Sitting back down in my chair my heels bouncing up and down trying in vain to calm myself down. Trying to convince myself that it was my blood but deep down I knew it wasn't. My tongue swirled around my mouth trying to find a hidden cut or scrape but found none.

"Are you ok Torr? You're trembling." Louise inquired.

"No I'm fine it's just low blood sugar that's all."

"But your not diabetic." She pointed out.

"Coffee." I snapped. " I need caffeine. The maximum legal amount of caffeine. Two sugars please."

I watched as Louise scurried away to go fetch it. I looked at my watch. If I could get off early I could make it to Bill's before dawn. Vampire blood was sacred and while I could naively believe that Eric 'accidently' cut his own tongue in a moment of passion deep down I knew this was part of some power play. What it meant I don't know but I had a feeling Bill would.

With vampire like speed Louise was already back with two cups of coffee in her hands. She set them down in front of me and proceeded to empty her pockets, which were filled with packets and packets of sugar, creamer, splenda, equal and sweet and low.

I smiled up at her. "You'll make one fine nurse Louise. One quality every good nurse needs is to anticipate a patients needs before they even know what they are."

I looked around at the ER. "Y'know it's really quiet tonight and I'm not feeling that great so I'm going to head out early. We are overstaffed tonight anyways."

As much as I like to think I am indispensible to this place I'm just one nurse and have the good fortune to work with at least a dozen nurses just as competent and dedicated as I. The ER would survive without me while I tended to my own emergency.

I tried to keep my composure as I signed over my remaining patients to the charge nurse and gather my things. Once in my car though I gunned my way out Shreveport in a mad dash effort to make it to Bill's before dawn.

Within half the time it should have taken me I was at Bill's door banging as loud as my heart seemed to be beating. The door swung open and I was lost for words for a minute. Bill's house was old and dilapidated on the house. So much so it made Sookie's look Home and Garden worthy but on the inside it was something else. I pushed past him to get a better look.

"Ms. Tustin what a surprise. Do come in." He greeted me some trepidation.

"Relax. I'm not here to talk about Sookie. That's still all up to you."

"I know." He replied. "You're here about Eric."

"Wait how did you know?"

"You smell like him. Vampire's we can smell when another vampire has claimed his human. You did not smell like that earlier this evening."

"His? No I am NOT Eric's"

I was starting to panic. I sat down on Bill's couch and explained the events of the last few nights. I really needed to know what swallowing Eric's blood would do to me.

Bill looked at me with an almost pitiful stare.

"Once a vampire has given his human."

"A human. I am not his human."

"Other vampires would beg to differ but as I was saying once a vampire has given a human his blood they are able to sense their emotions and they are always able to find them. It is very unusual for a vampire as old and powerful as Eric to want to bond with a human."

Down the rabbit hole we go.

"How old? How powerful?" I was starting to feel disorientated like I was Alice and had just drunk from that little bottle.

"Eric is over a thousand years old and is the sheriff of area 5 though he could have easily been King if he wanted.

"Why would he want to bond with me?" I knew why. I just didn't know how he knew to pursue me. As open as I had been with Sookie I kept my gift close to my chest.

"I can only guess at what Eric wants but I would suggest extreme caution. There is a bright side however. You will be safe from other vampires advances since only a new foolish vampire would want to cross Eric Northman."

"Oh great. Why would other vampires want me anyways? I'm not exactly Ms. Fangbanger America or anything."

"You smell different"

"Different?" I resisted the urge to discretely check my armpits

"Just different. Supernatural."

I was having a hard time digesting all this new information about a world I knew nothing about. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was regretting having drunk both those coffees.

"Ok so he can track me down anytime he wants and I have a reserved for Eric scent to me. How long does it last? I only drank a drop." I could sweat this out for a few days or weeks no problem.

"For a vampire as old as Eric. Probably forever. Well longer than the average human lifespan anyways."

I wanted to spend the next few hours grilling Bill on all the aspects of vampire culture I knew nothing about but dawn was fast approaching and he needed to go to grow for the day.

He showed me to the door and looked at me with some embarrassment.

"I should warn you might experience some dreams. Of an erotic nature. With Eric."

Well at least that wouldn't be anything new.