While he loathed the idea of taking a life, this was different. Kristoph needed his help and Paul had failed to save his life. This was a second chance reborn, a way to redeem himself with the man he thought of as a father figure and a mentor, someone who had taken him into the flock at his weakest moment and let him off of the leash, so to speak. Paul owed Kristoph everything and so when the idea to save Edi came, he stepped up without hesitation. It was his fault, too, that she’d been taken. If he’d only held on - kept fighting - even though he knew the dangers of the change.
When they’d set out he listened.
The ride over was in silence. Paul kept his eyes to himself, not wanting to experience any emotions that may have slipped out and on the faces of anyone though the general scent of the men was the same - revenge, rescue Edi at any cost.
As they reached the destination and the plan began to take tangible shape, he fought back a wave of nervousness. With his jaw set, and whatever weapon he’d been given, Apollo Scott would fall into place as the building was reached and the mission began to take motion. The hair on the nape of his neck stood up. All of his senses were on high alert - he could smell everything, all of the blood and decay from any of the previous tenants, and his stomach was doing flips though not from revulsion persay. Blood always had a way of making the wolf claw at the edges of his psyche.
To keep his mind from straying, he helped Jack where he could, and Louis, as they made the silent entry into the building.
Everything after that was a blur.
At some point, Paul remembered the change trying to take him. He remembered the way his heart began to pound, the way his lips pulled back from his teeth and fur beginning to sprout. He was not going to let anything happen to anyone this time, no — he would protect them at all costs. While he didn’t fully change, which took a lot of energy and willpower, Paul managed to grasp what he could of the beast and use its strength to his advantage against the Gorilla Shifter. He did his best to keep aware of others, keep away from anything that might bring undue harm. Managing to sustain a deep bite on the lower part of his upper arm from the primate’s fanged teeth, eventually he managed to get the last of the life out of the shifter and when the sound of the carcass hitting the ground met his ears Paul willed himself to change back into the bipedal human form. He was pale, exhausted, and bleeding, but otherwise unharmed.
Retracing steps, Paul followed the group back to the exit. He was quiet again on the ride home. His shirt had come off and was wound around the bite near the elbow, but otherwise he was as normal as he had been before the trip started.