closer with a more predatory expression and I see his fangs are down as he speaks.

"Do you really think I couldn't break your resolve on that?" I'm unable to speak as he captures my mouth, his fangs undetectable as always even though I know they're out and I flick my tongue over one carefully. The bond is thrumming in pleasurable pulses as his erotic mix of emotions bears down on me but I can feel he's trying to restrain himself as he kisses down my neck. Shifting closer I bite teasingly on his shoulder with blunt teeth, his restraint falling away as one of his hands is ghosting beneath my shirt.

It takes barely a few seconds after we've landed for him to have me inside, my feet touching the floor for only moments as he secures the door. His attention never seems to leave me but I hear the security system engage before he's picking me up and we're disappearing into the underground.

Pulling a comfortable robe around myself, I tie the sash and he slips his hands around my waist as his nose drops into my hair. "You wanting to go again already?" I chuckle as he growls quietly, kissing beneath my ear before speaking.

"With you, always, but for the moment I do believe we should get some sort of food into you. I cannot keep drinking from you when you are begging for it if it means you end up undernourished. You also just got out of the shower so I'll allow you to remain clean a little while longer." His grin splits his face in half as I look at him in the mirror.

"I've never begged for anything!" I admonish lightly, my lips upturning.

"Oh, not with words. You never beg with words." His fangs skim over my skin without breaking it to tease me and I find myself twitching closer to him, blushing with embarrassment as I know he's not wrong.

"Fine, I concede." Taking half a step forward, he continues to hover with a triumphant feeling floating through him as I fully face the sink and mirror. "What would you suggest? Anything foodwise that vampires do not want to smell on their human? Garlic?" Laughing, he pulls away fully and begins to speak as I brush my teeth.

"Nothing I am particular about, no, and the garlic aversion is just a myth from the old days." Disappearing into the closet, his voice is muffled for the last part and I finish up at the sink to follow behind him quickly. He's pulling on a pair of his leather boots as I pluck a nice sundress off the rack, sliding it down over my shoulders and looking at the mirror for a second to approve of it. Sensing my impending question, he appears behind me, doing up the back deftly as his hands fly over the buttons I can't reach. "You are sure you don't want to rest?" His voice whispers in my ear and I smile as I turn to face him.

"No, you're blood and our bonding has me wired. I don't think I can sleep for a while." Kissing him lightly, I put my arms around his neck as his slide over my waist but we don't go any further as we don't want to be on a time crunch.

Slipping on my shoes before we leave, I take his hand and pop us to the parking lot behind Fangtasia. Walking down the alley with his arm around my shoulders, he matches my stride, meandering with me as he walks me to the steakhouse I'd visited once before. The hostess looking as though she is questioning herself and I glance at her mind as we walk up. That's not him, is it? It is! Oh my god, what's he doing here!? He only fed off me once, would he want to do it again? I can't do that right now though, I'm working… Her diatribe continues towards mental images that make me seethe and Eric seems to sense as I sort of leave myself, digging into her brain as her eyes look glazed over momentarily. "Welcome, party of two?" She greets cheerily, grabbing menus and leading us to a corner table as I request an empty one I spy on the far side of the room.

"What did you do when we were coming in?" Eric questions as soon as she walks away and I raise an eyebrow.

"Do you remember her?" I ask pointedly.

He looks faraway after a moment and I feel him rapidly thinking in the bond, having figured it out after a few seconds. "She is one of few who I allowed to remember." His tone is flat and I nod as I believe him, not holding anything against him as I'm not naïve.

"Not anymore." I say simply and he raises an eyebrow, surprised slightly but not arguing or feeling anything negative about what I did. Mostly he's contemplative and I tilt my head questioningly after a waiter takes my order but he still hasn't spoken.

"I'm simply compiling a list of all people who could still be alive for Pamela to find and glamour. I would wish that this doesn't happen again." Laughing, I sip my drink as he pulls his phone out to send a text message, the device gone in no time.

"It doesn't upset me, not really, if that's what you're worried about." The reassurance doesn't seem to help though.

"No, I would rather it not even be a possibility and there are few anyway, I was simply scouring a hundred years of memories to ensure I didn't miss anyone." He is resolute and I feel the corner of my mouth quirk up.

He watches the waiter closely as he leans close to place my appetizer in front of me, his eyes trained glaringly to the young mans back until he's out of sight. "Be nice."

"I may not always be nice, but I will be cordial unless provoked otherwise." Twitching my lip up, I soothe over the irritated feelings on his side and he doesn't say anything but I can feel his mood lightening lightly.

"You're going to have other vampires thinking I'm whipped." Cracking up with a laugh, I swallow the bite I'd been chewing and sip my water to clear my throat.

"I'm not a doormat but I'm not ignorant either, I know that I shouldn't stop you or interfere in vampire business. I will defer to you in mixed company since I don't want to get involved or bring attention to myself beyond the normal. I will however step in if someone tries to cross boundaries with you." Setting aside the salad bowl a minute later, I take up Eric's hand in mine absently as I glance around us.

We fall silent as the waiter starts speaking as soon as he's in view a second later. "I'll take that, and here's your main course." He practically ignores that Eric even exists as he removes the dishes quickly and places down a steaming plate of salmon and mixed vegetables.

"No lemon seasoning, right?" I ask, not even touching my fork yet and he checks a paper in his pocket.

"It's on the ticket and the chefs make each meal to the letter so it should be just as you ordered it." He says with a professional, polite tone before turning to go.

"Lemon?" Eric asks and I nod, my mouth starting to water at the smell of the dish in front of me.

"It's like poison or acid that would eat away at my light. Too much would kill me, or at least my spark and it doesn't take much more than a drop to have a reaction. Can you smell lemon?" I ask curiously before taking my first bite and finding it perfect.

"I can detect specifically lemon, yes. There is none in your food." He says the last part after a second of pause and I raise an eyebrow.

"You can tell that with all the mixed scents?" There's silence and I look up to see that he's watching over my head, sensing a void far behind me, near the entrance. Gently brushing the bond, his eyes jump to meet mine before returning to watching whoever. He feels my silent questioning as I continue to eat as though nothing is wrong, the void coming up towards my back a minute later and Eric stands behind me instantly.

"What are you doing in my area?" His tone is flat and I don't turn, double checking that my scent shield is fully in place as I start to check the minds of humans for any hint of a threat. The vampire in front of Eric is dark haired, a head shorter than my bonded and looking at him with an air of disdain which is apparent as he speaks.

"I have come to request residency. Your child has been refusing to set up a meeting so I decided to find you myself." There's nothing in his tone that makes Eric any less irritated and I wonder how old the vampire is to be so petulant.

"You are ignoring protocol. My child is the right hand of her Sheriff, she is who reviews residency to field the applications before I view them. If she denied you residency then I will certainly do the same." His tone carries his authority although he controls his volume so as the humans aren't privy.

"She did not deny me, she just keeps ignoring me!" Maintaining my composure, I'm amused as I know what he's talking about, Pam sometimes acting as though someone doesn't exist when she is especially petty. He sounds frustrated and I watch closely through the network of human minds in the room as I'm not sure what he might do should things escalate.

"Yes, well, after what you did to her brothel I have no doubt that she holds no want to accommodate you. Leave." The order is clear and final.

"But-." He stops as Eric is suddenly snarling, holding the other vampire by his throat and staring him down. I immediately lock down every human in the room, all of them acting completely normal and unable to see or hear the interaction between the vampires as I explore a theory I'd previously had.

"You will not argue with me. You will be grateful you are walking away unscathed for entering my area without informing me first. How long have you been here?" He demands, loosening his grip and I put the humans securely on the back burner as I continue. I'm probing around the vampire's void more closely as Eric speaks and I'm surprised when I feel something, a blip from the otherwise silent consciousness, prompting me to press closer.

"I got here yesterday." Deception. Clear and true, it rings out from him and I nearly drop my fork but just take up a bite of fish fluidly as I'm stunned that I can read him. Liar!

I'm not sure if Eric hears me say it in the bond but I try to impress the word upon him in feelings and I feel him understanding as his anger boils further. "Tell me the truth, before I call my child to take you to my dungeon."

If Eric weren't standing right at my back I'd have never heard him and I maintain that none of the humans in the restaurant hear him. It feels like he's debating with himself before coming to some conclusion and he speaks through gritted teeth. "Almost a week."

Eric takes a long drag of air, it's sound somehow ominous and he squares up his shoulders as I feel anger rolling off him in waves. "You will go to Fangtasia before the end of tomorrow. You will pay a rather hefty fee for breaking the law, you will work in my bar with a schedule assigned by Pamela and you will be allowed temporary, probationary residency. A single misstep in the next two years and you're gone or dead, depending on my mood."

"Yes, Sheriff." The reluctant acknowledgement seems to make the younger vampire angry as he feels violent mentally. He's gone a second later and Eric sits back down as I release the humans and snap my fingers to renew the silence around us.

"I could feel his feelings, I could never do that before, with any vampire. You're the first vampire I've come close to reading and we're bonded after all. I don't know, something about his mind, there was the obvious lie but it was like deception tainted every thought he was having, making it easier for me to feel more." I'm finding it hard to explain, never having felt something quite like the vampire's emotions. They're similar to humans but changed somehow, wilder and less defined as one bleeds into the next, however I also wonder if it's due to his age as Eric's are much more controlled.

"Your skills have developed further then. That was William Compton, as a human he originated from this area which is likely why he came back here. If I'm lucky he'll stay in a hole in the swamp far from my presence when he's not in the bar serving his time." His phone is in his hands as he finishes speaking, likely sending information to Pam and I wait for it to go away.

"Could you feel what I was doing to the humans?" I ask curiously and he contemplates for a split second.

"Not specifically, but I knew you were doing something." Several things occur to me and I stow them away for later as I focus on the current moment.

"When Niall first showed me that I could manipulate memories in humans, I thought, why can't I do it in real time as it's happening. I was able to put you two in a bubble and… deny their attention to it." Looking fascinated, he nods as he seems to be deep in thought once more.

The waiter soon takes my plate away while holding out the bill, Eric snatching it instantly and he puts his credit card inside before handing it back.

"You mentioned Pam having a brothel?" I ask curiously as he soon leads me out on to the street and he gives me a salacious grin.

"Interested?" Rolling my eyes, I swat his shoulder.

"No, but I was wondering what William did that would make Pam dislike him." His arm comes around me, keeping me comfortable against his side as he matches my pace and accompanies me down the street.

"His maker, Lorena, is a rather special piece of work, deranged, narcissistic and bloodthirsty. She's pretty much everything that the religious fanatics would have you believe all vampires are and should be. She and her child killed more than half the staff on a blood lusting rampage one night, when my child was still human. I assisted my maker and the local Sheriff with detaining her as she risked our exposure. My maker handed them over while I did the cleanup. I ended up turning Pamela less than a week later." Walking us down the street, I'm surprised when he takes us into a tall, unmarked black building on a seemingly random corner.

"What is this?" I ask curiously, the lobby all black and nothing but elevators ahead as we step into one of them. Grinning, I can feeling the bond that he is slightly excited, anticipating whatever he is remaining silent about. Not pressing it as its clearly some sort of surprise, I wait patiently, listening to the elevator as we go to what I assume is the top floor. When it opens I'm certainly surprised, not expecting a large showroom of glass cases and jewelry at every turn.

"I would like to have you pick out a ring, lover." Eric intones next to me, leaving me with butterflies in my stomach and he leans down a bit to oblige me in attempting to kiss him when I do so.

"I do." There's a smile in my voice and plastered across my face as I take a step forward, the vampire behind me feeling smug although nobody would be able to tell. We end up spending the next hour going over first the type of metal I wanted before discussing bands, setting and stone cuts before we finally have a scheduled pickup for a few afternoons away.

Arriving home, he's surprised when I push him back against the wall but reacts accordingly when I jump to wrap my legs around his waist, my arms around his shoulders as I kiss him hungrily. His chest is vibrating quietly and I rake my nails down his back lightly when he moves towards the stairs. His growl gets much louder when I weave my fingers in his hair just right and he kisses his way slowly down my neck as we descend.

I'm awoken the next day by the doorbell, pulling on clothes half asleep as I try to get my bearings. Looking through the door, I'm not sure who the short man is on the other side and I pull it open as I know my barrier will stop anyone unbecoming.

"Can I help you?" I ask the man on the other side, making sure to stay out of reach of the dark haired individual as he leers at me slightly.

"I'm here with a delivery for a Sookie Northman?" His thoughts are fuzzy as I confirm he is a young were of some sort but I can't detect any hint of a lie.

"What is it? I don't believe I'm expecting anything." A digital tablet is attached to his side and he pulls it out, the screen shining brightly as he holds it out before I take it. The page details that this is apparently from Pam and I assume it must be Eric's clothing. Clicking the button on the bottom of the screen that says, 'Accept Delivery', it instructs me to hand him the tablet back and I do so as he looks at it. "You can leave everything on the porch, thank you."

He doesn't protest, giving me a polite goodbye before turning away as I close the door and I wait until he's gone to pop four large boxes straight into the closet. Opening the first one I find expensive suits carefully packed and I hang them all the way in the back before his leather jackets go up next. His black jeans, belts and some nice button up shits are hung up quickly as I empty the second box. The third box holds an array of sweatpants, t-shirts, undershirts and underwear that I sort into the drawers on his side of the closet. As I go through the last box, I find it's mostly shoes and boots that I arrange onto a shoe rack on his side before pulling at the packing paper in the bottom. I find a wooden lock box with a code lock on the front which I set on a shelf that will be eyelevel for him, placing it towards the front of the closet to make it obvious. It's not very large and I wonder what's inside but don't venture so far as to open it since it's likely locked for a reason. Making a mental note to ask him about it later, I soon end up in the shower and get dressed slowly as I decide on what I want to get at the grocery store.

I'm teleporting there when I decide to go to the book store first, heading towards the back and browsing through an unsorted section of used books. I end up browsing for a lot longer than I intended but only leave with a few books, the bag set into my cart as I enter the grocery store. I'm standing in the fresh vegetables area when I shiver, the bond coming to life and Eric searching me out mentally as I'm physically absent. Digging my phone out from beneath the books in my handbag, I blush profusely as I see that he's sent me a picture of himself lying in bed, grinning at the camera with his fangs on display. Sending him my plans before I return, he soon goes quiet in the bond as he seems to have occupied himself with something.

You shouldn't be here! Going still as the thought breaches my barrier, I glance around to try and find the source. It's full of malice, a human near the entrance and I invade their mind as I attempt to figure out why.

"You go to Shreveport Louisiana and kill Sookie Stackhouse. Do it by any means necessary, alright? I'll reward you when you get back."

A blond woman that looks vaguely familiar flashes through the man's mind but he doesn't know why she issued the order and I'm stunned as I realize her identity in his memories. His name is Gabe, a bizarre man who seems to have a one-track mind, that one track being whatever Sarah Newlin tells him to do. I stay calm and thankfully he decides he shouldn't act until later, knowing he shouldn't do anything in public. After arriving and tracking me down, he'd been quite disgruntled to find me constantly with Eric and unable to track me otherwise as he still doesn't understand how I kept popping up randomly around town. He'd managed to hire the witch through some contacts from his old lifestyle, which was apparently being a human hit man. He follows Sarah as she 'saved' him from that lifestyle and I ignore the mental gymnastics he has done to believe this is any different than what he used to do.

I swear as he decides to wait for me in the parking lot to see where I go and I act as though I've forgotten something as the cashier rings me out, heading back between the aisles with my bags. Gabe watches through the glass entryway with frustration as he decides to continue waiting, my back disappearing from sight as he assumes I'll be back out soon. The girl behind the counter hadn't noticed as I'd plucked the store layout from her head and I slip out a back exit quickly. It's still a short time to sunset and I pop home, hearing the quiet sound of water in the pipes going downstairs while I rapidly put away the few bags of groceries. I'm surprised that Eric is not reacting to my nearness in the bond and look just close enough to realize he is completely zoned out. Placing my clothes directly into the laundry room, I pop into the bedroom and step silently into the bathroom as he left the door open. His back is to me in the shower and I hesitate for only a second before taking another step forward.

I'm within reaching distance when Eric is suddenly growling, my back to the wall a split second later as he stares me down. "How did you get so close without making a sound?" He's more curious than anything as he glances me over.

"I just walked in… are you alright?" I ask quietly, reaching up to smooth back his hair as the water has pushed it into his face.

"Yes, I was deep in thought and it would seem my instincts no longer classify you as a threat or even a potential threat. You could have easily killed me." His tone is low as he steps back beneath the showerhead, pulling me with him.

"I could have but I am not feeling particularly suicidal at the moment." Quirking up the corner of his lip, he's slightly amused at the dark humor and leans in to kiss me slowly even as his hands are working my hair. I lean into him as he lathers shampoo into my locks and I close my eyes, leaning back as he moves me further into the spray to rinse everything away. His mouth falls to my throat as he must smell that the soap is gone and I run my hands up into his wet hair. "Is it too difficult to get vacation days?"

His lips ghost against mine once more as he kisses up my jaw and finally pulls back to look down at me. "No, any idea where you are wanting to go?"

"Well, I got a lead on who hired the witch to get you to go on a rampage and potentially kill me. I think we need to go to Texas." Not responding, a crease forms between his eyes as he stares down at me and I continue. "Sarah Newlin, from the Fellowship of the Sun sent a man named Gabe here to kill me and he hired the witch as he didn't want to risk himself in the club. He does not know why she wants me gone."

There's a stutter in his emotions at one point and I'm not sure what it means, a strange sort of distant complacency going through him. "We will go to Dallas then. How about you get dressed, I'll notify the queen of my departure and I'll have my private jet at the airport in a few hours."

"We can leave that quickly?" I'm mildly surprised as I'd assumed he'd need more time to prepare.

"My area is one of the highest income producing districts for the queen. As long as she's paid she really doesn't care what I do." His confidence inspires me and I'm soon popping to purchase a large duffle bag, returning and packing several days' worth of clothes along with shoes and several dresses as it's going to be hot. Placing my laptop bag inside on top of everything, we pop to Fangtasia where Eric grabs a set of keys from the his desk drawer before Pam appears in the doorway.

"Where are you going?" She questions, seeming slightly agitated.

"I am taking Sookie to Dallas. Hire a few new bodies, since I'm going to be having Marcel following us there shortly. Keep watch over everything, my child, and I'll have you go shopping on my dime when I get back." Raising an eyebrow with a grin, she seems completely placated with the deal and turns to leave the room. Rolling his eyes, I follow him out chuckling as we go out the back door and he puts his own bag alongside mine in the back seat of his car. The drive to the airstrip is only twenty minutes as it's not far out of town and we are on a plane as soon as our bags are stowed, his keys handed off to an airport attendant. Eric holds me against him in one of the seats on the side of the plane, a thickly padded bench seat running down each side with the commercial plane seats in back which we don't use.

"You are nervous?" He asks, seeming to be unsure what about at the moment.

"I'm not scared of heights, or flying with you, but something about being in a big metal box in the sky doesn't sit well with me." I confide and he chuckles, his arm around my shoulders a second later.

"If I were certain my pilot could not correct our flight in the event of loss of control then I would simply kick out the side of the plane and fly us to safety. Or you could teleport us away." I'm set at ease as I know he is telling the truth.

Departing the plane, we get into a large SUV that is waiting for us and the driver is a werewolf, no reaction from Eric being my lead to follow. "We will be going to get checked into the hotel, then I thought you might want something to eat. It did not smell like you'd eaten earlier."

A surprised look from the werewolf in the front seat makes me glare at him instantly in the mirror and he focuses on the road as he mentally feels chagrined. The hotel we pull into a short while later is busy, the werewolf bypassing a long line of waiting cars as he drives straight up front and we get out to grab our bags. Pulling the paperwork from his pocket, he hands the check in desk clerk our reservation information and she hands back the room keys less than a minute later. Focusing on the silence of his void, I attempt to tune out the abundance of humans around us and his arm comes around me as he can tell what I'm trying to do. Several sets of vampire eyes jump to him from around the lobby and we don't miss it, Eric having something on his mind as we get into the elevator.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to open the conversation and he glances down at me.

"Our room will be soundproofed." Understanding dawning on me, I don't even look up for a second as I know there is likely a camera above us.

His free hand opens the door quickly and he looks down both ends of the hallway before stepping in first. Turning, I close and lock the door as he disappears, checking behind every door at vampire speed before appearing next to me again. "What were you thinking about?" I inquire again as he takes my hand, raising it to kiss the back and I smile lightly.

"Lover, you had no scent." Turning over his words in my head I contemplate why that would be an issue before feeling rather stupid.

"Of course, vampires would notice if I have no scent. They should be able to smell the bond as well as a human smell, since they assume I am one. Hang on a second." Working mentally, I try to alter my scent shield and watch his face as he waits patiently. "How's that?"

"I detect primarily me and the bond, with just a little bit of you underneath. Perfect." His grin is salacious and I can see it's a rather large turn on for him.

"I'm not even changing much, I almost smell like you that much now anyway and I'm mostly just toning down the fairy sweetness." I explain as I concretely put the modified shield in place.

"Very resourceful." Kissing me once more, I grin against him when my stomach rumbles and he pulls back. "Right then, I must feed my fairy." Wrapping his arm around my waist, he shows me around the hotel suite before taking me out onto the balcony. "What would you like for your dinner?" Running his hand around my back in circles, he looks around the buildings surrounding ours although we are in one of the taller ones.

"How about you surprise me? I'm rather open, no allergies or anything besides lemon and nightshade berries although that's a pretty rare cooking ingredient." I remark and he raises an eyebrow.

"Nightshade berries?" He's perplexed and I nod, leaning against him as I look down at the street.

"Yeah, oddly enough they're pretty much instant death. Rare and almost unknown fact though, so keep it to yourself." Agreeing with me silently, he pulls my attention back to him with a nudge to the bond as I am looking at the sky for a moment.

I'm surprised when he sweeps my legs up to hold me against his chest and we float over the rooftops. "You're not worried about being seen?"

"No, there are a lot more vampires here and they're used to occasionally seeing my maker. The restaurant we are going to is owned by his right hand, Isabelle. You'll likely meet her later." I'm wanting to ask more but don't as we touch down on the sidewalk a moment later. There are voids scattered around the street and his arm is around my shoulders as I double check that my scent is correct while he leads me into to a brick building. The entryway is all black, nothing giving away that it is a restaurant and the hostess appears flustered as she sees Eric. Shit, nobody said he was going to be here tonight! She hurries to press a pager hidden beneath her podium and it alerts someone in the back to get a private booth ready.

"Right this way, Mr. Northman." Her voice is nothing but polite as she buys a few seconds getting out two different menus and she leads us through a set of double doors into the main area of the restaurant. It's lavishly furnished, all of the chairs looking more like lounge chairs around the sparse tables and the walls are lined with deep private booths, a set of black saloon doors at regular intervals. Turning to lead us into a back corner, we go through a saloon door and I realize the private booth is enchanted as the sounds of the rest of the restaurant disappear. "Your waiter will be here soon, please browse the selection and press the button here on the wall if you feel you've waited too long." She leaves as Eric turns and pulls out a chair for me, the table in the center of the small room able to seat at least ten with the same heavily cushioned chairs as is in the main area.

"There's a lot of good choices." I mutter as I read over the menu, noticing that he ignores his and I glance at it before looking up at him.

"It is a menu of donors, which I find I am not interested in." Chuckling, I lean into his side and a young man steps into the booth as the saloon doors swings inward. My meal comes through the same doors a short while later, barbeque ribs with grilled shrimp on skewers and corn on the cob off to the side. Eric is amused as I marvel at the portions, barely able to finish half of the food and packing the rest up into boxes after I'm done.

"What about our bill?" I ask as Eric's arm comes around me and we walk from the restaurant.

"It will be sent to Godric's nest, I'll settle it with him. That is his private booth." He tells me as we're flying back to the balcony of our hotel room.

"The stewardess knew who you were so I guess that makes sense. She was just worried because nobody told her you'd be here and she didn't know what you might end up requesting." Standing me on my feet, he opens the balcony door and moves ahead of me into the hotel room to disappear for a moment before appearing in front of me as I step inside. Hovering nearby as I put my leftovers away in the kitchenette refrigerator, I can tell he's on high alert for any potential dangers. "What is your maker like?" My question seems to catch him off guard and he's stumped for a long moment.

"Godric is very reserved, as of the last several hundred years. He was once very wild and earned himself the moniker of 'Death' amongst many. As a maker he was unrelenting in teaching me to be a strong vampire and I owe much of my success to his teaching. He's very knowledgeable and will likely be interested in your book, you should show it to him sometime. You are my bonded, thus you should be shown respect in his nest and any verbal slights should be left to Godric to handle as this is his area. Anything physical and I will step in without question. Area vampires are gathered in his nest every night so don't be surprised by the company." Taking my hand, he escorts me to the elevator and we go down together before I see Marcel waiting for us.

He nods his head to us respectfully, following us out and taking the driver seat as Eric opens the back and waits for me to get in. Getting in beside me he locks the door as soon as it's closed and I look at Marcel. "Thank you for coming, I didn't realize you'd be here so soon."

"Of course." The tone he uses is as though it's obvious and it's all he says before pulling out onto the street.

"Anything last minute I should know about Godric?" I ask Eric as we pull up to a house that I can sense is full of voids, at least twenty of them throughout the aboveground floors. There are also voids below the ground level at a few intervals and I wonder how deep the structure goes into the earth. The outside appearance is modern and expensive, white marble and glass with a metal roof covered in solar panels. The yard and shrubbery are perfectly maintained and I eye a small fountain that I like in the center of the yard.

"Do not worry, lover. You will do perfectly." His reassurance is appreciated and he knows it, feeling it from me just as he felt my slight worrying.

I don't miss Marcel glancing back in the mirror from the corner of my eye as Eric is focused on me. "Marcel, I would like to make one thing very clear for always." He looks back at me expectantly as he shifts the car to park. "No matter what, you are never to interfere with Eric and I, even if you think he's killing me."

"Understood." There was a few seconds of pause before he spoke and Eric is still focused on me, knowing why I needed to say it. I have no idea what future situations could bring.

The tall, short haired vampire who opens the front door is nothing short of a modern-day cowboy, hat and all. Scowling at the air itself, he doesn't say anything and steps aside as soon as he sees Eric, ignoring me beside him. Marcel stays close behind us as we go in and I touch on the minds of each of the humans one by one with each step I take. Eric's arm is around me and he guides me as he feels I've focused myself on someone, losing sense of exactly what I'm doing physically.

Vaulted ceilings span above us as we walk through the church, Steve leading me down into the armory and I am surprised when I see the mannequin. Its got a heavy looking black vest placed upon it, black boxes patterned across it and an unfamiliar man working on wiring on the side of it. "This is an old buddy of Gabe's, he was kind enough to do the electrical work on this for us. Be sure to be out by out by ten past two if you wish to survive."

I pull from the memory as Steve turns his back to Hugo and return to myself fully, not looking at the human as Eric bristles slightly. He feels my disdain and growing unhappiness in the bond and I tamp my fiery emotions down as I see his maker for the first time for myself. His features are soft, his age obviously young when he was turned, his hair short and his expression neutral as he locks eyes with his child. Almost as though he's using a spotlight, I can see him inspecting Eric's side of the bond and I don't do anything as Eric seems to push him back from it after only a few seconds. He's feeling possessive before I wash him in affection, his makers eyes sliding to meet mine a moment later and I bow my head forward politely.

"Master, this is my bonded, Sookie." Eric says flatly, my back straight a moment later and the elder vampire inclines his head to me respectfully. A strange flurry of glances and whispered words goes through the surrounding vampires and humans but I ignore them as I glance at the clock and start counting down.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I do wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I hope you understand that I have just discovered we are on a bit of a schedule. I trust you've told him about me already?" I ask Eric the question, looking up at him as he feels that something is going on and is slightly tense at my side. His eyes were flicking around the room and they meet mine as he nods to confirm. Hugo doesn't suspect anything and I smile to myself as I continue. Eric can feel me welling my light in my chest and using it now, pouring it out mentally as I invade the humans mind completely. "Good, then I believe that Hugo would like to say something."

"Hugo?" Isabelle quietly questions the man as his feet are carrying him against will to stand before Godric, his voice flat as he speaks despite not wanting to.

"I must confess that I have been working for Steve Newlin since long before we met. I've been feeding them information and helping them in every way I can, including funding research. They're beginning to adapt weapons to specifically target vampires, figuring out what affects you all besides silver and sunlight and percentages of silver to still be affective when mixed with other metals. Steve also thinks he can develop contact lenses that stops vampires from glamouring a human and suits to match your strength. Tonight, they are planning to bomb this nest and I had planned to leave any second as the bomber will be here within two minutes." There's an eruption of growls cutting him off from saying anymore and I don't mind as the end of the speech I'd prepared for him is rather unimportant.

"Godric, what should we do with him?" Stan demands loudly and I look back at the vampire as he stands from his chair, stepping in with his own sharp growl as the rest go quiet. I don't miss the way the ancient glances between me and the human before finally speaking to me.

"Sookie, do you have a plan?" Godric questions and several vampires seem surprised but I can feel through Eric that he is curious at what I'll do next.

"Yes, sit back down and all the rest of you act naturally. Isabelle, take Hugo and lock him up in Godric's holding cells. The humans didn't realize he would be stopped at the front door, but don't stop him and allow him to get this far. I'm going to freeze him, take what I can from him then knock him out. Stan, please grab him when I snap my fingers and hold his hands to make sure he doesn't activate the bomb. Eric, I'll walk you through disarming it. Marcel, act as the doorman, go. That's his car pulling in." We're all in position with Godric overseeing the proceedings as the human in a large coat comes in.

When he turns the corner into the main area he takes only a few steps before I freeze him with a snap of my fingers, Stan and Eric going to work under my guidance. I tell them which wires to pull to disable first the detonator and then the individual charges before the bomb is pulled from the human's body. Stan has another vampire take the vest away from the property to another location to be fully dismantled and the human is led away by the cowboy vampire to be put in a cell next to Hugo. "Now, I do believe that we are safe for the rest of the night. The rest of the humans here have nothing else to hide, including all of your staff currently on the property." I tell Godric with a smile and the corner of his mouth twitches slightly upward.

"Child, it would seem that you have managed to take a rather fantastic creature for your bonded. Congratulations. It has been a delight to get to know more about you, young one." Godric says the last part to me, the first part directed to Eric and I lean into his side as I smile in return.

"It was nice to meet you as well." Bowing my head forward again, I can feel that Eric is proud of my manners as I am nothing but respectful in my tone.

"Master, if you are available, I would like to speak with you in private." Nodding, Godric stands and turns to walk towards the hallways behind him.

"Come then." Stopping, he turns to glance around the room at the area vampires. "This nest is compromised by Hugo. We will be relocating, be mindful of your safety in the meantime." He disappears and Eric directs me to go down the hallway, having me step ahead of him through a back door before he's lifting us into the air.

"Where do we go from here?" I ask quietly, not sure how much sound travels from this high up.

"Godric is on the street below leading his nest to the hotel so he can arrange everything at the front desk in the lobby. He'll come to our room soon." Situating ourselves on the couch a short while later, I'm engrossed in a book when the single knock at the door breaks my focus. Eric moves faster than I can see to open the door and his maker steps in.

He appears in a seat across from us a second later as Eric returns to my side, his mouth opening before mine can and tactically divulging all of the pertinent information. Blinking before he responds, I wait patiently as he seems to be sorting himself out mentally.

"It would seem that for some reason the human Steve Newlin has a problem with you, but I do not know what it would be. You are both free to move and investigate within my area and that includes the land that the fellowship sits on." His voice is flat and I glance up at Eric as I feel his questioning mind.

"You have nobody inside?" Godric shifts his gaze from me to his child and I see his lip twitch down in annoyance.

"No, it has proven difficult to get someone inside. With the outing of Hugo's betrayal, I now know why as it always seemed that Steve knew when someone on my payroll was coming to try and join the church." I had assumed as much as soon as Eric questioned him and I stand up wordlessly as they continue to talk, going to the bedroom where our bags are located. Pulling out a dress I'd packed I look it over, pure white fabric splotched with red flowers and and grinning, I remember I'd seen Eric eyeing it previously as though he couldn't wait to tear it apart. A pair of flat sandals match it well and I do my hair up quickly before stepping back into the living room as they continue to speak.

I hear the click of Eric's fangs as he views me over Godric's shoulder and I see his maker stiffen as he turns to see me as well. "Golly, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just looking for the chapel." My voice is a higher tone than natural and much too innocent, Eric's growl louder a second later.

"Are you trying to undo me?" He threatens in my ear seductively as I'm suddenly pressed against the wall, grinning up at him triumphantly.

"No, but I bet I could get into the fellowship of the sun untouched. They've never seen me and have no idea what happened to Hugo, so tomorrow morning would be perfect. Don't worry, I'll just pop out if I need to." His eyes are boring into mine as he is mentally waring with himself, unable to admit that it is a good plan as he doesn't want me to put myself anywhere near a threat.

"I think you should do it." Eric allows me to move in his hold enough to look around his side, Godric now standing behind him. "You know as well as I do that this will likely be our best shot to get someone in before they realize that Hugo is no longer moving of his own free will."

Our plans are finalized by sunrise, and I stand alone in the lobby as he dies for the day. I don't like it, his arms feeling like they're missing from around me but I steel myself as a black SUV pulls up out front. The man in the driver seat is unaffiliated with the church but goes there without hesitation as its location is well known by the locals. There are a mass of other cars in the parking area, people all around us and I filter the thoughts as I hunt through minds for the best candidates. I find an elderly couple with no other family who've been coming here since before the church grew to what it is, adjusting their memories and greeting them as though we all know each other before heading inside.

The morning sermon doesn't sound far off from the ones I remember going to Gran with as a teenager, but I can spot the differences. It's mainly small details such as the exclusion of words like 'everyone' and 'all' being replaced with 'every human' and 'all living men' in the bible. Newlin's published copy of the bible reflects these changes as I pull a copy from the back on the seat in front of me, doing exactly the same as everyone else and reading along. Mentally, I'm surprised that I can't find his wife on the premises, her thoughts absent and his absent of any knowledge of why I'm here. He does however burn my nerves as his extracurricular activities will certainly be cause enough to bring this whole place down. Gently coaxing his memories in the right direction, I make him believe that he isn't due to hear from Gabe or Hugo for a few days.

As soon as his speaking ceases everyone rises and I follow suit, a large buffet spread out along the walls at the back of the room as everyone socializes. Sifting through the pastor's memories as I passively nod and follow along with mundane conversation, I uncover the likely location of his wife and soon excuse myself to the restroom. Locking the door, I snap my fingers and my sundress dissolves, appearing atop my suitcase in the hotel room as I no longer need it. Reaching to my limit, I find a group of the sun soldiers within my range as they are on a routine jog, getting what I need from their minds and popping to the bathroom of one of their locker rooms. Stealing clothes from someone of nearly the right size, I get dressed as I start reaching through the minds around me and grin as I find Sarah Newlin. Walking through the hallways, I'm unhindered getting into the other side of the building and am almost impressed at the lack of security as I step into her office.

"Can I help you?" She asks, smiling broadly as I open and close the door with my back mostly to her before turning with a grin. Knowing there's a panic button under her desk, my light stuns her before she can move to hit it and I lock the door.