Your phone ringing around noon a couple of days later was not how you wanted to wake up. Especially after staying up until sunrise talking to Eric. You sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand down your face as you answered. "Yeah?"
"Hey, Y/N. It's Sam."
You grunted in acknowledgement. "What can I do for you?"
"Actually, we're a little short handed around here. I was sort of hoping you could help us out tonight."
You glanced at Eric sleeping behind you. He would be annoyed, but he could just deal with it. You needed to check in with Sookie anyway. "Yeah, sure, Sam. No problem."
He huffed out a breath. "Thank you. You're a real lifesaver."
"So, I've been told." You hung up and shifted so your back was leaning against Eric's headboard. He'd brought you to his house to stay due to your lack of furniture. And while you'd fallen asleep in his arms every night, that and a few kisses were the extent of your intimacy. Well, that and the blood exchange. On some levels that was more intimate than intercourse. You brushed Eric's hair back and ran your gaze over his face.
A week ago, you would have thought waking up beside him ever again an impossibility. You weren't about to take the time with him for granted. Never again. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes as you ran through the list of things you needed to do. Your father had finally arranged for someone to deliver your furniture and Eric was having someone meet them so you didn't need to be there. There were some things left in your apartment you wanted. A couple of hours and you could probably have it all packed up. You might as well get it over with.
You got dressed, opting for wearing the dress shirt Eric had worn the night before and your jeans. Sam could just deal with you not wearing the Merlotte's uniform. You'd probably be behind the bar anyway. You jotted off a quick note to Eric and headed out the door.
***
As you'd predicted it didn't take long for you to pack the rest of your things. The furniture and things you didn't care for, you left for Sam. He could get more renting out a furnished apartment anyway. You'd loaded everything in the cab of your truck and grabbed a couple of more hours of sleep before heading into the bar.
Sam frowned at your clothes but didn't say a word. Smart man. You were filling in where needed for the night, switching roles if necessary.
Sookie greeted you with a grin and a hug. "Y/N, it is so good to see you. It's a great day. Isn't it a great day?"
You lifted a brow and your lips twitched. Your gaze landed on the scarf at her neck. Bill. As much as you disliked the man, as long as he was making Sookie happy, you'd cut him some slack. "I missed you. How have you been?"
"Just fabulous."
"Well, aren't you in a good mood," Arlene said as she joined the conversation.
"Yes, I am." Sookie grabbed her tray and spun away, her hips swinging as she went. Sam and Arlene both looked from her to you.
You shrugged. "What? I just got here. I know nothing."
The door opened to the bar opened and three of the biggest jackoffs in Bon Temps walked through the door. Sam must have noticed the look on your face because he turned to see them as well.
"Shit. Cover the bar, would you?" He hurried off to intercept Lafayette without waiting for your response.
You glanced beneath the bar to make sure the baseball bat was still where you'd last seen it and pulled a beer for the customer at the end of the bar. At least you wouldn't be bored.
***
"Sookie has been with that vampire," Arlene told her boyfriend instead of delivering the two beers you'd pulled for her.
"Ah, that's just bar talk."
"She told me so herself."
Well, that certainly got Sam's attention. Your jaw tightened but you stayed quiet. For the moment. You had to resist the urge to roll your eyes when Arlene mentioned Sookie getting pregnant and babies with fangs. Seriously?
Sam ripping the scarf from Sookie's neck was your cue to get involved. You grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away from her even as she shoved him. You watched silently as she said her piece. She was right it wasn't anyone's business what she got up to with Bill. And as much as you liked Sam, he hadn't bothered to make a move until someone else was interested so he could go to hell too.
When she stormed off, Sam turned to you. "You can't honestly tell me you're okay with this?"
You smirked and flipped the collar of Eric's shirt to the side so the bite on your neck was visible. "Course, I haven't fucked mine. Not lately anyway. But she's right. It's none of your business. She was in a good mood. Why'd you have to bring her down? You really suck sometimes, Sam."
You went back to your spot behind the bar, ignoring the eyes now fixated on you. If it took some of the attention off Sookie, so much the better.
***
Eric tapped his fingers against his thigh. He wanted to call you. Or at least send a text just to make certain you were all right. Which was stupid. He could feel you. He knew you were fine if slightly irritated. He also knew you were in Bon Temps right where you'd told him you'd be. No, the truth was, he missed you. Now that you were back in his life, he wanted you by his side where you belonged.
Pam appeared beside him and leaned one arm on the back of his chair. "Having fun yet?"
The corner of his mouth kicked up. "Always."
"I may be able to brighten your evening. See the blonde male by the bar? The sweaty, nervous one?"
Eric ran his gaze over the crowd. "The one that is obviously detoxing?"
She made a sound of agreement. "Name's Jason Stackhouse. He's Sookie's brother."
"And why do I care?" Pam wasn't one for idle conversation so there was obviously a point to this.
"Because, if I recall correctly Y/N said she was hit because emotions were running high. And as he's here looking for V, he would have been strong enough to leave that bruise."
Eric leaned forward in his seat, all of his focus now on his target. "I'll be in my office. Bring him to me."
***
You handed Sookie a pitcher of beer for the three assholes and watched her as she went to deliver it. As you predicted, they immediately started to give her shit about Bill. Before you could intervene, the front door slammed open and the three figures that entered drew everyone's attention.
These three were trouble. You'd looked into them after Sookie had an encounter with them at Bill's house. Malcolm, Liam and Diane. Their only purpose here would be to cause trouble. You undid a button on your shirt and pulled the collar wide so Eric's bite was on display. If they knew what was good for them, they wouldn't fuck with you. Somehow you doubted things would go that smoothly.
The three of them slunk around the bar like the slime they were. Diane got in one of the customers faces and Sam stepped out to confront them.
"Get us three True Blood's," Malcom ordered no one in particular.
The only person that moved was Sam who took a step forward. "You need to leave. This is a family establishment. Locals only."
While Malcom explained that they'd just bought a house in the area, you grasped the handle of the bat beneath the bar and pulled it out. Resting it on your shoulder, you stepped around the end of the bar and onto the floor. Liam's gaze followed you the entire time.
You merely lifted a brow and gave him a nod. He didn't scare you.
"Discrimination against vampires is punishable by the law in the great state of Louisiana," Malcom said in response to Sam telling him to leave a second time. "Not that I give a fuck, but I am thirsty."
"He's telling you to leave because you're an asshole. Not because you're a vampire," you piped up to draw his attention to you. "Discriminating against assholes isn't against the law. Though, I wish he'd do it more often."
All three vampires put their full attention on you. Malcom opened his mouth to respond but Sookie caught his attention first. He gasped. "How nice to see you again, Sookie. You are looking delectable as always." He sauntered toward her, ignoring you completely. Obviously, he didn't consider you much of a threat.
Idiot.
You allowed his moment of...whatever the fuck he was doing with Sookie. She'd only get pissed if you intervened before she needed it.
"I am his," she declared and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. She had no idea what that meant. Not really.
"Well, he's not here, is he?" Malcom said with a tilt of his head. "And when Bill is away, Malcom will play." He extended his fangs and you moved forward. You placed the end of the bat on his chest and pushed him away from her.
"That's not how that works and you know it. Behave."
He snarled. "And just who are you?" He glanced at his companions and huffed a laugh. "And just what do you think you'll be able to do with that?" His hand grabbed the end of the bat and shoved it aside.
You allowed him to do so. "My name's Y/N and you'd be surprised."
"Well, Y/N, I'm going to drain you so slowly, you'll be begging me to kill you." You weren't impressed.
Suddenly, Terry Bellefleur charged forward and was tossed through the air for his efforts. He slammed into the ground. Sam grabbed a pool cue and broke it over his knee.
Malcom pointed at him. "You are a dead man."
"Sam."
His gaze shifted to you. Apparently, he understood what you were trying to tell him because he smirked. "Maybe so, but you'll have to go through her first." He tossed you the cue and you dropped the bat to snatch it from the air.
***
Eric leaned against the front of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. It didn't take long for Pam to appear with the human. He stank of desperation and Eric's lip curled in response.
"You, uh, wanted to talk to me?" His gaze darted around the room, never settling anywhere for long.
Eric dismissed Pam with a lift of his chin. When she'd left the room, he gestured to one of the chairs in front of him. "Sit."
"I'm good."
Was this human always this oblivious or was it worse because he was in need of a hit? Eric sincerely hoped it was the latter. "I wasn't asking."
"Oh."
The other man sat and Eric moved around his desk to take his own seat. He folded his hands together and leaned forward. "I understand you know Y/N Y/L/N."
Stackhouse licked his lips. "Yeah. Kind of, I guess. She's friends with my sister."
"Well, I have a problem with Ms. Y/L/N that I'm hoping you can help me with. Maybe then we can help you with your little problem." Eric maintained the neutral expression he'd spent centuries perfecting.
The man in front of him leaned forward eagerly. "Sure. Anything."
"She has a bit of a reputation as a troublemaker. When she came to the bar the other night, she had a bruise. Here." He ran his finger across his cheek to indicate where her injury had been. "I'm certain she was causing trouble but I could get her to admit to nothing. Do you happen to know what happened?"
Stackhouse huffed and waved a hand through the air. "That was me. She wouldn't let me in my gran's house to talk to Sookie. Ain't nothing for you to worry about."
Eric gripped the other man by the throat and lifted him into the air before he could even blink. "You dare?"
Wide confused eyes were the only answer as hands gripped Eric's wrist, looking for mercy.
"You dare touch what doesn't belong to you?" He wanted to snap his neck. It wouldn't take much effort. A twist of the wrist and this human would bother you no more. But something told him you wouldn't appreciate the gesture. In fact, you were likely to make his life hell for even considering it. Eric released his grip.
Stackhouse fell back in his chair. His feet scrambled trying to put more distance between him and the vampire before him but there was nowhere for him to go. Eric simply looked at him with the same blank expression as always.
"As she didn't kill you herself for the indiscretion, I can only assume she wishes you alive for some reason. If you touch her again, I won't care. Do you understand?"
He nodded frantically. "Yeah, yeah. I understand."
Eric placed his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned into the other man's space. "And as for the vampire blood, if I even catch a whisper that you tasted it, I will remove your balls with a rusty spoon. And I have ears everywhere."
Eric couldn't refrain from smirking when Stackhouse folded in on himself. His hands covered his groin on instinct. The vampire straightened and took a step back. "Remove yourself from my bar, Mr. Stackhouse, and don't bother coming back."
If the man moved any faster, Eric would have thought him a vampire. A beat later, Pam stepped into the office with an amused look. "I take it the conversation went well."
He hummed in agreement just as a flash of emotion went through him. Anger and anxiety with a dash of fear. You were in trouble.
***
Liam charged and you spun away, tripping him in the process. You shoved the stake into his chest, purposely missing his heart. He stared at you in confusion as he gasped in pain. You kicked Diane, sending her stumbling back when she came to his rescue.
Malcom took advantage of the distraction she posed and grabbed the cue from your hand. He launched it across the bar and it embedded in the wall. When you swung at him, he grasped your wrist and squeezed. If you'd been fully human, it would be broken. He pushed you backward into the bar, his free hand on your chest.
"Stop this." Bill had apparently arrived.
Neither you or Malcom were impressed. He glanced over his shoulder at the other vampire. "Not now, Bill. I'm having a conversation. Don't interrupt."
Malcom turned back to you, his fangs fully extended. You'd expected him to be furious but he looked more intrigued than anything. He let go of your wrist and gripped your chin. He turned your head to the side to expose the line of your throat. "Is this Bill's work as well? Has he been greedy with the local offerings?"
You scoffed. "Fuck Bill. And fuck you."
His eyes narrowed. "Oh, I'm counting on it, sweetheart. But you really must tell me who you belong to. After all, I'll need to offer my condolences."
"That would be me."
Malcom went still and you grinned. Eric always did have impeccable timing. He released you and took a step back, his hands held up as he turned to face your vampire. Eric looked past him to run his gaze over you. You gave him a little wave and his lips twitched.
"Why, Eric, it is lovely to see you again." That false placating voice rubbed your nerves raw. "I wasn't aware you were claiming your food now. Had I known—"
"Y/N is my mate."
The other vampires in the room shifted their gazes between the two of you. Mates were rare. Rarer still that both parties weren't vampires. You were just as shocked as they were but you did a better job of hiding it. At least you hoped so. Not that it mattered. Eric would feel it through your bond. But damn it, he couldn't just spring shit like that on you. Stupid vampire.
"Why are you bothering these people? You've been warned about this behavior before," Eric said, shifting the focus off your relationship.
"We were just saying hello to the new neighbors. That's all." Malcom's voice had lost its confident edge.
Eric's jaw was tight and you knew he was biting back much of what he wanted to say. He needed to placate the humans in the bar, but they didn't need to know details. "We'll discuss this tomorrow. Bill will accompany you to ensure you don't get lost on the way home."
Bill stepped away from Sookie's side with a nod. The four vampires headed toward the door, not bothering to look anywhere but at their sheriff. Eric stopped Malcom with a hand on his arm as he passed by. He lowered his voice but you could still hear him, though you doubted most of the humans could. "If I were you, Malcom, I would do my best to ensure I didn't fuck this up anymore than I already had."
Malcom didn't respond beyond jerking his arm away and following the others outside. Eric crossed the bar in several long strides until he was standing beside you with his arm around your shoulders. "I apologize for the disturbance, everyone. I assure you that they will not bother you again."
"Everyone go back about your business. Next round's on the house," Sam announced as he came over to the two of you.
"Eric, this is Sam Merlotte. He owns the bar. Sam, this is Eric Northman, he owns Fangtasia," you introduced them.
"And you, apparently," Sam added with a look of distaste.
You straightened your spine. "Really, Sam? Who do you think you're talking to? After everything...No, you know what. Forget it. It's not even worth it. You're welcome by the way, you ungrateful bastard." You stepped behind the bar and grabbed your bag. "I'll see you later, Sam. Sookie."
Eric wore an amused grin as he fell into step behind you and followed you out the door.