Chapter 9. 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. Her stomach was growling in demand for the salty goodness. Her mouth salivated over the thought of the greasy pizza that would soon be there. 

"It'll be here soon enough, babe," Gavin said. He laughed as he heard her stomach grumbled in protest. He was laying on the couch, with his head on her lap while something random played on the t.v. He both heard and felt her stomach rumble in protest of food after their long hike and relaxing swim in the afternoon sun. 

"Not soon enough. I'm going to waste away here" she said dramatically as she tangled her hands in his long hair and played with his curls absentmindedly. The simple action somehow felt more intimate, now that they were officially a couple. It sent butterflies to his stomach at her gentle touch. She smiled as she leaned down and placed her lips gently against his. His body stiffened in surprise as she kissed him, her tongue swiped against his lips begging for entrance. She purred seductively as he obliged and his lips parted deepening the kiss. She felt something primal, almost animal like inside her at the way he kissed her back. It was like he was breathing her in. 

Gavin's head spun. He never tasted something so sweet and heavenly at the same time. He never expected her to kiss him like this. Dreamed of it? Oh yeah. Did he expect it? Heck no. But something inside him came alive with a feral feeling in his heart. From the desire in his loins to deepen the kiss. When she purred against him he felt like he was about to make a mess in his shorts from the seductiveness of the sound. 

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. She longed to take this further, to really explore how much of a man Gavin had grown up to be. A knock at the door interrupted their passionate embrace. Of course life would have other plans in store for them. 

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. He let out a soft groan in protest as she pushed his head off her lap and rose from the couch. Her lips were swollen from the kisses and there was a deep flush in her skin as she straightened her clothes. 

"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 shifters in the city of Tristane. Several dozen shifters 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. When she disappeared Gavin stopped eating and sat there thinking. There is such a small chance something may have happened to them. The chances were almost remote. But it was still a possibility. A few moments later she returned with a small handheld firearm strapped to her hip, her hair pulled back into a tight braid that fell down her shoulders. She had changed into a black shirt and pants as she walked back into the kitchen. Holy God's. His girl was sexy as hell.

"I have some skills at magic, but I'm a better shot than a mage" she explained on seeing Gavins' raised eyebrows and open mouth expression. "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. There was no way on God's green earth that he would let her go check on the girls alone. What kind of partner or man would he be if he did?

Erza grinned at his intention, a warmth filled her heart. Once again, something odd was felt between them. Something strong was connecting them on a deeper level. "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. She reached out and grabbed a larger gun and some shells that were larger than the one she already handed over to Gavin. 

"What model is that?" he asked her curiously. 

"It's a shotgun, good for close quarters," She replied as she flipped the gun over, and loaded about seven shells into the weapon. 

"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. He had never fired a gun before. But he had played a bunch of games, and seen videos online, how hard could it be? 

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. He had known about that safe. He'd seen it many times over the years. But never would he have expected her to be comfortable with firearms to strap up like some tough chic ready to take a life. 

"Thank my parents. My father is a serious gun nut, while my mother prefers magical defense," she explained as she put the bag in the backseat, 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. She was pretty glad cops usually didn't sit in this area for speed traps. She was pretty sure she'd have a few on her rear already as she sped through the streets as fast as the traffic would allow them to move. 

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. She turned it off as she got out, grabbed her bag and the shotgun from the back seat and turned off the safety on the gun while Gavin walked up next to her. He had his pistol drawn and the 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 fully. White fur now covered her entire body. Large cat-like ears sprouted on her head that enabled her to hear a lot better than as a human. 

Gavin was focused on trying to hear something outside of the 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, her heightened hearing picked up on the soft female whimper as something hit the ground. 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. His anger was palpable as he saw one of his friends bleeding and on the ground. Something seemed to awaken inside of him. Something dark and dangerous as he looked at all three men in the studio. He wanted vengeance for the harm caused to Aria. These men had come to either kill, or kidnap the girls. His blood was already boiling. His heart started to beat faster, thick heavy thumps were all he could hear in his ears. His adrenaline was already spiking as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. 

Erza took a deep breath and raised the shotgun to her shoulder. The wooden stock of the gun pressed tightly against her muscle. She took a deep breath, held it, took aint and squeezed the trigger. The loud bang echoed through the room as the men tried to dive for cover. The pellet type rounds splattered throught the living room of the suit, pelting everything within the close range. She pumped the gun, ejected the spent casing, and loaded the next round. The man that was standing above Aria's unconscious body cursed as some of the buckshot pellets nicked him in the arm. 

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 the loud booms reverberated through studio as pellets after pellets splintered wood and shattered equipment as her shots missed the men, blowing chunks out of the tables and furniture. . 

"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 hardwood 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, concentrating 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. The ball of flame struck the edge of the doorway he was hiding behind. 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, it made his skin burn from the intensity of it. 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. This would not be allowed. No way in hell would he allow anyone to hurt her. He felt an unspeakable rage take root in his mind. 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 vividly. . His hearing was more sensitive to the loud gunshots, each echo of a gunshot made his sensitive ears wince from the pain of it. 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. It was feral, aggressive. Terrifying. Erza glanced over and froze in place at the black form that was behind the nearby wall. 

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 thoughts of what might have happened to the man she loved. If she didn't know any better, she would assume he underwent an animal shift. But that didn't make any sense. Gavin was human, not a shifter, wasn't he?

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 threw 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 man gurgled for a few seconds and blood poured out of the open gash on his neck as his body crumpled to the ground. 

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?