Never Say Never (True Blood Fanfic - Tara/Eric)

Chapter 5 - Cat and Mouse

Chapter 5 - Cat and Mouse

Eric's eyes snapped open. A feeling of panic gripped him so completely that he nearly ripped the lid off his coffin to climb out. He stood shirtless with his hands balled into tight fists in front of him. His nostrils flared. His gums ached. He didn't know what was wrong with him. One minute, his anger was like a wild twister ready to destroy anything in his path. The next, he was overcome with such deep despair and sorrow that he wanted to drop to his knees and weep. His emotions were all over the place. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to calm the storm rioting within him.

After a moment of meditation, his gaze settled on the two ivory colored coffins setting in the middle of the concrete, windowless room. His coffin was wide open just as he had left it while Pam's remained undisturbed. He realized with some regret that it would be another couple of hours before his beloved progeny would rise from her deathly slumber. Last night, after feeding Tara, he'd grown too weak to offer his blood to Pam. So he'd summoned his minion, Ginger, as a substitute. Human blood would help with the healing process, but the injuries Pam sustained from Nan were extensive. She would need extra time to fully recover.

Eric focused on the sounds around him. He heard the cracks and creaks of the old cottage, the repeated taps of a wiry branch being blown against a window, and the drip, drip, drip from a leaky pipe somewhere within the walls. What he did not hear was the sound of footsteps or the beating heart of a human female who should have been in the room right above his head.

His lips curved at the corners when he thought of Tara, the feisty beauty who surprised him with her unwavering bravery and grit. Not only had she taken on five vampires, four of which were heavily armed, to save him from execution, but also helped him put an end to Nan Flanagan's annoying existence. It was an act that nearly cost the courageous girl her life. However, Eric refused to watch Tara's life fade away into nothingness. He had given her his sacred blood then called Ginger to drive them to their hideout in New Orleans. Bon Temps and Shreveport were no longer safe havens.

After pulling on his t-shirt and leather jacket, Eric went to unlock the three deadbolts on the chamber's twelve-inch steel door. He climbed up a ladder, opened a hidden hatch above his head, and stepped out of an armoire much like the one he'd installed at Sookie's house. He sniffed the air, picking up on Tara's faint honeydew and vanilla fragrance. His nose twitched. There was another familiar scent in the air that smelled of a cheap flowery perfume and a supermarket box dye job. Ginger. He growled in frustration.

"Ginger!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

The house was silent.

"Where are you? Answer me," he commanded, walking towards the narrow hallway. The hall led to two bedrooms in the back of the small cottage. He opened the first door which was Ginger's bedroom. He frowned, feeling more nauseated than usual by the painted pink walls and gaudy black and white tiger stripped furniture. Her bed was neatly made up. The rest of the room was as tidy as a button. He quickly left to check the guest bedroom. The bed was rumpled, the closet doors wide opened. He stood in the middle of the room, breathing in the tantalizing scent she left behind while cataloging every detail. The first thing he noticed was that her black duffle bag was missing.

"Horunge!" he cursed. Son of a bitch!

He'd given Ginger specific instructions not to let Tara leave the house under any circumstances. How dare that blonde little cunt disobey his orders. His hand gripped the frame of the door until the wood cracked and splintered in his hand. Rage, unlike anything he'd ever felt before clawed at his insides, twisting his gut. His fangs grew. He let out a primal growl as he scanned the room.

Tara was out there somewhere, without his protection. The Authority would have no problem tracking her down. By now, word would have gotten back to them that Nan had met her final death. If they sent a vamp to investigate the site where Eric was supposed to have been executed, he or she would have easily picked up the scent of a human. The Authority had the money and resources to track any human in the United States if need be.