The lone white wolf stood proudly under the moonlight. A second dark wolf stood by its side, with its head raised proudly and a coat that had loose curls, giving it a masculine look.
~~
~~~
The red light seemed to last longer. Starsky gripped the steering wheel. "I had a clear shot at that turkey today, then he ran behind that dumpster. Puff, he was gone. It's like we're fighting things we can't see..." He raised his arm out of his Torino. "Will ya turn green, already?"
Out of the dark, a tall man bolted across the street, then stopped in front of the Torino. He hit his fist on the hood and growled an animal-like cry. He looked up in fear, as heat lightning lit up the almost clear sky. Then he raced towards the alley.
Hutch raised his voice and pointed his finger. "The dumpster, that's the guy!"
The blond detective rushed after the strange man. He approached the dark alley warily.
Hutch held his Magnum tightly. His blond hair fell to his collar, a sandy blond with just a hint of gold when the moon cast its light. His opponent had no weapon and held his hands more like claws. His hair, a dirty blond, hung long down his back. He seemed feral as he growled. His eyes shone blood red in the light.
Hutch's eyes took on a penetrating, but cautious appearance, as he watched the man's every move. The feral had animal-like movements. A full harvest moon was high in the sky now, casting dancing shadows in the dark alleyway. Suddenly, he leaped high into the air and landed on Hutch.
Starsky came out of the dark shadows, screaming, "Hutchhh!" The man's teeth seemed almost fang-like, coming to sharp points. His fangs ripped through Hutch's neck, tearing it open and exposing raw flesh. The blond detective screamed in terror; blood quickly soaked the collar of his white shirt.
Several bullets whizzed past Hutch, and the feral man dropped to the ground. Starsky ran towards his partner. Before he reached his blond friend, the feral had already risen from the asphalt, standing over six feet tall. Starsky raised his Colt and aimed; one shot rang out, killing the feral.
Starsky instantly ripped his white dress shirt and used the piece of cloth to put pressure on his partner's neck. Hutch raised his hand to touch Starsky's face. "I don't feel so good, buddy."
The curly-haired brunet detective grabbed Hutch under his arm, holding his partner close. The red Torino was waiting with its lights flashing and doors open. He gently put Hutch into the passenger seat, then closed the door. Starsky got into the driver's seat, put the car in drive, and slammed his foot on the accelerator. He drove towards Bay City General Hospital.
Starsky swiftly grabbed the microphone. "This is Zebra 3. We have an emergency. I need Captain Dobey to meet me at Bay City General Hospital."
~~ ~
The red Torino was parked in front of the emergency room door. He reached for Hutch, who had passed out. "I need a doctor!"
A nurse quickly wheeled a stretcher out. "What happened?" The brunet detective carefully laid his partner down. "An animal bit him."
Starsky paced the floor, watching the door through which Hutch had been taken. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned. Captain Dobey stood, wearing a white shirt and black tie. "I was at Minnie's birthday dinner. We got worried when you two didn't show up. Then I got your message."
Starsky pointed at the desk. "I tried to call, but they wouldn't let me use the hospital's desk phone. The pay phone was too far away from..." He glanced at the room where his partner was.
Captain Dobey's coffee-brown eyes stared at the emergency room door.
"I don't know anything, Cap'n He glanced at his watch. "It's been two hours." He shrugged.
The trauma room door swung open, and a small Asian woman walked swiftly towards the detective and his captain. Starsky's heart felt relieved. Dr. Quo had been Terry's doctor. He trusted her even though she couldn't save Terry's life; no one could have.
Her hair was dark, with silver threads throughout; her eyes held a warm smile. She reached out and took Starsky's hand gently. "How are you doing, Mr. Starsky?"
His eyes took on a distant stare; the past still gripped him tightly. Starsky said, "I'm as well as expected. How's my blond half doing?"
"Mr. Hutch is stable; we stitched his neck wound. It wasn't as deep as it appeared. If it had been any deeper, it would have punctured an artery. It bled profusely because his adrenaline was high.
Starsky appeared anxious and relieved. "Can I see him?"
Dr. Quo gently smiled. "He is still sedated. Go eat, then you may visit him for a short while."
"Cap'n, we have to keep this under wraps. He waved his arm around towards Dr. Quo, who had walked down the hallway. It was an animal bite... I'm going to The Pits and informing Huggy about the strange happenings. See if he's heard anything. You wanna come?"
"No, I think I'll let everyone know how Hutch is. See you later. Keep me updated, David."
~~
The Pits:
Time seemed to stand still for Starsky as he sat at the corner booth that he and Hutch always shared. Huggy set down a beer for his troubled friend. "Now, you tell me what kind of grown man would bite Hutch on the neck! You sure it was a man? The alley was dark."
Starsky bit his lower lip. "There were some shadows, but a full moon, Hug. He was only a few feet from me. I saw him raise his body off the pavement. He was around six feet seven inches. It was unbelievable."
~~~
Two hours later:
The brunet stood close to his partner's bed. Hutch slowly opened his eyes, trying to focus on his partner. He weakly raised his hand and grabbed Starsky's. They shared a moment, sky-colored eyes melting into cobalt blue. The silence was broken by the sound of the door opening.
Dr. Quo studied a chart in her hand, then she looked at Hutch. "Your vitals look very good, but you lost a good amount of blood, so I am keeping you overnight. If you continue to recover well, then you can go home tomorrow." She turned toward Starsky. "Mr. Starsky, you will need to stay by your partner's side for a week." Hutch protested. "I can take care of myself." Dr. Quo smiled. "Then you will stay at the hospital for a week. You need someone to change your bandages." Hutch ran his hand down his face. "Well, partner, tag your it."
The next day:
Starsky made it to the hospital by 7:00 am and entered his partner's room. Dr. Quo was taking Hutch's vitals, then turned and smiled. "Mr. Starsky, your friend may go home now." She patted the brunet detective on his shoulder as she left the room.
The blonde detective glanced at his partner. "What did you find out about the scumbag who bit me?"
Starsky breathed in deeply and sighed. "When the police arrived at the scene, the body was gone."
Hutch's eyes appeared puzzled, causing a crease to appear between them. "What the hell?"
Starsky's mouth formed a straight line as he raised his shoulders. Then, he tossed a bag on the bed. "Jeans, shirt, socks, and shoes."
Hutch dressed slowly, flinching in pain because his wounds were very sore.
Starsky moved towards his partner. "Here ya go, ya big lummox, let me give you a hand." He slowly moved the blond detective's arms into the sleeves of his shirt. Starsky put each of Hutch's long legs into the pant legs and started to pull the pants up his body.
Hutch protested. "Okay, that's too personal, buddy. I got it." He stood, shaking, and pulled his pants up his lean body.
A nurse knocked and entered the room with a wheelchair. Starsky pushed the chair to his partner's bed, as the nurse left the room.
Later at Hutch's house:
Hutch held his house key awkwardly in his unsteady hand. The silver key fell to the pavement. The sunlight hit the silver, and the light bounced back to his face. He screamed and covered his eyes.
"Damn, my eyes are burning."
Starsky reached for the keys, scraping them off the porch. He swiftly opened the door and guided his partner to the sofa. Then he ran to the kitchen and got a wet a cloth.
"Here, hold this over your eyes, Blitz."
After a few minutes, Hutch removed the damp cloth from his eyes.
Starsky stared into his partner's eyes. They now glowed red, but they quickly faded back to blue.
He looked down, rubbed his eyes, and then looked back at his partner. "Your eyes are blue."
"'They always have been, pal."
"You okay, Hutch?"
The tall blonde held out his hands; they appeared burnt. The skin was covered with white bumps and sores.
Starsky thought his friend still seemed stunned, as he didn't seem to feel the pain.
The brunet rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess the sun was so intense when it bounced off your keys that it must have been too bright for your baby blues. What the hell is up with your hands?"
Hutch now held his hands in pain, as they were shaking. Starsky guided his partner to the bathroom and ran cold water on them. Hutch held his wrist, an agonizing sound leaving his mouth.
With a quivering voice, Hutch said, "hey, Starsk, I'm going to turn in for the night." He slowly walked to his bedroom. Starsky stood still, an unsettled look appearing across his face.
The blonde detective lay down in his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep... Foggier dreams seemed to fill his head. The shadow of a man walked the streets of Bay City, then seemed to change into a wolf-like form. He walked what seemed like hours, ending at the ocean. His silhouette could be seen raising his wolf-like hands to his forehead, as if thinking. Then he stared at his fingers, which were now turning into human hands. A Native American turquoise ring with a silver band adorned his right hand...He stared at the ring in puzzlement.
~~
A dark figure approached the brunet who lay still on the sofa. He looked through the open window; the full moon shone in the black sky. The figure stared back down toward the dark-haired man. His eyes blazed red with a hint of blue. Slowly, he bent down, and saliva dripped from his mouth, which now showed white fangs. He paused, his eyes softened, and he backed away.
Starsky woke, raising up swiftly; his eyes searched every inch of the room. Dark shadows danced in every corner. His hair, now damp with perspiration, ran down his face, blurring his vision. He made out hazy blond hair.
"Hey, it's me, pal."
Starsky firmly ran his hand through his now damp hair. "I had a nightmare."
"Starsk, it wasn't a nightmare," Hutch said, reaching for his partner's wrist. He led Starsky outside, they walked a few miles to a wooded area and climbed a hilltop. They both stood in silence.
Hutch raised his right hand. "By the way, buddy. The ring you gave me for Christmas isn't real silver. You were swindled. Brothers forever, though."
The wind blew, filling the air with a chill, and trees swayed like fingers reaching out. The blond stared at his partner; his eyes blazing fiery blue. Long claws extended, and fur-like marks appeared under his eyes. His hair, now long, extended well past the collar of his blue shirt.
Starsky's face held shock that caused his jaw to tighten. A puzzlement spread across is features.
Hutch studied his partner's face. "I can control my urges. I can't kill. It's not in my nature. It's not in yours either, pal. I can still patrol the streets of Bay City. I will look like myself, but I can change at will. My senses, strength, and speed are enhanced, always."
Starsky's eyes teared up when he glanced at the starry sky. A few minutes passed. He turned his head back to his best friend. "I want to be with you, Hutch. I mean, bite me. Just not too hard, huh."
"Are you sure, Starsk? There's no going back...ever."
The dark-eyed detective nodded. "You're my pal, Hutch, I'm sure."
Ken Hutchinson bent down, but hesitated. Then, very gently, with long glistening fangs, he pierced his partner's neck. Starsky flinched as blood dripped down his neck; a pulsing pain passed down his spine like a heated shock. His back curved as blood pulsed throughout his body. His brain took on a million dimensions... His face was hidden beneath his hands. Then he looked up and smiled, fangs protruding from his mouth. Now his dark blue eyes held flames of fire.
The brunet stared down at Bay City. "My eyes! Look, there are officers at The Pits. They have a man in handcuffs; I can see through the brick."
The blond observed his partner. "We'll never fight the things we can't see, again."
~~~
~~~
A harvest moon hung high in the sky as two wolves stood atop the hill. Their muzzles were raised to the sky. The center of Hutch's eyes turned a silver-blue hue, a pearlescent paint matching his almost silver fur, which he now adored.
Starsky's eyes turned shimmering gold, matching his slightly darker wavy golden-brown fur.
They both now stood on all fours...
