O-kay! Chapter 10 hot off the presses! I'm gonna have to dedicate this chapter to my son since Monday is his 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday boy! :D

Thanks to everyone who continues to read! It always brightens my day to have a new review to read. :D *hugs all the readers!*

ENJOY!

Chapter 10

The drive to Shreveport was quiet. I watched the country side go by and before I knew it we were entering into the Shreveport's business district. I had thought maybe Luke's father, the leader of the weres in these parts, might be able to give me some answers. Luke had said that my mother had been a friend of the pack. Whatever that means…And that made me a friend of the pack as well. I had thought at the time it was a good idea, the closer we got to our destination I wasn't feeling so sure. I sighed fiddling with the hem of my summer dress.

What if Alcide refused to answer my questions? What if he thought I was being ungrateful since he did send his son to watch over me for the day? I pushed my doubts aside and tried to focus on the questions I would ask. Maybe I would be able to read his mind enough to get my answers even if he refused. I knew it was really rude to go about it that way but hell someone died in my house last night!

We pulled into the parking lot in front of a very tall business building.

"Here we are." Luke said getting out.

I had to jump to get out of Luke's Dodge Ram. Luke was standing in front of his truck with a broad smile on his face.

"Shut up." I said indignantly.

"Didn't say a word." He said his hands up.

"Not out loud…" I said in retort under my breath. He had in fact "said" many things which only I could hear, but they were only playful thoughts and since he really hadn't said them out loud I really couldn't get onto him.

We walked to the large glass double doors and he held one open for me. I took a second to look around and it looked like any other office building. Well actually to me it looked more like a bank with all the paintings and the red and gold rug on the floor. Luke ushered me to the elevator and pushed the up arrow. The doors dinged and opened to a bland wallpapered elevator. We stepped into the elevator and Luke pushed the 12 button the doors shut and we rode up in silence. When the doors opened again the décor wasn't as glam as the first floor but I knew better than to touch anything.

An older woman was sitting behind the desk her hair was held in a neat bun behind her head. She was a no nonsense sort of person and she thoughts very highly of her boss and his family. So when Luke walked in she was all smiles. She thought I was terribly cute and wondered if Luke and I were dating. I could feel my face redden and I had to try really hard to shut her out. Some people were just like that. Their every thought and idea is basically thrown into my face whether I really want to know it or not.

"Hello Mrs. Claire, we've come to see my father. Is he available?" Oh boy, did she think he was just the bee's knees. Such a polite boy, especially for his age. Her own son didn't speak so politely to her.

"Oh yes! He's just in his office working go on, go on! It's alright! He'll be happy to see you I'm sure." She didn't' even mind that Luke and his dad were weres, actually that's part of why she liked them so much. She wanted to be a were so badly. She hoped one day they might bite her so she could join them and their pack.

We passed her desk and Luke knocked on the door at the end of the small hallway. "Come in." A deep voice said from the other side.

Luke opened the door and I got my first look at Alcide, the Shreveport pack leader. He had been studying some papers on his desk but when we came in her looked up. He looked like an older version of Luke.

"Luke what are you doing here?" Alcide asked his son. I picked up that he was worried something had happened.

"Kira was wantin' to meet cha." Luke said worried he had done the wrong thing.

Alcide turned to me for the first time. His brain was a red buzz of emotion. The foremost emotion was sorrow. Sorrow that he hadn't been able to help or protect Sookie better, but he was determined that he was going to protect her daughter.

"Kira," Luke said turning to me, "This is my father and the pack leader of the Longtooths, Alcide Herveaux."

"It's good to meet you, sir." I said nervously.

"It's good to meet you as well Miss Kira." He said easily with his husky voice. "My office really isn't the best place to entertain folk." He said gesturing to his messy office filled with piles of papers. "How 'bout we go out to eat and talk for a bit?"

"Oh, sure." I said.

Alcide ushered us back out the door and toward the elevator. Mrs. Claire stood when we came back out and was about to say, well a lot of stuff but Alcide cut off her words with a wave of his hand.

"I'm going out to eat lunch Mrs. Claire. I'll be back in an hour."

"Of course you-all have a good time!"

We stepped into the elevator and Alcdie hit the 1 button.

"What do you think of Mrs. Claire?" Alcide asked me casually.

"She's…nice." I said slowly. "She has a lot of respect for you."

Alcide nodded putting his hands in his pockets. The elevator doors dinged and opened to the first floor.

"Let's eat at Hair of the Dog." Alcide said as we walked out the front door. "Kira would you like to ride with me?"

"Ok." I said nervously.

I followed Alcide to his truck looking back once to see Luke getting into his own truck. We locked eyes for a moment and Luke smiled encouragingly. I smiled back and opened the passenger door, climbing in. I noted that Alcide's truck was nice and frequently used.

"Sorry 'bout the mess." He said a bit abashed moving rolled papers and his hard hat into the back.

"It's ok." I said with a smile.

After clearing some space Alcide took his place behind the wheel. As we pulled out of the parking lot I noticed Luke's truck pull out behind us.

"I get the feeling that you weren't just wanting to see me."

"I…uh…well…" I stuttered and I thought I was the telepath…

"You can ask me what you want, cher." He said with a shrug. "I'll answer you if I can."

I took a deep breath placing my hands in my lap turning a bit to face the Longtooth pack leader. "I'm assuming that you already know about what Bill found in my house last night?"

"I do." He said slowly.

"Did my mom have very many enemies?" I asked after a moment.

Alcide threw his head back and laughed. "I'd never met a woman who had so many enemies." He looked at my face and sobered quickly. "Or so many friends."

"Do you think that maybe one of them was trying to threaten me?"

"it's possible. Although they would have to know 'bout you though. Can't say there's very many people who knew Sookie had a daughter. Shit even I didn't know until last night. Seems kind of odd to me that Northman didn't know about you. He kept all kinds of tabs on your mother before she moved away."

"Eric kept tabs on my mom?" I asked.

"Mhm, was rather possessive if you ask me. Constantly worried about her, had a guard day and night."

"He thought she was in danger?"

"Seemed that way. I don't keep up with vampire affairs but I do know about that Victor. Met him once, hate him. Him and his lackey Henry I believe it was. Something not right about that one."

I was cold suddenly. I remembered that name. I wondered if it was the same vampire from Little Rock who had been trying so hard to make his powers work on me. If he had known my mother would he then know me? If so then Victor knew about me. My head was spinning. Could Victor have killed Bethany and left her in my house? No, because I would have had to invite him in, but that didn't rule out the fact that he could have hired someone to do it for him.

We pulled into a scary looking parking lot and parked by a dingy looking building.

"We're here." Alcide said opening his door.

I opened my door and got out carefully. The parking lot was dirty littered with trash and other unsavory things. I followed Alcide to the door somewhat unstably. Even though it was broad daylight I had the urge to turn and run. I heard Luke's truck pull up. Alcide was already at the door while I had only taken a few steps. My limbs felt heavy and it was hard for me to even breathe.

"Hey," Luke said walking up behind me touching my hand, "Are you ok?"

I turned my head slowly with tears in my eyes from the strain. Luke's eyes went wide when he saw my face.

"Oh God Kira! I'm so sorry I forgot about the ward!"

Before I could form a thought Luke picked me up and carried me to the door.

"Sorry 'bout that Kira. We don't usually allow humans here and there's a ward on the place to keep them out." Alcide said apologetically.

Being in Luke's arms was embarrassing but the compressing feeling was gone so I didn't mind. "It's ok." I said looking anywhere but at Luke or his father.

Alcide held the door open while Luke carried me inside I didn't look up when we entered but I knew there were five weres in the bar and everything went quiet when we came in. I chanced a glance up and saw two female weres and three males. They were looking at Luke and I.

"She should be ok inside. The ward is only set outside." Alcide said walking around Luke and taking a seat at one of the empty tables. Alcide got nods and quiet hellos from all the weres in the bar.

Luke set me down gently mumbling something following his father to the table. Touching people allowed me to read their minds much easier and while Luke had been holding me I had found that he was embarrassed and had also been enjoying himself.

I sat down across from Alcide. A woman with dark hair and brown eyes walked up to the table. She was curious about me and wanted to know what was going on.

"Karen," Alcide said before she got to say anything. "Will you tell Ben we'll have the usual?"

Karen's mouth opened then shut with a snap and she nodded her head turning on her heel walking to what I guessed was the kitchen.

"Has Luke been bothering you today?" Alcide asked me after a moment.

"Oh no!" I said caught off guard. "He's been great."

Alcide's mouth pulled up into a half smile. Luke was looking into the far corner and I could feel my face getting hot.

"He's teasing me." Luke said sounding annoyed.

Luke had begged his father to be chosen to guard me so he could prove that he could handle himself. He didn't' want to be seen as the pack leader's son. He wanted to be known for who he was not who his father was. I didn't notice that Alcide had been talking to me until he said my name.

"Huh?" I said dazed, I had been lost in Luke's thoughts which mirrored my own. The realization that these people wanted me to replace my mom upset me deeply. It wasn't something I believed I could do or even wanted to do. I was my own person.

"I asked if the vampires had found any clues as to who might have done it."

"Well if they did, they didn't share that information with me."

"I did some lookin' around pop." Luke chimed in.

Alcide and I both turned to look at him. Alcide was wondering why he hadn't said something sooner but kept his mouth shut. "Find anything?" He asked instead.

"It was difficult to pick anything out since that vamp came in and cleaned everything, but I did pick something up outside granted the camp smell was outside too." He paused to take a breath. "I followed the trail for a while but since I was supposed to be guarding Kira I stopped when it lead to the road."

"Good work Luke." Alcide said rubbing his chin. "I'll send Leigh-Ann to follow the whole trail."

Luke beamed with pride. His father rarely gave out compliments.

Our food came then. I found that the "usual" was a burger which was fine with me. I was starving. We ate in silence but it wasn't uncomfortable. When we finished Alcide shook my hand and handed me his business card. I thanked him for his time and put his card in my purse. Luke escorted me out the door and to his truck. He said goodbye to his father and got into his truck. We drove back to Bon Temps listening to the radio. It was late afternoon when we got back to my house.

"Luke," I said as we pulled into my drive way. "I just wanted to say thank you."

Luke parked in front and killed the engine. He turned to look at me, "For what?" He asked genuinely confused.

"For helping me." I said honestly.

"It was my pleasure." He said just as honestly.