Sam pulled the truck up to his trailer and put it in park with the engine still running so they wouldn’t get cold.  Once the sun had gone down the temperature dropped drastically.  Luckily Tara had remembered to grab her coat as she locked up the house.  Since she was spending the evening with Sam they left her car back at Sookie’s place.

Tara just couldn’t shake the odd feeling that she had.  She didn’t even know what it was in reference to.  She’d never been nervous around Sam, she wasn’t even sure that it was Sam that was making her apprehensive, but something was telling her not to get out of Sam’s old pickup truck.

She placed her hands in her lap and rubbed them up and down her thighs.

“You nervous?”  Sam asked.

“Fuck no.  I don’t get nervous.”  Tara smiled trying to shake off that creepy feeling.

“Me too.” Sam sighed and slid down in the seat a little.

“Why do you think that is?”  Tara folded her arms across her chest.

Sam shrugged and looked out the driver’s side window at his bar.  “Don’t know.  Maybe because we never planned it before.”

“Never been in love before.”  Tara whispered.

 “Afraid it will be different?”  He looked over at his girlfriend.

“Afraid it will be the same?”  She returned his glance before the both resumed staring out the window.

“I thought you were in love with Eggs?”  He pointed out.

“I thought so too, but MaryAnn had my head so turned around I can’t be sure of any damn thing.”

“You sure about this?”

Tara stared at Sam and uncrossed her arms.  “This is the only thing I am sure about.  You’re the only one that ever loved me with no strings attached.  Afraid if I get out of the car I’ll fuck it up.”

“Thought that was the point.” Sam chuckled trying to make Tara laugh, but it didn’t work.  She simply stared at him trying to hold it together.

“I hate feeling so fuckin’ vulnerable.”

“Yeah I know.”  Sam sighed again.  “You know, no one ever loved me with no strings attached either… no family….no woman…we may be completely different, but were exactly the same.  And you don’t have to run from me for fear that I’m going to leave first.” 

Sam slid over so that he was closer to Tara who moved in as well. 

“Can you trust me…not to hurt you?” Sam leaned his head in to Tara who moved closer to her lover again.

“I’m tryin’”

Sam nodded. “Baby steps.” 

Sam placed his arm around Tara’s shoulders and closed the distance between them.  Tara reached her hand up and placed it on Sam’s stubbly cheek.  She smiled wondering how often he bothered to shave.  Sam returned her smile and kissed her softly on the lips

Tara moaned softly into the kiss and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend’s shoulders drawing him in.  He deepened the kiss pulling Tara’s leg across his lap then allowing his hands to roam over the curves of her shoulders, waist, and back.

Tara ran her fingers through Sam’s hair as he lifted her up and placed her down straddling his lap.  Their kiss was deep and sensual and had Sam’s juices flowing to his crotch.

Moving his kisses from her mouth he trailed them along her jaw and finally settled on her neck, right below the ear, where he remembered she was insanely sensitive.

Tara gasped and dug her fingers in to her lover’s shoulders.  She couldn’t believe he’d remembered that trick.  That trick that only he knew, the one that never failed to make her head swim with pleasure.

Knowing that he was driving his goddess wild the shifter decided to intensify the sensation.  Slowly he raised her cream sweater to reveal the smooth chocolate skin of her stomach.  Then he trailed his fingers along her skin in slow erotic patterns causing Tara to tremble in his arms.

“Sam.”  She whimpered wanting him desperately and unable to contemplate how she could ever leave this man who knew her so well.

Consuming his mouth Tara kissed him intensely.  Matching her intensity Sam used his thumb to open her mouth so he could explore and taste her.  Tara responded by pressing her core against the growing bulge in his jeans.

Sam pulled back from Tara unable to standing not having her for a second longer.  He looked over towards the trailer and she followed his gaze then slowly nodded.

Opening the door Tara climbed off Sam’s lap and out of the truck.

As soon as the door was open Sam could sense that the fresh air was carrying the scent of a Were.  He turned off the engine and hopped out of the other side of the vehicle scanning the parking lot and surrounding forest.  He didn’t see anyone, but they were certainly out there.

Tara met Sam at the front of the trailer and attempted to run her hands up and down her chest, but he firmly turned her toward the trailer and hurried her up the steps.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’”

“Don’t nothin’ me Sam.  Is something out there?”  Tara looked around trying to see anything out of the ordinary.

Everything was silent, too silent.  No bar patrons came or went.  No birds chirped.  Even the breeze stood still.  All of which raised the hairs on the back of Tara’s neck.

Sam suddenly stiffened and moved Tara behind him pinning her against the door of his trailer.  She tried to escape, but it was useless.  There was that strength again.  He shushed her and sniffed the air.  Tara watched him not smelling a damn thing.

“Jessica.”  Sam spoke.

Tara’s brow furled she didn’t know if that was a question or an answer or a statement, or what.

At vampire speed Jessica appeared five feet in front of them with a grin on her face and a petite blond Werewolf in her clutches.

“Lookee what I found hiding in the bushes.”  She sang.

Sam released Tara, but kept his arm in front of her.  Now that she was free Tara almost tripped over herself to get from behind Sam and see what was happening.  Tara did not appreciated being man-handled.

“Stephanie?” Tara couldn’t believe he eyes.  First she showed up at her apartment and now here.

“What are you doing here?” Tara went to take a step down to the ground were Jessica was holding the blonde, but Sam held her back.

“She’s a Were.”  Jessica announced.  “A little baby Were.  Boss did you know that Were’s have some of the most succulent blood, and I have not had dinner yet.”

“Don’t even think about it you blood sucking bitch.”  Stephanie threatened in an eerily calm voice.

Sam unlocked the door to his trailer and reached in to turn on the living room light.

“Jessica, why don’t you bring our guest inside.”

Sam stepped out of the way and motioned for Tara to enter the residence, followed by Jessica and her Were hostage, and finally Sam stepped inside after them closing the door.

Tara stepped inside the trailer and quickly searched for a chair.  Locating one she moved it to the center of the room and slammed it down in the middle of the floor.  Silently Jessica forced Stephanie down in to the chair.

“Here.”  Sam instructed as he threw the Vampire a rope.

Jessica tied Stephanie to the chair with no hope of her escaping.  The young blonde glared at them.

Tara walked over so that she was staring Stephanie in the face.  “So I take it you’re not some silly little girl that works the makeup counter at Belk.”

“By day.” Stephanie smiled.

“Why are you stalking me?”

“I was worried.  I see you’ve taken up with this shifter.”  She glared at Sam who met her star equally.

“What’s it to you?”  He accused.

“Never you mind.”  She rolled her eyes and looked away from them to stare at the wall.

“Jessica.”  Sam crossed over to stand next to Tara.  “Why don’t you have a look around outside.”

“Sure.”  The Vampire headed for the door.  “By the way, I have learned how to properly dismantle and discard a body so that it will never be located.”  Jessica smile and opened the door to the trailer.

“You do not want me for an enemy Red.”  Stephanie warned her as Jessica closed the door.

“What do you want with me?”  Tara demanded reclaiming the Were’s attention.  Stephanie stared at her, but did not answer.

Sam turned to Tara.  “Is she one of the Weres that help hold you captive in Jackson?”

“I would have killed them.”  Stephanie interjected

“No.  Didn’t meet her until I went to Belk.” Tara ignored her interruption

“You said she was following you?”

“She popped up when I was packing this morning out of nowhere.”

They both looked back at the tiny Were who sat serenely on the chair as if ropes were not holding her to it.

“Is she on V?”  Tara asked Sam wondering if he could smell stuff like that.

“I’m not a blood-traitor.  I wouldn’t touch the stuff.”  Stephanie spat clearly offended.

“If she was on V Jessica would have had a more difficult time holding her.”  Sam answered then sat on the arm of the couch.

“Maybe I wanted to come into the trailer.  Did you think of that shifter?”

“What’s your fuckin’ problem?  You’re the one stalking me and then you want to catch an attitude?”

“I had to be certain that you were cared for since your protector is gone.”

“What do you mean protector?”  Tara was stunned that someone out there had been watching her before.

“The Were from last night.”  Sam answered.  Things were beginning to click together in his head as he sat there studying Stephanie and her answers carefully.

“The Were you killed.  And his name was Clayton.”

“Fucker was trying to attack me.”  Tara yelled.

“Clayton was loyal.  He would never have harmed you.”  Stephanie stared into Sam’s eyes.  “You provoked him.  That’s why he shifted.”

“You weren’t there.”  Sam stood up defending himself.  He’d be damn if he was going to let a stranger accuse him of murdering someone in cold blood in his own house.  “Now I think it’s time that you stared answering some questions.  Do you have any connection to the Weres in Jackson that do V.?”

“I told you I’m not a blood-traitor, never touched the stuff.  Besides there isn’t any pack in Jackson anymore.

“I thought there were tons of them.  Sookie said she saw over a hundred at that were-bar.”  Tara informed her boyfriend.

“There were.”  Stephanie laughed.  “That pathetic bunch didn’t have a pack-master.  They followed a Vampire.  Once the head was cut off they scattered like ants.  Soon things turned to civil war.  Can you believe they’re trying to join our pack? We don’t let blood-traitors in.

“That still doesn’t explain what you want with me.”  Tara leaned over the blonde in an attempt to intimidate her, but it had no effect.

“A maenad, a vampire, and a shifter…you’re a powerful woman Tara.  I had been searching for months when you just fell in my lap.”  Stephanie was practically giddy considering she was the one trapped in the chair and it was two against one…three against one if you counted Jessica.

Sam shook his head getting fed up with getting nowhere with the young girl.  “Tara didn’t fall in your lap.  She moved to…”

“I was speaking to Tara.”  Stephanie cut him off.

“Oh hell no bitch.”  Tara defended her man.

“Tara that mouth.”  Stephanie chastised.

Sam stormed over to Stephanie and crouched down in front of her so he could look her directly in the eye.  “You’re willing to fight for Tara?  So am I.  We want to be together and you following her around isn’t going to change that.”

Stephanie leaned into Sam and far as her restraints would allow.  “You can’t always have what you want.”  She seethed just as there was a yelp outside, then, everything went black.

The door swung open and Tara screamed.  No one was standing there and somehow that was even more creepy that seeing the silhouette of a stranger.  Suddenly Sam’s body slumped to the floor and everything fell quite.

Tara was trembling and had to force herself to pull it together.  How many time had she complained that she didn’t need anyone to protect her and here she was wishing that Sam would get up or that Jason would ride though the door on a white horse.

Somehow she made it to the kitchen and located the flashlight that she’s seen there once before.  Turning it on she scanned the room.  Stephanie had vanished and Sam was sprawled out on the floor.  Tara moved closer and could see a tranquilizer poking out of Sam’s neck.  She bent down and removed it tossing it aside.

“Sam.”  She gently pushed him trying to get him to wake up.  “Sam.”  She called a little louder.  He moaned and Tara thanked God that whatever was in the dart didn’t harm him too badly. 

Just as Sam was beginning to rouse Tara heard a low moan coming from outside the trailer.  Slowly she stood, prepared to use the flashlight as a weapon, and walked over to the door way.  Once she was on the porch she could see that Jessica was on the ground with a silver chain draped over her body in a criss-cross pattern.

“Oh my God.”  Tara exclaimed as she rushed to the vampire’s aid slowly removing the chain that had burned her body in several places.

Jessica hissed clearly in pain. “There were two of them.  Fuckers tag teamed me.  One of them was the Were in the bar earlier.

“There was a Were in the bar earlier?”  Tara asked.  “Why didn’t you tell us that before?”

“Cause I already knew.”  Sam mumbled holding his head and leaning against the door frame.

“You’re keeping secrets?”  Tara asked displeased that Sam had told Jessica and not her.

“I’m not the only one.”  Sam responded sitting down on the porch steps as Tara removed the last chain from Jessica’s skin.  “You alright?”  He asked the vampire.

“No.”  she shouted.  “Ass holes drained some of my blood so I’d be too weak to fend for myself.”

“Did they drink it?”  Tara asked.  That would be odd since Stephanie had gone on and on about them not being ‘blood-traitors’.

“No.  They wasted it on the ground.”  She complained.  “I need to eat.”  Jessica looked up at Tara.

“Don’t fuckin’ look at me.”

“I need you to get me some Tru Blood.”

Tara knew she couldn’t leave either one of them in this state.  They wouldn’t be able to defend themselves.  Instead she remembered that she’d left her cell phone in the pocket of her coat in Sam’s truck.  She retrieved it and called Sookie to bring some blood for Jessica and aspirin for Sam.

Sookie arrived a few minutes later, blood and aspirin in tow.

“What the hell happened?”  Sookie asked her best friend.

“Weres attacked us again.”  Sam winced taking the aspirin and water from Sookie.

“Again?”  Sookie shook her head looking from Tara to Sam and back again.

Sam sighed.  “You didn’t tell her about the attack in Shreveport?”

“How could you fail to mention that Weres were after you?”

“You’ll forgive me if It’s a little difficult to keep up with all the shit we’re not talking about these days.”

Sookie’s mouth hung open for a second before she thought better of picking a fight with Tara who had clearly been through enough.

“Why don’t I take Jessica home?”  Sookie reached down to help the vampire up off the ground.

Sam pushed off the porch steps to stand and reached for Tara.  “I think you should go with her.”

“Sam.”  Tara protested.

“Just for tonight.  They cut the power to the trailer and I can’t fix it until the morning.  I’ll crash in my office.”

Tara bit her lip while she searched her brain for an argument.

“Don’t worry.  They’re gone and I’ll be over in the morning as soon as I fix the power.”

Even though he was groggy Sam placed a kiss on his lover’s lips that left her wanting more.  Reluctantly Tara followed Sookie and Jessica to the car grabbing her coat and bag along the way.