Author's Note : This is going to be a short 2-3 shot story of a part of Eric's past. It is about a human woman named Nora who fascinates him and eventually comes to mean something more. Eric, in this, has not quite lost all human emotion despite his vampire indifference to suffering, but times are harsh and the simple comfort Nora gives him serves to ease the burden of the weight of command. I didn't have a particular time period in mind for this, so we'll say Eric is about 250-300 years old, and that he has brought together a fairly large nest that survives in various enterprising ways. Vampires could starve very easily in these times and so the young were eager to swear fealty to a vampire not much older than themselves for a chance to belong to a true, thriving nest. The number of his loyal vampires kept Eric relatively safe from those who were older than him, and that was how he liked to be. He kept careful watch over his nest mates and made sure none strayed too far to where they might endanger the rest, thus keeping his position of leadership with a relative amount of security.

Charlaine Harris retains sole rights to the SVM characters and stories, and I just want to take a moment to thank her for creating this world for us to play in. I apologize in advance for anyone who thinks Eric is a bit too sweet in this, but he swears it really is just vampire politics that made him the way he is. And a twisted sense of humor.

As always, thanks for reading!

The attack came at night, with no warning and no provocation. It was all the more brutal for its suddenness. Nora had never been one to relish battle, partly due to her condition, but also because she tended to believe in an inherent gentleness within all things.

But the creatures that descended on her small village were anything but gentle.

Nora awoke to screams. She sat bolt upright in her bed, rustling the straw and goose-feathers that filled her mattress and causing her thick fur blanket to fall to the ground. Like most of the women in her village she slept in heavy clothes but the night's chill air was still enough to steal the air from her lungs.

Another scream, from a deeper voice this time. 'Some of the men still live then. I wonder if this is a food raid?' It was not uncommon for villages that had come upon hard times to raid neighboring communities in the winter for supplies. But something didn't sound right with this attack and it was causing the hair on Nora's neck to stand out.

Suddenly she figured it out. She couldn't hear the clinking of armor, the stamping of hooves, or any normal sounds of battle from the attackers. 'What men are mad enough to attack for supplies without means to carry them away and to protect themselves from retaliation?'

The answer was not something she could ever have dreamed, except perhaps in her nightmares.

Her small hut was separated from the rest of the village by another thick fur cover, easy to pull aside during the day to keep her home open to those who had need of her services. It was thrown aside almost silently and she gasped that she hadn't heard the attacker approach. "Take what you need and leave us in peace!"

She received no answer. A small rustle of movement at her feet was her only warning as she suddenly found herself wrapped in her own blanket, bound in its folds, and carried out of her home.

Instinctively knowing that she could not argue with her captors, and not wanting to provoke them, Nora remained relatively silent as she felt herself taken outside and eventually dropped on what felt like a pile of other similarly bound inhabitants.

"Nora, Nora is that you?" The voice was laden with fear but Nora recognized her neighbor Edith.

"Yes, it's me. Can you tell me what's going on?" Of any of the times Nora cursed her condition none were more fervently done so than this one.

"Most of the village has been bound and thrown on a tarp of some kind, I don't know what they want to do with us. But Nora," Edith took a deep breath, her voice unsteady as she finished in a hushed tone, "They were drinking blood Nora."

"From the animals?" Nora was disgusted by the possibility.

"No. From the villagers." There was a slight pause. "From me."

Maybe her condition really was a blessing since it spared her from seeing the evidence of such activities on Edith's neck.

Nora had nothing to say to such a statement and the silence began to weigh heavily between the two women as more bodies were piled around them. Her customary darkness was punctured by groans and frantic inquiries from family members about their loved ones that only rarely received an answer. Finally, one of the aggressors spoke. Nothing could have shocked Nora more than hearing a female voice in a nighttime attack but it was undoubtedly a woman that addressed the captured villagers and made Nora's hair stand on end a second time.

"You will remain silent as we transport you to our Master. There will be no talking, no screaming, and no questions."

It was odd, after those words were spoken that every villager complied and dropped silent. There had almost been something otherly about the voice, and Nora thought that the woman must be a magic user of some kind. She herself was a healer, though not of physical wounds, and was relatively familiar with otherness. But this was something beyond her experience.

Realizing that she had little to gain by staying awake to listen to silence, Nora allowed herself to drift back to sleep to wonder what would become of them.

***********************************

Nora awoke, again, unsure of how much time had passed. The air was still cold but she did not feel wind or hear any sounds of the wilderness. She was being unbound, along with the other villagers, and still no one was speaking. As the sounds of falling blankets quieted the same voice that commanded silence earlier in the night spoke from right in front of her. "Keep your eyes lowered as you enter our Master's presence. I won't have you embarrassing me." The same otherness as before flowed around her conscious but again she had no idea what it entailed. Nora was certain, though, that the woman had no idea that her speech was not having the intended effect.

She felt the air whisper movement more than heard as the woman turned and began walking away. Wishing she could see if there was obstacles on the floor Nora kept her eyes down, as instructed, and prayed to her goddess that nothing tripped her feet as she followed. Fortune must have smiled on her at that instant only to flee back into its hidden nest. A flap of cloth was moved aside by a silent guard and then Nora found herself in a room with a fire and thick fur coverings on the floor – she could feel heat to her left and almost caught the toes of her right foot on the edge of the coverings, but she steadied herself with practiced quickness. A weight suddenly pressed onto her shoulder and she took it to mean that she should kneel.

Uncertain of what her captors expected she decided to assume the pose typical in the rituals of her people when they honored their elders. It amounted to resting on the balls of her feet with her hands clasped close to her chest, head bowed completely downward. Here she waited, and sent a silent prayer for her friends and neighbors, as well as herself, asking for calm and understanding. It was perhaps an odd prayer but it seemed the best she could ask for considering the circumstances.

The silence in the room began to feel uncomfortably thick after a few moments, apparently even to her captor. "Master, this is one of the-" The woman's reverential tone was cut short by a deep, powerful voice.

"I don't recall giving you permission for what has been done this night." Nora was glad her face was hidden from this man, his voice was so laced with displeasure, and she willed herself to stay unmoving despite an almost uncontrollable urge to quiver in fear. This was not a being you wanted angry at you.

It was impossible to tell how his speech affected the woman captor but another silence stretched menacingly around them. Nora thought that they were the only three in the room, the man, the woman, and herself, but she was not entirely certain. The others were entirely too quiet for her liking and she realized she couldn't even hear them breathing.

"Was it done well?" the masculine voice asked, still underlined with threat. Nora thought that he must be the leader or at least someone responsible for the people who had conducted the raid, but she might be mistaken. The woman answered almost immediately, the relief in her voice quite evident.

"No witnesses, no markings. We were one with the night."

"See that it never happens again."

"As you will, Master. Never without your permission." This seemed to be said in ritual and it must have eased the man's spirit because his voice took a lighter tone. "And what have you brought me?"

"A finer specimen that we hoped to find. I hope she is to your liking." Nora felt her face drain of color as she took in the meaning of that statement.

"Indeed. Untouched?"

"Of course. Shall I prepare her for you?" The lack of emotion in the woman's voice chilled Nora to the core. She might as well have been offering to dress a pig for the cooking fires.

"No, I shall be leisurely tonight. You may go. Tell everyone they may take of the unexpected bounty as they wish. We shall eat well this season."

"Yes, Master. I bid you good evening." Another rustle of air and the woman was gone, leaving Nora alone with the supposed leader of the raiders. She wondered briefly if the guards left as well. Her terror began to overwhelm her and she felt a tear leak down her cheek but she gave herself a stern warning that now was not a time to lose her head.

"Stand." That first word he addressed directly to her made shivers go down her spine. She didn't know why but Nora felt as though she had just been pushed off a very steep cliff. Her legs shook as she raised herself but she was determined not to show him her fear. "What do you want of me?" Her voice was steady and betrayed nothing of her feelings.

If she had known what her words would cause, Nora may have remained silent. She felt air whisper again, directly in front of her, and she stifled a scream as she realized that the man had crossed the room in less time than it took her to think how impossible that was. She tried to take a step back from him but two strong hands clasped her shoulders and held her still. Just that light touch told her he was the strongest man she had ever met, and the men of her village were not weaklings.

"Look at me." The otherness flowed around her again and Nora understood that she would not be able to hide again. She acted on instinct, out of years of practice, and perhaps out of a bit of curiosity that had always taken her at the oddest times. Her hands reached out and were on his chest before she could think. They traveled upward with practiced ease, fingertips dancing over muscle and flesh – if she thought he was cooler than he should have been she attributed it to the winter night. They found his chin, his cheeks, nose, brow and lips. It was here she finally realized the nature of him, a creature out of legends, as her fingers ran over the lengthened enamel of pointed fangs. "Oh…" it was almost a sigh out of her lips. She snatched her hands back as though he had bitten her.

He had stood still under her exploration of him, apparently unfazed. "You are damaged."

Incredibly enough Nora actually felt hurt that he would judge her so callously. "And you are not human." She bit the inside of her lip at her own imprudence.

But rather than being offended, the man laughed. It was a rich, booming sound that rolled out of his chest in a way that Nora associated with genuine amusement. She had no idea what to make of it.

"So what shall I call you?" He might as well have been asking what to name a pet but she chose not to make an issue of it. "My name is Nora."

"Nora, I am delighted to meet you. You may call me Erik." The commonness of his name almost made her smile. This creature of terror that haunted mothers' and children's nightmares alike was actually introducing himself to her, and absurdly Nora felt her terror fading. "I take it Lena did not realize your condition when she brought you to me," he commented, mostly to himself.

"I think not, no. Is that why her commands did not enforce themselves on me?" Erik was still standing entirely too close for her to be comfortable but she almost had herself convinced she was dreaming.

"Possible. I have run into difficulties commanding the blind before although none were ever so bold as to speak, let alone lay their hands to me." Nora had the sense to blush. "I'm surprised to find you living as an accepted member of a community. Don't the villages around here typically kill blind children once their invalidity is apparent?" As suddenly as her cheeks had regained color they lost it again. He spoke so brazenly about slaughter of the innocents it made her temper flare.

"That may be so," she said, keeping her voice as even as possible, "but I was not stricken until I was more than six summers old. My mother kept me until she passed, as no man wanted a blind mate as a mother for his children, and I have kept to myself ever since." She didn't quite know why she felt the need to validate her existence to this monster, but he had asked.

"I see." A hint of dark amusement lurked in his voice. "So you really are untouched?"

Nora bowed her head as she answered, "Yes." It was true, no man wanted her because it was impossible for her to raise children safely. Nurture them, educate them in the ways of their village, teach them respect of self and respect of others as well as respect of tradition, but never bear them into the world. It was not really sad for her, since she did not want to risk the heartbreak of losing a child to some accident her sight could have prevented. She never tempted any man to come into her bed and in return the women of the town let her be a part of their children's lives.

"I see. You would fight me if I tried to force myself on you?"

Nora had no desire to live under such conditions. "To my last breath," she said honestly.

"Very well, you have nothing to fear then in that regard. We will, however, need to arrange our other piece of business."

Nora frowned even as she accepted that his telling her he would not rape her was a sincere statement. "What other business could you want…" Her voice trailed off as she realized what he was implying. Her right hand clasped over her mouth to prevent a scream from sneaking past her lips.

He almost sounded apologetic. "Yes, I see you understand. You need to realize that the others will search for my mark on you and if they don't see it I will not be able to defend my lack of actions. They will think you bewitched me, and will kill you certainly and me most likely in an attempt to purge the failure. The mere fact that you are immune to our commands is a risk to us."

"So why are you letting me live?" Nora knew he might change his mind the more he considered it, but she also had to know.

"Because you're fascinating and it's not often that I find myself fascinated. You're also human, and apparently unafraid of me enough to speak to me bluntly. I find myself intrigued by your beauty and amused by your personality. I would like to keep you to myself, untouched I promise, but I will not be denied my sustenance." His frankness was almost uncomfortable. 'Did he just call me a beauty?' she couldn't help but wonder but saved such thoughts for another time.

She considered her options. Either she could accept his offer and pray that he was not lying about his intentions, or she could refuse him and force him to kill her. Nothing disillusioned her to believing that there were any alternatives to explore.

"If I let you feed on me, will I become like you?" she asked tentatively. Life or not, she did not wish to become a monster.

"No. There is a process to turning although you shouldn't ever expect me to reveal it to you." The edge was back in his voice.

"No, of course not," she said reasonably. "What will happen to my neighbors?"

"They will have been passed out between our family and used for sport, pleasure, and feeding." His bluntness made her head spin.

"I don't suppose there is anything…" her voice trailed off again.

"No. They are lost to you." Another single tear trickled down her cheek, a memento for her lost life. 'Perhaps I should just let him end it,' she thought to herself, but every fiber of her being cried out against the impulse. Resigning herself to the unknown, Nora turned her head to the side and offered him her neck. More tears threatened and she had to sternly admonish herself for the flood of emotions, but she kept her body still.

"Yours, then." She couldn't muster the energy to say anything more. A cool finger ran down the length of her neck, from chin to collar, and she thought she heard him lick his lips. "Truly fascinating," he whispered into her ear as he enfolded her in his arms. She felt the briefest of nuzzles at the particularly sensitive portion of her neck, and then he bit.

The pain was not great but it was not lacking either. She felt curious sensations ripple across her body. It may just have been his closeness, the intimacy that this act forced them to assume, but as he took her blood she felt another kind of desire take hold. Incredibly, her hands found their way to his hair, and she cradled his head into her neck as he drank. She wondered what color it was as it pooled softly in her fingers.

Then it was done, and he was licking the wound on her neck. She removed her hands and he pulled away, although Nora was certain he did so reluctantly.

"Is that all?" she breathed, her voice ragged.

He licked his lips again, she heard, and suddenly he was kissing her. She had been kissed before, as an element of a game when she was young enough for such things to be innocent, but this was entirely different. Her whole body got caught up in the kiss and she found herself awkwardly returning it. But the awkwardness finally sank in on her conscience and then she pulled away, wondering what had gotten into her. She was almost surprised her that he allowed her to step back.

They stood apart for a moment and Erik broke the silence by saying, "I certainly hope you are worth the trouble," just as Nora found herself collapsing onto the fur coverings beneath their feet. She was exhausted and her body had finally called it quits. The last thing she remembered was two strong arms catching her and slowly letting her onto the ground.

**********************************

It went on like that for a while. Nora became accustomed to Erik and he to her, each letting the other see parts of their life they would never have shown anyone else. Nora always knew that Erik would be a vampire first and her friend second, if he could even be called that, but he made life interesting and worth living which made everything worthwhile. They traveled regularly and she was able to meet people of many cultures and different walks of life. She almost wished he would help her document the things she learned, but she was content to take them with her as gifts to the gods when she eventually moved on from this world.

One night it came about that he saved her life from another vampire that had wanted her. Erik had practically roared "She is MINE" at the one who dared touch her intimately in his presence and Nora finally realized that she actually meant something to him besides a meal and someone to talk to that wasn't a vampire. She would never be certain what convinced her of that, but her brush with death had been so close that it made her realize she wanted to experience all life had to offer before she passed from her mortal shell.

After years of denying him, because he certainly enjoyed asking her, Nora finally decided that she wanted to give Erik the very thing he had been pretending had been his all along. And more than that, Nora wanted Erik for herself, so she could say that she knew a man's body before passing from this life. There was no risk of children with him, he had made that clear and all the vampire-human associations she had seen over her time with them bore out the truth of this. Not once had there been a child conceived in their camp.

It was funny, that she didn't quite know how to tell him. He needed rest after his confrontation with the other vampire and not in the mood to be rejected so he would simply neglect to ask the usual question. But Nora wanted to offer herself to him before she lost her nerve, and so she thought of the simplest way to tell him he could finally have her.

She just hoped that after all this time he really did want her. This could easily turn into the most embarrassing moment of her life.

Nora entered Erik's chambers as she did every night, usually to see what he required of her. Tonight Erik was resting on his bed which she knew from the familiar rustle it gave as he was awakened by her presence. His nighttime naps were nothing like his daytime slumber, so she expected his movement. She almost felt his eyes as he looked over at her and her breath caught in her throat at what she was about to do. Her attire this evening was not her normal heavy skit and robe, but a simple shift that tied closed in the front with several ribbons. Nora moved closer to the bed now, not stopping until she could have reached out and touched him but her hands were busy untying the first ties to her garment.

"Nora I am in no mood to be teased." His voice was firm and rebuking, though it stung Nora a bit to think that he thought she was just trying to arouse him.

The second tie fell loose.

The only other time he had seen this much of her had been, well, she wouldn't consider that further because it was not a pleasant memory. Now though, his hands reached out to clasp hers and stop their progress at untying her shift. "Nora?" His voice held nothing but a single question.

"I want you to have me." She had thought how best to phrase this to him but it still didn't sound quite right even to her ears. He groaned and looked away – she could read his movements now almost as well as her own.

Her face flushed in shame. "I'll have Lena send in one of your favorites then."

Erik tightened his grip on her hands slightly so she couldn't leave without him releasing her. "Do you just feel that you should reward me, or do you really want this after all these years?" he asked softly.

"I-" she began, only to be cut off.

"Either you want me or you don't, but I won't take you after all this time just as a conquest for myself."

This had been hard enough to decide on her own and now he wanted her to prove that she desired him? "Erik, if I tell you that I want you to touch me, I want you to take me into your bed and give me all those physical pleasures you find so fun to talk about, would you feel better that I am here offering myself?"

"Only if it was true," he said, but she could hear the desire in his voice. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Nora actually laughed at that. "No, I wouldn't even know where to begin if I wanted to try."

"Well you could continue releasing the strings of your gown, that might work," he suggested helpfully.

"I'll keep that in mind," she teased, and resumed her untying despite the nervous butterflies that tickled in her stomach.

With one more loop released her breasts were available to his mouth and Erik decided to take advantage of the exposure. His lips were hungry on her flesh and she knew it was not solely a hunger to feed. He had had plenty of blood earlier in the night.

She moaned as his tongue danced over her left nipple, then the right as he switched breasts. His mouth peppered kisses over her flesh as he trailed upward to her mouth where he captured her lips with his. They had kissed many times before but this was far more exciting because she knew that it would not have to end with embarrassing feelings and unmet wants for either of them. His hand had found its way up the leg of her shift and began gently rubbing the sensitive nub between her legs. Nora gasped and jerked under his touch, feeling torn between wanting him to get on with it to wanting him to be considerate of her inexperience. She knew how experienced a lover Erik was and it made her wonder if she would be as good as he hoped she would be.

Erik removed his hand after a moment and took a hold of the two sides of her shift before ripping it apart. Nora had not put on any clothing beneath it and it was almost a shock to find herself bare in front of him so suddenly, but she quickly forgot any discomfort. He tumbled backward onto the bed and pulled her onto him in the process. His hands continued to roam her body leisurely and she could not imagine how hard it was for him to restrain himself as she felt his arousal pressed between them. She'd heard almost every session of his trysts with women, and a few men, since becoming part of his camp and almost always it had been a quickly escalating tempo of flesh on flesh. But she enjoyed the slow pace he was setting and let her hands begin wandering over his body, touching places she had only rarely had occasion to visit. She knew his face so well by now that she could have sculpted it from clay, but the one time she had tried he had smashed it to pieces and not spoken to her for a month. His hands distracted her from remembering old wounds as he found her breasts again.

Another quick flip and she was on her back. His mouth moved downward to capture her right nipple again and she shuddered against him. Erik's fangs had run out sometime during their kiss but she hadn't noticed when it happened. She did now as he scraped them across overly sensitive tips and sucked powerfully into his mouth. Nora moaned again and felt moisture pooling between her legs.

His hands were extremely busy now and he glided one of them between her legs in preparation of teasing her.

"Don't break it early," she whispered urgently at him. It was funny how that thought focused itself to the surface of her mind but there was all kinds of bad luck that could happened to a girl whose maidenhead was broken by anything other than the physical act of love. The hand she had on the side of his face told her Erik was smiling up at her, amused, as he placed a second finger at her opening. Nora whimpered as he inserted them a little deeper than one knuckle, her eyes rolling back into her head at the unexpected sensation.

Erik kissed down her stomach, down one curved hip, and paused briefly next to where his fingers were slowly easing deeper into her tight, damp heat. Nora exulted in the feeling, thinking his fingers felt very large inside her body. She had no idea what he was about to do but that just made it more exciting for him. He looked up at her body, appreciating the view even more now than he had in the past since now she was bare and letting him have his way with her, finally. He intended to have her screaming his name well before they were through and begging for more not long after. He would take her in as many ways as he could before the sun rose and ended this waking dream. Because he had dreamt of her, maybe not quite like this but certainly something close. And as his hand continued slowly teasing her open, preparing her for when he would finally enter her body, he lowered his mouth and gave a slow, pointed lick over her bundle of pleasure. Her hips bucked against him and he had to be careful of his fingers. He would respect her wish to not break her early.

He licked slowly again and this time she merely gasped. "What – " she said breathlessly as her hands trailed downward to find out what he was doing that made her feel that way. Erik's one regret was that she could not actually see him as he claimed her, but then her hands worked just as well as some human's eyes. She rested her fingers next to where he was focusing his attention and her moan of pleasure sent a rush of need through his body as she realized just how he was provoking the sensations coursing through her body. He controlled himself, knowing that if he took her now she would hurt too much and may fear coming to his bed again. It was a problem he'd had with virgins before and Erik was determined to spare Nora as much of the pain of losing her virginity to a man as well endowed as he was as he could. But he was still going to be the one to take it.

His licks became more urgent, more insisting. He tortured her slightly by withdrawing his fingers and taking his time to give her folds a calculated lick upwards. His tongue flicked over her nub at the apex of his lick and she bucked again. Smiling to himself at her willingness to lose herself to her pleasure, he repeated the action. And again. And then again. Each time she bucked harder against him and he had to use one hand to hold her down. Nora whimpered, wondering just what she had done to deserve this exquisite torture as she felt her body building toward something like the final crescendo of ritual music. Erik licked from the base of her folds to the bud at the top once more before inserting his fingers again.

He matched the pace of his fingers to the rhythm of his tongue and Nora felt herself losing control of her body. She had no idea she could feel things like this. Suddenly she became aware of a desperate need forming inside her, and she knew that she didn't want Erik to stop what he was doing. It would rob her of something, somehow, something that was only just out of reach. "Please, oh, oh, please I want it." Nora couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth but they were merely voicing what her body was telling her. Erik curled his fingers slightly, hitting some spot deep within her, and she became unglued.

Her body sang out a mass of tension as she quivered and shook. He felt her inner muscles clenching around his fingers, which were now deep inside her, as her first climax washed over her. And while she was still having aftershocks, while her body was perfectly relaxed, Erik moved suddenly on top of her, positioning himself for the final act. She inhaled sharply as the head of erection pressed against her opening.

"Nora," he whispered, amazed at himself that he would hesitate, "Are you certain?"

"Yes beloved, I am yours," she whispered, still dazed from what he had already done to her, given her. She raised both hands and rested one against his shoulder while the other ghosted across his face to sweep his hair out of his eyes. Her breathing was deep and ragged, but she was unafraid of what was to come.

"Beloved?" Erik's voice held a question and she almost screamed with impatience now that she was ready for him to take her.

She spoke softly. "Call it my self-delusion, but I want my first time to be with a man I admire, revere, and could love. So yes, beloved, you fit the description."

His further hesitation made her tense slightly and that seemed to jar him out of his thoughts. "No, relax Nora. I…" Erik faltered over whatever he might have wanted to say next, but she understood and it gave her courage.

"Men cannot express themselves in words, this I know." He had drawn away from his direct contact with her womanhood during the worded exchange so she trailed one hand down between them to grasp at what she knew was there. She heard his sharp intake of breath as she guided him back to her entrance, feeling a little thrill as she wondered how something so much bigger than his fingers would fit into her. "So show me," she finished gently, begging, encouraging.

He pushed himself in slowly, hearing her gasp as he parted her much wider than she could have imagined stretching. Gently, not wanting to hurt her, he eased himself forward until he came to her barrier. Erik let himself sink down onto his elbows so their chests were touching lightly and she steeled herself for the pain she knew had to come. He didn't hesitate further as he surged into her completely, not quite as far as he could go, but well past the point of making her a woman. She bit her lip at the pain but it was not nearly as great as she might have feared. It had been the expectation that was worse than anything, knowing that it would hurt. But now that it was past she felt the sting fade quickly as her body adjusted to its new discovery.

"More," she said to let him know she was ready for him to move. Nora would thank him later for not rushing her, and she arced her head back into the pillows as she felt him slide out slowly before pushing steadily into her again. Her eyes widened as she realized he had gone even deeper that second thrust. "You're not –" but he cut her off before she could finish the thought.

"Hush, beloved, and let me take you at a pace that won't leave your body aching with anything but more desire." Another pull and then push, again even deeper. She moaned.

He repeated the slow, unhurried method of letting her body adjust to him for several long moments, but finally she felt his pelvis pushed against hers and that same feeling as earlier had resurfaced. "Oh, Erik," she sighed at him, and he leaned forward to kiss her again.

Her response was urgent, animalistic. Now that they were past the initial moment, past the fear, past the pain, she was consumed with want. And Erik couldn't help but satiate her.

His next thrust was much more forceful. A slow pull out, stopping just before leaving her completely, and then a heated plunge back in. She bucked under him and he slid a hand down to her hip, encouraging. The next thrust she rose off the bed slightly to meet him and he growled. He pulled back slowly, again, and slammed into her. When she didn't object to the treatment he repeated it.

Soon they were lost in each other, fueling their mutual lust through their movements. Erik grabbed one of her legs and hiked it up behind his hip, allowing him even deeper inside her and she moaned under him. "Erik!"

His desire unhinged him. Hearing her say his name, with that heat in her voice, with her hands running desperately over his arms and shoulders, feeling her hips rising to meet his every thrust, it was too much. He took her mercilessly, roughly, and the bed shook with his thrusts. She clung to him desperately and he let her pull his upper body into a tight embrace. It brought his face down next to her neck and the thought of her blood did him in.

He picked her up and slammed her into the headboard, his strength and agility allowing for him to stay inside her as they moved. Nora gasped at his renewed pounding, this time entirely at his pace as she could not move much in their vertical position. Her legs were still locked around his waist and the crescendo had built again. "Yes," she moaned, feeling him reach a spot deep inside her that made her bristle with pleasure, "yes," she gasped as he hit it again, "yes!" and she felt like she was at the edge of a cliff, unsure whether to jump. His next thrust took the decision from her as he forced her over the edge. Her voice caught up in a shout of euphoria as her body shuddered in delight. Erik thrust once, twice more, sending even more exquisite feelings through her, and then he was yelling, "Sweet goddess, save me from myself!" as he emptied himself into her. His fangs sank into her neck but since she were awash with the aftershocks of passion, the arousal Nora felt usually was simply caught up in short spasms of her lower muscles.

Soon enough, since he didn't really need to feed, Erik stopped himself and licked gently over the wounds. He was still inside her, still pressing her against the headboard, but he didn't want to move.

Nora spoke first. "That was…" She trailed off as she searched for the words, any word that might describe what she was feeling. "Perfect."

Erik laughed, a deep booming sound that made her feel giddy and she was unable to help herself as she joined in with him. He sank backwards into the bed, dislodging himself from her in the process as she sprawled across him, each of her legs trailing down over either side of his hips.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, wishing that she could see his eyes but settling for reaching up to caress his face, letting the tips of her fingers rest next to his mouth where his half-smile always appeared.

"You never have to thank me, Nora. You only have to ask," he said to her gently, meaning every word.

"So when can I ask again?" she teased him and he chuckled.

"You can ask now if you like."

"Oh," she said, blushing, "You can…I thought…men usually need a break…don't they?"

"How long have you known me Nora?" Erik asked with a trace of amusement.

"I know your appetite, Erik, but I did not realize you could regain it quite so quickly."

He tossed her onto her side so he could roll to face her more easily. "Only for you, my siren, only for you." And then he was kissing her and Nora forgot all about wondering how things would be between them now. She would take her time to enjoy him and worry about tomorrow when it got here.