| TWENTY-TWO |
ANYTHING SHE WANTS

The next day when it was near the evening time, she went to see Sookie. The telepath opened the door and let her in as she furrowed her eyebrows, "Eira, what are you doing here?"

"I came to help look for Bill," Eira explained with a kind smile.

Sookie blinked in surprise, "Eira, you don't have to. I'm sure Eric wouldn't even want you to."

"But I want to," Eira stated. "If Eric went missing, I'd want someone to help me look for him."

Sookie smiled before Eira continued, "Now what did Jessica say?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a vampire can call his progeny," Eira explained. "When I see it happen with Pam, usually, it's like a shiver."

"Oh my god, Eira," Sookie said as her heart filled with hope. "I could kiss you right now."

"Please, don't," Eira said in alarm like Sookie might actually do so. "Eric might kill you."

"I was joking," Sookie chuckled. "Now, let's go see Jessica."

They went out the door and walked the path through the cemetery that lead to the Compton house. As they walked, they talked.

"I'm sorry about last night," Sookie apologized. "But I was just worried about Bill."

"Oh, it's okay," Eira blushed a bit.

Sookie recalled the hickeys she saw on Eira's neck when she showed up before she teased, "But it seems like that didn't stop Eric."

"But I...no..." Eira stuttered. "We didn't."

"Oh," Sookie said in surprise before she asked hesitantly. "Have you ever?"

"No," Eira was now as a red as a tomato and she was grateful the dark hid her flaming cheeks. "Can we please change the subject?"

"Alright," Sookie agreed before saying happily. "Bill asked me to marry him."

"Really?" Eira practically squealed. "Well, did you say yes?"

"I didn't get to tell him. I went to the bathroom to think and then when I came out, he was gone," Sookie said sadly.

"Sorry," Eira apologized as they reached the porch of the Compton house.

They knocked on the door and Jessica answered. Sookie immediately let herself in but Eira smiled apologetically at the vampire as she followed, "Hi, Jessica."

"Hi, Eira," Jessica couldn't help but smile back.

"Has Bill called you?" Sookie immediately asked and Eira couldn't help but notice as she stepped inside that it smelt like something died.

"No. And I told you I would tell you if he did," Jessica crossed her arms.

"Not that kind of call," Eira said. "A vampire can call their progeny. They get kind of shivery. Have you felt anything like that?"

"Last night," Jessica replied. "It came over me like a wave, and it made me feel sick too, just like that time I drank Kahlúa."

"Now, other than sick, what else did you feel?" Eira asked.

"Um, I don't know. Maybe...Maybe I felt a place," Jessica said, unsure of herself.

"What place? Where?" Sookie demanded.

"I don't know."

"Come on," Sookie said as she gestured towards the door. "We're going to find that place."

Before they left, Sookie said in disgust, "And what the hell is that smell?"

Jessica lied, "A possum died under the house."

The two older girls believed the lie as they all left the house.

_____

They were all now in Sookie's car. Eira sat in the back. Jessica was driving as they had her follow this feeling of a place.

"I'm feeling nauseous, just like I got last night when Bill was..." Jessica started to say.

"Stop!" Sookie shouted as she saw the wreck of car down a hill and Jessica slammed on the brakes. "That's Bill's car!"

"I am a freak of fucking nature," Jessica exclaimed.

They all got out of the car and went down to the wreck. They inspected the inside of the car and Sookie stated, "There's a body in here, but it's not Bill."

"Give me a hand!" Sookie said and they all helped her pull the body out of the car. "Check him for a wallet or phone, anything that might tell us who this fuck is."

"No wallet. No phone," Jessica said as she inspected the body of the man. Then she pulled back the collar of his shirt to reveal a brand. "Okay, what is that?"

"It's runic," Eira said, remembering when Eric showed her some of the Viking runes.

"You know it?" Sookie asked hopefully.

"I know it's a Viking rune," Eira replied. "But I don't know what it means."

"We're going to see Eric."

_____

They drove to Fangtasia. On the drive over, Jessica looked up the symbol on her phone and found that it had to do with Operation Werewolf. So they concluded that werewolves took Bill but they still had a lot of questions.

          Eric was less than pleased.

        "So, let me get this straight. You took my girl on a joyride to find werewolves," Eric stated in anger as he stepped towards Sookie who took a fearful step back. "If they don't kill you, I will."

           "Eric!" she scolded as she stepped in front of him and pushed against his chest. "It was my choice to go. Stop it."

Eric relented and took a step back but he still stood there stowing in anger. Sookie watched in fascination. It was like Eira was the one thing that could calm him or she was the peace to his chaos.

Then Eira started to draw the symbol on a coaster, "And we found this on the dead man. It was like a brand."

"Yeah and we looked it up," Sookie stated. "It stands for Operation Werewolf, some kind of secret Nazi commando force from World War II."

Eric delicately picked up the coaster while staring at the symbol like he recognized it. Eira watched him as he did so.

"Bill summoned Jessica there. He was trying to show us who kidnapped him," Sookie explained.

"Yeah, Nazi werewolves," Jessica said.

"That dead guy was strong and fast enough to take Bill. He had to be something supernatural. I was hoping you could tell us more."

"Never seen it before. Sorry," Eric dropped the coaster as spoke quickly.

"Eric," Eira called and looked at her pleading green eyes. He could never resist them.

Eric spoke in Swedish to Pam to get Jessica out of the room. Pam then smiled the young vampire, "Let's go to the ladies' room and stare at ourselves in the mirror."

And Jessica left with Pam.

Then Eric explained, "Here's what I know about werewolves. There's a reason their existence has remained a myth to humans for thousands of years. They're territorial, vicious, pathologically secretive."

"Boy, does that sound familiar," Sookie said sarcastically.

"And here's what I know about you: You're so blinded by your obsession with Bill Compton, you're likely to run through the streets screaming "werewolf bait," alerting whoever has Bill that we're onto them or getting yourself and Eira killed."

"You think I'm that stupid?"

"No, I think you're human."

"Eira is human?"

"Eira is an exception," Eric said like it was a fact which caused her to smile a bit. "And you will not be taking her with you anywhere near werewolves again. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Sookie agreed out of fear.

"Eric, I'm right here," Eira said. "You can't just order her to not include me."

      "Fine," he said before turning his eyes to Eira before commanding. "You're not going to be helping Sookie again. It's too dangerous for you now."

           "What do you mean?" Eira asked. "Eric, I know that symbol is a Viking rune. You know it. What do you know about it?"

             "I know that these werewolves are not Nazis," Eric explained. "No, they're much more than that. These are not ordinary werewolves. They're organized, well-funded, highly trained, and fuelled by vampire blood."

            "So if I were you, Miss Stackhouse, I would stay very far away," Eric warned.

            "But Bill..."

           "Forget Bill."

           "Would you forget Eira?" Sookie snapped.

             Eric was silent before Jessica interrupted them, "Sookie, you need to get me back before the sun comes up."

           Sookie nodded sadly before she left with Jessica. Eira stayed before she looked at Eric, "What are you not saying?"

           Eric stared at her before he clenched his jaw, "Let me take you home first."

          Eric grabbed her and vamp sped away with her. They arrived at her house and he set her down in her bedroom. She gave him a spill look and he started solemnly.

          "I did not say anything because I don't like to speak of it," Eric explained. "I know this group from when I was still human. My entire family died because of them."

         "I'm sorry," Eira stated sadly as she reached out and rubbed his arm. He only nodded blankly before he started to pace.

          "I hunted them with Godric in World War II where we learned that their leader was a vampire which means he's older and stronger than me. And it stands to reason that whoever this is would be very interested in you," he said before he stopped and stared at her in worry. "Eira, promise me you won't get involved in this. I need you safe."

          She nodded and he gained a look of relief before she stepped towards him and hugged him, "I'll stay out of it...for you."

     He wrapped his arms around her and just held her for a long moment. He had his eyes closed in content. He didn't want to let her go ever and he didn't have to for a while as the sun started to come up.

            She pulled away slightly to smile up at him, "Will you stay?"

He nodded before he leaned down and kissed her softly. She melted into the kiss as she looped her arms around his neck while the morning light filtered in to shine its light upon them. And she was content to stay there forever.

_____

Eira stayed in his arms throughout half of the day. They laid on her bed beside each other. They kissed mostly but they talked, too, before Eric had to sleep.

"So I know you were a Prince but what were you like exactly...as a human?" she wondered as Eric held her in his arms while he leaned against the headboard. She was on her stomach as she practically laid on top of him.

"Well, I was only interested in one thing..." he smirked. "Women."

She rolled her eyes, "Of course you were."

He chuckled, "You asked."

Then she spoke as she wondered, "And what would you have done if you met me then?"

He hummed as he thought before her twirling a strand of her hair, "You wouldn't have wanted me but I would've chased you endlessly. I wouldn't have rested until you were mine."

"So the same then?" she thought as that wasn't much different than now.

"No," he corrected. "Because then I would've bound you to me as my wife."

He stunned her a bit and her heart raced at the thought. But then he ruined it as he bit his lip, "And then I would've spent the rest of my days between your legs."

She shook her head and smacked his shoulder, "Well, that certainly won't be the way I spend forever with you."

"Not yet."

            She had blushed. He sounded so confident about it. It made her heart race to think of them having passionate, primal sex throughout eternity. Wouldn't he grow bored? Did men not grow bored of these things? Was it that pleasurable?

      Her thoughts had been disrupted when he started to get the bleeds and he had to sleep. She was now alone and she was hungry so she went to Merlotte's while he slept.

          She found out Sookie had been attacked by a werewolf during the day but it got away which meant it would come back for her at nightfall. She planned to stay out of it but she was going to get Eric to help. Just as soon as he woke up.

        She waited on the bed after she got home from Merlotte's. She ate her food and now she was sipping on the milkshake she got. Once the sun disappeared, he woke.

          She practically pounced on him once he woke up, "Eric, Sookie is in trouble."

          He rolled his eyes as he moved away from her and got up from the bed, "I told you to stay away."

          "I did but I went to Merlotte's because I was hungry and Sookie told me she got attacked by a werewolf," she explained as she got up from the bed, too, and set her shake down on the nightstand. "It got away but it'll probably come back tonight. Eric, will you please help? She's my friend. I want friends in my life."

        "I thought you only wanted me," he said a bit bitterly.

       "I need only you," she corrected.

      "You need me?" he grinned.

      "You know I do."

         His thumb caressed her chin as he gazed at her in adoration. before he brought her in for a short, sweet kiss. As the kiss ended, Eira had flushed cheeks but looked at him in the same way.

          He relented as he stared into her green eyes, "Fine. I'll help."

         She smiled at him. Eric couldn't help but think of how gorgeous it was. But he was never not thinking of how beautiful she was. She was always on his mind.

          _____

         Eric had left Eira and he showed up where Sookie lived. He knocked on the door and the telepath was surprised as she opened the door with a shotgun, "Eric?"

         "Eira told me that one of them came for you," Eric explained said in a bored tone. "She requested that I help so...I'm here to protect you."

           "But you cause so much danger," Eric complained. "It would be so much easier if I could just drain you. I would do it if only Eira would understand."

         "Oh, yeah. Drain me," Sookie said sarcastically as she came onto the porch. "You're such an ass."

          Eric looked amused, "Maybe to you."

           Sookie crossed her arms after she set the gun down, "There's no way you're so different with Eira."

          "How would you know?"

          "Even if you are, you still don't deserve her," Sookie argued.

              "I never said I did," Eric said before he noticed the ring on her finger and he smirked as he antagonized. "Ooh, getting married, are we? What are those vows again? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, until death do you part. Doesn't bother you that you'll be the only one dying?"

            "It doesn't bother you that Eira will, too?"

              "There will be no dying," Eric snapped at her like the thought bothered him before he quickly averted his eyes. "I'll turn her."

              "She could still die."

             "No," Eric denied coldly like it was an impossibility as he turned away from Sookie to look out from the porch.

              "You know you mock getting married but I know Eira. Her favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast growing up," Sookie said and Eric couldn't help but grin slightly at the knowledge. "She wants these things."

               "So what if she does?"

                Sookie raised her eyebrows, "And you're going to give them to her? You?"

          "You think I don't bend?" Eric finally turned his head to look at the telepath with a bit of anger in his eyes; he was tired of her thinking he didn't worship the ground that Eira walked on. "Why do you think I'm here now?"

Eric would do anything to make her happy. And that's what he planned to do for the rest of forever. If she wanted him to fly her to the moon, he'd fly her to the fucking moon. He didn't care what she wanted from him because she could have anything her heart desired. Simply, because she gave him everything just by living.

         Sookie stared at him as her eyes softened almost like she seemed to understand something. But she wasn't able to voice it as he heard the werewolf that was supposed to be appearing enter the house and he quickly scared Sookie into inviting him inside.