10. Second chances
"Sookie...!" My voice quivered in shock and I sank to my knees. She smiled lovingly and looked graceful and floating. Nothing like the Sookie I remembered who were ditsy and chatty. This Sookie was older, yet she still looked young and flawless. One of the perks of being a fae I guessed. She reached her hand out towards me and I felt too drawn to resist. I got up, reaching my hand out to hers.
"No!" Alcide roared and grabbed me, yanking me back.
"The last time a fae touched a human she up and disappeared." He growled, holding on to me protectively. Now I saw the old Sookie. She huffed and rolled her eyes.
"Alcide, seriously? I'm not gonna disappear with Ashlyn. She belongs right where she is." She smiled knowingly, looking from Alcide to me. I wriggled out of his grip and walked over to her, taking her hand and embraced her tightly. She felt just as warm and loving as the light glowing around her looked.
"I'll share with you." She whispered against my hair and instantly a thousand images flashed in front of my eyes. They didn't make much sense. The floated and flashed and blended. But I saw some faces I recognized. Alcide. My son Tony. My granddaughters Kyrinn and Lea. My great grandson Ashton. Then the faces grew more unknown. Then images shifted. Started to show eyes that were slit and yellow. Bodies that grew. Claws that grew. There were more and more of them. Gathering. Gaining strength. Training. Staying hidden. Then blood. Fighting. Weak shifters being torn in two. Vampires being outdone and murdered easily. I screamed and forced my eyes shut, pushing away from Sookie. I stumbled blind backwards and landed in Alcide's arms. For once I was happy he was there. I trembled all over and all that was holding me vertical was Alcide's strong arms.
"Do you now see, Ashlyn?" Sookie spoke gently. Her voice held the grief I was sure her eyes held as well, but I was keeping mine tightly shut.
"The gifts you already carried in you are just what is needed to match this new breed's strength. The fact that they...came from the two of you only enhances that."
"What?" Alcide's voice was dark, but it quivered now. He turned me in his arms and forced me to look at him.
"What is she talking about Ashlyn?" Alcide's eyes were filled with worry and shock.
"We…we created this new breed of two-natured." My voice quivered violently and my knees buckled. Alcide grabbed me and knelt down, which was a relief. My knees refused to carry me anymore. He held on to my shoulders hard.
"What?" He mumbled hoarsely.
"Our gifts united have created this new breed of two-natured. Because of what you did, turning me human, I am now the only one strong enough to fight them. Which is just effing brilliant." I sighed and felt an unfamiliar dreariness flood over me.
"And two of them are still locked up in Eric's dungeon." Josef's voice was tight and I gasped, grabbing Alcide's arms.
"Jonathan! How can you ask this of me, Sookie?" I turned towards the ever glowing Sookie.
"I can't fight my own blood! I can't kill him!" My eyes filled with tears and I felt so torn inside it physically hurt.
"You have to, Ashlyn. Destroy the few to save many." Sookie spoke calmly and annoyingly wisely. Jonathan and his kind was a threat to Eric and Josef. And I loved Eric and I loved Josef as the brother-in-law I considered him as.
"Why…No one likes vampires anyways…" I whispered. What was the logic in that?
"At least vampires don't go around killing everyone else." Josef spoke sensibly.
"But these do. They know they are powerful, they know they can destroy anyone and so they do exactly that. Innocent two-natured and vampires have been slaughtered and they are getting away with it, because no one knows of them! They can change quicker than werewolves and there way of killing resembles those of animals, meaning it can't be tracked back to them! Ashlyn, I know you are a very smart girl, you know you have to do this." Sookie's eyes glowed with grief but her words were strong and sure.
"I know…but right now I need to sleep…" I whispered. My eyelids felt heavy, refusing to stay up for much longer.
"Here, take my keys. I have a house on the outskirts of Shreveport, you can stay there. I'll stay close to Eric and the…prisoners and I'll make sure to bring back whatever information that may come up." Josef handed Alcide the keys and he nodded silently.
"Thank you, Sookie." I heard him whisper before I no longer was able to fight the sleep and Sookie's light was replaced with an unfamiliar darkness. Human sleep.
I woke up just as Alcide was placing me on a bed.
"It's okay. Just sleep." He whispered gently and brushed my hair back from my face.
"Are you really here…?" I heard my voice breathe, tiny and vulnerable. Alcide smiled gently, just like I remembered and his soft, warm eyes brushed over me like they were producing their own heat. My skin prickled.
"I'm really here, my beautiful Ash." He whispered and sat down on the edge of the bed. I reached out my hand and touched him. His skin was warm, soft and…human. I barely remembered my own humanity; I most certainly didn't remember Alcide's. Never had he been anything else but a werewolf. Hotter, stronger, angrier. His blood always ran a bit hotter than humans and my blood…didn't run at all. Now we had met halfway, both being plain, normal humans. The thought made me smile.
"What's so funny?" Alcide asked, his sharp lips curled up in a crooked grin. I chuckled and shook my head.
"All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you are back. And…now you and I are just…plain human. Well…almost human." I said, raising an eyebrow at the thought of my new power and purpose.
"I don't have to be afraid to be torn in two by you during a full moon." I sat up and brushed my hands slowly down his strong arms.
"And I don't have to be afraid to break you in two anymore…when I'm touching you." My voice died away in a whisper as my hand carefully grasped his upper arm and I squeezed.
"Ouch!" I jerked back at Alcide's cry, but he instantly started laughing and I punched him in the chest.
"Not funny!" I said though it was hard not to grin, seeing his bright, smiling face.
"Jerk." I chuckled and grabbed his arm once more, squeezing harder now.
"Ah there's no strength in you at all, weakling." Alcide teased and playfully pushed me away. My giggles grew, I loved the feel of it. It was real and warm. I loved how it eventually would make my stomach hurt, how it buzzed in my head, how my heart pumped harder, making me warm from the inside and out.
"Now I'm afraid I'll break you in two." Alcide breathed and my giggles subsided. His gaze was hotter now. Recent events were forgotten. Memories of a carefree past came flooding in over me.
"Alcide." I whispered and tossed my arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely against me. His big arms wrapped easily around my tiny waist and he hugged me just as close. It was like we couldn't get close enough.
"How blessed are we, given another chance. Maybe now…maybe this time I can grow old next to you. Living life the way it's meant." Alcide's whispering voice was thick with emotion.
And I? I…started sobbing silently against his shoulder.