POV: Sookie
Sookie's hallucinations had reached a level she didn't think was possible. All she knew was it was time to go home. But it was very dark once they were both dressed and stepped outside. Clouds blocked the moon, and she had no idea which direction home was in.
Gasper took her hand.
"Darling, we should go back to the pack house. It's late, and it's more comfortable there."
"Uh, I really should go home."
His grip tightened on her hand as if he feared she would run away from him. She should have, but with him touching her, there was nowhere she could go. She had become addicted to the way he felt. It had to be the world's most potent drug.
Then why was she still wondering if her date ever showed up? Would he have eventually returned one evening and been sad she wasn't there? The only thing she could think was everyone loved a good mystery and wanted it solved. He never gave her his real name, never told her where he was from, and never informed her exactly why he left. Maybe she would see him again, and she could thank him. Even if it meant nothing to him, it seemed he had awoken something inside her that she didn't know existed. And she wasn't talking about Katherine.
Your drunken hookup doesn't matter. I can't believe you did that.
Katherine grumbled at her.
It was once. And he didn't care about me, not even enough to say goodbye.
Sookie tried to get her wolf to back off.
Let's write it off as a mistake and keep it to yourself. It won't help things.
Katherine warned her. There wasn't any reason to divulge the information anyway. It wasn't Gasper's concern. They barely even knew each other.
He's our mate!
Katherine banged around inside her head.
"Sookie, I'm not sure it's safe for you to go home." Gasper lifted her hand to his lips to kiss it. "I still haven't found who did this to you."
"Once I get back on my medicine, it'll be okay. I'll be able to go on with my life and yours. If you're real at all."
Gasper sighed heavily, obviously frustrated.
"I am real. Everything that happened was real."
Do not go home if Mate says it's not safe. He knows. He wouldn't lie to us.
Katherine interjected.
"Katherine seems to be on your side and thinks it's unsafe," Sookie told him.
"Let's assume for a moment that Katherine isn't real, even though I assure you she very much is. Then she would be a voice in your head. So your thoughts, right?"
"I suppose." Although that wasn't exactly how it worked, it wasn't that illogical to think it was if you didn't know anything about people with schizophrenia.
"Would it be crazy then to think there's something unsafe about going home right now?"
Sookie thought about it. While voices in her head didn't usually make sense, she dreaded going home. Something was not right. Holding his hand, she felt safe. So staying here for at least another night would be okay. At least, that was what she told herself.
"Can you promise that I can go if I want to? You aren't holding me here, prisoner?"
"Of course. I promise that keeping you against your will is not something I would do. I do hope you will choose to stay, and I won't lie about that. And if you want to go, please let me take you. Don't run away." He requested.
"Fair deal. I think I'm too tired to go home anyway."
Then he picked her up. She was not a fan of this.
"Let me carry you back then. It's a bit of a hike."
"Do not think this sets a precedent that I am cool with you carrying me around. But I will accept it this once." She leaned her forehead against his to look him in the eye as she said it, wanting to drive the point home.
"Good enough."
It took them about twenty minutes to reach what he called the pack house. It was huge. Calling it a house was an understatement. It was more of a small castle. He set her down once they reached the door.
"Do you own this?" She asked.
"Yes." He shrugged as if it were no big deal.
Someone opened the door and bowed his head.
"Evening, Alpha."
"Evening, George."
They passed him. Alpha? Was that a nickname? Sookie didn't ask. She would inquire later when she wasn't dead on her feet.
From the inside, you would think this was a typical house, at least at first. In the front, there was a shoe rack. Sookie very much approved of this. Wearing shoes inside was dirty. But she realized she didn't have shoes on, so she didn't need to take them off. That also meant her feet were as filthy as the bottom of a pair of shoes, which grossed her out. Furiously, she wiped her feet on the mat to try and rectify the situation, but she failed.
Hanging over the shoe rack was a long row of keys, each labeled with a name. Many people were living here, or someone had a thing about cars. Anyone they walked by would greet him as George did in the front. Eyes to the floor, head bowed, and addressed him as Alpha. Was she supposed to do that? She wondered. Would it look bad if she didn't? Just in case, she kept her gaze on the floor.
Many people they passed had the bare minimum required clothing items on to cover their private parts. Most of the men were shirtless, and no one had socks on. The women seemed to wear dresses or workout clothes. Some were completely naked. It was a little jarring to see how many people walked around undressed, but she did have a dress on, so she fit in okay with the women who wore clothes.
The walls were painted white, and the floor was cherry wood. Sookie liked cherry wood even though she preferred carpet. Hardwood always felt cold, but this one didn't. She wondered if the floors were heated. She had heard of that but had yet to see it. Her apartment's carpet hadn't changed since the 1970s, so floors were not her area of expertise.
The portraits on the wall were the only out-of-place thing that ruined the appearance of a regular house. Oh, and the walls were lined with doors. So it looked more like a college dorm or hotel than a house.
There was a very grand staircase at the end of the hall. To the right of the stairs was a large room that she could only think was a ballroom. Did they throw parties that required that much space in their house? To the left was a room that looked like a restaurant with various-sized tables and a kitchen in the back.
How many people lived here exactly?
They took the large staircase to the top floor, the fifth floor. Was there an elevator she could use? Even though she worked out and her apartment was on the eighth floor with no elevator, she was tired and really struggled. She did her best to hide it. For one night, it didn't matter.
We are not leaving, Sookie.
Katherine growled at her. She was always growling at her since returning.
We are.
Sookie tried to push her into the back of her mind, but Katherine held firm with her opinion.
They reached a door to the most significant room on the floor. Even from the outside, you could tell it was important and enormous since there were no other doors on the long stretch of the wall. Gasper opened the door and ushered her in.
"Is this your room?"
The place was three times the size of her apartment.
"Yes." He pointed towards the farthest door on the right. "The bathroom is there." Then he indicated another room. "Bedroom." The other door led to a smaller bedroom, and a kitchen and living area was in front of them.
Sookie wasn't sure where to go for a minute until she felt him take her hand and lead her to the larger of the two bedrooms.
"Another bathroom is through that door, closet there." He pointed left and then right. "Do you want to shower before bed?"
Remembering her feet, she nodded.
"Um, sure."
When Sookie walked into the bathroom, there was a giant tub to the left and a large shower to the right. How many people could fit in this room alone? She wondered.
When she stepped into the shower, she immediately felt like she had stepped into a car wash. No matter where she stood, it would be impossible to get cold. Or stay dry. All the soap made her feel clean, but none was scented. She didn't mind that, as she was always sensitive to soaps. It did cause her to wonder why. Maybe he was sensitive too?
Reluctantly, she got out and wrapped herself in the fluffiest towel she had ever touched. On the sink were a T-shirt and shorts that she assumed were for her. So she got dressed. The clothes were stupidly big on her, but they smelled amazing.
When she climbed into bed, Gasper tucked her in and leaned down to kiss her.
"Goodnight, darling."
Before he could leave, she grabbed his hand.
"Where are you going?"
"The other room."
"Oh. I..." She hesitated. "Will you stay?"
Then she retracted her hand.
"Sorry, I get you don't want to. I shouldn't have asked."
She felt embarrassed. If he was leaving, there had to be a reason for it.
"I want to, but I don't want you to think I expect you to be okay with it."
"I need you to."
He nodded and crawled in.
"I think I need to."
Pulling her into his arms, he sighed. She felt him breathe in her scent and kiss her neck where he had, as he put it, marked her.
That mark did something to her. It was like any time he touched it, a flare of desire would wash over her. She covered it with her hand.
"I would not do that if I were you."
"Why is that?" He asked, kissing her fingers.
"Something about that spot, it's like an on switch. And I think enough is enough."
He laughed.
"I can never have enough of you, darling."
"Behave, or I will have to build a pillow wall."
"Okay, fine." He said but pulled her in tighter. "Just this once, I will behave."
"Good boy."
Sookie closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. The steady rhythm of his breathing began to lull her toward sleep. This was insane. All of it. The wolves, the shifting, the mate bond, the giant castle full of half-naked people who bowed to him like he was royalty.
But lying here in his arms felt more real than anything else in her life ever had.
See? I told you he was ours.
Katherine's voice was smug.
Shut up, Katherine.
You love him already. Admit it.
I don't even know him.
Your soul knows him. That's all that matters.
Sookie wanted to argue, but exhaustion pulled her under before she could form the words. Her last conscious thought was that for the first time in her life, she didn't feel alone.
And maybe that was worth believing in something impossible.
When she drifted into sleep, she dreamed of running through forests on four legs, of golden eyes watching her with ancient patience, and of a man with brown hair and dark blue eyes who looked at her like she was the answer to every question he'd ever asked.
In the dream, she wasn't crazy. She wasn't broken. She wasn't unwanted.
In the dream, she was exactly where she belonged.
And when she woke in the morning, still wrapped in Gasper's arms with sunlight streaming through the windows, she realized it wasn't a dream at all.
It was real.
All of it was real.