Just a wee teaser from my desktop to your…

…whatever you read this on!

Yes, I yet live!  *gonna imagine lots of celebratory noise here*  Summer has been summering right along and taking beaucoups of my time along with it but now that GLORIOUS AUTUMN or FALL or PRE-HALLOWEEN or HALLOWEEN or PUMPKIN or PRETTY-LEAF SEASON (or whatever) is finally (thought to be ever-so-slowly, eventually, hopefully considering we’re still having highs in the 90*s) approaching, in theory I should have more time to write, maybe, hopefully.  (I gotta be all hedgey or the FLM will just laugh at me and flitter off like she loves to do.  She can be a little bitch that way.)

Anyway, here’s a teaser for the next part of One Night.  This is in “block quotes” so everything is italicized EXCEPT Eric’s mental meanderings.  Hope you enjoy!

•~•0•~•

At the sound of the vehicle, a truck by the sound of it, bouncing down the long driveway, Eric tensed and straightened in his seat.  The difference in his posture drew his attention to how very comfortable he had allowed himself to become at the Stackhouse’s kitchen table, but that ease instantly disappeared.

Who or what in the hell would be so rudely coming here so late at night?  Normal visiting hours are over for the mortal set…  Damn, even the tiny spider in the corner has gone to its bed by now!  The only group I can think of…fuck…I wouldn’t put it past the queenling to send one of her offspring…  Playtime at the kitchen table is definitely over, boys and girls…

Slipping into immediate protection mode on someone else’s behalf wasn’t something he was accustomed to, but now that the contract with Sookie gave him that right, he was on it.

Cataliades, now beaming at him in the most insufferable way, subtly shook his head with a glance toward the sound of the ill-kept vehicle.  Out of respect for the old demon, Eric made a show of believing him by attempting to visibly relax, but his mind raced regardless of the other male’s lack of concern.

“It’s Jason,” Sookie calmly declared from the other side of the room.

Ah, so perhaps that annoyingly lackadaisical attitude of his may have been warranted…and what’s up with the load of avuncular approval he’s been shoveling at me anyway?  Next thing you know he’ll be patting my head and telling me I’m a good boy…

Eric shifted his gaze back toward Sookie in an effort to mute that disturbing line of thought.

While conducting his own unnecessarily tiresome business he had been discreetly watching her as she occasionally flitted around tidying the already spotless if shabby kitchen.  While trying to create a reason to bring in a Were redecorating crew that Pam sponsored, the innate grace of Sookie’s body as she went about her chores had caught his attention and hadn’t let go yet.

She would put most vampires to shame.

The lush sway and bounce of her breasts in time with her movements would cause an entirely different reaction to most…they certainly had with him.

Too soon for his liking, the roaring sound of a motor desperately in need of a tune-up ceased as tires came to a gravel-spraying halt near the back door.  He hid a grimace as the truck squeakily rocked back and forth in protest of such rough treatment and thanked Odin that none of his vehicles were parked anywhere near that oaf.

Given what he had surmised about the boy the night before and going by his appearance and manner at the bar, his support and timely actions had come as a nice surprise.  Still, it grated that the male Stackhouse was interrupting what had been an oddly cozy evening.

Cozy.  Now that is a weird word…  Cozy…  Odin help me if I ever utter such nonsense within Pam’s hearing.  She’ll start buying me briefs and telling me to wear socks with sandals…books of “dad jokes” will begin suspiciously appearing on tables meant for coffee…  Cozy…

Heavy footsteps stomped toward the kitchen door and an impatient hand vigorously twisted the locked doorknob several times before apparently realizing that the door wasn’t going to magically open.

Unfortunately the sour stench of stale beer and the greasy odor of second-rate shifter food permeated the wooden barrier far more easily.

“Just a minute, Jason.  Geez, what’s got you in such a hurry?”  To Eric’s visual delight, Sookie “bounced” over to the door.

“Is that Jason?”  Gran’s voice drifted in from the living room and Eric couldn’t decide if the woman sounded hopeful or not.  Sookie replied in the affirmative as she unlocked and opened the door for her newly flannel-bedecked brother to stumble into the kitchen.

Oh goodie – a drunken lumbering lumberjack…just what we need.  Did Sally-Mae say yes?  Did Lula-Belle test positive?  Stay turned for the next episode of These Are The Nights Of Our Lives…  Wonder why he changed shirts…did his watered-down beer jump from the grungy glass in a desperate bid for freedom?  Did Billy-Jean’s boyfriend take offense?  And we’ll be back after these important messages from our sponsors…

Although untimely and vaguely irritating especially to his sinuses, Eric wasn’t too worried about the brother’s visit interfering with the night’s Fangtasia plans.  A subtle check of his watch suggested they still had ample travel and set-up time before the workers arrived for their “staff meeting”.

He wasn’t sure if she would need to get a feel for the place or whatever – telepathy was her forte, not his – but he wanted her to have time to get comfortable before tackling the staff.

Suddenly it occurred to him that she had already had what humans might consider a long night and he quickly ran a sharp gaze over her features.  At this point she didn’t seem unduly fatigued but he would check again later.

No sense wearing her out this early in our agreement…wearing her out… so many possibilities…  Damn, Viking – focus…

“Sam’s on his way over,” the young man gasped loudly if less drunkenly than he smelled.  “He’s had all evenin’ to think about things and now he’s got a head full of steam all built up over you consortin’ with vampires, Sook.  Maxine Fortenberry ain’t helped, neither, not with how she kept needlin’ him with stupid questions that weren’t none of her business.”

•~•0•~•

Here’s the ubiquitous list of chapters/stories I’ve recently posted because we all know just how “dependable” WP can be with their notifications:

Decisions, Chapter 38

EN: ATS, Chapter 19

TEN YEARS LATER (one-shot)

Sookie Takes Charge, Chapter 29

Moon, Chapter 34

The Revealing of Andre – Chapter 50, NOW COMPLETE

PDF page (updated to add stuff, Andre in 2 parts since it’s so long)

So, what’d you think of the teaser??

~Mer

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