Alpha

Chapter 12

Open House

**

I warned Adele I would be keeping Sookie out late, but she promised she wouldn’t have any trouble falling to sleep… Her mood, perhaps her general outlook, had turned around…

As we left, and no sooner than I turned my car off of the driveway, Sookie declared, “I don’t mind playing along with you messing with Pam, but… Erik, this is kinda mean.”

“What is?”

“This… You’ve got some real estate agent meeting you at midnight… with the economy being the way it is, this poor man’s jumping through hoops to sell anything he can.”

“I’m not sure I see how it’s ‘mean’ though… Are you assuming I wouldn’t buy a house from her? It’s a woman we’re meeting.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’d actually go as far as buying a house just for a joke? You’re going to be stuck with it when the joke’s over.”

“I’m not buying the house as a joke. You’re going with me to help the prank. I’m buying the house because the closest one I have to Bon Temps is 40 minutes away. Given the time of year, it’s quite late by the time the sun sets as it is.”

“You’re buying a house in Bon Temps to be closer to me?”

I nodded. “A resting place for when I have plans with you the following night. I’ve been staying in a hotel, but that can’t continue. They offer no security.”

“That’s… crazy… and sweet, but mostly crazy. I understood you coming over late before I found out you can’t go out during the day. You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Having a house in Bon Temps will give me an extra 40 minutes with you before you go to sleep… Since we have a few minutes, I was wondering if you’d mind discussing the topic from earlier…”

She scoffed, “I know you’re trying to change the subject, but leaping to the topic of my screwed up childhood isn’t cool.” As much as she avoided it, I had to wonder if she’d have ever mentioned it.

“I meant the remark you made about your brother being the one to connect Merlotte and Jack.”

She gave me a blank stare for a moment before shaking it off. “Oh… that? Ummm, when Aunt Linda introduced him to Jack, I caught Jason staring… He was trying to figure out why he reminded him of Mr. Merlotte when they didn’t look anything alike.”

“So you began listening to his mind, yes?”

She nodded. “Yeah… Jack’s brain is different from Humans. He kind of thinks in dark red… his thoughts sound growled, like deeper than his speaking voice, and pictures come to him in strings rather than fading in and out.”

“And Merlotte’s were similar.”

“Yeah… but… Jack wasn’t thinking about anything nasty like Mr. Merlotte was… and I’ve run into a few more people with minds like that, but no one I was trying to read so I didn’t think much of it. There’s a guy who has a storage unit who’s like that. Nice as he can be. His wife is the same and gives me the stink eye though.”

“That has me very curious. You might be able to detect different breeds by their thoughts… Did you hear Jason’s thought process?”

“Yeah… he just did a whole lot of ruling out. It wasn’t looks. It wasn’t mannerisms. The best Jason came up with was that Jack seemed like a spring about to bounce… he actually got Pop Goes The Weasel stuck in his head for a little bit.”

I chuckled, “That’s interesting.”

“Not really. I grew up with him. He had Whoomp! There It Is stuck in his head for most of a year.”

I chuckled again. “I meant it’s interesting because he managed to have a sense of Jack’s nature. I’m curious to hear Hadley’s description.”

“You? You want to hear something Hadley has to say?”

I nodded. “For now. I’m holding judgment until we can evaluate what she’s been dealing with thus far.”

“What are you talking about?”

“While you showered, we discussed her personality… At the moment, we believe she could have been gifted with empathy.”

“How the hell do you figure that? She’s the antithesis of compassion.”

“If I thought of her in Human terms, I’d agree with you. I know firsthand how quickly a situation can degenerate when someone else’s mood effects mine before I realize it.”

“How?”

“Vampires can feel the emotions of their Makers, their children, and any Human they choose to bond with. My Maker’s moods tend to stay in the range of seriousness and apathy, but there are occasions when I’m in a foul mood I inherited from him… Now consider your cousin for a moment. I know you aren’t fond of each other, but try to separate yourself from that to simply look at the situation as a neutral party.”

She huffed and shook her head. “I can try.”

“Thank you… Linda explained that Hadley is relatively even tempered at home unless she’s being confronted or pushed in some way.”

“That makes her super power empathy instead of tetchiness?”

“Are you going to ridicule me and dismiss my point of view? If so, tell me now. I’ll save myself the trouble of explaining.”

She shook her head. “Sorry… I guess being objective isn’t really something I can do… I want to hear it though.” At least I could consider myself warned.

“Alright… Yes. Hadley could just be an inconsiderate little cunt with no respect for her mother and no concept of consequences… Or she could be feeling and reflecting the frustration her family feels at the time. Yes, Hadley could be addicted to cum and competing with Wilt Chamberlain’s numbers… Or she could be inadvertently adopting the desire to fuck from her dates and the horny attendees at the parties and clubs she goes to. It could be a combination of all of them, but I’d like to point out that I seriously doubt any little girl would enjoy what happened to her unless there was an extenuating circumstance.”

She heaved out a deep breath and countered, “Some girls just accept it. It’s how they deal with it.” And some girls try to pretend as though it didn’t happen.

“She was drunk enough to be happy to see you Thursday night… until she was close to you.”

“I’m letting you state your case. You seem like you want me to argue.” Letting me? Cute.

“I’m giving you the opportunity to offer an opposing suggestion. Circumstantial evidence isn’t going to help Hadley… or by extension, Linda.”

“Okay… Um… alright…” She bit her lip and studied the ceiling of the car while she thought, and finally offered, “She was super-slut in the club until she was getting bounced. Why do you think she would have been in a good mood about that?” Finally. Some cooperation…

“I’d venture to guess she was excited ‘the owner’ was going to be taking her home in a limo.”

Sookie nodded. “Okay. Fair enough. Go on.”

“You considered her a fifth wheel… your mood worsened as did hers…”

“Wait… do you think she can, like, push her moods too?”

“There isn’t any way to be sure for now. It’s possible you were just reacting to her behavior. The more she frustrated you were, the more you showed it. She lashed out more and more…”

“Until you… Shit! Until you laid me down to chill me out… then she crashed.”

I chuckled, “Why the hell was a telepath harder to convince than her Human grandmother?”

“I don’t know, but if you’re right…”

“If I’m right, then Hadley may very well calm down with some help understanding and controlling her ability.” I couldn’t imagine how miserable it would be to be emotionally bonded with everyone I came into contact with. Sookie should have some sympathy for her since she’d been through the same abuse and she knew, too well, what people’s motivations were.

“I’m… do you think I can help her? I mean, telling Jason what people are really thinking about helps chill him out sometimes.”

“Since the subject has come back to Jason, I have to ask why he would need help.”

“He just gets carried… carried… Shit.”

“What?”

She scoffed, “My brother is a social puppet, Erik.”

“You think it’s possible Jason and Hadley could have the same passive ability, yes?”

“Do I have to plead my case?”

I nodded. “I think so. It’s only fair.”

She smirked and sighed, “What comes around… alright… Just pointing out what you’ve seen… When we went to Merlotte’s, he was having fun shooting pool with you, just hanging out… but every thought I caught from Amy involved ripping Jason’s clothes off.”

“I assumed they have a history together. It was mentioned they dated.”

“Yep… and Jason doesn’t like her because she’s ‘too crazy’… but she’s always been able to, uhh… make him disappear for a weekend.”

“That isn’t unheard of. Faeries have a tendency to inspire a certain amount of fascination, if not mania, even in Humans. It’s unintentional, but it would explain Merlotte’s preoccupation with you even though he’d never shared as much as a conversation with you… and it could explain Hadley’s promiscuous behavior if she is empathic.”

She nodded. “K… fair enough. How about the fact that you’re the first guy I’ve seen Jason hug since our father died?”

“I’ve never been hugged so often… Stackhouses are ‘huggers’.”

She giggled, “Not Jason. Gran and Aunt Linda might as well wear signs that say ‘free hugs’… Jason high fives, slaps shoulders, when he gets wasted he’ll even bump chests… you got a hug…”

“Two.”

“When was the other time?”

“The night we went to Merlotte’s after Adele. He thanked me for preventing your fiery deaths.”

She gasped and stared at the side of my face for moment before she shook her head. “Okay… that kind of helps my case. That was the night you were canonized by the church of Stackhouse. I mean, when he got there, you’d just been a one-man craft store. He hugged you again tonight… after he spent the evening with us… You’re Gran’s hero for translating the Codexes anyway, but you lined up a doctor’s visit that may very well fix something that knocks Aunt Linda off her feet and you had a solid plan for helping Hadley get some perspective. He hugged you, even though it’s not like him, because all of us appreciate you to the nth degree.”

“Or he could have just been relieved to hear something might be done for Linda or Hadley.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not making this easy.”

I chuckled, “Neither did you. Can you think of anything from his childhood that could be relevant?”

“Ummm… Fine. I can’t… nothing concrete anyway. I mean, when our parents died, he spent a couple of months avoiding people. I did too, but that was because I couldn’t stand to hear how pitiable I was… His gay-dar is off the charts. Mine is too, but I can hear and see exactly what’s going through a person’s head…. He got the gist of what Mr. Merlotte was thinking when he saw us together without knowing Mr. Merlotte was fantasizing about killing you and claiming me… that kind of thing.” That was certainly enough to establish a working theory.

“You’ve convinced me to watch him for clues.”

She grinned impishly and teased, “You caved faster than I thought you would.”

“I haven’t caved. Circumstantial evidence is enough to prompt further investigation.”

She giggled, “Whatever… I’ll start taking notes. We’re all meeting at Sandwich Island tomorrow to work on the place. Maybe I’ll see something then…” When I stopped the car at the curb on Magnolia Creek Road, her eyes widened. “Here? This house?”

I nodded. “Do you know the people who used to live here?”

“Um… worse. You need to keep driving unless you want neighbors from hell.”

I chuckled as I left the car and waited until I opened Sookie’s door to ask, “Why do you think loud neighbors would bother me?”

“They aren’t loud… just…” She pointed to a window on the second floor of the house next to the one for sale. A light had just been turned on. “Mrs. Bellefleur will be all-up in your business.”

“Mrs. Bellefleur? Deputy Bellefleur’s mother?”

She corrected, “Grandmother… Andy lives with her and his sister. She’s one of the worst gossips ever and pretentious as all get-out.”

“The only thing she could gossip about would be your visits. Since we’re ‘engaged’, there’s no reason to care… and since my goal is to taunt Pam through headlines, her gossip will be helpful.”

“She’s watching us, Erik… You don’t think that’s creepy?”

“What is she thinking?”

She growled before she answered, “What in the world? It’s too late for man or beast… If those kids make one move on that house… looking for somewhere to fornicate… squatters in my neighborhood…” I chuckled and took her hand to lead Sookie towards the wrap-around porch. “Great. Now she’s waking up Andy.”

“Good… then he’ll feel special when he hears we’re shopping for houses before anyone else in town.”

She giggled and shook her head. “What good does house hunting do?”

I lowered my mouth to her ear to whisper. “Because I was followed… The reporter waited in the cemetery for us to leave … and Pam will be along shortly.”

“How do you know that?”

“Pam hasn’t been more than a mile from me since I left the hotel tonight. She was obvious enough to rest there for the day to make spying easier.”

“You can feel her?”

I nodded. “I’m her Maker.”

Sookie made an unfamiliar face… something of a cross between anger and confusion. “Okay… so if Vampires can feel and sense their Makers and children, then…”

I nodded again and waited, assuming she was making the connection, and expecting her to have an unpleasant reaction to the news. I was sure there were only so many ‘Vampire facts’ she could tolerate before she reached her threshold.

“Then… how the hell did she think you wouldn’t know she stole your books?” Really?

“She knew I’d know. It’s why she replaced them with paperbacks… but at the moment, she thinks I’m too preoccupied to notice how close she is.”

She snickered, “So… she’s following you around to spy on you… because… she wants to see for herself if the reporter is making mountains out of molehills.”

I nodded. “She’s actually quite annoyed with me… I told her being married to you would be a perfect cover… A pretty young wife with close family ties will make me seem that much more harmless when Vampires finally reveal themselves to Humans publicly… then I’ll glamour you to have an affair and divorce you…”

She laughed from her throat and shook her head. “So when am I going to be signing the prenup?”

“What prenup? I don’t need one if you commit adultery.”

“It’s a good thing you have a plan.”

I nodded just as the front door of the Bellefleur house opened…

**

Andy Bellefleur lumbered towards us. Barefoot, sweatpants that were several inches too short, and an inside-out undershirt…

He was sourly grumbling to himself about ‘fuckin’ kids’ until he was close enough to see who was on the porch.

Bellefleur offered an embarrassed grin as he penitently climbed the steps. “Well, at least I’m the only one she woke up… What’re y’all up ta this time a’night?”

I shook his hand when he offered it. “Given how much press we’ve gotten, I opted to do our house hunting late. We’re waiting for Patty Ingram to show the house to us.”

“Us huh?”

I nodded. “I’ll be moving right away, but Sookie won’t move in until after the wedding.”

He gave Sookie a gruff look and barked, “You told me his sister was playing a joke on him!” He wasn’t angry… the dolt’s feelings were hurt by the idea of being lied to.

She cringed and offered, “I thought that was the case…”

I finished, “The article in the paper all but ruined the surprise. I proposed tonight.”

He blurted, “No shit!” and slapped my arm. “Well, lemme see that ring, Sook.”

She rolled her eyes and lifted her hand to give him a better look and let him go on about the size of the diamond for a moment before interrupting, “You’re the first person we’ve run into since.”

“Yeah? How’d he do it?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but Sookie beat me to it. “It was the sweetest thing… he came over for Sunday dinner with a ton of roses and cake samples for dessert… He dropped down on one knee in front of my whole family… so romantic…” She was cooing… She was going to make me pay for including her in my plans without asking. “One minute, we’re just dating… the next he’s on bended knee and surprising me with late-night house hunting.”

He gave an excited chuckle. “Well, hot damn! Y’all couldn’t ask for better neighbors. I mean, you got us on one side and the Mayor Norris on the other… All the families with noisy kids are on the other end of the street…” He turned to watch the real estate agent pull to a stop behind my car and began backing away. “Well, I don’t wanna impose. Y’all have fun. Congratulations!”

**

By the time Patty Ingram was climbing the steps to join us on the porch, Bellefleur was being cross-examined by his grandmother in the foyer of their home.

After the real estate agent introduced herself, she apologized for making us wait even though we had been early.

In spite of Sookie’s joking mood, she suddenly deteriorated to feeling like she had when her uncle became part of the conversation earlier.

Sookie mustered a giggle when I stopped her by one of the many floor-to-ceiling windows to watch Pam drive by…

She managed to put on the appearance of being excited to be engaged, going as far as mentioning cake samples, but all the while there was an undercurrent of sadness and melancholy…

I couldn’t tell if it was the house, or the prank going further than she was comfortable, or something she’d heard from the mind of Mrs. Ingram…

Meanwhile, the house was impressive. Built in the 1850s by one of the more prominent families in the area, it was complete with a carriage house and slave quarters that had been restored and updated… All three structures were so sturdy the floors didn’t creek, the windows were sound, the basement level (which wasn’t completely underground) had been sealed to prevent flooding, the gardens had once been immaculately kept and weren’t in need of heroic efforts, the kitchen had been gutted and restored recently, and the ‘nursery’ adjoining the master bedroom seemed like a perfect resting place with a few minor additions. The previous owners had been using it as a walk-in closet.

If Sookie had heard the agent was hiding something about the house, I wasn’t seeing proof.

The agent left us, giving us an obligatory moment of privacy to discuss the property.

Sookie stood next to the window and snickered as Pam made another trip around the block. “She’s hilarious.”

“Don’t tell her that. She thinks she’s being sneaky enough… I like the house. Can you think of a reason I shouldn’t take it?”

She shook her head and leaned against the window frame. “No. It’s beautiful.”

“Then what’s happened to your mood? You’re unhappy about something.”

She gave me an apologetic look instead of wondering how I knew her mood was off. “Oh, it’s not the house, Erik. Sorry.”

“Then what is it?” No sooner than I asked, I realized the tiny town she lived in, everyone she knew would hear about our ‘engagement’ in a matter of hours… and they’d expect a wedding. Fuck. Missing details like that was humbling.

“Mrs. Ingram was planning to buy this place with her husband… that’s all. It’s kind of their dream house.”

“Is she disappointed that I’m interested before the price comes down? I’m not sure I understand why it’s on the market.”

“Her husband took off. She’s cynical about us one minute, scared for him, then angry at him… ” A drawback of telepathy… the burden of hearing the woes of others.

“It happens… At least he left before giving her the gift of a mortgage she probably couldn’t pay alone.”

Sookie nodded and walked over to hop onto the white marble countertop. “Yeah… at least there’s that… but she thinks something happened to him. He hasn’t been at work or anything. He just took off without as much as a note… The house is gorgeous though. It’s downright criminal for you to have a house with such an amazing kitchen and four bathrooms though.”

I followed her to stand between her knees. “There’s more to kitchens and bathrooms than ovens and toilets though.”

She put her arms on my shoulders and teased, “Next you’re going to tell me there’s more to beds than sleeping.”

I nodded. “You catch on quickly.”

“Yeah… I do… like… you told Gran you’d have me out late, but we’ve barely been gone an hour. So… what’s next?”

“I’m going to take you back to my hotel room.”

She snickered, “You think so, huh?”

I pulled her closer and growled, “I’m sure of it.”

“So is that a collateral benefit of putting a ring on my finger?”

“No… putting the ring on your finger is a perfect excuse to take you past the concierge who is following us in the news and have Pam follow us back.”

“I have to work in the morning. I shouldn’t be out too late.”

I nodded, putting my mouth closer to her neck. “Or you could spend the night with me and leave in the morning.”

She hummed, “Another option… if I warned Gran before I left.”

“But you’d stay with me for the night otherwise?”

“If I’d warned Gran that I might not be home tonight, I might be convinced.”

“Is that the best I’ll get?”

“For now? Yeah… that’s the best you’re going to get… Go tell Mrs. Ingram she at least has a commission to look forward to.”

“Are you sure? There are other houses.”

She nodded. “Yeah. This neighborhood is the best Bon Temps has to offer. It won’t chink your image.”

“The house itself is impressive.”

She began giggling and it took a moment for her to explain, “If you really want to be a jerk… why don’t we take our picture on that porch for one of those cheesy announcements in the newspaper?”

“That will make Pam twitch… I love that evil streak of yours.”

She smiled with every bit of her face. “You say that now, but eventually, I’m gonna get you.” She already had me, at least in part… she just didn’t realize it yet.

“Isn’t that what you were doing when you told Andy Bellefleur my proposal was something out of a paperback romance?”

That wicked twinkle appeared in her eyes as she shook her head. “That was the God’s honest truth…”

“It was a circus of omissions.”

She sang, “You say po-tay-toh, I say po-tah-toh… You told me you went to Oxford, you didn’t say you went while the mortar was still wet.”

I snorted, “Fair point. You’re quite the little spin doctor.” I caught myself thinking she’d make a decent Vampire.

“I’ll take that as a compliment coming from the biggest bullshit artist I’ve ever met.”

“The only thing I’ve lied to you about is something I’ve had to hide for almost a thousand years…”

She interrupted me by putting her finger over my lips. “I know… I told you I can tell when you’re lying… You hid what you did because you thought you had to… You didn’t have any reason to think I’d understand… Same with me… We can be ourselves now that we know better.”

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about me.”

“There’s still a lot I don’t know about me… We’ll get to it. I’m young, you’re immortal. We’ve got time.”

“And how is it you’re so Zen about this?”

“I know there are two sides to every coin, Erik. I like who you are when you’re with me.”