CHAPTER SIXTY THREE

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DAKOTA STOOD FROZEN ON HER SPOT BEHIND THEM AS SHE WATCHED THE WOMAN DEVOUR THE VIKING'S FACE. The blonde didn't know whether to laugh, cry or tear the vampire's face off. It hadn't even been a second before Eric grabbed her shoulders and carefully pushed her away from him. He had not reacted to the kiss at all but he could feel her anger from behind him. Nora looked up at him strangely, tilting her head to the side when he shook his head at her. The viking kept her at arms length and looked down at her fondly but there wasn't anything else behind those blue eyes.

"What? I haven't seen you in years and you push me away?" she retorted, face covered in dust and a small cut just above her eyebrow. Her English accent was prominent as the words slipped from her mouth.

"Friend of yours?" uttered Dakota, crossing her arms over her chest and Eric turned his gaze towards her. He looked apologetic but he hadn't done anything wrong and Dakota knew this, she was just bitter at another woman throwing herself onto him, but could she blame her? "What a warm welcome, indeed."

"Oh, oh!" said Nora, eyes wide as she looked between the two of them. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know my brother was seeing someone?"

"Brother?" echoed Bill, brows raised.

"What the fuck." said Dakota as she pulled a face.

"Not by blood. It's a long story." said Eric, heaving a sigh as he turned to face his progeny. "And I promise you, from the bottom of my dead heart that I only have eyes for you."

Dakota narrowed her eyes slightly as she saw Nora hold up her hands in defence. "You better."

The viking shot her a grin and grabbed the back of her head, pulling it back by her hair softly as he pressed his lips against her own in a searing kiss. Bill cleared his throat and quickly turned away from the two of them, scratching the back of his head.

"Now that that is settled." said Nora, smiling warmly at Dakota as she took a step toward them. "It is nice to meet you ..."

"Dakota." she said, offering a smile in return. "You too."

Nora peered up at her vampire brother and said, "I didn't know you had another progeny besides Pam. One you've been fucking. And would you like to explain why she is both vampire and ... is that human? I've never smelled something that good."

"Always so blunt." tutted Eric as he rolled his eyes and squeezed Dakota's shoulder in the process. "This is a conversation for another time, Nora. Tell us what the fuck is going on."

"Of course," Nora gave him a single nod as she began to walk away from the wreckage before the police would show up. Eric and Dakota shared a glance and followed after her with a grumpy Bill in tow. "I'm a chancellor of the Authority and therefor work for them. The guardian wanted Nan followed to make sure she carried out his orders. I saw an opportunity to save Eric, so I took it."

"So," said Bill. "nobody in the Authority knows about your relationship?"

"And they never will." she said without looking at him. "We were only connected through our maker. And Godric is gone."

Dakota lowered her gaze as she thought back to Godric, her heart palpated at the grief washing over her. Eric felt it too and closed his eyes briefly as they reached the other side of the town easily, stepping onto the docks.

"You smell like him, too." said Nora, peering at the blonde.

"He saved my life." was all she managed to say.

Nora smiled at that and heaved a long breath. "Good."

"As a chancellor of the Authority, I mean, you're taking a huge risk." began Bill, walking a few feet behind them. "Why would you -"

"Because I'd do anything for Eric." she cut him off. "And because you did what you did, protecting us from the necromancers. That we would reward you for it with the true death speaks volumes about how out of step the Authority's current agenda is. I'm not alone in this belief."

"Factions within the Authority?"

"Mmm-hmm." she hummed. "I had arranged for our car to be conveniently ambushed when we hit three-ten. Our attackers were going to take out my driver there. Unfortunately the stunt you pulled in the trunk came twelve miles too soon."

"Sorry,"

"Don't be. It was badass."

"What do we do now?" asked Eric as she led them toward a shipping container at the end of the dock.

"We go to ground for the day, make new arrangements for tomorrow night." decided Nora. "Lilith willing, we'll be safe."

Bill pulled on the handles of the container and glanced inside, dust clung heavy within. Dakota stayed on the docks beside Nora as Bill and Eric went inside to check it out, she could feel the vampire's eyes on the side of her face.

"It's rusty, but solid." decided Bill.

"Agreed," nodded Nora, as she pulled out her phone. "Wait for me inside, will you? I have to call New Orleans and lie my ass off."

Dakota watched her walk away and felt Eric behind her a second later, hand on her waist as he pulled her towards him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head when Bill stepped toward them.

"I knew you had friends in high places, but a chancellor of the Authority. Who else knows about this?"

"No one." said Eric. "Not even Pam."

"This is so fucked up." muttered Dakota.

'No, the king and his sheriff are gone, and the woman too. Unfortunately I lost Hayes in the process.' Nora spoke through the device a few feet away from them. "Yes, it's a fair trade-off, I agree. But the cleanup took a little longer than expected, so I have to go to ground for the day ... You're welcome, Guardian."

"You always were an amazing liar." said Eric when she ambled back towards them.

"Even the best of liars can be ended." she said. "I hope you all understand that tomorrow night you'll be saying goodbye to the life you've known forever. If you come back, if you ever return, it'll be the true death of me."

"I understand." nodded Eric.

"Forever?" demanded Dakota. "I don't -"

Eric furrowed his brows at her apologetically, as if there wasn't anything he could do about it. "We'll make it work, won't we?"

"But -" Dakota kept her mouth shut then and shook her head a second later. Of course she understood, but the thought of having to leave everyone behind, forever, made her breath quicken. "Fine."

"As so I." agreed Bill.

"Good." Nora was relieved. "Let's get some rest."

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DAKOTA HAD BARELY SLEPT THROUGH THE DAY IN THE SHIPPING CONTAINER. Did she have to be stuck in there during the day? No, but it was safer to stay with each other than to find herself a comfortable sleeping place on one of the boats. Though Eric was quite comfortable to sleep on, she'd barely closed her eyes. His skin was freezing and his eyes shut, still dead even as night began to approach.

The blonde peered up at him through the dark, chin resting on his chest as she laid on his stomach. His arm was wrapped around her in a tight grip. Dakota could see him clearly without a source of light, one of the many perks of being a vampire and she noticed the blood still on his face from the explosion.

She wouldn't accept that she'd never see her friends and family again, that just couldn't be her future. There would be ways to sort all of this out and she wasn't going to give up on that.

"You're staring."

Eric had opened his eyes, awoken by her contemplation and distress. "I was just contemplating ways to kill you."

"And here I thought you'd wanted me to show you the world. To build a life somewhere, get a nice house?"

"Yeah," she sighed, laying her head back down on his chest as she fisted his torn shirt. "but not like this. Not without Pam and not without being able to see my friends and family whenever I want."

"I know." he muttered, rubbing her back slowly. "I'm sorry."

Dakota hummed in answer, knowing that none of this was anyone's fault. It was just fucked up and she didn't know if she wanted to burst out crying or not, she probably did. Dakota focused on Eric's fingers brushing through her hair and she stared at the container wall as Nora and Bill awoke then as well, night approached. There was conversation, but she didn't listen as she closed her eyes.

Her mind was soaring with questions, thoughts and memories of bloodshed and horror. Dakota bit her tongue and tried to push those thoughts down and only when she felt Eric nudge her did she manage to snap out of it. Dakota peered up at him through her lashes and frowned when he made her sit up, but he went up along with her. The blonde blinked a few times and noticed that Nora and Bill were no longer with them.

"It's night." he brushed a strand of hair from her face and placed it behind her ear. "I made them wait outside."

"For what?" she furrowed her brows.

"So we can talk." he kept his eyes on her even if she looked away.

"I don't want to talk about this, Eric." she said and leaned back against the metal wall and rested her head against it. "It is what it is. I know that and i'll deal with it. I'm just glad you're here with me."

"Me too." he nodded and stroked her cheek with his thumb and she leaned into his touch. "We'll make it work, we always do."

The viking peered down at her lips and she tried to hold her grin as he captured her mouth with his own. Eric took hold of her and lifted her to his lap so she was straddling him. Dakota whispered against his mouth as his hands squeezed her hips, "So this is the real reason you send them away, isn't it?"

"So?" he grinned, taking her lower lip between his teeth.

"You're a pig."

"You love me."

That she did and he deepened the kiss, teeth clashing together and when her fangs appeared she nicked his lip open. Eric didn't even seem to notice as the taste of his sweet blood rolled over her tongue. The viking tightened his grip on her and slowly guided her along his thigh, Dakota let out a strangled moan as all thoughts flew from her head.

"Fuck," she muttered through kisses. "they'll hear us."

"That's the intention."

"Eric," she breathed, cheeks burning and she let out a yelp when her front was suddenly pressed to the cold metal. His body was behind her, caging her in with one hand on her breasts and the other sliding down her thigh torturously slow.

"Hmm," he hummed, nose nudging her neck. His length was pressed up against her from behind and she clenched her teeth. Their scents mixed together and he could basically taste her arousal. Eric left open mouthed kisses down her throat. "You don't know how bad I want to fuck you right now."

Dakota let out a strangled moan as she clenched her thighs together. She would never get enough of this and she never wanted his touches to end. Eric forced his knee between her legs and pushed them open, pressing up against her core. Fuuck.

"Please," she croaked, completely at his mercy.

The viking squeezed her breasts through the fabric of her shirt and she gasped, rocking back against his front. Eric let out a grunt and playfully bit her earlobe and then licked a stripe up the shell of her ear. His hands begin to fumble with the button of her jeans before he pushes them down just enough for him to touch her, underwear along with the fabric. Dakota is too far gone to notice him pushing his own jeans down before she feels him at her entrance.

Tears of pleasure prick at the corners of her eyes as he sinks in, eyes closed tightly. His thrusts aren't careful and slow, instead he's pounding into her from behind. Dakota tried to hold in her moans and he growls, "Don't you dare."

"God," Dakota cried, being held up by his strong grip as her cheeks pressed into the metal wall. "it's too much."

"You can take it."

Dakota was sure everyone in the surrounding area could hear them, especially the two vampires outside, if they hadn't fled the scene yet. Her eyes rolled back as he hit a certain spot within her and she let out a long whimper, nails digging into his forearm as he held her up.

"Eric,"

"Louder," he demanded as her legs trembled from his thrusts.

Dakota complied and let out every single noise that he elicited from her. Her maker wasn't quiet himself, their sounds mixing together in the small space they found themselves in.

It was rough, it was messy and it was everything they needed.

The blonde couldn't get out any words as her orgasm approached and Eric knew it, feeling her clench around him. His thrusts got sloppy and he lost his rhythm and not soon after did she finish, legs going numb as he stilled his movements.

"God, you're -"

There was a loud bang on the metal doors outside which caused Dakota to jump, almost sliding down the wall had Eric not steadied her. Bill's voice echoed from the other side, "Might want to keep the noise down in there, New Orleans is only sixty miles away."

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THE WALK TOWARD THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOCKS ONLY TOOK THEM A FEW MINUTES. Dakota frowned at the back of Eric's head as he stalked before her with his vampire sister beside him. He'd been acting strange, ever since he got a phone call from Alcide and he did not want to tell her what it was about.

"Where are we going again?" asked Bill after a moment.

"We're meeting my associates." stated Nora simply and at the end of the dock stood a woman, several others appearing beside her and the vampire smiled as she embraced her. "Cat." The vampire turned towards them and said, "This is Cat Ingerslev. She'll be heading up your extraction."

"Bill Compton." he introduced.

"Eric Northman," added the viking and when Dakota crossed her arms over her chest did he introduce his progeny. "Dakota Elkins."

"Not anymore, you're not." said Cat as she handed them new passports. "Your papers."

"Marcellus Clarke?" said Bill, looking through the files.

"Ike Applebaum?" Eric raised a brow and Dakota chocked out a laugh at that. "Yours can't be better than mine."

The blonde opened the passport and grinned. "Ivy Marshall."

"New papers are very hard to come by, I assure you. Mr. Applebaum." said Cat defensively. "Time to say your goodbyes."

The viking let out a long breath and nodded his head, smiling sadly at Nora as he brought her into a tight embrace. He hadn't seen her in so long and now he had to say goodbye, probably for good and it wasn't fair. "Take care of yourself."

Blood splattered onto Dakota as Cat exploded in front of her, gunshots echoing over the docks. It happened so quick that all of Nora's associates were gone within a second, blood raining over all of them. Her fangs slipped from their gums and her head snapped toward the building beside them.

'In the name of the one true Vampire Authority, in whose wisdom and justice all is made manifest by god, do not fucking move!'

They were surrounded another second later, vampires with guns pointed at them stood before them with menance. Dakota stood beside her maker, ready to obliterate all of them.

not my best work but still hope you enjoyed <3