Title: Beastkind

Type: Slash, Uncon, Snark, Friendship, Angst

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: True Blood [ Showverse ]

Pairing: Alcide Herveaux/Sam Merlotte

Setting: Some time after Season 3 Episode 8 "Night on the Sun".

Word Count: 3193

Summary: Sam and Alcide formally meet for the first time, perhaps in the truest way; in the forms that represent their second nature. After following Alcide's scent, Sam engages with the werewolf, untrusting of his kind. Will the two blend or clash, and will they come to consider one another friend or foe? Maybe over time, something else entirely. Things can get interesting between an alpha-wolf and a beta-shifter, especially when they're both naked when they first meet.

Warnings: Not spiteful smut, no cheap thrills here. Rated PG-13 for use of expletive language throughout the series, and mature themes such as mention of nudity and the intended development of homoerotic interest (in this chapter). Due to episode setting, consider yourself warned of potential spoilers. This is a co-write so keep that in mind whilst reading and expect slight perspective shifts from time to time. Alcide is written by Jaxon666 and Sam by Varrosgirly.

It was one of the few days in the month when Sam left the bar in Terry's hands. Merlotte's remained standing to this day, so he had no reason to ever think twice on it. Sam had taken his usual form of a stray collie by default. That was just the one that came most naturally. Halfway through the run Sam picked up on a foreign scent, one that didn't belong in the woods so close to his home. He followed it, becoming more sure with each passing second that it was a wolf. There was only one scent, which was better. Perhaps not, but he couldn't know until he found whatever was at the end of the line.

The trail grew stronger near the lake, where he found a pile of clothes on the shore. Sam stood near the water's edge until he saw a figure emerge from the surface. He shifted out of his animal form, to be polite, sitting on the wet earth beneath him.

"Hey," he called, watching the wolf, "You out here lookin' for someone?"

Sam hadn't noticed a nearby car on his offshoot from the run, so he couldn't be sure where this wolf had come from. Wherever it was, he'd originally come in his human form; but Sam was sure there weren't any wolves living in Bon Temps.

The man who now stood on two feet when once he had four was known to Alcide, though not known well. He was the owner of Merlotte's, and Alcide had been there plenty of times, appreciating the food a little more than others might have. He did not know that Sam was a shifter, but then there was no reason for him to, and such facts were better left unspoken, at least to the public at large.

Alcide himself, not keen to let others know exactly what he truly was, unless they too were his kind. Sam's shifting did not startle Alcide in any way, and he remained visibly poised as he looked the other man in the eye. Still, it was no less surprising. Perhaps though shifting from one form to another did not unnerve Alcide as much as it would another supernatural being since, after all, werewolves thrived in packs, and so were subject to witnessing transformations all of their lives. It was commonplace. Shifters though; Alcide wasn't sure whether this was friendly turf.

"I am not.", Alcide's answer was a little basic, but he did have a tendency not to take poetic license in his words. Who would he be looking for in a swamp, though?

Sam sniffed lightly at the air again, curious now as to why a wolf would be so far out here. There was something a little familiar about the smell, but that could be from any number of things. He couldn't be sure. Until he knew why this one was out here, he'd play things on the cautious side.

"Who are you then? And I'd like to ask why you're down in Bon Temps. I don't get your kind down near my property." Not even once, he could recall. Panthers, though, now that was a different story.

He'd had some run-ins with the local pack, Norris's family. As far as Sam was concerned, though, the full weres all got lumped together. Dangerous and possible enemies until they really proved otherwise. Sam was a hard one to win over on that side.

"I've been here before. Even seen you. You sayin' I'm only welcome here so long as I'm just a man?" Alcide snapped a little angrily, and it really wasn't good to make a were angry, even in human form. Their blood ran hotter than that of a shifter's, and Sam would know enough to know that.

Alcide had good reason to be angry though, with Sam judging him for his species, and not as an individual. Though he remained still, Alcide somehow started to look hotter to the touch than before, his eyes beginning to burn with a raging intent.

"Hold up now, I was just askin'." Sam raised a hand in a peaceful gesture; he didn't need a fight with an angry were today. This was one of the reasons he didn't trust this kind, they all snapped so easily. Some more than others.

"Now I ain't lookin' for trouble. I got the scent in my woods." Sam's body was less relaxed than his words would indicate, tensed if he needed to shift quickly. If he didn't watch his words, though, he would have a very pissed wolf who knew his face. Bad.

"What brought you down here before, if you've seen me 'round?" That meant this wolf had been in to Merlotte's, since he'd definitely not been in Sam's house. He wondered how he'd missed that, a werewolf in his bar.

"Your woods.", Alcide scoffed with less volume, finding the notion that a shifter could think he owned wilderness to be laughable.

It seemed like this Sam wanted to engage in friendly tongue though now, so Alcide forced his inner beast to stay down. That could change. It was easier to control himself around humans, sometimes even vampires, but when an animal faced off against another animal, it was often hard to differentiate the choices made between the man and the beast, even more difficult to have either of them make good ones.

"This here's a free country last I checked. I don't much like your questions." it might have been more polite for Alcide to mention that he sometimes works with Eric or Sookie, or even that his own work brought him through Bon Temps when travelling from Hotshot and wherever else.

But something about the way Sam addressed him didn't sit well with Alcide. He wasn't his authority. He wasn't even a were. He asked too many questions.

Sam could feel his own beast bristling, worse than it did with Tommy sometimes. Tommy was a brat, his own brother, and a pest. This guy, though...he was a very real threat, even if it hadn't been said. A branch snapped in the distance, catching Sam's attention for a moment, but it just sounded like a young deer exploring. It would run off when it caught the two scents.

"Now I never said you weren't welcome here, and I ain't arguing that it's a free country." Sam was just caught a little off-guard by a were relaxing near his home. "But I can't help but worry just a little when I find a new scent round here." Especially after the Maryanne disaster, and being used by a fellow shifter. That still got to him sometimes.

"You can understand that, right?"

"Well alright then." Alcide reckoned, still sounding a little aggressive. He figured that it was only natural for a shifter to be concerned with the presence of a wolf in the place he called home.

Wolves didn't have the best reputation, and most deserved it. So for now, Alcide would try not to become hostile, so long as Sam knew his place.

"Fine. I'm Alcide Herveaux." he held his frighteningly large hand out for a shake, although Sam was still on land. An invitation too, then?

"I'm not here to cause no trouble. So there's something for you to understand." still not fully resolved in this situation, Alcide was still talking firmly. But that was the predatory dance, letting the other animals know he was in charge. It was his involuntary nature. It couldn't be helped.

"Herveaux?" Sam stood and took a few steps into the water, far enough to extend his own hand and shake. The name was familiar to him, and not just from other two-natureds.

"Sam Merlotte. I reckon you're the one who took care of Sookie when she was lookin' for Bill." She'd had good things to say about Alcide, and the Herveaux family was known to be fair pack leaders.

"I apologize for bein' touchy with ya before, but I usually don't have reasons to trust weres." Sam wouldn't trust Alcide with his life, but he had plenty more reasons for being a little relaxed. And he could accept that the werewolf was his superior, perhaps because of what he and his family were known for.

"I am. You know her?" Alcide had seen Sam and Sookie talking at Merlotte's, from a distance, but never assumed that they were much more to one another than local familiars.

Almost as soon as Sam apologized, Alcide's body language changed quite noticeably, his heaving shoulders dropping to a more relaxed state. He even allowed himself to move now, closer to Sam, who he would suggest to come in deeper with him. It was off-putting even to Alcide, how quickly his animalistic nature could throw his mood from one thing to another. He'd learnt not to think about it too much.

"Well, not many of us give you reason to trust us." Alcide was known for his dislike of those of his kind who were wild, and allowed themselves to run riot without self control. He was above that. Then again he was so tall he was above most things.

His face even looked friendlier now, even if he still sounded like he spoke through a mouthful of gravel that was choking him. Only he wasn't choking, and the noises he made somehow managed to sound smooth.

He chuckled to himself under his breath, having took a sly sniff from the air. Sam smelt clean to him, innocent, harmless but warm. It reminded him of how a lamb smelt when he was in wolf form. Funny. But he never meant to be rude in thinking it, it just came to him in that moment. He released Sam's hand, not realising he still had hold of it, and waded backwards towards the depth of the swamp till it covered his broad shoulders.

"You the only one o'your kind around these parts Mr. Merlotte?"

"Sookie works at my bar, but she's a friend, and I like to make sure she's taken care of."

Sam walked further into the lake, the water rising to mid-chest, and he was reinforced with the idea of how large Alcide was to him, physically superior in many ways. Being closer to the were gave him a clearer scent, and he could smell the difference that this one had from others he'd encountered, briefly. As Alcide moved farther out, Sam dove under, pushing his hair back as he re-emerged. Days like this, humid and stifling, made dips in the lake particularly enjoyable. It wasn't too bad now that he had followed his curious nose here.

"Just a couple passin' through. I lived here for a long time before I met any other shifters." And of course, he didn't count those who had one form, since those were a little more common than his kind, those who could choose forms almost at will. In fact, his mother, brother were the only two living that he knew, besides himself of course.

"I don't mean to sound rude, I just wanna ask, is the pack stayin' up by Shreveport?" Sam might trust Alcide so far, but an entire pack coming down could potentially be bad. Especially considering the Hotshot clan.

"I should give y'my card. You should call me if y'have any trouble down here. And well...if you ever need a good landscaping company." the last part was said in half-jest.

It was obvious now that Sam was a decent person, more so person than animal in fact, which could cause wires to get crossed when talking to him, but probably made him less hassle to deal with, in effect.

"Don't you worry about my pack. They ain't no concern of yours, an' you know I can't tell you anyhow. You wont never get no trouble from them here, and if you do then you know who you can call." Alcide stated in a way just short of being formal.

It was at times like this that Alcide seemed almost princely in his composure, powerful and ferocious yes, but graceful too. Perhaps in the running to become a packmaster himself one day, then. He certainly demonstrated more independence than most other weres. He pondered for a second or two, how Sam did look ridiculously human to him, even with the certain rugged features of facial hair and lack of styling product. It wasn't a bad thing. He should stop judging. But then there were a lifetime's worth of lessons to ignore.

Sam was appreciative of the offer, even if he felt like he handled problems well enough on his own. He was usually hesitant to ask for help on much, even if he often answered the call for his assistance to others.

"Well thanks Alcide, it's comfortin' to know I can count the packmaster's son as an ally." Maybe a friend, but that sort of thing was far off, he felt.

He was finding this to be an interesting, case-study-like situation. Of course he was no fool, and would not assume that any other were was nearly as calm and friendly as Alcide. Sam pushed off from the deepest point where his feet met dirt, floating toward the middle of the small lake.

"I heard you work with that Northman vampire sometimes. Sookie mentioned it. I ain't ever met him face-to-face, but I know enough about him that I'm ok with that."

Alcide gave off a low yet loud grumble as Sam mentioned Eric, though clearly his anger was not directed at the shifter this time; if it were than the sound would have been justly aimed in his direction.

"Eric. Let's hope you don't have to go meeting him...or working for him." although, if it hadn't been for Eric then Alcide would never have met Sookie. He shook his head, flicking some water from his dark wet locks in the process, dismissing any further thoughts of the vampire sheriff. He was just glad that his father's debts had been paid off already.

"Don't get mixed up with him if you can help it.", he offered his advice, sounding highly invested in the idea himself as he did so.

That reaction pretty much summed up how he felt about all vampires, even Compton. The young redhead, though, Sam didn't have as much a problem with. Maybe it was because Sookie thought she had some promise, and maybe also because she was proving to be ok as a person. There was an exception to every species, as he was often reminded.

"Sookie didn't give you any trouble did she?" Sam smiled fondly, knowing how much of a handful she was when she was just waitressing. He couldn't imagine how much more of a spitfire she might be when on an actual mission of her own. If her dealing with town troubles in the past was any indication...well, it was a wonder anyone could handle her at all.

"I thought I'd never hear the end of it when she got back."

Upon Sam's question, Alcide looked to the shifter in an almost comical manner, as if to beg Sam to admit that he was joking by forming that enquiry.

"Sookie's nothing' but trouble and then some, even when you're trynna save her blonde ass from getting chewed up and spat out like a gas stop burrito. But the girl's got a good heart. She's just about worth the trouble."

Alcide offered Sam a smirk, but it was intended more as a smile absent cocky scowl. Deep down, the rugged werewolf was a kind and honourable spirit, though this was wrapped up in layers of wild, untamed predatory impulse. For those who gained his trust, this was clear to see as daylight. Perhaps Sam just caught a glimmer.

"You soft on her, shifter?"

He laughed, knowing exactly what Alcide meant. Sam wondered how long Sookie would last on her own, if she didn't have so many people looking after her, and not just two-natureds and the undead. If it were up to him, she'd never have to find out. He would always be there for her when she needed someone. And almost as if Alcide were a telepath, he guessed spot on. Maybe Sam just had a telling face.

"You can't spend time with Sookie and not have a soft spot for her," he noted, diving under briefly to wet his hair again, "But Sook...she was the first person I showed myself to in this town." Sam had a bit of a habit with not trusting easily. So far, he had about a 50% success rate when he did.

"You know her, there's just somethin' about her that you wanna keep safe. She's a special girl." Sam looked to the surrounding woods again, sniffing lightly. There was a barbeque pit somewhere, very far off. "How about we head back to my bar, I can get you a beer on the house."

"I should get gone soon. Got some work t'do later tonight, an' I don't drink on the job.", of course Alcide's phrasing was not accurate, but it made sense enough. He didn't work under the influence.

Still while a beer was out of the question, he wouldn't mind somewhere to hang his hat for a while before he headed out. He turned his back on Sam, walking towards land with a steady pace that did not change when his feet found it. He turned to speak to the shifter again, while he sorted through his clothes and got dressed, unashamed of his naked form. And who would be if they had it? The wetness of his skin was not even cold to the air. Not with his hot, red blood.

"You seem like a good man Sam Merlotte. Maybe I should get to know you." he simply said.

"Never did have a friend who shifts," he agreed, "Didn't stay anywhere long enough to start caring, till I found this town." Sam watched as Alcide left the water, noting how much more of an animal the were was than him. He even walked like a proud predator, which he clearly was. Funny, how Sam was human enough to consider his own nude state, but not worry about Alcide's.

"Well thank you, Alcide. You don't seem all that bad yourself." He smiled, nodding his head once toward the wolf respectfully.

"You're welcome to come down here any time you like then, I've got no quarrel with that." Maybe this was a good thing, possibly making a friend with a wolf. Sam's world had been turned on its head often enough that he shouldn't have been surprised by how things developed around him.

Smiles were exchanged, as well as acknowledging glances, while Alcide continued to get dressed. Upon completion he gave one last hearty smile, as if he were about to laugh, saying just one more thing to Sam.

"Next time, quit staring at my toolbox." and with a playful wink, Alcide waved Sam goodbye with one upward swing of his spread hand, and walked off to the road where he'd parked his truck.

Perhaps the two would meet again, and soon.

THE END