Night Rider Chapter 20

Bright sunlight streamed through the windows of Sookie's bedroom. She sat up slowly, feeling as though she were sick, or drugged. Her lids and limbs felt heavy, her body stiff. Rubbing her eyes with her fists like a child, she struggled toward wakefulness. Sitting still, forcing herself to think, she finally remembered the events of last evening. Bob and the children were moving on. She would be virtually alone living out here on the prairie, except, of course, for Eric. Suddenly her heart began to pound in her chest. Eric! He was going to show her something tonight. She was supposed to be rested and ready to travel through the night with him. Turning to let her legs extend to the floor, she rose and went to the window. It must be well past noon, judging from the position of the sun. After visiting the chamber pot, she headed for the kitchen. She'd need to eat if she was to keep up with the vampire, who didn't. She smiled at the thought of spending a whole night out with him. She fondly recalled the nights they'd spent riding the fields, repairing fences, checking cattle, talking, and making love. She felt a tug low in her abdomen. Maybe something akin to those nights was what Eric had in mind. Finding leftover beans and biscuits, she ate, distracted by her reverie.

After she'd eaten, Sookie donned the riding clothes Eric had removed last night. She packed a few supplies she might need to address her human needs into a small canvas knapsack. Eric hadn't said whether they would be riding the horses, or taking the wagon, so she'd just wait until he awoke before making any further preparations. She tidied the small home as she waited, still lost in dreams of nights past and the night to come. When she heard the familiar creak of the cellar door being raised, she ran to the back door to greet Eric.

"So, you are ready, I see, lover. That's wonderful," Eric said, smoothing her blonde hair, as his eyes bore into hers. "I hope you rested well, and have eaten."

"I slept most of the day," Sookie giggled. "Did you drug me, or something?"

"I did no such thing. You were emotionally drained, I believe, from the news of Bob taking Cody and Mona away from here. I am glad you seem better now. I know the pain will remain, but it will lessen as time passes. Shall we?" Eric gave her the smirk she so loved, and held out his arm for her to take, before opening the door.

"Are we riding, or taking the wagon?" she asked, stepping in front of him and down the steps.

"Neither," he answered, "come here, Sookie." He picked her up with ease, and held her as he had many times before, close to his chest. He placed one large hand on her cheek, tucking her face into him securely. "Hold tight, little one. We have far to go and much to see." With that he sped away from the house as only a vampire could do. Before Sookie could protest, Eric had stopped and had placed her on her feet in front of him.

"Wha...where?" she stammered before he placed a finger on her lips.

"Don't worry, Sookie, no harm will come to you tonight. Sit down over here, so I can explain my plan." Sookie let him lead her to a large rock, which stood guard over the opening of a cavern. "Sookie, my dear, sweet Sookie," Eric began, as she stared dumbfounded, "I love you beyond anything I would have ever believed possible. Because of my feelings, I must share my world with you. Tonight, you will see exactly what it means to be vampire. I will show you the advantages. I will show you the decidedly dark nature of my existence. Then it will be up to you to decide whether or not you choose to continue any relationship with me."

"But, Eric..." she got out before he again silenced her with his hand.

"Tonight you listen, Sookie. Tonight, I instruct. You may ask questions later," his face bore a more serious look now. "First, I will show you this place. This is where I stayed before I began resting in your basement. This is where I brought Rafe the night before I returned to you. This is where we rested together the last time before he released me, allowing me to pursue you." Eric took her hand and gently led her into the cavern where he'd spent many days. "Watch your step," he instructed as he moved ahead of her.

Sookie had her hand on his back, as she could see nothing in the darkness of the cave. Had she known this would be part of the evening's entertainment, she'd have brought a torch. When at last Eric came to a stop, he told her to stand still while he started a fire so that she could look around. Within seconds a flame began amidst a pile of small twigs on the cavern floor. "How...?" she began, then remembered Eric's admonishment to listen, instead of asking questions. He held up two small stones and moved them against one another so rapidly she could see only a blur. A spark lit a second stack of wood. Sookie nodded her understanding of the process. Turning in a slow circle, she looked around the "room." It was large enough for Eric to stand, but just barely. Toward one wall she saw a sort of depression. She turned her eyes to his quizzically. He nodded. This was where he had spent days. She thought about him being here alone, about him being here with Rafe, and wondered if she'd ever return here with him.

"This is not an uncomfortable place to spend the day," he spoke quietly, to avoid the echo of the close chamber. "I know you feel cold, but to me, it doesn't matter at all. Let me show you something else." He reached down and picked up a piece of stone which had a sharp edge, almost as if it had been worked. He opened his shirt, and slit his pale, cold skin. He pushed the implement deeper, through tissue rarely exposed in any but the most serious cuts. At her gasp, he assured, "Don't worry, it will heal within minutes. You remember this from times I have given you blood. I just wanted you to know that even deep wounds will heal before damage is done." While blood dripped slowly down his chest, the gash did, indeed, begin to close. The small fires Eric had ignited were waning. "Let's go back to the surface," he said to her. "Keep a hand on me as you did coming down. You can't see, but I can clearly see where we are going."

When they exited the cave, Sookie took a deep breath of the fresh prairie air. Eric smiled at her, "I wish you could smell the distant verbena that still bloom, even though the weather has grown cool. There is a pasture where cattle graze within five miles. I can smell them, too. If we move in their direction, I'll hear them grazing, before you will even see them. A vampire's senses are enhanced. In some cases it takes some getting used to that." He laughed a little and pulled her close, "But I love being able to smell your fresh scent, and to hear you moving about above me when I awake in your cellar." After a quick kiss on the cheek, Eric scooped her up again, and was off. When he stopped Sookie surmised they were miles away from her ranch. The lush prairie had turned into dry stubble, with occasional brush not usually seen in her part of the country. She wanted to ask where they were, but knew he'd chastise her if she did. So she just looked up at him, as if she were a child seeking counsel, waiting patiently for her mentor to speak. "Sookie, I've told you countless times a vampire is dangerous, a predator. It's time you see this. Try not to be too frightened. While all vampires, myself included, sometimes kill during feeding, it is not necessary. Rest assured I will not kill tonight. But I will show you how I hunt, and overtake prey. I will feed on an unsuspecting human, but I will allow him to live. He'll not remember the attack at all. There is a lone man at a campfire about a half mile west of here. From the smell of him, he's been on the trail many days. Can you stay quiet while I approach?"

Sookie nodded, but her entire body shook with fright. She thought about her recent dream, and shivered anew. She tried to tell herself everything would be fine, just like Eric said. He had fed from her many times. It wasn't a scary thing to her, quite the opposite. She followed him at a distance of a few feet, stepping as carefully as possible so she wouldn't alert the hapless drifter of their presence. At one point she stopped and listened. She could not hear a sound from Eric. Of course, he didn't breath, but she heard no footfall either. He moved with perfect stealth toward the campfire, which was now visible to her in the distance. Suddenly Eric stopped and turned to face her. He motioned for her to get down behind a small mesquite tree, perhaps a hundred feet from where the man sat hunched near the fire. She did as he wanted, glad to have this much distance between her and what she knew was coming.

Satisfied that Sookie was safe from harm, but close enough to watch, Eric turned back toward his prey. Moving with the same deliberate silence as before, he approached the man from behind. His fangs were extended as he grabbed the man, one hand over his shoulder to hold him against his chest, the other covering his mouth. He bent his victim's neck to expose the jugular. Opening his mouth wide in a menacing gesture he looked to the sky and gave a growl before sinking his fangs deep into the man's vein. He drank greedily, as the man squirmed and moaned against the large hand that stifled his screams.

As Eric fed, Sookie sat, stock still, unable to look away. She was seeing Eric in a different light this night. He resembled the monster he always told her he was, and yet, she felt no fear. Oddly, she felt excitement, arousal, and realized she was sensing these emotions through her bond with Eric. She placed her fist into her mouth to quiet the sounds she felt compelled to utter.

When Eric had fed heartily, but not fatally, he placed the man back upon his perch before the fire. Bending over him, he licked the wound in his neck to begin the healing process. He then turned the man's face to look him squarely in the eyes. "You will sleep now, until dawn. When you awake, you will remember nothing of this night." As he stepped away, the man unceremoniously spread the bedroll he'd been sitting on, and stretched out. Within seconds he slept soundly.

Eric returned to where Sookie waited. His eyes burned with the passion he felt. His arms sought hers, but before he could make contact, she had launched herself toward him, jumping up to be enfolded by those massive, reassuring arms. She pressed her open mouth to his bloody one, wincing initially at the taste of the stranger's blood, but unable to resist. Eric growled once more, as he had at the point of attack. Their mouths and hands assailed each other primitively. Sookie felt as much an animal as he acted. As he roughly pulled her breeches down to her knees, she whimpered, rational fear finally making its way to the surface. She pushed against his chest, "Eric!" she cried into his blazing eyes. Her hand flew through the night air and made contact with his cheek. Growling once more, he stopped his assault and stepped back. Sookie's hand throbbed from the slap, her mouth was swollen from the roughness of their kisses, and her body hummed with unsatisfied desire. When she looked into Eric's face, she saw his eyes closed, his fangs still extended, but a less menacing look beginning to take hold. "I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't want to stop you, but I got scared," she whispered.

"You were right to stop me, Sookie. I wanted you to see what can happen, but I didn't want to hurt you, and I very well could have. Sometimes the blood lust is just too hard to control." He hung his head and turned away, "I'm sorry I scared you."

Stepping back towards him, Sookie looked up into his eyes and softly said, "I still want..."

Eric stopped her yet again before she could finish her sentence, "Not yet, Sookie. I need some time to regain my composure. We will walk away from this place. At your pace for awhile, then I'll carry you back home. We are many miles away, and will need to start back soon. For now, let's just stroll under the stars. I recall you enjoy that. You brought food in your knapsack. Nibble on it while we walk." He walked close beside her, but did not touch her. When she reached for his arm, he placed his hand on hers lightly. For perhaps an hour they walked this way through the starlit night toward her far away home. Finally he stopped and turned to her, "I'm going to pick you up now. We are returning to your ranch, but we will not enter the house. We will go to the cellar. I have prepared a place for you there. You may ask questions of me, we will continue our lovemaking, and then you will stay with me." Sookie opened her mouth to speak, but again was prevented by Eric's rapid movement, sweeping her up into his arms and beginning the lightening-fast trek back across the plains.

When they arrived back home, Eric set Sookie down near the steps. "Do you need anything before we go down into the cellar? You will be staying past dawn. I took bedding and water down for you when I left you yesterday."

"You expect me to stay down there all day?" Sookie tried not to sound like she was complaining, but this did surprise her, to say the least.

"I want you to stay long enough to see me enter my rest period. That is something you need to see. I would love for you to stay until I rise at dusk, but if you can't, or choose not to, I'll understand. I've hung a curtain between my resting place and the door, so you could leave if you need or wish to."

Sookie still wasn't quite able to identify her feelings about Eric's plans. She was, however, anxious to enter the cellar and ask some questions. Walking across the yard, she visited the little house to take care of human needs before returning to Eric's side. "I'm ready now," she softly intoned.

Eric opened the cellar hatch and helped Sookie down onto the first step. He reached down, grabbing the lantern that hung close by and lit it with a match from the tin box stored there. He followed Sookie down, holding the lantern high to light her way. When they reached the cellar floor, he pulled the curtain aside to reveal the improved resting quarters. He had added a quilt, pillows, a quart jar filled with water, and another holding prairie verbena he'd obviously gathered about 24 hours ago. They had begun to wilt, despite the water he'd put them in. She couldn't help being touched by the gesture, all the same, and smiled up at him appreciatively. "Not as comfortable as your bedroom, but I hope you'll be able to tolerate it for one day, anyway," he spoke seriously into her smile.

"It will be fine, Eric. Shall we?" she replied, gesturing toward the pallet. He stepped around her and reclined on the quilt, stretching one hand toward her. Suddenly feeling a resurgence of the desire she'd had to quash earlier, Sookie gladly joined him. "You've shown me so much tonight, big boy. What else you got?" she teased before being swept roughly against Eric's chest. His mouth instantly was upon hers, exploring its depths and contours voraciously. She moaned into his kiss and wrapped one leg over his reclining form. Eric emitted a low growl, not as feral as the ones earlier in the evening, but animalistic enough to send a chill through her body.

She would have expected Eric to withdraw, at least briefly, at her reaction, but instead, he tightened his hold on her. His fingers tore at her clothing as he pressed himself closer still. His mouth was close to her ear as he whispered huskily, "Sookie, I want you. I want you here and now. I want you with me every day from now on." Before she could answer his mouth covered hers again, and she had to gasp for breath any chance she could. He moved over her, pushing her clothes out of the way, and taking his pleasure. She responded in kind. Grasping the back of his neck and the golden strands of hair that fell over it, holding him to her, and meeting his thrusts as best she could. Her actions, her voice, her emotions were blatantly wanton, unlike ever before. As his peak approached, Eric reared back, threw his head up, and growled ferociously, "Mine!"

When his death grip finally eased, Sookie's bones felt gelatinous in her sagging body. She could scarcely draw breath, much less speak, but she looked deeply into the pitch of Eric's eyes, and simply nodded, knowing he'd understand. She was, indeed, his. And, as of this very moment she had decided she would be his for eternity. Her decision made, she tucked her head into the crook of his arm, readying herself for sleep.

Eric gently stroked her flaxen hair and whispered into it, "Tonight, my Sookie. Tonight you will join me for eternity." He closed his eyes and slipped into his death-like rest, knowing he'd have his love beside him from now on.

A/N Sorry this chapter took so long to post. It was a hard one to write. Night Rider was my first foray into the world of fanfiction, and in a very real way, I hate to end it. Thanks to all the readers who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted. I am sure I'll write more stories, maybe even exploring the lives of Eric and Sookie as vampires. In the meantime, Happy Reading!