The Night Beat

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