Still seeking some clue about Jason, Sookie goes to Shreveport to speak to one of his old girlfriends, but the young woman hasn’t seen Jason. Hoping to get help from Pam, Sookie goes to Fangtasia to question the daytime employees and leave a message, but she is horrified to find that they have been attacked by the witches in a brutal attempt to find Eric. One woman is injured and another dead. Sookie decides to contact Alcide to learn if the Shreveport pack knows anything about the group. As soon as Alcide hears the story, he contacts his packmaster, Colonel Flood. The packmaster immediately suspects that a missing member of his pack, Adabelle, may have been contacted, and Alcide and Sookie go to Adabelle’s business to question her. They find her dismembered body, and the Weres realize they have a serious problem.

Upset by all the terrible events of the day, Sookie returns home that evening to a kind and compassionate Eric. They begin an affair, and she realizes that she cares for this gentle stranger.

MONDAY, JANUARY 3. Still determined to find Jason, Sookie travels to Hotshot, the secretive community where Jason’s date from New Year’s Eve, shifter Crystal Norris, lives. Sookie meets Calvin Norris, Crystal’s uncle and the packmaster of the Hotshot shifters, who helps her question the girl. Sookie discovers that something happened to Jason in the yard at his home while Crystal was waiting for him in the house. As Sookie is leaving Hotshot, Calvin makes her an unusual offer.

Sookie is appalled when the witch leader, Hallow, and her brother come into Merlotte’s seeking information about Eric. As the witches question Sookie and Sam, they learn that Bill Compton’s home is temporarily empty. Sookie realizes that they plan to search Bill’s home, so she rushes home to tell Eric to stay out of sight. To her horror, he wants to see what is going on, and they go over to the Compton home, finding the yard full of Weres: Alcide’s pack has arrived and is hoping a surprise attack will result in the witches’ defeat. The witches escape and seriously injure a Were woman, Maria-Star Cooper, whom Sookie rushes to the hospital. As an exhausted Sookie drives back toward Bon Temps, she falls asleep at the wheel but is startled awake when Claudine suddenly appears in her car. Sookie returns to Merlotte’s to find that the Weres and vampires have joined forces to fight Hallow and her followers. She is disturbed when Debbie Pelt arrives, obviously involved with Alcide again. Sookie and Eric return to her home after the meeting. He declares his feelings for her and tells her that when he is restored, she will share all he has. Sookie is touched but knows it is a fantasy.