Whew, I was almost afraid I wasn't going to finish this chapter in one day. So here it is. And yes, there are still some loose ends I have to tie up . . . such as who was trying to shish-ka-bob our two young 'wolves. :)

Review Responses:

Ghostwriter: Thanks!

SylverSpyder: Loved your review. That made me laugh. :) Probably one of my best lines in this whole story.

Chapter 21

Tom wasn't sure how long they stayed out there. He was vaguely aware that Jackson had left, as the alpha had gingerly picked his way around them on his way out of the Chapel. Finally, the sound of Jenko's voice calling them inside and the sight of Doug roaring up on his motorcycle jolted him out of his trance. For the first time, he noticed that Judy's head was resting on his shoulder.

Uh, okay . . .

"Hey, guys!" Penhall greeted them as he made his way—noisily—up the stairs. Then he noticed how close they were, and a slightly embarrassed expression crossed his features. "Oh, uh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?

Judy's head whipped up from Tom's shoulder so fast that he thought she'd break her neck. Nervously, he ran a hand through his locks of brown hair, suddenly wishing it was fur. "Uh, no. Doug, what are you doing here? And where's Ioki?"

His best friend shrugged. "I forgot something here, and no, I have no idea where Iokage is. If you see him, say hi to him for me, will ya?"

"I think you're going to have to do that yourself," Judy said, pointing. "He's right behind you."

Penhall turned around, yelped, and shot a foot into the air. "Geez, Harry, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Who said anything about sneaking?" Harry asked, grinning.

Tom glanced over at Judy, who was laughing, and cracked a smile of his own. "He has a point there, Doug."

"HANSON!"

At the sound of Jenko's voice, the lupine sighed and heaved himself to his feet. As he'd said earlier, he had no idea how he could keep this a secret for much longer. So far Judy was the only one who knew the truth about him . . . but that was different.

Entering the main room of the chapel again, he saw his captain didn't look happy. "Yes, Coach?"

Jenko's dark eyes flashed. "Do you want to tell me what the hell just happened? Or is that something that's on a need-to-know basis?"

Hanson resisted the urge to growl. Turning away, he said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Judy, Doug, and Harry crowded in the doorway.

"Try me," Jenk said.

Judging from the worried look in Judy's eyes, Hanson's own eyes had gone yellow. She mouthed frantically, "What are you doing?" Tom ignored her and turned back around, feeling the 'wolf inside him stir at the look on his captain's face. "Okay, fine. You're going to think I'm totally crazy, but—"

"Hanson, you're not crazy," Hoffs said, stepping out from her spot in the doorway and walking over to him. "Of course, you did try to eat me . . ."

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

Penhall coughed. "Uh, excuse me. You tried to eat Judy?"

"No! Well, yes, but no. I wasn't really in control."

Harry just looked confused, while Jenko held up his hands. "Whoa, hold it, back up. What are you talking about? And Hanson, does this have anything to do with your reaction to Jackson?"

Tom sighed, struggling with the impulse to flash sharp canines at his captain. "Yeah, you could say that. I'm a werewolf."

Of course, Judy wasn't surprised, but Doug and Harry's reactions were priceless: Harry's face reflected his sense of horror, and Doug leaped backwards, eyes wide. Jenko just eyed him warily. "For real?"

Hanson growled and curled his lip to show fangs. "Is this proof enough, or would you prefer I shift forms?"

"No, we're good," Ioki and Penhall said in unison, while Judy nodded slowly and licked her lips. Apparently, she was now over the fact his 'wolf had tried to make a meal out of her. Well . . . so did he, but in a much different way. Oh, can it, Tom! Finally, he shifted his gaze to Jenko, who shuffled his feet uncomfortably. The hang-on hippie muttered, "No. Come to think of it, this does explain why you've been acting so odd recently. And Judy, how long have you known?"

"Well, I'm a newblood," Hanson explained hastily. "I've only been a 'wolf for the past few days, and, well, sometimes it's hard to keep control." He smiled slightly. "Judy can testify to that."

"Oh, yeah," Hoffs agreed, slinging an arm around Tom's neck. Feeling the rest of the team staring at the two of them, Hanson flushed crimson. "Uh, can we get back to the case?" he asked.

Penhall snapped out of his daze. "You guys have a break?"

"Yeah, and we now know who killed Ashley," Tom replied. "Jenk, do you think you can get us an arrest warrant?"

"Sure." The word came out tersely, and Tom found Jenko's expression hard to read. "Look, everyone, it's Saturday. You should all be at home, not here in the chapel!"

"What about you?" Ioki retorted. "You're here."

"Well, I was just about to leave. You know I play with my garage band on Saturday night. See ya guys later." And with that, Jenko walked out, leaving his four officers alone.

Taking in the looks on Doug and Harry's faces, Tom swallowed hard. The truth was out, and now he had to deal with the consequences. But how were they going to react?

Meh. I was kinda hoping for a few more chapters before Hanson was kinda forced to reveal his furry little secret to the rest of the team, but this works (I think). And now for the arrest scene . . . *evil grin; wrings hands* Mwhahahahahaha!