Alcide contacts Sookie again after the death of packmaster Colonel Flood, asking her to attend the funeral as a friend of the pack. He uses her presence to imply her unspoken support for his father as Colonel Flood’s successor. He also wants her to read the other candidate’s mind. He rationalizes that Sookie might think she owes him, as he has realized that she killed Debbie. Although he claims he doesn’t care, Sookie is hurt and angered by his actions and asks him to stay away.

Alcide rushes to Sookie when her kitchen burns. He asks her to move in with him to explore their relationship, but Sookie questions whether he is fully recovered from Debbie and whether he can forgive her for Debbie’s death. Alcide turns from Sookie into the arms of Were Maria-Star Cooper after his father dies during the packmaster contest with Patrick Furnan. The Were pack remains splintered by the cheating during the contest and the outcome, with Alcide heading the anti-Furnan faction.

When Maria-Star is murdered, Alcide first suspects Furnan but soon discovers that Patrick’s wife is missing as well. At an arranged parley, the two are attacked by a band of Weres led by Priscilla Hebert, who wants the Long Tooth pack’s territory. The Long Tooth pack unites to take down the interlopers, and when Patrick is killed, Alcide ascends to packmaster. As such, he continues viewing Sookie as a friend of the pack, and they tentatively establish a friendship. He sends Tray Dawson to guard her when she is threatened by the fae.

Alcide contacts Sookie and Bill to ask if the Long Tooth pack can run on their land at the full moon, as there is a party of human campers on the Herveaux land. Unbeknownst to him, his childhood friend, Hamilton Bond, has conspired to kill his newly appointed second, Basim al Saud, out of jealousy for not being named to the position, foolishly becoming involved with fairy Colman’s plan to get Sookie in trouble with the law. Ham buries Basim’s body on Sookie’s land, but the body is scented by a vampire tracker sent by Eric to check the woods for intruders. Alcide; his new girlfriend, Annabelle; and pack member Jannalynn Hopper arrive to investigate. Along with Ocella, Alexei, Eric, Sookie, and Jason, they dig up the body, and Annabelle is forced to admit that she was having an affair with Basim, but she denies any involvement in his death.