After a shower and fresh change of clothes, Gavin and Erza cuddled together on her couch. "Urgh. When will this damn pizza get here? I'm starving." Erza checked the tracker again. Her stomach was growling in demand for the salty goodness. "Should have ordered it when we first got home."
"It'll be here soon enough, babe." Gavin laughed as he heard her stomach grumble in protest. He turned his head in her lap to look up at her and poked her nose.
"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. Her fingers curled into his hair, slower now, more deliberate.
She smiled as she leaned down and placed her lips gently against his. Gavins' body stiffened in surprise; her tongue swiped against his lips begging for entrance. She purred seductively as he obliged, and his lips parted deepening the kiss. The cat inside her purred. For a moment, she forgot she was starving.
Gavin's head spun and the living room faded away. He cupped the back of her neck, his fingers tangled in her red hair. He'd never tasted something so sweet and heavenly at the same time. He'd 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.
Erza felt the possessive way he held onto her, his touch light yet firm. It stirred something inside her and her hands slid up under his shirt. Her lips curved up as she opened her eyes and noticed just how into the kiss Gavin was.
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 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 kiss 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 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 scratched Duke's ears on his way past to set the table. 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. She grabbed a couple slices of the supreme and put them on her plate, while Gavin grabbed a couple of each and sat down next to her.
"Damn. Why does pizza taste so good when you've been 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.
Their peaceful meal was soon interrupted.
"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." Her voice was laced with worry and she glanced at her phone. Her stomach twisted; the pizza threatened to come back up.
"I'm being stupid." Her words were a quiet mumble, yet she reached for her phone and dialed the number.
The line rang and rang.
Silence was the only answer.
Blood faded even more from both their faces at the thought.
"Maybe she didn't hear the phone?" Gavin offered.
Erza bit her lip as she sat back in the chair. "Normally I'd agree. But something isn't sitting right with me. I know I'm most likely just being stupid and paranoid, thanks to all the bad news lately." She rambled on.
If I didn't know any better, it's almost like shes trying to convince herself that everything's alright. Gavin stayed quiet, giving her the time to think.
Erza shook her head and angrily took another bite. She snatched her phone up and dialed Aria's number again.
No answer.
She tried Lyla's number and put it on speaker. Her fingers beat rhythmically on the table. The line connected-then went dead.
Erza tilted her head and hit redialed. Her eyes were glued onto the phone when it went straight to voicemail. Her eyes shot up to meet Gavin's.
"That's weird. What do you want to do?" Gavin asked quietly. Erza stood and went to her room. There's no way something happened to them. This city is huge; it could just be a coincidence, right? He sat back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
A few moments later she returned with a small gun strapped in a black holster on her hip and 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. She wore a small holster on her other hip that had two extra magazines.
Gavin blinked. "Don't you think we might be jumping the gun a little bit?"
"I'm not sure, honestly. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, something I cant explain or push aside. Something's not right." She glanced at him and sighed.
"I'm not the best with magic, but dad made sure I can handle a firearm. Police training and all that." She explained.
Gavin nodded. "Yeah that makes sense."
"You stay here while I go check on them at the studio," she told him. She pulled out a pack from a nearby closet and started putting some supplies in it.
Gavin frowned, noticing the first aide supplies and flashlight among other items being loaded. No way am I staying behind. Immediately, Gavin stood up and looked at her. "Where you go, I go." He declared, then went to stand by her side. "Do you have another one?" He asked her, as he pointed at the small pistol.
Erza looked at him. His was standing with his back ramrod straight. There was no wavering or hesitation in his words. He really means it. God he's so corny. Erza smiled in spite of the worry, warmth filling her heart.
Once again, something odd was felt between them. A connection neither of them could explain.
"I do indeed," she said as she went to a hallway closet. Inside there was a large safe. She put the code in and pressed her palm on the scanner before the door opened.
"Holy armory. Don't you think that's a little excessive?" Gavin's jaw went slack.
He could make out at least a dozen long rifles and various other guns stored inside. Erza laughed before she grabbed an identical one, confirmed the safety was on and handed it to him with a holster and extra magazine.
"Do you know how to use this?" 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?
She then reached out and grabbed one of the long guns. This one was different than the others. It was made from a sleek, polished metal that hummed with an electrical energy. On the side was an open chamber several inches wide.
"What kind of gun is that?" he asked her curiously. He looked it up and down, noticing the runes etched along the barrel and the double wide trigger on the curved handle.
"It's a mana gun. It's powered by mana crystals to deliver elemental charged energy shots. Instead of normal projectile weapons it shoots concentrated mana." Erza explained. On the right side of the safe she grabbed several small round crystals that were perfectly sized for the slot of the mana gun.
"The rifle's computer uses nano sensors to determine which type of elemental crystal is in the slot, and adjusts its power accordingly." She loaded a red crystal into the slot and closed the chamber.
"That's so cool," Gavin's whispered words made Erza smile.
Erza gave him a quick run down on the pistol, and once she was satisfied he wouldn't shoot his own foot off, grabbed a few more items from the safe. The door closed and locked with a soft beep.
"I hope it's nothing, and these aren't needed." She prayed as she headed towards the door.
"When did you get so many?" Gavin asked as he followed her out the door. I know her dad's former police and all, but isn't this kind of excessive?
"Thank my parents. My father is former SWAT and my mother worked for a weapons development firm. So they got to try out and bring home all kinds of new creations," she explained while she put the bag in the backseat, got in, and started her SUV.
"Ah, that makes sense. I suppose," he said and got into the passenger seat.
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. 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 mana gun from the back seat and turned off the safety. Gavin walked up next to her, his face grim with his pistol drawn and the safety thumbed off.
Erza concentrated on her mana flow. She allowed the power to flow through her body and she felt her senses sharpen. A long slender tail grew from her tailbone. Her round eyes elongated into a narrow slit. Her blood burned with the all familiar sensation and her skin prickled as 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 mana gun to her shoulder and began walking towards the studio. "Stay behind me, and keep quiet." She instructed Gavin when they approached the fallen door.
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 the same 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.
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. A snarl clawed its' way out from her throat while she observed the scene.
Three large burly figures stood above a bloody and unconscious body covered with brown fur. "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.
As he stared at Arias' unconscious form, a strange sensation began sparking through Gavin's nervous system. Like liquid fire burning its way through him. He couldn't see Lyla from his position. Those bastards. Gavin gritted his teeth to fight against the tremors. His hand wasn't the only thing trembling now. His rage, hatred and fear grew by the minute and his vision narrowed on the unconscious body.
The fire burned hotter in his blood and it awakened a part of himself. Something dark and dangerous as he looked at all three men in the studio. They hurt her. Someone I know, and they are laughing about it! He wanted vengeance for the harm caused to Aria.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The rapid beating of his heart filled his ears. 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 mana gun loaded with a fire crystal to her shoulder. The sleek metal stock of the gun pressed tightly against her.
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 mana gun fired a large dispersed blast of fire across the studio living space.
The man that was standing above Aria's unconscious body cursed as the flame licked over his arm, burning clothing, hair and flesh.
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 pulled out a pistol and looked in the direction the shot came from.
The other two men dove for cover behind the table and couch while they simultaneously pulled their own guns out. Gavin took slow aim, fighting to keep his hand steady, and tried to hit the one running for the couch and missed.
His body was shaking so much he couldn't keep his aim. What is going on with me? Gavin cursed and ducked back behind the door frame, barely avoiding the incoming fire.
Erza was growling deep in her throat. She took cover in the entrance and took pocket shots at the three male figures, the loud booms reverberated through studio as magic blasts of fire 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. The force of the fire burned the flesh and the man screamed for a moment before he collapsed to the ground. Her scream of rage turned into a feral yowl, the sound echoing through the entire studio.
"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 evident as his shots went wide. 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. 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 male 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. His heart was racing; his blood was pumping through his body at an increased rate.
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. He cried out from the intensity of the fire on his nerves. It's like I'm being burned from the inside out. What is going on?! 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.
His mind suddenly went blank, consumed by rage and hatred.
Blood, death, destruction. No one survives.
Through the rage and hatred a single thought surfaced.
Protect your mate!
He heard several gunshots going off as he felt a change growing over him. His mana exploded out in the hallway. Thick, crimson red waves of power slammed into the walls and washed over Erza. A viscious wind tore through the studio from the stairwell, centered around Gavin.
Erza gasped and tried to shield her face from the buffeting wind as she witnessed the sudden and terrifying display of power from Gavin. What the hell is this?
His vision sharpened, and he saw more vividly. 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. His back became broader, his limbs dislocated and grew in length. His muscles expanded in mass proportionate to his change in body as he towered above Erza in the cramped hallway. He grabbed the edge of the door frame, his razor sharp claws slicing through the wood.
I have to protect my mate!
He threw back his head and let loose the most haunting roar anyone could imagine. It felt like the entire studio building was shaking in fear as the floor and walls buckled back and forth. His mana was pulsating in time with the roar, thick powerful and uncontrolled.
The sound reverberated off the walls and shook everyone around to their core. 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 registered the beast. If I had to guess, that's a first time shift. But that doesn't make sense. Gavin isn't a shifter…. right? She covered her mouth with her hand, the attackers momentarily forgotten. A were-dog shifter? Erza tried to rationalize what she saw.
No, this level of power and ferocity is something much darker than a simple were-dog. He looks… like a wolf. But that shouldn't be possible. She took a hesitant step back when she watched him stand up straight, his roar ended. He glanced at her for a moment and her breath was stolen.
Glowing, crimson red eyes locked onto her amber brown ones.
"Holy shit." Erza's mind struggled to focus while she tried to understand what was going on.
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 were-wolf shifter 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, 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 impact, 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 anger. He towered above the cowering man.
He reached down and grabbed the hand holding the gun, crushing both in his grip. "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 building trembled. Erza froze in place at this display.
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. "Are you, my 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.
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?