Note: The character of Eric Northman is not mine. I am borrowing him to tell a story, inspired by several True Blood episodes. I promise to return him in excellent health and spirits (trust me). Eric and Pam in this story are the characters from Alan Ball's True Blood – I have not read the books. All other characters are my own. Any resemblance to another author's work is purely accidental and unintentional.

This story is VERY NC-17 and not even remotely PC, although the first two chapters are rated R for language and mature themes. The overall story is a (soft core) domination fantasy, so please, read the description and be warned. It will not be everyone's cup of tea, and I am seeking to entertain, not offend. Read at your own discretion.

I was inspired by several TB scenes: the first time we meet Eric, sitting on his "throne" in Fangtasia, kicking a hapless male fangbanger off the platform; his "trust me" whisper to Sookie at the FOTS church; and mostly his lament to the hooker at the Hotel Camilla that "there's no thrill left in feeding on the willing." "Do you want me to pretend not to like it?" she offered. "Only if you're really, really good at it," was his reply. She really, really wasn't, and he quickly lost interest. I couldn't stop thinking: what if Eric met a woman who really, really was?

CHAPTER 1

"Who is THAT?" Laura asked, trying not to stare at the strikingly tall and sexy blond man holding court on a platform at the front of the bar. "Man" was probably not the right word – he was obviously a vampire, and an important one, judging by the way everyone at Fangtasia responded to him. The reactions varied by species: the vampires respected, obeyed or even feared him. The humans mostly seemed to desire him, although the feeling was clearly not mutual. One fawning male, who had been too persistent in his quest for attention, had been sent sprawling off the platform by a swift kick. If Laura had to guess, based on the way he ignored, insulted and even assaulted the humans, this vampire felt only contempt for them.

"That's Eric Northman, owner of Fangtasia and Sheriff of Area 5," replied Andrea, her friend, veteran fangbanger and unofficial tour guide for her first foray into the vampire world.

"Sheriff? Like silver-star, bust-up-a –saloon-fight, Marshal-Dillan-in-Gunsmoke type of Sheriff?"

"Not a silver star, that's for sure – silver burns vampires. 'Sheriff' is a powerful position in vampire politics. I don't understand all the rules, but he's something between Mayor and a feudal Lord. 'Grand Poobah' in these parts. Pretty close to absolute authority, from what I hear. And the best lay of my life, by a factor of several million," Andrea mused.

"You mean you've…?"

"Uh huh. And I would again, in a flash, if he ever gave me a second glance. But I guess I wasn't quite enough of a challenge."

Laura looked up at her friend, quizzically. "Challenge?"

Andrea sighed. "That magnificent creature is over 1,000 years old, which makes him an extremely powerful vampire; they get stronger over the years. He was a Viking warrior, a commander, in his human life, and he's had women swoon over him his entire existence. He's got a major case of 'been there, done that,' which makes it a little difficult to keep his interest. I overheard him complain once that there wasn't much thrill left in feeding on the willing. You can see how indifferent he is in all those pathetic fangbangers lining up to grovel at his feet."

Laura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "He's beautiful, I'll grant you that, but his behaviour is repulsive. Who needs that kind of abuse and distain? Why would anyone subject herself to that?"

Andrea moved her chair closer and dropped her voice. "I lost count at 10 orgasms and nearly blacked out. Not only ruined me for humans – even other vampires just don't quite measure up anymore. If you ever get the chance to do that one, girlfriend, grab it and hang on. Eric Northman should be on everyone's 'bucket list!' "

Laura was now paying attention. She was experiencing something of a dry spell lately – there had been no one compelling in her social life for over six months. She was a strong, independent woman, who had left a six-figure VP Creative Director's job at a major advertising agency to found her own firm five years earlier. The company was successful and growing, but it left her little time for dating. She'd also found it hard to meet a man who could keep her intrigued for long. She wanted a relationship of equals, with someone who respected her intelligence and was proud of her achievements. But while she liked calling the shots in the boardroom, the bedroom was another matter altogether. She would not have admitted it to anyone else, but she craved a man who would take total control of her, sexually. She wasn't into pain, just power – someone else's. She had struggled with it for years, feeling guilty about betraying her feminist beliefs, but had finally made peace with her sexual tastes. The heart wants what the heart wants, and why should the clit be any less entitled? "Whatever floats your boat" was now her philosophy, and smooth sailing to Laura meant a very firm hand on her rudder. A no-strings roll in the hay with a powerful vampire might be just what she needed. "Hmmm," said Laura, now looking at the Sheriff with new and hungry eyes, "I guess he just needs someone to play very, very hard to get. But first, I need to get his attention."

"And how do you intend to get it?" asked her friend, who had been trying to do just that for several months.

"By doing the one thing that no one in this entire bar is doing – ignoring him completely. Which should be easy – I have work to do!"

Laura hadn't come into Fangtasia looking for vampire love or lust. Andrea's endorsement notwithstanding, Laura was there for more practical reasons. Her agency had a strong roster of clients, mostly in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. As a result, she realized, she was missing out on a large and affluent target market: vampires. Tonight, she was out for a different type of prey than Fangtasia's other customers: she wanted to poach the TruBlood account from a rival agency. But to do that, she needed to understand its customers, and what better place for research than Fangtasia? The eye candy that was Eric Northman would be a pure bonus. So Laura set out to kill two vamps with one stake, so to speak. She started circulating among the vampire customers, introducing herself, explaining her intentions and offering to buy a TruBlood for anyone willing to talk to her about the product. And she made sure not to give the Sheriff of Area 5 a second glance, which, of course, got his attention quickly.

"The Sheriff wants to see you," said the vampire bouncer who was now towering over her table. He was massive, even bigger than Eric, but somehow he didn't project the same power as the sexy Viking. She was deep in discussion with four female vampires who were debating the pros and cons of mainstreaming and complaining about how TruBlood just wasn't the Real Thing. So much for "Coca Cola for Vampires," as a slogan, Laura smiled to herself.

"I'm busy," she told him, turning her back on him, asking her new-found friends, "Is it the taste, the texture, or the delivery system? Would it help if they packaged it in a bag you could pierce with your fangs and suck to drink?"

"Sheriff wants to see you, NOW!" hissed the bouncer, with a very firm hand on her shoulder. "He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Who is this Sheriff, why does he want to see me and what gives him, and you, the right to be so rude?" she demanded, secretly pleased that her plan was working. Her tablemates actually paled (something she wouldn't have thought possible) at her brusque retort, and at the bouncer's angry snarl.

"He's the owner of this bar, the law while you're in it, and you can ask HIM what he wants when you're sprawled at his feet!" growled the bouncer, yanking her to her feet by her elbow and shoving her roughly toward the platform where Eric sat, watching with amusement. He pushed her up the stairs, dragged her over to his boss and dropped her on the floor in front of him. "Here's the human you wanted, Sheriff. Damned bloodbag wasn't exactly cooperative."

The bar was silent. All eyes were on the platform. Laura looked up at Eric and scowled, "Hell of a way to treat your customers – get much return business?" A few fangbangers gasped at her audacity. Some of the vampires smiled in anticipation.

The bouncer was about to cuff her across the face for her sarcasm and impertinence, but Eric waved him off. "I apologize for the zeal of my employee. I merely asked him to call you over here. Your reluctance must have caught him off-guard; most humans jump at the chance to approach me. Please, sit down," he invited, offering her a chair facing him.

Laura glowered at him, made a show of brushing herself off, and sat down. The chair was narrow, hard and low, designed to make its occupants feel even smaller in front of the Sheriff of Area 5. When she was seated, he leaned in close to her, very much "in her face." The speed of his movement startled her, and she guessed it had been intentional. He was intimidating, if not actually menacing. "Who are you, why have you come to Fangtasia and what are you discussing with my vampire customers?" he asked. Laura was polite, but held her ground. She introduced herself and explained her professional interest in the bar's fanged patrons. Eric's mouth twitched, the barest of smiles – he appreciated a good head for business. But he did his best to appear stern. "You must ask my permission before conducting business in my bar," he told her in no uncertain terms.

"Actually, I'm within my legal rights," she defended herself. "As long as I'm not competing with you, harming your business or bothering your customers, my freedom of speech is guaranteed. In fact, I might be helping you, if I can increase your sales of TruBlood. I'm also buying them for your customers, keeping them in the bar longer. But I meant no offence to you, Sheriff."

"Your human legal rights end at the entrance to Fangtasia," Eric warned her. "My word is the law inside."

She took a gamble and pressed him harder. "Really? I wonder what the Shreveport Police would have to say about that?"

Again, he was in her face faster than she could imagine. It rather took her breath away. "I don't respond well to threats," he warned, baring his fangs. "And any police officers who come to investigate Fangtasia soon forget why they are here. Finish your drink and leave. You have 15 minutes. Stay any longer than that, or come back anytime, and I will consider you fair game."

"What exactly does that mean?" she asked, feigning anger, knowing she had hit her mark.

"It means that I will consider you to be a fangbanger, just like every other breather in this bar. I will do with you whatever I choose. Real…bad…things. And not a soul will challenge me here."

"So you'll hypnotize me like you do the police?" she asked, wanting to know exactly what she was getting herself into. She had no interest in becoming his permanent pet. She would be coming back for a good time, not a long time.

"It won't be that easy for you," he smirked. "I never glamour prey. That's for the weak and the unattractive." He flashed her a maddening, Cheshire-cat grin.

"Isn't it bad for business if your customers disappear?" Laura challenged. She was also not interested in being drained, and ending up fish food in the river.

"You'd be free to leave at the end of the night," he assured her, "but you might be a little worse for wear. I can be rather enthusiastic in my attention to my female companions, and I suspect you might arouse my… appetites." He licked his fangs and leered.

Gawd, he was cocky, but sexy as hell. "You won't see me again," she lied, standing up and projecting as much indignation as should thought she could get away with. "I can't believe anyone would put up with this kind of crap!"

"You… are… MINE," Eric proclaimed to her as she turned to leave, just loudly enough for every vampire in the bar to hear. She opened her mouth for an angry retort, but he was too fast for her. He grabbed her wrist, spun her around and pulled her close to his chest, covering her mouth with his hand. He whispered in her ear, "Before you say anything foolish, be advised that I have just given you safe passage out of here, free from the unwanted advances of any other vampire. No one here will touch you but me. Until I say otherwise." He glared at her, marking his territory with his eyes. She pulled away from him angrily and signalled to Andrea that she was leaving. Laura made a great show of storming out of Fangtasia, trying very hard not to smile.