Okay, a month gone and a new update. :P Thanks for being patient guys. And as always, Thanks a million to my beta, 2TcupHumans. Your amazing!

"Eric, we have a problem."

Those were words I never liked to hear. Leaning back in my office chair, I stared at my child who had just burst into the office, having interrupted the enticing invitation from my new office phone to call Sookie. "What is it?"

"Felipe is here." Her usually blank expression was replaced with a furrowed brow, and fear lit her eyes. "He is parked out back in the employee parking lot. He sent in one of his men. He wishes to speak with you."

I had expected Felipe to come, but I was surprised that it was so soon. Two days had passed since the Victor coup, and the fact that Felipe was here did not bode well. I would have to be very careful. My existence, and those of my people, hung in the balance and I had to make sure that the scales did not tip in the wrong direction. I needed to make sure that Sookie was not dragged into this mess at all costs.

Steeling myself, I stood and walked passed Pam, into the hallway. She followed me toward the exit door, her anxiety flooding me through the bond. Turning, I placed my hands on top of her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You stay in here. If anything happens...I need you to take care of Sookie. If it s really bad, take her and run. You know where to go."

Pam pursed her lips and nodded. Placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, I turned and stepped out into the night. The sound of thunder rolled far in the distance and lightning flashed across the sky. Rain was coming down in a steady downpour, and spotting the large, black limousine parked at the opposite end of the parking lot, I headed toward the vehicle.

A male Vampire was standing by the taillights which gleamed red in the darkness, and catching sight of me, he knocked his fist on the back window. The door opened and without breaking my stride, I slid into the empty seat, shutting the door behind me. Shaking my wet hair out of my face, I saw Felipe sitting across from me with his cane resting across his lap. A black female Vampire that I had never seen before was sitting adjacent to us. She was dressed in white leather, her hair falling to her waist in tiny braids.

"Your Majesty," I nodded my head, keeping eye contact with Felipe the whole time while watching the female with my peripheral vision.

Felipe stared at me for a moment before bowing his head in return, his hands rolling the cane up and down his thighs. "How have you been, Eric? It has been awhile."

"I've been well, thank you. Is all well in Las Vegas?" I asked casually, wondering when he was going to get to the point.

"Hot as hell, but thriving. And how is your wife doing?" Felipe returned, tilting his head.

"She is doing well. She has finally recovered from the kidnapping." My hands fisted in anger, the memory of Victor chaining me with silver to keep me from going to Sookie when she was taken by Neave and Lochlan was like acid in my stomach. It was only by sheer luck that some of the Vampires that had accompanied Victor that day were loyal to Felipe and they had freed Pam, who in turn made the call to the King. It was Felipe who ordered Victor to let us go.

"I'm glad to hear that. Ms Stackhouse has a certain spark that shouldn't be extinguished by any means, especially not at the hands of the two who had her. For a breather, she has strength that is unequaled to any I have ever seen." Felipe flashed his teeth in a quick smile, and though I agreed with his statement, it concerned me when he mentioned Sookie having spark. Before he closed the portals to Faery, Niall and I had agreed that the secret of Sookie's ancestry needed to be kept safe.

I eyed him warily. "Yes, she is very resourceful."

Felipe laughed softly, then he fell quiet as he observed me. "You are probably wondering why I'm here. I like to keep tabs of what is going on in my Kingdom, especially here in Louisiana and Arkansas. It is a shame that the two states are not closer to Nevada. I came here to surprise Victor, wanting to see if he had completed the tasks that I have given him as my Regent. But when I arrived at his nest earlier, I found the house empty of all its inhabitants. He is not answering my phone calls to his cell. I find this very curious. So of course, being the Sheriff of the area that Victor resides in, I have come to you, Eric. Do you know where Victor is?"

Without missing a beat, I calmly replied, "No, Your Majesty. The last time I saw the Regent was when he graciously invited Sookie and I to his new club, Vampire's Kiss. I have not seen or heard from him since."

Felipe glanced at the woman, who in turn was staring at me. I held myself motionless, my face a blank mask. Putting his cane down on the seat next to him, Felipe leaned forward and pinned me with serious eyes. "You will search your area, and I want you to do it personally. If Victor has taken the Vampires in his nest and gone rogue, I need them found immediately."

"I will begin my search tonight, Your Majesty. I will also contact the other Sheriffs' in areas one through four, alerting them to the importance of finding the Regent. I will be most thorough investigating Victor's disappearance." I would have to go through the motions of looking for Victor, to keep up with appearances. I wouldn't put it past Felipe to have someone watching me to see if I was truly following his orders. The timing of his visit didn't sit well with me.

"I hope so, Northman. You have not disappointed me yet, let's not start now. I will be in touch." He nodded his head, indicating that the meeting was over.

I nodded in return and opened the door, stepping out into the rain. The male Vampire was still standing by the taillights, and as I shut the door behind me, he walked passed me and headed to the front of the limousine, getting into the passenger side. After a moment, the vehicle pulled away and I watched the red taillights disappear into the distance.

I got lucky tonight, but I didn't know how long my luck would last. Felipe would find out what happened to Victor eventually, and when he did, there would be hell to pay. I needed to get things in order and prepare for the real possibility that I might not walk away from this unscathed.

"Eric?"

I turned and found Pam standing behind me, a large umbrella held in her hands to protect her designer clothing. "What happened?"

Taking a deep breathe, I said, "Get my lawyer on the phone."

Sitting in my private booth sipping a True blood, I impassively watched the swarming mass of fangbangers and tourists that filled the club to capacity. It never ceased to amaze me the lengths that humans would go to for the attention of a Vampire, and the dark haired woman before me was no exception. I had felt her eyes on me when I had entered the bar, and she hadn't stopped staring since. At the present moment, she was dancing seductively, her tight leather skirt hugging her hips as she swayed to the fast paced song that blared throughout the club. She was coming closer and closer to my booth, and I knew she was going to offer herself to me.

I glanced up at Thalia, who was standing watch next to the booth. She met my eyes and followed my gaze as I looked over at the dancing female. She nodded her head in understanding and went over to the girl, shocking the shit out of her as she roughly pulled her away in the opposite direction. In the past, I may have been interested in what the woman could have offered me, but that was before Sookie. Sookie, who had turned my world upside down from the moment she had entered this very club. Sookie, who was always on my mind, no matter what I was doing. Sookie, who had ruined me for any other woman and made me crave her insatiably. Sookie, who I still hadn't heard from.

I growled in displeasure, both at the current situation with my wife and the new fangbanger making her way toward my booth. Her eyes widened in fear at the animalistic sound and she made a U-turn, disappearing into the grinding dance crowd. I took another sip of my True Blood, my hand clenching around the glass bottle.

Figuring that Sookie needed time to sort her feelings out, I hadn't expected to hear from her right away. Yet as every night passed, I began to wonder if I would ever hear from her again. I could easily put myself out of my misery by simply calling her, or even going by her house, but part of me wanted to test and see if she would contact me first. For what seemed to be the millionth time, I cursed that witch friend of hers for severing our bond. It would give me some small comfort if I could at least feel her, but that was no longer the case.

Pushing my empty bottle away from me, I was about to stand when I felt my cell phone vibrate in my back pocket. Reaching back, I flipped it open and couldn't help the victorious smile that stretched my lips as I saw the number that was linked to the text message I just received. Pressing the enter button, I read the three little words that were sent to me. I miss you.

Filled with purpose, I snapped my phone shut and headed toward the back, almost colliding with Pam as I entered the hallway. She raised an eyebrow at me, obviously able to the feel the happiness that had flooded through me upon receiving Sookie's text message.

"Sookie throw you a bone?" she asked teasingly, eyeing the cell phone I still had clutched in my hand.

"I don't know about throwing one, but I got one for her," I said huskily, pushing passed my child and heading for the exit door at the end of the hallway.

"Should I expect you back tonight?" Pam asked, her voice filled with laughter.

"Don't count on it."

Stepping into the parking lot, I looked up at the cloudless sky, the stars and the almost full moon inviting me to join them. Bending my knees, I launched myself into the heavens, turning east and flying as fast as I could to reach the woman I love. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the feel of my hair whipping against my face as I flew, the warm night air caressing my body as I made my way toward Bon Temps.

When I arrived at Sookie's house, I landed in the back near the door that led into the kitchen. I paused for a moment and glanced toward the tree line, inhaling deeply. The smell of the earth, the trees, of Sookie and her Uncle permeated my nostrils, but I smelled something else too; Compton. Only one as old as myself would be able to decipher the old scents from the new and from what I could tell, Bill's unmistakable smell marked the area like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant, and they were recent.

Bill always lurked through the woods that were on his property, and he made a habit of always crossing over into the stretch that ran onto Sookie's land. It annoyed me, especially after his comments to me on the phone the night he brought Sookie home. He was sadly mistaken if he thought that Sookie would be his once again. I'd see him dead first.

Scanning the area one more time for anything amiss, I turned and opened the screen door. The door was locked, and unfortunately I did not have a key. Knocking softly, I only had to wait a few seconds before it was opened. I hid my surprise when I saw Sookie's Uncle, Dermot, standing before me. He looked at me warily, and I felt a hum of magic begin to radiate from him. We stared each other down, neither looking away, not even when Dermot took a few steps to the side to allow me into the mud room.

I entered cautiously, the screen door closing softly behind me. I had to control my baser urges, which were screaming at me to grab the Fairy and to drain him dry of all his sweet, addictive blood. Dermot was masking his scent, but that didn't help my itching gums, my fangs longing to drop. The only thing that stopped me from acting on my desire was thinking of Sookie, of how she would hate me if I killed Dermot if I acted on my impulses. I had never been this close to him before, had only seen him from a distance or smelled his presence when I came to see Sookie long after he had left the room.

Even though Pam loved to rub in the fact that Sookie had men living with her, a small part of me was thankful that it was her Uncle and Cousin. Aside from the fact that they were Fairies and could be vicious little Fuckers, I liked the idea that Sookie had the live-in protection. I had hated it when she was living alone, how isolated and vulnerable she was to all the evils in the world. The witch had been a good start, but the Fairies were an upgrade.

"She's in her bedroom, asleep," Dermot said softly, a tinge of surprise in his voice. He was obviously expecting me to be licking my lips like the big, bad Wolf, ready to devour him whole. To be honest, I was amazed with myself.

Nodding, I stepped away from him, and without looking back, I made my way through the kitchen to Sookie's room. I entered the moonlit room without a sound, and making my way over to Sookie, I gazed at her lovingly. She was laying on her left side facing the window, which was open a crack to let in some of the night air. A thin blanket covered her to her waist, her hands tucked up under the pillow where her cheek rested. Smiling, I walked over to the other side of the bed and discarded my boots, placing them gently on the floor.

Moving up behind Sookie, I molded myself to her backside, my left arm sliding under her pillow while I draped the other possessively over her hip, my hand coming up to rest against her luscious breasts. I buried my face into the cloud of her hair and inhaled deeply, taking the scent of sunshine and apricots deep into my lungs.

"Lover," I murmured, nosing her hair to the side, baring her neck for my lips. Softly kissing the exposed skin, my hand moved up under her shirt, thumbing the first nipple I came in contact with. Sookie sighed softly while her legs moved restlessly, her bottom brushing against me. My cock grew harder from the contact. My lips moved to her ear, nibbling along the shell to her lobe, gently nipping and sucking.

"Sookie, wake up," I said softly, palming her breast and squeezing.

A soft moan escaped her lips, and encouraged, I ground my painful erection against her ass. Removing my hand from her shirt, I pushed the blanket away, exposing her legs. Gliding my fingers along her skin, my hand delved into her panties, sliding effortlessly through the hairs of her sex, finding her warm pussy wet and waiting. My fangs snicked down in anticipation.

"Lover, I want to fuck you senseless. Won't you wake up so I can make you scream my name?" I whispered hotly in her ear, my hips thrusting against her in time with my fingers on her clit. Whimpering, Sookie leaned back against me, her eyes still closed but I could see that they were moving rapidly under the lid. She was dreaming. Hmmm...Better give her something sweet to dream about.

Pulling her closer, I dipped two fingers into her tight core, the smell of her arousal becoming stronger as I fucked her with my long digits. Sookie twisted onto her back and arched against my touch as I pressed against her clit with my palm, her forehead glistening with sweat. I moved my lips back to her neck as I relentlessly brought her close to release, then I backed away at the last moment.

Sookie was breathing faster, her heart beating a quick cadence in her chest. I was surprised that she hadn't woken up yet. She must have exhausted herself working for the Shifter. I growled softly at the thought and pressed against her, my cock aching to find its home in her tight sheath.

"Eric," she whispered softly, bending away from me, trying to find relief from the sweet torture I was inflicting. I could hear the plea in her voice.

Grinding my palm against her one last time, my lips drew back and my fangs plunged into the soft flesh right behind her ear. Sookie moaned low and loud, her sweet blood flooding my mouth as her release soaked my hand. I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned in my throat as the combined pleasure of Sookie's blood, her orgasm and the rubbing of my cock against her body brought me to my own gratification.

Relaxing my hold on her, I retracted my fangs slowly, swallowing the last bit of blood that was still in my mouth. After a week of nothing but True Blood, the taste of Sookie on my tongue was like water for a man dying in the desert. In my thousand years of living off of the lifeblood of humans, I have never tasted anything as good as the woman in my arms. The small trace of Sookie's Fairy heritage was a slight tang that always left a spicy aftertaste, but in all, I felt like I was taking in the purity that was my wife. In my hunger, that is what I yearned for the most.

I stroked my tongue over the puncture wounds on Sookie's neck, but I pulled away before they could heal. I would leave them as evidence of my visit since it was quite clear that Sookie was not going to be waking up any time soon. Pulling my hand from her panties, I brought it to my mouth and licked the nectar from my fingers, relishing the taste of Sookie's release almost as much as her blood.

I pulled the blanket up over her again, but left her clothes the way they were. Bringing Sookie back into the cradle of my arms, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the simple delight found in holding my wife close to me. She relaxed against me, her breathing slow and even. At times like this, I sometimes wished that I could rise with her in the morning, to see the sunlight on her face, to pass a day with her doing mundane human things.

For the rest of the night I cuddled with Sookie on her bed, content to be next to her after our week long separation, even if it was spent holding her as she slept. An hour before sunrise, I rose from the bed and quietly put my boots back on. Coming back around to her side of the bed, I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I will see you, Lover," I said softly. Sookie murmured something in her sleep and flopped over onto her stomach.

Turning, I went to the window and opened it all the way. With one last glance at Sookie, my feet left the floor and I floated horizontally out the window and lifted into the predawn sky.

The next night, I was sitting on the dais for the gawking pleasure of the local vermin when I felt a strong dose of rage come through the bond that I had with Pam. Glancing toward the entrance of the bar, I felt my own anger swell as I saw the woman following behind my child as she made her way through the crowd of fangbangers and tourists. It was like the parting of the red sea that the Christians spoke of; the humans backed out of the way and made way for the red headed Vampire. Freyda radiated confidence and power, and her head was held high as she made her way toward me followed by her lackey.

Many Vampires never reach my age, and the ones that did were powerful, almost indestructible. Many held seats of power like Freyda, while others, like me, were content to let the world turn with minimal influence. It irked me to no end that a Queen who was fifty years older than my Vampiric age had me in her sights and was unwilling to let me go. I knew this surprise visit was going to be used as an intimidation tactic. She was growing desperate.

Pam climbed the dais and caught my eye, her face clearly stating her annoyance with all the unannounced Royalty dropping in this week. I felt the same way. "Master, The Queen of Oklahoma is here to speak with you." Pam stated the obvious, which was more for show than anything else. She stood behind me, her hand resting on the curved top of the wooden chair.

Freyda laughed softly, fingering the white rabbit skin cloak she had wrapped across her shoulders. "Hello, Eric. It has been too long. I apologize for dropping in like this, but I wanted to keep it a surprise." She actually winked at me.

Most Vampires would rise and be gracious to a visiting King or Queen, but considering what Freyda wanted from me and my outright refusal to honor the marriage contract, I just nodded my head at her. Her smile faltered slightly. "Welcome to my establishment, Your Majesty. What can I do for you this evening?"

She boldly climbed the dais and sat in the smaller chair on my right, the one that Pam usually occupied when she sat with me. Pam's control was being tested, and I silently ordered her to be still. I glanced at Freyda once she was seated, her muscled guard standing in the same position as Pam.

"I wanted to come in person to ask you to reconsider. Emails, letters, the phone, they are all so impersonal. I wanted to come to you directly and implore you to change your mind. I can give you everything you ever wanted, Eric. Freyja would approve of our partnership. We are the last of our people. Join with me. I will not disappoint you." She reached over and touched the arm of the chair, beseeching me.

I wanted to shake my head in disbelief. She just wouldn't give up. "I have said this to you before, Your Majesty, so I will say it again. I'm not interested in becoming your Consort. The contract that my Maker made with you was without my knowledge, and since he has met his final death, he cannot force me to obey the terms that he settled with you. And besides," I said intensely, "I'm already married."

Freyda pulled her hand away, incensed. The fury she felt bloomed across her face, and I glanced away, happy to have hit a sore spot. My eyes flicked toward the bar and I found myself staring at Sookie, who was backed up in a corner. She was a vision in a beautiful pink gauzy dress, her hair swept up at the nape of her neck. She was a dove amongst the crows, and stuck out like a sore thumb. She looked panicked for a moment when she saw that I was staring at her, but she quickly recovered and stared right back.

I tilted my head to the side, in Pam's direction. "Get her out of here." I didn't need Sookie getting the wrong idea. I could only imagine how this looked.

Pam was gone in a flash, and glancing at Freyda, she watched with interest as Pam took Sookie by the arm and pulled her out the front entrance of the club. She glanced at me once Sookie and Pam were out of sight. "You would really give up every thing that I offer you, for her, a human?"

I leaned forward and said quietly, "I do not need titles or wealth to make me happy. Sookie is what makes me happy, and I choose to be with her. Wanting someone who doesn't want you demeans your position as Queen, don't you see that?"

Freyda's nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. "I always get what I want, Eric. I don't care how long it takes, or what I have to do to get it, I always receive the object of my desire. You may think you will find a loophole out of our marriage contract, but let me assure you that you won't. You. Are. Mine."

I ground my teeth at that. "I am my own. I do not heel to anyone, not anymore." The death of Ocella had freed me from being lorded over ever again.

Freyda stood. "Oh, and your wife doesn't make you heel like a nice little dog? It s pathetic. A Vampire of your age and status panting over a human woman is what belittles you. Making you hold true to the deal that was made is what made me a Queen. I fought for what I have, and don't think I won't fight to have what is rightfully mine."

With that she turned and stepped down off the dais, flinging the wrap she was wearing over her shoulder. I sat gripping the armrests of my chair, the wood groaning from the strength of my furious hold. Freyda made her way through the crowd, her bodyguard following after her. The wrath of Óðinn(Odin) flooded my being, and flinging myself out of my chair, I followed quickly, anxious to see my wife.

Well, I hope you guys like that. Just a few things. In the first half, when Eric thought about Felipe ordering Victor to release Eric. If Felipe was really such a S.O.B, he wouldn't of done that, and I truly believe that in the DeadLocked coming in May, Felipe's reaction to Victor's death won't be negative. With Dermot letting Eric into the house, and telling him that she was in her room. I thought this was like a Déjà vu moment. Claude let Alcide into the house, and that didn't turn out well. Dermot let Eric into the house, and that turned out...well. :P Anyway, Freyda is a bitch, I wanted her going to the extreme abit here while keeping it realistic. Many of you have said that you can't believe a women would ever degrade herself like Freyda does, wanting a man who doesn't want her. You guys have to realize that she is a Queen and is used to getting her way. Encountering a road block will only make her fight harder. Chapter 3 will be a short one, but in Chapter four we will finally come up the night of Eric being taken. Love you guys, and thanks for your reviews. XOXOXOXO