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| CHAPTER 7 |
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| Rebecca |
Rebecca awoke in the morning to the sound of the beeping delivery truck as it backed it's way to the front porch. Alcide of course was already gone the bed she had made for him neatly folded on the edge of the couch. Coffee awaited her in the kitchen and enjoying a cup with some toast and jam was the only leisure she took that morning. By noon the backsplash was done and the crew descended on the kitchen. The floor needed to be put down and covered so that the Appliances could be brought in from the foyer. Rebecca retired to the library burning up from the heat and covered from head to toe in filth. She found a envelope addressed to her tucked into the ledger Mason used to leave notes of his progress on the house. She sat down on the floor near the window the note in one hand and a cold tea in the other. She ran the bottle across the back of her neck before she opened it and then took a huge gulp reveling in the feel of the cold liquid hitting the back of her parched throat. She just sat for a moment her eyes closed and pretended to listen to her insides sizzle as the tea made it's way down to her stomach. The heat was unbearable today and she found that what she really wanted to do was run down to the trailer, shower and spend the rest of the day lying naked on her bed the air conditioning blasting. Instead she stayed put and pulled open the envelope and pulled out the note inside. Mason's old fashioned perfect cursive handwriting filled the page telling her things she already knew but put in Mason's own words and turn of phrase. When she finished the letter she held it to her heart and sent him a silent kiss and her thanks. He knew exactly what needed to be said at any given moment. She was putting the folded paper back into the envelope a gentle smile on her face when she heard Alcide walk into the room.
" You alright over there?" She looked up and turned the smile to him. He was even worse shape than she was but still managed to look cool and collected which Rebecca thought was quite a talent. He came into the room and grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the cooler and then slide down the wall next to her.
" Drink this, that tea ain't gonna do shit for you in this scorcher"
She took the water from him her fingers touching his as she did which made him jump just slightly and sent a shiver up her spine. " Thanks"
He nodded his head " Man it feels good to sit on my ass. Been quite a morning" They hadn't had a chance to chat with all the work that was being done, they just threw side glances and smiles when ever in each others proximity.
" You must be beat. With the unload and lack of sleep." There were slight purple circles under his eyes. " I take it my couch wasn't that hospitable?
" Naw the couch was just fine Becca. Just had a bit on my mind kept me from getting to much sleep" She had been watching his face when he turned and gave her a thin smile.
They sat in a comfortable silence each lost in their own thoughts. She tried not to go into his head even though she wondered if the things she had told him last night had contributed to his not sleeping. Instead she focusing firmly on her own thoughts which were in a similar vein but after a minute or two her mind took her back to the night before and Alcide's dream. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with the man who had had dreamy sex with her made her giddy and she couldn't help herself she started to giggle.
" What's so funny" He asked the sound of her giggle making him chuckle to.
" Oh nothing" She said taking a drink and then choking on it as a giggle came up as the water tried to go down. She bent forward and sputtered a " Fucking shit" as she tried to catch her breath.
Alcide's hand hit the palm of her back with a series of firm but not forceful pounds. The surprise of his touch sent her reeling into another fit of coughs and she put her head between her bent knees and focused on the floor. He patted her again this time gently and then started to rub slow circles across her back. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. His hand was very warm and calming and at the end of each circle he would bend his fingers into her skin. Even when the coughing subsided and she could breath again he continued and it was only when she raised herself up that he stopped, leaving his hand in the middle of her back as she did.
" Thanks again" she said in voice just slightly above a whisper. She'd been afraid to speak knowing that the word would betray her and say far more than she intended it to.
The look on his face was a mix of contentment and containment. The contentment coming from knowing that the moment and action felt right the containment in not knowing how much to show or how far to take it.
" No problem" he replied a slight smirky smile forming at the corners of his mouth. She was really beginning to love that look.
The letter from Mason fell in the space between them and he picked it up.
" Something in here set you off" he asked tapping it on her arm.
" Nope" she said evasively. He wasn't going to get anything out of her no matter how tempting it was to just spill. Some things it was just better not to tease a man about.
As if knowing there was no point in pushing the matter he changed the subject.
" You got everything together for Sunday?"
The pool was all but finished and the Whitstaff's were doing the best they could to make the deck presentable with potted trees and plants. There was no point in re-sodding the lawn until the construction work was done but that didn't mean they couldn't make the surrounding area as presentable as possible. At least that was Mrs. Whitstaff's take on things when they had arrived that morning. Rebecca having so much to do herself had let them go at it. Whatever they wanted to do she knew it would be lovely.
" I've got a bunch of phone calls to make actually but yeah I think everything will be fabulous come Sunday." she gave his leg a slap " You all will be coming right?"
" No worries there. The boys are looking forward to it." He pushed himself up off the wall and stood shaking off the stiffness.
"They've been talking 'bout it non stop since you told them" He extending a hand to help her up this time.
She took it but didn't let him pull her up instead she gave him a tug bending him down to her " So are you looking forward to it?"
He gave her hand a squeeze and with a dark stare and a grin he yanked her arm pulling her up in one swoop right into his arms. She landed against his chest with a thud and then found herself bent outward across his left arm her face looking at the back of the room. She was still stunned when she felt Alcide's mouth at her ear.
" Yes Becca I will be seeing you Sunday" he said in a smokey voice filled with innuendo.
He lingered there for a moment. His breath coming quickly, the hair of his beard just touching her earlobe. She knew he was gaging her reaction to him. Listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat and counting the stutters her lungs took with each breath. He took a deep breath taking her in and then slowly he moved back and detangled himself from her. He let her hand go last giving it another squeeze before he did so. He hoped to be seeing a whole lot of Rebecca on Sunday and for a long time in the future. He felt her pull every moment and with each time he was with her it grew harder to break her hold.
She steadied herself and followed his retreating back out of the room. He headed back towards the kitchen and she to the front door but she knew he stopped at the door and stood watching her until she was out of his sight.
Rebecca did indeed take that shower and sat on her bed as she made phone calls and finalized details for the party Sunday. She did some work and answered long neglected e-mails and even gave her Mother a quick call to let her know everything was fine. She found her Mother unusually quiet and aloof. It worried her when her Mother grew silent. She rarely had a conversation that did not end in a fight but this time her Mother just listened and when the call was all but through she told her daughter to take heed be mindful and be safe. Her Mother had seen something. Something that could not be undone. Something that pertained to her. Her Mother's fears of danger at Belle Vita ran through her mind and she wondered if old ghosts haunted her Mother's mind that day. The visions were always in shadow never flushed out never definate. Her Mother just knew in her gut that fear and heartache would befall her daughter if she came here. After Christian's death her Mother had not told another tale of Rebecca's future. She had not seen Christian's fate and the guilt she felt for that troubled her to this day. The fact that her gift often failed her when it came to the people closest to her was a constant source of turmoil for her. Her Mother had learned that not everything could be foreseen and avoided. That sometimes knowing did not change the course of events but lead to them being immeasurably worse. She saw the sadness of Rebecca's life as a personal failing. Rebecca wished her Mother would let her follow her own path without the shadow of what could be following her down it. The one thing Rebecca needed to know had not been told and now she preferred to know nothing. Not a thing in this world was guaranteed whether it was envisioned to be or not. She sighed and laid back on the pillows. She ended up thinking away the rest of the afternoon.
It was just before dark when she emerged from the trailer. She walked through the yard saying her goodnights to the crew who looked more than ready to end the day and head back to Shreveport to partake in their end of the week ritual of beers and steak at their favorite bar. As the cars and trucks pulled out around her she waved and yelled see you Sundays' at them and when they had all left she turned to find Alcide leaning against the side of his van.
" Time to hit the bricks Mr. Boss Man?" She stopped a few feet away from him afraid to get any closer.
" Yep" He didn't want to go but also didn't want the whispers he was starting to hear from his men to get any louder. It had gotten around that he had stayed there the previous night and while they had only spent that brief time in the library together that had been enough for him to start getting looks and You Go Boy grins from his crew. It wasn't his practice to go after the client and he'd prefer if there was actually a reason for all the talk.
" Gonna meet up with the boys and then crash until Sunday. " He opened the door to his van and climbed in. She made her way to the door as Alcide stuck his head out.
" I'll be seeing you then Becca" He grinned her grin and reeved the engine. He backed out slowly brown eyes on her green until he had to point the van down the drive. Now it was her turn to watch him go.
" He really is dreamy isn't he?" Mason's gruff voice called out in a girlish mock from behind her. She gave him an elbow in the solar plexus which did nothing to harm him but made her feel better.
He tsk tsked her, " Now love your gonna break that pretty arm of yours doing things like that" He took hold of her elbow and turned her to him.
" Good evening Mason" He put one finger under her chin and pushed her face up to look at him.
" Good Evening Rebecca. I take it I find you well this evening?" His eyebrow raised with the question.
She couldn't help but grin at him " Yes Mason you find me well and in very good spirits this evening"
"Then every thing goes well with Belle Vita? The party? The wolf prince? She nodded yes to each response added an eye roll to the wolf prince part.
" I am glad to see you nod yes to all of my questions. Have I ever told you how much I admire a woman of few words?"
She squinted her eyes and looked up as if pondering his question. With a finger to the side of her lip she replied " I believe that you might have mentioned that a time or two over the years"
" And yet you rarely strive to achieve said admiration?" He said with mock shock upon his face.
" There is quite enough silence on your end in this relationship. I forever feel the need to fill in the gaps." she took his hand. " You came out early tonight? Everything okay?
" My sleep was uneasy this day. I couldn't wait to be a ground and moving about. I know that it wasn't the best idea to come out so soon but I made sure everyone was out of the house before I emerged. He scanned the grounds around him. They were alone but it was Mason's nature to look about for any potential trouble.
" The rest of the boys?"
" They will come the normal way one driving my car for appearances."
Mason and several of his crew had arrived in advance of the start of construction. Their main task was to prepare the hidden space in the basement for the crews daily safe harbor. Every day they left Belle Vita and convened in a nearby wooded area where they entered the tunnel that lead back to the property. Her Grandfather had it built the tunnel during the war to help him and his family escape if they were invaded. It may not been the use her Grandfather had intended for the tunnel but for her it served a very useful purpose. Mason felt it was safer for her if everyone thought the Vamp crew went to ground somewhere else but he still wanted to be sure that they were all near by if there was cause for action.
Mason moved in front of her his eyes still looking into the woods.
" Was there something specific that made you uneasy Mason?" She said to his back and then silently asked him if he felt or saw something she did not?
"No more words Rebecca" he replied to her mind. "We are being watched." He motioned for her to go into the house and when the door was firmly closed he asked her to concentrate and to tell him what she felt and saw. So she sat on the floor and using the back of her eyelids as a screen she began to scan the woods surrounding the house. She saw nothing out of the ordinary until she came to the patch of woods that lead toward the Compton house. There high in one of the trees sat a man. He was crouched on a branch sideways alternating his gaze from her home to William's. He was tall and thin with long straight blond hair. His eyes were icy blue inset deep and ending in long slits. He held himself in great esteem as she could see the confidence and vanity glowing from his aura. He hated being there. He couldn't understand why he had been sent to watch a fangbanger and her merry bunch of blue collar vampires. No one had seen or heard anything the last few days that made him think Rebecca was of any sort of significance. He was wasting his very valuable time. He turned again toward the Compton property. He shifted his weight turning his back to Rebecca and focusing solely on William. William had come out of his home and started walking towards Belle Vita. Sensing another vampire near his property his pace quickened. The Blond Vampire knew he'd been had and bounded from his perch to the next tree. On and on he went with William close behind him on the ground. William hoped to keep up with him on the ground until he came to a point where he'd have to come down. He wanted to know for whom and for what reason he was being watched. He became increasingly more irritated with every step and he wasn't sure he would be able to contain himself once he got his hands on the intruder. But the chance never came for when the watcher got to the edge of the wood and land he took a swan dive off of the last tree and glided out of reach into the water. William stood infuriated in defeat by the side of the water.
Rebecca opened her eyes. She had relayed all she had seen to Mason who stood against the nearest wall looking quite angry himself. It was clear that the residents of Belle Vita and the Compton residence were being watched. Mason wanted to know the particulars of why just as much as Bill did. But he felt that it would be best if Bill did any inquiries on the matter. It was best for them act as though nothing was a miss. So far whatever the Vampire had been looking for he had not found. Mason wanted this to continue. Hopefully he would discontinue his surveillance of the property after almost being caught this evening. Hopefully William would have enough skeletons in his closet to believe it was only him that was being looked at.
They heard the sound of tires on the drive. The men had arrived for their shift.
" Show nothing Rebecca" He looked at her sternly and she agreed. She knew how to act as though nothing were wrong better than anyone. She plastered a smile on her face and opened the door just as the first man reached the porch steps.
" Come on in boys you just gotta see the kitchen." Once everyone had marched past her and walked towards the kitchen the smile faded. " William will be here soon."
" Yes he has been waiting to see you again. Please love do your best not to arouse any suspicion. He already knows more than I would prefer he knew." He left her side to meet with his men. Much relied on her ability to not let her tongue get the better of her, so Rebecca gathered herself and went out to the porch to await Mr. Compton's arrival.
Reminiscent of the night of their first meeting they sat on the porch. For more than an hour Rebecca and William partook in back and forth exchange on a wide range of subjects. She did the best to answer his questions with honestly but not detail and in return he did the best to use more than three words in a sentence. She smiled and laughed and directed the conversation towards safe topics that would put them both at ease. Finally the moment came that Rebecca had been trying to avoid. It seemed that despite her best efforts William could not be de-swayed.
" Rebecca I have a matter of some importance that I feel I must speak to you about. The evening has been lovely and I hate to turn it toward something unpleasant but I think that what I need to tell you will be equally as important to you as it is to me."
" Why William by all means tell me what is on your mind?" She looked at him as a confused but concerned friend.
" Perhaps Mason should be here to hear this as well." William's face had a positively remorse look about it and Rebecca couldn't help but think he was overreacting just a bit. She gave Mason a mental presence request and within seconds he was standing in the doorway. He was rubbing his hands with the cloth that often hung out of his back pocket and looking unconcerned and slightly annoyed. He was an even better actor than she was and she sent him a vision of an Oscar Stage and him in a tux. Ignoring her he continued on with his brilliant ruse.
" Bill finally got a moment alone with the mistress of the house I see"
William nodded " Yes I have been enjoying Rebecca's company this evening but I asked her to call for you so I could talk to you both." William was not a fan of repeating himself. It took to much effort to explain himself and he'd rather have one go of the situation and be done with it. Mason sat next to Rebecca and they both turned their attention to William.
" Well Bill you have both of our attention so by all means go on" Mason's face went somber with his intently listening look. Rebecca did the best she could to replicate it.
" The last few nights I have noticed the presence of three Were's in and around our property. I have also sensed at least two vampires I am not acquainted with.
" I see" said Mason " Rebecca and I are aware of two of the wolves." He turned to look at Rebecca to explain.
" Yes a few nights ago we came across an altercation in the woods between Alcide and another wolf."
" So you know that Alcide is a Were?" She nodded. He had to know that she would be, that if she was not able to distinguish for herself that Mason would tell her.
" He on the other hand does not know that I am aware. He may suspect but it has not been spoken and until he is ready ask or share himself it will not be revealed by anyone here." William turned his head and squinted at her. He felt like he was being given an order and he didn't take kindly to being given orders.
" I would appreciate your discretion on this point William." She needed to know that William would not tell Alcide the whole of the truth. "No one likes their secrets being told by someone else. I am sure you can understand that." Williams face registered understanding and agreement. He would not say anything.
" I did not find Alcide's presence here completely out of the ordinary. He and his pack have hunted the area at the full moon with Sookie's permission in the past." He also thought that Alcide had other more personal reasons for being on the grounds. He now figured he was right and that the reasons were reciprocated by Rebecca. He gave her the slightest look of I hope you know what you are doing. He had had a run in with Alcide recently over Sookie and it was clear that William was not Alcide's biggest fan.
"But the other wolf spent several hours surveying the grounds."
" The second wolf never came out of the tree line, I didn't think much of him being there until I saw Alcide chasing him through the wood. From what we saw of the fight between the two wolves Alcide did not know the other wolf either. He was very agitated at finding the wolf on the property. I do not think he has returned since that evening?"
" No his scent is fading from the wood. It is quite possible that the unknown Were was just passing through" William didn't really think that was the case but other than a feeling he had no reason to to believe it was not just random act. " But the wolf that visited last night was one who has frequented these woods before. Normally she spends time on the outskirts of Sookie's property but yesterday she sat right outside your trailer until almost dawn."
Rebecca knew instantly who the wolf had been and who it had been following.
" Oh hell" she said aloud and sighed. Seems that Alcide's ex wasn't so missing in action after all.
Beside her Mason shook his head. " I am sorry Rebecca. I thought that it was Alcide" he stopped short when she put her hand over his. Mason would tear himself up over the fact he had not known that another wolf was so close to her. It was one thing to play dumb to others it was another to actually not know what was going on around you.
" Debbie is a very volatile woman. She has attacked Sookie in the past and I believe she would still like to do her harm. She seems to be biding her time. I think she came here last night to observe Sookie and then followed Alcide's sent to Belle Vita."
" And now she has more cause to come around." Rebecca welcomed a confrontation with Debbie. Wolf or human it made no difference." Let's assume for now that she will discover he is working here and that was why he was staying in the trailer." She now had another reason to be glad that Alcide had not gone to Sookie's that night. She didn't want to think what would have happened if Debbie had caught wind of Alcide in Sookie's house. She didn't know anything about Rebecca but knew and already had hatred for Sookie.
" But we will have to be more vigilant just in case she does come back here looking for trouble. Of course if I shoot a rabid wolf on my property know one will think the better of it now will they?" She gave both boys a pointed look.
" If she comes here again there will be no time for bullets." Rebecca could see that Mason was rubbing his tongue across his fangs. He was angry. " Thank you Bill for letting us know about his. I am indebted to you for catching what I have missed."
William gestured that there was no thanks needed. " As neighbors and Vampire we should look after one another whenever possible." For William Compton that was as much as he had extended his hand to anyone other than Sookie since assimilating. He felt a kinship to the owner of this land and her Vampire confidant. Trust was another issue but that river ran in both directions.
" The other Vampires, William what is your theory on their being here?"
" Until I came out of my house this evening I was convinced that they were here watching you Rebecca and the work going on here but now I am not so sure. I caught one of them watching me as I was coming over here. I chased him to the edge of the water. He dived into the lake."
" Why would he be here to watch Rebecca?"
" I believed they were sent by the Sheriff, Eric Northman"
Mason gave Rebecca a what haven't you tell me look " Rebecca" he said in his fatherly you have been bad again voice.
There was no way to avoid this conversation. " Did he come to you William?"
" Yes. He asked me to watch you. I didn't refuse but given our history I am sure he did not believe I would do a thorough job. I had no intentions of telling him anything."
" He should have no cause to want to know anything about Rebecca. As far as he knows she is a average woman who has a vampire crew working for her. We had to declare ourselves when we arrived." Mason spoke out loud mostly in an attempt to reassure himself that Rebecca had not done anything foolish when she meet Eric. But from the stiff stance of the woman beside him he had a sinking feeling that that was not the case. Leave it to Rebecca to raise the suspicious of an opportunist. He could only hope that whatever Eric felt he knew he would keep to himself and not tell the Queen. Sophie Ann was not one of Mason's favorite Vampires and killing a Queen might be a bit more than even he could get away with.
" Eric shows great interest in Rebecca. He believes she is more than what she seems. He wants to know what. He wishes to use her abilities to his benefit as he has done with Sookie."
WHAT DID YOU DO? Mason shouted into her brain. She winced and answered back Later Mason later.
" I am afraid I was a bit short during my meeting with Mr. Northman. He was condescending and dismissive to me and rude to Pam and he pissed me off. So I got mouthy. I didn't think telling him off would make him think I was of any interest. I thought maybe he'd want to kill and drain me for being insolent but not send minions to watch me." She really did not like that man... Freaking self absorbed egomaniac...
" Eric does not respond kindly to humans and to find one fearless enough to meet his eye much less hold him in a cross word would be more than enough to garner his attention. I do believe though that after tonight the Vampire may just as likely be here watching me."
" Why would they be watching you Bill?" Mason had a keen interest in taking the conversation away from Rebecca.
" For my research. There have been other attempts to obtain it this could very well be another. I will look into the matter and let you know what I find out"
" Please do that Bill and lets be sure to communicate any other intruders as soon as we can. I am sure there are many who have heard of us being here and would want to harmlessly check us out but we can not be sure of anyones intentions. " In these situations Mason believed everyone was suspect until proven other wise.
" I sincerely hope that our arrival doesn't cause you any problems William. It is the last thing we would want" and Rebecca was sincere. She didn't want to bring any trouble here to Bon Temps. She just knew that sometimes it followed her whether she wanted it or not.
" I am sure everything will be just fine Rebecca. Bon Temps a town in turmoil long before your arrival." William gave her a look meant to reassure her.
They talked about the subject for a little while longer but the conversation ended when Rebecca started to fall asleep on Mason's arm.
" Excuse me for a few minutes Bill I will escort Rebecca down the path and then return and show you the progress on the house." Mason lifted her up and she leaned against him as they walked.
"Don't for a moment think that you are not going to tell me what happened at Fangtasia" he said to her.
" I didn't think there was any choice in that matter" she said aloud and then retreated back into his head to reenact what had taken place last week in Shreveport.
She had gone to Fangtasia to see Pam who once upon a time (before she reconnected with Eric) had been Rebecca's Aunt's lover. When she was a child she had meet Pam on several occasions. She had found her beyond fascinating. A woman who was not afraid to speak her mind despite how it made her look to others. She was curt, rude and at times down right ruthless. She made no qualms about her distaste for children and was often mean as hell to Rebecca. But to Rebecca that made Vampire Pam a challenge and being one herself that made Pam somewhat of a hero to Rebecca. With each opportunity Rebecca pushed at Pam's tolerance threshold. Pam never had a moments peace and found Rebecca always had a endless list of questions that didn't stopped despite stinted answers and threats to mame and dismember. Be while she never broke the fact that Rebecca could come face to face with Pam again meant that she had at least bent the tiniest of bends. When she had discovered Pam was living in Shreveport holding court as the area Sheriff's right hand woman she couldn't wait to see her again. Mason and the crew had to declare themselves to Eric but Rebecca was under no obligation to pay him a visit. But she knew that Pam would recognize Mason and the family name so it might seem more suspicious if she did not come to see her.
She found Pam at the front door standing behind a red velvet rope dressed in red leather and the height defying heels. She was playing stereotypical Vampire for the crowd and even her sharp tongue did not keep the humans from eating it up. Pam had little use for humans other than what they could do or get for her but when her eye caught Rebecca's she thought she saw a glimpse genuine happiness. Pam ushered her inside abandoning the door and found a booth in the back corner where they could make a go at a conversation. While she actually seemed interested in what Rebecca was saying she kept looking around as if looking for someone. Rebecca couldn't read Pam that clearly yet, but she figured that she was worried about Eric showing up. Pam knew what her family was and while she didn't know the extent of Rebecca's abilities she knew that there would be something and Pam did not want Eric to know. Pam did not want to be forced to tell him.
Rebecca stared at Pam until she noticed the silence and turned her attention back to the space between them.
" Pamela I am glad to see you again but if my presence here is causing you discomfort I will gladly leave." Pam sat gawking at her for a moment her face blank as if she could not comprehend what she had heard and her mind needed a minute to process what her ears had received. When she was sure she heard right a toothy smile spread across her heavily glossed lips and she found her voice.
" You have got to be shitting me. How many nights did I have to listen to your bratty twangy child voice barely take a breath much less offer to leave me alone?
" Not nearly as many as I would have liked Pamela? Rebecca smiled back and raised her an eyebrow.
" You are not a child any more are you?" Years blurred together when you lived forever. Pam probably hadn't given much thought to Rebecca and it was doubtful she had ever envisioned what the she would look like as a woman. But she had a clear look now and from the glint in her eye Pam kind of liked what she saw. It would make no difference to Pam that she had bedded the her Aunt and while it amused Rebecca to be seen as a potential piece of ass by someone of the same sex she would have to be careful not to give Pam to much hope that she could actually be conquered. There was only one team she planned on playing on in the near future and as fabulous as her Aunt had told her Pam played it was not going to be hers.
Pam shook her head and sat back in the booth. Her legs were perfectly crossed her hands palms down at her side. " A waste" she said simply and that quickly it was understood.
" Oh now Pam don't be blue you've had your fair share of the fruits of my families loins." Rebecca teased.
" How is the old bitch?" While they still spoke on occasion and her Aunt's primary residence was in New Orleans they had not been in the same room in more than twenty years.
" I think she found her inner zen when she got rid of you. Well at least that is what she had told me" Pam and her Aunt had not ended well.
" Is that so?" Pam eyes became slits. " You Aunt was a complete pain in the ass. But she was also one of the best fucks I have ever known and her blood was undeniably..." Pam stopped and her gaze fell to Rebecca's neck. The memory of the taste made her long for it again and Pam couldn't help but be drawn to the vein pulsing just beneath the surface and to desire to know if Rebecca tasted anything like her kin.
With a fierce snap and a half snarl Pam's attention was drawn away from Rebecca's jugular and towards her maker who had just entered the bar by way of the back room. When Eric Northman walked into a room all eyes turned towards him. He would command it be so if he thought it necessary but his striking ice cold looks and tall statue made it hard for people not to gaze in his direction. He was a beautiful man to be sure but his vanity oozed from every pore and this made his appeal lost on Rebecca.
He made a beeline for the booth and his eyes never turned towards her as he began to speak to Pam " Why are you not at the door?"
A busty brunette woman wiggled her way through the crowd and tried to get Eric's attention. Before she could even speak he turned and flashed his fangs at her. He had not time for human adoration. The girl swallowed hard and then began to open her mouth.
Hard headed twit. Rebecca thought. She rolled her eyes and sent the girl the notion to be silent. The girl looked flummoxed as she tried to speak but the words would not come out. Rebecca then sent her the image of Eric ripping her open for speaking to him out of turn. She surely should have known better but Rebecca did not think this girl had a lot of common sense running through her veins. She was clearly a fangbanger who's highs came from moments like these with men like Eric. But Eric was not looking for a blood bank this evening. Something had irritated him. His body was ridged with anger and frustration and the look in his eye told her that he very well could snap in this room full of people. The girl grabbed her throat and turned away walking quickly back through the throng of people to the table where her friends sat wide eyed.
Pam's attention was not on Eric nor was it on the girls. Instead she was focused on Rebecca. Her own eyes wide as if she had seen a ghost. Rebecca must have shown a tell. She thought she had remained perfectly still but something had let Pam know she had taken control over that situation and had made the girl do as she should have done if she had a brain in her head. She tried to talk to Rebecca without words. Rebecca did not answer. There was no way she was letting Pam into her head. Old family friend or not. Pam's loyalties lay in this room and with the man towering over them. Eric finally noticed that Pam was not looking at him nor had she answered his question. He turned his head to see what his daughter was looking at.
" And you are?" Rebecca returned his gaze. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed. She bit down on her tongue to keep the venom from flying from her mouth.
" Eric this is Rebecca Keane. She is the owner of Belle Vita in Bon Temps. Her crew chief Mason Leary was here earlier in the week."
" I see" His face held it's annoyance but the hard edge softened just enough to let a bit of curiosity and inquisitiveness peak through. " We had no appointment this evening?"
" No Mr. Northman we did not." He had expected a longer more apologetic answer to his question.
Despite the fact she hired and consorted with Vampires Eric did not think her the typical fangbanger. He doubted that Fangtasia would be a place she would normally hang out. "Then what brings you to Fantasia?"
" I came to see Pamela" she said matter of factly.
" And what business do you have with Pam?" Eric looked at Pam and then back at Rebecca. Whatever was troubling him was making him paranoid. His mind was full of conspiracies and potential traitors.
Again Pam tried to intercede. She put her hand up asking her not to say anything else.
" Rebecca is the niece of an old lover" Pam's uneasiness was now causing her own throat to close up. Pam knew things about her that she should not know. Things she had learned from Rebecca's Aunt. Information that had not been obtained on the up and up. She had no proof that any of it was true and had not thought about it until Mason had walked in to Fangtasia. She knew that if Mason was in Louisiana he was there with Rebecca. But still Pam had not told Eric anything about her. She had told Eric everything she could remember about her interaction with Mason but had left out the specifics of how she had come to know him. She had not mentioned her time with Rebecca's Aunt or the Keane Coven.
Eric clearly caught on to her omission. He pointed his head toward the door he had come in from. Pam immediately stood and ushered Rebecca to do the same. She remained seated. " Do not make this worse" Pam whispered. Eric was already across the bar holding the door open.
Rebecca stood and and headed towards the door. Eric waited until they were almost there to go through the door letting it slam in Rebecca's face. She jumped back.
" Son of a Bitch." She yanked the door open and was about to let Eric have it when Pam's hand griped her shoulder.
" His mood will not tolerate your theatrics." The hand remained on Rebecca's shoulder until a chair outside what had to be Eric's office came into view. Pam deposited her in it and told her to stay the put. From where she sat she could see Eric leaning against a desk his arms crossed his nostrils flared.
Rebecca sat in the hall and listened to Eric and Pam argue. Well for the most part Eric argued with himself but occasionally Pam would get a word in and after a few minutes the heated voices became quiet and they began to speak in their native tongue. Rebecca had leaned forward and was trying in vein to catch what they were saying when the door opened. With two fingers Eric motioned for her to join them in the office. She was not keen on the idea of confined spaces with Vampires who's intentions she did not know. She looked around her for any possible weapons or escape routes. There were none. If trouble erupted she would have to find the way out of it within herself. Pam had situated herself on the couch which took up most of one wall of the room. Eric sat behind his desk and Rebecca sat in the empty chair in front of it.
" So Pam has explained her connection to you" He gave Pam a sideways glance and then folded his hands in front of his face and leaned forward. " Your family are witches?"
" Yes" She sat back in her chair and mimicked Eric's stance by putting her elbows on each side of her chair and lacing her fingers together.
" What are you abilities?" No beating around the bush for Eric.
" I have extensive knowledge of spells and rites but I have no extraordinary abilities to speak of" This was not a complete lie at the moment and of course Eric did not believe her.
" Your mother is a seer and your Aunt is a healer?"
" Yes this is true"
" But you expect me to believe you have no Goddess given gifts of your own?"
" You may believe what you will Mr. Northman. I can only answer your questions. I can not make you believe me." She put on a smile and ran her fingers across her lips. From beside her she heard Pam sigh. Pam had been mistakenly thought Rebecca would own what she was. But Rebecca had no intention of telling Eric anything. She took joy in not giving him what he wanted and she knew that if Eric had any inkling of what she were capable of she'd never get a moments peace in her new home. People like Rebecca were considered servants and property. To be utilized as he saw fit. Rebecca would never again be bound to someone against her will.
"What I believe Rebecca is that you are lying to me. It would be best if you told me what I wanted to know." Eric's momentary patience had lapsed. She envisioned the smoke beginning to billow out of his ears once again.
" If I am lying to you Mr. Northman. I am sure that I have many reasons to do so. While currently contained you have already exhibited behavior the suggests that your temper is fierce, your favor nearly impossible to garner and faith in others non existent. I did not come here to anger you. I did not come here seeking your approval. I did not come here to be held in a stuffy room and made to tell you of my families background. In fact I did not come here to see you at all. This of course I explained to you when you first marched up to the table and spoke to your child in a tone of complete disrespect. If I had known that I would have to endure your foul mood this evening I would have arranged to have meet Pamela somewhere else."
He was on her before she finished her last word. He grabbed the chair and shook it.
" Insolent woman" He screamed at her his fangs on full display. He was surrounded by woman who did not do preciously what he wanted. Did not say exactly what he wanted them to say. Did not do without argument what he expected for them to do. Rebecca was just the newest and the one he had no connection to. He wanted to kill her. The anger that welled inside him had nothing to do with her but he needed someone to release it on. She was convenient and killing her now would teach Pam a lesson. Pam was keeping information about this girl from him. Pam was loyal to a fault. Her connection to Rebecca must be substantial if she would risk Eric's wrath for her. The knowledge that anyone had a hold on Pam amazed him. Eric was her maker. She was bound unless released. Rebecca was a human and of no significance. Pam's distain for humanity was one of her best traits. But for some reason this human was different.
At the moment she was watching the proceedings as if she could care less about the outcome but when they were alone speaking in their native tongue Eric had sensed emotion in Pam he had never seen in regards to a human. Admiration. And this was how he knew that Rebecca was lying to him. This was yet another reason to kill her. Eric grabbed Rebecca by the hair and pulled her head back. Pam let out a hiss but did not get up from her seat. Eric excepted Rebecca to be quivering and pleading at this point. Instead as he lowered his fangs to taste her his ears heard something unexpected. Rebecca started to laugh. It was not the laugh of someone frightened for their life it was the laugh of someone crazed and full of madness. He tried to freeze the sound out for he could see the blood pumping through her veins and he felt like it was calling to him. But just as his fangs touched the skin of her neck he felt a hand on his. It started to squeeze harder and harder until it got his attention and forced him to pull back. He had expected to see Pam standing over him. Instead he found it was Rebecca's hand on his and when he looked her in the eye she grabbed his arm and pulled in hard behind him. He lost his balance and fell forward towards the floor. Her grip on his arm was unbreakable. He felt the muscles in his shoulder and the bones in his arm start to break. He refused to scream. Pam had jumped from her seat but still did not move forward. Something in Rebecca's eyes stopped her.
Rebecca came close. " You may be thinking that this is yet another reason to drain me dry Mr. Northman. But you should know that I have actually done you a favor. If I had let you continue and you had drawn my blood you'd have found that there would be no more nights for you to roam. My blood is toxic to your kind and while it would have given me great pleasure to watch you wither away to your true death it would have caused Pamela great pain. I do not wish to cause Pam any pain. She has experienced enough of that as I am sure you can agree." She gave his arm another tug pulling his shoulder out of it's socket.
" I told you I had no abilities but with this little display you now know me to lie when needed but please do not think my previous statement was one of those times. I can kill you will my ability to kick Vampire ass or I can let you bite me. Either way you can best believe you will be dead." She let go of Eric's arm.
But before his speed could gather him to full height Rebecca's hand was at his throat and Eric found himself sailing across the room and smashing against the wall. He slid down it and onto the couch. The sound of one of Pam's heels tapping the floor was the only one in the space surrounding them.
Rebecca reached out to touch her. The tapping stopped. " Pamela I hope we can meet again under better circumstances." numb by what had just transpired Pam just nodded.
As she walked out of the room she looked at Eric. He was fuming and plotting but he did not get back up for another go round. " Mr Northman I'd say it's been a pleasure but that to would be a lie." She grinned at him. " A very fine good evening to you both."
She wrenched open the door and let it slam against the wall. She did not look back the entire trip back to Bon Temps.
They had made their way into the trailer. Mason was sitting on the coffee table his legs boxing her into her place on the couch. She had been looking down at his knees the entire time but now finished with her tale she looked up to face him. Mason's eyes were dark the muscles surround them tense. She squared her shoulders and waited to hear the you are a foolish girl speech.
" You beat up Eric Northman." His face had softened and now held a disbelieving smile.
" I wouldn't say I beat him up. I just did what I had to do to keep him from eating me." She sheepishly smiled back.
" Do you think he believes your version of things or mine?" Mason was positively gleeful. He did always love when the witches in his lives showed up those of his kind he distrained. " He hasn't come after you though so I suppose he either fears you or finds you even more valuable."
" VALUABLE" They both said at the same time. While the situation had it's amusements there were just as many elements that were serious. Eric was a very powerful man who could cause them any number of problems. But even more than that there was the fact that Rebecca's powers were returning.
" You grow stronger here everyday" He put his hand on hers. " I have noticed the difference from the moment you arrived. Either you are no longer keeping them at bay or they have found their way back to you despite your best efforts to keep them deadened within you." Mason was relieved that she was once again becoming the whole of who she was.
Rebecca wasn't quite as happy about that as Mason. She feared what she had been able to do. Even now after so many years she wasn't sure if she would be able to control them but there as no denying they were coming back to her.
" I feel different I don't know why it happened here. Maybe enough time has past or being here where the other part of who I am lived and breathed brought something back to life in me." She stopped and thought about that night in Eric's office. "I had no idea when I went into that room that I would be able to defend myself like that. But when the moment came the strength and power flowed through me. It was just there. I didn't have to call on any of the elements or cast any spells. I just thought I must do anything I had to to keep him from killing me and I found a way to keep him from doing it"
" I am glad that brute strength was at your disposal." Mason squeezed her hand " Rebecca you must tell me what is going on with you. Your mistake last time was doing everything on your own. You were not alone then and you are not alone now. But I can not help you if you do not let me. From here on in no matter the circumstance I expect you to tell me when ever you powers exhibit themselves."
She nodded her head " Yes Mason I will."
"Good" he rose and gave her a kiss on the forehead. " Now rest, tomorrow is another day. I will go and have Vampire only talk with Bill. I am sure he has much more to say" Mason smiled. " You did good tonight love."
" Thank you Mason." Rebecca stood and embraced him. " For everything"
When he finally let her go she went one way and he went another. But even in their separate places the two were together. This time around Rebecca needed to have faith in those who loved her. This time Rebecca must not believe no matter what that she was not alone.
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