Greykin Valley

| 26 | Back on Track

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| Jackson |

Something tickled Jackson's cheek. He frowned and opened his eyes, and when he realized that Damon was stroking his face with his fingers, Jackson smiled up at him. He dragged his hand down from the Alpha's shoulder and moved his head from his chest and up to nuzzle his neck.

"Sorry," Damon mumbled.

Jackson shook his head. "No, it's okay," he assured him quietly. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A little," the Alpha replied as he guided his hand down to Jackson's waist. Then, he eased it under his belt and lightly gripped Jackson's ass.

As much as Damon's attention excited him, Jackson quickly grew nervous. He glanced around the cavern at the resting pack; knowing they'd all heard him and Damon having sex in the shower at the Venaticus was embarrassing enough, but if they saw, too...then Jackson was sure that he'd melt into a puddle of anxious, humiliated goop.

He grasped Damon's wrist before he could guide his hand around to his crotch. "They're gonna see."

"So?" Damon muttered.

"So...you don't feel uncomfortable about that?" he asked with a frown.

"No."

Why would Damon care if his pack saw? He was their Alpha; they'd know better than to stare, right? They always saw each other naked. But Jackson wasn't accustomed to how they did things. He wouldn't even think about bringing a date home when Wilson was around, so having sex ten feet from fourteen other people wasn't something he was going to do.

He pulled Damon's hand from his trousers. "Not right now," he mumbled.

Damon returned his hand to Jackson's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's fine, I just...I'm not used to being around so many people."

The Alpha hugged him tightly and kissed his head. "Once this is done, we'll have somewhere else to call home."

Jackson nodded but didn't say anything. Why did what Damon said make him feel despondent? Was it because he wasn't entirely sure whether he wanted to live in Ascela or not? A part of him still wanted to go back to Dawnward, but he knew that he couldn't. He was wrapped up in this mess. There was no telling what might happen to him and Wilson if they went back; Holt was involved, too...and Jackson needed to find out how deep all of this went. But he couldn't do that until they got to the lab out in Greykin Valley.

He couldn't ask Damon to consider leaving Ascela for him. It wasn't safe anywhere else in the world for wolf walkers right now, was it? And Damon and his pack had lived out here all their lives. Switching from snowy forests and an icy tundra to an urban environment wouldn't be easy for anyone.

With a quiet sigh, he glanced around again. But then he remembered what Doctor Laurent said. Damon needed to take his antibiotics every twelve hours, and Jackson was sure it was time for his first one. So, he reached around inside his bag and pulled the bottle of green pills out. He stared at it for a moment, searching for side effects on the bottle, but all the information told him was that Damon might feel sleepy or nauseous.

"Why are you looking at those?" Damon suddenly asked.

Jackson glanced up at him. "Oh, uh...it's about time to take your first one, right?"

He grunted and looked away.

"Do you want some water or something to take it with?" Jackson asked as he opened the bottle and took one of the green pills out.