Gavin felt pain all over. The worst was his head. It felt like someone was using it as a drum. He groaned as he opened his eyes and stared at an unknown ceiling. Soft snores came from his right.
He looked around and seen messy red hair covering a peaceful face laid down by his side on the bed. Hospital equipment and monitors covered the room. He looked down and seen wires and needles hooked up all over his body.
He winced as he tried sitting up and grabbed his head. He had a pounding migraine for some reason. As he moved to sit up, Erza awoke with a gasp "omg your awake!" She exclaimed as she started fussing over his body. She double-checked the wound on his shoulder to confirm it was healing properly. She looked over his vitals on the machine to make sure nothing was immediately wrong.
"Erza, what happened?" Gavin asked. "My memory is so fuzzy. The last thing I recall was seeing Aria on the ground and those guys standing above her..." he said as his memory flashed in bits and pieces. A black clawed hand lifting one up before snapping it. Slicing the third man's throat out. "What happened to me?" He asked his heart rate starting to spike as he slowly remembered parts of what happened.
Erza placed a comforting hand on his arm and soothed the chaos in his mind with a few soft words. "Its okay my love. We will talk about that soon. What's important is you saved us. You, me and Aria. Then you collapsed and I called medics, who brought us all to the Saint James hospital a few miles away from the studio." She said slowly and soothingly.
"I don't really remember. Did I get hurt?" He asked groggily, shaking his aching head.
Her amber eyes softened. "Yes, you got shot in the shoulder but it only knocked you. " she said as she pointed to his right shoulder covered by bandages.
"Then why did I pass out and why dont I remember anything" he asked, still confused.
"It was unknown at the time. After the Dr's checked you out and ran their tests, they determined you passed out due to mana depletion" she said quietly and studied his face.
"But... i don't know any magic" he shook his head again.
"You really don't know what happened do you?" Erza asked seriously.
He looked her in the eyes, his fear and confusion evident in his gaze. "Erza, I swear I don't know what happened or any magic. Please you have to tell me" he pleaded with her desperate to fill in the missing memory gaps.
Erza took a deep breath before she started. "We were both behind cover. They started taking shots and using magic to try killing us. Luckily they missed. But when a shot landed close to my head something changed or happened with you." She paused, thinking back to the events that happened so quickly in that room. "Suddenly there was a wild energy emitting from you. Your body began to change into a large black werewolf with blood-red eyes. You threw your head back and let out this horrifying howl and attacked the men, killing them both. It all happened so fast, it was over in a matter of seconds." She informed him her voice trailed off at the end as she remembered the terrifying sight.
"What do you mean i was a wolf? Im a human i can't shift into a were beast" Gavin argued. He couldn't shift. He was 100% human. Like his parents. She must be mistaken.
"Gavin you..." Erza was interrupted before she could finish by Mr and Mrs Johnson coming into the room. Mrs Johnson shriek of joy was loud enough to hurt both their ears as she ran forward and launched herself into her sons arms crying.
"Thank the gods you're alive and awake" she said as she held him close, despite his protests and pain.
" I'm ok I'm ok" he said as he tried to push her off of him.
"How dare you make your mother worry like that?" She yelled at him as she cried even harder.
"I'm sorry mom, it all happened so fast. We had to check on Lila and Aria and make sure they were okay." Gavin responded, trying to sooth his angry mother while his father just stood off to the side of the bed smiling sadly.
"We are just glad you both are okay and survived this horrific ordeal." Mr Johnsons deep voice filled the room as he stepped closer to put a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"What happened?" Gavin asked his parents. "Erza said in shifted into a black werewolf? But i don't know how this is possible. I'm human. Not a were" Gavin asked looking at both his parents. At the mention of his shifting his mom stiffened and pulled back, the waterworks coming to a quick end as she looked serious and forlorn.
"Well. About that." She started, then bit her lip indecisively. "We have to tell you something" she said as she stood up and pulled a chair over to the bed.
"You're adopted" his father said bluntly causing his mother to yell and glare at him. He shrugged and said "you were beating around the bush and the lad has a right to know" he said looking at Gavin square in the eyes.
The news rocked him. He never expected to be adopted. His parents never showed any sign he wasn't biologically theirs growing up. "What do you mean?" He asked quietly as Erza sat next to the bed holding his right hand in hers. She squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"On one of our expeditions, we stumbled upon what looked like a massacre of a group of werewolves. I searched around and you were the only surviver. It looked as if they were ambushed out in the woods and the mother tried hiding you under her body to protect you" his father said, looking grim. Erza covered her mouth with her hand in horror. "In order to protect you, your mom and I decided to keep this a secret until your 18th birthday. We planned to tell you after you fully graduated next week" he said looking at his son, worried about his reaction.
Gavin sat there. Stunned. He was processing this revelation. So he was saved as a child, from a group of dead werewolves. He isn't even human. And his parents aren't even his biological parents. Erza squeezed his hand. The warmth a stark contrast to how cold he felt in his heart.
"I don't know what to say." He finay admitted outloud. "You are still my parents whom I love and cherish. So I'm not human, so what. Now I have something to figure out and look for." Gavin grinned as he decided nothing had changed. The information, while shocking and new, didn't change how much he loved his parents.
Both his parents teared up a little at his proclamation. As if they were afraid of him being angry or rejecting them.
"We love you, son", his father said as he reached down to hug his beloved son. Erza sat there with a broad smile on her face watching the scene. She knew he'd respond this way. He had such a kind and loving heart.
"So. Not only am I a werewolf shifter, but I also killed 2 people yesterday" he said quietly and looked down.
"Umm. That was 2 says ago love" Erza said quietly. "You've been out for 2 nights. Its Monday evening." She informed him.
"Wheres Aria? What about Lyla?" He asked suddenly. Looking from face to face searching for an answer.
Before anyone could respond, the door opened again. Lyla and Aria both walked in. Aria was covered in bandages and Lyla stood on crutches with a cast on her right leg. Erza smiled softly as they both shouted and ran to Gavins' side excitedly. "You're awake"
"You're alive" they both exclaimed in tearful joy as they held him close in their arms, crying softly tears of joy.
Gavin sat there in happy stunned silence. He was worried about both of them and was so glad to see them okay.
He let them go and looked at them. Aria had a few bandages on her arms and one on her cheek. He could see some bandages under her shirt around her torso. Lila had a bandage wrapped around her head as she smiled at him.
"I thought something happened to you Lila, where were you?" He asked her.
"When they busted in, it came out of nowhere and I was caught by surprise and knock unconscious pretty quick and they threw me out the window. Probably intended to grab me when they were done grabbing Aria." Lila said as she felt the back of her head where a lump was.
"The medics found her outside when they arrived and took the 3 of you into the hospital" Erza said.
"Im glad we are all alright. But this gives me even more reason to go to the academy. I have to learn how to control my were form. I have to learn magic. I have to protect you" Gavin said. A hint of steel entered his voice. He felt a primal need. A hunger for power. Of a desire to protect his loved ones.
Erza shivered at his words as she held onto his arm. "We will figure this out together. Remember. If we stand together, there is nothing we can't grab by the throat and beat down" she declared.
The door opened and a tall slender gray-haired woman entered. "Good afternoon Mr Gavin, my name is Dr Aliza. It's good to see you awake. You gave these folks quite a freight, you know." She introduced herself as she walked over and checked Gavin's vitals.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Aliza." Gavin said. "So am I good to leave? I have things I have to do", Gavin asked her.
"Gavin!" Erza chided as she smacked the back of his head, which caused him to help and wince at the pain. "You just woke up and you will stay as long as they dr decides you need to" she demanded as she yelled in him, anger in her eyes.
"The young lady is right. You just went through a traumatic event. From what I understand, you shifted for the first time?" She asked him.
"Thats what they tell me. I didn't even know i was a were" he responded, as he nodded his head towards Erza.
"I'd like to run a few more blood tests, maybe find out your family lineage if you'd consent.