Hey guys, this is my first fanfic on here, entitled Fate's Variant. I hope you enjoy it! Also, feel free to comment, since this is my first fanfic and I probably need a bit of help. Lastly, updates may be a little random, but schedule permitting, I want to try to get up a chapter per week. Anyway, hope you like it.

Chapter One

Hundjäger!

The thought nearly sent Jonah reeling, but he managed to reign in control of his reaction. He made his face a mask, blank of any emotion, before rising. No one else can know, he thought, straightening his jacket as he strode away from the grouping of plants at the edge of the sidewalk. Jonah was glad of his experience in hiding his emotions; Hundjäger stench was practically covering the crime scene, and some primal instinct threatened to shear through his calm façade and make him flee as quickly as possible.

It was a clear night in Saynor, with the nearly-full moon shining down on the city filled with demons and mortals. The sign for the Science and Research Building of Saynor College was burned out, with only the 's' of 'science' and the first 'e' in 'research' occasionally flickering a painful blue light. It contrasted with the deep red of blood on the pavement, right outside the office doors and covering the victim. Said victim was Corey Lewis, a professor at the college and administrator of the Science and Research Building. The blood was from a wound- well, many wounds- to his stomach, chest, and neck. It hadn't been quick.

Jonah noticed his partner, Detective Ford, waiting by the edge of the tape, staring him down. "Thanks for waiting up, Devonshire."

He caught the sarcasm in her voice and nodded sheepishly. "Sorry about that. It seems we need to work on our team dynamic."

"We?"

"… mostly me." Pick your battles, he reminded himself, forcing his hands to unclench. You are rather irritable tonight. Blame it on the Hundjäger.

Ford nodded, lifting up the tape. "I'll take over looking around, if you want to talk to the witness?"

For once, her spotlight-craving was appreciated, and Jonah agreed. Anything to get away from that.

The ambulance was parked away from the police cars, far enough that the stench was not so apparent. A disheveled woman sat in the back with a blanket draped around her shoulders. "Excuse me, Miss Bronson? Might I have a moment of your time?"

She nodded, rubbing her eyes a bit. "Can I go home soon? I just, I need to sleep."

"This won't take long, ma'am," he replied gently. The first time, seeing someone taken from life like this, it was never easy. This woman was handling the situation a lot better than he had, with his first case long ago. "If you could just go over what happened, what you saw…"

She nodded, casting a glance over at the flashing lights from the cruisers. "I was just ending my shift- I'm a technician, Professor Lewis was overseeing my work. I had to stay behind and submit some paperwork, so he told me goodnight and walked out. Next thing I know, there was screaming and I ran downstairs and he just-" She breathed in sharply, closing her eyes tight. "You see what I saw."

He nodded, mentally adding her statement to his hypothetical case file. "Did you see anyone you didn't know around the office today, or maybe earlier in the week?"

The lab tech shook her head, then hesitated. "There's a new guy who delivers the lab equipment. You know, test tubes, beakers, Bunsen burners, that kind of thing. He's been around four times this week."

Jonah frowned. "Is this unusual?"

"Well, sort of. We don't normally need so many, but there were several accidents this week, stuff was broken."

"By whom?"

"…I'm not sure."

He stood a bit straighter, satisfied that she would most likely not know much else and that she was truthful with what she did divulge. "Thank you, Miss Bronson. You'll need to go to the station to give your full statement, but that can wait until the morning. If you can think of anything else," He reached into his pocket and produced a business card, which he offered to her. "Please don't hesitate to call."

She accepted it, drawing the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders and otherwise not acknowledging the gesture. The sadness was going to hit her in full, soon. He hoped she was close enough with someone that would help her through it.

Jonah strode back to the crime scene warily, pausing to study the people going to and from: several beat cops, Ford gathering evidence from around the body, some people from forensics, a couple of civilians milling around the edge of the tape. He frowned: his Captain was nowhere in sight. A high-profile case such as this, he most certainly would've come out. Strange.

Ford caught sight of him and waved him over. She handed him an evidence bag with what looked like torn paper inside, though the writing was hard to decipher from the blood soaked in. "Found that in what used to be the victim's jacket pocket. We'll need to send it to the lab, get them to clean it up."

Jonah nodded, handing it off to one of the forensic investigators who passed at that moment. After a brief explanation, he sent him on his way and turned back to Ford. "Any sign of a murder weapon?" Probably won't find one.

She shook her head, confirming his suspicion. "No, but it doesn't look like he was stabbed. More like clawed, maybe bitten."

"I would agree with you, but look around. No animal tracks, no blood trails. Also, if it was a kind of wolf or something, it wouldn't have left the body as intact as it is." As he spoke, he wondered why a Hundjäger would kill like this. Their kills were usually clean: professionals preferred firearms to their natural weapons. So perhaps an amateur? Or maybe it was personal?

Ford nodded, focusing on the corpse. "Strange case," she remarked. When Jonah nodded in agreement, she asked "Anything useful from the witness?"

They began to walk to the edge of the crime scene as Jonah explained the information Miss Bronson had given him. "So, not much then."

"Well, the equipment delivery truck may be a lead. May as well look into it, as well as exactly what's going on in that lab."

"What, you think the professor was up to something less-than-legal?"

"Maybe. Let's keep our theories open, though." This was good: actual discussion with his usually-hostile partner. Maybe they could actually make this work, which would be a feat in of itself.

"Getting ahead of yourself, as always, Jonah. Wait for the evidence." Or, maybe not.

As they reached the car, Jonah's phone buzzed in his pocket. Seeing the exasperated look on Ford's face, he gestured toward the car. "You go on ahead, I'll catch a cab later."

"Night, partner," she muttered, opening the door.

His phone buzzed again as she drove away, and Jonah finally answered it. "Devonshire."

"Hey, Jonah," Captain Roth greeted. "Sorry I couldn't get out there, I have something to talk to you about, it's urgent."

Jonah spied a bench not too far away and strode over to it, sitting practically for the first time that day. "Sir?"

"I want to run it by you before I put anything in, but how would you like a transfer?"

"A… transfer? Why?" Jonah frowned at the news, glancing around at the buildings.

"For some bureaucrat who wants to screw with the line-up. We're required to send at least one detective up to Portland. Honestly, I think it might be a better fit for you than Saynor."

"…why do you say that?"

He could hear his captain shift uncomfortably from the other end of the line. "Look, you're one of my best detectives, Jonah, but let's face it: you don't get along with anyone at the precinct, maybe even the whole damn city."

"Including you?"

"Especially me. You are, putting it mildly, the most distant person I have ever met, it makes dealing with you really frustrating at times. Yet you close the most cases, 'cause you're clever and have a drive that puts you leagues above anyone else."

This was all true. Maybe a little too true. "So you're sending me away because… I'm not a team player."

Roth huffed with annoyance. "See, this is my point. First of all, I am asking you, but have half a mind to order it without being courteous. Second, I chose you for this because you're the best, and Portland needs you more than Saynor."

Jonah snorted. "Exactly how much crime is there in Portland?"

"More and more. That place has a worse crime rate than Saynor has ever had, and that's only in the last couple of years. I'm friends with a captain down there, and he predicts that it's only gonna get worse. And, as it turns out, his precinct has a temporary opening."

The detective sighed, running his hand over his hair. "Fine, it makes sense. But, is it possible for me to leave soon? As in, leave-this-case-to-someone-else soon?"

"Why, what's wrong?"

Jonah lowered his voice significantly. "Hundjäger. Scent's all over the scene."

There was silence from the other end for a few seconds. When Jonah had first started at the precinct, he could tell that Roth was Wessen, and vice versa. They had confronted each other about it, and agreed to keep their designated species to themselves. Privacy was very important to both men. "I'll assign whoever takes over with Ford to the case. You can leave before the week's end, with time off to prepare starting now."

Jonah couldn't help smirk at the idea of leaving Ford and her annoying personality behind once and for all. "Very well. Thank you for calling, sir, before you put in the transfer."

There was quiet from the captain, then, "I'm gonna miss you, kid." Then, the line went dead.