CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

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          ERIC FELL TO THE FLOOR WITH A LOUD THUD, BLOOD OOZING FROM HIS CHEST AS HE CLUTCHED AT THE WOUND WITH ONE HAND. It stained his pale skin dark red. His name fell from Dakota's mouth in a panicked squeal. He had thrown himself between the wolf and the bullet that Dakota had shot when the wolf charged for them, getting hit himself. Eric choked out a painful moan, closing his eyes.

Holy shit, V.

The werewolf came to a halt three feet away from the blond, but seemed to have no eye for her as he shifted back into his human form, revealing a stark naked man. It was the same man she had seen at Merlotte's that morning. He let out a growl and threw himself onto the viking.

Dakota raised the gun, trying to get a good aim at him but there was no way she was going to shoot him without putting Eric in danger. He was much taller than the werewolf, and even if he wouldn't die from the shot, she did not want to unnecessarily hurt him.

"Stay back, Dakota." he ordered, holding the man by the shoulders as he tried to push him off. He was already so high on another dose of V that he was almost as strong as Eric was. "Do not shoot him! He knows."

"Knows what?" echoed Dakota, taking a cautious step back and her bare back hit the fireplace behind her.

"Who do you work for?" demanded Eric, murderous scowl on his face as he gripped him a bit tighter, bone almost breaking underneath his touch.

"Give me a taste, fucker!" Was all he got in return as the werewolf tried to get a taste of his blood, intoxicated by the fumes of it. "Come on!"

"Who send you?" pressed Eric, his eyes darkened as one hand shot to the wolf's throat and he squeezed the flesh together.

"I - I can't," he was struggling to breath as the viking tightened his grip. "I can't t-talk."

Eric narrowed his eyes and loosened his grip, but still held him firmly above his own body. The bullet had pushed itself from his chest and the wound had healed, leaving only half dried blood on his skin. It was enough, though, and the man broke free from his grasps and sunk his teeth into the freshly healed skin. Eric cried out before grabbing the back of his long hair and threw him off.

The werewolf slammed into the wall and Dakota had a good shot at him, but Eric didn't want her to shoot him so she waited. His eyes widened and he stumbled to his feet, ready to make a run for it and out of the house. Dakota pulled the trigger in panic and the bullet etched itself into his lower leg, making him fall down in the hall.

The viking was on him in an instant, pressing his knee into his back and pulling his head back by his greasy hair.

"For the last time," he growled, grabbing his pointer finger and pulling it back, breaking the bone. The werewolf screamed in agony, trying to get away from the vampire. "who is your master?"

Think you can mad-dog me, you fucking fanger? You got nothing on Jackson.

"If I tell you, I'm as dead as you are." he grunted, glaring at his crooked finger. "You might as well kill me now."

Eric stilled above him, having spotted the mark on his neck and he bared his fangs as rage overtook him. "As you wish."

He sunk his fangs deep within his throat, tearing out the werewolf's artery and Dakota recoiled at the sight, dropping the gun to the ground as she stared at them in horror. His eyes met hers and he furrowed his brows as he spat out the blood beside him. The rug beneath them began to stain red with the wolf's blood as he bled out from his injury.

"Oh," he muttered, distant grin on his face. "I got your rug all wet. Heh."

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IT WAS CHILLY OUTSIDE, EVEN IF DAKOTA WAS WEARING ERIC'S LEATHER JACKET AROUND HER SHOULDERS TO KEEP HERSELF WARM. Goosebumps erupted on her skin and she glanced around the dark graveyard while Eric buried the werewolf beneath the soil, already working on closing the hole in the ground with a shovel.

"Fresh graves are ideal for disposing of an unwanted body." he commented as he threw more dirt onto the grave. "The ground is already disturbed, so no one will think to dig again."

"So much for keeping him alive to question him." she muttered, a bit annoyed with him as she looked at him. He hadn't bothered to clean himself off the blood and it had dried down around his lips and chin, his shirt still forgotten on her living room floor.

"It's what I was planning." he confessed, meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment.

Dakota leaned against the fence behind her, arms crossed over her chest. She would have killed the wolf if Eric hadn't taken the bullet for him, and now he had killed him himself before they had the change to question him further about the whereabouts of Bill Compton. Sookie would not be pleased if she found out. "But then you saw his brand."

"Brings back memories." he nodded, and his solemn expression didn't go unnoticed by her. "Unpleasant ones."

"Maybe I could have listened to his thoughts -"

"You have no concept of how dangerous werewolves are." he seethed, anger over taking him as he stood to his full hight and looked down at her. Dakota didn't say anything and his features softened when he noticed the slight flinch. "They are virtually silent. They have no fear of death. And when they've had a bit of our blood, their strength could be a challenge." He hesitated before finishing, "Even for me."

"I'm sorry I shot you." Dakota confessed, knowing that he didn't want her to elaborate on his words.

Eric put the shovel down, done with closing up the grave and looked at her. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her to his chest, Dakota didn't care about the dried blood on his chest and pressed her cheek to his bare skin.

"You're forgiven." he grinned, squeezing the back of her head. "I got in the way."

"I didn't like seeing you in pain." she mumbled, eyes closed.

Eric kept his mouth shut, not knowing how to respond to her revelation and instead squeezed her softly before his hands moved to her biceps and he took a small step back, meeting her eyes. The vampire didn't show his emotions often, much less to a human he had known only a few months.

"Let me walk you back home."

He put the bouquet of flowers he had removed back onto the grave and placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the dark graveyard, only the moon illuminating the path before them.

"Do you know anyone named Jackson?" asked Dakota. "It was the only thing I could make out from his thoughts."

"Jackson is where he lives." informed Eric and Dakota pulled her brows together in confusion. "He had a Mississippi accent. Can't you people tell the difference?"

"Do you think that's where Bill is?" she questioned. "I should call Sookie. We have to go there like, yesterday."

"I can't." he shook his head. "Not yet. The problems of the world consist of more than finding your cousin's missing boyfriend. And you shouldn't go by yourself either. These werewolves are looking for the both of you. You are no good to me if you are dead."

"No good to you?" she frowned as they reached her house. "What do you mean by that?"

Dakota had come to a halt on top of her porch and turned to face him. He stood on the gravel below her, eyes piercing her own with an unreadable expression on his face. When he didn't say anything she could feel her heart sink down into her chest. Of course, she should have known.

Dakota was a telepath, something that could be quite valuable to a vampire and Sookie already had Bill so that's why Eric was so interested in her. How could she not have seen this coming. It hurt, it really did but he was a thousand year old vampire and how could he ever care for a human.

"I am so fucking stupid." she breathed, biting the inside of her cheek. "Everything i've done for you. I thought -"

"Dakota -" he had a cold look on his face.

The blonde turned her back to him, not wanting to hear any words that came from his mouth and she stalked inside, grabbing his shirt from the floor roughly and taking the envelope with his check she had hidden behind a cabinet. Dakota stepped back onto her porch with one foot, the other still inside her house.

"Here, take it. I don't want it." she said, throwing the piece of clothing his way and the envelope at his feet. Eric didn't move, frozen on the spot as he watched her take off his jacket and crumbling it up hastily before leaving it on her porch. "I rescind my invitation."