Chapter 10

Starsky drove the borrowed black and white back home, his mind a whirl as he started to think about the reality of his situation. There were so many things to consider, the first and foremost being how easy it had been for Lya to infect him. And if it was so easy for her, then he too could infect anyone with his blood or just about any other secretion! So what of girls? Dating would be a big "no no" from now on, that was a given. And then again, what would happen if he were injured on the job? He couldn't very well let Hutch take the risk of becoming infected by looking after him and he didn't think the local hospitals would be too happy with a lycanthrop on their wards. Perry had told him that healing was accelerated for wolves, but could he heal bullet wounds, or knives? Would there be the same amount of pain? How long would it take? Would he even need a doctor?

Should he tell anyone? Oh my God, should he tell Dobey? He didn't think for one moment that there would be a paragraph in the police personnel manual dealing with "What to do if an officer becomes a monster" and God knows what would happen if he was to turn while out on a job. "Cop eats suspect" wasn't the sort of headline he saw every day on the Bay City Herald. He cursed to himself about his luck, fate, anything and everything. And yet, at the back of his mind was the fact that while all this was going on he felt fitter and livelier and healthier than he had done in years.

As Starsky pulled up outside his apartment and trotted up the steps, he could smell the residual heat of the black top and the warm leaves on the tree. His eyes were blinded by the brilliance of the greenery and the late evening sunlight dappling through the limbs of the old tree and his ears caught the slightest chirrup of the cicadas nearby. The whole world was opening up to him and becoming more "real", as though for the whole of his life he'd been an onlooker until now. Now he was a player in the game of life, a hunter, but unfortunately, his prey was his fellow man. Swallowing down hard, he went quickly inside and locked the door as if doing so would somehow protect the world from him and him from the world. He needed time to deal with this; time to figure out his next move; time to digest the fact that with the next full moon, less than a week away, he would become another type of being.

Across town, Hutch was also wondering what to do next. He'd sat down with Karen and explained to her in raw, plain terms what had happened those two weeks ago in the cave. His sister had dealt with the revelation remarkably well he thought. At least she hadn't run out of the house screaming that her brother had finally gone insane. As to whether she actually appreciated the full depth of what he'd told her, he didn't know and didn't want to guess. For the moment, he was numb and although he'd already phoned Perry, she was the only one who knew anything about werewolves and what this transformation would mean for his partner and ultimately for him.

The blond picked up the telephone and punched in the numbers again and a moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief as Perry answered.

'Um…. I need to talk to someone…well, to you really. I um… I need answers and I um…' he stumbled over his words until the woman interrupted.

'Of course you do, it's a lot to take in love. Shall I come over?'

Hutch looked around. He didn't want Karen to get too involved in this. His sister was back in the kitchen, ostensibly making tea for them, but he thought she really just wanted space to assimilate what he'd told her. He needed to get out. He needed to escape the confines of his apartment and so he shook his head.

'D'ya mind me comin' over there?' he asked.

'No, not at all' Perry's soft Lancashire accent sounded concerned as she gave him her address. He jotted it down and told her he'd be over in 15 minutes. As he put the phone down, he walked back into the kitchen.

'Karen, I'm going out honey. I want you to lock the door, don't open it for anyone and don't answer the telephone huh?'

She turned her piercing blue eyes on him and nodded. 'Not even for Dave? she asked quietly.

Hutch shook his head, a pained expression flitting across his handsome face. 'No' he replied softly 'especially not for Dave.'

'Where are you going? How long will you be?' she asked.

'I'm going to see a friend. I have to do something Sis and this friend may have some answers. I can't…. I won't just leave things to happen. I can't. I don't know when I'll be back, it may be late. Don't wait up, I have a key.' The blond kissed her chastely on the cheek and headed out, waiting just outside the door until he heard the click of the lock. Satisfied his sister was safe, he headed down the steps and out to his car, driving over to Perry's house mindlessly, his hands and feet working the controls automatically as his mind ran scenarios and possibilities.

Fifteen minutes later, the twin white lances of the big headlights swung into the drive of a modest house on the outskirts of the city and Hutch got out. Perry was at the door waiting for him as he approached the entrance and she stepped aside to let him in, showing him into a small living room furnished simply with a sofa, a chair, a coffee table and a small television set.

'I um… I didn't mean to intrude or spoil your night it's just…. I um…'

'Didn't know who else to ask?' she asked with a slight smile.

'Right.'

'So tell me. What exactly happened?' Perry sat back comfortably on the chair, tucking her legs up until she was curled against the arm. Hutch sat stiffly, his body reflecting the unease in his mind. This couldn't be happening, it could be happening.

He took a deep breath and started to recount what had gone on that afternoon. As he told the story, his fingers automatically toyed with the rings now circling his little finger; the rings that had burned his partner's hand and given final credence to the idea that he was about to become something almost other worldly. As he told the tale, Perry sat quietly, listening intently, nodding appropriately and letting the blond continue without pause. She knew it would be hard for him to recount and towards the end, Hutch's voice faltered when he got to the part where Starsky had handed his silver jewellery to him and uttered those few simple words Looks like we got our answer buddy. There had been no histrionics, no melodrama. The words were said in typical Starsky fashion, plain and no nonsense, but the pain behind the words had chilled the blond to the bone.

'So he showed me the burns round his little finger an' that's when we realised that this was for real' he finished. He looked up at Perry whose face was a picture of compassion and suddenly the dam of his emotions broke and he dipped his head to his hands, the hopelessness of the situation finally overwhelming him.

Immediately, Perry rose from her chair and came over to sit by the side of the flaxen haired cop on the sofa. She put her arms around him and hugged him to her as Hutch rested his forehead on her shoulder and accepted the consoling embrace. It felt so right to have told her. She was the only one he knew who would understand and yet he'd known her a scant two weeks and during that time had spent little time alone with her. But she was the occult expert. She was the one who said some of her best friends were werewolves. She was the only one who knew what the two cops were going through.

The big blond and the tiny woman sat for minutes quietly, Hutch silent and brooding and Perry allowing him time to grieve for himself and his partner, but finally Hutch drew away from her.

'What can I do? What can we do? I need to do somethin' to help him. Anythin' he whispered.

'There's not a lot that you can do' Perry said practically. 'Except be there for him. He's going to need a lot of support, and so are you.'

'Ya think?' the cop snickered softly.

'You know, it seems bad now, but he can lead almost a normal life once his first few moons have passed. Then he'll begin to have some control over his changing and maybe, if he gets the chance, he'll even reach the stage where he can decide whether to change or not.'

Hutch looked up sharply. 'What d'ya mean, "If he gets the chance"?'

Perry sighed. 'I mean that there are a lot of things he'll have to deal with. One is that, just like ordinary people, there are good wolves and bad wolves. But whereas people tend to keep themselves to themselves, if Starsky is seen as weak, the rougher element will seek him out and destroy him. And if they don't get him, the hunters might' she said sadly.

'What hunters?' Hutch was almost afraid to ask.

'There are some who know about werewolves; who have the knowledge like me, but are vindictive and want to hunt and kill. Most wolves that make it through their first year of moons have the ability to control their urges to a large extent. But the hunters see them as animals and nothing more. He's going to have to be careful.'

'You mean, as if changin' into this…. this… thing aint bad enough, he's gonna have to avoid bein' shot dead by flakes with guns too?' Hutch asked bitterly.

Perry nodded. 'That's about the size of it. I'm sorry love. But if he does make it, he can still live an almost normal life.'

'As a cop?'

She shook her head. 'I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. That's for you and him to decide.'

The blond plunged his head into his hands again. 'Shit, this is so unfair. After all he's been through!'

'And while you're worrying about him, who's going to look after you?' Perry asked softly.

'Dunno' the answer was muffled in the folds of Hutch's arms and he felt soft fingers pulling at him until he looked up, a lost light in his eyes. Gently Perry held her fingers under his chin and leaned close so that she could graze his lips with hers. She pulled back, scared of the reaction she might get.

Hutch stopped breathing for a second, realising belatedly just what a beautiful woman she was and how much he needed a moment of tenderness to help him through this crazy situation. Without thinking further, he put his arms around Perry and pulled her to him, answering her own tentative kiss with a harder, more urgent one of his own. An instant later, he pulled away, amazed at his own reaction.

'I'm sorry. I should um…. I should leave' he breathed.

Perry regarded him calmly. 'Why?'

'Coz I don't know what power you have over me, but if I stay, I can't be held responsible for my actions' he said huskily. 'I should be worried for my buddy an' instead all I can think of right now is….'

He was silenced by another kiss and this time he didn't hesitate as he felt Perry's tongue shyly begin to explore him mouth. His own tongue danced with hers as his hands started to explore her petite body and as she pushed him back onto the sofa, he realised that this was exactly what he needed.