Chapter 6. A Fated Transformation.
Exhausted, Erza and Gavin sat on her couch. They had a fresh set of clothes on and a fresh shower when they got back to her place that evening. "Urgh. When will this damn pizza get here? I'm starving", Erza asked grumpily, as she checked her phone for the tracker for the thousandth time.
"It'll be here soon enough, babe," Gavin said. He laughed as he heard her stomach grumbled in protest.
"Not soon enough. I'm going to waste away here" she said dramatically as she wrapped herself in his arms in protest, causing a blush and smile to appear on his face as he held her by her waist.
Erza leaned down and kissed him softly. She melted into his arms. Gavin returned her kiss, his arms wrapping tighter around her hips as his blood lit on fire. A desire began to possess him, something primal and terrifying as he deepened the kiss, his tongue breached her mouth and fought for control over hers.
Erza purred softly in contention as she felt a strong connection with Gavin. Something old electrified her blood as her lips met his, and she felt something hard against her soft hips. A knock at the door interrupted their passionate embrace.
Erza growled in annoyance as she came up for air. "Looks like the food is here," Gavin said with a grin before he continued, "I told you it'd be soon enough", he said as he poked her nose as the knock came again.
"Coming!" Erza said in a huff as she disengaged herself and made sure her clothes were decent-looking as she walked over to the door and paid the fee. "Have a good night!" She called as she shut the door behind her and sat their pizza on the kitchen table. Duke barked and jumped around in excitement at the smell of food.
Gavin got up and fixed himself before he walked into the kitchen. He gave Duke some ear scratches his way by and pulled out a couple of plates and cups for their dinner. While he did this, Erza pulled out some soda drinks from the fridge and filled their cups and opened the boxes. "1 large cheese pizza and a supreme with extra pineapple", she said triumphantly as she grabbed a couple slices of the supreme and put them on her plate. Gavin grabbed a couple of each and sat down next to her as she began eating.
"Damn. Why does pizza taste so good when you are active all day?" Gavin asked, as he enjoyed the rich, salty flavor of the pizza.
"Cuz it's not good for us", Erza laughed as she finished her bite. "Nothing good is ever as tasty as something unhealthy. " She laughed, a sound like music to his ears.
Breaking news. We bring another report of a group of individuals attacking biohumans in the city of Tristane. Several dozen biohumans and their partners have been reported missing. All efforts are being made to find these victims and bring their attackers to justice.
The breaking news alert came over the TV from the living room. Gavin stopped eating mid-bite as he heard the broadcast and looked at Erza's pale face.
"That's here in our town" she said softly as she grabbed her phone and checked in with Aria and Lyla. The phone rang and rang and no one answered. Blood faded even more from both their faces at the thought of something happening.
"What... what do we do?" Gavin asked quietly. Erza stood and went to her room. A few moments later she returned with a small handheld firearm strapped to her hip.
"I have some skills at magic, but I'm a better shot than a mage" she explained on seeing Gavins' raised eyebrows. "You can stay here while I go check on them at the studio," she told him as she gathered a pack and threw a few items in it.
Immediately, Gavin stood up and looked at her, resolve set in stone. "Where you go, I go." He declared as he went to stand by her side. "Do you have another one?" He asked her, as he pointed to the small pistol.
Erza grinned at his intention, a warmth filled her heart. "I do indeed," She said as she went to a hallway closet. Inside was a large safe. She inputted the code and pressed her palm on the scanner before the door opened up.
When the door opened, almost a dozen different firearms could be seen in slots on the walls of the safe. Some large and some small handheld models. She grabbed one similar to her own and handed him a holster, an extra magazine and made sure the safety was on.
"Do you know how to use it?" she asked him as he slid the holster on his jeans and put the extra mag in his front pocket.
"I've seen videos," Gavin said cheekily.
Erza sighed as she took the firearm and showed him quickly how to turn the safety off, ready a round and to reload. Once she was satisfied, he got the basics. She grabbed a few more items from the safe, closed it up and locked it again with a beep.
"I hope it's nothing, and these aren't needed." She said softly as she headed towards the door.
"When did you get so many?" Gavin asked as he followed her out the door.
"Thank my parents. My father is a serious gun nut, while my mother prefers magical defense," she explained as she got in and started her SUV.
"Ah, that makes sense. My parents have just focused on learning magic. They want me to go to the academy at Allario and see what elemental magic I'm able to learn," he said, as he got into the seat beside her, and they pulled out of the driveway.
"Yeah, it'd be a good idea to learn magic. I don't have the patience for it, honestly", she said as she made her way through evening traffic towards the studio.
They sat in silence the rest of the short drive. She made it to the studio in record time. Gavin swore as they pulled into the parking lot and saw the front door had been kicked in, and laid on the floor.
She put the SUV in park, as she pulled out the firearm and slowly walked towards the door, Gavin beside her with his own pulled out and safety thumbed off.
They nodded to each other as they slowly made their way inside. Holes littered the walls as they made their way upstairs towards the second floor. Apprehension filled both of them. Erza intently listened for any sounds of fighting or aggression. She had shifted partially. She had her feline ears above her head covered in soft red fur. Gavin was focused on trying to hear something outside of normal. When they reached the top of the stairs, they heard a loud snarl and then a thump as if something hit the floor, followed by laughter. The sound alone set Erza's anger off. The laughter sounded cruel and sadistic as movement could be heard inside the suite.
"About time. The little kitty cat put up quite a fight. Bag and tag her with the others for transport" a deep masculine voice sounded along the stairs.
Erza growled softly as she watched the scene unfold in front of them. Three large burly figures stood above a bloody and conscious brown furry body. "That's Aria," Gavin whispered softly, his anger rising as he held the firearm in a tighter grip. The reality of the situation washed over him. These men had come to either kill, or kidnap the girls. His blood was already starting to boil at the realization.
Erza took a deep breath and slowly aimed her firearm at the closest one. She fired a couple of rounds. The sound echoed through the building as they struck the man on his shoulder.
He cursed and grabbed his shoulder as he tried to jump to the side away from the unknown shooter. "She wasn't alone! Kill them!" He screamed out in pain as he held his shoulder with one hand and pulled out a pistol in his other. The man was now hurt and angry. He looked around at the direction the shot came from.
The other two men dove for cover behind the table and couch as they pulled out their own firearms. Gavin took slow aim and tried to hit the one running for the couch and missed both shots before he was undercover. Erza was growling deep in her throat as she took cover in the entrance and took pocket shots at the three male figures.
"You won't walk out of here alive, you scum" she screamed in rage as she managed to land a hit on the third person's head. His body crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap. His blood was already beginning to stain the hard wood floors.
"God damn it. No one told us more shifters lived here", the second man complained in a high-pitched voice as he took shots at Erza that missed and landed on the wall beside her head.
"It doesn't matter, we leave no witnesses" the first one who was shot in the arm, shouted back as he turned. He focused on his inner manflow, concentrated on summoning a ball of red-hot flame in his hand as he fired it at the young boy that took shots at him.
Gavin felt the heat as he barely dodged the fire magic. He was breathing hard and scared. His heart was racing, his blood was pumping through his body at an increased rate. He felt his adrenaline surging from the danger. He had to do something. He glanced down to see Aria's body still on the ground; blood pooled around her head. He had to get to her. He had to save her. But above all, he wanted to protect Erza. He knew it deep down, he had to protect her, he had to end these monsters that came for death and ruin.
As he thought this, that primal feeling came over him again, feeling that strong unspoken connection with Erza in his very blood. His blood felt like it was on fire. Felt like it was boiling. His body felt warm all over. A pain he had never felt before in his life sent electrifying surges through his entire being at the thought of Erza being harmed. He felt an unspeakable rage. His body craved blood. He craved wanton destruction. He wanted to feel the men's blood leak out over his hands for the audacity to harm his woman.
His body was hot as he was behind the wall. He heard several gunshots going off as he felt a change growing over him. Something he had never experienced before was happening. Suddenly, his vision sharpened and he saw more clearly. His hearing was more sensitive to the loud gunshots. The heightened sensitivity caused him to flinch in pain as the sharp high pitched crack of gunfire echoed and filled the studio suite. His teeth hurt in his mouth as he felt them elongate. He had to open his mouth so they didn't puncture his gums and jaw. He looked down and saw black fur start growing on his arms. He was terrified of the changes but knew he must protect his woman, and as he thought about this, a different word came to his thoughts. He must protect his mate.
He threw back his head and let loose a baleful howl. He let out all his anger and fear at that moment as he screamed at the heavens. The sound reverberated off the walls and shook everyone around to their core. It wasn't a normal howl an animal made. This was something much more primal in nature. Something more terrifying and feral. Erza glanced over and froze in place at the black form that was behind the wall nearby.
Suddenly, both Erza and the two assailants stopped shooting at each other, as the foreboding howl came from down the hallway. A tingle ran down her back as she knew that was where she last saw Gavin. Fear consumed her at thoughts of what might have happened to the man she loved.
Before she could move, a black blur ran past her and grabbed the man that was behind the couch by the neck. Standing there at over six feet was a creature, dressed how Gavin was, but with fur black as night. A snarl came from the beast's mouth as he said in a harsh growl. "You will not harm those I love. I will not allow it!" Before anyone could register these growled words, he shoved his clawed hand through the man's chest, exiting out through the back, a still-beating heart clutched in his hand. The man let out a surprised pain-filled gasp at the initial puncture, then coughed up blood onto the wolf's face. The beast through the man's body down onto the ground as if discarding a piece of trash.
"God damn it, what the hell are you!" The first man screamed as he began firing rounds from his gun combined with magic, which sent fireballs in rapid succession at the unknown creature, trying anything he could to put the beast down.
The black beast dodged most of the fire, but a couple of rounds from the gun nicked his shoulder, which only caused him to howl in more anger as he stood above the helpless and terrified attacker. "You never should have come here", he growled before taking a swipe with his long clawed paw of a hand, slicing the throat of the final attacker.
The beast threw his arms out, his head back and roared in fury and pain. The sound echoed through the building. Erza felt terrified, frozen in place at this display. She peaked from behind the table. She hid and looked at him. He was tall. He had long black fur-covered ears that stood large. Instead of a feline tail, he had a long furry one, almost like a canine's fluffy appendage. His arms were longer and leaner, but he also had more muscle in them. His legs were solid and strong as claws from his feet ripped through his tennis hoes.
He looked around and spotted her as Erza slowly stood where she was, her gun held tight in her hand, unsure if this beast was friend or foe. "What did you do to Gavin?" She asked hesitantly, almost too afraid to ask with the primal fear she felt as she looked at him.
"Erza, you're safe now" the beast said, and, almost as if he ran out of energy, fell to the ground in a crumbled mess. Confused, Erza walked over to him and noticed the beast was changing. Like a transformation ability was ending. Sure enough, where once stood a ferocious feral beast, now laid her precious Gavin. He laid there on the ground, blood leaking out from the bullet wounds in his shoulder.
"Boy. You got some explaining to do" she said to herself as she pulled some bandages from her pack and treated his injury to his shoulder, then checked on Aria.
She was relieved Aria was still breathing. She treated her wounds as best as she could before she called emergency dispatch and reported the scene and requested medical help. She didn't tell them about Gavin. She didn't even know what to tell them. No. She would keep this to herself until she found out more information. For now, she was grateful the three of them survived this horrifying adventure. But the real question remained.
If Aria was the only one here. Where was Lyla?