"Caring about humans is something I do not do," he said bluntly, giving her a level stare. "Having feelings is something I can not afford in my position. It is why I did much of what I have done, though ignoring them only made things worse, as I began to discover sometime when we were in Dallas. I am beginning to accept them, though it is very difficult for me."

Eric reached forward, putting his hands on her shoulders. "What Bill did to you is inexcusable. You maybe think that he simply couldn't help it, but he should have had more control. I would never have done that to you." And perhaps it did have something to do with his age - trying to remember what he had been like when he was 300 years old was hard to imagine, even with his perfect memory.

"Good," he said, enjoying the sight of a smile as he retracted his arms. Sookie was much more beautiful when she wasn't scowling at him, he admitted to himself.

"For now, I must wait and be cautious. The woman I mentioned, Rose, is being something of a liaison for me. She knows what I am and that I am not a threat to the people of this house." Eric gave her a measured look not to disagree with him on that point. "I believe these hunters think that any vampire will simply slaughter any human in sight, and we both know that is not how I work. She is also working to find me a...food source. The kitchen is not exactly stocked with True Blood, and I haven't fed in weeks. Apparently there are medical facilities in the house, which might solve that problem for me."