<P> The state of Louisiana was in disarray after the results of Hurricane Katrina, and after queen of Louisiana, Eric's hierarch, was crippled in an explosion and eventually killed by the vampires of Nevada under Felipe de Castro's order . Eric was spared since he was the most practical of the Sheriffs and had one of the largest money makers, Bill Compton, living in his area and owing fealty to him . As the last surviving sheriff of Louisiana, Eric pledges his allegiance to the new regime in order to protect those under him, a tactical move that highlights his capabilities both as a leader and a political survivor . Had Eric resisted, he and all of the vampires serving under him (possibly with the exception of Bill) would have been killed, including Sookie . After accepting the new King, Felipe de Castro, he is then allowed to maintain control of his area and his followers when the other sheriffs of Louisiana and a number of their minions were all killed . Under the new regime, Eric has spent a significant amount of time acclimating himself to his new overlords . Despite his oath, however, Eric remains ever vigilant for opportunities to either further secure his position or free himself entirely from scrutiny of Felipe's Louisiana representative, Victor . </P> <P> The author introduces Sookie to Eric in her first novel, Dead Until Dark . Eric then appears in all the subsequent novels and has either saved or attempted to save Sookie's life in every book . From the second book onward, Eric and Sookie share at least one intimate moment together per book . In the second one there are several: when he asks her to suck out a bullet in his chest that he took for her, and when Sookie invites him to an orgy they have to play the part; in the third, they almost have sex before being interrupted by Bubba and also when he gives her blood after she is staked; the fourth, they experience a sexual relationship when he is cursed with amnesia, which he forgets all about promptly after being un-cursed; the fifth, they kiss; the sixth, during battle Eric sneaks a kiss on Sookie after saving her; the seventh, they exchange blood tying them to each other in a blood bond and Eric kisses her; the eighth, they kiss again after Eric smells fairy blood all over Sookie; and in the ninth, they consummate their relationship after being wed by vampire laws and seem to be moving in the direction of an official relationship . In the later books, she has also saved his life several times before . </P> <P> After appearing to develop an affection for Sookie in the third book in the series, Club Dead, Eric has a brief romance with her in Dead to the World, the fourth book, though, due to a curse, he lost his memories of that time until From Dead to Worse, the eighth book . In the eighth book, after sitting in Sookie's room, he reveals that he remembers the days he spent with her when the curse was put on him . He asks her to discuss it, and she refuses . He seemingly likes Bill Compton but feels arrogantly competitive in an emotional battle for Sookie's affections . </P> <P> In the seventh book, All Together Dead, when Sookie is accosted into forming a blood bond with Andre, another powerful vampire, Eric steps in opportunistically as the lesser of two evils and bonds with her himself . A blood bond is formed when a human and vampire exchange blood by drinking it from them . Vampire blood can heal any human wounds within seconds as can human blood do the same for vampires . </P>

When does eric remember his time with sookie