Pre Edit Count – 2,426 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Burning Bridges by OneRepublic

 Previously:

The crowd parted before them, and both vampires feel when their Mate flinches, and send her their love and comfort. Eric heads to the basement, wanting to deal with Compton as soon as possible.

They walk through the doors, Pam joining them as they head down the stairs.

Eric cannot help the triumphant look he gives when Compton realizes that Sookie is his, and then he is as surprised as everyone when she slaps him hard enough to rock his head.

Then his little spitfire fires at Compton, “How fucking dare you!”

Both Godric and he share a shiver of lust for their Mate. This will be interesting…

Now:

Eric cannot help the smirk as he watches Compton. He can’t deny this is a satisfaction that he has so many times daydreamed about. Unseen by Compton, Godric is touching him and stands behind their Mate with both hands on her shoulders. Not holding her back, but as a stance of solidity behind her.

Compton snarls at Eric, “You going to allow your human to treat me like this?”

The look on Eric’s face is gleeful as he answers the prisoner in front of him. “I allow my Mate and Bonded to talk and treat you any way she wishes. You know Mates are not forced to act subservient to any and are considered equal to any vampire.”

Godric chuckles in their minds, ‘And even if not, Eric wouldn’t allow anyone to treat you any different. A stoirin, you will be equal to everyone, and we will fight for that right. Now, do what you need to, then we will work him over. This is your chance to get even for anything you wanted to ever let loose on him.’

Sookie doesn’t bat an eyelash, and sends back to them, ‘While we all know he would repeat history, I still cannot take out the anger I have for actions he has not done. Just…we need to find out what we can. I don’t want to deal with the godlike Bill. That was torture.’

Both vampires look at the weakling in front of them. If it wasn’t for the two of them living through it and the memories of Sookie and Eric, it would be hard to realize what type of future this vampire would have. With Sookie’s thoughts, the intrusion into her house came to mind, and how he treated her. Neither could stop the growl.

On the other hand, Pam is watching them all with a sense of fascination. Eric had announced to her he was Mated and Bonded to a hybrid, and that his maker is Mated to the same person. She remembered the teachings from the two about Mates and is trying hard to not hate the woman in front of her. In the span of a few days, she has taken her place with Eric as the most important woman in his life.

But, feeling the emotions of her Maker and how happy he is makes her stop and think if she really wants to travel down that road. Plus the woman had gumption. She liked that.

Godric, after a moment of talking with his Mates, and making sure Sookie doesn’t want a piece of Bill herself, tells them his plan and they both agree. He backs away and heads to the cabinet on the wall as he casually tells Bill, “Now that my Eric has found his Mate, and Bonded with her, it is time to introduce her to this new world of hers. And no worries, I showed them everything I found.”

Growls ring out in the room as even Pam had been disgusted with the veteran’s obsession.

He pulls down some tools. They smoke his hand since they are silver and he has no gloves on, but he handles them as though they caused him no pain.

Sookie internally grits her teeth, not liking this. Godric had said nothing of this.

Coming back to his Mates, he casually hands Eric some gloves, and puts the tools on a table near Bill. He looks up at the vampire, commenting, “Needless to say, none of my progeny or their progeny liked it. Nor did the subject of it. Now, you don’t want to be angering some of the oldest vampires on this continent, do you?”

Bill sneered, “I know of some who are as old as you are, or older. I demand you call my Queen.”

Eric lifts and eyebrow as he looks over the tools Godric had selected and nods his approval. “Now why would I be calling the Queen over a simple discipline job in my area? That is why there are Sheriffs.”

With the sneer on his face, Bill tells him haughtily, “Call the Queen. She will explain to you.”

With a look at his Maker and Pam, Eric pulls out his cell phone, calling to his Sookie, “Come here, lover. I wish to make sure you can hear when I call her. I look forward to her greeting my Mate and Bonded. I had hoped to do this later, but I wish to hear why Compton is so sure that the Queen is not going to allow the Sheriff she selected for this area, one of her most prosperous, to carry out the normal punishment for a vampire not checking in, and also who had been spying on you, the Mate of an ancient vampire. The laws for Mates are really quite clear.”

Bill looks at him in shock, not knowing that there are separate rules for Mates than others. But his confidence comes back, knowing that the Queen really wants this telepath. And he can see why since she looks even more otherworldly than before.

Eric dials the Queen, and when the phone is answered, he announces himself. “Eric Northman of Area 5 for the Queen.” He rolls his eyes at the office type answer. His Mate giggles and he cannot help but smile down at her. His other hand reaches out and carefully traces her face as the line is picked up.

“Eric, what can I do for you today?” The Queen literally purrs into the phone.

Sookie gives a look of dislike to her Mate, and his smile gets bigger as he answers, “Your Majesty, as per tradition, I am calling to give you the joyous news of my Mating. I have also Bonded her to me. My Maker had come to protect my area while I was securing my Mate.”

A shocked pause came through the line, and then she asks, “May I know of the new Lady of Area 5’s name?”

With glee present in the Bonds with his family, he tells the Queen seriously, “My Mate, and Lady of Area 5’s name is Sookie Stackhouse.”

A quiet, almost unnoticeable gasp is heard and Eric and Godric’s eyes meet for a second then the Queen asks, “How did the two of you meet? Is it like the legends? You must come to introduce the two of us, and let me know.”

Eric cannot help the smirk, “We met one night when I was checking my area. She found me walking on the side of the road. And yes, it is as legend tells, the drive, the need to have your Mate is very intense. Godric had left the honor of me informing my liege of this happenstance in her Kingdom. But he had informed Roman of the honor the Bloodline has in having Mates in it. He had been most eager to register us under his protection as rare and unknown as we are at this time.”

And with that information, the Queen of Louisiana fumes. Roman would be sure to be issuing that protection of the two and her hastily made plans to get them here so she can manage to have Eric killed to have her Fae telepath is unraveling as quickly as she can make it. Either way, she figures getting them here in New Orleans is a way to see if there is a way to separate the two.

Godric is holding his rage at the Queen to a slow boil, not wanting to worry Eric nor Sookie with it. But he tells himself, this may work to their advantage. He meets Eric’s eyes and in a signal they had perfected in the first years of Eric’s life, he gives his approval.

With the same politeness, Eric answers his Queen, “I would be more than happy to bring her to meet you. I just ask for a couple of days to settle our Bond. Unfortunately, my Mate is angered by an intrusion of her privacy and finding out the perpetrator had used her brother unwillingly in his trespassing has the Bond in a flux. Godric had found out about it as he had followed up on a tip sent in to me of a vampire who had not checked in as per the Authority’s rules. Imagine his surprise when he did the check through of the vampire’s residence to find a wall dedicated to my Mate in the attic of his residence? He apprehended the vampire for violations against the rules, but had called me as soon as he had determined the Bond had been finished.”

Sophie Anne seethed on the other line. How could Bill get himself caught? And to have evidence as well as use the brother in that method? If he hadn’t been caught, she wouldn’t care, or she could have gotten him out of the situation if the person hadn’t been Eric’s Bonded and Mate. “How unfortunate. I am unsure why you are calling me on this matter? I would have thought you would take care of the matter yourself or has taking a Mate made you soft, Northman?”

Eric chuckles. “I am calling you because the vampire in question demanded it. Since I had to call to announce my Mating to you as tradition dictates, I figured I would grant this one request. I am feeling…magnanimous let’s say. I am looking forward to teaching my Mate how to punish others and feel this will only solidify our Mating as well allow her vengeance.”

Still seething, the Queen tells Eric, “What is this vampire’s name who thinks they can demand of my Sheriff to call me instead of taking his punishment as they should?”

“William Compton. A troublesome vampire I have had the misfortune of meeting before.”

“I know of Compton. You have evidence to prove your claim I am gathering?”

Eric smirks, “Of course. I take it you wish me to send you the paperwork?”

“Yes. I look forward to being introduced to your Lady, Northman. Just let me know when we can arrange it, I wish to make sure to have time for this auspicious meeting.”

Eric’s eyes meet his Mate’s, as he tells her, “I will do as you requested.”

With that the phone hung up and Eric hung up as well, as he grins down to his Mate. “It looks like we have carte blanche, my lover. Are you ready to learn?”

She smirks back at Eric as she saunters closer to him, “More than ready, my Viking.” Her finger trails down his chest and he growls at her. “And after he is suitably punished, mayhap we can go finish celebrating our Mating?”

His eyes flash and his fangs descend as lust hits him not only from his Mates, but from himself. He grabs her hand and pulls her closer to him, with a lusty look he tells her, “Nothing would be more enjoyable.”

Godric has his mouth shut and is working on not letting his fangs drop. Never would he have imagined their Mate to be so sexual. He can’t help the cocky grin though as he realizes that their Mating had given this vixen in front of him freedom to let herself free. He cannot wait until he can woo her.

Eric had pulled her closer to him as he claims her in a passionate kiss, his hand moving to her hair, knowing it sends a thrill through her as his other hand holds her possessively close to him. His!

Bill widens his eyes as he watches the two, and the low growl of lust and the smell of his arousal is enough to break the two of them as Sookie holds up a hand to her nose, “Oh my stars!! What is that stench?”

Not able to hold in the delighted laughter, Pam informs her new mistress, “That would be Compton’s arousal.”

Within seconds, Eric is holding the vampire up in the air at the limit of the chains as he snarls at him. He calms to tell his Mate, “My lover, I think it is time to introduce you to the art of torturing. The sooner we are through your lesson, the sooner we can get back to the celebration of our Mating.”

Sookie nods, then walks over to the table, Godric moving beside her. He hands her the defanger, “The first thing, is to take his fangs. That is his punishment for spending so much time before checking in.”

Sookie looks over the device interested. “How long do they have before this is the punishment?”

Godric grins at her, “They have three days. Most times it is a slap on the wrist, to being wrapped in silver. But, Compton here decided to test the limits of your Mate’s patience with stretching it out to weeks. If he had come in before Eric had found out, Eric would have been forced to allow it to pass without punishment, it being Eric’s fault for not governing his area better. But this time, Eric did know.”

Sookie nods as she takes it all in, and then turns to Bill. “Eric, can you bring him down, I can’t reach him as he is.”

Bill looks in shock as the Viking does as his Mate requested and forces him to kneel. Pam had loosened the chains to allow more movement when Eric had him in the air. Godric moves behind Bill as Eric lets go to stand behind his Mate, telling her softly, “Godric will force his mouth open for you. I will help guide you, if you will allow it.”

Sookie smirks, and the two move closer to the vampire in chains before them.

Upstairs, the vampires smirk as they hear the Civil War Era vampire scream as their new Lady takes his fangs.

 Final Count: 2, 434 words

Fairfarren ~