Swimming to the Light (Southern Vampire Mystery)

Chapter 35 - Wing to Wing

Nashville:

Sookie came to herself with Maxwell Lee holding her hand. Her neck hurt. Her head pounded. In an instant she found tears springing to her eyes; angry, hot tears. "Oh shit," she said, but it came out raspy and soft.

Sookie looked up to see Eric rushing toward her his fangs extended and hissing with frustration. She held her hand up to stop him. "I'm fine, Eric," she said. He could feel her anger and it slowed him. He allowed Maxwell to step aside so he could take the seat across from her.

"What happened, Sookie," he said. His voice was strained and Sookie could see the muscles in his neck standing out in sharp relief. Every part of him looked tense and she was sure if she dropped a pin on him it would bounce.

"It was Sam," Sookie told him. Then she squeezed his hand, trying to keep him with her. "He's gone," she called after him, but Eric pulled from her and towered over Maxwell.

"Where?" he demanded.

Sookie called to Eric but he was ignoring her. He looked in the direction Maxwell gave him and moved to leave. So Sookie Stackhouse did what she needed to do; she found her fear and she allowed it to overwhelm her. It was a dirty trick but it was the only way she could think of to get the Viking's full attention. The minute she allowed her terror to take hold of her, Eric's head snapped towards her again. His eyes narrowed as he realized what she had done.

Sookie kept her own eyes soft and then she opened her arms to him. She could see him battling with his instincts. Every part of the warrior within him wanted to find the shifter and rend him limb from limb. It was at war with the protector who didn't want to leave his lover unguarded. Finally the protector won and he came to her and lifted her to him. Sookie laid her hand against his chest. "Room," she sighed.

Pam glided to a stop beside them, her face worried. "Get the key," Eric told her. Pam reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the room keys and then turned to precede them. She had the elevator waiting when they made the lobby.

There were faces turned their way; some familiar and some not. Sookie saw Maude's face and Isaiah's. She buried her face further into Eric's chest; her hand grabbing the front of his shirt and holding on. When the elevator doors opened Eric carried her steadily forward. They were in their room and he deposited her on the end of the bed and kneeled before her. His face was close and he stroked her face with his long fingers. It was a gentling motion and it reminded Sookie of a time in Bon Temps she had seen a man handle a skittish horse.

Eric's fingers ghosted down to rest on her neck. She knew he could see the bite mark and bruising. Eric lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit. He held her eyes as he placed the bleeding wound to her lips. Sookie let the anger roll forward then. She took Eric's wrist and sucked hard. His eyes widened and she saw his nostrils flare. Sookie could feel Eric's blood as it moved in her like a living thing. She felt it coming alive in her stomach and felt it bloom and vine throughout her. She knew there was some element of magic involved; that the new blood somehow acted to reinvigorate the blood that remained within her. When she felt the magic trail along her neck she raised her lips from his wrist. It was as if she could see herself as he saw her; eyes wild and lips bloody. "Kiss me, Eric," she demanded. When he hesitated she surged forward and claimed his lips herself.

He fell backwards and she followed him to the floor. Sookie molded herself to him, knowing that her drinking from him had triggered his need for sex. She could feel him hard beneath her and she shifted to rub herself against him. Sookie used one arm to push her upper body away from him, arching her back. She sat up, bringing her legs to either side of her Viking's hips, making sure that her core was hard against him. She held his eyes as she lifted her hands to her own breasts squeezing them through the material of her shirt. Eric bucked beneath her. He reached up and ripped her blouse in one swift tug. He ran his hand to the waistband of her skirt and ripped that as well.