Thyra Dane

EPOV

I could hear water run in the pipes when I woke up. It could be Sookie doing the dishes or her washing machine washing her clothes. It could also be her taking a shower.

All my thoughts about me being pathetic for wanting Sookie disappeared. What kind of a vampire would I be if I didn`t seek out a woman I apparently lusted after? I got up and went out my door, as naked as the Viking gods had created me.

From the smell of shampoo, I knew that my last guess was correct – Sookie was in the shower. A little devil came up in me and told me that Sookie deserved to be surprised in her shower. Didn`t she sneak into my room when I was at my most vulnerable (and naked)? That would entitle me to go to her when she was at her most vulnerable (and naked).

The intoxicating smell from Sookie, her soap and her shampoo, hit me when I opened her bathroom door. There was also another smell – the smell of blood? She was washing her hair in a hurry and seemed pretty tense. Maybe I could help her relieve some tension?

Through the shower curtain, I saw her reaching for her soap. I was fast, took the soap, and started to lather up. I looked up at her body and shouted “Hvad satan?” – “What the hell?” What had happened to her? She was black and blue everywhere, her nose looked broken and she had a black eye. Blood was running from cuts on her forehead and on her arm.

She looked a bit startled, but recovered and spoke before I had even started touching her.

“Earlier today some German weres came here looking for you. I have no idea what they wanted, but as you can see, it wasn`t a social call.” She pointed to her bruises. “Do you know why weres would be after you?”

The only German weres I had ever come across were probably dead, centuries ago. And even if their great-great-great-great-grandchildren held a grudge, I couldn`t imagine how they would know where I was. Which brought me back to the unanswered question from last night.

“Sookie, you really need to tell me what you know about me and how you got that information.” She turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body. I kept staring at her. Her beautiful body and all the damages done to it.

“I don`t know any German weres and I can assure you that I`ve told absolutely no one that I`m currently living in Denmark, let alone under your roof. There is no other way those weres could have know about me being here, than from you.”

I was trying to reason with her when I really wanted to give her a shake. No, I really wanted to fuck her and then give her a shake. Unfortunately fucking was off the table because of her injuries – and I figured shaking would only make things worse.

“Erik, I would really love to set your mind at ease by telling you how I know about you, but I can`t tell you without causing trouble to the person who trusted me with the information years ago. I can assure you that this person does not know anything about your being here.” She looked at me with eyes that almost begged me not to ask her more questions. And I didn`t need to.

How could she have gotten information about me years ago when she had no clue I would show up at her doorstep? I knew how. One of those little light bulbs from the cartoons was glowing over my head.

Bill fucking Compton and his damned database. She was not supposed to have access to that database and she was protecting the vampire who gave her that access. I was impressed with her loyalty. For all she knew, her loyalty could have cost her her life. Not all vampires would turn soft on her, the way I did.

“Sookie, I want to mend your damages. Let me give you some of my blood. It will heal you”. I don`t know where that came from. I hadn`t given blood to any woman since I turned Pam several hundred years ago. At least not any woman I still remembered. But looking at Sookie`s battered body, even with the annoying towel around her, made me want to help her.

SPOV

Blood? He offered me his blood. I knew that was truly an incredible gift and one that vampires seldom gave. There had been some public demands on vampires to help the sick and dying with their blood. A few vampires had volunteered for blood-service, but most were reluctant. I suppose they felt it strange to give blood when they had been taking it for so many years.

I wanted to say yes to Erik`s offer. Not only would I want to end the pain and maybe save my nose from ending up crooked. I also wanted to be close to him, to share an intimate moment. I didn`t want sex, though. I was pretty sure of that. Or was I fooling myself?

My heart was still pounding from suddenly seeing his naked body in my shower. I was conflicted over it. One part of me wanted to throw myself at him, the other part was ready to run away screaming. He was one hot vampire. Which was just nailing the problem. The “hot” part, was just fine – the “vampire”, not so much. Hmm, maybe the “hot” part wasn`t so fine either, come to think of it.

Contrary to Amalie`s beliefs and encouragements (which included pushing, nagging and unsolicited blind dates) I wasn`t sure I was over Sam. How can you ever want a new man when you have had perfection? OK, so Sam might not have been perfect, but he was perfect to me.

“Thank you, Erik. I`m honored that you would give me your blood – and frankly, I`m pretty relieved too. This just hurts like a … well I can`t say how much it hurts.”

I thought for a second and felt I had to know more about what I had already accepted. “Are there any side effects to drinking vampire blood?”

He smiled a crooked smile.

“Hmm, yes. You will have more acute senses for some time. My blood is going to make you even more attractive to vampires.” He took a little break and gave me a wider smile with just a little fang to it. “And your libido will be heightened.”

Great. As if I needed a heightened libido right now. I had more than enough trouble fighting the libido already in my body.

He lifted me up and carried me to my bedroom. I was way too aware of his lack of clothes and me just wearing a towel. I have no problems concerning nudity. Heck, I had slept naked with friends, without “sleeping with them”, if you know what I mean. We do that around here. But those were friends, almost like brothers. Erik felt very far from being a brother to me, even if we did have the same hair color.