"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing here, Swan?"

Emma took one look at him and then turned around and downed her drink, ignoring the living fuck out of him. She, the one flirting heavily with danger, chose to ignore him, the only chance for her to leave the place intact.

He was going to throttle her.

"Get lost, cub," she spat, in that no-nonsense tone that had made her famous across packs. He would find the challenge enticing if it weren't for the fact that he really needed to get her out of this fine establishment.

"Listen, love-" he started but the fire in her eyes stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Do not call me that."

Right, the prickly princess that could rip you apart had made an appearance.

"Fine. Listen, Swan," he emphasized her name. "This is not a good idea. You shouldn't be here."

"Am I being denied service?" She cocked an infuriating eyebrow at him. "My money is as good as everyone else's."

"It's not about your dough, lo-." He stopped himself right before she punched him in the face. "It's about all the problems you're going to find yourself in when the horny dogs in here get their wires crossed after too much drinking."

She scoffed, reaching to take a sip of her whiskey and shrugging off his words. "I can take care of myself."

He'd heard the stories of one or two wolves that had been almost neutered by trying to hit on her and not getting the meaning of the word no. "Not against all of them."

"You're a fucking beta. Call them off." The frustration was dripping from her voice and it was a sight to behold. She really was enthralling. From the corner of his eye, he noticed one or two patrons with their eyes on her and he closed his eyes one moment to gather his thoughts. He needed her to see reason otherwise it wasn't going to be a nice evening for neither of them.

"Darling, I might have power in my pack but not even the Alpha Almighty himself could stop them at the sight of such beauty. You know how wolves are. We idiots don't think when a lovely woman is involved."

He flexed his hand reflectively and Emma's eyes softened as they focused on his scarred arm. She probably knew the story behind that one. t was one that was often passed from wolf to wolf as an example of why one should never piss off an Alpha - even if he was married to your mate

"I'm sorry," she said softly, resting her forehead on the counter for a second. There was a hint of defeat in her voice that made Killian relax his tense shoulders. There was something more in here and he needed to find out what had her flirting with danger. Emma Swan was fierceless, yes, but she wasn't stupid. Something had rattled her enough to come here looking for trouble. Taking a seat on the stool next to her, Killian motioned the bartender to get her another round and him a rum.

"Tell me what is going on," he said in his most soothing voice.

Emma Swan huffed at him in annoyance. "I thought I should leave otherwise your self-restrain lacking pack was going to jump my bones."

He scooted closer, laying his hand on her thigh and caressing it, starting at the knee and moving all the way up until he almost reached that part of her inner thigh that was borderly into indecent public groping. Leaning closer, he nuzzled his nose to her ear, resisting at the very last minute the urge to bit her earlobe. "There," he said breathlessly. "I've laid my claim. They won't bother you now… at least not while I'm here." He pulled away slightly to drink his rum, but didn't remove his hand from her thigh.

"That is such an archaic bullshit."

"I agree." Killian studied her tense features, the way her jaw was set firmly and her hands grabbed the glass with force. "Is that what brought you here? Drinking to bitch about the archaic male dominance bullshit of werewolves? You could have done that at any of your brother's joints." He made a tsked sound while pointing out at the dimly lit pool tables and graffiti decorations. "Granted, they are more classy and their whiskey is overpriced and terrible but you probably get family discount."

"And a trail of suitors throwing themselves at me each day."

Bingo.

"Is that so?" He couldn't hide his smirk, even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. That was what had Emma Swan rattled and running away from her pack into the Jones' wolves den. Suitors.

"I'd much rather take my chances with you assholes than with the passive-aggressive behavior of my family and their setups."

Surely she was exaggerating. "That bad?"

Emma sighed defeatedly, playing with the rim of her glass. "It never ends. Ever."

He felt for her, he really did. Nothing could be worse than David and Snow trying to set you up. They were the poster for mated couples in the werewolf world, the closest they had to a fairytale love story version, all the way to fighting the odds and scorching kisses. Truly, it was sugary sweet to the point of a toothache. Especially for jaded people like Killian and - it seemed - Emma. She might be David's sister, but from what he recalled from a few gossips a few years back, she wasn't on the True Love for Mated Life camp. At all.

Which sucked when you were stuck in that pack with that family. Killian didn't have those problems. His brother had all but given up on him. Billy, his best friend and third-in-command, was all about them honoring their duties to their pack brothers and had no interest in any matchmaking. Killian also had his sad story going for him. People were not that keen to make you settle down when you've lost your mate. You get the pity stares and carte blanche for life.

"Have you talked to them? Let them know this is not something you want at this moment?"

"They don't listen." Emma sighed. Killian felt the sadness and frustration pouring from her. "They keep saying that is because I haven't met 'the one' and that I should open myself to love and all that prophetic bullshit about finding the one that makes it all worthwhile." She scrunched up her nose in distaste and Killian chuckled. She looked adorable in her frustration.

"Well, your pack is known for its love for matchmaking and happy endings."

She smiled sarcastically at him. "As opposed to yours which is all about bad boys, leather jackets and loud motorcycles."

"You forgot the mind-blowing sex." He cocked an eyebrow playfully at her, darting his tongue to wet his lower lip in that smug move that had got him laid more than a few times.

She burst out laughing. "I wouldn't know, I hadn't hooked up with any members of your pack. David would have a heart attack. Maybe I should do that and put him out of commission for a few weeks."

A light bulb went on his head, an idea taking root in his mind. It was bold, reckless and it might get him maimed before the night ended. If not, for sure before the end of the week.

He smiled his most absolute wolfish grin, taking his time to watch Emma until she snapped at him. "What?"

"I have an idea. If you were to be dating someone… they would back off, right?"

"Are you as dumb as the rest of your pack, Jones? I don't want to date anyone." Her frustration had tainted her cheeks with a faint blush that made her even more fetching.

He placed the glass back into the counter and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "But what if it seems like you do?"

He pulled back, raising an eyebrow at her in challenge. Emma's eyes widened and she swallowed, lost for a second before she pulled herself back. "You mean pretend I'm dating someone."

He nodded.

"And where would I find someone willing to play pretend boyfriend for me?" she motioned with her hands as if someone would materialize out of thin air.

He leaned in again until he was just a breath away from her lips."Why me, of course."

Emma shoved lightly at his shoulder. "Get lost, Jones."

"I'm serious, Swan. Listen, it's clear that you need someone to help you get out of this funk you're in with your family and I much rather not have you creating an interpack conflict by getting drunk in here repeatedly where I can't control the situation. You and I both know that David and Liam would use any excuse to get into each other's throat." There was no love lost between their packs, the animosity between their alphas being legendary.

"And what's in it for you?"

"Peace of mind." By the way she was looking at him, she wasn't buying it. "The last thing my pack needs is another fight. I'm trying hard to keep the peace here, by all means necessary. Also, to piss off David when he sees who his little sister chose as boyfriend is payment enough." He smirked at her.

She still didn't look convinced, and Killian couldn't blame her. It was far-fetched, reckless and probably would not end well. But somehow, he wasn't willing to let the idea go.

"Come on, what do you have to lose?"

Emma breathed deeply and finished her drink. "I need to think about it a little."

Killian stood, stretching his hand to her. "How about we play some pool in the meantime? It might help clear your head and if you decide to get along with this, it might help our story."

She looked from his face to his hand and back to his face again before she took it. "Rack 'em, Jones."

/-/

It took her an entire game - which she won fair and square - to make her decision. By that time, their interactions had more than gained curiosity and attention from the members of his pack. His admiration of her ass every time she bent over to make a shot had gained the ire from Billy in the form of an angry text message.

Do you enjoy playing with fire or do you need me to go do your job for you? GET HER OUT OF THERE.

Killian shook his head briefly as he scrutinized his phone. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. He quickly fired his reply.

Under control.

He turned his phone off before pocketing it and when he turned around he found Emma giving him a measuring look. She'd clearly made her decision and it seemed she had decided this was going to happen.

"Okay, if we do this... How do we let them know? Do we go to them?"

He tsked, making his way to her. "Oh no, Swan, they'll come to us… but it will take some staging the scene." He motioned to the pool table. "The pool is a good setup. It's a step in the right direction but I suggest we take it up a notch or two in the second game. That will help, but..."

"But what?" Her voice was almost liquid velvet and it made Killian shiver.

He leaned in whispered in her ear. "At some point tonight, I'm going to pull you into me and kiss the daylight out of you… I suggest you play along."

/-/

They up'd both games, the one played on the table and the one they had begun between themselves. They made a point to rub up against each other and occasionally send a heated glance. The air between then heated up and crackled. Killian's entire body was beaming with anticipation by the time he pocketed the eight-ball in the corner.

Game.

He put the stick on the felt and lift his eyes from the table to give Emma an assessing look. Without any hesitation, he pulled her to him with one hand in her waist and crashed his lips to hers. In the blink of an eye, she'd discarded her pool stick and was kissing him back. Her tongue darted out to meet his, hands pulling his hair and wrecking a havoc in him. It all became a haze of heated kisses and frantic searching hands as he sat at the edge of the table, widening his legs to bring her flush against him. He licked her neck before biting with enough intent to bruise her skin. He then sucked at the spot.

"That is going to leave a mark," she panted on his ear, her fingers twisting in his hair.

He pulled away only what was necessary to meet her eyes. They were wide, the pupils dilated, the gold specs in her green eyes shining brightly. He knew his own eyes were probably changing from his usual blue to the red, hinting at the wolf in him as like the gold revealed her wolf side. He smiled, trailing his fingers through her hair.

"Precisely the point, Swan. We need proof. Visible proof."

The corner of her mouth curved in the hint of a smile. "Shouldn't you get one too?"

Her tone was husky, and the way she was pressing into him made all his senses heighten and attune to hers.

"Oh I will." His tone matching hers. "Just not yet."

He dove for another kiss, fiercely claiming her mouth. His tongue darted out and danced with hers as if their mating was all that existed in the world. When he lifted his head again, her green and golden eyes were even more dilated. Her lips were swollen and moist and her hair looked like a wild mane he wanted to fist in his hand as he kissed her again. Feigning attraction was not going to be a problem between them. Not if the erection that was painfully straining his jeans and the arousal he could smell in her was any indication.

She licked her lips and he all but growled at the enticing picture in front of him. "Now what?" Her fingers were caressing the hair on the nape of his neck and he had the urge of leaning into it, snuggling his cheek against her palm until she caressed him. For a brief moment, he considered resisting, but he decided if he was in for a penny, might as well be in for a pound. She briefly snorted at his classic puppy act but let her fingers played with his sideburn as he leaned into her palm.

"Now, we have two options." He pulled her closer to him, until she was almost straddling his lap and she went willingly, her body curving and melting into his. "You can get into your car and I'll follow…" He let that idea sink in as he reached to trail kisses down her jaw. "Or you can ditch your car, get with me on my bike and hold tight onto me as you bit my earlobe while I take us out of here and into your apartment." He pulled back, brushing a soft kiss on her lips and his eyes met hers. "And that is where you'll give me a hickey and where I'll spend the night. I can sleep in the couch with no problem. But in order for this to work, I need to be there tomorrow morning when they show up. And trust me, they will show up."

Killian tilted his head, giving her a wicked smile. "Which one is it, Swan?"

If he thought she was going to hesitate, he'd been sorely mistaken as she pulled him into a fierce kiss. "You drive."

/-/

It was a short trip to her apartment, Emma putting on a great show as she jumped behind him on his bike. Her thighs pressed against his, her body wrapped around his as he rode them out of the parking slot. She kept the ruse all the way. They both could feel the stares they were getting, both in his territory and hers. It was exactly as he'd planned and Killian relished on the feeling. He hadn't had something going his way in a long time. It felt nice.

"Which one you think will show first?" he asked as he trailed after Emma into her apartment building, tilting his head and admiring the view of her ass in those tight jeans. He couldn't blame any of the men at his bar for wanting to hit on her. She really was hot as fuck. "My money is on David."

"I don't know" She looked at him coyly over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door. "Liam is a self-righteous bastard that is overprotective of you."

He laughed as he made his way into her apartment, rubbing his body against hers. "Point taken. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Emma closed the door and lingered by the entrance, her feet shuffling back and forth. "And what do we do until they get there?"

It dawned on him that she was nervous, probably for the first time that night. Killian could understand it. It was one thing to let themselves carried away with drinks and pool and a few heated kisses in a public place. It was an entirely different beast to be standing here, in the intimacy of her apartment, just the two of them, without the dim lights and the alcohol and decide to carry this through. He gave her a crooked smile.

"I'll teach you how to play poker, you need a better bluffing face if we're going to pull this off."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, her shoulders easing up some of the tension she had. Which is when he decided to deliver his next blow. "But before that -" He trailed off, shrugging off his leather jacket and discarding it on the nearby sofa. He walked into her apartment, looking for her bedroom.

"What the fuck are you doing, Jones?" Emma was two steps behind him, her voice carrying a hint of shock.

He found her bedroom, and the lovely unmade bed in it that smelled like her. Without standing on ceremony, he threw himself in it, letting his body rub against the sheets, his face on the pillow. He could have stayed there forever, as the bed felt glorious for his strained muscles, but he knew he was one moment away of getting his ass handed to him by Emma Swan. Climbing back into standing position, he gave her a sly smirk. "That will do. I needed to leave my scent in there, preferably mingled with yours to make it believable."

Without taking his eyes off of her, he unbuttoned his shirt, pointing a finger to his chest. "Now, do your worst, darling."

Her eyes lit with fire before she closed the distance. Without taking her eyes off of him, she bent to lick a stripe over his nipple. He bit his lip to prevent the moan that was coming to his lips, but the moment her lips closed and she sucked in, her teeth worrying his skin, he couldn't stop his groan.

She was relentless and his entire body reacted to the trail her lips were leaving on him. He was hard again, resisting the urge to grab her hair in his fist and pull her upwards to a kiss.

When she finally finished, she gave him a coy look. "Would that be enough?"

"I think so," he said in a strained voice.

Her eyes widened as she took a step away from him, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Killian, you're-"

"Of course I am. You're a sexy as fuck unattached female… I have hormones." He leaned closer, sniffing around her earlobe. "And so are you," he whispered against her skin.

"I-"

He wasn't going to let her apologize for it. There was nothing wrong. "It's okay. This will play into our benefit. We can't bulshit a mate bond, but the fact that they can sense attraction between us will help our story." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Now go get that deck of cards, Swan and give a minute to get my breathing back on check."

It wasn't his breathing what he needed to get under control and by the way she looked up and down at him, she knew it.

"Horn dog."