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 grumble in protest. He was lying on the couch, with his head on her lap while something random played on the TV. 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 him. 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? No, not at all. 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.
Erza purred 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, now the pizza guy would show up.
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 with a huff as she disengaged herself and made sure her appearance was respectable 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. "One 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 smirked 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 have brought 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 face, pale with concern.
"That's here in town," she said softly as she grabbed her phone and checked in with Aria and Lyla. The phone rang and rang
Silence was the only answer.
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's no way something happened to them. This city is huge; it could just be a coincidence, right?
A few moments later she returned with a small handheld firearm strapped in a black holster on 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. "You stay here while I go check on them at the studio," she told him as she gathered a pack and loaded it up with supplies.
No way am I staying behind. Immediately, Gavin stood up and looked at her, resolve set in stone. "Where you go, I go." He declared then he went to stand by her side. "Do you have another one?" He asked her, as he pointed at 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 nodded at his intention; warmth filled her heart. Once again, something odd was felt between them. Something strong was connecting them to a deeper level. "I do indeed," she said as she went to a hallway closet. Inside there was a large safe. She inputted the code and pressed her palm on the scanner before the door opened.
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 like her own and handed him a holster, an extra magazine and made sure the gun's safety was on. She reached out and grabbed a larger gun and some shells that were larger than the one she had 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. I mean, I've played games and watched movies, 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 knew about that gun safe. He'd seen it many times over the years. But never would he have expected her to be so comfortable with firearms to strap up like some female lead in an action movie.
"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 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. Gavin's chest was tight with anxiety as he thought about what might be going on at the studio. His heart rate was accelerated as he watched her drive through the city in record time towards the studio. Erza grabbed her phone and made a couple of quick phone calls on their way over. One to her parents and one to the authorities about a welfare check. Gavin swore as they pulled into the parking lot and saw the front door had been kicked in and laid on the ground.
She put the SUV into 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.
Erza concentrated on her mana flow. She allowed the power to flow through her body. She felt her senses sharpen as she began the shift into her were-cat form. A long slender tail grew from her tailbone. Her eyes morphed into a cat's slitted eye. Her blood burned as the snow-white fur manifested over her body. Her teeth sharpened into feline sharp fangs as she opened her eyes.
She growled low in her throat as she raised the shotgun to her shoulder and began walking towards the studio. She relied on her sensitive hearing for any noise ahead of them as they both stepped over the broken door. "Stay behind me and keep quiet." Erza's voice was a snarl of anger as she issued the order to Gavin who nodded and kept his head on a swivel with the pistol raised.
Apprehension filled them both.
Even to Erza's heightened senses, it was too quiet in the studio. The only sound she could pick up was some faint voices and muffled steps along the wooden floor. The voices were too muffled for her to make anything out. As they started walking up the stairs the conversation became more discernible.
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. Erza's hearing picked up on the faintest of female whimpers. Whoever had broken in laughed at their cruelty and another thud could be heard, followed by female voice crying out in pain.
"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 inside the studio.
Erza saw red as she heard those words. Her mana flared out around her uncontrolled, hues of brown and yellow swirled around both Gavin and her. Her body was physically trembling with rage as she growled softly while she peeked around the corner to watch the scene unfold in front of them. Three large burly figures stood above a bloody and unconscious brown fur covered body. "That's Aria," Gavin whispered softly, his anger rose to dangerous levels as he held the firearm in a tighter grip. His hand shook as he saw firsthand the reality of their situation. Thank god she called the authorities ahead of time.
Something was happening within Gavin. In front of Gavin, one of his friends was laying on the ground, bleeding and hurt. The other occupant of the studio was nowhere to be found. Those bastards. Gavin gritted his teeth as he felt his body burn internally. No longer was just his hand holding the firearm trembling. His entire body shook as he watched the scene unfold in front of him, his rage and hatred grew by the minute.
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.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
All he could hear was the heavy, thick beats of his own heart. His adrenaline was spiking to dangerous levels as he fought every urge to run into that room, guns blazing and kill them where they stood.
Erza bit her bottom lip as she held herself back. I must be in control. They need me, I can't let my emotions get the better of my judgment. She 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 aim and squeezed the trigger. The loud bang echoed through the room as the men, caught by surprise tried to dive for cover. The pellet type rounds splattered through 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. 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. His body was shaking so much he couldn't keep his aim. What is going on with me? Gavin cursed as he missed both shots and ducked back behind the door frame, barely avoiding the incoming fire.
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. Her scream of rage turned into a feral yowl, the sound echoing through the entire studio. The intruder's body crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap. His blood was already stained on 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. Fear was evident as his shots went wide, and he missed her. This was not part of the damn plan!
"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 man flow; hues of dark red energy swirled around him as he 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. There's only two of them; we can still do this.
Gavin felt the heat as he barely ducked in time to avoid the fire magic. The ball of flame struck the edge of the doorway he was hiding behind. His breathing was ragged and he was terrified. 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 had to protect Erza. He knew it deep down, he had to protect her, he had to end these monsters that brought nothing but death and ruin.
As he thought this, that primal feeling came over him again. A feeling of something strong that connected him and Erza. His blood felt like it was on fire, it made his skin burn from the intensity of it. His body felt burning hot 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. All thoughts of fear left him. 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.
He heard several gunshots going off as he felt a change growing over him. Something he had never experienced before was happening. All around him his mana exploded. Deep vibrant red waves of energy blasted out from him in every direction. They crashed into the halls as a vicious wind tore through the studio. Evidence of his mana was everywhere as all the fighting paused at the latest development.
His vision sharpened, and he saw more vividly. His hearing was more sensitive to the loud gunshots; each echo of a gunshot made his heightened ears wince from the pain of it. His teeth hurt in his mouth as he felt them elongate and sharpen. The bones in his mouth dislocated as his jaw grew into a long vicious snout.
The pain in his body was excruciating as his joints dislocated and his limbs grew. His back became broader, his body leaner and more defined as his arms and legs settled into their new size. Razor sharp claws slid out from his nail beds. He looked down and saw black fur manifest over 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.
I have to protect my 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 chaotic maelstrom of mana thickened for a moment; each line of power sharpened like a fine blade as they began slicing through everything.
The howl itself contained traces of power from his mana. Something he did on an instinctual level. 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.
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 wasn't a shifter, was he?
Before she could move, a black blur ran past her. The power of his stride caused craters in his wake, the wood snapping like twigs. The being reached out and grabbed the man that was behind the couch by the neck. The man panicked and tried to kick and punch at the beast that held him up in the air.
What stood 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 snout 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. Blood poured out of the back of the man like a faucet.
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. He tried everything he could to bring down that beast.
The black beast dodged most of the fire, but a couple of rounds from the gun hit 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 he swiped 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 roar had so much mana behind it that the very floor shook. 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 wolf's tail. 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 shoes.
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 a 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 lay there on the ground, blood leaking out from the bullet wounds in his shoulder.
"Boy. You got some explanation to do," she said to herself as she pulled some bandages from her pack and treated his injury to his shoulder, then went to check on Aria.
She was relieved Aria was still breathing. She treated her wounds as best as she could before she called an 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?