Eric:

“It stands for operation werewolf. Some kind of secret Nazi commando force from world war II.” Sookie walked around me as I stared at the symbol she had drawn on a piece of paper.

“You found this branded on a dead man’s neck?”

“Bill summoned Jessica there. I think he was trying to show us who kidnapped him.”

“Yeah, Nazi werewolves.” His progeny said excitedly.

“That dead guy was strong and fast enough to take Bill.” Stackhouse continued. “He had to be something supernatural. I was hoping you could tell us more.”

“Did you get your sister involved in this?” I asked and she looked at me confused.

“No, Melanie and I aren’t seeing eye to eye.”

Good. I thought to myself, my eyes catching the light blue bruising on her cheek. Dropping the paper on the table, I shrugged. “Never seen it before. Sorry.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re blowing me off?”

She wasn’t going to leave without a full answer. I looked at Pam, telling her in swedish to take Jessica somewhere else. Sookie crossed her arms expectedly.

“Here’s what I know about werewolves.” I placed my hands in my pockets, pacing back and forth. “There’s a reason their existence has remained a myth to humans for thousands of years. They’re territorial, vicious, pathologically secretive.”

“Boy does that sound familiar.” She said trying to sound witty.

“Here’s what I know about you.” I leaned forward on the table to face her. “You’re so blinded by your obsession with Bill Compton, you’re likely to run through the streets screaming ‘werewolf bait,’ alerting whoever has Bill that we’re onto them and/or getting yourself, your friends,and most likely your sister killed.”

“You think I’m that stupid?” She leaned back offended.

“Yes.” I answered honestly. “And you’re human.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

“Don’t overestimate yourself.” I seethed. “You go off acting all brave and getting yourself in trouble and it’s always someone else that gets hurt because of it. More than likely it’s Melanie. Her life’s too valuable to throw away.”

I looked down realizing what I’d let out and I could feel her staring at me, expecting answers. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at me.

“What is going on between you and my sister?”

“Nothing.” I replied shortly.

“You’re lying.” She stepped forward. “I’ve seen the way you look out for her. The way she looks at you. If you care so much, why weren’t you there when we were in trouble with the maenad. Bill was there.”

She had no idea how badly I had wanted to be there. How my body ached every minute with her anger, pain, and fear. But she didn’t know that I was under direct orders from the queen to not get involved with either of them. Going against her would be treason yet here was Sookie, in my bar.

“We’re done here.” I stood straight. “You can show yourself out.”

“Eric, Bill’s out there somewhere in danger. I can’t just go on with life like that’s not happening.” She pleaded. “You know that, maybe better than anyone. When Godric went miss -”

“Bill Compton is no Godric.” I cut her off sharply.

She shook her head. Her eyes filling with tears. “But he’s everything to me. I risked my life to help you find Godric, and I don’t expect you to do the same for me. But at the very least, I hope you’ll help me if you can.”

I rolled my eyes at her constant display of emotion but Pam and Jessica came out soon. Sookie had to get the young vampire home so she got up and left with Pam walking them out.

I stared down at the symbol again, knowing exactly where it came from. It was a symbol I had been chasing for over a thousand years with Godric by my side.

---

 

Melanie:

It had been a half hour since I had started scrubbing the dirt of the living room walls and it hadn’t made any sort of impact. Vines and leaves still littered the entire house. Being alone had made me start to feel guilty about not helping Sookie but as harsh as I may have been, it had to be said. She was a different person since he came into the picture and she was always gung-ho for whatever trouble he brought with him.

The sound of knocking at the front door broke my concentration. With everything that had been going on, I grabbed the shotgun from next to me before peeking through the curtains to see that it was only Eric.

“Invite me in?” He waved through the glass with a friendly enough smile.

Placing the shotgun down next to the door, I opened it, stepping out of the way. “Come in.”

He walked inside, shoving his hands in his pockets as his eyes made out the damage done by the maenad. Closing the door behind him, I followed him into the living room.

“What’re you doing here?” I finally asked as he took a look around the intricately weaved vines along the door frame.

He turned his attention towards me. “Have you been here alone? All night?”

“Yes? I got done with work at 1. Been here since.”

I heard him growl under his breath. “It’s not safe for you to be alone. Not now.”

I scrunched my eyebrows, offended by the notion that he thought I couldn’t defend myself. “Well I’m a big girl, thanks for your concern. Is that all you came here for?”

“No.” He shook his head, making his way to stand in front of me. “Do you trust me?”

“No.” I answered quicker than I would have liked but the truth was I didn’t. As much of a pull as I felt to him, I knew he had a hidden agenda at all times.

“Smart girl. I can’t say that I blame you but for now you need to.” He looked genuinely hurt but understanding. “You’re sister is on a very dangerous path. I want you to stay out of whatever she’s about to do. Not because I’m telling you to, but because you have any kind of value on your life.”

I looked at him even more confused than before, crossing my arms over my chest as his gaze weighed heavy on me. “What are you talking about? Sookie’s in danger?”

“She came by to see me tonight. She had found a car turned over in a ditch with a dead body in it. The body had been branded with the symbol for Operation Werewolf. I told her I had never seen it because it’s not something I want her chasing blindly but you need to know this. These are the werewolves that killed my parents, Melanie. I have been chasing them for the last thousand years, looking for their leader who gave the command. I don’t know what they want with Bill, but I’m asking that you stay away.”

The look in his eyes was serious enough for me to actually consider what he was saying. “Jesus Christ. Eric, I’m sorry about your family, but why do you care about me staying away? If Sookie’s in any kind of danger I-”

His hands cupped my cheeks and he lowered his face to meet my lips, kissing them abruptly and full of passion. Losing all common sense, my arms slid around him, pulling his body closer to mine as he backed me against the wall.

“I can’t explain what this feeling I have for you is,” He answered breathlessly. “But I care very deeply for you and it makes me feel disturbingly human. I cannot and I will not allow anything bad to happen to you.”

I couldn’t deny my feelings for him, nor could I explain what they were. I had spent quite some time pushing them to the back burner, unable to look past all the bad shit he had done to my friends and even Sookie, but yet I was still drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Was this love? I’d never known the feeling for anyone other than my family, but this sure felt close to what others described.

Yet how could I be sure he was being honest? I could always tell what people were thinking. It had truly been a gift and a curse my whole life, especially with men, but with him I would have to take a leap of faith. I would have to trust that he wasn’t telling me this only to manipulate me.

Nodding my head, I licked the remaining taste of him from my lips as my eyes gazed into his. “On one condition.”

“Which is?” He asked, his hand moving below my ear as his thumb brushed my cheek.

“You tell Sookie what you know.”  I leaned into his touch. “She’s going to do what she wants regardless but I’d rather have her know what she’s up against. And I’d rather not have her do it alone.”

“Okay.” He nodded, lowering his head to kiss me deeply again. “It’s almost dawn, I’ll talk to her tomorrow night.”

“Thank you.” I whispered before he disappeared.

---

Eric:

“Hello, Sookie.”

I stood outside the door of her house. I could’ve gone in but to her knowledge, I hadn’t been invited yet and I would keep it that way. Nervously, she lowered her gun and opened the door.

“They came for you.” I observed by her fearful manner.

“Just one. This morning. He took off before I could get anything out of him.  Is that why you’re here? Or do you know something about Bill?”

“I lied to you.” I admitted. Flashbacks of the wolf I tortured in Germany popping into my mind. “These are not ordinary werewolves. They’re organized, well funded, highly trained and fueled by vampire blood.”

She came outside, nodding her head for us to sit on her steps while she processed the information.

“Why didn’t you tell me last night?” She demanded.

“Bigger questions is why am I risking everything to tell you now? My loyalty is not to Bill or to you for that matter. In fact it would be advantageous for me in many ways if both of you disappeared, but -”

I stopped, not wanting to mention my promise to Melanie. I was not going to let her get involved in this even if it did mean providing her annoying sister with information and a companion.

“But?” She asked.

“But now they’re after you and I owe you.” I lied.

“When you said you were risking everything to tell me, what did you mean?”

“The deal was for me to keep you out of danger, not put you in more of it.” I stood, brushing off the back of my pants.

“Eric, you can’t just say something like that and leave.” She followed me standing close in between me and the front door.

“Oh I’m not leaving. You’re going to invite me in so I can protect you.”

“I’m still Bill’s.” She whispered, her body almost against mine.

I scoffed at her suggestion and took a step back. “So you are.” I said in a monotone voice.

Someone was inside, I could hear their paws pattering against the hardwood but to their knowledge, I didn’t know they were there and we could use it to our advantage.

“Eric?” Melanie’s tone caught me off guard and I backed away from her sister.

Shit. She couldn’t go inside.

“Sookie, why don’t you go say hi your sister.” I nudged the blonde forward.

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Sookie protested before I went inside.

I could hear the confusion in their tone but growling from the kitchen caught my attention before I saw him coming. I dropped my fangs as the wolf began to lung but just in usual Sookie fashion, she ignored all orders and instead decided to shot him. I jumped in the way of the bullet and fell back in pain before he turned back into a man,

He lunged at me again wanting a taste of my blood like the fiend that he was. I managed to grab him by his throat, squeezing as tightly as my body would allow with it still trying to heal.

“Who sent you?!” I screamed.

“I – I can’t talk!” He struggled to breath under my grip and I loosened slightly.

Immediately he dug his finger into my wound, draining me. I screamed out in pain unable to stop him before the sound a something smashing against his skull got him off of me. Looking up, I saw Melanie with a bat in her hand and the man lying next to me.

“You okay?” She knelt down beside of me.

The man began to groan and crawl for the doorway but Sookie shot him in the foot. His scream caused Melanie to gasp but I was ontop of him before he could make another sound.

“Who is your master!?” I yelled again, gripping his hair tightly as I held him down on the ground.

“If I tell you, I’m as dead as you are. You might as well kill me now.”

I moved his hair away to see the symbol on his neck. Anger rising from deep within me caused me to bite into his neck, tearing his jugular vein. He screamed in pain but his voice soon vanished as the life was drained from him. I growled as I let his head drop in a thud on the floor only to look up and see Melanie’s scared face as she watched.

“Oh.” I looked down at the body. “I got your rug all wet.”

Sookie stood wide eyed, gun still firmly in her hand as she stared but Melanie walked over to me, moving my jacket back to see that I had healed properly before she turned to her sister.

“Do you see what I mean?” She pointed down at the dead man. “This is what I meant when I said you don’t think of anyone but Bill. What if I had been home? What if Jason was here?”

“I -” Sookie didn’t know what to say. Instead she lowered her gun, as Melanie pushed her out of the way to grab large tarp from one of their cabinets before she threw it over the body.

“We should dispose of it in the cemetery.” I wrapped the wolf in it before throwing it over my shoulder.

Both women followed me as we found a fresh grave to dig up. Sookie handed me the shovel and I dropped the body to dig. Melanie crossed her arms, leaning back against the headshot as she watched. The tension between the two was obvious. Melanie clearly held a deep grudge against her sister but I had still not dared to ask.

“Fresh graves are ideal for disposing of unwanted bodies.” I broke the silence as I shoveled the dirt back in. “The ground is already disturbed so no one would think to dig again.”

“So much for keeping him alive so we could question him.” Sookie finally spoke.

“Well that’s what I was planning.”

“But then you saw his brand.” She sighed.

“Brought back many memories. Unpleasant ones.” I stopped, looking at Melanie from the corner of my eyes. She knew what I meant.

“If you’d have given me a chance to listen to more of his thoughts – “

“You have NO concept of how dangerous werewolves are.” I raised my voice so she got the severity of it. “They’re virtually silent. They have no fear of death. And when they’ve had a bit of our blood their strength can be a challenge. Even for me.”

“Well like I said, thank you for saving me.” Her voice softening to something almost flirtatious. “How’s your bullet wound?”

“Would’ve healed faster if that motherfucker hadn’t used him as his personal water fountain.” Melanie answered.

“Alright, it is beyond obvious that they’re something going on between you too. Since when are you this defensive over Eric Northman?” Sookie placed her hands on her hips turning to look at Melanie.

Melanie looked at me then at her. “When do you ever catch on to the obvious? You’re head’s so far up Bill’s ass I’m surprised you haven’t just found a way to manipulate him into turning you.”

Well damn.

“Bill is the love of my life Melanie! Do you expect me to sit back while God know’s what is happening to him?”

“No Sookie, I just expected you to care a little more about what’s happening to your best friend and your family. Guess there just ain’t enough room for us in your life no more though.” Melanie grabbed the shovel, walking past us to go back to the house.

Sookie sighed, watching her disappear between the tree’s before looking back at me. “Do you know anyone from Jackson? That’s the only thing I could make out in his thoughts. Maybe that’s the person he was working for?”

Just like her to ignore everything her sister had to say and go right back to talking about Bill.

“Jackson is where he lives.” I motioned my hand for her to start walking back. “He had a mississippi accent.”

“Oh my God. He’s from Jackson? Do you think that’s where Bill is? Eric, we have to go like yesterday.” Her voice getting higher with excitement.

“I can’t.” I shook my head. I wasn’t leaving the state and leaving Melanie here alone. Especially not now that Sookie had lead the wolves right to where she lives. “Not yet. The problems of the world consist of more than finding your missing boyfriend. You shouldn’t go by yourself either. These werewolves are looking for you. You’re no good to Bill or to me if you’re dead.”

Her sister would never forgive me if this bitch died.

“How can you expect me to sit around when we finally have a lead?”

“It’ll be morning by the time you get to Jackson. If you’re planning on rescuing a missing vampire during daylight, I have severely overestimated your intelligence. At least take the day to think it over.”

“Fine. I’ll leave tomorrow.” She walked up a few steps to her porch. “But I have to go. Bill would do it for me. I don’t expect you to understand.”

Looking over her shoulder into the kitchen window I could see Melanie washing the dishes, the focus on her face only masking the anger she felt towards her sister.

“Oh, I understand very well.”