15 - Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman Look to the Future - Part Two

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Chapter Fifteen

Since my fangs were still out it sounded more like "Thtop!" They got the message anyway.

My voice sounded funny, deeper and slower, like a record played at the wrong speed. Everyone froze right where they were. A few had glasses raised, lips pursed. No one moved a muscle. They were like a living picture.

I had glamoured the whole room! I looked at my reflection in the hazy mirror behind the bar and saw my eyes glowing azure blue. A blue light framed me and ice blue sparks shot from my finger tips like they were living sparklers. I kept my hands down, not knowing what it would do to a person if I aimed it at them.

I listened. They were all breathing, their hearts beating slowly and steadily. They were fine but how long could I keep them like this?

Not after sunrise, that was for sure. How long off was that? Did I conk out right as the sun rose or before it? I looked for a clock on the wall but there wasn't one, just a fake clock that scrolled "Time for another Lone Star?" across the face. The bar would make more money if everyone could just forget about the time and order another round.

"Now what are you going to do?" a familiar voice said behind me.

I looked in the mirror and saw Eric standing there in his beat up leather jacket. It reassured me that he didn't look either particularly concerned or angry. In fact, he looked interested and slightly amused.

"No idea," I answered. I went up to him and hugged him, squeezing him until his leather creaked. "How did you find me?"

"Our bond works both ways," he said. "You saw me hiding the clicker, I saw you finding the clicker and coming over to this dive. I got here as fast as I could. I had a prisoner to get checked in and squared away first."

"Weren't you worried about me?" I asked him, stepping back so I could see his face.

"No, I know you. You are smart and resourceful. You were also full as a new wineskin. Why did you not wait for me? I would have taken you out."

Then he held up his hand. "No, you do not need to answer that. The whole world is a marvel, is it not? I remember my first nights too."

"Can you eat?" he asked me, indicating with a sweeping gesture all the patrons in the bar like a host offering a lavish buffet.

"Well, I might have a bite," I allowed, grinning at my own humor. I walked up and down the bar and chose Steve's friend Joey with the thick neck.

"Don't let me kill him," I said to Eric before I pounced.

Eric sat down on a bar stool and watched me. I was in a red haze frenzy to start but as soon as it faded I was in complete control. I finished, leaving Joey with plenty of blood in his veins. I daintily dabbed at the corners of my mouth with the small bar napkin Eric handed me.

I was pleased I hadn't gotten a single drop on my silk blouse. I had brought a box of Night Tide With Energetic Enzymes! but it was a waste of my time to have to hand wash a blouse I had worn for only a few hours. I could get another wearing out of this top.

"Good control, Sookie," he praised me. "Maybe I won't have to fight you every night as I feared. My turn," he said, striding down the length of the bar to the loud-mouthed woman. She was frozen in place with her mouth open. No surprise there.

"Wait," I stopped him. He turned and looked at me, waiting. "She's so ... unpleasant," I said, realizing it sounded silly even as I said it. Joey was a goon but he had been a fine meal.

"Unpleasant on the outside, delicious on the inside," Eric said cheerfully and instantly had her in his fangs. He fed fast taking only a few seconds since he really didn't need much blood. Maybe he just bit her to taste her.

Eric liked to bite women, that was the simple truth of it. Now that I knew how it was from my first hand experience as a vampire, that fact didn't bother me anymore.

It was like going to Big Betty's Bakery back in Bon Temps. She always had samples of her recently baked items lined up on her glass counter to try. Going to her shop with Gran was a treat. Just a tiny nibble here and a small corner of something there to try all the wonderful flavors.

As I fed I had noticed that Joey's blood contained a hint of basil, fried rice and pork chop, very tasty. His pugnacious personality didn't enter into the mix at all. Apparently stupid has no flavor.

When Eric was done we healed the bites on Maybelle and Joey. Steve was going to need to get medical attention for his shoulder on his own dime. It was his fault for grabbing me.

While they were still immobilized with glamour I told everyone that Steve fell off his bar stool and hurt his shoulder, that nothing unusual at all had happened aside from that. I used my glamour power enhanced by telepathy to implant the sight of Steve lurching off his bar stool in each mind.

Eric put a quarter in the jukebox and started Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". Eric just loved that song.

Backing out of the bar, I unglamoured everyone as we left in a flash, hand in hand. We waited near the side window, listening and peeking in, to see what would happen next.

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more to come .....(Happy weekend everyone! Hope things are going well in your lives. You are always a welcome addition to mine. See you Tuesday morning, Dec 20th. Hugs!)

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