The Night Beat

to werewolf form and onto my hind legs. Jack didn’t even blink, but he did catch me when I started to topple over. “You’re not doing too great. I think we should put you into one of the ambulances.”
    Maurice snorted. “That would be a fun trip to vivisection hell. No, we’ll take Vicki back to Headquarters. We have full medical there. Our kind of medical.”
    “I’m going with you,” Jack said calmly.
    I was going to protest but Ken said, “Okay.”
    “What?” Ken normally wasn’t big on bringing humans over without major security clearances. “He’s a human.”
    Ken shot me a look that said I was acting like an idiot. “He’s a human partnered with a werewolf. He’s a human who took in three vampires, a werewolf, a lich, a white worm, and a variety of Dirt Corps undeads fighting with an ancient Sumerian demon. And instead of running, wetting himself, or screaming like a little girl, he pulled out a gun and started shooting at the true enemy in front of him. I think he’s passed the tests, Vic.”
    “But…but….” I couldn’t bring myself to say what my real objection was. That the human guy I was sort of in love with was going to not only know I was a werewolf, but see all the undead side of me. I wasn’t ashamed. I was afraid. Not afraid he’d try to kill me, but that he wouldn’t like me any more, not even as a friend.
    Jack cleared his throat. “I’ve known you were a werewolf for a while.”
    “Come again?” I swiveled my head so fast I cracked my neck. Which was a good thing, so I didn’t complain.
    Jack grinned. “I’m on the Night Beat, Vic. The Chief considers me one of his best detectives, and you’re his favorite. I didn’t get partnered with you by random chance. I got partnered with you because the Chief knows we need to work with Necropolis Enforcement to survive.”
    “You knew? How long? And, wait a minute. The Chief knows? Who else knows?” I was supposed to be undercover inside Prosaic City P.D. Not to spy on them, but to protect them. Kind of hard to be undercover if everyone knows your secret identity.
    “Yes, the Chief knows. A select few others know. I think Darlene’s figured it out, but if so, she’s very discreet. Probably because she likes you. Everyone likes you, Vic. You’re a great officer and a nice person. I’ve known since I took you on as a partner. A little bitchy around the full moon, but a lot of people are. The Chief wanted to be sure your partner was able to protect you, and you can’t protect someone if you don’t know what her strengths and weaknesses are.” Jack sounded like he was trying to be soothing and reassuring. I didn’t want to let it work.
    But it did. I thanked the Gods and Monsters again for there being no full moon tonight. And decided to let that bitchy comment pass for now. “Well, okay. I guess. But you never said anything.” And we’d been partnered for well over a year.
    He shrugged. “I knew you were scared to tell me. Besides, it didn’t matter.”
    “This is so touching.” Maurice made a gagging noise. “When we get back to Headquarters, I think I’m going to barf up blood, I’m so nauseated by the love in the alleyway.”
    I was glad I was still fur-covered because that way Jack couldn’t see me blush. He just grinned again, though.
    I was going to say something when my ears picked up a noise. A high-pitched, urgent noise. “The ambulances are almost here. I think we have ten coming, maybe a dozen.” I figured Jack was right and Darlene had a good idea of what was going on, because that was a lot of emergency vehicles for four police officers.
    Amanda came over. “They’ll be here shortly. We need to go back to human forms or we need to disappear.”

Chapter 8
     
    “There’s no way Vic can go back to human right now,” Ken said briskly. “She can barely stand upright.”
    “But I’m supposed to be one of the detectives on the scene.”
    “I’ll handle it,” Jack said. “I’d like one of the vampires to stay with me, though, just in case.”
    “I will,” Ken offered. “Maurice, you take Vic back to Headquarters and get her taken care of. Amanda, can you carry the others?”
    “Monty’s done with cleanup and he’s taking Dirt Corps back the way they came,” Amanda said. “So I’ll only have to worry about H.P.”
    Ken shook his head. “Nope. We have a new succubus and zombie that need to go with you.”
    Amanda sighed. “No problem.” Vamps were strong and Amanda