New Blood 4 Back over to Katie

[ericsvalkyrie]

*** The character names you recognize from True Blood are not my creations. Anyone you don't recognize is. My world combines elements of the HBO series, a tiny bit of the books, and lots of aspects of White Wolf, Mage, Vampire and Changeling. Enjoy!***


Yule was coming and my ass was getting fat. I had been making candy, cookies and sausage balls for three days straight. Two thirds of it had gone in the freezer; the other third had gone into my mouth. As the days grew colder and grayer, my homesickness got worse and worse. To stave it off I had decorated the apartment to within an inch of its life. And I’d started cooking like I was going to Paula Deen’s funeral. The look on Eric’s face the first night he woke to find the living room a winter fairyland, was hilarious and made all the work worthwhile.

I was comforted in my misery by the fact that at least my ass wasn’t the only one expanding. I’d managed to put ten pounds on Ginger since September. We’d fallen into a routine of eating lunch together each afternoon the club was open. She’d show up around 4pm and I would stuff her full of fried chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and homemade biscuits. In the beginning she turned down the invite, but the first time she was hit with the smell of biscuits wafting down the stairs, she came begging like Oliver Twist.

I was stirring fudge on the stove when Eric came in the door. It was Monday night and Fangtasia was closed. He’d disappeared just after rising without a word. He had been a little quiet lately. I knew he had a lot on his mind. Beyond the responsibilities of running the club and being a Sheriff, he was worried about me. We’d never talked about it, but since the night he’d fed me his blood I’d been able to sense some of his emotions. It was a rough spot to be in, pretending you don’t know things that you do.

I heard him walk up behind me. He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. I smiled to myself and kept on stirring the fudge. Eric started swaying against me, rotating his hips in time to the stirring of the pot. I tried to keep my mind on what I was doing, but I could feel him hard against my ass and I was starting to loose focus. He leaned down and nibbled my neck. Going…….he licked my earlobe…….going……he reached around my neck, snaking his hand under my shirt. He gently squeezed my left breast, tweaking my hardening nipple between his thumb and finger…...gone! I dropped the spoon into the pot and twisting in his arms, I pulled him toward my mouth. I felt his arm reach past me and heard the click of the gas as he turned off the eye. I love a practical man.

“Good evening,” he murmured against the corner of my mouth.

“Mmmmm,” I responded, trying to lick his chin….he was too damn tall! I settled for his neck and collarbone.

“Katie…..as much as I’d love to finish what I’ve started, I have a surprise for you. And it won’t wait.”

I pulled back to look him in the eye. “What? You’re a coochie tease Eric Northman!” I smiled at him just the same. I hadn’t forgotten the ‘surprise’ part.

“I can assure you, once you find out what I’ve brought you, you’ll be on your knees for me for days.” His eyes actually twinkled. I’d never seen him so self satisfied and smug. It looked good on him.

I stepped back and put my hands on my hips. I pouted beautifully and said in mock exasperation, “Well, where is it?”

“Downstairs on the round couch.”

My ass hit the door in no time flat, singing out, “Pour the fudge in that buttered dish!” as I went.

I took the stairs two at a time, hoping that he hadn’t gotten me a dog or cat. I’d been pining for my dog that I’d left with my sister and Eric knew that. But I didn’t want anything that could be hurt in order to get to me. I wondered briefly why I wasn’t concerned about any of the people I knew being used that way. I skittered around the corner and saw Frankie O’Farrell sitting on the couch. Frankie was my best friend in the world and Toreador primogen extraordinaire.

I came to a screeching halt. I couldn’t believe he was there. All at once, all the emotions I’d been struggling to keep bottled up came boiling to the surface. You know how it is….something traumatic happens and you’re able to keep it together until you hear your Mom’s voice….yeah, that’s what it was like.

I ran to him, laughing and crying at the same time and threw myself into his outstretched arms. We tumbled backwards across the couch and I felt all my tension seep out of me at his embrace. He smelled so good, just like I remembered. He was hugging me hard and murmuring into my hair, “My lass, my lass.”

Thinking about how long it had been since I saw him made me remember why it had been so long. Pulling back from him I gasped, “Are you ok?” I started checking him over for injuries. My fears came rushing back at me, but they were for him now. There had to be some reason he wasn’t in Atlanta.

Laughing at me, he turned me around on his lap till I was sitting ala Santa. His wonderful green eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “Yes lass, I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?”

By way of answer, I had another question, “Why are you here?”

“Well it’s nice to see you too. JD is fine as well, before you even ask. I’ve come to spend some time with you before the Enclave. With Mr. Northman’s permission of course. ” He looked toward the doorway. I turned to see Eric standing there.

I beamed at Eric. “Thank you,” I sighed, “you couldn’t have given me a better Christmas present.”

“Better than a dog?” he asked.

“Better than a dog,” I agreed.

Frankie’s voice floated up from behind me, “I haven’t had dinner yet ya know. What does a mon have to do to get something to drink in this bar?”

“Whatever…you better be nice to me or I won’t introduce you to Lafayette.” I turned to give Frankie the wiggly eyebrow.

He immediately cocked one of his. “Who is Lafayette?”

“The best looking thing in Bon Temps….and he’s in the family. If you play your cards right, Christmas might come early for you too.”

An evil grin split his face from ear to ear. “If I’d known you had that kind of eye candy out here, I’d have come sooner.”

I grabbed two Tru Bloods, nuking them for 25 seconds. We sat down at the bar and I got the story. Frankie had called Eric and asked if he could stay with us the week prior to the Enclave. Eric had agreed, not a small thing when vampires of their rank were involved. Frankie took his vacation, told JD he’d see him in New Orleans, and headed out.

I sat looking at him, not believing he was real. I reached out and touched his hand a couple of times, making sure he wasn’t a figment of my imagination.

We talked for over an hour, mostly me and Frankie. He filled me in on the situation at home, and caught me up on all the latest gossip. He studiously didn’t mention Albert Butler. I figured he just didn’t want to remind of me of why my ass was here instead of at home. I called Lafayette and found out he was working at Merlottes. I told him I had someone I wanted him to meet and we’d be out presently. That certainly got his curiosity going.

I knew Eric wouldn’t want to go, but I invited him anyway. As predicted, he turned us down. He had a week’s worth of Wall Street Journals he hadn’t gotten to yet. Whew hew, wild night off! I rolled my eyes.

Grabbing Frankie by the hand we strolled out to my car and headed toward Bon Temp.

I had to ask a serious question, “What do you want to hear?” Frankie was as into music as I was…it was a friendship made in heaven.

Frankie asked me, “Do you have The Broken Bells?”

“Do I have The Broken Bells?” I snorted…..”You know how much I love The Shins. Of course I’ve got it.” I plugged my iPhone into the jack and we both exhaled a satisfied sigh as the opening strains of “The High Road” came on.

Now that we were alone, I could feel his concern for me coming off of him in waves. Before we even got to the freeway, Frankie turned to me and said, “What the fuck are you doing with that mon?”

I sighed and griped the steering wheel harder. If I could have driven with my face buried in my hands, I would have. “I…don’t….. freakin’ know.”

“Well that’s obvious. He’s dangerous Katie.”

“I know.”

Frankie was quiet for a minute, staring out the window. He murmured to the passing night, “He will lay you low.”

“Maybe.” I was studied the lines in the road, thinking about possible futures. “If he does, are you gonna be there to help me pick up the pieces?” I asked, holding my breath a little.

He turned to smile at me, the passing street lights glinting off his fiery hair. He looked at me with love then. The love I’d been so desperate to see from someone all these months. “Yes, I’ll always be there to help you pick up the pieces.”

I exhaled loudly and wanted to weep. I was overcome with gratitude for this man. He had come to mean so much to me in such a short time. “I love you Frankie. I really, really do. If I’ve never told you how much you mean to me, I’m telling you know. Our friendship is probably the most important one in my life. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Well here’s hoping you never have to find out,” he smiled. Then his demeanor changed, and his face grew shuttered.

“Katie lass, there’s something I need to tell you. Tituba has ordered your presence at the Enclave.” Frankie looked me square in the eye. His gaze was pinning me down like a helpless butterfly against a board. My running time was over.

“Why?” I breathed.

“There’s to be a tribunal. They have enough evidence to try Albert Butler for diablerie and treason. You’re to testify.”

“Oh shit, what am I going to do?” I wailed.

Frankie sat up ramrod straight and gave me the hairy eyeball. “What do you mean ‘what am I going to do’? You’re gonna go to the tribunal and testify. Then Albert will be dealt with and you can carry on with your life.”

“And what should I do then? I mean, we’ve already decided that I’m nuts to be fucking around with Eric.”

“I think you should bring all your stuff with you to New Orleans, and as soon as it’s resolved you should come home with me. To Atlanta. Where you belong,” Frankie said with finality, his mouth in a grim line. Did he sound like Mammy or was it just my imagination? I didn’t feel strong like Scarlett.

“Even with Albert gone his toadies could still be after me. So I go home and risk my life?”I asked incredulously.

“Better to risk your life than your soul,” he said in his theatrical Gaelic voice.

“My soul, oh come on. Isn’t that a little dramatic?” I asked with a smile.

He gave me a sideways glance…..”Is it?”

I was quiet for a minute, letting that sink in. I decided not to examine it further. “Is that what you would do then? Just leave and never look back?”

Frankie snorted, “Hell no…I would grab hold of him with both hands and enjoy the ride. I’d wring every last bit of pleasure I could out of Eric Northman, never forgetting that it won’t last forever.”

“Well, that’s sort of what I’ve been trying to do,” I harrumphed.

“Yes, but you’re not cold like I am. And like he is.” He looked at me with pity.

I was done with that line of conversation. I had a lot to think about and not long to ponder it all.

“Speaking of enjoying the ride, wait till you meet Lafayette.” I flashed a Cheshire smile.

Frankie latched onto the lightened mood. “Yes, tell me about this mystery mon.”

“He is out, loud and proud. He’s also fine as hell and built like a brick shit house. He’s sassy, funny and smart. And, he tells it like it is, always.”

“Ah, so he’s just like me then?” Frankie chuckled at my enthusiasm.

I thought about that for a heartbeat. “Actually, he sort of is.”

“Well I’m fabulous so we’ll probably hit it right off,” I got an ear to ear grin from him then.

We were both pretty quiet for a while. We listened to The Broken Bells, then I had to hear The Chieftains. Being with Frankie always made me want to listen to them. I played “The Foggy Dew” for him….it was sort of his life (and death) story and I knew he loved it. Plus it would keep him tied up in memories, and I didn’t want to talk about any more current events.

I wasn’t sure how to feel. I felt a little smug that I was getting my way about going to the Enclave….now I’d get to see JD too. But I was nervous about facing Albert and all his peeps. I hadn’t wanted to be there under those circumstances. The memory of almost dying like that was still fresh in my mind and I had no desire to repeat the experience any time soon. Well ever, actually.

The Enclave was being held on Yule, December 21st. All attendees were expected to be in the New Orleans area no later than December 20th. There would be a costume ball and all sorts of activities before hand that were optional, but appearing at the Enclave was not. At least not for the mukity mucks. Of which my boyfriend was one. Holy shit…did I just think, my boyfriend? I glanced sideways at Frankie. He couldn’t read my mind. Thank the gods Sookie wasn’t there. She would have gotten a kick out of that.

“So, where do you keep this tasty Lafayette treat?” Frankie crooned.

“He works at a bar called Merlottes, along with another friend named Sookie. That’s where we’re going to meet him.”

“What the hell kind of name is Sookie?” Frankie asked.

“Exactly,” I said.

We pulled up in front of Merlottes. I went to get out of the car and Frankie grabbed hold of my arm. I turned back and realized he had his mysterious face on again. “There’s another reason why I’m here. I’ve been elected to Justicar. I’m here to make sure you attend the Enclave. I asked them to let me fetch you.” He watched my face, looking for traces of the rebellion he knew simmered just under the surface.

“What would you do if I refused to go?” I asked…I wasn’t going to, but I was curious.

“I’d bring you in anyway. Incapacitate you if necessary, but never hurt you.” He was deadly serious then, the most serious I’d ever seen him. I can tell you one thing about vamps, at least ones like Frankie and Eric…they had killer work ethics. Ahem….and I said it with a straight face.

“I have an official writ from Tituba, with your papers for the Enclave. They’re to be delivered to Eric in an official capacity. I’ll handle it…I just wanted to tell you first.” He studied my face, and I could feel his concern for me.

The dread must have shown because he sighed and said, “It can’t be avoided lass. You’ve got to take your medicine like a big girl.”

I whispered to him, “What if I testify and they find Albert guilty, but decide I’m a loose end? He’s a Tremere and so is Tituba. Why wouldn’t she want clan business all wrapped up with a bow?”

I felt a ping of concern from him. He had obviously considered that as well. “She’s a Tremere, but she’s not like Albert. She is the reigning monarchy of this continent, she can’t afford to show bias toward her clan. She’s very tough, but very fair. That’s why she’s in charge.” Frankie got out of the car with a “Come on,” tossed over his shoulder.

As I had predicted, Frankie and Lafayette got along like a house on fire. Everyone was nice to him, which pleased me. And he liked everyone he met, which made me happy as well. I felt like the good friendship fairy. Once Lafayette got off work, we all headed over to his house. There was a lot of weed, which was cool, and a lot of making out started happening in the boy’s corner. Uh oh, time to take my leave. I paused long enough to ask, “Frankie, you ok for getting home at some point?”

A wave off was my only answer so I left them on the living room floor and headed out.

When I got home Eric was still awake of course. It was only 3am. Dinner time for him. He was still nose down in his stack of Wall Street Journals, but it looked like he’d made headway.

I picked up one of my bodice rippers and decided to read as well. I put some music on, just because I could, and sat listening and reading, trying to decompress. I thought for a minute about telling Eric Frankie’s news of the Enclave. I decided to keep it. That was Frankie’s job and I didn’t want to interfere.

I hadn’t realized it before, but the hero in my book-du-jour was a Viking. Pause, look at Eric, look at the cover of the book. Look at Eric, look at the cover of the book. I put my book down and glanced over at him. He was smirking about something….gods only knew what. If I asked I’d get more info about the world economy than I ever wanted to know.

“Eric?”

“Mmmm?” he said without looking up.

“Do you still have your weapons or armor?” I knew I wouldn’t have to clarify further.

His head whipped up and the paper was lowered to his lap, forgotten for the moment. He studied me, his head tilting. After a minute he said, “I no longer have any items from my human life.”

I sighed, “Oh well. I’d really like to have seen them. Was the sword a long sword? Did it have a blood groove?”

He gave me the tiniest smile. He knew how into fantasy and history I was. I could feel that he was amused that I’d asked. “I have a drawing of it, if you’d like to see it.”

I hopped up off the couch, rubbing my hands together in anticipation. A smile split my face. Not only was I getting a great history lesson, I was getting a little closer to him too. Win win. Take that Frankie…he’s sharing.

He went into his “coffin room” and rummaged around on top of a shelf. He took down a metal box. It was one of the strangest contraptions I’d ever seen.

He opened the box with a key that was built into the scroll work. I would never have realized it was there if I’d just been looking at it. He took out a scroll. The parchment was yellowed with age and looked like it had been well loved and handled countless times over the centuries. He unrolled it and handed it to me, gingerly transferring it to my hands.

The drawing was done in ink, with fine, spidery lines. One of the differences between our modern pins and their ink and quill. The blade was drawn in intricate detail, lovingly rendered by someone long since dead. Or at least I assumed…I glanced at Eric’s face. “Did you draw this?”

He was staring at the paper. “No. I’ve never had that ability.”

I absorbed every detail, willing something in it to give me clues about the man himself. It was a long blade, fitted to his height. It did not have a blood groove, but it did have a large cross guard that looked to be about half an inch thick. The handle was wrapped in leather, with wire wrapped around that. There were Runic letters running down the length of the blade. “What does that say?” I asked.

He closed his eyes for a moment. “Fenrir’s Doom.”

“Were you a great warrior?” I asked.

He smiled his tiny corner smile at the question. “Yes, I was a great warrior. It’s what drew Godrick to me.”

“Tell me. I really want to know what it was like for you.”

“My Embrace?” he asked.

“No,” I answered, “Your life.”

He put the box back on the shelf without answering me. I thought for a moment he was going to ignore my request. But finally he took my hand and led me to the bed. “Sit,” he said.

I clambered up on the mattress and he sat next to me, cross legged. He stared off into space. I could feel his emotions warring inside of him. He wanted to tell me, but he was hesitant. Finally he took a deep breath and started talking.

“You’re the first woman who’s ever asked me about my weapons and armor.” He gazed steadily at me. “Most just want to know what I can do for them. I’m not sure I want to think about it.”

I let my eyes go all soft. “Please.”

Another sigh. “Very well, then you shall have the telling of it.” There was a long pause. “I was born in 1054. I was the 2nd of 3 sons, the 4th of 6 children. My father was a chieftain. My older brother Ulfeid was the first born, and my father’s heir. My younger brother Nidbiorg was destined for the priests of Odin. That left me to be the soldier.” He smiled a little at that. His eyes had a far away look to them. I kept my silence, not wanting to break the spell.

“Luckily I was good at war. I never had cause to rale against my fate. I was a warrior and a lover of women.” He grinned toothily at me now. “I was brash, cocky, and wild. I fought and loved like there would be no tomorrow. I didn’t have the responsibilities that my brothers had. As long as I didn’t cause problems for the family I was given free rein. I lived for adrenaline.”
Eric looked down at his hands. “Then Ulfeid was killed in battle. He had never been the fighter that I was. He was clumsy with a sword. I tried to stay close to him in combat, but I had been separated from him in the fight.” There was a note of sorrow in his voice and he swallowed convulsively. “We mourned him for a week. Me on the floor of the drink hall for most of that time. It wasn’t just that I had lost my brother; I had to take on his responsibilities.” He turned to look at me. “Do you understand?”

I thought about it, the implications of his brother’s death. I nodded my head. “I think so.”

“My life ended then, in a way. I could no longer live the way I had. With reckless abandon, only accountable to myself and my father. I was still a warrior but now I had to learn how to govern too. To give order to chaos instead of just causing it. I had to learn to be responsible for people. I became a husband ten days after we buried Ulfeid.”

I wanted to ask for details, but waited to hear.

“As the new heir I was expected to wed my brother’s widow and take on the protection of her and her children.”

“How old were you?” I heard myself ask.

“16.”

We both sat, lost in thought. After a few minutes he continued. “I was embraced by Godric on the way home from a battle. I had been mortally wounded and was placed on my funeral pyre to die. He had followed us from the fight, impressed with my skill. He gave me a choice, and I chose to continue on instead of dying. After a few years of learning how to use my new abilities, I no longer had use for a sword or armor.”

“What did you do with them?” I couldn’t keep from asking.

“I left them in the stall where my oldest son stabled his horse.”

“Did you ever see them again?” I wasn’t sure if I meant the items or the people.

“No,” he replied. The sound of the word and the feelings he was giving off let me know he was done with the conversation. It explained a lot about him. How he had come to love order and rule. How he learned to be responsible for people. He already knew how to lead men, but fate forced him to abandon his childhood and grow up overnight.

I took a deep breath. It was time for me to do a little divulging of my own.

“Eric, there’s something I want to tell you.” I began.

His eyebrows steepled and he regarded me with a flash of fire in his eyes. I knew he could feel my emotions too and I was getting pretty nervous about my revelation.

“I’m a custos.”

He frowned, “What is the meaning of this word?”

“It’s a Latin word….I’m…uh…I’m not sure what it really means, but it’s used to describe a human with special abilities. Like my empathy…and Sookie’s telepathy. Apparently the mages use the term a lot…guess they have a lot of us around. JD used to describe me that way to other vampires.”

I waited for a response. When none came I plowed on.

“Ok, and so the reason why I have this ‘gift’ is because I have fairie blood.” That certainly got a response. Eric moved faster than I had ever seen and the next thing I knew, he had me pinned to the bed. For the first time I was scared of him. Frankie certainly hadn’t reacted like that when I told him.

Eric buried his face in my neck, sniffing me. He licked the side of my neck and my pulse started beating a staccato tune. He kissed my ear, licking and sucking it before letting it go with a pop. His lips nuzzled a trail down my collar bone before suddenly piercing my skin with his fangs. He’d never bitten me like that before…when we weren’t having sex. It hurt like hell. I started struggling under him and saying, “Hey! That….oww! Stop Eric…enough!”

He let me go and I scooted across the bed, clutching my neck. He sat at the foot, wiping my blood from his mouth. He looked a little chagrined…he actually pouted at me….really creepy from someone with fangs still out.

“I’m sorry Katie, I didn’t think about it hurting you without us being joined.” He sat quietly watching me. I could tell he had a raging hard on….the heat of the moment and my struggling beneath him had really tripped his trigger.

“I’ve been trying to figure out why you taste so different than other humans. It’s the fairie blood. The fae are dangerous and their blood can be addictive to vampires.” He looked at me almost accusingly.

Of all the things he had said to me in passing, out of ignorance of how I might feel, this was the worst. It stung me to my core. All of a sudden he only cared about me because of my fairie blood? I could feel my face lighting up like Rudolph’s nose. I was about to open my mouth and give him a raft of shit when I realized…maybe he’s right. Maybe that is the only reason why he liked me so much. Maybe that was why Frankie loved me, and JD wanted me around. The thought was like a kick to the gut.

I curled into a ball on the bed and started crying. I couldn’t help it. I had had enough and my breaking point had been reached. The months of fear, worry, tension, and the thought of being hauled in front of the tribunal, had taken their toll. The thought that the people who meant most to me in this world, might only care about me because of what my blood did to them, was too much to take.

I felt Eric get up off the bed. He sat down again near my head and started stroking my hair. I tried to pull away from him but he rolled me over on my back. I covered my eyes with my arm and kept right on sobbing. This was no delicate waterfall of tears. This was it’s-the-end-of-Broke-Back-Mountain-and-I-have-to-wait-for-everyone-else-to-leave-before-my-chicken-pox-looking-self-can-sneak-out-of –the-theater kind of cry.

“Katie, Katie,” he whispered to me, his mouth right by my ear, “why are crying?”

“Because you don’t care about me, you just want my blood. No one really cares about me. Frankie, JD, shit, even stinkin’ Pam…ya’ll only want me around because you can’t help it!” And with that I wound up again, ready for the second wave.

Eric started laughing. A real, honest to gods, from the belly, laugh. He threw his head back and howled like a madman. It startled me enough to stop my sobbing. I moved my arm and stared up at him, afraid that he had lost his damn mind. I was hiccupping as he continued his roll. Finally he looked down at me and he had little tiny blood tears leaking out the corners of his eyes.

“What the fuck is so funny about my misery?” I demanded.

“I have not laughed like that in almost 200 years. It was worth the wait.” He was still grinning like a loon and I could feel my blood pressure starting to rise again. “You’re the only human I’ve ever known who laments that vampires are attracted to her. Usually you’re like the poor fools that flock here.” He looked down at me and could see that his words weren’t diffusing my anger. He pulled me up onto his lap. I resisted but he dragged me like a Raggedy Ann doll. He put his finger under my chin and tipped my face up to his.

“Katie, it is true that vampires will find you attractive because of your fairy blood. It’s also possible that a vampire could become addicted to it. But they would have to be fairly young vampires. If your Frankie had fed from you, he might have found himself in that postition. As for me, I’m too old to be ensnared by such things.” He went back to stroking my hair. “My affection for you is just that, my affection. It’s not forced or false. As for JD and Frankie, they’ve never fed from you so why would they suffer that malady? An initial attraction would fade without true admiration or an addiction to your blood.” He was giving me his enigmatic, smug smile again. It comforted me.

I thought about it for a minute. If what he said was true, and I’d never known him to lie about anything even when you wished he would, then his interest in me wasn’t just the blood. Wow, I had made a complete idiot out of myself.

Hmmm……men really don’t dig drama queens, especially guys who’ve been around that long. The fact that he was still here, still holding me, gave me the courage to look him in the eye and say, “Affection huh? You have affection for me?” I gave him a little fluttered eyelashes just to let him know I was no longer in serious meltdown mode.

His smile disappeared and I watched his face come closer to mine. He licked my neck where he had bitten me before, making goose bumps break out all over my skin. He murmured into my hair, “Yes, Katie McGregor, I have affection for you.” He pulled back to look at me. “I’m not a man given to declarations. I was not a poet and never will be. What I am is a man who knows what he wants. What I want is you. That’s the best I can do right now.” He whispered the last, his forehead resting against mine.

We both waited, me holding my breath. I thought about what he was saying. He couldn’t offer me undying love. That wasn’t in his nature. Would I want him to lie? No, I’d rather we be honest with each other. I wondered if I could accept what he was offering, and realized I could.

I leaned my chin forward and kissed him on the tip of the nose. He growled low in his throat, and captured my lips in a fiery kiss. He was trying to pour his emotions into the kiss. I could feel the desire coming off of him. I could tell that it wasn’t generic; that it was for me alone, and that turned me on more than anything he had ever done. I grabbed his shirt and yanked as hard as I could. Finally! I could hear buttons popping off. I’d been trying to do that for ages. I grinned like a loon.

I pulled the shirt off as fast as I could. He tried to pull my t-shirt off but I slapped his hands away. I pushed him back against the headboard. I was going to be in charge this time. I straddled his long legs as I unbuckled his belt. I could feel his heat and hardness already pushing against the back of my hand. I couldn’t wait….my mouth started to water like a kid at a funnel cake booth.

I slowly unzipped his pants….I didn’t want to injure anything important. As his erection sprang free, I caught it with my hand and sliding down, I took him into my mouth. His pants were still on and I could feel his fly brushing the sides of my face. The heat of him was in contrast to his otherwise cool body. I know vampires aren’t supposed to have a smell, but he always smelled of wood smoke and leather. Thinking back on what he’d said about meeting his maker (so to speak), I wondered if that was how he’d smelled in his last moments of life. That was a little morbid to be dwelling on with a huge penis in my mouth, so I tucked it away for later contemplation.

Knowing he did have some feelings for me made me bolder than I had been before. I sucked on him for another couple of minutes, giving it my best. And may I say, I am a champion cock sucker. I could hear him moaning and feel his one of his hands tightening in my hair. I love it when he does that. The other hand was gripping the bedspread like it could anchor him to reality. I decided I was going to give him dinner and a show.

Releasing him from my mouth I sat up. I slowly stripped off the t-shirt I was wearing. Eric reached to unclasp my bra but I stopped his hands. Reaching behind me I unhooked it. I let it slide off my shoulders before finally lowering it and throwing it to god knows where. I filled my hands with my breasts and started massaging them, the way I knew he wanted to. I looked down and his eyes were on fire. I swear they were actually glowing. The look on his face was enough to convince me that this was a fine game.

I played with my nipples, getting them achingly hard. I wet my fingertips and began making slow circles. By this time I was squirming in his lap, rubbing my jeans against his crotch. I unbuttoned my jeans. My hand snaked inside and I started rubbing my clit, using his hard on as a brace. I dipped my fingers into my wetness and bringing my hand out, I brought it to my mouth and tasted salty sweetness. Eric growled and his control snapped. I had thought I’d get at least one good orgasm before the levy broke.

I found myself flipped onto my back, with 190 pounds of hot and ready Viking on top of me. Just where I wanted to be. I felt him at the entrance to my cootchie and then he was in! It was a damn good thing I was so wet or that would have hurt like hell. Once inside he stopped for a minute, just inhaling, like he still needed breath. He was still, giving me a chance to adjust. I wiggled under him for a minute before finding the right angle. I sighed and closed my eyes. Reaching up I traced his face with my fingers, trying to commit it to mind. That way when he wasn’t around anymore, I’d be able to remember him with more than just my mind’s eye.

He was so still I opened my eyes to look at him. He was looking at me a little strangely, obviously wondering what I was doing. I smiled at him, put my legs around his waist and said to him, “I want to cum now.”

That was all the urging he needed. He began stroking into me slowly. So slowly I thought I would scream. I think I did a little. I could feel his ass clench beneath my heels as he struggled for control. I knew he was trying to make me wait, to string me out before showing me heaven. It was a battle for control and I was not going to lose this time. He was still gazing into my eyes. I knew he was waiting for something…his soul wanted to hear something but I didn’t know what it was. I listened for a minute…trying to suss it out.

Finally I caught the thread and smiling, said to him in a quiet voice, “I’m yours and you are mine, for as long we both want. I need you, I care for you. I can’t help it but that’s how it is.” I let that sink in for a moment, for both of us. Eric had gone completely still and it felt like he was holding his breath. This was sweet and all but damn, come on with it already! “Now fuck me goddamit!” I insisted.

He kissed me then, slowly and gently, unlike any kiss we’d ever shared before. He licked the corners of my mouth, kissed my nose and my closed eyelids. I couldn’t believe he was the same lover I normally slept with. It was very different and a little bit disconcerting. He pulled out of me and my body panicked for a minute.

He scooted me over and sat against the headboard. He sat Indian style and put his hand out to me. “Show me,” was all he said.

I smiled and climbed up on top of him. Climbing onto his lap I put him back inside of me. He was so deep I thought I would weep with relief. I wrapped my arms around him, and holding on, I began to move. It was slow and easy and gentle. It was perfect. We were breast to chest and belly to belly. I could feel the soft downy hairs of his happy trail tickling my belly button. I smiled at him and he smiled back, a real, honest smile. That was it. I heard my heart go crack and knew I was a total goner.

After a few minutes of the slow, languid lovemaking, he reached between my legs and started stroking me. That lit the fuse that turned into a powder keg. We started moving faster, harder, rougher. I was still sitting facing him, but he was using my hips to drive me up and down on him like a piston. I gave myself over to his manhandling and threw my head back. I was close to insanity by then. I felt like I was out of my body, looking down on the scene. I saw him lean forward and put his fangs on my neck. I snapped back to my body as he said, “Tell me…tell me you want it.”

“Oh god I want it….please….”

My hips bucked against him as I strained to get closer. I could feel myself cumming…it was rising up in me like a tidal wave. There was no turning back this time. I could feel his cock grow even harder and start to twitch. I knew he was cumming to. He sank his teeth into me and I my hot blood squirted into his mouth just as he was releasing himself inside of me. My own orgasm ripped from the center of my body and down through all my limbs. I was shaking and moaning, unable to control my reaction. I was one big ball of climax and I didn’t want it to ever end.

Eventually it did end, with little aftershocks rippling through me for several minutes afterward. We stayed like that, with him inside me and me on his lap, until he started to go soft. Rising up on my knees I let him go, but stayed on his lap. He brushed the sweaty hair out of my eyes kissed me again.

I was so sleepy by then I knew I couldn’t stay awake much longer. Dawn was coming and it was time for Eric to sleep as well. We rolled onto our sides and spooned as he pulled the covers up and over us.

“That was extremely memorable,” he whispered in my ear.

“It was magic,” I replied.

“Well, you know what they say about custos.”

I twisted my head to the side and gave him a sideways smile. “No, what do they say?”

“That they are creatures from legend, full of myth and magic.”

“Huh,” I sighed, “hocus pocus fish bones choke us.”

His laughter was the last thing I heard as I fell asleep with a satisfied smile on my face.

[eternallybills]

Sorry I've been AWOL, EV. I've given myself a bit of a repetitive strain injury, spending too much time on the computer. Maybe Mr. EB was right - an intervention IS in order!

Love your writing style, and I'm glad we're back to Katie - she's a great character! I'm hoping, for her sake, that she's the one who gets bored first, because I tend to believe that loving Eric Northman is going to end up badly for most humans. I'm not bashing him, but he admits he's not exactly the emotional type.

A few lines that I really enjoyed: "That was a little morbid to be dwelling on with a huge penis in my mouth, so I tucked it away for later contemplation."

"I decided I was going to give him dinner and a show."

Please don't let Katie lose her edge as she becomes attached to the Viking - I love her spunky "I don't take shit from nobody" attitude.

Keep 'em coming - it's a great story!

BTW, am I supposed to understand what's going on with the enclave and all the vamp politics? Is this stuff from the book? Or from your own fertile imagingation, and all will be explained in future chapters? You may also want to put in a footnote about Paula Deen - I had to Google her.

[ericsvalkyrie]

Hi EB, thanks for the feedback. As an Eric fan, I tend to see possibilities in him for an emotional connection. That's the fun of writing fanfic, the character can become whomever you want them to be

As for the enclave and some of the vampire politics, that's all either from my imagination, or it's part and parcel of the world of White Wolf, a roleplay gaming system that combines lots of denizens, vampires, werewolves, changelings, mages, etx. The info about the vampires belonging to a specific clan is straight out of White Wolf.

In regard to Paula Deen, it never occured to me that people wouldn't know who she is She's like the 1st lady of the South. Sorry about that!