Hours before…

Aziza was fast asleep in her new bed and the winter effect started to affect her after a month since learning about it. She groaned as she shifted and raising her head in a sleepy state she felt something was off, Layla wasn’t sleeping beside her.

“Morning sleepy head.” Layla’s voice softly whispered and felt Layla kiss her forehead. Aziza could smell Layla’s shampoo and feel the moist air. “Come on, it’s time to wake up.”

“Hnmmm…”Aziza hummed before yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Okay…” Aziza slumped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom.

After her shower Aziza was laying on the couch with her head resting on Layla’s lap and Layla gently petting Aziza’s head. “You’ve become really lethargic lately, Az, are you alright?” Layla asked with a bit of worry in her voice.

“I’m fine, the winter has just been…making me in a low energy mood.” Aziza murmured and enjoyed Layla’s scent and having her head petting.

“So I’m guessing you don’t want to join me in shopping?” Layla asked and Aziza groaned. 

“Do you have to go shopping?” Aziza asked and Layla giggled as kept petting Aziza. “Why not just order it online?”

“Because last time they got their order all wrong.” Layla sighed and Aziza rolled onto her back, “I’ll try to make any extra pit stops, promise.” 

“I be-” Aziza was cut off as Layla leaned forward to grab her cell phone on a coffee table and Aziza was being smothered by Layla’s chest. 

“Oops, sorry, Az,” Layla said as sat up straight and Aziza was blushing bright red with a smile. 

“No harm done…maybe we should have a bit fun before you head out?” Aziza flirted and Layla pinched Aziza’s nose gently.

“No but I should get done and over,” Layla said and Aziza sighs before sitting up to allow Layla to get up. Layla gave Aziza a small kiss on the lips and smiled, “I’ll be back as fast I can.”

Aziza froze in place the moment she saw Layla’s purse, keys and cell phone in that alleyway and she heard loud pounding in her ear, her own heart. It was so loud she didn’t even hear Chris running up to them or Diamond and him talking. 

The pounding became louder and her blood turned cold when she heard word come out of Chris’ mouth, ‘Dead’. Aziza clutched her chest as it started to hurt, hurt so much she bent over and fell to her knees. The pain was shooting all over her body and only one thing was on her mind, ‘Find Layla’. 

Diamond finally noticed Aziza when kneeling and the sound of growing bone, “Aziza!” Diamond called out and went to kneel beside her. Diamond saw Aziza growing fur and her nails turning into claws. “AZIZA, LISTEN TO ME, YOU NEED TO CA-”

Diamond was cut off when Aziza sucker punched Diamond with a back arm and sent her flying into the side of a dumpster. Diamond was dazed from the hit for a minute and she adjusted her jaw back into place. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve been sucker punched.” Diamond said as stood back up and saw Aziza had completely transformed into a full werejackal form. “Chris, get ready to chase.” 

Aziza let out some huffs before bolting and Diamond bolted right after her without second thought. Chris sighed before full send running after Diamond and Aziza, “I AM NOT USAIN BOLT!” Chris yelled as he ran.

Following Aziza, she led them to another old sewer drainage tunnel and back into the tunnels. Diamond wasn’t checking if Chris was close behind and just solely focused on wild Aziza.

Diamond felt the ground under her disappear and she started to fall, it was another trap. She realized a bomb had gone off under her to make her fall and she tucked and rolled into the tunnel below before hearing another bomb going off. 

Diamond looked back to see her exit was covered, “DIAMOND, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!” Chris' voice rang out from above.

“I’M FINE, KEEP FOLLOWING HER!” Diamond yelled back and looked around the rumble. “TO DANGEROUS TO BREAK UP BUT I’LL TRY FIND MY WAY UP!”

“ALRIGHT, BE CAREFUL DOWN THERE.” Chris yelled out and Diamond could hear Chris running above. Diamond sighed as she looked around before going down the tunnel she found herself in.

Aziza finally regained her focus and found herself over Layla, who was strapped up to a table. Aziza tried to say something but found only grunts and she saw her hands were covered in fur. 

Aziza didn’t fully understand, but she didn’t question it as she started to rip off the straps on Layla and Aziza went to touch Layla’s face once the straps were off. A sharp pain shot through Aziza’s shoulder blade, she grabbed at the pain to pull out a scalpel and she whipped her face around to see someone.

“First the police, now some random beast,” A man’s voice snarled. “Leave me alone to work.” Aziza let a roar before charging at him and the guy rolled out of the way. 

Aziza had stumbled into a different room that was lit up better and she noticed she was in a large abandoned subway station hallway with pillars. The pillars were square and looked like the one thing keeping this room open.

The man came out of the room and Aziza could see he was a blood drinking vampire with his pointed ears. His short brown hair was messy, he had a five o’clock shadow and his eyes were bright red. He was wearing an old trench coat that made him look like homeless but under it Aziza could see set dress vest, dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes. 

Aziza let out a growl as she reared up and went for a wide right swing with her claws. The vampire moved to dodge and swung a scalpel to cut open Aziza’s right arm. Aziza went to slam both her fists into the vampire and he rolled between her legs.

Aziza yet out yelp of pain as she felt both of her achilles tendons deeply and made her fall down on her knees. Aziza felt the back of her neck grabbed before being tossed into a pillar. “Stuipd beast, think you can take I, Victor King, in a fight?” The vampire proclaimed as he walked to Aziza.

Aziza was slumped up against the pillar and tried to move her legs but her tendons prevented her standing up. “I don-” Victor was cut off from several loud gunshots going off. 

Victor winced as the first two hit him in the arm and dodged the other three bullets. Chris had shot the bullets and was close to the entrance to sewers furthest from the two. Chris squeezed out two more shots before Victor threw his scalpel just as fast as the bullets. 

Chris wasn’t fast enough to dodge fully but he moved enough to get the scalpel to shoulder, “Shit,” Chris cursed under his breath before Victor was in front of him. Chris grit his teeth the moment Victor punched him in the stomach and sent Chris into the air before landing on his back. 

Chris gasped for a second before Victor stepped on Chris’ hand holding his gun still. “A pathetic livestock like you think you can stop my, Victor King, important work?” Victor asked with a devilish grin. “I will feed you to my experiment when she wakes.”

“Important work, you just torture women for your own twisted will.” Chris snarled back and tried to punch Victor's leg but fail to move it off his hand. 

“Pathetic livestock, thinks he can harm me?” Victor asked and pressed harder on Chris’ hand. “Laughable, what is going through your small brain?”

Chris winced and smirked, “Oh just waiting for the cavalry to get here.” Victor looked confused before being sent flying back into the back wall of the room. It was a blur to Chris but now Diamond had punched Victor and was now standing over Chris with her back to him. 

“Don’t pull that scalpel out,” Diamond said and her one clawed hand was covered in blood. She has her forearms transformed and she shifted into position to rush attack stance. “Ge-”

A loud banshee scream filled the abandoned subway station and everyone froze in place when the scream went out. Victor started to chuckle as he pulled himself from the wall and stumbled as he landed. Everyone looked at the entrance of the room where Layla was found and she was now standing at the entrance. 

Layla’s black hair had turned pure white, her rich brown skin tone turned into dark shade, and her ears pointed. Diamond noticed Layla’s fingers were clawed and fingers had black coloring to them. Her hair was in the way of her eyes for Diamond but Aziza could see they were glowing pink and her sclera were now black. 

Aziza tried to get up but her tendons still didn’t heal and let out a whimper to try to call out Layla’s name. Victor started to laugh, “I DID IT, I AM GOD, NOW MY SL-” 

It was all blur in a second and everyone was shocked by what happened, Layla’s jaw had latched onto Victor’s throat. Diamond had shifted into a defensive stance in case Layla rushed Chris for his blood but her eyes were wide.

The sound of gulping came from Layla as she drank Victor’s blood and finally Victor tried to let out scream. Layla’s jaws had a strong grip on his throat and only small squeaks came out before pulling out a knife. 

Layla let go and stumbled back as a knife plunged into her stomach. Her facial expression went from wild hunger to confusion and she pulled out the knife. When she pulled it out she realized she shouldn’t have done that when she did and pressed hand on the wound. “What.” She whispered as she didn’t feel a wound. 

Victor had stumbled back and completely confused from being fed on before locking eyes with Layla, “You bitch.” He gargled through blood as pulled out a trigger. 

“RUN!” Diamond yelled out seeing the trigger before it was being pressed. Aziza bolted to Layla to cover her and Diamond went to cover Chris. 

The bombs were set off causing rubble to fall on all of them and dust filling the room. Once the dust settled down Aziza was able to push rubble that landed on them and felt Layla gripping her fur. Aziza let out a whimper as Layla looked up to her snout, “Az?” Layla asked as cupped Aziza’s muzzle carefully.

Diamond burst out from the rubble with loud snarled, “I’m going skin that bastard alive.” Diamond growled and Chris groaned as he stood up from the hole Diamond came out of. 

“Sound off, is everyone still alive?” Chris called out as he stood up on the rubble.

“Over here,” Layla called out while Aziza whimpered. Diamond walked over to the two and saw Aziza had some old rebar in Aziza’s back.

“Stay still, I’ll get those for you.” Diamond said as she walked behind Aziza and Layla gently pet Aziza’s muzzle. With some quick motions pulled out the rebar and tossed them to the side. 

Chris walked over with putting his gun away, “Miss. Lilacwood, we have to have a talk,” Chris said and glanced around. “Diamond, can we get out here now.” 

Diamond glanced around to see no sign of Victor and sighed, “Sure, our mad scientist escaped.” Diamond said. “You’re going to the hospital, Quinn.”