Someday You'll Find Me (Eric Northman/ True Blood)

Wicked and Devine

I phoned Stan, and unlike him, he didn't answer. I left him an urgent message and afterward, I went back to the Moon-Goddess Emporium to retrieve my car and drove home. All of the files I need to review are there, hidden away from Pamela's prying eyes.

And I start from the beginning.

The last night I spent with Tara was in September, the year- 2001. I didn't need any file to jog my memory of that; every moment with her was still fresh in my mind.

Every moment with her is unforgettable.

At the time, The Queen had sent another one of her lackeys- Liam McKnight to spy on me. She does this when she's desperate for money, which is all the time. Since I had paid off my debt to her, she was looking for another way to extort money from me. Normally the presence of the Queen's spies would not bother me, but that night she sent a fool and he made the mistake of fucking with Tara. I failed to watch Liam properly and I made the error of thinking he had left for the night. Tara often goes to my office to wait for me once the bar is closed and I am conducting the task of compensating the staff, she had done this many times before, but this time, she caught Liam red-handed, snooping around in my file cabinet. She scolded him, sassed him, and even threaten to report him to me. None of this mattered, the idiot got one glimpse of her beauty, one whiff of Tara's immaculate scent and like a fiend with absolutely no restraint, he attacked her.

With my keen ears, I heard her scream out in sheer horror. I was in my office in less than a second. A trance took over and I became a beserker-fury engulfed me and, I ripped him apart; literally, both of his arms and I tossed the offensive limbs across the room. The hands that dared lay a hand on what was mine; and I then went for his most valued appendage and ripped it out of its socket. Before I could send dick-less to his true death, Pam stopped me.

And I am thankful she did.

I did not want to face The Authority and have a tribunal of vampires who hate me decide my fate. As long as the fucker lived, there would be no retribution, simply because he attacked my human and there were other vampires in the bar who could verify that. I made sure Pam saw to it that Liam was returned to the Queen and I took my Tara home.

Her fragile body shuddered as I carried into my house. She was shell-shocked, her normally warm body was cold due to the blood loss, her pretty bottom lip quivered profusely as she refused to cry. I sat he round little bottom on my lap and I pierced two of my fingertips drawing blood and without asking permission, I gently placed them on her gaping bite wounds, healing them instantly, but I couldn't make the emotional pain go away.

After a moment, she peers at me, her dark eyes seeking a place of comfort in my sea of blue. She bit her lip and her eyes welled, "Oh hell..." she said and the hold over her emotions broke while her hands covered her face as she wept.

"Inte gråta Tara..." I whispered to her in my native tongue.

Her head rested against my chest as her fragile body shook. I held her like that until her sobbing quieted all the while smelling her coconut scented hair. I stifled a groan but still, my fangs fell. Being over 1000 years old, I have superior self-control, so it is evidence of how powerfully I was affected by her. It bewildered me how much she puzzled me. She ran her fingers across my fangs and I was unable to suppress my groan this time. Her touch, so light, yet abundantly stimulating, it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer into me, and I crushed my lips against hers. Her body stiffened and became rigid with surprise, but after a moment she relaxed and her hand slipped up around my neck, her fingers knotted in my hair. She parted her lips allowing me entrance and I left no part uncharted as I slowed down to relish her delectable taste. The way her soft lips caressed my own, the warmth of her body against mine was provoking a strong reaction from me. I was certain she felt my arousal pressed firmly against her. A moan escaped my lips as she ran her tongue over my fangs. My sharp daggers slightly cut her lip and I could taste her sweet blood on my tongue.

OH her blood is sweet fucking nectar.

Usually, I'm methodically calculating, but with her, I was going on blind instinct. I had the overpowering impulse to give her a little of my own blood, I pierced my own tongue and the taste of the combination of her blood and mine brought out something primal in me. I felt the magic of my blood spreading through her, it began to whisper her emotions to me. Feelings of excitement, desire, wonder and inhibited concern. I found it all so exhilarating.

I rushed her to my bed, cradling her into my chest before gently placing her on my bed. I ripped off my clothes. Her eyes became dark with lust as she took in my nude form. Her almond eyes roamed over me, and I could see they were burning hot, like fire. When she began to shimmy off her white dress, I lost all semblance of control and with one tug I ripped it in two. She gasped at the suddenness and I growled at the sight of her perfectly toned body splayed across my bed.

Before she could speak I captured her mouth with my own and she made love to me like no other woman has ever done. With skill and composure my angel rode my cock, but soon her body yielded to the pleasure of my girth and she came for me. And I roared as I came hard, deep inside of her. Over and over we kissed, we caressed, and we fucked, all night long.

At the launch of twilight, I could feel the moon pulling me out of my dead sleep. Before I opened my eyes I knew she was gone. Since the small temporary bond was formed I was able to sense her location.

I called her phone but she never answered. I left voice-mail, after voice-mail, until her mailbox would no longer accept them. Eventually, she disconnected the number. Each day she traveled further and further away from me as our bond became weaker and weaker in time.

Precisely 2 months later I hired Stan.

Now I sit in my study reading his reports, wondering why his last one was a complete fabrication.

To make matters worse, he lied right to my face and said Tara was in Canada. The date he reported her location to be in Toronto, she was actually in Reynard Parrish signing the paperwork on her mortgage. The following day she paid her deposit and moved into her house.

But why did he lie? And where the fuck is he? I've checked every vampire owned casino and brothel within a 500-mile radius and I've turned up with nothing. Stan is a master at stealth, if he doesn't want to be found, he won't be. But he can't hide forever, and I have all the time in the world.

Tara, however, does not have that luxury. She might live longer than the average human thanks to her heritage. Voodoo Priestesses are known to look younger and live longer than the average human. I've also known that youth spells and potions can be used to prolong life and vitality for a human Wiccan. But those things can only work for so long. Without the benefits of consuming vampire blood to lengthen her life even more – and with her utter rejection to even regale the idea of becoming a vampire herself – eventually, time will claim her.