Chapter 8: Resolve

It had been two hours since Els was found and Legosi was taken away. The entire school was in an uproar and many students were calling their parents to tell them what had happened.

Meanwhile, the school's faculty was running around like wild beasts as they tried to keep things under control. This effort didn't amount to much as they not only had to keep the students under control, but also deal with concerned families that were threatening to pull their children out of the school.

"What a mess," an old, well dressed tiger said with a sigh. "Of course, I can't blame the students or their families for going into a frenzy. This is the second time a student was attacked on our watch."

As the adult carnivore tried to think about what he should do next, he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and in came a female swan in a secretary uniform.

"Principal Gon, we got a call from the hospital," she said looking down at her clipboard. "I'm happy to report that the dall sheep, Els, will make a full recovery. She will however need to stay hospitalized for the foreseeable future and that she may need rehabilitation. She got lucky, all things considered."

"We also got word from our security team. They said that the young wolf student, Le-go-si, has been very cooperative so far, but he has shown signs of extreme stress. What's most concerning however is that he claims to have no memory of the night's events beyond a certain point and that his roommates are also suffering from memory loss."

She looked up from her clipboard. "Do you have any further questions?"

Principal Gon rubbed his face, his glasses pushed aside as he did. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Has the hospital been able to identify who or what attacked young Els or find any connection between her and the incident from a few months back?" he asked.

The avian flipped through her notes. "Unfortunately, they haven't been able to find any, besides the obvious. Both victims were herbivores and their wounds could only have come from a carnivore, a very large and powerful one."

"Well that really narrows it down," the older tiger said sarcastically as he sighed.

"What about Legosi? Was the security team able to confirm that he and his roommates have amnesia?"

The secretary nodded. "Yes, they sent an officer to question them and they confirmed his story. None of them remember anything from last night except for watching a movie and ordering take out. When questioned about the food, they claim that they don't remember what they ordered or if they even paid for it."

"Well that's not suspicious at all," Gon muttered to himself. "Alright, it seems that we won't get any more answers there, so for now, just have security let Legosi go."

"Are you sure about that?" the female swan asked. "Their story is suspicious and we did capture Legosi on camera."

The tiger nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll admit that his story is… sketchy at best. However, I don't want to keep him there any longer than he needs to be. I see no reason in suspecting such a good student, especially since he did all he could to save Els's life."

"For now, let him return to his friends and get in contact with that therapist he's been seeing. I'm sure he'll be able to get more out of Legosi than we ever could."

The secretary nodded to her superior and was about to exit the room, but before she could, Gon spoke up.

"Sorry, but there's one last thing before you go," the carnivorous principle said.

"Yes sir?" the swan asked.

Gon let out a small cough. "I need to ask, what of the other students? The ones that either Threw up or fainted. How are they holding up?"

The secretary looked through her notepad until she found the page with the information.

"Well, it seems that the students who fainted are still in the infirmary as they haven't woken up yet. As for the ones who threw up, they were given stomach medicine and are now resting in their rooms. According to the nurse, she recommends that both groups be given counseling."

The old tiger nodded to his assistant before dismissing her. The avian nodded her head and left the room.

Principal Gon, after letting out another sigh, reached into his desk and pulled out a folder. He opened it and took out a photo of Legosi and several papers detailing the wolf's recent activities.

"It's funny isn't it?" the adult tiger asked himself as he stared at the photo. "Even when you do nothing or try to be helpful, you're still suspected of a crime, undoing all the good you did."

"You saved your friend, put a stop to a gang, and helped lead your club into a new direction. Yet here you are, in the custody of the school's guards with an herbivore accusing you of attacking the very person you saved."

Principal Gon put the photo down, walked over to the window and looked towards the city as if looking for an answer.

"Just shows how messed up our society truly is."

Back at the canine dorm, Collot and the others had Jack tell them everything about his relationship with Legosi. This included when Jack first developed feelings for the wolf and how it was Legosi who confessed his love first. Needless to say, the 701 pack members were feeling a multitude of emotions upon hearing Jack's tale.

"So wait, are you saying that you've liked Legosi for a while, but you never said anything?" Miguno asked.

"Yea, for the most part," Jack said with a soft nod, his ears folding back. "But it's a little more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?" the hyena asked.

"What do you mean, what do you mean?" Durham asked in annoyance. "There's no way you're this dense."

"Jack has been Legosi's best friend forever, to the point where they were practically brothers. Now all of a sudden Jack develops feelings for Legosi? That's a pretty big bomb to drop and oh yea, one more thing, THEY'RE BOTH GUYS!"

Collot, who had covered his ears during the rant, put a hand on the coyote's shoulder.

"Durham, you need to calm down," the large sheep dog said in a soothing voice. "I mean, yea, it is a big deal, but you're not really helping."

Durham glared at his friend, making it clear that he's not in the mood to listen. He turned back to Jack and spoke.

"Now you listen to me you bastard! I can forgive the fact that you hid your feelings for Legosi! I can also forgive the fact that you kept it secret from us since you were still figuring it out! What I CAN'T forgive, is you and Legosi hiding the fact that you started dating from us, but then basically announced it to the whole school with that little STUNT OF YOURS!"

Jack frowned. "I… I know… and I'm sorry. Truth is, Legosi and I were planning on telling you, but we didn't know how to tell you. That is, until Legosi suggested we tell Voss so that he could help us tell you guys."

The others turned to Voss who shook his head. He explained that he didn't know about this either, but that even if he had known, he wouldn't have said anything since it was something Jack and Legosi had to say.

"Yea, Legosi figured you'd say that," Jack said sorrowfully. "Anyway, that's the whole story. Sorry for keeping it a secret for so long. But please understand why we did. This isn't the same sort of situation as if we had found girlfriends. Legosi and I, we genuinely love each other, but since we're both males…"

Collot put his hand up. "It's alright Jack, we get it and it's ok."

"Is it though?" Miguno asked. "Don't get me wrong, I get it, but it's still a lot to take in."

"You're damn right it is," Durham said before letting out a sigh. "That said, I can't help but feel hurt. I mean, didn't you trust us? Sure, we would have been surprised, even confused, but it's not like we would abandon you."

"I know that!" Jack barked. "I knew that I could trust you, it's… myself I couldn't trust. Me liking Legosi and being in a relationship with him, it felt like… I don't know? Like it wasn't real. Like, a part of me wasn't sure about this. I love Legosi, but I was scared. Scared of being vulnerable, scared of losing him, and scared of everything we'll have to deal with once we came out. I just wasn't sure I was ready for it, you know?"

"Then of course, there's the whole both of us are males part. I honestly don't know if I'm gay. I just know that I love Legosi regardless of his gender. I've never felt this kind of attraction to anyone, male or female. It's one of the biggest reasons why I've been so doubtful of this situation."

"Am I really gay or is Legosi just a special case? Do I truly love him or do I love the idea of him? These questions have been in the back of my mind for the longest time and while I can finally answer the second one, it's the first question that still bothers me."

"I just know that when I'm with him, there's this warm feeling in my chest and I can't help but smile. He makes me feel safe, secure, and most importantly, happy."

Jack gave his packmates a determined look. "I know it's weird and that you guys probably won't be able to understand it right away, but I can say for sure that Legosi is the only one for me."

The others were speechless. Jack was so brave and earnest that it shook them to their cores. Never had they seen Jack show such conviction before.

It seemed as if time had been frozen, but the moment passed as their dorm room's door opened causing everyone to turn their heads. To their shock, it was Legosi who had returned faster than expected.

"Hey guys, sorry to worry you all," the wolf said as he closed the door behind him.

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do but-" he started as he turned around but saw his roommates staring at him.

He could tell from their gaze just how shocked they were, but he didn't expect the intensity of their stares.

"Uh, is everything ok?" Legosi asked before scratching the back of his head. "If this is about what Jack and I did, I understand if you're upset and I promise to try and explain. Umm… is it ok if I talk to Jack first though?"

Collot, finally getting a sense of himself, shook his head and spoke.

"Umm… actually Legosi, I think you should talk to us first," Collot said in a calm voice, snapping everyone else back to reality.

"Uh… yea, what he said," Miguno barked.

Voss jumped on the table and nodded in agreement before signing his concerns to Legosi. He asked the largest member of their pack how it went with the security and if he knew how his friend was.

Just as Legosi was about to explain, Durham slammed his hands on the table.

"Legosi!" the coyote said in a stern voice. He took a deep breath and forged ahead. "This thing with you and Jack… We know that you're dating and how it happened. Jack already told us everything."

"That being said, I think we want to hear your side of the story. I can wait till after you tell us what happened with security, but not a second later." Durham clenched his fists while they were still on the table. "I know this sounds harsh, but I… I need to know… please."

Legosi's ears folded back. He'd never seen Durham look so vulnerable before. It was clear to the wolf how much his friend was hurting, despite his attempts to hide it. It made him feel even more guilty about what he was going to do.

"Durham, I promise you I will. But before any of that, please know that I never meant to betray your trust. Not with Jack and my secret nor with what I'm about to do," the wolf explained.

Durham looked up at his friend in confusion as the wolf walked over to Jack. His eyes widened as he saw Legosi kiss Jack right in front of him and his roommate, surprising even the labrador himself.

Legosi, who was still pressing his lips against his boyfriend's, pulled away slightly to see Jack's closed eyes. The wolf then brought him into a soft hug as he began to nuzzle him.

"When you kissed me like that, it made me so happy!" Legosi whispered, causing the labrador to rest his head on the wolf's shoulder. "I confessed my love to you in a private hospital room, while you confessed your love in front of everyone."

"I love you so much, yet I could never do something like that. That's why I wanted to, at the very least, confess in front of our roommates. I know I was the one who wanted to tell them, but kissing in front of them terrified me. But, when you showed me how brave you were, it gave me the courage to do this."

"I'm still weak Jack, but I promise I'll become someone you can be proud of and depend on. That starts right now!"

"But you aren't weak!" Durham barked. "Legosi, we know you. You're a very private person and you hate it when people stare at you and this thing with you and Jack was a big secret. What Jack did, he did it out of desperation."

"He's right, Legosi. The way I kissed you in front of everyone, I did it cause I was scared. It wasn't because I was brave or anything," the labrador said softly as he hugged his boyfriend even tighter.

Legosi gave Jack a few licks on his cheek as he slowly let him out of his grip. He then gave the yellow dog a gentle smile before turning to the others, who were all blushing from the display of affection. He took a deep breath as he had everyone sit down.

The wolf sat down next to the labrador and explained everything to his pack. He told them about the questioning, about what security had found, and about them letting him know the sheep's condition.

They were relieved to know that Els was going to recover and happy to know that Legosi wasn't harassed like last time. They were unsure about Jack and Legosi's relationship, but decided to be supportive nonetheless and were just happy to finally know the full truth.

"That's the whole story," Legosi said as he bowed his head. "We never meant any harm. It all just… happened. I guess the fact that Jack and I were still getting used to the idea of dating made it harder to tell you guys."

"You guys know what I mean right? None of us has ever dated before. So the fact that Jack and I are childhood friends on top of both of us being male made something we know nothing about even more complicated."

"Still, we had to talk to someone, which is why I thought we should tell Voss. He's the one to go to for advice after all."

Collot looked to the side for a moment before raising his head to speak.

"Yea, I get it," he said in a reassuring voice. " Honestly, I don't know what I would have done if I was in your situation."

"Got that right," Miguno barked. "No wonder you guys were a mess. I mean, how do you even begin to explain something like that?"

As Jack and Legosi were starting to feel better about things, Durham suddenly stood up, gaining everyone's attention.

"Jack, Legosi," the coyote said in a calm yet stern voice.

"Yes?" Jack and Legosi responded.

"I'm sorry," Durham said as he bowed his head, his ears folding back.

The other canines' tails jumped as they all looked at him in surprise.

"Why are you apologizing?" Jack asked. "We were the ones who-"

"Because I've been an idiot," the coyote stated as he raised his head, his fists clenched.

"I don't get it," Legosi said in confusion as his ear flickered. "You haven't done anything."

Voss tapped his foot on the table getting everyone's attention. He started signing to them that Legosi was right and that if Durham thought he was an idiot because of how upset he kept getting, then there's nothing to be sorry about. His anger was understandable as nobody had any details. Now that everyone was on the same page, they could finally start over and move on.

"I appreciate what you're saying, big guy, but that's not what I'm apologizing for. I've been a hypocrite."

Durham looked at Jack and Legosi so they made eye contact. "This whole time, I've been telling you guys that you need to trust us, to trust me, but now I see I was wrong. It wasn't just about you guys not trusting us, it was also about us not trusting you."

The mid-sized canine shook his head. "We should have realized that you were going through some stuff and trusted you enough to tell us when you were ready. Instead, we dragged it out of you by pressuring you both to tell us. Maybe if we backed off, you two wouldn't have made such a big scene."

"I'm sorry that I forced you two into this situation. I'm not gonna try to defend myself here, but I want you to understand why I did it."

"Ever since the whole bullying thing and that incident with the dog gang, I've been afraid of what you guys might get into. I was scared you would get into something deep again and I wanted to be there for you. I know that's no excuse, but it's the truth."

Durham gave them his own determined look. "I'm sorry… for everything."

Legosi stood up, walked over to his packmate and hugged him. He had no idea that Durham's actions were a result of what happened to them.

To Legosi, the coyote didn't have any reason to feel guilty since he didn't have anything to do with those incidents. However, it was because he wasn't involved, that he felt this way. Durham only wanted to be there for him and Legosi couldn't see that until now.

"Durham, I'm sorry. I never once noticed you felt that way. All this time, you've been taking responsibility for not being able to help us. Meanwhile, all we cared about was hiding our relationship from everyone. God, we really were selfish, weren't we?" Legosi said as he started to tear up.

Durham hugged the wolf back and started nuzzling his neck slightly. The larger carnivore's scent felt like a breath of fresh hair as it promised a new start for them.

After Legosi let Durham go, Jack came over and hugged him as well, asking the coyote to forgive them for being selfish as well. The coyote told him there was nothing to forgive and that it was time for all of them to move on. Everyone agreed and started talking about what they should do first with their renewed friendship. Perhaps a few wrestling matches and tickle fights would suffice.

Here's this chapter's secret

Did you know that Durham first met Jack and Legosi when they were being harassed in middle school? He saw some herbivore students trying to prove their point about carnivores by either trying to fight them or getting them to fight no matter how much they refused, prompting him to intervene. The three of them have been inseparable ever since that day, often laughing about how easily they beat those students and how stupid they were for being scared.