Unveiled Transformations

"Ben?" I rasped.

Victor's response was to shuffle towards me, and I pressed myself against the crate. When he reached me, he knelt down on one knee and scrutinized me. I flinched and braced myself for demise, but he took no action. He simply gazed at me with those unwavering, penetrating eyes.

His inaction fueled my anger. I was weary of being the prey. "If you're planning to kill me, then get it over with," I demanded.

"I wish I could," he quipped.

I blinked in confusion. "But you—"

"The situation has changed, and so have we both," he said. What information regarding our relationship did Benjamin give you?"

The change in topic was so abrupt that I instinctively shrugged. Every fiber of my being throbbed with the movement. "He said you were allies."

Victor chuckled. "Is that what he informed you? That we were some kind of a unit? All for one and one for all?" I winced but nodded. He scoffed, his face contorting in disgust. That was all I needed to hear from this insane person: "We were nothing like that". Slowly, I inched along the floor, but Victor forcefully slammed his hand against the crate beside my head, halting my escape. "You're going nowhere," he said to me.

I furrowed my brow. "What are your plans for me, if not killing me?" I asked.

"I'll make sure you're safe. He sighed impatiently as I arched an eyebrow in skepticism. "You're quite slow, aren't you? Have you even discerned what I am?"

"A sociopath?" I guessed.

He smirked. "That is true, yet it doesn't describe my species".

"I just want to-ah!" I instantly experienced a burst of agony in my hurting hand. I hunched over, clutching my trembling fingers. Victor seized my shoulders, restraining me. I gritted my teeth and lifted my head to meet his gaze. "What's happening?" I asked him.

"The alliance isn't complete yet. Where is the band?" he asked. My gaze wandered to the fallen lantern. The ring had rolled beside the glass enclosure housing the flame. Victor followed my line of sight and left me momentarily to snatch the ring and return. "Put this on now," he commanded, extending the ring towards me. I squeezed myself against the crate and shook my head. I wouldn't endure that agony again. He sneered at me and forcefully placed the ring in my palm. "Put it—"

His insistence was interrupted by the sound of firearms outside the warehouse. Bullets pierced the frail walls of the dilapidated structure, whizzing over our heads. I instinctively shielded myself by covering my head with my arms and crouching down. Victor threw himself over me, pressing me to the floor. He positioned his head close to mine, his elongated teeth appearing incredibly sharp. "Put on the ring, or we're both dead!" he snapped.

I was too frantic to argue and hastily slid the ring onto my finger. I clasped my hand tightly as agony surged from the metallic band into my being. Victor clenched his jaw, his muffled cries resonating with my own torment. The gunfire outside faded, replaced by a more grotesque sound—a resounding howl of a colossal wolf. The front door was torn from its hinges and flung aside. Claws clicked rapidly against the hard floor as, amidst the pain induced by the ring, I envisioned a fate far more gruesome than the one Victor had threatened. I dreaded being torn apart by a ravenous beast. I had no idea how wrong I had been.

The clinking claws drew nearer, rounding the corner of a nearby stack of crates. I turned my head, and my eyes widened as, illuminated by the dim lantern, I beheld not a mammoth canine but a wolf-like creature surpassing the size of a man. It spotted us and rose onto its hind legs. The lupine entity tilted its head skyward and let out a howl that reverberated through the metallic structure, sending a shudder down my spine. It descended back onto all fours and swiftly charged in our direction.

Victor catapulted off me and leapt between the monster and myself. As the monstrous entity approached within a foot's distance, Victor executed a swift circular leg motion, sweeping the creature's front limbs out from under it. The wolf crashed headfirst into the unyielding floor, sliding into the crate of boxes situated behind me. The wooden containers tumbled over, engulfing the creature. I crawled away, but the pain ravaging my body was so intense that I lacked the strength to rise.

Victor seized one of the crates and ripped off a lengthy, serrated splinter of wood. The wolfish beast burst forth from the crates, emitting a furious howl. Its eyes of gold locked onto me, and a scream tore from my throat as it lunged in my direction. Victor tackled the creature from the side, and the two of them rolled away from me. I retreated, my hand inadvertently colliding with something solid yet lightweight. It was the lantern. Grasping it tightly, I swung the lantern before me to observe the altercation.

The beast regained its footing and pounced at Victor, but his agility proved superior as he deftly evaded the creature's slashing claws. Victor slipped behind the wolf-like being and elevated the stake, preparing to thrust the makeshift weapon into the creature's back. To our astonishment, the beast reversed the situation, employing Victor's own tactic of executing a round-kick to topple him. Victor crashed heavily onto his back, and the beast turned menacingly, poised to tear him apart. Thinking swiftly, I hurled the lantern at the beast's back. The flame made contact with the creature's fur, igniting it in a blazing inferno.

The creature let out a shriek, flailing its arms in a futile attempt to extinguish the engulfing flames. Victor seized the stake and thrust it into the creature's chest. A prolonged, ghastly howl escaped the wolf's jaws before it collapsed lifelessly. The fur continued to smolder, and in its glow, I witnessed the transformation from a bestial demon to a scarcely clad man. Once the metamorphosis was complete, the fire ceased its consumption of the now non-existent hair on his back. Enveloped in darkness, still plagued by pain, I found myself alone with Victor.

A scream escaped my lips as I felt myself lifted into the embrace of sturdy arms. "Be silent," Victor commanded. Holding me close against his chest, he swiftly navigated away from the front entrance, weaving through the labyrinth of crates. We arrived at the rear section with haste, and he forcefully pressed his back against a weighty metal door leading to the outside. I was grateful for the ability to discern our surroundings.

However, my relief dissipated as Victor sprinted along the rear perimeter of the adjacent warehouses. His velocity surpassed what any human should be capable of. The ground blurred past, a flurry of rocks, shards of glass, and refuse, as we covered a distance that would have taken me at least a minute in mere seconds. I attempted to break free, to escape this harrowing ride, yet he only tightened his grip, firmly pressing me against his chest. "Remain still," he growled.

I stiffened and complied with his order, especially upon beholding the multitude of vehicles and individuals congregating in front of the warehouses. There were no less than six cars and twice that number of men donned in black attire. Dark sunglasses shielded their eyes, and each one brandished weaponry. Half of them stationed themselves at the entrance of the farthest warehouse, while the remaining half dispersed between the gate and our position behind the central warehouse. Victor stealthily advanced towards the front of the structure, where a handful of crates provided cover. Proceeding any further would risk detection.

Shouts emanated from our former hiding place. The lifeless body of the wolfish man had been discovered. The men guarding the gate momentarily diverted their attention in that direction, and Victor seized the opportunity. Bursting forth from our concealment behind a cluster of crates, he bolted towards the gate. Though secured by a chain-link fence, it did not impede his progress. The sunglasses-clad men noticed our escape and trained their firearms on us. Gunfire erupted, bullets whizzing perilously close to our heads. Their aim seemed as poor as that of a Storm Trooper, as they failed to strike Victor. However, I experienced the sensation of being pricked by numerous pins. Then, a searing object embedded itself into my shoulder, as one of the assailants found their mark—I was hit. The bullet pierced through my shoulder, saturating my shirt in crimson

We reached a distance of ten yards from the gate when Victor vaulted into the air. The tremendous velocity he possessed propelled us over the barbed wire and onto the opposite side. With a resounding crunch, we landed on the pavement. The closed gate hindered our pursuers, affording us a crucial head start along the river road. We delved into the urban sprawl before their cars departed the warehouse enclave, and Victor effortlessly evaded them amidst the labyrinth of dimly lit alleys and narrow, dilapidated streets.

Despite the peril we had escaped, I found solace when he halted us in an alley that exuded a mix of dampness and destitution. My wound continued to seep blood, and the agony rivaled that which the ring had inflicted upon me. A cry escaped my lips as he set me down with a tad too much force against a brick wall. "Silence," he commanded.

I glared at him, my frustration mounting. "Silence? There's a damned bullet hole in my shoulder!" I retorted sharply.

Victor disregarded my complaints and forcefully tore apart my bloodstained shirt sleeve. The crimson fluid had trickled down my arm and chest, drenching a significant portion of my body. Anticipating him to dress the wound, I was taken aback when Victor simply fixated on it with unwavering intensity. "Victor?" I ventured, seeking some semblance of understanding. No response came, and unease coursed through me as I squirmed under his unblinking stare. Suddenly, his hand shot out, firmly gripping my shoulder to immobilize me. My gaze wandered to his attire, and for the first time, I noticed the multitude of bullet holes riddling his clothes. Those suited individuals hadn't missed; they had showered him in a hail of bullets. He shouldn't have been alive, let alone restraining me. My heart raced as the memory of his earlier threat to end my life resurfaced. Victor's razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the feeble illumination of the night, his complexion contrasting starkly against the shadowy recesses of the alley. He resembled a nocturnal creature, akin to a— "Vampire!" I gasped.

Without hesitation, Victor lunged forward, sinking his teeth into my shoulder. A yelp escaped my lips, and I instinctively tried to wrench myself away, but his grip remained unyielding. The initial pain of his piercing fangs gradually subsided, replaced by an intoxicating pleasure that radiated from the point of entry. My eyes widened as my body ignited, a molten heat spreading throughout, while a pooling warmth intensified between my thighs. Gasping for breath, my flushed face betrayed the surging desire that surged through every fiber of my being.

The fervent craving dissipated gradually, replaced by a profound weariness as I sensed Victor extracting my life force through my blood. My head drooped to the side, and the weight of fatigue threatened to engulf me entirely. I believed I was on the verge of losing consciousness, but a radiant beam penetrated my closed eyelids, searing with a luminosity rivaling the sun's brilliance. The blinding light jolted my mind and body awake. Amidst the piercing illumination, I heard Victor's anguished cry and managed to pry my eyes open just in time to witness him stumble across the alley. He emitted hisses and snarls, directed at my hand, and I realized that the emanation of light stemmed from the ring adorning my finger.

Yet, it wasn't the sole source. Victor's own finger was ablaze with the same radiant glow. He clutched his hand, his elongated fangs grinding together to suppress his cries of agony. His radiance pulsed and extended, transforming into a slender beam of light that meandered upward toward the heavens. The ethereal stream traversed the expanse of the alley, converging with my ring. A gasp escaped my lips as an overwhelming surge of power coursed through my being, transmitted via the luminous conduit. Lethargy dissolved into oblivion, usurped by an invigorating energy reminiscent of imbibing countless energy beverages, their combined potency working in unison.

Victor let out a piercing shriek, collapsing onto his knees. His countenance assumed a ghastly pallor, while his flesh appeared to wither and contract, clinging tightly to his skeletal frame. Despite his deranged behavior, a pang of sympathy washed over me. As that sentiment swelled within, the luminous tether that bound us abruptly dissipated. The world plunged back into the enveloping darkness of the night. The surge of energy coursing through my being receded, yet the pain from my injury had vanished. When I cast a glance at my shoulder, I discerned that the wound had vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but a sanguinary residue.