Chapter 11

The next day, I went back to work. I'd been neglecting my duties since I was cursed and the mountain of paperwork on my desk was a horrible reminder of why I generally avoided missing work. It took over an hour just to sort through the stacks and prioritize the files, requests, and permits. Once that was done, I quickly got lost in the work. It was nice to be able to forget about my condition and focus on something else for a while. I was laughing my way through a request to tear down the football stadium and build a jousting arena when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," I called out, still chuckling as I added the request to the rejection pile.

"Hey, beautiful, what's so funny?" Emma asked as she entered my office.

I looked up and smiled. "Apparently some of the knights from the Enchanted Forest want me to approve building a jousting arena," I explained.

"Um, okay. Why is that funny?" she asked, obviously not understanding.

"They want to tear down the football stadium to build it. But both sports serve the same purpose. They allow men with more brawns than brain to prove their worthiness by attempting to knock each other down. And quite frankly, football is more fun to watch," I explained as I crossed the room to wrap Emma up in a hug.

She smiled and gave me a quick kiss before she asked, "You watch football?"

I smirked, "I do have a ten year old son who enjoys television. Of course I watch football."

"Huh, Henry's never mentioned that he liked the sport," she replied with a furrowed brow.

"He really only watches the Super Bowl anymore. He likes the commercials, but I do still enjoy watching the games when I have a free Sunday," I offered.

She eyed me warily, as though she didn't believe me. I lifted an eyebrow and smirked as I waited for her to test me. Eventually, she cautiously asked, "What's your favorite team?"

"I don't have one, but I enjoy watching the Manning brothers play," I replied. Her jaw dropped and I chuckled. After a moment I said, "As much as I enjoy shocking you, dear, what brings you to my office today?"

Emma blinked for a moment, as though she was trying to remember why she came, before she said, "Well, I was wondering if you'd want to go to Granny's with me for lunch."

I glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall and saw that is was already after noon. I was somewhat surprised to realize I'd lost track of the time. "I'd love to join you," I said, smiling at Emma.

She grinned. "Great, I'm starving," she declared as she practically dragged me out the door of my office.

I laughed, letting her pull me along in her wake. "Of course you are, darling."

Silence descended on the diner when we entered as all eyes turned to gawk at the Sheriff and I. The smile fell from my face and I immediately straightened under the weight of their gazes. As Emma pulled me to a booth, I couldn't help but notice the disapproving looks we received. I sighed, inwardly wondering if the townsfolk would ever tolerate my presence. Conversation slowly picked back up once we had settled in the booth, but I could feel people watching me. The sensation roused my predatory instincts and without even realizing I was doing it, I began to track the movement around me, searching for danger.

"Hey, relax Regina," Emma said, reaching across the table to place a reassuring hand on my arm.

I offered her a sheepish smile and took her hand in mine. In an effort to keep the conversation away from my defensive instincts, I asked, "How was your morning?"

"It was fine. I convinced Stan that he imagined your fangs in his drunken stupor," she said, quietly enough that I was the only one who would be able to hear her.

I smiled appreciatively, "Thank you, dear."

"No problem," she replied, then turned as Ruby approached the table. "Hey Rubes."

"Hi, guys," the wolf said with a smile. She opened her mouth to speak again, and I could see her nostrils flare and her eyes narrow. She turned to me and in a low almost menacing tone asked, "What did you do?"

I lifted an eyebrow and said, "I'm sure I don't know to what you are referring?"

Ruby looked around the diner before she softly hissed, "Why does Emma smell differently?"

Understanding dawned and I couldn't stop the satisfied smirk from forming. I briefly glanced at Emma and saw the confusion in her eyes before I quietly explained for both their benefits. "I imagine what you are smelling is my claim on Emma. She's mine now, Miss Lucas."

"What the hell does that mean?" Ruby asked incredulously.

My smirk deepened, but Emma quickly jumped in and in a hushed tone explained, "Calm down, Rubes. Look, it's not really a big deal. Regina's blood has some healing properties, and she gave me some so I would get better quicker. Plus, it helps her find me if I get in trouble." I lifted an eyebrow at Emma's vague description, but decided to let the matter drop for the moment.

"Oh, well that's kinda cool. How's that work?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Emma carries a piece of my essence in her. I can feel it and it tells me if she's in danger and will draw me to her, no matter where she goes. And apparently, other predators will know that she's been bound to someone else," I explained dryly.

"Huh, so would it work for anyone or just from someone you bite?" the wolf asked.

I shifted to study her, and quickly took in the slightly pink cheeks and the accelerated pounding of her heart. Then I remembered her comment about bucket lists and smirked. Letting my voice curl into a sultry purr, I murmured, "Why do you ask, my dear? Do you want to be claimed too?" I regretted it as soon as the words were out of my mouth, especially when Emma pulled her hand out of mine and sat back with a jealous grunt.

Ruby's blush deepened and she stammered out a quick, "Um, no. Just curious about the healing stuff. I'll, uh, go get you your usuals. Bye."

As she fled, I immediately said, "I'm sorry, Emma. I didn't mean that."

She glared at me, it was a look I was familiar with. She was trying to mask the heartache at seeing me flirt with the wolf. I opened my mouth to apologize again but she cut me off. "Stop, just stop. I know what that was, but I need you to answer one question honestly. Can you do that?" I nodded nervously and she asked, "If you weren't cursed, would you rather be with Ruby?"

"No," I said honestly. "There is no one in this town that I would rather be with than you."

She searched my gaze intently. I waited while she came to the conclusion that I wasn't lying, but before she responded, the obnoxious overly-sweet voice of my long-time enemy sounded over my shoulder. "Is everything alright over here?"

Every muscle in my body tensed with the desire to let my inner predator off the leash and attack the woman standing behind me. But as Emma's eyes left mine to focus on her mother, I reminded myself how much damage I'd already done to my blonde that day and remained still.

"Yeah, Mary Margaret, everything's fine," Emma said with a fake smile.

"Are you sure? You seemed upset when I came in," Snow said in a tone that dripped with condescension.

Emma's eyes flicked to mine and warmed slightly. "Yeah, we're fine."

That one look told me I'd been forgiven for flirting with the wolf and I relaxed. I reminded myself of the promise I'd made to Emma the night before to treat her as my partner and forced a gracious smile onto my face. "Yes, Snow. We're doing very well. Would you care to join us for lunch?" I asked politely.

Both women turned to me with identical shocked looks and for the first time I really noticed the family resemblance between them. After a moment of stunned silence, Emma gave me a genuine smile and said, "Yeah, we just ordered, so it won't be a problem."

The pixie haired woman looked skeptical, but she slid into the booth next to Emma and said, "Thank you." After a minute of uncomfortable silence, she asked, "So, have you had any luck in breaking your curse?"

I pursed my lips to prevent a scowl from forming at the faintly condescending tone in her voice. "No, not yet, but Emma and I decided not to let it disrupt our lives any more than necessary until we find a solution," I said flatly.

"Oh, well that's understandable; after all you both have so many responsibilities. Does that mean you'll be coming home tonight, Emma?" Snow asked, not bothering to contain the possessive delight from her words.

I stopped trying to hide my irritation, but I kept my mouth shut, letting Emma answer the question. She shot a glance at me before saying, "No, I'm staying with Regina."

"But—"

"Stop, Mary Margaret. I'm happy where I am. Besides, with David living in the loft, it was getting a little crowded," Emma said, cutting off whatever protest her mother had been about to make.

"Alright, if you're sure, honey," Snow replied dejectedly. I couldn't help the feeling of triumph that filled me.

The rest of the meal was tense, but I got through it and didn't growl at Snow once. Emma walked me back to my office and I waited until the door had closed before I said, "I'm so sorry about my inappropriate behavior towards Miss Lucas."

Emma sighed and said, "Just don't do it again, and we'll be fine. Look, I know we haven't talked about it, but I don't share. If that's something you want, then I will help you with your curse, but I won't sleep with you."

I immediately reached for her, cupping her face in my palms. "I don't want that, Emma. I just want you. And while we're on the subject, I won't tolerate anything but an exclusive relationship either."

She leaned in to me, wrapping her arms around my waist as she said, "Good."

I searched her eyes and hesitantly asked, "Then, are we alright?"

Emma smiled and closed the distance between us to plant her lips firmly against mine. I sighed, melting into her kiss. She smiled and leaned back to murmur, "We're good."

I pulled her back in for another, deeper kiss. When it ended, I gently pushed her away with a smile. "Go back to work, Sheriff. I will see you tonight at home."

She grinned, "Yes, you will, my Queen."

Heat shot through me at the sound of my title, and I narrowed my eyes at her. "Emma…be careful," I warned. She merely gave me a mischievous wink and sauntered out the door. It took me several minutes after she left to calm myself down enough to focus back on my paperwork.

At dinner that evening, Emma turned to me and asked, "Regina, have you tried to use any magic since you were cursed? Do you still have your magic?"

I froze, surprised at the turn in conversation. "I don't know," I answered honestly, glancing over to see Henry watching me with narrowed eyes. I rushed to reassure him. "Henry, I promised you that I wouldn't use magic and I haven't been."

His expression softened and turned curious. "Do you think you still can?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know. It really hadn't even occurred to me to try," I replied, somewhat baffled that this hadn't even crossed my mind in the last week.

"You should try it, Mom," Henry said enthusiastically.

I was immediately wary of his eagerness. "Why? Did you change your mind about me using magic?"

He shrugged and said, "You've been really good lately, and you used magic to help after the wraith. So, I think we should know if you still have it, in case something happens and you need to help again."

I let out a long sigh and met Emma's gaze. "Is that why you asked?"

She gave me a sheepish smile and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I've been wondering since we saw Gold yesterday."

I turned back to Henry and asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

He grinned, "Yeah, Mom. Go ahead and try."

"Alright, I'll be right back," I said with a small smile, as his encouragement made me eager to feel the seductive pull of my magic again. I got up and collected a candle from the pantry and brought it back to the table. I pushed my wine glass to the side and set the candle down in front of me.

After receiving one last encouraging smile from both Emma and Henry, I closed my eyes and concentrated on my magic. A relieved smile graced my lips as I felt that familiar current begin to flow through me. It resisted my efforts to use it for a moment, but then I felt it even out and as I opened my eyes, a small flame flickered to life on the candle's wick.

For a spilt second, I reveled in the knowledge that I still had my magic. But in the next instant, my throat was a white hot inferno as the thirst raged through me with a desperation I'd never felt. The beast swamped my senses as my fangs slid down and a wave of dizzying weakness washed over me. I fell from my chair and curled in on myself, unable to make sense of anything but the searing need to feed. Distantly, I heard two voices calling out, but their words made no sense in the red haze that clouded my mind.

A soft hand landed on my shoulder, and I shifted to bare my fangs in warning as an inhuman hiss escaped my parched throat. The hand jerked back and I looked up to meet wide, fearful green eyes. I lunged towards her with the word, 'Mine!' ricocheting through my hazy thoughts. She stopped me with a hand on each of my shoulders, and I snarled, furious at being denied the soothing taste of my human.

Those green eyes darted away from me as she hurriedly said, "Henry, go upstairs."

"But, Emma, I want to watch," came the response from a petulant voice.

A warning growl rumbled out of me as I jerked my head around to see a boy standing over us with his hands on his hips. The hands on my shoulders tightened their grip, and my human sternly said, "No, you don't. Not when she's like this. Go, now!"

The boy looked down at me and I bared my teeth in warning. Some distant part of me didn't want to hurt this boy, and when he didn't come any closer, I managed to croak out, "Go!"

He cast one final worried glance at me and my human before he turned and scurried from the room. As soon as he was out of sight, the blonde asked, "What happened?"

"Need you," I hissed, shifting to face her.

Her wide worried eyes scanned my face before she nodded and pushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Then take what you need, baby," she said, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and pulling me into her neck.

The scent of my human surrounded me, and I let her guide me into place. My fangs slid smoothly into her thrumming vein. The first drops of blood hit my tongue and I groaned, sucking deeply to sate the terrible need within me. I fed greedily from my human, each swallow of her sweet essence easing the white hot pain of my thirst. Strength slowly returned to me and I tangled my hands in blonde hair to hold her in place. Time had no meaning as I feasted on the sweet, live-giving blood. Gradually, awareness came back to me, and I realized that my human's hold had grown weak and her heartbeat had slowed.

I immediately pulled my fangs from her neck, licking away the blood that welled out. I cradled her in my arms, taking in her weakened state as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Instinctively, I knew that she wasn't in danger of dying, but I needed to do something to help her if I wanted to be able to finish sating the burning thirst that was still not satisfied. I reached up to blindly search the table for the knife my human had used with dinner.

When my fingers closed around the knife, I glanced at it and absently wiped it clean on my skirt before I brought it up to my collarbone. "W-what are you doing?" the blonde asked sleepily.

I smiled tenderly at her and sliced a short cut into my skin. "You need to drink," I explained softly as I shifted her in my arms to bring her mouth to the wound.

"Okay," she murmured before closing her pale lips around the gash. I purred in satisfaction as she drank in my blood. I ran a soothing hand down her back as she sucked on the gash, and when I fell into her mind, I projected my contented pleasure into her thoughts and stayed focused on her returning strength and steadying heartbeat.

When I sensed that she'd had enough to fully recover, I gently pulled her away from the wound, and checked to make sure the punctures in her neck had closed. I licked the sensitive skin clean before I cradled her head against my uninjured shoulder, humming as she relaxed into me.

"Thank you, Regina," she said, huskily. I just purred, letting my fingers run through her soft curls. She tensed and tried to pull away as she worriedly asked, "Are you okay?"

I tightened my hold on her and murmured, "Mine."

My human let out a sigh, shifting to cup my cheek in her palm and turn my face to meet her eyes. "Yes, baby, I'm yours. But I need you to come back now, Regina."

"Mine!" I growled in irritation and leaned in to capture her lips in a hungry possessive kiss.

She turned her head away to break the kiss and coldly said, "Regina, our son is worried about you. You need to get control of yourself so you can talk to him."

I froze as those words forced the instinct to claim Emma again give way to my more logical side. I cleared my throat, pushing my inner beast back down. "Thank you, Emma."

She relaxed in my arms and sighed. "No problem, Regina. You okay now?"

"No," I admitted. "I'm going to need to feed again as soon you've recovered enough."

She met my gaze steadily. "Is that why your beast didn't want to let go?"

I swallowed hard against the lump of shame that had formed in my throat and nodded, "Yes."

She studied me for a moment, before hesitantly asking, "What happened?"

"It seems that while I do still have the ability to use magic, it takes a heavy toll on me. The thirst has never been that bad before. The instant the candle lit, I felt like I hadn't fed in weeks," I said, hearing the regret in my voice.

Emma reached out to give my shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Hey, it's okay. At least now we know what to expect, so if there's some sort of emergency, we can be prepared."

"Yes, I suppose so," I said with a dejected sigh.

"Come on, Regina. Let's go talk to Henry before I spontaneously combust," she said, climbing out of my lap.

I looked up at her with a lifted eyebrow. "Spontaneously combust? Really?" I asked teasingly, trying to push down the worries about what I'd just learned about my magic.

Emma purposely raked her gaze down my body and huskily said, "You know what your blood does to me, Regina."

I smirked, and slowly stood, letting my body slide against hers as I did. "Yes, I do, my dear," I purred. Her body shuddered against mine and I grinned triumphantly before I stepped back and added, "But you're just going to have to be patient."

She groaned and followed me upstairs to go talk to our son. Once at his door, I knocked and called out, "Henry, can we come in?"

His door flew open and he barreled into me. His arms wrapped around my waist in a tight hug as he asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

I tenderly brushed my fingers through his hair and said, "Yes, Sweetheart. I'm sorry if I scared you."

He pulled back, and I could see that he had been crying. I took his hand and led him into his room. When we were situated on his bed he asked, "What happened?"

I sighed and said, "When I used magic, the vampire part of me didn't react very well, and I needed Emma's blood very badly."

"Is that why you tried to attack her?" he asked in a small worried voice.

My eyes snapped to the blonde in a silent plea to explain. I didn't remember attacking her. She took the hint and said, "Your mom wasn't trying to attack me kid, her instincts just took over and she was trying to get what she needed. She wasn't going to hurt me."

I made a mental note to ask her what had happened when my inner predator took over, and turned back to see Henry biting his lip. He seemed deep in thought, and I waited for his next question. I didn't have to wait long before he asked, "Why didn't you let me stay? I want to see you feed, Mom."

I took a deep breath and said, "I don't think that's a good idea, Henry."

"Why not?" he asked, pouting.

I sighed and asked, "Do you remember when I told you it was intimate?" He nodded petulantly and I continued. "Well, I don't think it would be appropriate for you to see something so intimate between Emma and I."

"Fine," he whined.

"Henry…" I warned in my best 'Mom' voice.

He let out a long suffering sigh before he said, "Alright. I won't ask again."

"Promise you won't try to spy on us either, kid," Emma ordered in a stern voice I hadn't heard her use with him before.

Henry slumped and dejectedly muttered, "I promise."

"Thank you, dear," I said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "Get ready for bed dear, it's getting late."

"Okay, I love you, Mom," he replied.

I beamed at him and softly said, "I love you too, my little prince."

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. I got about half of a chapter written before I realized that there were things I needed to happen before the stuff I wrote. Thus, it took me an extra day for this update. However, on the bright side, the next chapter is about half done, so hopefully that will be up tomorrow. Please let me know what you think, comments help me write better and feed the muse.