CHAPTER FIVE

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          DAKOTA STOOD THERE WITH LEAFLETS IN HER HANDS, LEANING IN THE DOOR OPENING OF THE CHURCH. Hoyt Fortenberry and his mother were trying to take down the cross at the front and she watched them in amusement. It might kill the vampire. Mrs. Fortenberry was fussing as she tried to haul it from its position. What if he sizzles up like fatback bacon in front of everybody there's not gonna be much of a meeting.

The blond snorted as Hoyt gave her a painful look when his mother started making a scene in front of the church.

"Hi there, munchkins." beamed Adele, Arlene came walking up to them with her kids. Rene had an arm slung over the red head's shoulder and he offered them a kind smile. "Oh, I reckon you're the youngest history buffs we've had at the DGD."

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't stay home for nothing." chuckled Rene, shooting a wink Dakota's way as he led Arlene and the kids toward the seats. "The minute they heard 'vampire', they had to come over."

Dakota rolled her eyes in amusement and turned back to her grandmother as an older man approached them. Adele nodded at the man with a smile on her face. "Well, hello there, Mayor Norris."

"Evening, Adele, Dakota." He nodded politely. "Quite a turnout."

"Isn't it?" beamed Adele as she handed the man a leaflet. The mayor's wife joined them inside, her white hair styled neatly as she brushed an imaginary piece of lint from her shoulder.

"Good thing Myra made extra ambrosia." he joked.

"Oh, Andy Bellefleur will like that." agreed Adele. "He's with the Dearbornes. Though lord knows why Bud insisted on wearing his uniform."

"Is our vampire friend here?" asked the Mayor, a bit apprehensively.

"In the kitchen, waiting." confirmed Dakota.

"I left him with a bottle of that Tru Bood they like." added her grandmother.

"Adele, do you think we've taken enough precautions?" he wondered.

"Against what?" uttered Dakota. "He's not going to hurt us."

"Well," Mayor Norris began. "just to make sure everyone's safe. Ordinarily I wouldn't pay no mind but there's young folks here."

"Sterling," began Adele. "we don't have anything to be frightened of. Mr. Compton is a perfect gentleman. Frankly, I am more worried about what we might do to him."

Dakota shared a glance with her grandmother as the mayor and his wife went to find their seats. The church was almost completely full, and Dakota hoped they'd start soon so she could go back home. The blond had offered to help Adele with handing out leaflets and welcoming people to the meeting but if she was honest, she didn't really care that much about the church group. The only thing she cared about was that her grandmother was happy hosting tonight.

"Wow, gran, look at all the people." Sookie embraced the woman.

"Isn't it exciting?" smiled Adele taking in her grandaughter. "Well, Sam Merlotte, what a nice surprise."

Dakota raised her brows as she saw who Sookie brought. Sam Merlotte cleaned up nicely, wearing a nice dress shirt and jeans without grease stains on them from the bar. He had done his hair, falling in soft locks around his face.

"Sookie told me she was coming alone." said Sam, acting casual but she could see how hyped he was to be out with her cousin. "I thought it would be a shame if she came without an escort."

"What a gentleman." Dakota joked, bumping his shoulder with her own.

"Okay, we're sitting down now." Sookie smiled awkwardly.

Dakota slid down the bench and sat beside Tara, Sam, and her cousin on her other side. Tara was reading the leaflet upside down, pretending to find it interesting, eventually she gave up and started fanning herself with it. It was scorching inside.

"How long?" asked Tara with a sigh.

"Don't know." Dakota shrugged. "Any minute now."

"Hey," said Jason as he came up to Tara's other side and glanced at the empty seat. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Sure, have a seat." she shrugged. He wore a bright smile, nothing at all like Jason. He rubbed his palms along his jeans as he sat down. "How're you feeling?"

"Alive," he grinned, turning towards the front to wait for Bill's speech to start. The hazy gaze never once left his face.

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IT HAD TAKEN DAKOTA A FEW HOURS TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SHE HAD DROPPED HER KEYS IN FANGTASIA THE NIGHT BEFORE. The police raid had been unexpected, and the blond must have dropped them during the getaway. Dakota had searched everywhere, and the bar was the only place she hadn't searched yet. That was why she was now on her way to Shreveport in Sookie's yellow bug. Dakota was still wearing the dress she wore to the church for her grandmother's meeting. It was around midnight, so Fangtasia had opened just two hours prior.

Going by herself might not have been such a good idea but Sookie was on a date with Sam who she had brought because she had a fight with Bill, and she couldn't exactly ask Bill Compton. It was a forty minute drive, but it felt much quicker as she reached the familiar parking lot of the vampire bar. The neon lights at the front of the bar where bright and she blinked a few times to get used to it. Dakota gripped the steering wheel tightly as she let out a sigh. It wasn't as busy as the night before and she walked towards the entrance.

The bouncer recognized her and let her in with a grin. Dakota stepped inside, music filled her ears and she glanced around, feeling even more out of place than the night before. Longshadow was working behind the bar, so she started to make her way toward the vampire.

"Back so soon?" drawled a voice behind her, having smelled her strong scent the moment she had stepped foot inside the club.

Dakota turned on her heels and looked up at the blond vampire. Pam grinned down at her, licking her lips as she took in her outfit with a perfectly manicured raised brow. The vampire was wearing a tight red leather dress, black pumps on her feet, making her a head taller than Dakota. "It hasn't even been a day."

"I lost my keys." Dakota shrugged, fumbling with the ring on her finger. "You haven't happened to find a pair, have you?"

"Can't say I have." Pam said, hands on her hips.

"Don't you have a lost and found or something?" Dakota questioned, glancing around the bar before her eyes found the vampires' again.

"Darling," she drawled. "I couldn't care less about human's lost items."

Dakota didn't know how to respond and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. Why on earth would a vampire care about someone losing their keys at their bar. She was an idiot, and this was a mistake. She could just go to the garage and ask for a new pair.

"Anyways, I'm getting bored." Pam stated, glancing down at her violet painted nails before raising her eyes to meet Dakota's. The shorter of the two looked nervous. "Follow me. He wants to see you."

"Who?" she frowned. "Where are we going?"

The vampire ignored her as she began to make her way through the crowd, only glancing backwards to see if Dakota was following her, she was, though looking around nervously. Pam led her through the back and pushed open a heavy door, holding out her hand for the blond to enter.

It was a small room. The walls were painted a pale white and frames covered almost every inch. Newspapers, nick knacks and awards covered the walls. There was a small black leather couch on her right and a big desk in front of her, covered in paper.

Eric sat behind his desk, scribbling something down quickly. He was vamp speeding through his paperwork, and it looked somewhat comical. He raised his head, grinning at her. He wore a black tank top, shoulder length hair brushing over his shoulders as he moved to face her.

"Dakota," he chimed, leaning back in his chair. "I knew you'd be back. Though I thought it would at least take you one more day."

Dakota glanced behind her but saw Pam was no longer there. The blond swallowed, turning back towards the vampire. He intimidated her and he knew it. He raised a brow as his eyes raked over her form. He noticed the goosebumps on her bare legs from the chillness in the room. Or perhaps it was the cold from his skin that made the room freezing.

"I lost my keys last night," she said, fumbling with the hem of her dress. "Thought they might still be here."

"Did you come alone?" he wondered, dropping his pen as he stood from his chair. He moved like an animal as he came to a stop before her. Dakota craned her neck to look up at him. She gave him a nod. "Good."

"Do – do you have them?"

Eric reached behind him to his desk and dangled a pair of keys in front of her face. Dakota sighed in relief and reached up to take them from him. He placed them in her hand and leaned against the desk. 

"So, Dakota Elkins." the Viking started. "What are you?"

The question caught her off guard, and she blinked at him, frowning. Eric didn't remove his gaze from her face as he stood and circled her once, leaning in to breathe in her scent. It was the best smelling blood he had ever smelled, and he had to bite his tongue to keep his fangs from appearing from his gums. He repeated the question as he came to stop in front of her.

"A waitress?"

Eric let out a chuckle with a slight nod. Dakota didn't smell human, but he wasn't going to tell her that, she clearly had no idea what sort of blood flowed through her veins. If he could smell it, he was sure all vampires could. His chest was almost touching her own as he looked down at her. Dakota felt as if she should take a step back, but she couldn't as she looked up at him.

"I should go." she swallowed.

"I'd rather you stayed." said Eric, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh," she muttered.

Dakota usually knew what to say, but she felt so out of place here, especially with a thousand year old vampire standing before her. Eric chuckled as if he could hear what she was thinking but that was impossible. Dakota couldn't even hear his thoughts and he was no telepath like her. The fact that she couldn't read his mind felt refreshing, it was quiet. No throbbing headache when she tried to shut thoughts out.

"Do I make you nervous, Miss. Elkins?"

"Very much." she affirmed, blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I can hear your heart beating in your chest." Eric noted, eyes trained on her chest, seeing the thrum of her beating heart against her ribcage. "It's going rather fast."

"Are you really a thousand years old?" she blurted, trying to change the topic. Eric huffed out a laugh and gave her a nod. "That's ... doesn't it get boring?"

"Not at all." he shrugged, meeting her eyes once more as he grinned. "There are plenty of ways to entertain myself. Tell me, Miss. Elkins. Have you ever been with a vampire?"

Dakota raised a dark brow. "No."

"Would you like to?"

Dakota opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again. Eric seemed pleased with himself, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"I really have to go." she stammered, cheeks turning crimson.

"Of course." he nodded. "You're always welcome here, Dakota."

"Thanks," she breathed and took a bee line for the door of his office, stalking through the bar to get back outside. Heat filled her cheeks further as she bumped into cold bodies on the dance floor, music blasting loudly through her mind. 

Pam stood at the front door, smirking at her. "Bye, Koko."

"Bye, Pam." Dakota nodded, smiling as she went for Sookie's bug.

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DAKOTA OPENED THE FRONT DOOR AND ENTERED THE DARK HOUSE, NOT BOTHERING WITH THE LIGHT SWITCH. Adele must have gone to sleep already. The blond rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stumbled into the kitchen.

The woman slipped, trying to catch herself onto the kitchen counter before she fell backwards onto her back. Fuck. Her dress soaked quickly and as she managed to push herself up to flick on the light, her breath hitched in her throat.

Dakota was covered in blood, the cold liquid sticking to her skin. Her grandmother laid before her, head snapped to the side with blood oozing from her body. The blood was everywhere, pooling around the two of them, splattered on the walls and the rest of the kitchen.

All Dakota could do was stare, a sob escaping from between her lips.

"Dakota? Are you in the kitchen? I saw you come in."

Dakota didn't acknowledge Sookie as she started at the scene before her. Sookie's footsteps were soft as she ambled towards the kitchen, adjusting her eyes to the light. The younger woman stood behind her, gasp leaving her lips before a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the air.