GPOV
Eric has informed me that the Were-witch, Mark, has been dispatched and I only wish I could raise him the way he did those corpses to kill him once more. I don't know what magic he used to get the upper hand last night, but my rage simmers, knowing he was able to strike before I could react. Bloody tears form in my eyes as I recall the devastation in Sookie's glittering, silver eyes as she watched me fall to my knees before her.
Then the deranged witch impaled my beautiful mate before my eyes once the both of us were too overcome with grief to fend his blow. I watched helplessly as the blood poured from my love as she gently stroked my cheek and wept for me. I will never clear the haunting image from my mind as she whispered her love for me, taking my hand in hers and closing her eyes in what I was sure was her final death.
I turn to find Sookie still deep asleep beside me and Eric is looking at me with worry etched over his face. I search our bond, finding the connection with Sookie, though stronger than last night, is still weak. I don't know what could be wrong with her. Her wounds from the attack are healed completely and her breathing and vital signs have remained strong. Why will she not wake? Is this another witch curse?
"What can we do for her?" Eric asks pleadingly as he strokes Sookie's golden hair and looks over her sleeping form with misery on his face.
"I do not know, my child. The bond should not be this faint," I tell him dismally.
"You must go to her," says a familiar voice from across the room. I look up to see the Ancient Pythoness standing in our room with a solemn expression on her ancient face.
"But she is here," I tell her in confusion. She gives me a soft smile.
"In body only," she replies as Eric and I both look to her in confusion. "It is her despair that keeps her from waking. You must convince her to rise above her grief; the future of your offspring rest upon this."
"What?" we bellow in unison as she chuckles. Sookie is with child? How is this possible? Eric looks to me in shock and I know my expression mirrors his own.
"Your mate is descended from the goddess of fertility, is it so hard to believe in this miraculous conception?" my Maker asks with a smirk.
"But how do we reach her?" Eric asks with desperation clear in his voice and I look to my Maker for answers.
"I can send you to where she waits, but you must confront her on your own."
"Please," I beg in desperation. We need to bring her back to us, to mend her despair. I will do anything to have her back in my arms once more.
"Close your eyes," says my Maker. We do and I feel her warm hand upon my forehead as the darkness takes me.
SPOV
I wake to find myself alone in our bed. The photos from the pledging are scattered across the bed around me. I must have fallen asleep looking through them last night. I sit up with a sigh before I shuffle the pictures into at pile and insert them back into the envelope.
I spent all last night concentrating on my bond with my mates, trying desperately to conjure them to me. I now wonder if my vision of the A.P. was only in my mind. Maybe this is Hell, an eternity of separation from my loves. Tears form once more in my eyes as my heart aches with crushing loneliness and defeat.
I watched Godric die before me and if he and I are truly dead, Eric would have surely followed us. My last thought before closing my eyes on that cold, bloody pavement was that the three of us would spend eternity together in the afterlife, but I must have been wrong. We must be damned, condemned to an eternity of separation from the ones who complete our very souls. I hold my head in my hands as I mourn for my lost loves.
EPOV
I open my eyes to find myself at home. I'm standing in the middle of the kitchen with Godric at my side. I can feel Sookie through the bond as strong as ever, but the emotions flowing from her are of overwhelming anguish and despair. Godric and I share a look of alarm before we make our way to our third mate. We follow the bond to find her sitting on our bed, deep in her bereavement.
Godric and I crawl to her, pulling her gently into our embrace. My dead heart aches to see her so overcome with despair. She sniffles and looks up at us with her beautiful, tear stained face and awe is shining in her stunning, blue eyes. "Is this real?" she whispers.
"This is but a dream, My Love," Godric tells her with a warm smile. Sookie caresses his cheek, wonderment clear on her face.
"I watched you die," she whispers, as fresh tears stream down her face. I take her hand in mine and she looks into my eyes as I give her a soft smile.
"We both live, My Valkyrie, and we need you to come back to us," I tell her, tucking her silken hair behind her pointed ear. She looks at me in confusion.
"How?" she whispers.
"My Love, it is your sorrow that is keeping you from us. Valkyrie are susceptible to death by despair, remember?" Godric asks her. Her brows rise.
"Then I died? Am I vampire now?" she asks in confusion and I chuckle softly.
"You are still truly living, My Sookie, your despair has just put you in a deep slumber," I explain as she appears thoughtful, nodding her acceptance of this. I pull her into my arms, sending her my love and elation and am overcome with joy upon having her back with us as Godric pulls us both into his strong embrace. Our love and devotion is flowing through the bond in rushing torrents as I find myself in complete serenity whilst holding my mates close to me.
I open my eyes to see we're back in the palace bedroom. I look down to Sookie and she's looking up to both of us flashing the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I caress her soft cheek, smiling down to her. "I thought I lost you," I whisper as bloody tears form in my eyes. She pulls me tightly into her arms.
"Never," she whispers against my chest. Godric and I share a smile of relief upon having our Valkyrie back with us once more. "The three of us will be together forever," she states with a wide smile.
"Make that the four of us, My Love," Godric tells her, placing his hand upon her abdomen. Her brows rise and her mouth drops open in astonishment.
"The five of you, actually," calls that familiar voice from beside the bed. We turn to take in the smirking A.P. once more.
"But, how, I-," stammers Sookie as I'm overcome with elation. We're having twins! I hug Sookie tightly to me. The gods have continued to pour their gracious blessings upon us it seems. My Grandsire is chuckling softly at Sookie's confused face.
"Young Warrior, certainly you understand the concept of the birds and the bees?" the A.P. tells her with a smirk. Sookie looks to both of us in shock.
"My Love, you are descended of Freya herself, the goddess of fertility, among other things. This is certainly a blessing from the gods," Godric tells her with a wide smile.
"But who's the father?" she asks as she looks back and forth between us.
"You carry twins, Young One, each fathered by one of your mates," explains the A.P. This is possible? I admit I know nothing about the conception of young, but Sookie is nodding, obviously understanding how this could be possible. She strokes her stomach gently as Godric and I place our hands over hers, sharing an exuberant smile. We are both to be fathers. I haven't known the joy of fatherhood in over a thousand years.
"So this was our fated destiny? To bring these babies into the world?" Sookie asks my Grandsire. I had not thought of this as my mind was still reeling with thoughts of impending fatherhood. I look to the benevolent face of the A.P. as she nods gravely.
"Your girls will be born full-blooded Valkyrie, and the future of the Supernatural world will depend upon them," she tells us forebodingly before suddenly vanishing from the room. Girls? And they are both to be Valkyrie? My head is spinning with this added revelation. Sookie looks down at her flat stomach with a sorrowful expression.
"So much will ride on their shoulders," she says softly as a tear trails down her face. I wipe away her tear, bringing her face to mine.
"They will not face their future alone, Lover, we will stand with them always," I tell her earnestly. Godric strokes her hair with a soft smile.
"Look at all we have accomplished, My Love, surely our offspring will triumph over whatever the fates hold in store for them with us beside them to show the way," Godric tells her, beaming with pride. Sookie smiles up at the both of us then, her anxiety spiking through the bond.
"Are you both okay with this, I mean it's not like we planned on having kids," she says, looking to us with trepidation. I take her in my arms and lift her into the air, spinning her around the room as she shrieks and giggles in delight.
"Lover, this is a miracle, I'm elated to be given the chance to raise a family with my mates," I tell her as I set her to her feet and place a tender kiss to her soft lips. Godric wraps her into his embrace as red tears form in his eyes.
"I have never experienced the gift of children, My Love, this is an extraordinary gift," he tells her sincerely as he kisses her deeply, leading her to the bed. I join them on the bed, molding myself against Sookie as she straddles my Maker, kissing him passionately. I nuzzle her neck, taking in her delicious scent and placing wet kisses along her exquisite throat and shoulders.
Godric lifts her hips and we each align ourselves with her warm entrances, lowering her gently over us as we feel the tight, silken heat of her walls enclosing us snugly within her. I groan out my pleasure as she turns and captures my mouth with her warm lips, caressing my tongue with hers as we begin slowly pumping her hips over us.
We set a slow, gentle rhythm, holding each other tightly as we continue our passionate dance, sending our love and contentment to one another. We find our release together, holding Sookie tightly between us and lay together on the bed as Godric and I stroke our golden mate's stomach lovingly. Sookie giggles and we look up to her smiling face.
"Three Valkyries in one house, their teenage years are gonna be a real bitch," she says as she busts into a fit of giggles to leave us chuckling lightly with her.
"We will have to install rows of lightning rods across the property in preparation of their hormonal mood swings, Lover," I tell her, kissing her nose as she continues her soft giggling.
"How do you suppose Pam will react to having Valkyrie sisters?" she asks with a wide smile. Pam has never been a fan of children, but I have a feeling this will be different for her as she will have such a close bond with them.
"I wouldn't ask her to help you change diapers, My Love," says Godric with a chuckle and I join in as I'm picturing my child's face at the very idea of touching a baby's dirty diaper.
"But the chance to throw a baby shower will make her delighted," I say playfully, then I sober my mood. "We will call on Dr. Ludwig to check the progress of the pregnancy, Lover." Godric nods.
"She is an extraordinary healer, she is a wise choice to care for our daughters and mate," Godric concedes.
"I trust your opinion," Sookie tells us with a smile. "I'm just over the moon right now; I never thought this would ever happen, I guess I should have known anything could be possible between the three of us. I love you both so much," she tells us, giving us each a soft kiss.
"I love you, My Valkyrie," I tell her and then lay my face against her warm abdomen, rubbing my face along her silken skin. "I love you too, My Daughters," I breathe against her skin as she strokes my hair softly.
"I love you, my beautiful mate, and will love our children equally," Godric tells her as he presses a kiss to her stomach next to my face, giving me a warm smile.
We lay together like this in peaceful contentment, each envisioning our future as a family with matching soft smiles on our faces. Whatever adversaries the fates hold in store for us, we will fight, standing together and assuredly come out the victors. We are fated mates, created for one another by the gods; surely our shared destiny will be extraordinary.
THE END
