Chapter One: Why Won't You Die?

"Eric, what the hell?" I yelped as he picked me up and just started carrying me into Fangtasia. The Viking said nothing as he carried me over to his stage and sat me down. He looked me over, said something in Swedish to Pam, and started pulling my clothes off. I screamed and tried to get away, but being a vampire, he overpowered me. "I didn't know you were that kind of man, Eric." I snapped, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

He stopped and looked up at me with an annoyed expression. "I'm not a rapist; you're covered in blood, Alex, you need something to wear while your clothes are washed and I was just getting you out of them since you're covered from head to toe in bruises." Eric explained. I sighed and stood up. "I can undress myself." I snapped as I pulled off my dress and bra; I refused to take off my panties. Eric drank in my body and he growled, obviously turned on considering I saw his fangs slide out. I rolled my eyes and walked over to a chair and sat down. "Try to control yourself, Eric. I know every woman turns you on; even one as ugly as me."

Eric was about to say something when Pam came in carrying a skin-tight black dress. She smirked, seeing my appearance and threw me the clean clothes while she got my bloodied ones. I dressed in silence and ignore Eric. "Alex. Alex? ALEX!" Eric roared, catching me by my throat. I couldn't breath, only watch as Eric's 6' 4" towered over my 4' 11". I struggled, but he took his other hand and made me look him in the eyes. They softened as he spoke. "You're not ugly. You have a very lovely appearance." He said, leaning in to my throat.

"Don't. Please." I managed to gasp out. Eric pulled away with one of his sexy smirks on his lips. He let me go without a word and that's when Bill burst into the club, carrying an injured Sookie. I gasped as he carried her in and ran to his side. he set her down and I spoke. "What the fuck happened?"

Bill didn't answer as he laid her on her stomach on one of the long chairs in the club. He took ripped off the back of her shirt to reveal a gruesome wound. I placed a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. She whimpered and reached out her hand to me before losing consciousness. 'Maenad.' I thought as soon as I smelled the poison in the wound. Eric went beside Bill and they watched her.

"She's been poisoned by a Maenad." I said. The two ignored me like I didn't exist and I felt hurt. "So I'll, call a doctor I know. She's good at this kind of thing." I watched Sookie closely until Eric called the doctor and we all waited until she arrived. Sookie regained consciousness after the doctor arrived. "What... kind of doctor are you?" She asked.

"The Healing kind. I'm Dr. Ludwig, what's your- " The doctor was cut off as she pressed into the wound. Sookie screamed in pain and I winced. I knelt beside her and rubbed her head. She cried and looked up at me. I hummed the lullaby she sang when she had found me at the bottom of a bottle of Bourbon when I was 16 and my parents had been murdered by vampires.

"Am I dyin'?" Sookie asked weakly.

"Yes."

"NO! She CANNOT die!" Bill exclaimed. I just gave him a look before turning back to Sookie. "You'll be fine, Sook; we're here for you."

"Actually, the men need to leave; I'll be removing her clothes now."

"But-"

"It's either that or let her die."

"... I'll be right outside, Sookie." Bill said as he and Eric left.

I watched them go and then turned back to Sookie as the doctor examined the wound. She looked at me, raised and eyebrow and spoke. "You've seen a wound like this before." She stated.

I nodded. "My sister, Maria, was brought home by her boyfriend with this kind of wound. She died from the poison and it was ruled that a komodo dragon killed her. I knew that was bullshit and my investigations led me to a Maenad."

"Don't know what a Maenad is, but I was hopin' you'd know a remedy for this."

"Sorry."

She continued working on Sookie when she poured this liquid that looked like acid on her wound and Sookie shrieked in agony. Bill was at her side in seconds. "Hold her down!" the doctor yelled, but Bill just stood there. "Hold her down or she dies!"

He then reluctantly held her down as the doctor dug out the poison. Not wanting to see anymore of my friend's pain, I got up and walked over to Eric. "I've got to be getting home. I'll talk to you later." I said, turning to leave.

"That we will. Goodbye, Alex." Eric said, turning his attention to Sookie.

As I stepped out into the parking lot, I dug around in my purse for my keys, but I couldn't find them. I was almost to my car when I was grabbed from behind. My scream was cut off before it even made it past my lips. I struggled against the arms holding me. They threw me down and just when I was about to get up, I saw they had a gun right to my head. "Give me your money, Bitch, and I won't have some fun with you before I kill you."

I growled and looked my attacker right in the eyes. "Fuck off, asshole." I said and I let out a blood-curtling scream that was cut off by a bullet right between my eyes. And my world went black, but not before I heard a feral snarl rip from the throat from someone, someone close to me.