Killian was free as any person could be, and he relished in that freedom, inhaling it and letting it feel his lungs as he ran across the forest on his four legs, shape shifter that he was, he loved running in the forest.
He wasn't your common shapeshifter, mind you, he wished tho… being able to turn yourself in everything you wanted must be thrilling. But no, his species consisted on a kind of dormant virus, inflicted by the strong pull of genes, meaning your parents or at least one of them had to be a shapeshifter for you to wake up as one. This dormant and stupid virus stays lurking in the shadows of your insides processing the same information you process daily, and the bastard starts to make an opinion of you, constructs an idealization of your personality and your fate so when you turn 22, at the exact same time you were born… you simply change, but you change to what's supposed to be your animal spirit, the representation of your soul. Killian had spent years trying to analyse the fact that he was a wolf, and he had just given up on that quest, looking for it made his mind hurt and was a waste of time. It had taken quite some time for him to accept what he was, longer that it would take a normal shapeshifter because of the little fact that his parents had the awful idea of crashing against a tree when he was just 17 years old, leaving him an orphan and without any clue of what would happen to him on his 22th birthday at exactly 19.23pm. Hopefully he had been walking along the forest alone when that had happened, not that that fact had made the experience less traumatic.
"Were the fuck are you? We're waiting for you" Graham's voice resonated on his head, annoying him all over again. Being in a pack meant having the voice of your pack mates in your head when they wanted to speak to you, which was annoyingly pretty much always. Thank God you could block them sometimes and keep your thoughts to yourself; it required practice and mental preparation. Killian had spent long years practicing till he had mastered the skill. It was not like you had no privacy, the link severed a little when they were in human form, and they couldn't read your mind, it was like a mental walkie-talkie, it's just that sometimes you forgot you had the button pressed and talked bullshit without noticing.
"Almost there, papa bear." He replied mentally, practically hearing his scoff. Graham could transform into a bear and Killian usually took advantage of that fact to bother him.
When he got to Graham's house, he changed back easily to his other dashing self, as he so modestly often put it. He entered the house from the back door and walked straight to the living room.
"Finally, look who decided to honour us with his presence" Jefferson said, smirking at him. "Welcome, welcome, king."
"Thank, peasant." He replied and dropped himself on the couch next to August. "What's all the fuss about, fellas? I was still taking my beauty sleep" he said.
"At 3 o'clock in the afternoon? Okay…" Graham said. "We have a problem, Will is missing." He finished and Killian sat correctly on the couch, paying more attention.
"Will? For how long? I'm sure he's fine, hooking up with his girl, what's her name? Alice." He answered.
"Killian… he's been gone for three days straight, that's not like Will." And that was indeed not like him, Will had a habit of going missing, unreachable for a day or so, but not for three whole days, not even letting them know he was still alive.
"We have to do something" August said next to him, always the good citizen.
"Are you sure he's not just drunk somewhere?" He asked rubbing his hand over his face in frustration.
"Killian…" Robin said, warning him.
"Fine, fine. We'll go searching for him tonight; we can't have a bear and a lion on plain daylight lurking on the forest." He finished. "Ten o'clock on the usual spot."
"Why do you always say "usual spot"? Cut the mysterious crap, it's a freaking parking lot." Jefferson said as Killian stood up.
"Well, aren't you fun to be around." He said. "See you later, girls."
Killian walked out and started walking to the forest before changing; he had a long long night coming.
It was raining, it was fucking raining and this night looked right out of a horrible clichéd movie, Killian thought as he ran to where he was meeting his mates. This was definitely going to make the search harder, but they could manage, they've been through worse.
When he arrived, there was only Jefferson missing, the others were in their human form talking, they didn't even look at him as he walked and transformed himself back.
"Where's Jefferson?" Killian asked the rest.
"He's occupied with Grace tonight; he called us a while ago." Graham replied passing a hand through his wet curls.
"That's a shame; we could've used the help of a cheetah." He replied and looked at the forest behind the parking lot. "Okay, you Robin come with me and search the west part. You Graham, and August inspect the east. We'll be communicating with each other." Killian turned around and started walking towards the forest without waiting for Robin.
Robin and Killian made quite the team, a wolf and a lion running freely throughout the forest, despite the horrible weather, Killian felt attuned with the trees, the water falling from the sky, the mud below his paws. He stopped running to sniff the air in case he caught Will's scent.
"Can you sense something?" Robin asked with his mind as he sniffed the air too. "We've been running for a while now and this dammed rain drowns all the smells."
"I know, but we have to keep searching. A while ago I thought I caught something but it was a dead end." Killian replied and growled. "Damned William. Where is he?"
Two hours later and both shapeshifters tired of all the running, a voice sounded gravely serious.
"Guys, we've found him." Graham said and mentally gave them the directions.
As soon as Killian arrived with Robin, the fetid scent of death haunted the air even through the rain. Killian changed himself to human, not minding the water and closed his eyes, his heart clenching on his chest. He took a few steps towards the body, glancing briefly to Graham and August that had absent looks on their faces.
Will was lying on the floor, his body twisted in an unnatural way; his eyes open in an expression that could only be described as horror, perpetually plastered on his face. Killian kneeled down next to the body and absentmindedly noticed that the rain made it look like Will was crying, Killian's heart clenched more on his chest as he leaned forward to close the eyes of the body that had been so alive only a few days ago. Death was a funny thing, how you never expect it until it hits you square on the face with all the power of a hurricane.
"How did this happen?" he asked in a whisper, knowing his pack would hear him anyway.
"Look in the crook of his neck." August replied barely moving.
Killian leaned forward again and moved the wet clothes that clinged to the dead body searching for what August mentioned. When he was about to ask him, he saw it and his body froze completely, a growl rising from his throat. The shoulder's veins were black, almost reaching the neck, the fury boiled Killian's veins slowly.
"Witchcraft." He sentenced and felt Robin sigh beside him, looking down.
"Yes. And it's weird because they've never messed up with us, K. We didn't break the pact and as far as I'm concerned they haven't either… well, 'till now, that is." Graham said and swallowed tightly.
"I told you, witches cannot be trusted. You didn't believe me, well, look how it turned out." Killian snarled at Graham. He hated witches with all his heart, they were blinded by that all-mighty force, and they were egotistical creatures that only sought power, but beyond that they were mostly cowards hiding behind a masquerade of sparks and darkness. He had no use for cowards like that.
"Calm down, I didn't make the bloody pact, if you want to yell at someone; go yell at the cemetery, Killian!" Graham yelled back. Killian furiously passed a hand through his face trying to keep the pouring rain from his eyes at least a bit. He knew Graham was right; his grandfather had made the damned pact with the witches. The pact was simple, they stayed on their side and the shapeshifters stayed on theirs, and it had worked for about 150 years. Killian's eyes fell on William's body again, the fury igniting again.
"The pact is clearly broken, I say we set the witches on fire once and for all" Killian growled a non-human sound and Robin put his hand on his shoulder.
"Killian, we can't rush and kill everyone. What if they weren't the ones that did this? "Robin said.
"And who else would kill one of us, Robin? They're the only ones that could possibly hold a grunge on us." He replied.
"Maybe Rumpelstinsking is back…" Graham said softly, and if he Killian didn't have a wolf ear, he would've never listened it. His hand turned into a fist on its own accord as he heard that bloody name. Six years and he still hated that imp with all his might.
"I killed the bastard, with my own bloody hands. I made sure he's not coming back. It's not him." He replied through his teeth.
"Yes, but Killian, he came back once before, what makes you sure he's not doing it again?" Graham asked.
"Because I quite literally ate his heart out, Graham. That's why." Killian eyes were fixed on Graham's as his friend took a step back. Killian never talked much about what had happened that night. It was still toxic and filled Killian's veins with hatred, pure and raw.
"Okay, but let's not rush here, okay?" August finally broke the silence. "This looks like something more than just the witches not liking us."
"Like us? They hate us, August." He replied pointing at the body. "That's the proof of their hate, maybe they grew tired of making it easy for us mere shapeshifters"
He walked further into the forest, trying to control his anger as they followed him.
"I'm just saying that that mark stinks of dark magic, and when I say dark magic I mean the one that only the deepest hatred can harvest."
"You've yet to make a statement that doesn't fit the witches here, mate." He replied, abruptly turning around. "Look, I'm going to at least question these motherfuckers. If you're in, you're in, if you're not, well, see you later." Killian finished and transformed, not giving them time to reply.
"Killian, wait!" Robin's voice said and he could hear a loud growl behind him, not paying attention as he ran and ran through the forest in the direction to where he knew was the witches' shop.
Since Killian can remember, the coven has had their little shop of witchcraft, nothing too fancy, a couple of candles here, weird objects there and fake potions –or so he'd like to think–. That' was supposedly how they made their money, that and personal sessions with them. Only witches could use their powers to gain something, even though Killian didn't appreciate the fact, he felt a little envy, if he could only use this "blessing" as so many call it for something that would do him good, he would be positively ecstatic.
As he got closer, he could feel on his fur the tingle of magic nearby, it was like an inch he couldn't scratch all over his body. Killian fought against the desire to stop and turn around, far away from these specimens, but the curiosity and hatred moved him forward.
He was not stupid, he could see the sense on August and Graham's theory, he was not completely blind, but he still though they had at least something to do with it. Killian transformed himself back after watching the streets to see if anyone was there, it was deserted, he could feel his pack closing in. He knocked on the door with force before they could drag him back to the forest.
The door opened after a few seconds and a brunette with wide red lips appeared.
"Sorry, we're…" she stopped talking as soon as he saw him, if he had been in his wolf form, he was sure his hair would be up and a sneer on his face. "What are you doing here?" her eyes narrowed at him and the boys must've been near because she looked behind him and her eyes widened slightly.
"Hello, lass. May I come in?" He said and entered without waiting for her permission.
"Ruby, why does it smell like wet dog in here?" another petite brunette appeared, but while the first one had soft edges, this one had disdain clearly written on her face. Killian smirked mischievously at her.
"I'm here to find out who killed our friend. You know, this high, brown hair and eyes, always looked worried." He described and stepped forward. "Which one of you killed him?" he asked.
"Stop there, dog. We didn't kill anybody." Evil brunette said. "We don't need to kill you, you kill yourselves alone being as reckless as you are."
"Killian" Graham's voice warned him from the door but he didn't look at him.
"Oh, yeah? And why, oh why, did he have fucking black veins on his shoulder?" he yelled at her and two more witches arrived.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked him looking confused.
"I'm talking about the dead body on the forest we just found. My friend was killed with magic, and I only know a few people who can perform it. Guess tonight's not your night, huh?" He barked.
"Oh, please, who let the dogs out? Is this a joke? How about we give you a steak and you ran off? And we'll forget that you just trespassed our territory…" the witch said.
Killian's patience was running low and this witch was playing a dangerous game. He stepped forward to make her realise just how serious this was but only made it two steps and then he was thrown across the room by a magical wave, he stood pressed against the wall as blonde woman approached him, her arm raised pointing at him to keep him magically against the damned wall. And if Killian didn't hate magic users so much, he would be drooling at the sight of her hips swaying as she walked, she was gorgeous. Her green eyes shone with an icy touch.
"Well, normally I prefer to do other enjoyable activities with a woman pushing me against a wall, but I sense it's not the time." He said and smirked at the woman now a few feet away from him. She smiled tightly.
"Will you calm down your testosterone now? I could spend the whole night throwing you from side to side, but I doubt it will be productive for either one of us, shapeshifter." The grip on his body tightened before letting him fall to the floor, he looked up at her. "Now, what do you say we speak like the grown adults I like to think we are?"
Killian stood up and glared at her. "And who are you, lass?" he asked.
"Emma Swan." She extended her hand towards him but he only kept watching her straight in the eye, she lowered her arm as she raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to reply.
"Killian Jones. Now… can you tell me who killed our friend?"