Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites. To the reviewer who asked about how the caster got Emma's blood, it will be revealed later in the story. Please continue to leave me your thoughts as reviews really help me write a better story.
Chapter 2
I didn't breathe as I walked past the foyer and headed straight into my study. I poured myself a tumbler of my cider, deciding that under the circumstances, I didn't care that I was drinking before noon. I drank the first glass in one long gulp and quickly poured another before moving to my bookcase. I scanned over the titles, pulling any book that had any remote chance of containing information on either vampires or curses of this nature. By the time, I heard the shower cut off, I had a rather large stack of books, which I piled on the coffee table. I took a sip of my cider before sorting them into two piles. I assumed that Emma would have little patience for searching through the books about curses, especially as more than half of them weren't written in any language known to this world.
Emma's voice called down the stairs just as I was getting ready to settle onto the couch. "Hey, Regina, um, would it be alright if I borrowed some clothes? I don't think I should put the clothes I was wearing earlier back on."
I sighed and called back, "I'll be right there." With purposeful strides, I quickly climbed the stairs to find Emma standing at the top dressed in nothing but a towel, her skin still slightly damp from the shower. Desire flashed down my spine, quickly accompanied by the throbbing ache along my top jaw. I jerked my eyes away from her and said as coldly as possible, "Miss Swan, please step back into the bathroom. I will bring clothes to you in a moment."
"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry, Regina," she said guiltily, before she stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door.
That woman is going to be the death of me, I thought to myself as I went in search of clothes for the troublesome blonde. I decided on a pair of the jeans I liked to wear when working on my garden and an old t-shirt from the days when Henry would ruin my expensive clothing with baby vomit. I grabbed a random pair of underwear and moved back to the bathroom. I knocked on the door, "Miss Swan, I am leaving these outside the door. Please wait until I am back downstairs before you open this door."
"Okay, thanks," came the slightly muffled reply.
"You're welcome," I said, placing the clothes on the floor before escaping back downstairs to my study and the distracting burn of alcohol.
I was working on my third glass of cider and scanning through the first book when I heard her come downstairs. Not getting up, I called out, "Please put your clothes on top of the washing machine. It's behind the door across from the kitchen. I will wash them for you in a little while."
"Oh, um, that's alright. You don't have to do that, Regina," Emma said awkwardly.
I didn't bother to look up from the book in my lap as I said, "Let me rephrase that, Miss Swan. It would be detrimental to your health if I were to stay in the same room as the scent that is clinging to your clothing."
"Oh, right. Okay, then I'll be right back," she said with embarrassment.
"That would be wise," I called dryly at her retreating back, allowing myself a satisfied smirk before turning my attention back to translating the book.
Emma returned a minute later and hovered uncertainly in the doorway. "So, what can I do to help?"
I looked up and my breath caught in my throat as the sight of her in my clothes sent a wave of possessiveness crashing over me. The word "Mine!" reverberating through my mind, courtesy of the curse induced predator stirring within me. I reached for my glass of cider, hoping that Emma hadn't seen the look I was sure had filled my gaze. After swallowing the sip of cider, I said, "You can help yourself to any refreshments you desire, and begin looking through that pile of books." I pointed to the pile consisting of books with vampiric lore.
"Alright, thanks. I could really use some coffee if we're going to be reading all day. Is it cool if I go make a pot?" she asked, still seeming a little nervous.
"Of course, dear. I should probably switch to coffee myself," I said, glancing at the nearly empty glass of cider.
Emma chuckled, "Yeah, drinking at ten in the morning probably isn't the best idea."
I sent a glare at her and snapped out, "My apologies, Miss Swan. It's been a rather trying morning, what with discovering I'd been cursed with vampirism, and needing to drink the blood of the woman who has taken my son from me."
A hurt look crossed her eyes, and she held up her hands in surrender. "I wasn't criticizing you, Regina. Actually, I don't blame you. I probably would have downed an entire bottle of Jack Daniels if it'd been me."
I let out a huff of indignation as she completely ignored the comment about Henry. Instead of answering, I turned back to the book. Emma sighed and left the room. I let out a sigh of my own and downed the last of my cider. As the seconds turned to minutes without the blonde returning, I found myself growing anxious. I was disgusted with myself, but the new instincts were driving me to find her and keep her close to me. Just as I was setting the book aside, she came back in with two mugs of coffee.
She smiled at me and I immediately calmed down. She handed me one of the mugs and moved to sit in the chair across from me. Before I could prevent the words from slipping out, I said, "Wait, Emma, I need you to sit next to me on the couch." I immediately cringed when she shot me a startled look.
"Regina…" she tailed off nervously.
I shifted uncomfortably and looked down into my coffee mug. "I'm sorry. It's this damn curse. Please, will you sit on the couch with me?" I asked, hated the almost desperate tone in my voice.
"Um, okay, sure," she said, sounding anything but sure.
"Thank you, dear," I said weakly. I waited until she had settled on the opposite end of the couch before glancing over at her. Seeing her sitting within reach soothed the beast within me and I relaxed. I picked up the book I had been studying and got to work.
I lost track of the time as Emma and I worked our way steadily through the books. She would occasionally find an interesting fact about vampires that she would share, most of which I had already known from my own studies back in the Enchanted Forest, but at least it helped to inform her about what to expect in the coming days if we weren't able to break or remove the curse soon. It wasn't until Emma's stomach loudly rumbled in the otherwise silent room, that I even realized that we'd worked through lunch.
I jumped up and reached for her, saying, "Come on, dear. I'll make you lunch."
Emma's eyebrow shot up and I felt a blush spread across my face. "You don't have to do that, Regina."
I refused to allow my churning emotions to show on my face or in my voice as I said, "It's the least I can do, Miss Swan."
She studied me for a long moment before sighing and taking my offered hand. "Alright. Thank you."
A pleased smile turned up my lips and I couldn't make myself let go of her hand until we reached the kitchen. I puttered around making sandwiches and cutting up apples, while she watched from the breakfast bar. As I moved about the kitchen, I tried to work through my emotions. I knew that the sudden need to take care of the blonde was a direct result of the curse and my current dependence on her. It was instinctual, but I couldn't decide how I felt about it. To feel this sudden need for her after spending so many months trying to push her away was disconcerting to say the least. But she seemed to have also been harboring hidden desires for me. So where would that leave us once we broke this curse? Should we try to fight the attraction that we both apparently felt? Or would it be better to give in to it and hope that we didn't destroy each other in the long run, hurting Henry in the process. God, what would Henry think? I couldn't find answers to any of these questions by the time I set two plates on the breakfast bar.
I had just finished preparing lunch when the doorbell rang. Instantly, a fierce urge to protect Emma from whoever was at the door drove out all my other senses. I glanced over at the blonde and saw her sliding off the barstool. "Stay here. I will see who is at the door," I snarled.
She looked at me startled and said, "Whoa, calm down, Regina. I'm sure it's fine."
In a heartbeat, I closed the distance between us, stopping her from leaving the kitchen. In a low, barely controlled voice I said, "Someone in this town has cursed me and for the time being, my survival is dependent on you, Miss Swan. Now, please sit down and eat the lunch I made for you. I will see who is at the door."
Her jaw clenched in frustration but she backed off and said, "Fine, but we are going to have a conversation about this when you get back."
"Very well, dear," I said, relaxing slightly now that she was following my wishes. I gave her one last glance before heading to answer the door. I was half-way there when the doorbell rang again. I rolled my eyes and continued towards the front door. As I stepped down the few steps to the front door, the scent of blood and sex hit me again. It was much fainter than it had been hours ago, but it was still enough to remind me of the burning thirst that had been growing steadily more intense throughout the day. My fangs automatically slid down in response and I groaned. I glanced out the peephole saw Snow White on the porch and sighed.
"Emma!" I called over my shoulder, opening the door before the obnoxious woman could ring the doorbell again. I wasn't willing to show her my new fangs, so I just crossed my arms and lifted an eyebrow. As I waited for either her to speak or for Emma to appear, I discreetly sucked in as much fresh air as I could in the hopes of making my fangs retract.
"Regina, um, have you seen Emma? Neither of you showed up for work today and we were worried," she asked nervously.
Luckily, Emma appeared and saved me from having to try to speak without revealing my teeth. "Hey, Mary Margaret. What are you doing here?" Emma asked, giving me a nervous look.
She petit brunette sighed, "When neither of you showed up for work today, we were worried. Is everything alright?"
"Um, yeah, I mean no. Regina's got a situation going on, but I'm helping her and we're fine," Emma said, nervously rambling. I shot a glare at her, but the spike of anger I was feeling made it impossible for me to calm enough to retract the fangs so I could refute her statement.
"What kind of situation?" Snow asked immediately wary.
I clenched my jaw and lifted an eyebrow at Emma, telling her she had to answer and she better not tell the whole truth. Understanding lit in her eyes and they darted down to my lips. I nodded subtly and she turned back to Snow who was studying us curiously.
"Um, it's sort of private. But don't worry, everything's under control," Emma said, trying and failing to be reassuring. I rolled my eyes.
"Um, Emma, why are you wearing Regina's clothes?" Snow asked in rising panic.
Hearing her panic settled something within me and the fangs finally retracted. I let out a chuckle and smirked at the petite woman. "I really don't see how that's any of your business, Snow," I said in a taunting voice.
She glared at me, but Emma spoke up before she could start an argument. "I spilled coffee on my clothes, so Regina loaned me some of hers," she said with a shrug.
"Okay, well I'm glad you're both alright," Snow replied uncertainly.
"Everything's under control. But, would you and David keep an eye on Henry until we can get this sorted?" Emma asked, and I grit my teeth, hating that she was right and he shouldn't know anything about this.
"Of course, honey," Snow said sweetly.
A low rumble sounded in my chest and I felt more than saw Emma's alarmed glance. I hadn't even realized that I was baring my teeth in an animalistic snarl. I closed my mouth and stepped away from the door, leaving Emma to get rid of her mother.
"Well, thanks, uh—Mom. We should probably get back to it," Emma said awkwardly.
"Alright, honey. Just be safe," Snow said in an overly concerned voice.
"We will, don't worry. See you later," Emma said unconvincingly, before she shut the door. I let out a sigh as I heard Snow move off down the walkway. Emma turned to me and crossed her arms. "What the hell was that, Regina?" she asked obviously angry with me.
With the door shut, there wasn't enough fresh air to remove the scents from earlier and I shook my head. "Not here, dear. We should go back to the kitchen. You need to eat," I said, already moving towards the kitchen.
"Why?" Emma asked, following me.
"The scent from our earlier…activities is still too strong, dear," I said over my shoulder.
Emma mumbled a response that I pretended not to hear as I breezed into the kitchen. I pulled my plate towards me and stared at the wholly unappetizing sandwich I'd made. I didn't feel hungry in the slightest, but I thought I should be, so I picked up an apple slice and bit into it, while Emma slid onto the stool across from me. She took a bite of her sandwich before asking the question I was dreading. "What's going on, Regina? What really set you off when the doorbell rang?"
I dropped the apple slice and pushed away the plate with a sigh. I thought carefully through my response before stating, "There are apparently side effects of this curse, Miss Swan. It is almost as though there is a beast within me that I have little to no control over when I am overcome with the thirst. As you are the one it craves, the beast's instincts to keep you safe, healthy, and nearby become overwhelming and I react."
She took another bite of her sandwich, using the time to chew to think through what I'd said. When she swallowed, she asked, "So what would that mean for me if we aren't able to break this curse?"
"I don't know," I replied, picking at my food again and not looking at her.
Emma sighed, "You do know something. Please tell me."
I hesitated, before admitting, "I need to do more research, but unless I can find a solution, I won't be able to let you out of my sight for long."
"Fuck," Emma stated, sitting back in her chair.
"Yes, Miss Swan. That is one of the many reasons I wish to find a way to break this curse," I said flatly.
"Why? Why would someone do this to us, Regina? I know you've done some pretty fucked up shit in your past, but most of that happened almost 30 years ago. So, why now? And why me?" Emma asked sounding somewhat desperate.
"I think this is Gold's doing," I said hearing the resignation in my own voice. "He promised Belle that he wouldn't kill me, but he also promised me a fate worse than death for keeping her locked up for so long. I think when he failed with the wraith he searched for another alternative and this is it. I imagine he chose you thinking that out of everyone in this town, you'd be the hardest for me to successfully overpower to quench the thirst. It probably never occurred to him that you would willingly offer your neck to me."
Emma snorted, "Then he's an idiot. I'd do it for Henry if nothing else."
Her words had my heart plummeting in my chest and I quietly asked, "Is that why you did it?"
Emma look startled for a moment before a blush spread across her cheeks. "No," she admitted softly.
"Then why?" I asked, trying to hide how desperately I needed to know her answer.
She bit her lip in indecision before saying, "I think you know."
I shook my head, "No, Emma, I really don't."
She sighed and admitted in a voice so soft I could barely hear her, "I care about you, Regina."
"Oh," I breathed, my heart skipping a beat. Emma tensed and I knew I had to say something else. I tried to force the tender words out of my mouth but only managed to say, "It seems that those feelings may not be entirely one-sided, dear." Inwardly I was kicking myself. Why couldn't I just admit that I cared too?
I glanced up and saw a smile tugging at Emma's lips. Slowly my eyes dragged up to see happy amusement dancing within her green eyes. She chuckled and teased, "Did that hurt?"
Instantly, my defenses shot up and I crossed my arms. But I bit back the angry retort, for once, and instead chose to say, "You need to eat, Miss Swan."
She raised an eyebrow and said, "You're not eating."
I shrugged, "I'm not hungry."
Concern washed away her amusement and she gently asked, "Are you thirsty?"
Instantly, I became aware of the dry burning in my throat and the fangs slid back down. "Yes, damn it," I snarled.
Emma's eyes darkened with desire as she stared at my mouth. I nearly lost control as a result of that look, but then she made it worse. She brushed the hair off her neck and tilted her chin up, offering herself to me. "Go ahead and take what you need," she said huskily.
I was on the other side of the breakfast bar, standing between her spread thighs with my lips on her neck before I realized what I was doing. I fought a vicious battle with that inner beast and barely managed to regain a shred of control. "No," I growled, pushing away from her. "It's too soon and you need to eat."
"Regina—" she started to say, but I cut her off with a warning growl. It rumbled from deep in my chest and she froze.
"It hasn't even been five hours, Miss Swan. I will bleed you dry before morning if I bite you this often. Now, eat. I will be back in a few minutes," I snarled. She remained silent as I stalked out of the kitchen. I went out to my backyard, letting the fresh air and sunlight calm me. When I had regained my composure and the fangs retreated into my gums, I went back inside, glad to see that Emma was finishing my uneaten sandwich.
We went back to my study and resumed our research in silence. Gradually, the earlier tension dissipated and we relaxed into a comfortable rhythm. When dinner time rolled around, we still hadn't found anything useful towards breaking the curse and Emma was starting to get restless. I wasn't hungry, nor was I ready to stop for the night, so I ordered her a pizza and suggested she take a break for a while. She readily agreed, retreating into the family room to watch the television while she ate. I started to feel anxious after an hour, but I ignored it, forcing myself to concentrate on deciphering the ancient text I was reading. When that hour stretched into two, I lost all hope of giving her the space I thought she might need and went in search of her.
She had fallen asleep on the couch with some medical drama playing on the screen. She looked beautiful sprawled across the leather cushions and not even considering that I shouldn't be strong enough, I carefully picked her up and carried her back to my study. She didn't stir until I set her back down on the couch and gently pillowed her head on my thigh.
She turned on her side, her eyes blinking open. "R'gina?" she asked in a sleepy voice.
I smiled down at her, letting my fingers trail through her hair. "It's alright Emma, go back to sleep," I said softly.
"M'ok," she mumbled and drifted back off. I went back to my book, not noticing that my fingers continued to idly stroke her hair, or the contented purr of my inner beast.
It was after midnight when I finally found the passage I needed. My heart sank with dread as I re-read the words.
The first vampire was cursed by the Dark One to forever thirst for the blood of others. The vampire wandered the Enchanted Forest for thousands of years, searching in vain for a way to end the suffering of his unnatural thirst. However, his curse was offset by numerous advantages over his intended prey. He was much stronger than a human, he was able to move much more quickly than any human and many beasts, his senses were all heighted, allowing him to find and hunt prey that was some distance from him, and he was able to speak into the mind of his prey to calm them while feeding.
The vampire learned that his blood was able to heal any wound in his prey; however, when his blood was ingested, it created a bond between him and the human, and the more times the human drank his blood, the tighter the bond grew, until it consumed the mind of the human, turning the human into nothing but a blood slave, willing to obey any order from his master with no thought towards self-preservation. This blood bond also allowed the vampire to find the bound human no matter how far away he was, and allowed him to know when the human was in danger.
He also discovered that he was able to create progeny by draining a person to the brink of death and allowing them to drink of his own blood. Thus spreading his curse, but ensuring that he was no longer alone in his unending life. His progeny were in turn able to create more vampires, but the curse became diluted with each generation and the new vampires were weaker and susceptible to the world's dangers, becoming unable to travel in the daylight hours, and developing a severe reaction to wood, fire and magic.
The first vampire, unable to uncover any means to break his curse, eventually succumbed to despair and sought out the Dark One to end his suffering, finally finding peace only in death. His progeny were then hunted to extinction, though rumors of vampire sightings and attacks continue to be whispered throughout the Enchanted Forest.
"Oh, God," I gasped out, the implications of what I'd read swirling through my mind, too quickly to process. The book fell from my nerveless fingers, hitting the floor with a loud thud.
