Beacon in the Dark

Disclaimer: All errors are my own.

The characters are the property of Charlaine Harris and Allan Ball, but the plot and story are all my own imaginings. I am grateful to play with their toys in my sandbox and return them slightly used.

A/N: There is something terribly wrong back in Bon Temps. Moving day has finally arrived.

I have been told before that I don't give enough description except for intimate scenes, so bear with me as I detail their new home and let me know if I overshare.

'Thoughts'

"Spoken words"

Written words

Now without further ado, on with the show! Thank you and enjoy!

Calamities and Contemplations

"Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared."-Sun Tzu

"The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival."-Aristotle

It had been slightly over a month since the 'Great Revelation', as my Grandchild was now amusingly calling it, when we found out that it is feasible for vampire to have children. More specifically it is possible for myself or my Child, Eric, to have children only with our bonded faerie Halfling mate. Even I am not able to fathom the many circumstances which must have had to align to lead us toward this peculiar destiny.

Even though our love had what we now believe are prophetic dreams, it was somewhat disconcerting when her Fae cousins obligingly verified that she was indeed carrying three fetuses as opposed to one. Apparently for all their fertility issues the Fae tend to beget to multiple offspring at one birthing. They also informed her of the Fae's shorter gestation period.

All my experiences and my considerable lifespan had not prepared me for the imminent prospect of fatherhood. Even Eric, with his well-known ability to thrive and adapt vacillated betwixt elation and alarm. Therefore, it is not terribly unexpected that my little faerie with her tender years was just short of panicking when we first found out. My Grandchild with her imperturbable nature was gleeful at the prospect of a new reason to shop, but otherwise unmoved.

Now, we had finally all come to terms with our new circumstances, and were preparing to move into our newly completed home. Home, what a novel concept to now have not only a home but a family as well. Before I met Sookie I had stayed in houses, barns, dens, caves, and on many occasion in the ground if I was caught too far from shelter or in unknown or dangerous territory. Once I had found my mate it seemed that everything that could transpire, proceeded to do precisely that.

My reality was bleak until I met my love, and then as if she were a spark to gunpowder, my life erupted in a confluence of unimaginable events that merely continued to keep happening. For an individual like myself, who had recently contemplated ending their existence due to the tedious monotony and my overwhelming history, I could not be more pleased with revitalization my lovely little faerie has brought to my existence.

Our first week and a half together was essentially spent going from one calamity to another. Thankfully, in the process of resolving our numerous crises we were able to divert others. There had been a slight issue with my previous nest earlier in the month, which was rapidly resolved once they discovered the traitor amongst them.

Due to the extra security Isabel had instituted in her area by virtue of my warning, she was able to uncover a plot her human companion had become involved in with the FOTS. It seems her pet had become incensed that she would not change him as he desired to be with her forever. He felt that he had given up so much to be with her and in his eyes she gave nothing in return. He thus became embittered, turning on her and all vampires in her area.

Since our return from New Orleans Eric had been assisting Pamela, spending most of their time after dark involved in affairs of the state. As luck would have it, we happened upon a boon when Herveaux's weres were cleaning out our former monarch's compound. They discovered several cases worth of vials containing not only the child-Queens's blood but also that of her Children and Compton's as well.

Eric decided that it must be kismet and followed through with Sookie's plan to remove Sophie-Anne from the public once and for all. After my Child had obtained the previous Queen's car it was a simple matter of staging and an improvised explosive device to finally rid ourselves of the albatross that was Sophie-Anne Leclerq. Although my Grandchild had not inherited the debt of her predecessor, the state treasury was remarkably impoverished.

With as many vampires that resided in the state of Louisiana, this state should be relatively wealthy speaking from a vampire's point of view. Each vampire pays their Sheriff a tithe for the rights to feed off of and live in their area and provide them safety. Each Sheriff in turn pays duty to their monarch who then offers tribute to the Authority.

Since the vampire's revelation, my Child is different from other Sheriffs however, in that he does not require monetary compensation. Instead, Eric requires each vampire to be present in his bar two nights of each week to 'entice the vermin'. Up until now, Pamela was the one who maintained the scheduling, ensuring there was never a night vampires were not present. From his share of Fangtasia's profits Eric paid the Queen's levy for his area, allowing his underlings to reside in his area virtually for free.

My Child had shared with me recently that the Queen had increased his tariff twice already within the last two years, and had approached him about selling 'V' for her. This is something he knows I would never allow. I have always expressed that our essence is sacred to my Child. Before Sookie came into our lives I had only willingly shared my vital fluid with my Child. Even as a human I was taught this simple fact by our draoithe. (Druids) That the child-Queen would stoop to this to replenish her coffers, told me much.

It was due to the diminished exchequer that Pam and Eric had been preoccupied as of late. Although Pamela had claimed her crown in New Orleans, vampire politics required for her to hold a coronation ball and ceremony with all the pomp and circumstance, which the occasion would entail. With the current deficit however the planning of the Gala had taken a month to organize, and had only occurred the previous evening.

Sookie astutely inquired why we did not simply hold it in New Orleans since there was already an assembly hall there, but my Grandchild outright refused. She said there was no way in which she would allow her reign to begin in such déclassé atmosphere. My little faerie rightly rolled her eyes but kept her mouth firmly shut, showing how intelligent she truly is. There was also the issue of security which Eric and I explained to her. Because all the vampires whom were loyal to us were in this immediate vicinity, it was more feasible from a safety standpoint to hold the gala on our own terrain.

In my little faerie's eyes it was rather the lavish occasion, but due to the monetary constraints left by Sophie-Anne the Louisiana coffers would not have born the burden of a legitimately extravagant celebration. With the additional benefit of several of mine and Eric's contacts, and some inspired ideas on Sookie's behalf we were able to achieve the anticipated results at a pittance of the expense. The advent of Sookie's website also brought in the influx of necessary donor blood. Somehow an unused older brick warehouse of Eric's was turned into a lavish ballroom.

A contractor whom owed Eric a favor was able to work some magic on the concrete floor by staining the surface then polishing till it shone like glass. The end product made the flooring appear to be ebony marble. Another contractor did all the wiring and built the stage where we placed Eric's throne from Fangtasia. Pamela was appalled however by Sookie's idea of renting draping, furniture, as well up-lights with red gels for ambiance and all the champagne glasses. We stripped the New Orleans compound of several chandeliers and the two blood fountains found there as well, allowing us to finish off our creation.

Thankfully Pamela is as organized as she always has been and our security was prepared for most contingencies. Last night's proceedings were blessedly incident free, in as much as a vampire coronation ball can be considered incident free. There were no takeover attempts however, and only one assassination plot, which hastily resulted in the deaths of two vampires we were later found out were children of Patiño.

I had been lounging in bed, responding to emails for the last two hours as I ruminated over the last month's events. Sookie was gone when I awakened and now I was left awaiting my love's return from her house in Bon Temps. Her friend Tara, who was now renting said domicile, had moved in today and my little faerie had decided to help her. Mercifully, she had agreed to have a guard accompany her as both Eric and I are understandably unavailable to her during the hours of daylight and her friend was intractable about meeting with Sookie at night. She had left a note for myself and Eric before she left, but that did nothing to ameliorate the absence I felt so keenly.

Godric and Eric,

I've gone to help my friend Tara move into my house in Bon Temps. I called Trey Dawson like y'all asked me to and he agreed to help me out today. Don't forget that we are supposed to meet with my Seanathair this evening before we go to Fangtasia for me to interview the minions my Godfather found for y'all. Pam left me a message requesting my brain powers (I'm not kidding she really said that) for tomorrow night. I should be back around 3pm, since Tara really doesn't have all that much. Don't worry, I promise to make Trey stop and pick me up food on the way there and back like Dr. Ludwig ordered. Does it sound silly to say I haven't even left yet but I'm missing you already?

Love you,

Sookie

I realize that since she had started training with her Grandfather and her Fae cousins that she was not incapable of defending herself, however it was impossible to prevent myself from experiencing the disquiet I felt when she was not at my side. Objectively speaking, she does seem to attract a considerable amount of attention wherever she goes both positive and negative. It was only one week prior when she had nearly started widespread panic at Fangtasia.

The evening had started out unremarkably. We had arrived at the club early so that our little faerie could examine the human faculty and local business associates. We had jointly determined that it would be best to conduct the interviews in my Child's office away from the others to help isolate their thoughts and decrease any anxiety in the participants. Eric, Sookie, and I were sitting in the office, while Chow brought each employee in individually for my love to read. Sookie sat on Eric's lap at his desk, writing in her notebook, while he asked questions of the employee and I remained unobtrusively on the couch.

The questioning had gone relatively smoothly until we reached the True Blood provider for the bar. It seems that since he was the only supplier for this region of Louisiana he felt it was only right he should charge more for his efforts. We were able to determine that he was charging a 10% markup and pocketing the difference. Keeping to our contract with Sookie, Eric was able to email the distributor and work out a new agreement while I contacted the authorities. The man was apprehended and taken in with charges of theft and fraud.

That minor dispute, however, was not what caused the near riot in the bar. It was the post consultation celebration atop my Child's desk, which incited nearly every vampire within the building into a frenzy. As Sookie was shattering with delectation below Eric, both her glamour and the safeguard she has developed to mask her Fae scent dropped.

Fortunately, there were no casualties during this instance and no one was truly harmed. The numerous humans that had been fed upon may have contested that supposition, if they could recall. After the use of some judicious glamouring, all the patrons were able to leave as they had come, for the most part.

Pamela and Chow both now agree, much to Sookie's mortification, that our little faerie's presence is excellent for profits. My Grandchild has even suggested that Sookie should accompany Eric every night, with perhaps a repeat performance as well. Although I in no way would encourage anything which in any way degrades Sookie, I find her reactions to Pamela's constant innuendos beyond charming. The delicate pink blush that graces the apples of her cheeks and the enticing aroma that accompanies are both things which I shall never tire of.

Sensing the distance through the bond begin to diminish, I knew that Sookie was on her way home. It was at that instant, in which I realized that a portion of the uneasiness that I had been combatting was actually coming from Sookie. I wondered briefly what had occurred to cause her distress, but was certain she would divulge once she returned.

It was in that instant that I became aware of Eric's awakening. I felt his licentious craving slam into me over our bond before his eyes had even opened. He was already reaching for me as I was setting aside my computer. My Child has always had an innate carnality to him which had not lessened once he was turned vampire. He clutched me ardently as he rolled atop me, pressing his lean long body against mine. His kisses were urgent and demanding, as his distended erection ground aggressively against my flesh. He swallowed my groans, when his long tapered fingers wrapped around my growing arousal and began to pump me.

I flipped us over lifting his long legs over my shoulders and folding his lengthy body beneath me. It was split seconds before he was shouting his euphoric agony as I breached his rear entrance. His pelvis tilted precisely so, in this position, that every flex of my hips had me abrading a certain spot inside him which would cause his climax to be inordinately more explosive.

He strained against me, plucking at my stiffly pebbled nipples and his own, as my hand reached between us and stroked his full throbbing length. I could feel his tension mounting and increased the force and speed with which I pushed into his passage. A grunting moan was now escaping his lips with every forward lunge. I felt a slight quivering from the tautly stretched muscle surrounding my girth, indicating he was coming close to reaching his end, and brushed my thumb over the weeping head of his tumescent rod.

The tendons in his neck popped out in stark relief as he threw back his head and gave a great roar of deliverance. His cool seed erupted from him in pulsating jets coating his our torsos and my hand, while his rear tunnel rippled around my engorged shaft. It was only a few moments later as my hips slammed forward in a final thrust, and I flooded his passage in convulsive spasms of ecstasy.

I felt a hollow echo of faint pleasure from Sookie through the link we shared, causing me to smile. Even over the miles that separated us, our little mate had delighted in our coupling. It took several minutes for me to regain my equanimity and disengage from Eric, dropping his legs back to the mattress as I pulled away. I retreated to the restroom to cleanse myself as my Child lay back and basked in his euphoria.

Once I had finished my shower, I dressed in some simple linen lounge pants. Having dressed, I collected my laptop I headed into the sitting area, requesting Eric to join me as he headed to bathe. After the water stopped I grabbed a blood for my Child, heating it while I waited for him to join me in the sitting area. He came from the bedroom in a flash, dressed in a fitted navy suit and white button down, appropriate for the appointments to come later this evening.

I handed him Sookie's note as I retrieved his nourishment from the microwave. Eric snorted in humor as he briefly scanned the letter. He nodded his thanks as I handed him a bag and consumed the sustenance before settling down to work on his computer. We discussed some of our mutual concerns about dealings with our industry connections and regarding the running of an area as he swiftly and methodically went through his emails. Once he had finished, we traded humorous antidotes of the many incompetent underlings we have had to endure over the decades.

Which reminded me of something I had noticed earlier. We were running low on donor blood again. I let him know we would require another shipment soon. I also expressed my thoughts on why it might behoove us to double the shipment order for near future. Neither Eric nor I require a great deal of plasma to survive due to our considerable ages, the couple of swallows we consume from Sookie each night would be adequate if it were not for the extra exchanges.

With all the recent upheaval it was also wise to overindulge slightly to remain at peak physical readiness. If we were to come to harm, the extra reserves in our bodies will aid us in healing more rapidly. However, with three vampires residing in the house and Sookie needing more of our own claret for the half vampire offspring she is currently gestating, our reserves had been dwindling rapidly

With the loss of Eric's day-man we had been relying on his waitress Ginger to run errands for us. While she may be a decent waitress, she lacked any other talent including being able to think for herself. I do have to concede, she is inordinately loyal. Her meager intelligence however, is a major detriment as a servant. She is often inattentive and has to be frequently reminded of her tasks. Sookie believes it is due to all the times she has been glamoured. Although, Eric and Pamela both swear that she was this deficient even when newly appointed.

Tonight we were supposed to meet with the applicants for our little mate to peruse. We had already had several candidates that had been found unsuitable by Sookie even after having been vetted by the lawyer's partnership. While ordinarily I would have believed incompetence on the firm's behalf, but I had to concede that in this instance that was not the case.

The very first candidate had been subject to split personality disorder. Sookie only discovered this when he became agitated during the interview. She was able to actually listen in as his mind took on a completely different persona. The entire prospect completely intrigued me as she was trying to describe it to us after the man was dismissed. The other two were not as remarkable circumstances as the first, their personalities just did not mesh with all three of ours. Hopefully one or more of the candidates Catialades had found for tonight would be satisfactory.

Sookie knew of the prospective day-persons for both Eric and myself, however, we would also be hiring a few surprises including maids, a cook, gardeners, and guards for the new home. Eric had cleaning and gardening services he frequently used at his other houses but we were looking for something more long term. You could never build trust or loyalty with short term help, no matter how well you treat them.

I had also requested the demon-lawyer look at Supes, not solely humans, for the different positions. Surprisingly, pleasantly so, over half the applicants were Supes. Most mortals have a tendency to overreact at to Supe altercation and they simply do not comprehend the dynamics of Supe politics.

My Child had already appointed our housekeeper, but she was an older witch displaced from Katrina and living with some distant relations. She was highly recommended by both Catialades and the half goblin doctor. She would more or less oversee the maids and cook as well as assist Sookie and provide the occasional spell-work or ward as needed. I was still hoping Sookie would allow us to secure her an assistant and possibly a doula. She was resolute in her rejection of a nanny but I had researched and found that a doula did not take over care but was merely there to assist the mother.

After the interviews we would be heading to our new home for the first time. Although our little faerie had made all the selections as far as the décor, the interior designer had put all her ideas and selections together and Sookie had wanted it to be a surprise for everyone when we moved in. In order to humor our mate, Eric had even gotten Herveaux's crew to deliver our personal items and clothing. As such, we had been essentially living out of a suitcase for the last two days. Freemont had promised to have all of our personal belongings stored and organized by the time we arrived home this evening.

Unknown to Sookie, my Grandchild has purchased almost an entirely new wardrobe for our little faerie and forwarded it all to the designer's assistant. According to Pamela, our mate was sadly lacking all the essentials for a fashionable wardrobe. Although Sookie did not wear designer labels as my Grandchild preferred, I had never found her attire to be lacking. To be fair to Pamela, there are also clothes that she will need shortly when her pregnancy becomes more apparent. However, I will admit my tastes in attire lean towards simplicity. Unless it interferes with my ability to wield my weapon, clothing is merely a means to blend in to society and conceal myself in respect of others modesty.

I felt Sookie enter the house before I had heard her, and deduced that she must have popped into the house downstairs. She was becoming rather proficient with her Fae magic, now that she had individuals who could educate her. It had been slightly problematic in the beginning when her powers were newly emerging. Any time Sookie had strong emotions, she would unintentionally discharge strong bursts of faerie power, usually with unexpected results.

Ordinarily this would not be cause for concern if we were in the privacy of our own home. My little love does nothing by half measures, however, and the first time she used her powers was to unknowingly attack another vampire. Another instance which was slightly troubling was during my Grandchild's inauguration with well over twenty vampires in attendance. Her irksome cousin showed up unexpectedly looking for the former Queen and Sookie not only outed herself as Fae, but also as an heir in line of succession to the throne. It was during that same morning in which we were informed of Sookie's gravid status.

Due to all of the tumult from that announcement, it was not until several days later when she remembered the additional complication she had overheard in her cousin's mind. As my love decreed punitive action against her kin in Supe retribution, her cousin was pleading with Sookie about another possible telepath. It turns out that Hadley procreated, and was reasonably certain that her offspring is also a mind-reader.

The child, a nearly five year old male named Hunter Savoy is indeed in possession of extrasensory mental capabilities, making him a Halfling as well. His father is full human and has no idea of what he is dealing with. Since Hadley hardly had any interaction with the father or the child, the father was understandably reticent about allowing Sookie to interact with his son. Fortunately for Mr. Savoy, my lovely little faerie bears no ill will towards her young relation.

At this point in time however, we are all unsure of how to proceed with this new dilemma which has been presented to us. Do we ignore him altogether and leave to suffer through life as Sookie was forced to, or do we act on his behalf and therefore call attention to him? Therein lies our quandary. Now that Sookie has outed herself as a Fae princess, it would not require a vast amount of intellect to presume that any relation of hers is also Fae or telepathic, or both. This could put the child in danger from not only vampires seeking their own personal telepath but also the Fae opposed to the very existence of hybrids.

For now we are taking the wait and see approach. Now that Sookie has his mental signature, and since her telepathic abilities have become so much stronger, she is able to touch base with Hunter daily. We also provided all of our contact information to the father, if some issues should occur. Knowing Sookie as we undoubtedly now do, there is no uncertainty that she will want to ensure the boy's continued health and happiness. Hopefully we will be able to carry on as we are. Eric and I have not survived as long as we have merely hoping for the best, however, which is why we have several contingency plans in place if all should go astray.

I met my love at the entrance of our light impenetrable quarters sweeping her up in a passionate embrace just as she closed the door behind her. She jumped up wrapping her lean limbs around me meeting me with equal fervor and I could already smell her excitement. Her hands were soon running over the pale smooth skin of my torso and desperately clutching at my shoulders as her ardor grew. She started grinding against me while I was backed her up against the wall. I pushed up the skirt of her dress seeking the sweltering moisture I knew I would find.

She whimpered lustfully into my mouth when I tore the little lace panties from her trim body. Impatiently pushing down my pants barely enough to free myself, I relieved my swollen aching rod from its offending confinement. As I began sliding the weeping head through the slick silken folds of her dripping fiery core, she mounted her assault against me, hungrily kissing and nibbling along my neck. Her breathy sighs increased as I paid particular attention to the swollen nodule at the apex of the petal-soft folds of her womanhood.

"Oh Godric, I felt you and Eric earlier and it was all I could think about while I was on my way home." She panted in my ear.

Pulling away slightly so I could watch her face, I slowly slid inside her throbbing wet velvety warmth. Her face was flush with her arousal as her glassy eyes looked up at me with love and burning desire. Her lush berry pink lips were swollen and dewy from our previous osculation. As I became fully seated her lush mouth dropped opened in an 'O' of exaltation. Never a more beautiful site, than my little mate in the throes of passion, had I ever seen.

My left hand slid under her tight rounded cheeks lifting her slightly and changing the angle as I made passionate love to her up against the wall. With unhurried methodical strokes of my thick pulsing column I pushed her closer to the pinnacle of her enjoyment. Her manicured nails were digging deeper into the dense muscles on my shoulders, as her passion heightened. My right hand manipulated her still clothed breasts, stroking and gently pinching them as she writhed against me. We had discovered over the past fortnight as her pregnancy progressed so did the sensitivity of those succulent crested globes.

She was soon begging for more as I continued my leisurely assault on her senses waiting for her to lose herself. Finally the point I was waiting for arrived. As she dropped her glamour fully giving over to her passionate nature. Her natural glow intensified creating stark reliefs on the walls around us, as her heady scent of arousal released, enveloping us and almost overwhelming me with craving. The musculature of her Fae body belied her strength as she began to lift herself up and down my engorged pillar.

She rode me with abandon as she sought her own climax. Her dainty feet dug into the backs of my thighs as she used her legs for leverage, while her delicate hands sought more secure purchase on my broad shoulders. My hand released her distended peak dropping down between us gently circling her small nubbin, giving the extra stimulation needed for to reach that final glorious instance.

Her snug channel began to constrict around me grasping and needy. Betwixt one second and the next a brilliant light exploded from her and she was calling out my name as she shattered in explosive ecstasy. As her scorching walls milked me with their powerful grasp. She struck then, biting me without any forewarning and drawing my life essence with strong sucking pulls.

The dual sensations tearing from me all my hard won control as I was seized by blinding rapture, pulling my orgasm from me in jarring, pulsing spasms. My cool seed erupting within her flaming core triggered another shuddering wave of rapture to claim her as she screamed and extricated her serrated teeth from my flesh. Our comingled juices drenching me as her overstuffed sheath convulsed around my quivering flesh.

When we finally recovered, she was flushed and sweaty, panting heavily, her eyes gleaming with sated desire. My arms wrapped securely around her holding her to me with affection as I pulled away from the wall. I felt no need to relinquish our intimacy as I carried her back towards the sitting area and Eric.

Each step jarring her slightly and creating delicious sensations as she continued to pulse and slide around my still semi erect shaft. I was somewhat surprised Eric had not joined us, but decided he was either giving us some time together alone or he had some matters to attend to and would join us shortly.

It was gratifying to see her still full of vigor this afternoon. It had been difficult over the last month finding a balance between the necessary nutrition she requires and regular infusions from both me and my child. Which will be one of the reasons presented to Sookie when she balks at employing a cook, because although as she rightly pointed out she can cook for meals. Time constraints, however, often leave her relying on take out or sandwiches which while satisfying are not always healthy options. For as loving and accepting as my love is she can also be incredibly willful.

"What had you so upset earlier mo ghrá? I felt your distress from here while you were in Bon Temps." She looked up at me sheepishly, contemplating my inquiry.

"There is something, I don't know, but definitely not right in Bon Temps. It was only a couple of people, but their heads are real messed up. It kind of freaked me out. I'd never heard anything like it before, ever! You know I normally try not to listen in on people but they were acting so different." Her voice trembled slightly with renewed desire as she explained.

"What was it which had you so concerned earlier Mo ghrá? Are they very violent or abusive to you in their thoughts?" She shook her in denial of those allegation looking somewhat lost.

"I don't know exactly how to describe it, it's very dark. I can't think like this." She said motioning between us her voice conveying her frustration as we as we joined Eric on the sofa.

I noticed that Eric had gathered some accoutrements for our playful pursuits while I had been retrieving our little mate. I arched my eyebrow in surprise as I noticed the nitrile glove and condom he had laid out on the side table with the lube and towel. He had already divested himself of his garments and was eagerly awaiting our upcoming activities as evidenced by his burgeoning staff. I gave an extra thrust as we sat making her groan in delight, while my hands settled securely at her hips guiding her movements as she straddled me.

Eric leered over at us playfully moving closer to join us as I rocked up into our little faerie. He unzipped her dress, pulling it over her head in one swift motion baring her delicious form for us to view. It seems this dress required no additional support for her luscious creamy mounds, and we were now reaping the benefits. Sitting as I was I was able to see the small rounded bump that gave proof to the blessing we would soon receive

"Hello Lover, we were missing you earlier. Did you enjoy feeling us while you were so very far away?" He whispered seductively in her ear, as he moved in behind her.

"I missed y'all too. Yes, it made me hot. I was wishing I was here to watch but I felt both y'alls pleasure and it made me feel good." Her answer was breathy, her voice becoming sultry as Eric gently squeezed her voluptuous pink capped crests while I glided within her inflamed confining sheath.

"You only wanted to watch, not join, how interesting! How good did it make you feel Lover, did you touch yourself?" She squeaked slightly in denial as he sharply pinched a nipple in conjunction with his question.

"No I wouldn't do that! Tray was in the car with me." Her voice quaked as she repudiated his conjectures.

"Would you have you have touched yourself if the Were was not with you Lover?" His right hand trailed down her body as he continued his provocative interrogation. Sookie's moaned response was unintelligible as she quivered around me.

"I bet he could smell that luscious fragrance of yours. What do you think Godric? I bet he even enjoyed scenting the lovely aroma she exudes?" His mischievous eyes met mine over her shoulder as I continued my repetitious rocking within her fiery sodden channel.

He pulled away briefly, grabbing his items from the side table, and returning before Sookie could take note of his absence. I spread my legs widely moving closer to the edge of the couch, allowing Eric to join us. She startled slightly groaning in anticipation as he rubbed the cool gel against her scorching flesh in preparation of his imminent invasion.

I could feel his dexterous fingers penetrating her, rubbing against my bloated shaft through the delicate barrier of tissue which isolated us. Her body melted, almost boneless against mine, as she relaxed into the nirvana we were both giving her. There was only a fleeting falter in our rhythm as Eric exchanged his gloved digits for his condom encased rigid staff. She was continuously making inarticulate noises of delight now as we both sank within her tapering depths.

After discarding his glove, Eric began fondling Sookie's flushed pebbled nipples. We had been well sated earlier and were in no hurry right now to achieve completion, as we continued our unhurried pace. Our gentle fluctuations giving gratification but not yet enough to bring her over the edge. She languorously reached one arm behind her pulling Eric's face towards hers and exchanging a salacious kiss with him, provocatively feeding from his firm sculpted lips in voracious invitation. His movements became more urgent as their steamy osculating continued. He swallowed her moans as he all but devoured her passion with his mouth.

Whining slightly as he sharply pinched the taut reddened crests of her voluptuous bosom, she pulled away panting harshly. Her glazed eyes were looking at me without truly seeing while her slender dripping channel clenched around me as she came closer to reaching her pinnacle. I felt Eric's motions stutter slightly and knew that he would hastily follow Sookie. Releasing one hip, I reached between us and steadily depressed her swollen node hastening her toward her erotic crescendo.

She cried out with unabashed abandon as she flew apart, coming with a soul shattering intensity as her luminous body undulated against us. The paroxysmal contractions of her narrow cavity constricting my movements. I was only peripherally aware as Eric's magnificent body shuddered behind her. His elongated stave was throbbing in staccato convulsions against mine, as he bellowed her name in exultation. I groaned in blissful agony abandoning myself to rhapsody as my cool emanations filled her tightly compressing tunnel.

Within moments of Eric withdrawing from her body, he had discarded his condom and was lifting Sookie off me. He swiftly laid her on the couch as he pulled her ankles around his ears. Her breath caught sharply at the sudden change, but she was already smiling her acceptance and reaching up to embrace him as he folded her body in two. He smoothly slid home and leaned forward capturing her mouth with hungry urgency, in one even motion.

It was always a delight for me to witness them reveling in one another. She had not truly come down from her previous orgasm and I recognized that she was fast approaching her next as he made his deep uniform strokes inside her quivering heated flesh. Although there was no less passion in him, I observed that there was a new sense of awareness in how my Child treated our mate. His plunges, still firm but not quite as harsh as they once were. There was now almost a fluidity in his movements as he unrelentingly glided within her glistening sheath.

She mewed sweetly as he pulled back from her delectable mouth. Her sharp little teeth bared as her kiss swollen lips grimaced in displeasure. Her slender hands desperately clutching at him as if to keep him from pulling away. Acceding to her will, he bent over her and began feeding from the drugging nectar of her petal soft lips.

Eric swallowed her guttural cries as her effulgent body seized and a molten fountain rushed out from where they were connected below, saturating them both. His rhythm only faltered slightly before he continued his smooth cadence. He pulled away slightly watching as she continued to shudder tremulously beneath him, her movements restricted as they were. She was making incoherent sounds as rippling waves of ecstasy continued to flow through her.

I knew he would not be able to last much longer as he fought off the multitude of sensations her body created as he rode her. Her hands gripped his thick biceps securely as she pulled herself toward him. She surprised him then when instead of kissing him she leaned forward and bit down sharply on his muscular pectoral. His neck arched head thrown back sharply shouting his satisfaction as he made a final thrust of completion and convulsed within her.

As they uncoupled Eric flopped unsteadily on the couch while Sookie languorously unfolded her body and licked her crimson covered lips in resplendent satiation. After a brief period of recovery, I lifted her lax form from the couch carrying her to our lavatory to clean up. She had long given up on arguing with me about my penchant to convey her from location to location.

My Child joined us shortly and we hurriedly washed each other's bodies of the evidence of our joint gratification. Once we had finished bathing it was fast approaching the time of our rendezvous with Brigant. Sookie and I headed to our closet to gather our clothing for the upcoming evening while Eric redressed in his earlier attire.

She wore a black camaca sleeveless A-line cocktail dress with a delightfully plunging V-neck and sheer stripes that would have shown more than she is typically comfortable with were it not for nude lining. Once she grabbed a scarlet clutch and the red peep-toe heels she was wearing when we first met, she headed back to the powder room to do her make-up and hair. As I dressed in a tailored taupe suit and ivory collarless shirt, I saw my Child head back to the bathroom.

As the night fell, finally releasing us from our daily incarceration, we met in the garage to depart for our first appointment. I was glad it would be at a restaurant as it was apparent even with the recent influx of our blood that our little faerie's energy was beginning to flag. Perhaps there would be occasion later for a nap before she had to read all the candidates. For now I helped Sookie into the back seat of Eric's black H2 and seated myself beside her. With Eric driving we were soon on our way to Bella Luna's. As we were talking our earlier conversation was brought back up.

"You should know Lover, I have heard through my contacts, your brother has further involved himself with the fellowship since your Grandmother's death and has joined a subsidiary branch calling themselves the Soldiers of Light. Maybe he has soured others opinions of you and this is what you heard while you were visiting Bon Temps." Eric stated reluctantly

Both Eric and I had been keeping abreast of information regarding her errant sibling, hoping her brother would have a change of heart. It seemed that after being accused of killing those women and then becoming attached to the drainer, he was well and truly lost to our little faerie. His absence was no great hardship to me, however Sookie had complex emotions when it came to familial obligations.

"What?" She screeched in fury, her now standard glow intensifying only slightly as she tried to compose herself.

"Mo ghrá, you must remain calm. The miniscule doctor was adamant, anxiety was not ideal for a woman in your condition." I reminded gently while glaring at my Child in reproach.

"I know! It's just that he gets me so mad when I think of how he is acting." She huffed out, rolling her eyes but taking a deep breath and blowing out slowly.

"Okay we'll come back to my idiot brother later, cuz nothing he's been doing could affect the people like what I'm seeing in their heads. It's like, whatever's in them, swallowed up whatever makes them… them!" She stated gesticulating for emphasis.

"All that's left inside is this dark angry energy, and their eyes! Their eyes are pitch black, and I mean black as in no whites. It's creepy and I get the feeling that whatever it is, it's just starting." She stated almost prophetically.

"Whatever it is Lover, it is no concern of ours. We have enough on our plate to deal with right now, so let us not borrow trouble, yes?" Although Eric's point was valid, I did not believe this would be the last we heard of this matter.

"I know Eric, and I'll try not to let it bother me but these are people I knew my whole life and I don't like someone or something coming in my town and messing with them." Sookie acknowledged reluctantly as we pulled into the restaurant.

"Come, Mo ghrá, we have arrived shall we see what your Seanathair has to discuss with us this evening." I said taking her hand and helping her from the vehicle.

She scowled slightly as we approached the establishment, obviously recalling the last time they parted on less than hospitable terms. I was fairly certain still that his combative behavior was only a ruse to aid in making a point to Sookie. Once inside, we were seated by the hostess almost immediately in a secluded room where her Grandfather awaited us.

He sat at the lone table placed towards the center of the spacious area which was typically reserved for private parties. I suppose in a way this could be considered a private party. We definitely did not want any unknown individuals to be privy to the discussion we were having tonight about Sookie's new training.

The pale stone floors and wall veneers of the 12sqft dining area gave the decor an overall Tuscan feel, while the opaque bronze glass sconces created intimate lighting for our upcoming meal and conversation. Sookie's Grandfather stood to greet us as we approached the table. It was not until after we had our orders taken and the server had brought our drinks and left again in which we were able to begin our discussions. My skin itched fleetingly as magic surrounded us, when Brigant erected some form of barrier around us for privacy, allowing us to speak freely.

"Your cousins tell me congratulations are in order, Granddaughter! Although I have to admit I was aware of your condition upon our last meeting." His broad smile gave evidence to his evident pleasure over our little mate's prenatal state, as Sookie gaped at his unexpected jovial behavior. There was a sudden shift in her expression and I felt her fury lash at me unexpectedly through our bond.

"You mean to say, you knew I was pregnant when you started fightin' with me, threatenin' not only the lives of the ones I love but my unborn children as well." His face fell as her quiet voice shook with suppressed violence.

Eric and looked at each other having not previously considered that aspect and feeling our anger mount as well. It was with dawning apprehension in which the three males at the table realized, precisely what is meant by a woman's wrath, as our little mate suddenly blasted her Grandfather with unerring accuracy. I was very much in appreciation of the fact that we were in a private room as he went flying six feet from his previous location and slamming into one of the stone exterior facing walls. Knowing how protective our mate is of those she loves, I was surprised Eric and I had not previously predicted her possible retaliation.

Pulling her from her chair beside me into my lap, I held her trying to soothe her as she panted with rage her heart pulsing erratically. Brigant rose gingerly indicating an injury of some sort although thankfully he was not bleeding. The last thing we needed was for Eric or myself to go into a frenzy.

Eric stood behind us protectively as her Grandfather cautiously approached us, trying to explain himself and assure her that neither she nor her children were ever in any risk of being harmed. It was not lost on me however, that he did not say the same for myself or Eric. Sookie evidently had not overlooked the omission either as she continued to glare at her Grandfather.

"Don't think I didn't notice that you didn't say Godric and Eric weren't in any danger. I don't care who the heck you are, it's never okay in my book to threaten the people I love." I sensed she was calming down from the height of her anger as I held her and stroked her back.

"But of course my dear! As I was explaining before I was only trying to assist you regarding your decision with the vampire." His placating words had no discernable effect on our little mate.

"If this is an example of faerie thinking, I think I'm offended by you telling me how different I think." She stated while scowling at me.

"Mo ghrá, I never said you had Fae logic, I merely observed your thought processes are not merely human. Your ideals and perceptions are still tempered by your human upbringing, but the ways you are able to reason through ideas is outside of most mortals' scope of understanding." My words while honest were still not to her liking, but she gave a terse nod before turning back to her grandfather.

"Look I get that you're a faerie and the Fae don't like vampires, but you knew when we first met that I was bonded to both of them. Frankly I don't care if you like them or not. I don't know you from Adam, but these two men here I love them. Even when one is acting like a jerk." She released a deep sigh, relaxing back against me as she looked at her Grandfather.

"Of course Granddaughter, this was merely a simple misunderstanding." His conciliatory response was fooling none of us, but I knew Sookie would forgive her Grandfather this time.

I am sure he had no intentions of injuring Sookie or the children she carried. I am equally as positive that if he had the opportunity during that occasion, he would have brought either Eric or myself to our final end without any lasting remorse. The only way I could see him having any regret is in as much as it would affect Sookie.

"You think you were helping me, fine this time we'll chalk it up to cultural differences. Just so were clear Seanathair, I'm warning you now, if you ever try to harm anyone I love by word or deed I'll find a way to make sure you never act or speak against anyone again!" Sookie's venomous words were interrupted by the entrance of the server carrying in their meals and bottle of Royalty Blended.

Once the server left we ate our meals, or in mine and Eric's case we drank it. The atmosphere was still rather tense but Brigant tried to be sociable while Sookie maintained her civility. To refer to the remaining conversation as anything but constrained, what be an understatement of epic proportions. After her meal was finished, our little mate politely but tersely announced out imminent departure.

"I hate to rude and eat and run, and I hope you are not terribly injured from hitting the wall, but I think it's best we take some time to cool off before we talk some more. We have more meetings tonight. Besides, it's not like you're not getting updates from my cousins about my training." It was not unnoticed she did not apologize for blasting her Grandfather as she stood from the table.

He stood graciously accepting her farewells and giving his own in kind, apologizing once more for their misunderstanding and reiterating his blessings over her parturient condition. Eric and I nodded briefly at Brigant before we escorted our love from the restaurant and back to our vehicle. Sookie was still somewhat edgy as I helped her into her seat and as we took off down the road to Fangtasia. I could only hope the rest of our evening went more smoothly than this.

Part of the reason we had previously chosen Bella Luna was due to the fact that it was so near to my Child's club. Now, however, I wishing we had more time for our little faerie to calm down. She was already upset from her Grandfather's visit, now we were going to ask her to open her mind to other's thoughts while in a club surrounded by individuals whose thoughts were likely to offend her deeply. As if these issues were not enough, we were adding to number of interviewees without her previous consent.

It was only right at that juncture that I was beginning to reconsider the intelligence of our decision to surprise our volatile little mate with the extra personnel. Thinking that perhaps last minute warning was perhaps better than none whatsoever, I gave her some rudimentary information on the additional people she would be scanning that night. Her pursed lipped frown and huffed breath more than conveyed her ire with us.

"Highhanded vampires!" Her words conveyed her irritation, but I could tell through the bond that she was not truly angry at us.

"Alright let's get the show on the road. The sooner I start, the sooner I finish and I really want to see our new home." The excited energy around her was palpable as she spoke of our new domicile.

We made our way through the rear entrance to Eric's workplace. The more I thought about it the better it seemed for us to purchase an office building for all our business needs. I would be able to lease out the extraneous suites and we would have professional accommodations for meetings like these. It would also be a better place for Pamela to conduct matters of state.

I am proud of the establishment that my Child and Grandchild have created for themselves, however it does not project the prestige Pamela's position as Queen must carry. There are probably several such buildings available. I would have to contact my realtor and think further on this matter. The more I pondered on it however, the more desirable it became.

Pamela greeted us as we entered Eric's office, and I noticed that she had all but taken over the limited space. Upon noticing this, I decided my idea definitely had merit. Not only would Pamela have her own designated area befitting her station to handle Louisiana vampire affairs, Sookie would have a place to conduct her burgeoning telepathy venture. Having a centralized location where we could work from would also allow us to interact on a daily basis without cutting into time spent on our obligations.

Now that I was no longer contemplating my final death, I also realized that I needed something to give me purpose. Since I gave up my position as sheriff, I had been drifting aimlessly. Yes, I did have several companies. Most of which were shell corporations which oversaw my vast assets and investments. This did not mean, however, that I was willing to unnecessarily give up any of my time to be with my family.

After my Grandchild had cleared away her queendom paraphernalia, she retrieved additional chairs for Sookie and myself to sit beside Eric behind his desk while he called Thalia in to assist us. The first five candidates would be for the open day-person positions. Once we had settled and given Sookie her writing tablet, Thalia grudgingly brought the first individual into the room.

I could immediately tell that Sookie was not impressed. I was not particularly accurate with determining mortals' ages, but I would estimate the woman to be between 35-40yrs of age. There was nothing overtly remarkable about her appearances but I admit you cannot always judge a being on appearances alone. After placing her résumé on the desk she sat primly on the couch before us. According to the paperwork, her name is Angelica Montbatten and she has been an executive assistant for almost fifteen years.

"Why do you want this job?" Sookie asked without preamble.

"She has family involved with the FOTS. She doesn't care if she makes money off vampires but she plans to inform her godson of all your business dealings at the first opportunity she gets." Sookie's words resonated through my head, making me glad that she was as well practiced at concealing her reactions as Eric and I are.

"Everyone needs to work. I'm sure if you look over my prior experience, it will show you I am well qualified to be meet any of your professional needs." Was the woman's curt response.

"Do you have much familiarity with vampire then?" Eric inquired courteously, but I could tell he was more than ready to kick out this waste of time and move on to the next person.

"Well no, but I have many years' experience as an assistant. Is that not what you are in need of?" The presumption of her words as she answered my Child set my teeth on edge.

"We will not be in need of your services. I'm sure you can see your own way out." Sookie stated firmly, no longer wanting to wait this charade of an interview.

Eric called for Thalia to bring in the next candidate as the woman hastily fled from our immediate vicinity. I was fairly certain that she would not linger. Speaking low enough that no human would understand, I did mention the woman's FOTS leanings to Thalia when she returned.

Sookie turned to me nodding her head in approval as I gave direction to the other vampire. That she had understood what I had said was just further indication that her physiology had indeed altered into more Fae attributes than we had previously supposed. Her blood was almost purely Fae now but somehow sweeter without the addictiveness. When her glamour was down, her physiognomy was certainly more Fae. Even without dropping her glamour, her countenance radiated her power to a slight degree.

The next two individuals were both male and unremarkable. They could more than likely very well do the job expected of them, but there were some issues regarding both. The first gentleman was older and had a heart condition which could be some concern if any Supe type crises should occur. While the second had no health concerns, Sookie informed us that he only wanted this job because he hoped to be turned. As evidenced by Burnham, this could make for potential problems in the future. Although there is no telling how long it would take before he became dissatisfied with his mortal state, we all decided it was just best to avoid the situation altogether.

It was hard to overlook Sookie's flinch as the next young lady was escorted in. She looked to be fairly young, but she dutifully handed over her résumé before seating herself. My little mate patted my hand letting me know she was fine as we started our questions. It was rapidly apparent that the young woman had an ebullient personality.

Miss Broadway, Amelia as she requested we refer to her, turned out to be a witch that had a Bachelor's degree majoring in international business with a minor in business communication. Right away I knew that she would be unacceptable for Eric's with his abrasive style of management, but she had potential for myself or possibly Sookie if we could talk her into an assistant. It would all depend on what our little faerie's determination of her was.

"What is wrong with this one Mo ghrá? We both saw you flinch when she entered." I truly was curious she hardly ever physically betrays what she hears.

"It's nothing bad she just broadcasts really loudly. It's not like I have volume control. Not to mention, that I really didn't want to see what she thought of Pam in such vivid detail." Her words were accompanied by a mental shudder. It was actually somewhat entertaining.

"Well Amelia I'll ask you what I asked the others. Why do you want this job?" I could tell she was actually curious this time when she posed her question.

"My coven mentor actually suggested this job to me. This seems like something to keep me busy and I'll still be able to keep training with her since she moved up here to work with you." My estimation of her went down slightly upon hearing her insubstantial reasoning.

"She doesn't get along with her father, a Copley Carmichael, who made her go to school for business even though she is a powerful if untrained witch in her own right. Broadway was her mother's maiden name, and who she got her talent from. She hopes, by working for vamps it will give her more opportunities to use her magic. It's also a way to stick it to her dad since she is technically using her degree, just not in a way that he would approve." Sookie promptly relayed to us, and I could tell Eric was trying hard not to laugh. I knew he had dealings with Carmichael in the past over some holdings of his in New Orleans after Katrina hit.

"Mo ghrá, may I take this occasion to point out that with your new enterprise it would be wise for you to have an assistant. If you have no issues with her I believe she could benefit you greatly especially with her educational background." Sookie glared between Eric and myself at the suggestion.

"Y'all planned this didn't you? I haven't even started my business yet. So how do you suggest I pay for an assistant?" She projected crossly.

"Lover the funds have been deposited into your account for every occasion you have used your telepathy for us thus far beginning with the first night you warned me of the raid." I could see she was surprised by those words from my Child.

"You're kidding but we didn't even have the contract then." She stated in awe.

"You were paid retroactively for that as well as the website you suggested. Now I suggest that we return our attention to Miss Broadway before she becomes suspicious of you Lover. What is your determination?" Her prompt affirmative response was capitulated much easier than I had previously expected.

"We have an alternative option for you Miss Broadway, my Lover has recently started her own business venture but has no background in business operations. With your education, you would be ideal to assist her with this undertaking. Would this be acceptable to you?" Her agreement was emphatic and immediate as she squealed her thanks.

"Thalia will show you out to our lawyer. He will have all the appropriate contract and non-disclosure forms ready for you in the employee's lounge." She gave Sookie a bright smile before waving and exiting.

Eric dialed the lounge extension briefly giving Catialades the particulars of our recent discussion. The next person to walk through the door was an obvious werewolf. At approximately 6' and built for enforcer work it was surprising that he was applying for the day-man position. He had recently changed his name, but Eric and I have used many aliases through the centuries, so whom am I to judge over something so inconsequential.

Mustapha Khan, as he was now called, had been a soldier and was now a lone wolf. After several questions from our little mate who gave her stamp of approval, Eric hired him on the spot. Once he left the office to complete his paperwork Sookie disclosed that he was a very private person, but he would be trustworthy for Eric. He had no issues about working for a vampire but was adamant about not becoming a member of any pack due to his previous pack dealings.

After finding no suitable candidates for myself, we decided to share our assistants amongst ourselves. This decision partially ameliorated Sookie's earlier ire about accosting her in regards to an assistant. Once we had concluded our discussion Eric called for the first guard postulant. These interviews were predominantly weres of different persuasions. Two of them our little mate recognized as members from a community called Hotshot. Needless to say, she was surprised to find out that they were were-panthers.

Neither one of the panthers got Sookie's approval. The first, a young man named Felton Norris was vehemently objected to. According to our little mate he had low regard for women in general and spent most of his dialogue thinking of sex with one of his female relations. The alternate option of his cousin Steven Hart was no better. Unfortunately, while Hart had no problems with women he was very simple minded. My Child had previously disclosed the inbreeding problem of the local panther community, but seeing these two individuals up close showed just how dire their circumstances might be with such a limited gene pool.

Once the five day guard were chosen it was easy enough for Sookie to decide on Tray Dawson as the head of day security. We ended up with two wolves from the local Long Tooth pack, a clan-less lion and bear as well as Dawson. With Thalia heading our night defense team, we were sure to have enough for two guards with Sookie at all times in which neither Eric nor I could be present. Thalia would gladly take over security especially if it got her out of Fangtasia duty.

I was amazed at what our little mate was able to discover about the house servant applicants, considering these people had already had background checks and been vetted by the demon's law firm. The most poignant discovery for our sweet little faerie was a circumstance one of the potential maids had been handling. The woman's young child was ill and she wanted us to heal him or change him. She had been purchasing small doses of 'V' which had shown her temporary improvement, but it was not enough and he was still expected to die within the next few years. Sookie was deeply saddened by her story, but we all agreed she would be unacceptable for us to employ.

We would not be able to heal the child as she wished for and neither Eric nor I would agree to change a child. It was well known among our kind how unacceptable it was to turn a child into vampire. Past instances had proven that their minds were incapable of withstanding the changes elicited during the transition. Most whom had been created too young had also needed to be destroyed almost immediately. Many were volatile and unable to reason with.

Other than a few minor factoids that were slightly intriguing but not detrimental, Sookie was able to clear the remaining applicants. After the new staff were all selected and sent to complete their hiring packets it was apparent that Sookie's energy had severely flagged and she needed rest. We debated going to our new house or just returning to the Shreveport domicile but ultimately our little mate decided she would nap in the vehicle as we drove home for the first time.

As we traveled, I quietly broached Eric regarding my thoughts about purchasing an office building while softly stroking Sookie's sleeping head. He was somewhat hesitant at first, until I pointed out my major concerns for both Sookie and Pamela. When I reminded him of our previous near riot at Fangtasia and the unseemliness of running the state from a bar, I believed I had swayed him toward my reasoning. Once he explained his main contention, I understood his initial opposition.

He thought with Sookie and I spending all of our nights at a different location than he would be, he would be relegated to a lesser position within our relationship. I pointed out however, that he would have his own suite within our establishment to handle business matters. Now that Chow was a partner in Fangtasia, and Sookie had discreetly scanned him for his loyalty, Eric could relinquish some of the daily dealings of the bar to his subordinate as he once did with Pam. Our new offices would be fine for him to conduct area matters as well as his professional affairs.

I also brought up my ideas of working on some project that would be worthwhile to me. We traded ideas back and forth discussing the local economy and other mitigating factors. I was not necessarily sure that I wanted to start a new business. I knew right away that I did not want a bar. Eric was slightly taken aback at this proclamation, until I explained that I had no wish to compete with Fangtasia and potentially diminish his customer base. I also knew that I did not want whatever undertaking I decided on to take too much time away from my little mate.

There had been a few impressions Sookie had mentioned to me during some of our many discussions that I thought had merit. She had recently expressed that it was such a shame we did not have our own blood collection centers. There were many people that did not qualify to donate due to one reason or another, and while their blood was detrimental to other humans it held no side effects for vampire. These centers collected for humans however, not vampires, and we lost a possible influx of nutrients due to this exception.

She had also mentioned that she thought it was so sad that we did not have alternatives to our liquid diet. Humans had a vast array of gourmet foods, why did vampires not have gourmet blood. Yes she knew about the different blood types and the few brands of bottled blood we had available, but why not a restaurant that catered to vampires specifically as well as their companions. While we could not eat food we could consume blood in its many forms. Her eyes had glowed with enthusiasm as she detailed the possible menu.

She had read a book once that had given information about food chemistry and molecular gastronomy. One of her ideas was to use the process of spherification to produce blood caviar. Her thoughts on other techniques gave a plethora of creative methods that our nutrition could be imbibed. Her ideas had ranged from amuse bouche to soups and deserts. The concept was more than intriguing, but I had no idea who could aid me in bringing such an endeavor to realization.

Having recalled these speculations, I asked Eric's input on what he thought of Sookie's ideas and how we could bring these notions to fruition. Like me, he was unsure of who would be able to assist us in this matter. We would have to research, but he thought he might have a few leads that would at least get us started.

As we pulled up to the gated entrance, we decided to shelve our discussion for a later date. I roused Sookie once Eric entered the security code to allow admission. For security purposes I had rerouted the driveway to go through the additional acreage I had purchased, closing off the previous entry and fencing off the estate with an electrified anti-ram barrier. There was an integrated monitoring platform along the perimeter as well. These measures would not deter any Supes, but they should go a long way against human adversaries such as the FOTS.

I also hoped to have the wards up soon. With two witches now employed by us, this was sure to be promptly remedied. Sookie's Grandfather and Godfather had also volunteered their services to ward the lot. I was still unsure how much we could trust the faerie but I knew the demon was honorable. In any case, we had needed to wait until all construction was finished before permanent warding was able to be established.

Sookie became more excited as we cruised along the newly extended lane. Trees lined the winding pavement until we came to the cleared yard at the front of the house. She gasped in delight as she finally saw our new home all lit up before us. The exterior landscape lighting showed off the French provincial architecture of the edifice as we drove under the porte-cochère and pulled into the second of the two dual-car garages.

As I helped our little mate out of the Hummer, she was already looking around. My Bugatti was in the other parking spot beside us, having already been delivered, but otherwise the garage was devoid of clutter. There was a large barn toward the back of the property for tools, gardening, and storage of several of our other vehicles.

The other garage held my Child's beloved Corvette and Sookie's new Chevy Tahoe, although she was not currently aware of this fact. She could still be touchy sometimes regarding gifts, but Eric and I both agreed that she needed a reliable vehicle that would be large enough for the children she now carried. I was fairly certain once we explained our reasoning she would understand why we had decided such a purchase was necessary.

The door from the garage lead us directly into the brightly lit mudroom which passed into the laundry room. We stopped only briefly to remove our shoes before proceeding. Three walls of the laundry room were lined with high gloss white cupboards, with the exception of where the doorways were located and the washer and dryer sat. Where the walls were absent of cabinetry they were covered in white subway tiles. The counters and center island table surface were white quartzite granite with grey veining. All the pale surfaces contrasted against the dark grey slate floors nicely, leaving the space feeling bright and airy but grounded.

Directly across door of the laundry area in the main corridor was the elevator, with the staff stairwell beside it. The hallway floors were pecan wood and the walls were pale grey, the color of storm clouds not yet ready to burst. Down the left of the hall was the addition that Eric had designed especially for Sookie and our future children.

This new wing would be a surprise to our little mate which we would unveil last on our tour. I had not yet seen it in person, but I had been copied in on the many emails that went back and forth between my Child and the designer. The new wing contained not only a boys and girls bedroom separated by a shared lavatory, but also a playroom, toy closet, and a turret 'treehouse'. The spiral staircase, which lead to the second story of the treehouse, also had an attached slide that wound down around it.

The only furniture located upstairs in the turret treehouse was a suspended circular bed in the middle of the space. The ceiling dome was to be painted and wired to simulate the view of the night sky from my Child's homeland with the northern lights appearing and disappearing as part of the design, but the walls of the round room were lined floor to ceiling with built in wood bookcases for children's books.

Knowing our little mate's love of reading, Eric had decided this would be a perfect area for her to snuggle with the children and read stories as they grew older. My Child had been rather proud of his secret project over the last month. Considering it was for our mate, his enthusiasm was heartwarming to say the least. I had not seen my Child this excited over something in quite some time, but I knew he was also nervous about Sookie's reaction. There was no uncertainty in my mind however, that she would love it.

We decided to start from the bottom and work our way up. Taking the elevator down to the basement, deposited us into the game-room, which held a tournament size sleek metal billiard table with navy blue felt. The almost triangular shaped space was done in shades of grays and blues reminding me of artic sea when the fog rolls in before a storm. The smoke colored padded wall panels would further dampen any residual sound from the media room, to the left of the elevator, from reaching the servant's area. The textured flooring shown with a high gloss reflecting the dim glow of the recessed lighting, looking like sand as glass that had not yet been smoothed. Along the shortest wall there was a minibar, which was stocked with alcohol and blood.

Behind the lift was the stairwell entrance and a half-bath that looked as if it had been cleaved from slabs of slate. Next to the restroom was the mechanical/storage room. This is where the water filtration units were located as well as the central hub for the solar power system. The space was fairly unremarkable with its concrete floors and walls with the exception of the industrial looking metal vault door that lead to our panic-room.

The chamber ran the entire expanse of both garages and the porte-cochère between them minus the area for the extra reinforcement needed. The overall dimensions were approximately 22'X72" for the whole apartment. The foot thick concrete perimeter walls had an iron and silver mesh barrier which would keep out any Supes trying to enter once the vault had been secured from the inside. It contained two sleeping chambers, an office with surveillance area, a full bath, a kitchenette and a living space that could be used for almost any crisis that took place and was fully stocked. It was also on its own designated power structure.

After we left our emergency accommodations, we inspected the remainder of the basement, including the home theater, the maid's quarters, and the fitness center. The cinema had three rows of four-abreast distressed tobacco brown leather reclining theater seating, facing the wall holding a giant projection screen. The recessed blue mood lighting and the bronze glass wall sconces were already dimmed, making it appear as it would if we were about to view a movie. The walls had rich dark wood paneling with thick padded velour insets, the deep blue-black of the ocean on a moonless night, at the bottom and embossed tobacco colored leather insets along the top, giving it a masculine almost stately feel, as if a 19th century gentleman's club were turned into a cinema.

After the media center, we moved on to the exercise room. Eric was particularly appreciative of the sauna and Jacuzzi off of the gym, as well as the large open mirrored area that would allow him to practice his swordplay. Sookie approved of the housekeeper's apartment which looked comfortable yet simple. The space was done in various shades of cream and taupe with pale blue-grey accents throughout. Although perhaps not as opulent as some of the other areas, they still managed to meld seamlessly with the rest of the house.

Once we returned to the ground floor, Sookie inspected the foyer, grand salon, powder room, formal dining, kitchen, butler's pantry, morning nook, and library, saving the master suite that she had designed for Pamela for last. We ended up spending a bit of time in the library, as our little faerie enjoyed looking over some of the titles throughout the two stories of bookcases.

The morning nook was located in turret adjacent to grand salon opposite the butler's pantry and just before we reached the kitchen. The spherical room had a mural scene painted on the rounded walls in pastels. Sookie explained that it was a reproduction of a picture she had of the pond on her family's land that she had played at as a child. The image had obviously been taken during the morning when the sun had risen over the misty waters.

"This way I can always have a little piece of where I grew up, here with me at home." Her voice was soft as she spoke these words, making my heart swell as she already referred to this house as home.

The kitchen was a completely different space than the room we first saw when we had initially surveyed the property. With the dark grey veining in the stark white stone, and all the gleaming white and stainless steel surfaces, the room reminded me of the first time I had laid eyes on Mont Blanc after I had been captured and taken slave. The sun had glittered off the snow with dark grey shadows in stark relief showing the varying heights and crevices of the mountain's face as we travelled to Italy.

I could tell Sookie was quite happy with the changes to the space, after having switched to the bone white granite and painting the cabinets the color of snow. She said it had just the effect she was going for. I had to agree it had brightened the space considerably, with the light from the two chandeliers glittering off every surface but the dark slate floors. Whether it was night or because of the light tight shutters being closed, we spent all of our time in the dark, and now so did our little mate who was very much a creature of the light. It was just like her to brighten what would have been an otherwise somber place.

When we finally came to my Grandchild's boudoir, Sookie squealed in delight as she looked upon it for the first time. The spaces were elegant and timeless, in creams and powder blue with black accents to keep it from being too feminine. The furniture was a mix of dark lacquered and gilt wood with lush fabrics. With lustrous brocades, chenille damask, and thick velour upholstery as well as sumptuous silk jacquard draperies, the room was a study in refined opulence. The ivory walls and built in shoe wardrobes had mouldings of vanilla cream with powder blue insets. Even the high ceilings had mouldings and medallions, giving it a coffered look. The crystal chandeliers and wall sconces were the final jewelry to complete the ensemble.

The closet/dressing area was much the same as the bedchamber with additional built-ins for storage. The walls were covered in powder blue and eggshell damask wallpaper and with the doors closed on the wardrobes, they appeared to be a floor-to-ceiling mirrored wall. The bathing room was just as refined as the other rooms with a large claw foot tub in bone as the centerpiece. The entire suite was so completely Pamela it was hard to imagine that she had no influence on the space whatsoever.

"It looks just like I imagined it. I really hope she likes it. I want her to feel just as at home here as us." Sookie's smile beamed from ear to ear as she perused the area she had only previously been able to envision.

"Mr. Freemont vowed he remained true to all the notes that you had included for him regarding this specific area, including the exact furniture selections Mo ghrá. The only exceptions to this were some of the fabric choices that had to be altered due to availability, but even those he swore were comparable to your selections." I informed her as she smiled broadly in agreement.

"You have outdone yourself, Lover! Pam will probably never want to leave our nest." Eric disclosed sincerely. I knew he was looking forward to showing it off to Pam when she arrived tomorrow morning.

Finally finishing our inspection of the ground level we went through the foyer and up one side of the curved floating staircase to the first floor landing, which showcased the entryway below us. As they were downstairs, all the windows on this level had been fitted with UV protective glass and light tight shutters. We hastily looked over the additional bedrooms and lavatories. The additional three guest suites were all done in blues and creams with chocolate accents, with décor much the same as fit with the rest of the house.

The entrance, to our personal chambers over the garage, was on this level as well. Before we entered however, we had one final place to look over. I was somewhat anxious about Sookie's response to this location, as I had read it was common for an expectant mother to 'nest' later in their pregnancy. As the children's wing was Eric's idea, this was my own. With a great deal of the interior designer's guidance I am hoping this project turned out as something that both our mate and children will enjoy.

I knew in the beginning, the babies would need to be with us. Once they were a little older however, they would require a space of their own, and I knew it needed to be somewhere near our own rooms. The former game room met this requirement and was now the newly converted nursery. With some minor construction the doorway was now located just outside the passageway to our quarters.

The room I had created with the interior designer was based on the presumption that our little faerie's dream was in fact a true vision. Thus far that supposition seems to be the case. Since the vision showed two male and one female child, it had been understandably difficult to choose colors. With Sookie choosing various shades of blues, creams, greys, and browns throughout the house, I decided to mostly continue that theme in this room as well. The main walls were painted with broad horizontal stripes of robin's egg and pale moss alternated with thin bands of eggshell and chocolate, and while the alcove used the same colors, the background was eggshell with a large simplified floral design stenciled with the remaining three colors.

There were three circular off-white cribs with tall spindled posts and matching dressers with changing tables mounted on top. The two boy's cribs were off-set towards the two ends of the 20'X15' space, while the girl's crib was situated in the alcove toward the middle. All linens and draperies coordinated with the wall art and each other but the female infant's bedding was infinitely more feminine. In the center of the room were three plush robin's egg velour gliders and a large round tufted moss green footstool with a crystal chandelier hanging above it and a thick chocolate shag rug below.

Sookie was in tears as she looked over all the items. She ran her hands gently over the smooth linens, nuzzling the soft fleece throw over one of the gliders as she continued her inspection. I could feel the intense emotion emanating from her as she clutched a plush toy wolf pup she had picked off a shelf.

As she looked through the closet I informed her that it was stocked with enough clothes for the first few months. There were also several boxes of assorted color reusable diapers and inserts as well as any other necessity that had been listed by one of the many books I had researched. I believe Sookie laid her delicate hands on almost every item before she finally was able to continue to our suite. It was more than evident that any worry on my behalf had been for naught.

The bookcase that hid the entrance to our private quarters was Sookie's own idea inspired by a mystery she had once read. Behind the shelving was a small landing with a security door that opened to our accommodations. Before entering our personal area we took a moment to change the passcodes and enter our biometric scans into the optical security device by the door.

After making it past both entrances there were a couple of steps that lead up to our sitting area. The floors were wall to wall thick lush carpet of silver grey. The stark white wall moulding was in high contrast to the ebony damask papered walls. Extra partitions with built in bookshelves had been constructed to help divide the long space and define each zone.

Against the right side wall was a tailored ash grey distressed leather sectional with a chaise at one end. Across from the sofa, nestled in the middle of the built-ins, was a gas fireplace with a flat screen television mounted above. In the open area to the left of the fire place sat a plush velvet dove grey chair and a half and ottoman, which I knew Sookie had probable intentions of using it for reading curled up in front of the fire. All I could think of when I looked at the chair was seeing our little mate's skin reflecting the firelight as she was draped naked across the smooth surface.

Against the two partition walls on either side of the entrance to the office area were ice blue and charcoal damask chenille barrel chairs. Passing through the partitions gave view of the kitchenette to the left as well as the separate office on the right side. The grey stained oak cabinets looked aged compared to the sleek bone white marble counters. Even the refrigerator and dish washer drawer had the cabinet facing, giving a unified appearance. The leather office chair at the desk was the pale blue-grey of the glaciers in Svalbard, and looked like Sookie would be comfortable no matter how long she sat in it. Against the back wall the cabinetry was broken up by the French doors that led to our boudoir.

Once we entered the sleep chamber, the enormous raised platform bed to the right was truly the centerpiece. At 7sqft the mattress had more than ample space for us to maneuver into any possible position we could conceive of. I am positive I can imagine what our little mate was thinking when she selected this particular piece of furniture.

I recognized this bed from one of my child's previous houses and remembered when he had had it custom built during the 1960's. If this was the same bed from my memory, I imagine Freemont had an interesting time trying to get a new mattress made in such short notice. As I recalled, the mattress had been badly damaged during a feeding incident almost a decade ago. I had been quite amused when he related the story to me during our annual phone call, lamenting the loss of his cherished bed.

I cannot tell you how many times I had to listen to his complaints as we made our way across Europe and Asia before we went our separate ways. Standing at almost six and a half feet tall left my child hanging off the end of most mattresses, arguably giving him valid reason to bemoan his plight. I still blamed his spoiled behavior on his human upbringing, as we were lucky to even have a bed to go to our day rest in half the time.

The wall behind the bed had been tufted with ash grey velveteen, creating a grand headboard of the expansive surface. The entire display was a sensory delight. It was piled with thick fluffy pillows, and covered with smooth ivory silk sheets, a sumptuous down filled platinum linen duvet that looked like a storm cloud had settled on our bedstead, and Eric's enormous blue fox fur blanket. To either side of the large platform behind the silver side tables were tall framed mirrors that reflected the glittering lights of the two polished chrome and crystal chandeliers.

In place of a footboard, the suede upholstered bench was the grey of morning fog with a soft cream fleece throw laying across it. The far left wall opposite the bed had built in black wardrobes that almost disappeared next to the black damask wallpaper. In front of the wardrobe wall sat two leather loveseats, the color of lead, facing each other with an upholstered ice blue suede ottoman between them.

To the right of the wardrobes was the doorway to the master bath. Where our boudoir could almost be considered masculine with its dark walls, was opposite was true of the lavatory, with its bone white marble surfaces, snowy cabinetry, crystal chandelier, and walls the color of frosted steel. Immediately to the right, on the wall with the doorway, were the dual sinks.

The wall opposite the sinks held the glass enclosed steam shower, which could fit an orgy of people, as well as the doorway to our walk-in closet. The deep square Jacuzzi tub that was situated in an alcove adjacent to the shower could easily fit the three of us and have plenty of additional space to spare. Across from the tub alcove was the water closet that would allow Sookie to see to her needs privately and a built in vanity.

The door to the left of the shower entered the giant shared walk-in closet where our clothes were already neatly organized and put away. The dark stained wood floors were a sharp contrast to the floor to ceiling snow-white cabinetry. There was a large island in the center of the room, topped with the same white marble from the bathroom, which held our small clothes and had drawers specifically for jewelry and accessories. Flanking the non-drawered sides of the island were two thickly upholstered charcoal velvet burnout benches.

As a whole, the apartment was a good reflection of each person who now called it home. Between Sookie's original vision of our home and Freemont's creative license this space had become something I felt we could all be comfortable in. I had watched Eric and Sookie gauging their reactions as we had explored our new quarters, and thankfully had not seen any dissatisfaction in either of their responses. The rooms were the perfect blend of feminine and masculine, contemporary and traditional, bringing the best of each of us into this new place.

Now that we had completed our tour I could see the excited gleam return to my Child's eyes as he ushered us out our apartment once more to show our little mate her surprise. He picked Sookie up and swiftly ran down the stairs as his eagerness overtook him, now that the moment was so near to revealing his project. Her tinkling laugh rang out behind him as I followed them down to the new addition we had previously avoided.

As we came to the closed doorway at the end of the corridor that led to the new wing Eric had Sookie close her eyes. Placing her on her feet in the middle of the first space he told her she could now look. Tears fell down her cheeks, her hand over her mouth, as she took in the large playroom. Her eyes darted everywhere as she tried to take it all it.

"What do you think lover?" Eric looked slightly worried that she had not yet said anything.

"Oh Eric, it's so wonderful! I don't even know what to say." Her voice trembled with emotion as she continued to look around.

He pointed out certain areas as he showed her around the room. She laughed tremulously when he opened the toy closet and showed her the toys he had already stocked it with, although there was still plenty of space for new things as well. The bright pale blue walls had playful words and phrases stenciled on one wall where the craft items were located, and Eric explained his reasoning behind each area of the room where had created activity zones.

He had eagerly researched child development activities and had concluded that there were four necessary areas needed. The first was the play area located adjacent to the toy closet. The next zone was the art section which was a large rectangular island in the middle of the room. The island had cabinets and drawers filled with art supplies and several padded chairs surrounding it. On one side there was an odd spool of paper hanging on the side, which Eric explained was for drawing instead of using individual sheets.

There was a game zone with a television and beanbag lounge chairs in the third area. The final section was the homework zone that had a long countertop with cushioned chairs placed in front of them, along the wall with the curved bookshelf protruding from it. Sitting on the counter were two laptops just sitting ready for someone to use them.

"It's too much Eric! They won't be able to use most of this stuff for years." She chuckled shaking her head in exasperation.

"Then when they are ready, Lover, it will be waiting for their use. There are supplies for every stage of development from toddler to adolescent." Sookie just nodded her headed as Eric pointed out the locations of different items.

"Come lover, let me show you the bedrooms. There are rooms for våra små söner och dotter." (Our little sons and daughter) He explained while pulling her down a short hall beside the toy closet and into the girl's room.

Because of Freemont's influence both children's rooms flowed seamlessly with the rest of the house, but still managed to have a rustic feel to them. The girl's room seemed very neutral with varying shades of ecru and grey with mirrored accents. The flooring of white ash barely contrasted the walls the color of Sookie's favored café au lait. The wall opposite the entrance had reclaimed lumber barn doors that slid open to reveal the closet. The smooth faded wood of the furniture looked weathered, as if driftwood had been found off the coast and created into fine furnishings.

Adjacent to the doorway, against the pale taupe corduroy upholstered wall, hung an oval mirror at the head of each bed. It seemed my Child took influences from his homeland and brought them into our children's rooms as both bunks were simple Viking slat-beds, with thick mattresses and plush pillows. The layered bedding had smoke colored Egyptian cotton sheets, natural washed linen duvets and ivory sheepskin throws. The overall effect was that of morning mists settling down on a beach of the North Sea. Beside the beds, tall mirrored wardrobes stood as if sentinels against the wall, their mirrored doors reflecting each other and the beds betwixt them. At the foot of each mattress sat trunks laden with extra linens and blankets that will probably never be needed with the moderate winters of this state.

The lavatory shared by both bedrooms and accessible to the playroom had soot grey textured slate flooring, with grey stained oak cabinetry that carried on the weathered look, and sleek bone white marble counters contrasting them. Passing through the bathing room into the boys sleeping chamber the overall feel was similar to that of the girls with the exact same layout. The notable exception was the lack of mirrored surfaces and the addition of dark blue accents to the beige and grey.

The furniture was made of the same wood with identical slat beds. Instead of mirrored armoires beside the two bunks there were shelving units and there was no upholstered wall. The boys beds had thick soft pillows and the same trunks at the foot, but with wide band navy and sand plaid Egyptian cotton duvets, ecru washed linen sheets and matching natural brown rabbit fur blankets the bedding was vastly different.

Sookie's reaction to the children's rooms was slightly different to that of her response in the nursery. She still caressed almost every surface, but she seemed almost pensive as she made each new discovery. There were no tears this time, instead she walked around with a mysterious smile as she thoroughly perused the spaces.

"Where will all their clothes go Eric? I don't see any closets." She asked as she looked around.

"The back wall of both rooms are on a sliding rail Lover." He stated as he slid open the barn door exposing the empty closet.

"Oh sorry! I completely missed that. This is all just so lovely Eric, I don't know what to say." Sookie concluded as walked over and hugged him.

"Just wait! You have not seen the best part yet Lover!" Her face showed her surprise at his exclamation.

"There's more Eric? It's already too much, though. You better not spoil our babies, mister." She said mock glaring at him.

He led us back out to the playroom in front of the round bookshelf. The entrance to the turret 'treehouse' was an adaption of Sookie's idea for our hidden entrance. In the middle of the back wall of the playroom was a bowed bookshelf that made up one of the interior walls of the round turret. Eric showed us the release latch that opened the secret doorway to allow entrance to the tower.

As we entered the doorway of the round structure she gasped loudly in astonishment. Every surface of the curved wall, including a large portion of the ceiling and flooring, was covered in a mural of the tree Yggdrasill, complete with the nine realms, Ratatoskr, the four stags, the wyrm Níðhöggr and Veðrfölni. Closing the bookshelf gave an uninterrupted surface for the colorful image to surround us. The ceiling had recessed lighting that circled the room ensuring that no part of the image was hidden or shaded. There was only a small area where the slide from the spiral staircase met the wall that interrupted with the image.

"That's the life tree, right? The one from Norse mythology?" Her voice showed her awe as she walked around the room staring at the immense painting.

"Yes Lover, but as you know it is not so mythological. As evidenced by your Fae relations from another realm. I thought this would be a good way to incorporate some my heritage." His nervous response was most unlike my child.

"Is it safe to walk on the floor without damaging it? What about the wall, will we be able to clean it?" She fretted needlessly.

"The floor art is protected with epoxy and is washable, as is the acrylic polymer that coats the wall and ceiling." I reassured her.

"It's so beautiful! I've never seen anything like this before." Her gushing rejoinder was like a balm to my child and I saw the tension he had been holding, release from him instantly.

"You never will see anything else like this, Mo ghrá. Eric drew this image and a vampire artist I am acquainted with recreated the image and painted it for our home. The same vampire did your mural for the morning nook as well." Her response to my statement was instantaneous.

She through her arms around him tears falling as she babbled incoherently. Eric looked at me in confusion, but I knew it was best to allow her to calm down before we tried to make any sense of what she was saying. It took several minutes of Eric awkwardly soothing her before she generally regained her composure.

"I'm sorry, it's the hormones!" She exclaimed between hiccups as she pulled away in embarrassment.

"Do you have the original drawing you gave the artist? If you do, can we get it framed and put it in the nursery too?" Her voice was still slightly unsteady as she made her inquiries.

"I do, the artist was given a scan of my drawing, and it pleases me greatly that you want to include this in the baby's room as well Lover." I could tell my Child was more than just the pleased his disclosure stated.

Once she had completed the inspection of the mural to her satisfaction, she walked over to the only item in the room. The spiral stairway was not against the wall, but slightly to the side, so as not to interrupt too much of the mural. Coming down the attached slide would afford a full 360 degree view of the mural as one descended. Sookie examined the slide, gliding her hand over the smooth polished surface, as she smiled wistfully. It was actually wide enough for a large adult to comfortable ride down it, and the sides of the slide came up high enough that the side facing the stairs was essentially the banister.

Once we walked up the wood stairs we were deposited towards the edge of the room. The floors seamlessly blended with the wood platform of the slide. There was a bookcase lining the entire room and a 7' diameter circular hammock was suspended in the center of the 16' diameter room with thick cables. Although it was a hanging bed, I did not believe it would truly swing. More likely it would sway gently as Sookie read to our children sending them off to their dreams. Eric retrieved the lighting remote from one of the bookshelves, before dimming the lights and turning on the special feature of the domed ceiling.

Sookie's face lit up in delight as soon as the black lights engaged. The glow in the dark paint turned the surface above us into a moonless starry night complete with vibrant bands of green aurora borealis. As I looked closer, I could tell the artist had actually included several constellations in his rendering, and pointed that fact out to our little mate.

She hopped up slightly, sliding back onto the mattress and motioned for us to join her. Once we had reclined at either side of her, we automatically settled into our standard positions. I was lying to her left on my back while she draped half her body across mine, with Eric spooned up behind her. She grabbed Eric's hand from where it was wrapped around her and intertwined their fingers before laying their joined hands against my chest.

I could tell her exhaustion had once more overtaken her and she was struggling to stay awake even though there were several hours of dark remaining. Since she had spent a majority of the day awake with her friend, she had probably also missed sleep yesterday. We lay there for several minutes relaxing while Eric and I pointed out the different constellations of the northern hemisphere. I was slightly impressed that we had been able to spot over thirty of the astrological patterns among the remaining peripheral galaxy that had been recreated for our viewing pleasure. I was quite pleased with how detailed the image had turned out, and I could sense through the bond that my Child was as well.

"I know this is supposed to be for the kids, but I think this is my favorite room in the house." Sookie concluded after we had been lying there in silence for several minutes.

"I am glad Lover. I was unsure of what you would think of this space." Eric's relief at our little mate's approval was palpable.

"Well, other than it being way over the top, I love it! How could I not with all the thought you obviously put into it. Besides, it's for our babies! So you can quit your worrying now, because it's perfect." She turned in his arms hugging him again, her words interrupted briefly by a large yawn, as she gave her heartfelt affirmation.

"We should get you to bed Mo ghrá. You have been up all day and now most of the night. Do you require some food before you go to rest?" I knew it was already early morning and she had not eaten since the confrontation with her Seanathair.

"Sorry, I've pretty much gotten used to y'alls schedule, but I cut short my sleeping yesterday so I could go to Bon Temps. Now I'm just exhausted, but I could definitely use some food. I wouldn't say no to some more cuddling either." She concluded with another yawn.

"Would you like to go down the slide with me Lover?" Sookie looked at my Child in disbelief of his playful request.

"You're kidding, right? Aren't we too big?" Her eyebrows rose in her astonishment of his suggestion.

I knew she would eventually give in but I was curious as to how apposed she actually was to the idea. She had reacted oddly earlier when she had looked over the slide, and I wondered if she might not be as averse to the idea as she now presented. I knew full well all three of us could ride the slide down at the same with no issues, if that was her only contention.

"No Lover, the slide will be fine, as will we. I will show you how safe it is. You will need to sit on my lap though, so your skin does not create too much friction and slow you down." He smirked when she nodded her agreement.

After helping her out of the bed, we met Eric at the slide where he sat patiently waiting for our little mate to seat herself. Once she had sat on him, he pushed off sending themselves down the winding downslope as her giggles trailed them. After turning off the lights, I joined them downstairs.

As I led Sookie to the kitchen to prepare a snack Eric went about the house turning off the lights we had left on during our tour. Eric rejoined us as she was making herself a quick spinach and ham omelet. We sat at the kitchen island as Sookie ate, and talked about what we each thought about the house. We both complemented our little mate about the many aspects we had appreciated throughout the house. She in turn was effusive in her praise of the features we had initiated.

During our conversation, I heard the front door open and paused, listening for the intruder. By Eric's relaxed expression I knew it was Pamela. I was unsure whether Sookie would want to show Pam the suite she had created herself, or allow Pamela to look it over on her own. Eric took the matter into his own hands by meeting his Child at the doorway of the kitchen.

"Lover, may I show Pam her rooms?" He asked excitedly.

"Sure go ahead, I'm just gonna finish eating and go on to bed. I hope you like it Pam." Sookie answered tiredly.

"I'm sure whatever the decorator put together will be fine, Sookie. It's not like I don't have my own homes." Both Eric and I could tell that my Grandchild's response had hurt our little mate's feelings.

"No Pamela your entire suite of rooms were especially created for you by our mate." Sookie gently grasped my hand at my terse response to my Grandchild's flippant words.

"It's okay sweetie, it doesn't really matter. I just wanted her to know she's a part of our family too." Her soft words soothed my ire towards Pamela.

"If you don't like anything Pam, I'm sure it can be fixed. Sorry if it was presumptuous of me, I just knew you had your own room at all of Eric's other houses too. Anyways, I'm done here. I guess I'll see you tonight or whatever." My little mate was hesitant with newly awkward atmosphere.

Eric pulled my Grandchild off to her suite reprimanding her as he led her away. Sookie rinsed her dishes before put them in the dishwasher. Once she had completed her task she grabbed my hand and started guiding us up the stairs to our suite. She walked quietly beside me as we headed to our quarters.

"I wish he didn't make such a big deal about it with her." She said quietly after we had secured our entrance behind us.

"It was apparent to us both Mo ghrá, that her dismissive response had upset you." My explanation was obviously not one she was willing to accept as she pulled back scrutinizing my face.

"So? I wasn't upset about her liking her rooms, really. I know this might sound stupid but it's just that I thought we had kinda bonded back when y'all were overthrowing the queen." She shrugged her slender shoulders indifferently as she made her way to the dressing room to change for bed.

"It does not sound stupid Mo ghrá. But do you not see, that is exactly why Eric was reprimanding her." I was temporarily distracted as she unzipped her dress pulling the straps off her shoulders and allowing the material to slither down over her rounded hips.

"No Godric y'all can't MAKE Pam like me!" She spun around from dropping her discarded clothing into the hamper exclaiming adamantly.

"Of course not Sookie. I did not mean to imply that we would force her to befriend you." My hasty amendment did not assuage her.

She stood before with her lush curves on display. A scant piece of lace the only barrier to her modesty. From the angle she was standing it showed off the slight swell of abdomen that gave proof of the new life she carried within her.

"Then what did you mean exactly?" Her face scrunched with her consternation as she slid off the final obstacle impeding my view and waited for my response.

"I only meant that he was reprimanding her for her insolence toward you. She must always remember to treat you as your status demands." Shock was the predominant emotion showing on her visage at my statement as she stood nude before me having suddenly forgotten her task.

"What you mean because I'm some kind of faerie princess she has to be nice to me?" She asked incredulously as I hurriedly joined her nude state.

"No Mo ghrá, I mean because you are the mate to both her Sire and Grand-sire." She continued to look at me in confusion.

"Think of it like this, when a human remarries, do they not expect their children to respect the new spouse?" I elucidated trying to help her better understand.

"Oh my gosh, I'm Pam's step-mom. If she doesn't like me still does that make me her evil step-mother?" She giggled at the silliness of her own inquiry.

Pulling her into my arms I momentarily allowed myself to relish in the heat that suffused ma as I held her close. Thinking of her preposterous question gave me cause to chuckle. There was no way my little mate could ever be considered evil, and told her just that. I picked her up, carrying her back to the bedroom. She giggled slightly after I pulled back the blankets and had to crawl over the bed to place her in the center.

She shivered briefly breaking out in goosebumps as her warm skin touched the cool silk sheets below her. She looked into my eyes noticing my aroused condition as I knelt over her body. It was apparent the chill no longer affected her as I watched the fires of arousal enter her eyes. My hand ghosted lightly over her supple flesh causing it to prickle for an entirely different reason than the cold. I shook my head as she reached for me and expeditiously moved down her body.

"No Mo ghrá, I have felt your exhaustion for some time now. Let me taste you. I am not strong enough to leave you as you are but this will help you sleep while assuaging some of my appetite for you as well." She hastily acceded to my proposal.

She laid back, widely spreading her slender limbs, making room for between them. Her arousal had already begun to permeate the air surrounding us, but the concentrated scent of her honeyed essence as I came face to face with her moist core hit me like the blast of an inferno. I had already been aroused but as I sampled the tangy candied flavor of my little faerie, the flame that had been banked within her spread over to me. I was like a man possessed as I feasted on her succulent flesh.

As she became more stimulated, blood pooled under the flushed pink petals of her sex making them swell and opening her further to me as if a flower in bloom. The mewling noises she made as my tongue darted repeatedly within her syrupy, well only provoked me further. Her diminutive hands grasped at my hair as the conflagration I was building within her threatened to consume us both. I could feel her magic gathering around us as she neared her peak.

I was sure I would leave bruises on her hips with the force I was having to use to hold her still, as she wriggled and arched beneath me. She grew louder, the further I restricted her movements, as if needing an alternate outlet to express her restlessness. Once her moans turned into pleas for more, I thrust three fingers within her steaming sheath, sucking strongly on the small bundle of nerves at the apex of her slit.

A blistering energy coalesced around us as she exploded with fiery cataclysmic ecstasy, her candied nectar gushed into my mouth, awakening my taste-buds like nothing else ever had. I felt every sensation she felt as she shattered around my fingers and tongue. My release was instantaneously torn from me, as lightning bolts of white-hot pleasure seared through my body. I felt my cool seed erupting from my hard shaft, trapped between the cool sheets and my stomach, as I writhed above Sookie in blissful agony.

I was only barely able to comprehend when she begged me to bite her. Slowly turning my head, as if in a daze, I licked the thick vein along her groin that would soon release my nourishment. My incisors easily slid inside her supple flesh. Her syrupy cruor burst over my tongue, the sweet flavor still enhanced by her recent release. I took several mouthfuls before I came back to myself, quickly sealing and healing the miniscule incisions. I looked at Sookie with regret at having lost control of myself no matter how short the time.

"Don't be like that Godric, I needed you to bite me. I could feel how badly you wanted it but you weren't going to take." She said as she yawned widely, already starting to slip into Morpheus' waiting arms.

I laid there for several moments watching her in her repose, as her breathing evened out becoming deeper. It was some while after that before I finally came to realize the meaning behind my little mate's words. Somehow while we were connected she had influenced me to drink from her when she knew that I was going to deny myself. I was unsure if I had somehow inveigled her as well, since she said she said she needed me to bite her when she felt my need.

Clearly I would be getting no further discussion from her this morning, knowing this I decided to search out Eric. I was curious as to what my Child's thoughts would be on this matter. Swiftly donning some lounge pants from the wardrobe, I descended the stairs heading to Pamela's apartment. By the time I reached the ground level, I knew they were not in her section of the house. After reaching out my senses I knew they were in the guard's bunkhouse located where the previous driveway entrance had been located.

When I found Eric, he had both Thalia and Pam with him in the security monitoring office of the bunk house. They were looking at a bank of monitors along one wall that recorded a live feed of various locations throughout the estate, while Thalia was explaining that she had seen an intruder on the monitor earlier.

It turns out that when she had gone to find the trespasser, there had been no indication that anyone had ever been there and they were now searching the recordings to see if they could spot the individual and identify them. She pointed out the two video feeds she had spotted the anomaly and Eric did some hasty fine-tuning to isolate them. Five minutes later we had spotted the being that had invaded our land. If we were not vampires, it is possible that we would have missed the rapid appearance and disappearance of the individual on the film.

It was glaringly obvious that this was no human that happened upon our property. It was female of some variety, but the speed at which it moved did not allow for it to be readily identified. The fact that this had occurred the night we had moved in was somewhat concerning. I was also worried this could be a ploy by some of Brigant's enemies.

"What time did you say this occurred Thalia?" I requested with alarm.

"About an hour ago, I looked, but could find no person or scent. I required the Sheriff's assistance. He tracks well." Her terse response was actually quite long winded for the diminutive Greek vampire.

"Whoever was here was able to mask their scent, but I was able to find some signs of passage leading to the woods. There is an area that the fencing has not yet been completed, which allowed entrance to the property." Eric concluded

"Do we know the ETA of completion? It was purported to be finished before we inhabited the house." I was cross that my property had been invaded and was suddenly feeling leery of Sookie's safety with all of us out here so far from where she was sleeping defenselessly.

"Herveaux should have finished it tomorrow, but with the full moon tonight and his crew being pack, it will probably be two more days at least." Eric concluded with an insouciant shrug.

"Perhaps he can finish this discussion in the house Eric. I am uneasy that our mate is sleeping defenselessly while we are so far away." I pointed out as my apprehension grew.

He did not bother to respond as I had already started my swift flight back to our home. With the new knowledge that our property had been trespassed on, the fact that our little mate was left unprotected while she was in such a helpless state had set me on edge. I knew I would not feel at ease again until I had been able to physically lay my eyes on her once more.

Sookie was still sleeping peacefully when I made it back to our bedroom, but that did not change the fact that if my heart could beat it would be pounding in my chest. I did not understand what had set all my senses to such alarm, but after two millennia I have learned to never ignore my instincts. Eric joined me several minutes later, which was moderately surprising, since he is almost as fast as me.

"What held you up my Child?" I asked interestedly.

"Pamela spotted something, on a different recording we had not already fast forwarded through, as I was leaving." His expression was grim as answered my question.

"What was it that my Grandchild found?" My curiosity was truly plaguing me now.

"She spotted the intruder on a camera that was near the house. She did not gain entrance but this proves that she did not happen upon us by chance." I was not reassured by his words.

"What of Pam and Thalia? We only have another hour before the sun rises." I knew we had seemingly been caught unawares by this new possible threat, and I wanted to make sure we had precautions in place to protect Sookie while we were at rest during the day.

"Thalia is keeping vigil of the grounds while Pam tries to clean up and isolate the image before they find their rest." Eric explained as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

We still had a couple days before the staff we hired last night would begin working, except for Thalia who was currently patrolling outside the house, and even she would go to rest during the day. This left our little mate alone in the house while we were essentially dead to the world. I thought about moving us down to the panic room compartments, but without any concrete proof this was a move against us, I knew Sookie would balk at such measures. I could not arrest the feeling, however, that this being was a danger to our mate.

As I was pondering this newest possible threat, Eric's phone chimed with several messages. As He read them, his eyebrows rose up his forehead in obvious disbelief. As he finished perusing his messages his phone Blondes with Lobotomy Eyes rang out signaling Pamela was calling him. I could hear her voice through the speaker as she requested his presence downstairs. She was able to get a clear image, but she needed us to tell her what she was looking at.

We went down stairs making the doors were secure as we left the room. We met Pam in the kitchen where she slapped a printout down on the table in front of us. Her expression was bewildered as she looked to us for some kind of confirmation. It took a few minutes for me to make sense of the grainy image before me, but when I did I was alarmed.

"Well what the hell is it? I can see by your face know what it is." My Grandchild growled impatiently.

Eric looked at me in distress as he too recognized the creature we had been presented with. Curiously however, he did not seem all that surprised. Pamela's eyes grew wide as I explained just what had taken an interest in our home. Knowing what I did, I realized that Sookie had probably attracted her earlier with her energy discharge while we were mid coitus.

Eric made plans with Pam to present an offering to the creature in hopes that she would be ameliorated and leave on her own. I did not believe that this would be any help, regardless of what sacrifice they were able to find for her. These creatures were attracted by power, lust and greed and liked to sow discord. Unfortunately our little mate was ripe with power and was a continuous inspiration for lust in both Eric and I. This was looking to be a catastrophe of epic proportions.

The sunrise was close upon us. Although the shutters on the house would protect us from the sun's harmful rays, I knew my Grandchild would not be able to resist the pull for long at her young age. We concluded our differing plans, going our separate ways for the day. I knew Thalia had a travel coffin in the basement of the bunkhouse she would be secure in for now, and Pamela had her own security system to her room similar to ours, but the creature we were dealing with was not restricted to the hours of darkness as we were.

Once Eric and I reached our chambers I wrote a note for Sookie detailing the events of the morning that she had missed during her slumber, and requested that she remain in the house at the very least. It would be preferable if she stayed in our rooms, but I did not believe she would fully accept that without knowing the circumstances of such a creature as had found us.

As I was composing my letter for our little mate I felt the dawn press down against me. I watched burdensomely as my Child joined Sookie in bed curling his large form around her petite frame and gave into his day rest, while I completed my letter. At my age I was able to push it off for some time without too many adverse reactions. Once I had undressed and settled in bed beside Sookie, I considered all that had occurred this night. As I finally relaxed allowing the sun to pull me into my day death, I remembered my little mate's distressing visit to Bon Temps. I had a feeling the two issues were related. If that was the case then her words truly were prophetic. This was only the start of this newest calamity, now we just had to contemplate how we could resolve it.