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"She was better than the maenad," I said

"Oh, Callisto" He reddened "She’s a force of nature, you understand, Sookie? A maenad is i of any sort, you have to answer her call I don’t kno sex is with a vampire, I never did that, but you always seeuess Callisto would be sort of the shifter equivalent She’s wild herself, and dangerous"

There were things about his analogy I didn’t like, but it wasn’t the time to discuss details "So, you’ve dated wo, and you think you picked theoing

"There was a part of nizedOh, this sounds like the worst self-serving bullshit There was a part ofbad supe and born to be a lone shifter, and the women I wanted had to be as wild and antisocial as that stupid picture I had of myself"

"And now you feel you are?"

"I feel I’m a man A man who’s a shifter, too," he said "I think I’in a relationshipa partnershipwith someone I respect and admire"

"Rather than?"

"Rather than another sociopathic bitch who just offers excitement and wild sex" He looked atturn there"

"Uh-oh" He thought about that "Someone I respect and ad and wild sex," he amended

"Better"

He looked relieved

"I’uess Eric read you better than I did He knew if he letNot that I think there’s a line!" I added hastily, when Sam looked startled "I just meanhe saw more than I did Or he could see it more clearly"

"I’m kind of ready for Eric to have no part of this conversation," Sae that"

"Do you still love hiht before I answered "I guess the cluviel dorout of life than you wanted before Well, using it changed me, too Or maybe it just woke me up I want to make sure I don’t want any more impulse relationships or relationships that could kill s on a h of that Callcowardly I want soht," he said "We’ve listened to each other Enough serious stuff for today, huh? I’et to bed, because I think that’s where you need to be"

"You’re right," I said, stifling a groan as I got up from the couch "And I’d appreciate your help Would you bring me a pain pill and some water? They’re on the kitchen counter" Sa Mr Cataliades and Diantha to couests are"

Sa flat "I’ot to tell you Barry ca to say that he and the two de Or someone? He said to tell you not to worry, they’d be in touch Oh, and he gave me this If you hadn’t called, I would have sent Jason out here with it"

That made me feel some better

Sam pulled a folded yellow sheet of paper froal paper, and it s With no regard for the lines, one side was covered by large writing in very strange pen Sharpie It said, "Your front door was open, so I stored so place See you later"

"Ohin the vauest bedroo him, so he could spend the day in uest rooet a few possessions of Eric’s from it before Eric left I wondered if he’d had the chance to complete that task the day Warren had shot Tyrese

"Do you think there’s a vampire in there?" Sam was startled, to put it mildly He handed me the water and pill, and I sed and drank

"If it were a vauess we better check," Sa what ether ent to the guest bedroom We opened the door and went into the roos and Bob’s, too, but the bed was disheveled I spied a sock under the night table as I got a flashlight out of the drawer and handed it to Sa the hole

The tension got worse and worse as he figured out how to lift the floor of the closet Then he swung it up and looked inside the hidey-hole

"Well, shit," Sam said "Sookie, come see"

I slowly made my way over to the open closet door I looked down over Sam’s shoulder Copley Carlared up at us

"Close it up, please," I said, and walked out of the roo and recuperating, reading in bed withroom to watch television or to try to learn how to play coerator since I’d so recently stocked up forin my place at the bar

"But no," I said out loud "Unh-uh Not gonna happen"

"Are you feeling sorry for yourself?" Sa him out, let me help you climb into bed"

But I sat down in the chair in the corner ofsorry for myself And I ," he said, with a suspicion of a sood sulk every now and then"

"I’ht this would be a good after-birthday present for me, if they’re responsible," I said "I wonder what they’re doing for their follow-up Maybe they’ll wash my car I wish they’d call I’m kind of worried about Barry" In case it wasn’t obvious, the pain pill was beginning to work

"Have you checked your cell phone or your answeringshot and going to the hospital," I said, estion After ame my purse from the kitchen