The Night Beat

by Gini Koch

  “I know this is hard for you,” Ralph said softly, still stroking my hair. “And with what just happened with Wagner,” he snarled the name, “I’m sure you’re confused and not really ready for a relationship with anyone, let alone me.” He closed his eyes. “I just want to know if, after this is over, you think you might still be open to a date, or even going steady.”

  “You heard me?”

  He opened his eyes. “Yeah. I heard you talking -- to someone else and to me. I couldn’t answer, even though I wanted to. So I had to struggle to get to you. According to the doctors, if I hadn’t woken up when I did I’d have dusted.” Ralph gave me a half-smile. “You know what they say about hearing the voice of someone you --” He stopped talking and smiling and looked down. “Well, you know.” He let go of me and headed for the door.

  “You really are a dork, you know.”

  Ralph’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I know.”

  “I mean, you have the girl all ready to burst into tears and tell you how sorry she is that she was an unobservant idiot and how much she wants you to hold her and do that growl thing again, let alone that kiss thing again. And instead of taking advantage of the moment, you decide to trot off. Did you date at all before I met you?”

  He spun around. “Not really, no.”

  “It shows.” He stood there, looking very unsure and also, I was happy to realize, really cute. Like a big puppy who wasn’t sure if he was going to get swatted or loved on. Clearly, I was going to have to help. “Ralph, this is the part where you kiss me again.”

  He brightened up. “Really?”

  I couldn’t help it -- I laughed. “Come closer and find out.”

  Chapter 63

  Our incredibly hot make-out session was interrupted by Sexy Cindy. “Maurice says to stop slobbering on each other because we need you two, now. Exact quote, by the way. If it were me, I’d let you two go at it.”

  Ralph and I separated. “Fine, fine. But Ralph has to stay here.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Maurice got him cleared. The doctors want him under observation, so he has to stay in a full team, no solo work. Otherwise, good to go.”

  “Our kind heals fast,” Ralph reminded me.

  “True. I just don’t want you to get hurt again.” My voice was back to almost-whining.

  Ralph hugged me tightly. “We’ll be fine. A pack together can never be defeated.”

  I didn’t make any sarcastic comment and I wondered at myself. His outlook, while still a little militant, made sense now. And I felt safer next to him.

  Normally I’d have been in a funk over what had happened with Jack and hesitant about getting involved with Ralph for a variety of justifiable reasons. But I’d made the fastest mating switch of my entire existence, thanks to Jack actually being evil incarnate, and I still wasn’t having any problems with it. And if it would make the horrific ick factor about having been intimate with what was at least a part of my biological father fade away sooner as opposed to later, so much the better.

  “You got a big pack, if they don’t all have to have four legs,” Sexy Cindy said. She gave me a wry grin. “Told you he was gonna be worth it.”

  “You did. Good insight. Who’s with us besides you?”

  “Freddy, Merc, L.K., pretty much everyone else from earlier.” She gave me a long look, then stuck her head out the door. “Boys!” Freddy, Merc and L.K. arrived. “You three take Ralph back to Maurice. We girls’ll be along as soon as we clean up a little.”

  No one argued. Either Sexy Cindy was really gaining some on-the-job authority, or I looked like hell.

  The males trooped out. “Okay, how bad do I look?”

  Sexy Cindy shook her head. “You look okay. I mean, brush your hair and straighten your clothes, but otherwise, you’re fine. You and Ralph seem all loved up. You sure you’re okay?”

  I considered lying, but Amanda wasn’t here and I needed someone to talk to. Besides, I probably wouldn’t fool Sexy Cindy either. “I think I am, but let’s be honest, I’m not totally sure. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I feel completely out of love with Jack and more than grossed-out by the whole experience. I wanted to give Ralph a chance, even before I saw him in human form, and it feels natural and right to be with him like this. But, Adversary or not, beyond-gross familial relationship or not, I was so in love with Jack….”

  “What you thought was Jack.”

  “Ralph thinks he was a sleeper. He’s probably right. But that means I didn’t just fall in love with Jack’s exterior, I had to have fallen in love with at least a part of him. So, the part I fell in love with was likely more Jack than Adversary.” I considered Jack without Adversary parts. “Of course, he was screwing Susan the day dispatcher, and as far as I can tell, planned to keep on doing it even while professing undying love to me.”

  She snorted. “Could be a good reason why you’re not losing it.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe, but still, even though he wasn’t cheating on me with another being, Jude did have a mistress -- saving the planes of existence. But when I broke up with him I couldn’t consider dating for close to a decade. It was easier with Ken.”

  “You were in love with Jude, and you weren’t in love with Ken.” Statement, not question.

  “Yeah, I suppose. But I thought I was in love with Ken.”

  “Why didn’t it work for you?”

  I thought about it. “He was too perfect. He never minded that I wasn’t as perfect as he was, but I felt…inadequate, I guess.”

  She chuckled. “He told me you dumped him and he was really crushed because he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong. He went out of his way to be perfect, from what he said.”

  “Thanks, ‘cause I don’t feel bad enough.”

  “Oh, he’s over it. He realized you two weren’t really going to work out, and he’s relieved you’re still close friends. Jude wasn’t perfect, was he?”

  I controlled the snort. “No. He’s awesome, but not perfect. He’d be the first one to tell you that, too.”

  “Flaws are interesting. Ken’s realizing that, I think.”

  “How so?”

  She giggled. “He told me he’s hemoglobin-intolerant.”

  Ken had bad reactions to drinking blood? Who knew? Well, Sexy Cindy, apparently. A thought waved its tail. “Are you two becoming an item?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe, if we all survive this. He feels real bad for messing me and Freddy up, undead-wise, so he’s spent a lot of time apologizing. More to me than to Freddy.”

  I looked at her carefully. “You like Freddy, too, don’t you?”

  “Yeah. He always treated me like I was more than a whore, you know?”

  “Because you always were more than a whore.”

  “But I didn’t know that.” She looked down. “This is gonna sound stupid, I think. But thank you.”

  “Uh, for what?”

  She looked up. “For also seeing me as more than a whore.”

  I shook my head. “Everyone gets a fresh start, once they undie.”

  “Girl, you knew me as a human, okay? Maybe Ken and the others, they look at me clean. But you’re a cop, and I was a street hooker, and you knew me that way for a good long time. But you still listened to me and let me back you up, and I don’t think any other being would have done that.”

  “Well, we’ll never know. But for what it’s worth, if I’d known how smart you were back when you were a living human, I’d have dragged you off the streets and into some sort of hooker-rehab.”

  “I’d have fought it,” she said flatly. Then she grinned. “But not any more. I like being a sorta-cop.”

  “You’re good at it, so I’m relieved you’re not wishing you were safely tucked away at the University.”

  “Nah, I like kicking butt and taking names.”

  “It’s addictive, isn’t it? So, before we hug and sing ‘We Are the Undead World’, you want to give me your thoughts about my twisted love life, just in case I’ve missed som
ething? Like that I’m not handling it well and will fall apart at the worst possible time?”

  “Sure.” She laughed. “If we ignore the whole ‘he’s really the Adversary’ thing and your suspicions about him sleeping around -- which he was, but you didn’t know that when it mattered -- Jack was too perfect. He was almost like Ken, only Ken’s got real flaws, he just knows how to hide them well. But Jack was made to be perfect for you, and that made him actually the wrong guy.”

  “Somewhere there was logic in that explanation, but I’ve missed it.”

  She shook her head. “Girl, you’re gonna have to trust me. Maurice thinks if you’d seen Ralph in human form years ago you two would already be married.”

  “Married seems a little fast and extreme.” Only, in a way, it didn’t. I considered checking myself for fever.

  “Right. As if you’re determined to be single forever? Face it, you saw the dude without fur and started drooling. No argument there, either. He’s hot.”

  “Jack was more handsome.” Jack was more everything. I didn’t care any more, but facts were facts.

  “Maybe. Ralph’s a lot more…real.”

  And per Nurse Nancy, well-endowed. And Ralph not only was a great kisser, but not even Jack had done that growl thing. My breathing got heavier just thinking about the growl-thing.

  “So you don’t think I’m rebounding, or rebounding stupidly or dangerously?”

  “Nope. I think you’re doing so good because Jack was wrong for you and Ralph is right. But I think the bad guys are gonna try to play Jack against Ralph, maybe even against Ken and Jude, to get you.”

  “Wonderful.”

  We did a fast straighten of the room, just to show willing and pretend we hadn’t been spending time on girl talk. I managed to make myself look somewhat presentable, then we caught up with the others.

  Ralph was there, flanked by Maurice, Amanda and Ken. I relaxed a little and it was a shock -- I hadn’t realized I’d been worried about his safety, but clearly I had. I looked around -- Ken and I were still the highest ranking officers. Unless, of course, Ralph ranked higher, which was a real possibility.

  “What’re your orders, Vic?” Ralph asked, as if he was reading my mind. I wondered if he was. It wasn’t really a werewolf trait, but instincts were so strong in our race that he might just be reading my smell.

  It dawned on me that he was still in human form. “You’re going to go out without paws on?”

  “The doctors want me remaining in human form for a while.” He sounded evasive and I decided to have the rest of this particular conversation in private.

  “Okay. I’d like fast, high-level updates. What’ve we got?”

  Ken pulled out a list. It looked like a long list. Lucky us. He sighed. “Maybe you want to sit down.”

  Chapter 64

  I chose to lean against a nearby wall. “Can’t wait.”

  “No,” Ken agreed. “We can’t.”

  He took a deep breath but before he could say anything I remembered something. Something important. Something important that I’d left behind. “Oh, no. The bag!” I didn’t wait. I turned wolf, turned tail, and ran, as fast as I could.

  Wolves can run fast to begin with, but werewolves are faster. I left the shouting far behind me in short order. However, I wasn’t alone.

  “What are you doing?” Ralph was panting a little, but he was right next to me.

  “What are you doing? You weren’t supposed to change, per the doctors.”

  “You’re not supposed to act insane and then race off without warning or backup.”

  “Whatever.” I hadn’t seen that memo.

  “What are we doing and why?”

  “I’m going after the stuff we took from Cotton’s pawn shop. The things that Tomio left and Jack selected. I just hope we’re not too late.” I sped up. Jack might have forgotten them, too, what with all that had been going on, but if it had dawned on me, then it was likely to have dawned on him. So the only thing our side had going for it was that he might not have realized where the bag of stuff had ended up.

  As we ran like Hell was on our tails, I filled Ralph in on what was in said bag. “Wonderful,” he growled as we reached the OLOC. “So Gods and Monsters knows what is in the hands of the Prince’s minions.”

  “Not yet. I hope.” We raced alongside the moving sidewalk -- we were going faster than it could ever hope to move. Just before we reached the doorway I changed back to human. Ralph followed suit. Only, in his case, it was more like birthday suit. “Whoa!” I didn’t know whether to look or not. But, you know, I looked. I mean, it was there, on full display. Full, impressive display.

  “Whoa what?” It was cute, he was confused.

  “You never told me you went commando. Back to wolf! Back to wolf!” I couldn’t help it, I wasn’t looking at his face. I was looking at his naked body. All of it, and then specifically one part of it.

  “What? Why?”

  “Ralph, the special werewolf suits, that you’re not wearing? The ones that change with us so we’re never butt-naked if we go human…that you’re not wearing!”

  I managed to wrench my eyes up. He was turning bright red. “They itch,” he muttered.

  “Poor baby. Back to wolf!”

  “Sorry.”

  I snorted. “Trust me. You have nothing to apologize for. However, any straight women or gay men who see you like this will ensure that you’re not spending any time fighting evil tonight, okay?” Nurse Nancy had not overstated Ralph’s endowment. I was managing not to drool only because time was truly of the essence. Okay, maybe a little drool.

  He shifted and I could breathe somewhat freely again. “Sorry.” He sounded ready to kill himself.

  “Ah, Ralph? Let’s just say that next time you should listen to Maurice and let it go at that. I’m not repulsed or horrified. But we’re in the middle of a situation, so now isn’t the time for me to realize the fantasies are true and all. Let’s get this handled, then get back to Enforcement Headquarters and get you some appropriate clothing.”

  “I didn’t mean to flash you.”

  “Ralph, really. Apologize to me later. Like, after you go to human again but before you put on the special suit.” My mind raced off and suggested Ralph change in my bedroom. I wrenched it back to the present. “Right now, though, we have to hurry.”

  I took off, Ralph next to me, rounded the corner to the parking lot and, to my relief, the unmarked sedan was there, seeming unmolested. I took a careful look around. If we were being watched, I couldn’t tell.

  “Sniff for bombs or whatever.”

  “Why me?” Ralph asked. “You can sniff, too, you know.”

  “Yeah, but you’re all set up for it. Be Mommy’s precious puppy and act like a K-9 cop.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there are humans around and I don’t know if we’re being watched.”

  Ralph gave me a grumbling growl but trotted over and started sniffing. He wagged the “all clear” and I opened the driver’s door. To my total lack of surprise, the keys weren’t in the ignition. “Bite me.”

  “Happily, but I thought we were waiting for a better time.”

  “Ralph, you have hidden depths.”

  “Supposedly. Where’s what we’re looking for?”

  “I’ll get it. I was hoping to take this car with us, though.”

  “Why?”

  I didn’t have a great answer. Sentimental value. Prosaic City P.D. property. I didn’t want Jack to get it. “I don’t want Jack to get it.”

  “Remind me to run if we break up. Uh, are we actually dating?”

  “You are so cute. To think I’ve missed it all these years. I don’t know, do that growl-thing again.” He did. Didn’t change a thing that he was in wolf form while doing it. I was ready to go, in any form requested. “Yeah, if we live through this, we’re dating.”

  I popped the trunk and got out of the car. Ralph trotted around back with me. “You know, the growl-thing, as you call it,
is part of the overall werewolf mating ritual and dates back to the first known werewolves --”

  “Ralph, honey, did Maurice suggest this topic as the way to go in the ‘getting to know you on an intimate level’ chit-chat category?”

  “No. He said to shut up.”

  “Listen to Maurice. He is your friend.” I breathed a sigh of relief. The bag was right where I’d stuffed it. I pulled it out and took a quick look. Bunch of scrolls, whacked out pseudo-guitar, a book, a knife, bag of marbles, an ancient record player complete with vinyl only a desperate DJ could love? Check. Hideous little statue that still made me shudder? Double check. “It’s all here.” And someone needed to help me figure out what this stuff was for and why it was important. “Can you hotwire a car?”

  “Yeah, but I have to go to human form to do it.”

  “Okay. Make it so.” I went back to the driver’s door and held it open.

  “What part of I’ll be naked didn’t you catch?”

  “None of it. I’ll cover you, so to speak. Sure, I’ll be staring at you the entire time, but I promise, I won’t let anyone else see.” I was kind of jealous that way.

  “How would you manage that?”

  “Big bag, I’ll hover so I don’t miss anything, and so on. Hurry up, I want to miss the minions, if you know what I mean.”

  “I thought you said humans were around.”

  He had a point. “Okay. In boy!”

  Ralph glared at me, but jumped into the car. “Now what?”

  “Hunker down, do the change, hotwire the car. Really, are you sure you’re Special Ops?” I got another glare as he did as requested. I got in, put the bag on the seat between us, and closed the door. “You know, you have a great butt.”

  “I’d be flattered if you were telling me this when I didn’t have my face right by where everyone’s feet have been.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I can still smell him.” The way he said “him” -- snarling and with fangs clearly bared -- I knew who he meant.