Turns out they didn't have to walk all the way back to Alcide's because he was out of the club only minutes behind them, ushering them to his van.
"Why were they all shifting? You almost shifted!" Sookie was screaming. Layla was calling Eric's phone for a third time. Damn that fucking Vampire. Didn't he know how to answer his goddamn phone?
"Couldn't help it. When that energy starts rolling it takes you over." Alcide explained. Layla rolled her eyes. That sounded like her excuse for sleeping with Eric.
"We're lucky we got out of there alive. Fuck!" Alcide said, slamming a hand against the wheel as he drove.
"I know it was terrible for you but-" Sookie began.
"You don't know anything." Alcide cut her off.
"I know that if you don't slow down you're gonna get us killed and I'm not gonna die because of your shitty ex-girlfriend and a Mississippi pothole!" Sookie screamed. Layla wanted to decapitate both of them so they would shut up, flip the damn car out of spite and walk to Shreveport just to yell at Eric for not answering his damn phone. Voicemail again. Bastard.
Alcide pulled over and killed the engine.
"I had to be mean to make you listen." Sookie said. "I'm sorry."
"She wasn't always shitty." Alcide said softly. "We were great together...when she wasn't drinking or cheating. She'd play horseshoes with my Dad, help my Mom plant tomatoes."
"But tonight she was half naked in a wolf skin getting branded." Layla said flatly as Eric's phone rolled to voicemail for the fifth time. She didn't leave a message. Fuck him. If Sookie called she was sure he'd answer, but she had no desire to prove herself right and so silently slid her phone into her back pocket. "Tell us more about Russell Edgington." Layla said, wanting to steer the conversation away from Alcide's love life.
"He's just some rich vampire. That's all I knew until tonight." Alcide said.
"I gotta talk to him." Sookie said.
"Are you outta your fucking mind?" Alcide asked.
"Yes, she is." Layla said, earning her a rolling of the eyes from the broody werewolf in the driver's seat.
"The brand, the blood, the vampire. He knows where Bill is. Or he knows who knows." Sookie explained.
"I promised Eric that I'd keep you out of trouble." Alcide. said. Fire crept along Layla's spine. Of course Eric would want the sexy werewolf to keep his precious telepath out of trouble.
"Fuck Eric." Layla said violently.
"You ain't goin' near him, Sookie." Alcide said. "You either." he said turning to look at Layla. She only narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't tell me what to do." Layla growled. dangerously. "Drop me off somewhere. I need a drink."
"No fucking wa-"
"Drop me the fuck off, wolf!" Layla screamed at him and then hopped out of the car on a main street in Jackson without looking back. She's walk back to Alcide's when she was good and ready. For now she just wanted to numb the anxiety that made her think about Eric Northman. Just in case she had the urge to drunk dial him, she dropped her phone down the sewer drain before she walked into the bar.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Layla didn't make it back to Alcide's apartment until the following morning. She had spent the night drinking and walking around and now had a wicked hangover to prove it. Now she looked like she and Debbie played for the same team. Sookie was sitting in her room when Layla stumbled in and collapsed on the bed.
"Where the hell have you been?" Sookie asked. Layla merely groaned in response. Alcide popped his head in, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
"Oh hey, good to see you made it back alive. I'm just gonna go run some errands. Won't take long." he said with a smile.
"What's a packmaster?" Sookie asked innocently.
"Goddamn it!" Alcide yelled.
"No yelling please." Layla moaned from where she lay face down on the bed.
"I gotta do what I gotta do." Sookie said quietly.
"This is Were business. It's against all our laws to tell you anything." Alcide said.
"Alcide, baby, shhhhhh." Layla requested, keeping her own voice soft.
"I've been listening to deep, dark, private thoughts since I was a little girl. Keeping secrets is how I survive, Alcide." Sookie said.
"It's true. She's a good secret keeper." Layla mumbled into the pillow.
"No." Alcide said flatly.
"She'll just dig it out of your head if you don't volunteer it, so just play nice and tell us what we need to know." Layla said turning onto her back to get a look at the wolf.
"Why the hell are you even here?" he asked.
"For funsies." Layla said, throwing an arm across her eyes. "Now what the fuck is a fucking Packmaster?"
Alcide groaned and paused before speaking. "A pack isn't a democracy. Most weres don't have much sense, you saw. They're all teeth, and fight and sex."
"Sounds hot." Layla said. Alcide threw her a look but ignored her.
"Packmaster is our alpha, he makes the big decision, keeps the rest of us in line." Alcide explained.
"How much does your packmaster know about what went on last night?" Sookie asked.
"That's what I have to find out." Alcide said. "Then he'll tell us what to do."
"I'm coming along." Sookie said.
"I am not breaking any more of our rules for you." Alcide snapped.
"Then you might as well invite Debbie over to tear me up, cause that's what she's gonna do when you leave." Sookie said, waltzing out of the room leaving Alcide and Layla behind.
"Give me five minutes to puke and I'll be right with you." Layla said, standing slowly and clapping Alcide on the shoulder as she passed him. "Work with her Alcide. It's easier."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Layla dug out a pair of sunglasses and waited in the car as Sookie and Alcide talked to the Packmaster. It didn't look like it was going well. Nope, it wasn't.
The three made their way back to Alcide's apartment. Layla spent most of the morning in bed. She didn't bother eating. Even thought she knew most of the hangover was gone by early evening, the knot of anxiety and other broiling emotions hadn't gone away, plus she was moping because she'd thrown her phone down a sewer, and hell she'd been sober when she'd done that. As the sky got darker, Sookie eventually came and climbed into the other side of the bed.
"Thought Eric didn't want you to come." she said softly.
"I wasn't about to let you have all the fun without me. Besides, since when do I listen to Eric?" Layla responded sleepily.
"I'm so worried about Bill." Sookie said quietly.
"Everything will be okay, Sookie." Layla said, patting her friend's hand. "You're too good a person to have such a shitty thing happen without something really really good to happen afterwards. You're the type of girl who gets a 'happily ever after'. Don't worry so much."
"Thank you." Sookie said quietly.
"Sookie." Alcide called from the front room. Layla sat up as Sookie walked into the front room.
"Bill!" Layla heard Sookie exclaim and reached the doorway just in time to see the blonde leap into the Vampire's arms. Alcide looked back at her and cocked an eyebrow. Self-conciously Layla tugged at the oversized button-down shirt she had changed into when she'd crawled into bed that afternoon. Her now red and black hair was tousled from sleep and she was barefoot.
"Sookie, you have to go, now." bill said as he placed Sookie back on her feet.
"Is that all you have to say to me?" she asked.
"There's no time." Bill said, clearly pained by the fact. "You must take her away." he said, looking at both Layla and Alcide.
"Where ever I'm going you're going too." Sookie said, and Layla could hear the tears coming on in her voice.
"It's too late. There's no hope for me." he said, cupping her face. "Please, you've got to get her out of Jackson as fast as you can." Bill said, dragging Sookie over to Alcide. Layla may have been pissed for the way Bill broke up with Sookie, but there was nothing but truth and pain in his voice now, which was why she was pulling on her flat boots, good for running, not even bothering with pants. The shirt was long enough to be a dress anyway.
"I believe him, Sookie." Alcide said.
"Me too." Layla said, pulling her wavy hair into a ponytail.
"What do you mean there's no hope?" she asked with tears beginning to slide down her face.
"You have to go now." Bill said again.
"I will but tell me what I'm running from." Sookie begged. All four of them turned when the door opened. It was Coot and another wolf Layla remembered from Lou Pines.
"Come on in." Coot said. Oh great, he invited another Vampire in. Bill tried to go for one of the wolf while Alcide went for Coot but neither the Vampire nor the Werewolf were a match for the wolves hopped up on V. Russell Edgington strolled in like he owned the place.
"Grab the girls, you imbecile." he said to Coot. Layla jumped in front of Sookie but the stupid wolf threw her aside, hard. Layla was pissed and tried to get up but Russell held her firmly by the arm. Coot went to grab Sookie but she did something weird and light shot out of her hand and knocked Coot on his ass. Layla just stared, as did Bill and Alcide. Russell just laughed.
"Fantastic."
"Oh, fuck." Layla muttered.