A/N - Here is chapter 7. Very late off the press. How about we just ignore me when I say 'It'll only be a few days and it'll be done and publish'...*Le Sigh*

Next on my update list is Gift of Submission - And I KNOW all you filthy dirrty minds are waiting with bated breath for that one! No promises on when the update will be, I'm getting over a bad bout of Man Flu. Yes that's right I said Man Flu...AND I'm also working on the banners and graphics for the 2012 Fang Readers Awards! So exciting!

A Favour. That's what Niall wanted in return for use of his guards; a favour, to be requested at any time in the future, with no specific terms or conditions. A faery favour was a big thing to ask of me, and Niall knew it too. The moment I agreed to it I would be magically bound to follow through with said favour when it was requested by Niall. I kept my mouth shut; I didn't have to give him my answer tonight. I could visit with Eric, feel out what his thoughts were on what I had to say then think about this favour Niall wanted. It would be like giving him a blank cheque and saying here have fun.

I wasn't even entirely sure that Eric would go for this. Did he even want to be King? I didn't know him at all to even make a judgement on that question. I could only hope that for one he might consider it or if not that he might consider going ahead anyway but would have someone in mind to take over as the reigning Monarch. I would talk to him at least about this option and get his opinion on it. I would leave the offer of the Faery guards unless I thought he would want to use them. I don't want to intentionally indebt myself to Niall if I don't have to. If I did offer the guys to him, I would make Eric aware of how I would be obtaining them. I want him to know I would be indebting myself to a ruling Faery Prince to gain access to the warriors.

I dressed in a simple outfit of skinny jeans and a black fitted t shirt with black converse on my feet. I wasn't going to flirt or entice him. As much as Eric starred in my late afternoon imaginings, I wanted to be on an even footing with him tonight with no intentional flirting. He could flirt all he wanted but I would have no part in it. Not me. Damn him for being a Vampire.

The drive to Fangtasia didn't take me long. With all the back and forth thinking I kept doing it seemed I'd hardly spent any time in the car at all. Pam was on the door when I got there and there was no queue so I hoped it was relatively quiet inside.

"Well hello there, we must have made an impression if you have returned for seconds Ms Brigant." She said in greeting while giving me a quick sweep with her gaze.

"Pamela, I need to speak with Northman."

She quirked an eyebrow at me and lead me inside. I couldn't see Eric anywhere in the bar area and Pam led me straight out to his office.

"He will return soon I will inform him you are here when he does." Pam left, closing the door before I could respond.

My brow furrowed in frustration. I had hoped to just get here and get this over with. I didn't want to linger for too long. Sitting here for any length of time would leave a mark of me; my scent would stick around longer. I walked further into the room and looked around while he wasn't here.

There was nothing vaguely incriminating. Nothing I could even use to tease; he didn't have any awful girlie posters up. Everything loitering around the office was to do with work and the bar. I was just lingering around his desk running my finger along the wood when the door open and he appeared, looking like a deer in the headlights.

Pam didn't tell him I was here. Or he might not have been dragging a blonde girl in here.

"Sookie," He said to himself brows furrowed and looking a little confused; he turned to the blonde, "Go to your car and drive home. You had a lovely night but you are too tired to stay." He continued with barely a whisper and the blondes' eyes looked to be glassy and dilated.

The blonde smiled slightly and turned and left us alone. Eric closed the door to his office and stalked to his desk, stopping at my side. I didn't move but Eric tilted his head a little and I heard his intake of breath. It was so tempting to release a tiny bit of Faery smell on him. So tempting I can't describe. But I couldn't, I had things to discuss and it would send Eric into a tail spin I might not get him out of. Not only that but it could possibly make him feel I was manipulating him, luring him in with my scent of something. I'm sure he wouldn't waste time in accusing me of something like that.

He continued to the rear of his desk and sat down. I followed suit, sitting in the chair in front of his desk.

"I assume pam didn't make you aware I was in here waiting for you. I'm sure you wouldn't have been so rude as to bring in a fangbanger knowing there was a Faery Princess in here waiting for you." I started with an amused smile on my face.

"No Pamela did not tell me you were here," he huffed while clearing his desk of a few papers, he frowned at me, "What are you wearing Sookie?"

"Something comfortable, I've come here to talk about something important and I wanted to be comfortable."

"Have you made a decision about the bond?"

"I have but first I want to talk about something else. You said to me before that you had your own plans about Sophie-Anne, leading me to assume that had I not become involved you were going in a direction that would topple a certain figure head?"

"You would be correct. I had been putting in place plans that would lead to another taking over her position. I have no interest in becoming King, although doing it the way I had intended would have put somewhat of an ally in that position."

"I'm asking you then that we go ahead with whatever you had started to put in place before I came along. I do not what to be bonded to anyone Eric," my eyes flickered to the floor then back to Eric, "When I bond, when I give anyway that part of me, I want to be able to give that person my heart as well as blood. Faery bonds are sacred to us if I was to bond with a vampire; I would want to be able to bond in my own way too. Both bonds are until final death and I don't want to bond with someone I cannot fully connect to, that I can't give my heart to."

"I understand Sookie. What can you offer me that will sweeten the deal so to speak if I go ahead with taking the throne for…a friend." He asked with an eye brow raised.

"My telepathy. I will offer you my exclusive services for a period of 10 years. You can contact Mr C and have the contract magically bound. I will allow you to contract out my services if you deem it necessary. I would need an annual income, a per job or hour income depending on the service. If you wanted me to travel out of state, travel would be paid for by you, it is up to you to recoup that cost in the charge you reap for my services from others. My telepathy would serve you for 10 years. I will accept that you may want to give me a small amount of your blood which would ensure you would know what I told you at any given time would be truthful. That is your decision. I have no reason to lie to you." I thought I was beginning to ramble so I stopped talking to check his reaction.

Eric left his chair and came around to my chair, putting a hand either side of me on the arm rests. His face came dangerously close to mine as his nose skimmed my cheek, and his mouth came close to my ear.

"And how do you know that I would not take you as my own just as Sophie-Anne would have you?"

"Because I trust you."

Eric's head moved quickly his eyes meeting mine.

"Say that again?"

"I trust you. I know what happened with my Grandfather and I would assume he still owes you a debt for it. But…I trust you."

His nose grazed the side of mine our lips so close I could almost feel his skin on mine. I wanted so badly to feel what it would be like to kiss him. I wanted to feel how soft his lips would be against mine, how it would feel to let his tongue explore my mouth.

"Sookie…" He whispered against my skin before pulling my lower lip between his, sucking on the skin. My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. He let go of it before slowly pressing his lips to mine softly moving only a fraction. He withdrew slightly and then pressed his lips to mine again, firmer this time kissing my upper lip.

My heart was saying, Gods yes, don't stop

My head was saying what in the hell are you doing Sook!

I put my hands on his chest and pushed on him slightly. He didn't need much more than that to move off me.

"Sorry, erm I should go…er you have my cell number and email right? Ok, yes just erm…call me when you make a decision on, you know…what we talked about…ok I'm going to go now."

Fuck! You are a gibbering mess Sookie!

Without letting Eric say a word, I rose off the chair and made to leave the room. I stopped at the door and looked back at him, his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry I …I should have let that happen. I'll erm, speak to you soon."

I waited until I got into my car, shut the door and locked it. Then I screamed, and threw my forehead against the steering wheel. What had I done? I froze! I froze in my chair and I let a Vampire kiss me. I brought my hand up to my lips and touched where he had been. I'd never felt anything like it, the warmth I felt even though his skin was cold. The electricity I felt and that zap of something unexplainable I felt shoot up my spine.

I put the keys in the ignition and started the car. The drive back home went fast. Again I had too much to think about. I had laid out my offer to Eric, and now all I could think about was not only his skin on mine but his lips on me. Everywhere.

I was offering this man my services for a period of 10 years. I hoped to the Gods things worked out the right way because working so closely with someone for that long could be trouble.

A lot of trouble.

A/N - Me thinks Eric was a bit stunned or confused about what just happened? He didn't make a move to stop her leaving? But didn't even speak either? And we're moving to a take over without Eric becoming Monarch? I think we can all guess who I'm going to write in right there?

I wrote this, spell checked it, read it over once, then posted it. I hope to the Gods It was not as awful as I'm beginning to think it is. Hit review, tell me I'm amazing or tell me I'm crap...either way...Next update...er...sometime next week?