My eyes snapped open to the sun shining through the window and I blinked fiercely against it. Ugh! What time was it? I heard a creak in the floorboard and finally sat up. I glanced around my room in confusion. What did I do last night? I stretched as I tried to remember, but to no avail. Hmm. Guess I went to work.
I had the lunch shift, so I grudgingly stood up and winced at the cold floor beneath my feet. My slippers were close, so I put them on and wiggled my toes to warm them up. The scent of coffee made me jump to attention and I followed the enticing scent to the kitchen where my cousin, Claude was standing in an open bathrobe and not much else.
"Good morning, Cousin." He greeted me, merrily. "Would like me to pour you a cup?"
"Oh, that sounds positively amazing!" I smiled back at him as he handed me a cup and I made a mental note to talk to him about his near nakedness another time. Something about receiving that warm mug from him made me feel forgiving. I held it in my cold fingers and shivered all over. The first sip is always the best and I sighed as it rejuvenated my very soul.
"What are your plans today?" I asked him.
"Oh, not much. I may read a bit and clean before I have to go to the club. Can I come by Merlotte's?" He sipped his own mug.
"Of course. As long as you don't get me in trouble with Sam. He doesn't like it when you follow me around the bar to talk." I glared at him like the mischievous devil he was and downed my coffee. Ah!
"Puh-leeze!" He waved a hand at me that proved he wasn't straight. "That man soo wants a piece of your Sookie pie!"
"Eww, don't be obscene, Claude!" I chuckled into my mug, embarrassed.
"Well, he does! It's not my fault if you're too blind to see that hunk of hot dog in front of you!"
I laughed disgustedly. "I do have a boyfriend, you know." I smiled over my mug.
"Oh, and what a nummy treat he is! Sometimes, I ask myself if it really matters that he's a vampire?" He stared dreamily into the distance at my boyfriend.
He continued before I could interrupt his daydream. "Luckily for you, it does matter." He pointed at me and poured himself some more coffee. He held out the pot to me and I reached my cup out for a refill.
"Mhmm." I replied in a tone showing how much stock I put into that comment.
"Really, though. If you and Eric ever break up for whatever reason, you should really take the old dog for a spin. I bet he is goood in bed!" Claude raised his brows at me.
"Ugh, Claude! Just...eugh!" I blinked away the thought. I'll admit, there was a time when Sam was my go-to whenever I thought up a fantasy. But that was a long time ago and I had a whole new center for my daydreams. Someone who I actually slept with.
"I don't see Sam that way. Besides, I don't see us as a match that would last." I said.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I don't know. Our personalities don't match. He's always trying to tell me what to do. Outside of work stuff. He just always thinks he knows best. In my personal life." I shrugged.
"Uh-huh, and does this have anything to do with vampires?" He squinted at me.
"Possibly. Meaning totally." I waved my hand in front of me in agitation. "He inherently hates them all and because of that, I'm not allowed to have friends. And somehow he thinks he has a say in my love life. Sometimes, I wish he'd just leave Eric and I alone." I put my chin into my hand.
"Ah, so this is something that you've put thought into?" He sat across from me.
"Well, sure. I used to think that I would end up with Sam. I can't read his thoughts all that clearly and he's never thought of me as a freak."
"While you're around." He added.
"True. I don't know what he thinks when I'm not around, but I highly doubt that he silently judges me when I leave the room." I chuckled as I glanced at the clock.
"Speaking of which, I should go get ready so I can spend the day serving people who think the lesser of me." I half shrugged and stood. He chuckled and I patted him on the shoulder as I walked away.
"Wait, don't you want breakfast?" He inquired. For the life of me, none of my favorite breakfast foods sounded the slightest bit appealing.
I scrunched my face. "No, thanks, mom." He flipped me the bird as I left the room.
I found myself in a daze as I showered and did my make-up. After I did my hair and got dressed, I stared at myself in the mirror, feeling, I don't know, detatched? I just felt like something didn't belong here. Of course, being a telepath, I felt like that all too often. So, I shook it off and apllied some red lips to boost my confidence and left my room, satisfied with my final results. By the time I was finished, Claude had disappeared ack up the stairs. I grabbed my purse and my keys and remembered last minute that I had finished my library book and ran to grab it. I could stop at the library and get a new one on my way too work.
'Beleaguered' was on my word of the day calendar, which meant to lay siege to. Hmm. Good one. I grabbed the book and locked the door behind me, yelling a farewell to my cousin.
As I made my way down hummingbird road, I was harmonizing with Shania Twain when I had the scare of my life. A woman stood smack dab in the center of the road. She was shaking and her arm had been torn off all bloody and messy at the elbow. She had a gaping hole in her chest, soaked in blood. I layed into my brakes harder than I ever had with both feet, bringing the malibu to a rough halt. I flung myself from the car to help.
"Oh, my god! Are you okay? I'm gonna help you!" As soon as I reached her, she flickered out. Like a light that died. One second she was there and the next, she was gone. I landed flat on my butt from the shock of it. What the frickin' heck was that?! Did I just see a ghost? My hands shook and I took in some deep, ragged breaths. I began to feel silly sitting in the middle of the street, so I pulled myself up, wiping my hands on my shorts to get gravel out of my palms and made my way back to my car on unsteady legs. The adrenaline still coursing through me.
I tried to piece together what had happened on my drive to the library. Why would I see a ghost? I'd never seen one on my life. Only heard thoughts. I was a telepath, not a psychic. Unless my "gift" as Bill referred to it, was expanding. I had no idea, but I knew one thing; If my talents were expanding, then the vampire populace did not need to know.
I turned in my book and swapped it for another as the librarian stared at me like I had two heads the whole time. What's her deal? Did she see a ghost, too? Fighting the temptation to ask if she had seen a pretty, dead brunette, I smiled and thanked her, all the same. I made it to work and avoided conversation until I made it to Sam's office. I tossed my purse in the designated drawer of his desk and he came in while I was tying my apron strings.
"Hey, Sookie! How's it...What happened to you?" He changed subjects mid sentence.
"What d'ya mean?" I asked him, smiling my nervous smile.
"You're all dirty, Sookie. Come here."
I approached him and he spun me around by the arm and began dusting me off. Right. Maybe that's why the librarian looked at me funny. I could've just read her mind, of course, but you know what they say about eavesdropping? The same concept goes for telepathy.
"Oh, I fell down." I told him, my cheeks burning red when he dusted at me. Damn, Claude just had to have the uncomfortable conversation today of all days.
"Where? The O.K. corral?" He chuckled.
"Actually on hummingbird road. I gotta get on the clock, but I wanna tell you about it. It's been a weird morning." I said, somewhat seriously.
"Are you okay, Sookie? You look like you've seen a ghost." His brows pulled together. I laughed nervously at that and waved as I backed out of the office, leaving a confused Sam in my wake.
I took over Holly's section (she was super frustrated) and got to work, taking a food order to table twelve.
"Hey, watch out for table nine." Holly said right into my ear. I jumped having not seen her coming.
"Why?" I asked as she stared at me quizzically.
"Because, they're rude as all get out and I don't picture them as big tippers." She pursed her lips and raised her brows. "They barked their drink order at me like I was stupid. Yankees!" She said to the ceiling. "Anyway, I'll see you, Sook."
"Bye." I called as she left.
I got their drinks from Sam at the bar and screwed on my most hospitable smile.
"Hi, how're y'all doin?" I greeted them sweetly.
"Better now that you're here." One of them said in a thick yankee accent. "That spikey haired gal shouldn't be serving us while looking like a dyke." He smiled at me real stupidly.
That fired me right up. Holly was my friend and a hard working mother and a damn good person.
"Well, she has to do what she can to keep ignorant yankee paws off of her." I smiled at him quickly once I had delivered the blow.
He stared at me for a moment trying to decide what he wanted to do while his friends looked around at each other, mouths wide. Then, he broke out into a smile. "It's a good thing you're cute. So, I will take the burger Lafayette and some pickle chips with my fries."
I was relieved that he didn't cause a big fuss, I wasn't in the mood to be in trouble. I took his friends' orders as well, and turned them in to Terry at the cooks window.
"How're you today, Terry?" I asked sweetly. Terry, a cousin to our own Andy Bellefluer, had gone into the armed forces to pay his way through college. Why his grandmother didn't pay his way is still beyond any of us. He left home a bright eyed youth and came back a very damaged individual. He had therapy and drug addiction and horrible flashbacks, but he was still a good man, through it all. He still had his bad days, of course and couldn't stand to work at a regular nine to five job, so he had several part time jobs and fixed things for people here and there. I've always been real fond of him and will go out of my way to help him if he needs anything.
"I'm doing just fine today, Miss Sookie. How are you?" He smiled at me as he flipped a burger.
"Glad to hear that. I'm doing good, thanks for asking!" I smiled brightly.
A flicker from behind him caught my eye and I followed it back to the source. I jumped and my hands gripped the bar in front of me in fear. There she was again! The young woman was standing behind Terry, bawling her eyes out. She was crying red tears, so that means she's a vampire. A vampire ghost? Her arm continued to bleed sluggishly and she flickered out, re-appearing less than an inch before my face. I would've screamed had I not been frozen in place. She flickered diagonally backwards from side to side almost too fast to follow before stopping several feet away from me.
"Why?" She asked in an ethereal voice, shaking to her core. "Please! You could've saved me!" She let out an ear piercing scream as something shot through her chest. It was a grappling hook that opened and yanked her backwards into oblivion!
I was still frozen as Terry stared at me, terrified and clearly unsure how to handle this.
"Are you okay?" He finally asked.
I shook myself to get my bearings and unsuccessfully tried to smile at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing, I just thought I saw something." I waved my hand in dismissal, breathing heavily.
"It sure doesn't look like nothing. You're two shades whiter!"
"I'm okay, I promise." I reassured his as I took the plates and returned to table nine, struggling to keep them steady.
I served the rowdy bunch and went to get drinks orders from table 15.
"Hi, how're y'all doing today?" I smiled too brightly.
"Good, Ma'am, thanks! Can I get a sweet tea with lemon and two two buds?"
"Absolutely! Anything else?"
"Yeah, some onion rings."
"Sure thing, I'll be right back with that."
I went to the bar and grabbed their beers, the coldness calming me.
The rest of the day wore on as usual, the exception being that Danielle called in with a sick kiddo and I volunteered to pull a double. Why not? Who couldn't use a little extra money? Plus the nighttime tips were significantly better. Not to mention, the yankees were still around and getting rowdier by the minute.
Bill came in shortly after sunset and I served him his usual True Blood.
"You look mighty pretty tonight, Sookie." He smiled at me.
"Well, thank you kindly, Mr. Compton. How are you tonight?" I asked politely.
"I am well." He smiled. "Though, I do miss you." He made a super sad face before smiling winningly. Sometimes, when he smiled at me like that, I remember the ways I used to feel about him. But then, two seconds later, it feels like being stabbed in the heart all over again.
"Well, I guess you should've thought about that before betraying me over and over and over again." My smile was gone. My heart remembered the ache.
" I have told you many times that I am sorry. What more must I do?" He asked oozing with charm.
"You must let me go." I said before tending to my other tables.
I went to the bar and Claude walked in.
"Hello, Cousin."
"Hey." I gretted him feeling less than cheery. Seeing Claude, Bill got stiff in the spine. He dropped a massive tip on the table, as usual and left, eying me the whole way out.
Sam came up to us.
"Was Bill bothering you?" He asked angrily.
"No more than usual." I said and he huffed as he walked away.
"What's up?" I asked as Claude gaped wide mouthed at me, evaluating the atmosphere.
"Wow, what did I walk into? Oh! If only Eric were here! There's about to be a war over you, Sweetie."
"Claude, shut your mouth!" His nose was far enough in my business, I could practically feel his nose in my ass.
"Be like that, then. I gotta get to the club. It's much better than this dive."
"Fine, bye!" I was absolutely over him right then.
About an hour before midnight, I turned to see Pam sitting at the bar in front of me.
"Hi!" I said, surprised but still happy to see her. "What're you doing here?"
"I came by with Eric on official vampire business. He's in with your boss."
"He is?" I asked excitedly and she shook her head. "Can I get you a True Blood?" I offered.
"Yes, please. O positive." She said in a seductive purr.
"You got it." I smiled and popped one in the microwave for her.
"So what's your problem?" She asked as I placed a napkin in front of her with her drink.
"What d'ya mean?" My brow scrunched up in confusion.
"Eric isn't pleased. He says he's been feeling weird pangs of some sort from you and he's worried. You know how he hates doing that."
"Oh. Well, actually, I don't know. It's weird-" I started, but stopped when I heard him come up to the bar.
"What's weird?" Eric asked over Pam's shoulder.
"Those emotions you've been sensing from our little telepath." Pam filled him in.
"Yes, we're going to talk about that, Sookie." He said
"Waitress!" I heard from somewhere in my section.
"But you are working. How about later tonight? I could stay over." He practically whipsered as he stepped closer.
"That sounds really good!" I told him earnestly. I missed him, and I also didn't exactly want to go home alone after the creepy day I'd had. I let his intense blue gaze wash over me and it instantly comforted me. Sometimes it creeped me out how connected we were.
I touched his shoulder as I walked back over to table nine.
"Was there something else I can get for y'all?" I smiled at the drunken booth that had acquired a couple more guests.
"How about somes more beer and a bottles ofs whooshky?" He smiled up at me sloppily. I turned to look at Sam and he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid the bar has cut you off." A loud chorus of booing came from everyone seated there.
"Hey! Leaver'lone!" The first one yelled at them.
"Hey, 'mere!" He said to me and waved me over.
"Then how about you sit your pretty southern self in my lap?" He actually drooled a little.
"As tempting as that sounds, I actually do have to get back to work. Can I get you your check?" I smiled, disgusted.
He made an angry face and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me into his lap. Before I could object, Eric pulled me away, now loosened from the mans grip. Eric had me in one hand and the guys arm in the other. A look of shock was on the mans now alert face.
"You're a vampire!" He stared from Eric to his arm and back again. Eric who of course, had done all of this with lightening speed.
"Yes, I am. I am a vampire who doesn't like it when drunken, stinking slobs put their hands on my girlfriend." Eric stared at him darkly.
"Girlfriend? Oh, man, I-I didn't know. I'm sorry." He stuttered and winced as Eric visibly gripped him tighter.
"Oh, I should hope so, but it isn't me that you should be apologizing to." He said in a perfectly curteous tone.
"I'm sorry." He said to me this time. I was about to accept when Eric twisted his arm a bit.
"I'm sorry..." Eric put his ear out.
"Ma'am! I'm so sorry, Ma'am." He said in a strained voice, moving toward Eric in the direction he was twisting and laying his head on the table.
"That is better." Eric said, releasing his arm. He smoothed his hair. "Now pay your check and leave." He began to walk away but turned back around.
"Oh, and tip your waitress." He kissed my head and let his arm wind around my waist as he walked back out, Pam on his flank. "We'll talk." He said into my hair before departing.
After that, I rang up my table of hooligans and got about a hundred dollar tip between the lot of em. Nice!
The last half hour of my shift went by without further incident. Nobody smacked my ass while I cleaned tables and nobody dead haunted me as I refilled the salt shakers.
Sam caught up to me as I was rolling silverware.
"Hey, Sook. What were you gonna tell me? You sounded kinda scared."
"Yeah." I smiled at him. "I was pretty freaked out. I think my "gift" is expanding." I made air quotes around the word. Sam would never breathe a word of anything I said to vampires, or anyone else for that matter, so I wasn't the least bit worried about telling him this stuff.
"Expanding how?" He asked.
"Like, maybe I'm psychic." I shrugged as though it didn't matter.
"Like seeing the future?"
"More like seeing the dead. I've had a couple 'o pretty scary run ins with a female vampire ghost the past couple of hours."
He stared at me skeptically. "Vampire ghost. How do you know?"
"Well, she was crying blood, and then she disappeared."
"You mean ran away too fast for you to see." It wasn't a question.
"No, Sam. She literally flickered out right in front of me. She also appeared out of thin air, crying about how I could've saved her."
"That's some seriously scary stuff, Ćhere."
"Tell me about it. She was this close to my face!" I held up my fingers. "Oh! And she's missing an arm!"
"Missing as in gone?"
I shook my head fervently. "A bleeding stump and the whole nine yards and I suppose I could've just had the chills, but it was cold, too."
"I would jump out of my skin! Do you know who she was?" He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.
"I've never seen her in my life." I answered honestly.
"Well, maybe she'll go away?" He kinda shrugged.
"Gee golly, wouldn't that be nice! No, unfortunately history has proven time and time again that my bad luck knows no bounds. I think I have to figure out who she is. Maybe she just needs help crossing over." I pondered as I finished the silverware.
"Maybe, but whatever the case may be, there isn't a whole lot you can do about it tonight. Get on home and get some rest."
"Thanks." I said, untying my apron strings. I deposited it into the dirty bin and retrieved my purse from Sams desk.
"Aren't you coming?" I asked him when I was ready to leave.
"Nah, I have a couple of more things to take care of. D'you want me to walk you to your car?"
"Sam? Please. I am a big girl."
"Good night, Sookie." He smiled up at me from his desk.
"Night, Sam."
I was headed to my car when Eric stumbled out of the woods looking almost like my drunk clientele.
"Eric?" I called, moving closer. The temperature seemed to drop swiftly the further I got from the bar. Goose pimples popped up on my arms and I rubbed at them quickly, creeped out. He reached his hand out to me and when he reached the street lamp, the light shone on the bright patch of red in the middle of his chest. His hand, outstretched, shook before he hit the ground, bleeding onto the gravel.
"Oh, my God! Eric! Honey, what happened?" I screeched, throwing myself onto the ground next to him.
He looked at me and said my name in the same ethereal voice as the ghost girl. "Sookie." He said again, reaching out to me with one hand and covering his wound with the other. Then he flickered out.
I cannot exaggerate the panic I felt at that point. Eric couldn't be dead! He just couldn't, I just spoke to him!
As I was about to fish my phone from my purse, my heart thumping in my throat, he stepped out of the woods again. Only this time, he wasn't bleeding.
"Sookie?" He called, concerned and flitted to my side. "I heard you call my name." He took me by the arms, standing me up. I threw my arms around his neck and clung to him for dear life.
" I saw you and you were bleeding and you were dead and there was flickering and I didn't know what to do!" I cried on his shoulder.
"What?" He asked putting his arms around me.
"Take me home?" I burried my face in his neck.
"Come." He scooped me up and hugged me soothingly as he walked me to my car. I usually try to control my emotions, but I guess I was strerched a bit thin, cuz I couldn't hold back a couple tears.
Between everything that I had been dealing with. I had the weird ghost stuff happening, as you know, but I also had a Were issue on my hands. They were debating about politics and a rogue Were whom they were considering giving the death penalty to and as a "friend" of the pack, it was somehow my problem. Alcide, my friend and the Packmaster, had wanted my opinion up front. I, of course, told him what I always told them in situations like that one. "I don't believe in killing as a solution and I didn't want to be involved." To which, of course, he said, "Too bad. You're a friend to the pack, blah blah blah." Damn, he was a pain in the ass. Plus, he brought up a familiar name and I just couldn't sit this one out.
Apparently, Jimmy Vandergraf is a friend of a pack member and then he made the mistake of taking him to a party that had most of the pack there. You never take Jimmy places. He's got a mouth and is downright oblivious when it comes to using manners. Always has been. So Mark Gentry takes Jimmy to this party and Jimmy started spouting off at the mouth and "insulted Alcide" in some grievous way. Jimmy's friend, Mark, who is in the pack, got caught harboring Jimmy. Can you see why I've had it up to here with them? It's like you're always walking on eggshells around them. Granted, it's kinda like that with the vampires as well, but if they wanna taste you, they're super hospitable. No, really!
All of that aside, Jimmy has always been a bit of an ass. Our grandmothers were friends, so I've known him forever. We've never been close, but he and Jason were two peas in a pod, once upon a time and we went to the same church. That sort of thing. And his involvement with Jason should be an indication to how he behaves. Really, though, he's harmless and I have been pretty stressed out about trying to save him. I didn't honestly know if I could, and then I was terrified that he would be the next ghost screaming at me about how I didn't save him. And I don't give a damn about Werewolf etiquette, you just can't kill someone because they were drunk and rowdy.
When Eric and I reached my house, I unlocked the back door and went to the kitchen.
"Would you like a True Blood?" I asked him.
"No, thank you." He stood in the doorway that's frame was almost too small for him.
I shrugged before getting myself a glass of water.
"Sookie, explain." He said and it sounded nicer than you would think.
I swallowed my mouth full of water and took a deep breath for the long story when there came a knock on the front door. Both our heads turned in its direction and Eric looked back at me inquiring with his eyes. I had no clue who it could be at this time of night and wasn't expecting anyone, so I shrugged in response.
We both moved towards the door and I grabbed my Benelli from behind the water heater.
"Who's there?" I called.
"Alcide." Came from the other side of the door; muffled, but unmistakable.
Oh. I lowered the shotgun. Great, this is just what I need. I opened the door, nonetheless.
"Hey, Sook." He smiled at me. It was always good to see him smile and I didn't see it often enough since he became packmaster, so I smiled back at the sight of the old, fun Alcide.
"Hey, come in." I moved out of his way and he wiped his boots before entering.
He caught sight of Eric and they stared at each other. To say they didn't get along, would be an understatement. Vamps and Twoeys hate each other. Naturally, their kinds literally repel each other. Right down to their very scents.
"Eric."
"Alcide." They both greeted with just a smidge of amicability, which is all I can really ask, to be honest. Alcide didn't seem to be offended by my shotgun, he knows my life. I offered him a coke and stashed the gun back behind the water heater.
"What can I do for you, Alcide?" I asked while I poured his coke over some ice.
"I'm here to discuss the trial of Mark Gentry." He said before taking a swig of crisp, cold cola. "As you know," He started, but I cut him off, a tad testily.
"Yes, I do know and you know that I don't agree."
"Yes, Sookie, I do know that and all opinions are pivotal, I've told you that, as well. And your opinion is not only respected, it's required. As a friend of the pack.."
" I know, Alcide."
"Look, you know we don't jump into decisions. We look at things from every angle. But that's not what I'm here to discuss. I'm here to discuss the date of the trial."
"Oh?" I asked. Another knock at the door, but it was the kitchen door this time. "Who's here now?" I looked at Eric.
I reached out to "hear."
'Can't do this. They just can't! I've known Jimmy all my life! Good thing Alcide called. Sookie will do something.'
"It's Jason." I announced before answering the door.
"Hey, Sis."
"Hey." I hugged him back and let him in. The situation was beginning to get tense in my kitchen. I now had a vampire, a werewolf and a werepanther hybrid in my kitchen. Each one less fond of the next. Before it could get awkward, I served Jason a coke as well, and jumped onto topic.
"So, you said you have the date for the trial of Mark?" I asked Alcide.
"Yupp. It'll be the on Saturday night, two weeks from now."
"I am against this!" Jason said, on the verge of an outrage.
"I know, Jason." Alcide said amicably. "The fact of the matter is, it's out of my hands. The pack have decided how they want this to go and it's our law. It is my sworn duty as Packmaster to see this through. I know you, of all people, understand that. The outcome could still swing in favor of Gentry, but it's a longshot. He betrayed his pack for a human, which is a capitol offense. As far as Vandergraf, he is human, so he'll be fine." He waved his hand at us.
"Are you sure?" I asked tentatively.
"Almost a hundred percent." He nodded and smiled. I raised my brows and he shrugged. "I don't know what y'all want me to say, Sook. It's impossible to know for sure, but I'm hoping for the best."
"Why did he harbor the human?" Eric asked, arms crossed.
"Well, why wouldn't he? The pack are claiming that it's a respect issue and Gentry's rebuttal is that Jimmy is human and it's outside of our affairs. Which is obviously true. It's a bit of a grey area and a bit of a headache."
"A headache?" I asked. Eric reached over and touched my shoulder. "No." I told him before turning back to Alcide. "Alcide Hervaux, two men may die at the hands of your pack and it's a "headache?""
"I'm sorry, that was a poor choice of words. It is...Delicate." He finished sounding less sure of himself. "You know that I have to have the repect of these people, Sookie. I can't punish them for holding to our laws. Mark broke our laws while fully knowing the consequences and I have publicly backed him for wanting to save someone. It's only human nature to protect your friends, but they want a trial, so a trial they'll get."
"Fine." Jason spat at him. "But if y'all hurt my friend, I'm not gonna sit back." He stared straight into his eyes.
"That's both brave and honorable of you, Jason, but your people would never follow that. We both know it. I'm not happy about the prospect of a man dying for looking at me wrong. I will fight this." He told us both. "As much as I can, at least."
"Well, thanks for the heads up. And for calling Jason over, but I think a call would've sufficed." I said feeling annoyed and tired from all the crap piling up around me. I suddenly wished that Eric and I were the only two standing in my kitchen.
"You're angry with me." Alcide wasn't asking.
"I'm super annoyed, for sure. I get that this is your life and that's fine, I have no qualms about that." He glared at me.
"Okay, maybe a couple, but my point is; you keep dragging me into your crap as though I'm as much a part of the Longtooth pack as you are, with no regard for my wishes and I don't mind telling you that it's old." I said as tactfully as I could.
"Oh, but getting dragged into vampire crap is just a stroll through the woods?" He spat back. Ouch.
Eric made a growling sound deep in his throat and I put my hand on his abdomen. Ooh, solid. Not now, I told myself sternly. Alcide growled back.
"Look, enough. Both of you. Eric is my boyfriend and that makes some of his problems mine and vice versa. Also, they pay me. And protect me as best they can. You just drag me around and expect me to get into dangerous situations on the merit that I'm a friend of the pack." I scolded him.
"I protect you." He said in a lower, wounded voice.
"Yes, when you're using your human brain, but once the wolf takes over, you pretty much leave me in the dust."
"I didn't realize that you felt steamrolled by me." He was still acting like a baby.
"Maybe that's because you're too busy steamrolling me to hear what I have to say. This is proof, because I tell you all the time."
He stood. "I'm sorry, Sookie. When I made you a friend of the pack it was meant as an honor and for protection."
I stood as well. "I know that, Alcide! I've always taken it as an honor, I just...have a lot of other things going on right now and my head gets loud."
He smiled at me sweetly. "Well, sort em out, little lady." He hugged me and placed a kiss on my head, much to Eric's annoyance. "Call me if you need anything. Anything at all." His voice deliberately implying other things.
"Are you still here?" Eric asked in a condescending tone and stepping up behind me.
"Good night, Alcide." I said, cordially.
"Night." He said back with a melancholy vibe before shaking Jason's hand and ducking through my doorway. For whatever reason, I decided to reach into his head.
'Just wish she'd come around and leave that Viking for me. Can't help but love her.'
And then I wished I hadn't, as usual. It wasn't that I disliked Alcide, just most of his attitude towards me. You know, the gruff, tells me what to do side. Besides, I love Eric. That's not to say that I hadn't ever thought about it. I used to ask myself why we were never a couple.
Of course, I knew the answer to that. Life always got in the way. Life and Debbie Pelt. Debbie was Alcide's ex and she seriously had it out for me and did everything she could to keep Alcide and I apart. Nothing got in her way, as a general rule and when I got in her way, she had no qualms about killing me. Luckily for me, I had a giant, amnesiac Eric that was hellbent on protecting me. The fact that I killed her first drove a wedge between Alcide and I. He pretended to not care, like it never happened, but I cared; I knew it happened. I wasn't a werewolf. I couldn't abjure someone and act like they never existed. And I could hardly look at myself in the mirror, let alone look him in the eye. I couldn't really picture us together after that. I guess Debbie got her wish, even in death.
The door closed behind Alcide and I sighed aloud. He wished we'd be together and I just wished he'd be my friend again. Eric look at me and I just shook my head. What can you do?
"Well, Sis. I'd best be off, too. Thanks for the coke." Jason hugged me.
"No problem. You sure you gotta rush off? Maybe I can cook you something." I offered, despite the fact that I wanted to be alone with my boyfriend. I was Southern, my manners forced me to. Besides that, I didn't get to see him often enough and it felt like I hadn't seen him in a decade.
"That's okay, Michelle is firing up the grill. Hey! Do y'all want to have dinner with us? I'd buy some True Blood." He said, directing the last bit towards Eric. That was probably the most polite he had ever been to Eric; extending an invitation to his home and his table.
I looked to Eric and to my upmost surprise, he accepted. What the hell? Why not? I could always be alone with Eric later.
"That sounds wonderful." I told him. "Can I bring something? I could whip up some potato salad or something." I offered brightly.
"No way! You're always spoiling me. Why don't you just show up and eat?" He hugged me again before walking out.
"Hey! What're we having?" I hollered after him.
"Steak!" He hollered back. Score! Michelle grilled up some mean steak.
"You were saying?" Eric asked once I had closed the door behind our last guest. I turned around with something in mind other than talk, but when I laid eyes on him, he was bleeding from the chest! There was a giant hook in the middle and it opened and yanked his ethereal form backwards, his arms reaching toward me, to no avail; leaving the regular Eric staring at me in concern as I hit the floor from fear.
"Sookie? What the hell is happening?" He reached down and pulled me up by my hands.
"I wish I knew." I told him breathlessly. "Look, I think I've been seeing ghosts and I debated whether or not to tell you, because it could mean that my power is expanding and if that's the truth, then the vampire community doesn't need to know. Not even you, I'm sorry. It's too dangerous."
"Then why are you telling me?" He asked reasonably.
"Because, I no longer think they're ghosts. I believe they're death omens!"
"They're what?"
"Death omens. I read about them once when exploring my gift, but I never believed they were real. A death omen is a warning that someone is going to die. They're like an echo of a future ghost and the reason I'm telling you, is because I have seen your death omen. Twice." I finished my rant with a deep, shaking breath
"Come here." He said, sitting in the chair and pulling me into his lap.
"So you're worried that I am going to die?"
"Worried? More like positively mortified! I've lost nearly everyone and I won't lose you! I can't!" I cried. The whole room flickered like a spook movie and I saw another place. Like a creepy basement or maybe a warehouse. The room returned to normal and I cried harder. Terrified that I was losing my mind. He took me by the back of the neck and pulled my face into his chest.
"I have been around for a very long time, Sookie. I don't think I am going anywhere any time soon. Besides, I would not leave you, I love-"
I was splashed in the face with icy water and snapped to. I swung around looking for Eric. Not only was he not there, but my hands were chained to the ceiling above my head. I was in the nightmare place. The place my house and flickered to. The lone light flickered above my head and the air stank with age and rot. I yanked at the chains, but it was no use, they were secure.
"You'll find they won't budge." A woman said, emerging from the darkness.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Do you not know?"
I blinked back the fog that seemed to engulf my entire brain, confusing me about who I was; when I was.
"Cartimandua." I said darkly.
She smiled ominously in return.