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The worst part of being a human sheriff in a town full of vampires and other supernatural beings was that most of the bad crap happened at night. He had yet to get a full night's sleep since being handed this so-called promotion even though his deputy was a vampire and should have been able to handle the night shift on her own. Unfortunately, he was the sheriff and they expected him to come running whenever one of their little experiments blew up in their faces.
The only other person who looked as exhausted as him was Fargo, Stark's personal assistant, because Stark was one of those vampires that couldn't seem to rest even during the day. But then, Stark was not just the head of Global Dynamics, he was also the vampire King of Oregon.
He ran Fargo ragged with his demands, though if he was also using Fargo as a sippy cup then he was pretty discreet about it. Jack hadn't seen any fang marks on him and kind of assumed the lack of a tan was because Fargo rarely seemed to step outside of Global rather than from blood loss. Allison, on the other hand, was often covering up fang marks that someone had forgotten to heal after taking a drink. He figured that someone had to be Stark, who was a territorial bastard at best, liking to mark his property. Jack could understand why, though, as Allison was beautiful and smart, and if she'd shown even the slightest bit of interest in him beyond friendly flirting then he would have made a play for her. As it was, he didn't particularly want to go up against a jealous vampire like Stark just for some friends with benefits action.
It was close to midnight as he pulled into the parking lot, and he rested his head down on the steering wheel, startling back when he heard a distant howl.
"What the...?"
Climbing out of his car, he looked up and swore.
Full moon.
Just what he needed. As if this town wasn't crazy enough on a normal day, he now had to factor in the supernatural pull of a full moon knowing everything would likely fall to pieces, leaving him to clear up the mess. Generally, werewolves and other shifters could transform any time at will, but they all felt a compulsion on the full moon whether they wanted to turn or not. Jack had learned that small fact as a U.S. Marshal when he and his team had been sent out to hunt down a fugitive who also happened to be a werewolf.
Even though all shifters retained enough of their human intelligence to know right from wrong - such as, don't attack or tear a human to pieces while out hunting as it is considered a crime, and we will put you down if you insist on acting like a dumb animal - Jack preferred to exercise a little caution. He moved into the main foyer of Global Dynamics quickly, hearing the hiss of the automatic doors closing behind him. Crossing the foyer, he glanced up towards the director's office and he could see the tall, handsome, elegant man in his hideously expensive suit glaring down at him. It had to be important if Stark was impatiently waiting for him.
Jack sighed. Sometimes it was hard being human.
"Carter! So good of you to join us... eventually."
Deciding not to rise to the bait, Jack merely offered a bored, "Stark."
Jack glanced around and nodded to Henry, one of the few vampires who actually treated him like a friend rather than a possible food source. He looked back to find Stark eyeing him like he was some particularly interesting specimen under a microscope.
"Looking a little fatigued there, Carter. Might I suggest plenty of fluids, rest, and vitamin B12 supplements."
"Yeah, well maybe if you could keep a lid on this powder keg for just one night I could get some sleep."
Stark's jaw twitched but at least his fangs didn't snick down like the last time they snarked at each other.
Jack knew why the D.O.D. had picked him for sheriff. For some reason he couldn't be glamored. The previous director of Global had glamored the last sheriff - Cobb - on numerous occasions so he could get away with infringements like giving unauthorized access to Section 5 technology to fulfill some hidden agenda.
Of course Stark inferred that it was Jack's lower I.Q. that caused that aberration.
'Got to have a mind to glamor, Carter.'
However Jack's family had other weird skills that he kept secret for personal reasons. His sister Lexi could read surface thoughts from all creatures except for vampires. Yet for all her New Age tendencies, it was Jack who seemed able to read emotions, and being dead did not make a vampire emotionless. It gave him an edge when dealing with others - human or supernatural.
What he picked up from Stark now was a weird combination of irritation and desire, though Jack figured it was because his blood smelled nice - according to Henry. No doubt, after all the arguments they'd had since they met, Stark would love to sink his fangs into him and tear out his throat given half a chance but, fortunately, he had managed to restrain himself so far, so Jack hadn't needed to shoot him.
In self-defense, obviously.
"So why am I here?"
"We all ask that question every single day, Carter."
"Nathan!" Allison snapped.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Unless someone wants to start talking fast, I'm heading back to my bed, and you can go clean up your own mess. Whatever it is."
"It's Taggart," Allison stated.
Jack felt his heart sink. In human form, Taggart was a lunatic, so Jack should have guessed that he'd be even more of a problem on a full moon.
"Don't tell me. That was him howling at the moon when I got here."
Allison looked almost apologetic but her emotions did not match her expression. She was annoyed, casting occasional dark glares in Stark's direction rather than concerned for Jack's well being. She continued on.
"Usually, we prefer to lock Taggart up during the full moon cycle. He has a tendency to run a little on the wild side, and the last time he got loose on a full moon, he slaughtered Doctor Merino's prize winning ram and several ewes."
"And ate the ram."
Stark huffed. "Yes. Thank you for the reminder, Fargo." And though he barely changed his posture, still standing with hands held loosely in front of him, Jack sensed Stark's quickly rising anger.
"Sheep." Jack drew in a deep breath. "You called me in to protect a flock of sheep."
"Actually, no." Stark stated. "We called you in to help us track down Taggart before he slaughtered yet another flock of sheep."
"So why wasn't he restrained?"
Fargo pulled a fake grin in an attempt to look apologetic and contrite. "I got the dates mixed up?"
Jack quickly translated that. "You forgot it was the full moon tonight." He didn't bother to mention that he'd not had a clue either until he heard that howl.
Fargo's fake grin faltered.
"How is this my life?" Jack stated to no one in particular, shaking his head and turning away.
He already had a good idea where Taggart would head based on what he had overheard at Café Diem earlier today as Taggart regaled Vincent with tales of the best venison he'd ever tasted. Doctor Pronghorn was studying native fauna and had mentioned coming across a magnificent stag out by the lake two nights earlier. Jack climbed into his jeep and startled when Stark suddenly appeared in the passenger seat, the door opening and closing almost too fast for human eyes to see.
"Thought I'd join you, Sheriff. Vampire. I can see better in the dark."
"Then why do you need me, Stark? Why not send out Jo and some of your vampire guards?"
Stark shrugged, giving him a smug grin. Jack saw Stark's frown lines deepen as the vampire leaned in closer. Stark's nostrils flared as he took in Jack's scent, which would be stronger in the close confines of the jeep.
"You bite me and I'll stake you."
"No intention of biting you, Sheriff. Intelligence is a great flavor enhancer, so you probably don't taste as good as you smell. Average maybe," he quipped, obviously referring to Jack's exactly average I.Q. of 111.
"Yeah, and you smell... dead."
Stark raised both eyebrows but Jack could sense he was highly amused, and a glance proved his lips were twitching with mirth. Jack gunned the engine and pulled away, deciding to be mean and wait until Stark was forced to ask where they were heading, and why. Sure enough, he could feel the tension rising the longer Stark remained silent and in ignorance beside him. Stark was such a control freak, and stubborn, but Jack could be just as obstinate. Still he mentally bet on Stark not managing more than five minutes and, sure enough...
"Exactly where are we headed, Carter?"
Jack grinned, mentally pumping a fist at this small victory. "The lake."
"O...kay. Why are we heading to the lake?"
"Venison."
Stark mouthed the word venison. "Your brain must be a strange yet empty place," Stark replied as if completely bored.
Jack grinned, deciding not to take it as an insult because he could sense even greater victory in the irritation that Stark hid so well from the rest of the world but was so obvious to him. Eventually he pulled up by the lake shore, climbed out and opened the back, reaching in for the tranquilizer rifle stored there. It took him only seconds to work out the dosage required for Taggart's build as he'd memorized all that information weeks earlier, convinced he was going to have to shoot Taggart one of these days.
He was right, of course.
Stark was turning in a circle. "I don't see anything out here, Sheriff. Perhaps you were-."
The howl of a wolf echoed strong and clear, probably less than quarter of a mile to the south, and Jack turned a smug grin on Stark that he knew the vampire could easily see even without the light of the full moon. Striding off, Jack whistled a happy tune softly under his breath; Stark muttered something and stomped up behind him. Stopping, Jack turned and glared.
"For a vampire, you make a lot of noise. And why are you here anyway? And don't give me that pile of crap about vampire vision when I seem to be the one on point."
"It's a full moon. It's a dangerous night for a human out here alone."
Jack gave up when he realized he was about to ask - again - why Stark hadn't sent Jo and some G.D. vampire goons instead of him, because Stark had already neatly sidestepped that question back in the jeep.
The howl came again much closer, and Stark tensed, green eyes seeming to glitter in the moonlight as his fangs snicked down. Jack caught movement from the corner of his eye and pivoted on the ball of his foot, rifle at the ready. The snarl surprised him because Taggart was usually pretty tame around humans even as a wolf.
"Jack!"
When a huge black wolf leaped from the undergrowth, Jack barely had time to register that it wasn't Taggart before something - or rather someone - barreled into him and swept him to safety. As Stark tried to fend off the large black wolf, Jack saw a second huge shape detach from the shadows. Jack scrabbled for the rifle, and aimed it as the second wolf leaped for Stark, sending Stark flying backwards against a tree. Jack fired and the second wolf went down with a yelp.
He took aim as Stark threw the black wolf away from him.
It went down immediately, and Jack was never so grateful for the superior quality of the experimental tranquillizer drugs they used here in Eureka.
Climbing to his feet, he stumbled back towards Stark. In the moonlight Jack could make out the lacerated skin hanging from vicious bite marks, only then noticing a tree branch sticking out from Nathan's chest, and Nathan's blood was flowing freely, soaking into the ground beneath him. Quickly, he pulled Nathan off the unintentional stake that had fortunately missed Nathan's heart. Nathan slid down the tree, collapsing onto the damp earth and Jack knelt down beside him. The wound should have closed over as soon as the branch was removed but, instead, Nathan grew weaker with each passing second. At the rate he was losing blood, Jack doubted he could get Nathan back to one of the volunteer blood donors at Global before he completely bled out.
"Damn it! I can't let you..." He couldn't finish because he didn't know if vampires could even die of blood loss. All he knew was that he couldn't take the risk of losing Nathan, imagining the world a bleak place without Nathan's brand of sarcasm and that smirk, even if it was aimed at him with the full intention of making him feel inferior.
Nathan needed fresh human blood. Fast.
Grabbing the small knife from his utility belt, he hesitated a moment before dragging the sharp blade across the palm of his hand, hissing at the pain. Dropping the knife, he pressed his bleeding palm against Nathan's pale lips.
"Come on, Nathan. Drink."
For a moment there was nothing, and Jack feared the worse, but then he felt the slightest tickle as the tip of Nathan's tongue moved against his palm, tasting the blood. He yelped and cursed when Nathan captured his hand in a vice-like grip, and fangs tore into Jack's palm as Nathan began to suck greedily. Jack struggled to pull back his hand.
"Yeah, I think that's enough now," he ordered tightly but Nathan didn't seem to hear him.
In a blur of motion, he was on his back with the full length of Nathan's body on top of him, and Jack cried out as fangs sank into his throat. His panicked cries must have finally broken through the blood lust as, just as suddenly, Nathan was no longer feeding off him. Instead, Nathan was sprawled a few feet away, staring back at him in awe, with Jack's blood smeared around his mouth, glistening in his beard and running down his throat to soak into his shirt collar. He looked strong and alert, in complete contrast to how Jack now felt.
"What are you?" Nathan asked softly, awe tinging his voice.
"What?"
"I've never tasted anything so..."
"A thank you... wouldn't go amiss," Jack interrupted, feeling weak and shocky.
Nathan cleared his throat but, for once, his expression and emotions didn't show any repugnance as he nodded. "Thank you."
"Guess I didn't leave such a nasty taste in your mouth after all," Jack quipped, voice shaking as he recalled their earlier conversation about his inferior blood. He watched as Nathan crawled back towards him.
Raising his hand, Nathan delicately pierced the pad of his thumb with a sharp fang and reached across, smearing vampire blood over the puncture marks on Jack's throat before taking Jack's hand and gently swiping blood over the lacerated palm. Fascinated, Jack watched the cut heal until not even a scar remained. What surprised him was when Nathan bit into his wrist and pressed it against Jack's mouth, giving back just enough of the blood he had taken to stop Jack going into hypovolemic shock.
"Let's get you back to Global. I'll send someone out to collect these two."
Vampire strength came in handy because Nathan lifted him easily in his arms and ran swiftly back towards the jeep. Nathan drove the same way he did everything else - at top speed.
Despite Nathan's blood, Jack was barely holding onto consciousness by the time Nathan carried him into the infirmary, shouting orders that had doctors and nurses jumping to assist. Jack lost his battle to remain conscious, falling into darkness to the sound of barked orders and running feet.
When he awoke much later, Jack was surprised to see Nathan seated close beside him, watching him intently. He was clean and tidy, dressed impeccably once more in an expensive pale green dress shirt that brought out the color of his eyes to perfection. Jack could almost feel Nathan without even touching, aware that it had to be a bond from sharing each other's blood. Ignoring that for the moment, Jack gazed around and noticed that he wasn't in the infirmary as expected. Instead he was in a large comfortable bed in a beautifully decorated room. A photo standing on the bedside cupboard, taken of Nathan, Allison and Kevin, gave the rest away; it was Nathan's bedroom.
He threw a suspicious glance at Nathan, wondering why he was here and not at home in the bunker, or in the infirmary, but decided to avoid that line of questioning for the moment. Instead, Jack asked the other question that was on his mind.
"How long have I been...?"
"Sun set almost an hour ago."
By Jack's reckoning, that meant he'd been asleep for the past eighteen hours. The blood lost to Nathan hadn't been that extreme, especially as Nathan had given back enough to stave off shock, so a standard blood transfusion should have replaced what was missing. He should have woken up hours ago, which brought him back to the inevitable question that he had tried to avoid.
"Why am I here?"
Nathan's lips curled into a smile. "You said yourself, Jack. You were tired and you needed the sleep."
Jack frowned as the answer neatly sidestepped the question of why he was getting that much needed sleep in Nathan's bed rather than in his own, but something else struck him too.
"And since when did you start calling me Jack?"
Nathan's smile widened. "Have it on good authority that's your name... Jack." His eyes narrowed and forehead furrowed. "Sure you didn't hit your head?"
"I know it's my name," Jack snapped back. "But why are you using it?"
Nathan shrugged, suddenly looking uncomfortable. That's when it struck Jack that Nathan - Stark, damn it - wasn't the only one who was acting more familiar with the other. Jack had started to think of Global's director as Nathan instead of Stark, and he traced it back to the moment he saw Nathan bleeding out rapidly in the forest, impaled on a branch through his chest. Or more precisely, to the moment when he thought he was going to lose Nathan forever, and he couldn't even blame the blood bonding as they had never shared blood before that moment.
Jack groaned. All his life he had been adept at reading other people's emotions, and what he read off Nathan now was a desire stronger than mere lust for blood or even sex. It was a shame that he had never been able to figure out his own feelings as easily, needing to be hit by the clue bus before he realized how deeply he felt about another person. The only reason why he and Abby got together was because Lexi had smacked him upside the head and told him to go ask her out. Problem was, he really wasn't ready to deal with this right now. He needed time to think it through, and having Nathan sitting so close was making that nigh near impossible so he took refuge in the one option available to him - his job.
"So what happened to those two wolves?"
"Werewolves. They changed back as soon as the moon set."
"Back into what... or who?"
"Whom."
"What?"
"No, wh..." Nathan stopped abruptly and sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Never mind." He stood up and took a few paces away, and Jack could see he was having an internal debate over how much information he should release. "Doctors Xavick and Acaston. Section 4 biologists looking for a means to control the shapeshifter's animal instincts and urges during a full moon."
"Well, that obviously didn't work," Jack retorted sarcastically. "Unless they intended to go all out savage."
"No. They didn't." Nathan's voice was sour as they both remembered the two wolves that seemed to have little or no rational human thought left when they attacked them last night. "Fortunately, it was a short-lived drug that's already out of their systems."
"And?"
"Both will be receiving formal reprimands for not following Global's strict protocols regarding experimentation." He turned away and Jack heard him mumble something about just avoiding redaction.
"That's it? They almost killed you! They should be redacted."
"No. The only danger they posed to me was not being able to find a safe place come sunrise due to my weakened state. It was you they could have killed, and if Allison hadn't brought a very strong case for retaining their services, they would have been gone by now."
Jack blinked because, whether he realized it or not, Nathan had just revealed how important Jack was to him. He swallowed down hard on that new information, still not quite ready to deal with it.
"And Taggart?"
"Turned up naked in Deputy Lupo's back yard around 3 a.m. Seems venison wasn't the only thing playing on his mind, and once he'd sated one lust, he went after the other."
Jack didn't need to imagine the end result of that encounter. Jo might be small but she was freakishly strong like most vampires.
"Damn. So he got to Doc Pronghorn's magnificent stag."
"Fortunately, no. We found a partially eaten deer and the bite marks matched Taggart." Nathan bristled and sighed at Jack's raised eyebrow. "Yes, Carter, it was close to the lake, in the vicinity of the attack on us," he added sourly, having to acknowledge that Jack was right about that.
"Now that wasn't so hard to admit." Though he noticed Nathan had reverted to using Carter instead of Jack.
"You have no idea." Nathan muttered and then sank back in his chair, staring at Jack intently. "How about we talk about the elephant in the room now, Jack?"
"What elephant?" Jack replied churlishly, noticing Nathan was back to calling him Jack again.
"This one."
Nathan moved so fast that Jack was surprised when he ended up flat on his back on the bed with Nathan poised over him, legs straddling Jack's hips and hands either side of his face. Nathan's eyes were looking straight into his, only inches away, and when he angled his head and leaned in closer Jack's eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. The feather light brush of Nathan's lips upon his sent a spark of pleasure rushing all the way to his belly and groin. Electrifying was the only word he knew to describe the sensation, and the feeling intensified when Nathan realized he was meeting no resistance from Jack and pressed firmer, deepening the kiss. Jack moaned softly, hands brushing against the expensive cotton of Nathan's shirt, tugging it loose so he could slide his hands underneath against soft, cool skin.
When Nathan finally pulled back, Jack was breathing hard, with his whole body desperate for more. He knew everything had changed between them, and it wasn't all down to the mingled blood flowing through their veins. He'd felt this before they shared blood and knew the feeling would remain long after Nathan's blood was gone from his body. He could only hope that Nathan felt the same way.
"This doesn't mean you own me. So no fang marks."
Jack stared hard into Nathan's eyes, waiting for a small sign of acknowledgment, even though they both knew all the vampires under Nathan's control would disagree and respect Nathan's 'claim' on a human. Nathan gave a small nod of assent.
"And you stop feeding off Allison."
"Done."
"And Fargo."
"Fargo!" Nathan looked both disgusted and affronted.
"Just wanted to be sure."
Nathan leaned in closer and breathed in Jack's scent.
"You really think I'd be interested in anyone else's blood after tasting you?"
Jack felt the slightest sting of a fang breaking his skin and the swipe of a tongue, and gave himself over to the pleasure rippling through him. Only time would tell if getting involved with Nathan was a good idea - or not - but for now, as the pleasure of Nathan's touch began to tingle through his entire body, he was willing to take that chance.
END