The bouncer's face was inscrutable as he looked Emma over. Shaking out her blonde curls and pushing her breasts out, she let the leather top, short skirt, and knee high stiletto boots work their magic in convincing the brick wall of a man to allow her entrance.
Coyly she looked up at him through her lashes and fished a twenty out from her cleavage, holding it out for him between her fingers with her lip caught between her teeth. Finally, a reaction crossed his face. With an amused smirk and agreeable raise of his brow, he snatched the twenty from her hand then waved her inside.
Bass pounded through her chest as she counted her steps down the long, black lit hallway towards the main room of the club. The Underworld was one of the seedier, less reputable establishments, even by black market standards. Every facet of the criminal element could be found here on any given night, engaging in all kinds of illicit activities. From the more mundane transactions, like drugs and conventional weapons, to the really shady and oftentimes dangerous dealing of occult, mystic, and poached items of a supernatural nature. Not to mention the more carnal affairs happening in the dark corners where one should not focus their attention for too long… unless they were into that sort of thing.
Emma was here tonight for an altogether different reason, however. She was casing the joint.
A sought after bounty hunter with a reputation for her discretion as much as her retrieval rate, Emma Swan didn't just hunt down deadbeats and bail jumpers. If the bounty was high enough, she wouldn't pass up bringing in creatures or recovering objects, no matter how exotic or dangerous. Her latest assignment was a dagger, believed to be kept within the back office of The Underworld and worth a cool fifteen grand to the man claiming it was stolen from him.
You'll see I'm telling you the truth, Dearie. The blade even has my name on it, the man had told her when she'd met him for the initial consultation a week ago.
It had taken her that long to do her preliminary due diligence. Acquiring blueprints and employee records, studying the comings and goings throughout the day when the club was closed and estimating the number of patrons who attended each night, and of course, figuring out her approach. The last time she'd been in attendance here, the wait list had been a month long. She didn't have that kind of time, so she'd been systematically buttering up the bouncers each night hoping to bribe her way in, and tonight she'd finally done it. Now she was inside, ready to go to work and put those last few pieces into place so she could finish the job.
With no windows to be found on the first floor of the building, the club was as dark and oppressive as she remembered. Strobing flashes and swaying beams of light illuminated the dance floor, and an elevated DJ booth took up much of the far wall. To her right was the bar, with a few seating areas, some more privately screened than others, and to her left were the stalls where a rotation of arcane creatures were exhibited, each serving and entertaining the crowd in their own unique way.
A mermaid splashed about, doing tricks for on-lookers. Her tank was in dire need of a cleaning and several scales were missing from her tail, a commodity most likely being traded or sold within the club. Sounds of a werewolf dog fight could be heard coming from a set of doors next to her stall. Emma could hear the growls, snarls, and snaps as she passed by, the door left ajar just enough for her to peek inside before quickly averting her eyes, her nose scrunching in disgust at the barbaric sport.
Emma gave the final compartment a cursory glance, her mind already focused on making her way to the other side of the room where she could scope out the stairway that led to the second floor office, then had to do a double final creature caught her completely off guard. She'd never seen one before, and didn't think she knew anyone who had. They were thought extinct until a brood of them was discovered in the UK when she was a child.
A vampire.
Pale, with chaotic dark hair and piercing blue eyes he used to assess and enthrall those who were careless enough to meet his gaze, his toned physique was on display, dressed in nothing more than a pair of leather pants, the broad planes of his chest blanketed with coarse hair that tapered at his trim waist. Several days growth littered his jaw, though given his nature, it had probably taken longer than that for the stubble to appear. He wore an expression of boredom, but beneath his chiseled features Emma could detect anger, from the pulse of his jaw muscle that flickered every so often, to the way he leaned a little too casually, thumb tucked into his belt, against the wall of his exhibit as he waited for the next patron paying handsomely to receive his bite, gaining a high more potent than they'd ever experienced before while he sated the hunger no other substance could quench.
A giggling brunette was ushered past the velvet rope stanchions and made her way over to him. Though Emma couldn't hear the question he posed to her - his expression smoldering and body language turning predatory as he approached - she could hear the shifting of chains and realized he was shackled by the ankles in what had to be silver restraints. When the woman nervously pulled back her hair, exposing her neck to him, Emma deduced he must have asked her where she wanted to receive the bite. All other bits of logic and comprehension left her, however, when his lips curled, revealing the sharp points of his fangs before they plunged into the woman's flesh.
Mesmerized, Emma watched as he fed, drawing from the brunette's vein with a mixture of absolute control and animalistic frenzy. A pause in the deafening beats of the music carried the noise of his feeding to her ears. Though not as loud as the moans emanating from his patron prey, the sounds he made were so other worldly she couldn't help but fixate on them, and the unexpected way their reverberations sent a rush of heat through her.
His client-meal clung to his biceps, her head thrown back and cradled by one of his large hands while the other splayed across her lower back in an effort to keep her stable and still. When at last he'd had his fill of her, and had given her the euphoric experience she'd paid for, he lifted his lips from her neck. Releasing her into the arms of a waiting attendant, he tilted his head back while the woman had to practically be carried out of the enclosure. Emma paid her little attention, though. It was difficult to focus on anything other than the labored heave of his chest, the taut cords of his neck, and the sated look of blissful pleasure on his exquisite face.
Having regained his composure, he flicked his eyes open and lazily scanned the gathered crowd. When his gaze met hers, Emma's breath hitched and her tongue mimicked his, sweeping over her lips as he collected the remnants of blood still clinging to his. She knew she ought to look away, but there was something in his eyes that made it impossible. Not his thrall, or any other supernatural trait he might possess, but a glimpse of something she wasn't meant to see. Something he hadn't meant to expose.
When he blinked a moment later, it disappeared. A predaciousness seeped into his gaze, his brow arching up his forehead and his lips quirking into a smirk as he broke off the stare and raked his eyes down her form and back up again. When those forget-me-not hues returned, seeking out her emerald greens, she finally had the presence of mind to not make full eye contact, keeping her gaze averted. Though that meant focusing her attention back onto his mouth, a feral grin blooming across his face and giving her a flash of his pointed fangs, causing her to drop her gaze even lower.
Staring at his chest wasn't going to help snap her out of this infatuation anymore than looking at the rest of him was, so with a shake of her head Emma pulled her eyes away from him completely and attempted to go back to the job she came here to do.
Working the room, she could feel the weight of his gaze on her from time to time, the compulsion to return it tingling up the back of her neck and making her scalp itch. It took every bit of will power she possessed to ignore him, especially when the cheers and chants coming from the mob amassed in front of his exhibit grew more raucous. Every so often she'd give in, glancing over to see yet another woman offering themselves up. Most went for a bite on the neck, a few extending their wrist for him to partake from, but the brash red head making her way into his space seemed to have a different area she wanted him to sink his teeth into.
Pulling a chair over from the wall, she set it sideways, front and center of the enclosure. Seated in profile, she proceeded to spread her legs and crooked her finger at him. The vampire quirked a brow at her, a stifled expression of indignation twitching his features before he quickly schooled them and relented to her beckoning with a menacing swagger.
Dropping to his knees, he pushed her skirt further up her leg and without any preamble, sank his fangs into the tender flesh of her thigh. The woman put on quite the performance, nearly pornographic in her orgasmic display of pleasure as he half-heartedly drank from her with a hollow expression. Emma wondered if it was the annoyance of having to service such an audacious, attention seeking bitch, or if he was simply full from all the blood he'd consumed over the course of the night that made him less than eager in meeting her purchased need.
His eyes shifted from staring off at some fixed point on the floor in front of him and flicked up, catching hers and deepening with an intensity that had the fine hairs of her body raising in attention. As their eyes connected, an image flashed through her mind; one where she'd traded places with his current patron. In the vision, it was Emma seated in the chair with her legs spread wide, his head buried between them - though his lips were latched onto something other than her vein. A current of desire swept through her, swooping low in her belly and settling as a dull ache throbbing at the apex of her thighs. A flush prickled over her skin and her breathing stuttered. Desperately, she tried to swallow past the arid effect the moment was having on her throat, her eyes still fixated on his as they darkened and narrowed. The corners of his lips lifted against the flesh of the woman's thigh, and when he pulled away, a wide grin accompanied his impudent expression before his tongue darted out to lick a broad stripe over the wound he left behind.
The lewd cheers reminded Emma of everyone else's presence, but her eyes remained glued to his as he stood and waved the woman away without so much as a glance in her direction. Emma held her breath, waiting to see what he might do, what he might request of her, and wondered whether she'd have the fortitude to deny him - or the desire to, for that matter - but before either of them could act, two hulking figures grabbed him and forced him into the chair. Draped with heavy silver chains, he was incapacitated as they wrenched his head back, exposing the length of his throat. Though he tried to resist, to thrash beneath the debilitating weight of the silver - a known weakness of arcane creatures - he was powerless to stop them as they jabbed a needle into his neck and began to extract several vials worth of blood.
Emma couldn't even imagine the unfathomable sum something as rare and powerful as vampire blood would bring to the proprietor of The Underworld. Regardless, she balled her hands into fists at her side, incensed that it was being taken from the vampire forcibly and clearly without his consent, knowing there was nothing she could do to help him without completely ruining her chance to retrieve the dagger later. Shoving that compulsion out of her mind, Emma admonished herself. He wasn't her job, so he wasn't her concern. She needed to keep that at the forefront of her mind and quit giving in to the allure he cast over her with every seductive glance he sent her way.
Although, there was nothing seductive about his gaze now.
Once freed from the confines of the silver (though his ankle restraints remained) Emma saw within those forget-me-not eyes burned a wrath born out of humiliation, and a thirst for vengeance - equal to his craving for blood - as recompense for the debasement he was forced to endure. Left weakened, he stumbled out of the chair and onto the floor, crawling on his hands and knees towards the corner of his stall. Lying flat on his back, his chest rose and fell with ragged breaths and soon the throng dispersed, no longer entertained.
Emma lingered for a few minutes, warring with her desire to aid him and the logic that told her such a venture would be folly. The dagger was her priority, and honestly, the vampire was as likely to drain her as thank her if she managed to free him, so it was best to just move on and set the next phase of her plan in motion.
Her bug was tucked away in a narrow alley across the street. A vantage point where she could watch as the club closed up and the employees left in the early hours just before dawn. The intel she'd collected earlier, flirting with the bartender and the DJ, told her the club's proprietor was not on the premises and wasn't expected to make an appearance. Emma waited until midmorning before she made her move though, ensuring the building was completely empty, save for the creatures imprisoned within. Still dressed in her club attire, it would help her sell the ruse of being a drunk and drugged out party girl who'd wandered back into the club in search of something she'd left behind if she were caught.
She made short work of the lock on the security gate, and as quietly as she could, raised the heavy metal structure - forged in silver - until it was tucked away, allowing her to repeat the process with her lock pick set on the solid metal door that led into the club. Despite the bright sunny day outside, it was nearly pitch black within. Calling back on the number of steps she'd counted when making her way down the long hallway earlier, Emma strained for any sounds that might alert her to a presence lurking in the shadows.
The cavernous club space that had been packed with people just hours before was illuminated by just enough light peeking out from behind the curtain which concealed the hopefully slumbering mermaid, allowing Emma to make her way towards the office, but her other senses were still on high alert. The gurgling of the tank, the whimpers and rustling of cages coming from the werewolf fighting room, the eerie silence coming from the vampire's exhibit, of which she gave a wide berth, knowing her scent or even the sound of her heartbeat could rouse him. Silently thanking whatever higher power might be on her side, not that she actually thought there was one, Emma made her way up the carpeted stairs, staying on the balls of her feet and making no sound as she ascended to the second floor.
Still surprised by the lack of security, Emma approached the office door, already focused on picking the lock and getting inside. Too late, she realized there was, in fact, a security measure in place. The metallic scrape of a chain was the only warning she had before she was pressed against the door, face first. Cold hands secured her wrists above her head and her cheek was smashed against its rough, wooden surface as a firm, immovable body moulded itself to her back.
"Hello, love," a rich timbre purred into her ear, sending a wave of heated chills down her spine. "I was hoping we'd see one another again."
"It's you," she exhaled on a breath tinged with terror… and perhaps a small bit of desire.
His knee pressed between hers, spreading her legs as one of his hands glided down her arm, leaving a wake of raised flesh, and his nose skimmed over the shell of her ear. He hummed and flicked out his tongue, tracing the path the tip of his nose had just finished, making her breath stutter and her head fall back slightly.
"I was rather disappointed when you didn't purchase a session with me earlier," he told her, his voice gruff and thick in her ear as his hand continued down her body until it reached beneath her skirt. "But I must admit, this is much better." He worked her panties down her legs and Emma tried to make a sound of protest, but even she didn't believe it.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" It was more of a demand than a question, his smug smile brushing the side of her face as he kicked her feet further apart then pulled her hair away from her neck. "To be fucked and sucked by the only creature of the night you'll ever encounter."
His hand slipped between her legs, and he inhaled deeply with his nose pressed in the juncture of her neck sending a fresh wave of want straight to her core.
"I know it's what you came here for, love." She whimpered when his fingers glided through her damp sex, and his voice dropped even lower as he taunted, "There's no use denying it."
She hadn't planned on it. Even if she wanted to deny it, he was right. She wanted this. It was stupid and reckless and absolutely the wrong time to give in to her baser side, but - Fuck! - the way his long, thick fingers were sliding between her sodden folds, spreading her, teasing her, pleasuring her with a practiced ease and hint of promise that she wouldn't regret giving in made her bite her lip and keep every argument her mind was screaming at her from passing over her tongue.
"I saw it when I got a glimpse behind your eyes," he murmured, and Emma was only vaguely aware he'd released her wrists. "Your want. Your desire. Though you did an admirable job of fighting it." A mirthless huff, strained with a light censure puffed from his chest as he commented hollowly, "Most don't."
His lips brushed against the side of her neck, jolting her. Convinced he was about to pierce her skin, she almost didn't register the sound of his belt buckle being undone or the release of his zipper. His body moved against hers as he shimmied his pants down his legs, his rigid cock hitting the swell of her ass when he lifted her skirt.
"I confess you affected me, too." He eased his member between her legs, replacing his hand and coating it with the excess of her essence his fingers had already coaxed from her. Emma moaned and tilted her hips back, letting him slip forward a bit further until his tip hit her clit.
His breath hitched and a grunt rumbled through his chest. "It's been a long time since anyone has stoked my lust, blood or otherwise," he told her in a strained tone, reaching down and lining himself up with her entrance as he continued to profess, "I knew I had to have you, despite your attempts to deny what you felt… or maybe because of it." His fangs scraped the side of her throat as he growled, "I do so love a challenge, after all."
Emma whimpered again, swiveling her hips in desperation, longing to feel the burn and stretch this position would give her when he pushed inside.
"I want to hear you say it, darling." His tongue dragged up her neck and flicked the lobe of her ear before he huskily implored, "Tell me this craving is mutual."
"Yes!" she replied on an enthusiastic breath. "God, yes. Please."
"It's Killian, actually," he purred wickedly, sliding into her. "Killian Jones, at your service."
His thrusts were shallow at this angle, but the stretch of his sizeable girth stole her breath and had her pressing back into him with her hips.
"Fuck! You feel incredible," he growled. "So tight, yet wonderfully responsive. And so fucking warm. I forgot how good it feels to plunge into lush, heated flesh with something other than my fangs."
Jesus. His words alone, spoken in that accent of velvet and sin, low and dark as it rasped against her neck was probably enough to make her come. Prying himself off her, he grabbed her waist and leaned back, deepening each thrust and making her toes curl as he slammed into her again and again. She wanted to curse at him when he changed angles, the cooling effect of his unnatural temperature once more plastered over her flushed skin sending a full body tremble over her as he groaned into her shoulder. Deftly, he reached around and flicked open the buttons of her leather vest top, spilling her breasts into his rough hands and sending a skittering of sparks through her nerve-endings that connected directly to her clit when he rolled and pinched her nipples between his fingertips.
"You're bloody amazing, love," he grunted, rutting into her with an increased frenzy in his pace, barely sounding out of breath while Emma fought for each one his cock was attempting to pound out of her. "Does such a marvel have a name?"
"Like I'm… gonna… tell you," she panted, her hands braced against the door she was meant to be breaking into.
His hand released her breast and persisted down her body, toying with the top edge of her clit and making her squirm in an effort to make contact with his fingers.
"Are you sure I can't coax it out of you, love?" His nail grazed her swollen, throbbing flesh, forcing a desperate sob from the back of her throat. "I like to know the names of those I choose to feast on."
He gave her clit a hard tap, shooting exquisite torment through her extremities as she cried out.
"Hush, love, or you'll wake the others," he warned, giving her clit another slap.
Emma bit down on her lip, stifling the scream burning the back of her throat. Fuck, she was close. It wouldn't take much to send her careening over the edge, and the bastard knew it.
"Just tell me your name, and I'll let you come," he promised, the rapid thrusts of his cock keeping her right on the edge of desperation. His teeth nipped at the tender skin at the juncture of her neck, his fangs scratching a fine line of temptation over her pulse point as his tongue laved the area in preparation for his bite. "I guarantee it'll be worth it," he murmured. "A small price to pay for an experience you'll not forget in this lifetime, I assure you."
The blissful torture he was administering, combined with what he'd let slip a moment ago - how he had chosen this, her, and wanted to know her name while the countless other women he was forced to service could remain nameless and forgettable - had her ignoring her better judgement (I mean… why start listening to it now?), as she replied, "Swan… Emma Swan."
"Lovely to meet you, Swan," he rasped. His fingers began to rub and circle her clit, causing her to throw her head back in anticipation of the sweet relief that was about to cascade over her. That relief was momentarily snatched away when a snarl reverberated up her neck before the sharp agony of his fangs piercing her skin gripped her. The pain only lasted a few seconds, the vigorous workings of his hand and cock drawing her focus back to the pleasure cresting within her. When his lips latched on and drew in that first sucking swallow she felt a burst of euphoria spread through her as his saliva infused her blood, like opium hitting her blood stream.
The amplifying effects of his bite heightened her ecstasy, making her convulse from the shattering pleasure ripping through her. Her back bowed, her arm reaching around to grab the back of his head, anchoring him to her neck as he drank deeper from her vein while his cock pistoned into her at a pace her blissed out mind could not process. She held on for dear life as her body spasmed, his hand clamped over her mouth to silence her screams while his own vibrated against her skin as his cock began to pulse, flooding her with his release.
Who knew retrieving some mystical dagger could end up giving her the best orgasm of her life?
Before she could ride out the last glorious vestiges of her climax, he pulled out and stepped back, removing his lips from her neck and leaving her with no support. With her legs unable to hold her, she collapsed to the floor. Blood dripped down her neck towards her collarbone, mirroring the remnants of his release trickling down her thighs.
Reaching up, she put pressure over the wound, over the bite he'd left gaping open. Panic flared within her that it might not have been a vein but an artery he'd punctured, and after taking what he wanted he would now leave her to bleed to death. Trembling, she glanced up at him, but instead of finding a smug, triumphant expression, a look of astonishment colored his features.
"You… You're here for the dagger."
Again, it wasn't a question. Somehow he knew.
"How do you-"
Now, that devilish smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. "My bite can tap into more than just your veins, love." Tucking himself back into his trousers, he brought his thumb up to his mouth then crouched down, reaching his hand out towards her. He stopped when she flinched back and his jaw tightened. "I do not intend to harm you, Swan. I only wish to seal your wound."
Emma's eyes darted to his hand, blood welling from where he'd pierced the pad of his thumb. Swallowing, she removed her hand from her neck and nodded her consent for him to continue. A hiss fell from her lips when his thumb brushed against the sensitive bite mark, his touch causing a quiver of residual desire to pass through her.
"Apologies, love," he murmured. "The bite mark will fade quickly, but you'll likely be left with a bruise. I'm afraid I may have gotten a little carried away." Offering her his hand, he began to help her onto her feet. "Though, in my defense-" He pulled her to him before she was about to regain her balance, their bodies moulded together, her still exposed breasts pressed against the hard planes of his down-covered chest as his lips hovered over hers, "-every bit of you is simply delectable, and I wanted to savor such a luscious experience."
His head bent down, bringing his lips closer to hers, but before he could capture her mouth, she blurted out, "You're not going to kill me?"
Drawing back, he tilted his head to one side, his lips parting as he tongued the sharp tip of his fang, considering her question. "No, Swan," he murmured softly, releasing her so she could step back and begin to put herself to rights. "In fact… I'm going to help you."
Emma's head shot up from where she'd been focused on buttoning her breasts back into her top, her hands stalled at the top closure. "Why on earth would you do that?"
He hedged a bit, his eyes casually looking away as though he meant to give her a moment's modesty, and shrugged, "In the hopes you might do something for me."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifted her weight to one hip and warily asked, "What do you want?"
A seductive smirk pulled at his lips and he sauntered forward. "Besides seconds, you mean?"
Emma rolled her eyes, but had to smother a smile, shaking her head in response to his salacious expression and heated gaze. Recklessly meeting his eyes, she cocked an expectant brow at him which had his demeanor sobering.
"I'll help you retrieve the dagger from Hades' office, if you'll help me free them… the others."
"The werewolves?"
"Aye," he replied with an urgent seriousness. "And Ariel. The mermaid."
"How the hell are we supposed to carry a mermaid out of here?"
"We don't," he informed her, gesturing to the office that lay beyond the door they'd just fucked against. "Locked away in there is an enchanted bracelet that will temporarily give Ariel legs, which means she can walk out of here." Reaching up he scratched guiltily at a patch of skin behind his ear, and with a tone of pleading, eyes furtively flicking at hers through his lashes, he added, "Though she would need someone to drive her to the harbour so she can return to the ocean."
"Let me get this straight," she said. "You'll help me get the dagger, if I promise to help you free the other creatures and drive the mermaid-" Ariel "-drive Ariel to the ocean."
"Aye," he said with a cheeky grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "I take it you have no idea what awaits you beyond that door, and trust me, love, you're going to need my assistance."
"Oh? And why's that?"
He took a swaggering step forward, eliminating the space between them, all signs of teasing gone from his countenance. "Because the room is temperature controlled. An alarm will sound and notify Hades if anything that registers a human, or above a normal human temperature enters that room." Leaning in, he waggled his brows and quipped, "Which means you need someone who can stay cool under pressure."
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. She'd already decided to help him escape The Underworld, but hated that she needed his help in order to achieve her own goal.
"Fine," she groused. "You get me the dagger, and I'll set you all free."
"Actually," he drawled, forcing her to turn back to him after she'd already spun around to tackle the lock. "You'll need to do a bit of freeing first." He lifted his leg, reminding her of the silver shackles chaining him to the wall.
Emma huffed out a sigh and sank down onto her knees in front of him.
"Normally, I quite like the sight of a woman taking her time whilst on her knees before me, but in this case, darling, time is of the essence."
Emma shot another glare up at him, one that just made him chuckle darkly, sending another skittering of sparks down her spine. She had a moment of panic when she reached for her lock pick set and it wasn't in the hidden pocket of her skirt, but then remembered she'd dropped it when he'd first grabbed her. Finding it laying on the floor next to her, Emma proceeded to work the lock on his restraints, the tumblers slightly different than ones she was used to, but nothing she couldn't eventually overcome. With a heavy thudding clang, the shackles fell from his ankles onto the floor and a relieved hiss rushed over his lips.
Emma stood and a surprised shriek was cut off by the press of his lips when he reached out and pulled her to him with a speed and strength far greater than even the superhuman abilities he'd displayed earlier. His mouth slanted against hers, desperate and lusty, his chest heaving against hers as he took in a quick breath before devouring her once more. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, too impatient to wait for her compliance, and his hands tightened where they had her gripped by the back of the neck and small of her back. Emma gave as good as he did, burying her hand in his hair as her tongue slid against his and flicked the pointed tips of his fangs, drawing out a moan from the back of his throat. When at last they broke apart, in want of air and their common sense, he murmured his gratitude against her lips.
"That was some thank you," she replied, her breath mingling with his as their mouths hovered, tempting the other's to return, and they stared into one another's eyes with half-lidded gazes. "All I did was pick a lock."
"You did much more than that, love."
Unable to bear the weight of his gaze any longer, Emma guided them back to the task at hand.
"No need for that," he waved off when she went to pick the lock of the door. Instructing her to stand aside, he kicked in the solid wood door and strode into the office as if he owned the place. Using the information her client had given her, she directed him to the safe. With a sharp tug to the latch, he tore the door off its hinges, revealing an assortment of items, including the dagger (which did, in fact, have her client's name engraved upon the blade), and the bracelet they would need for Ariel.
Following him to the room where the dog fights were held and where the werewolves were kept caged, Emma understood why Killian needed her help in freeing them. Their kennel was coated in silver.
"You get them out of there, and I'll go get them some clothes. They'll need something to put on after they shift," Killian said, leaving her with two wary and distrusting werewolves.
"Okay," she said, setting to work on the lock. "How about I free you, and you don't rip my throat out afterward. Deal?"
They both seemed to take her up on her offer, sitting back on their haunches and patiently waiting as she fought with the mechanism until it finally clicked. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly then twisted the latch securing the cage door. Both wolves sprang from the kennel, and Emma watched with bated breath, expecting them to shift immediately.
"Why haven't they transformed?" Killian asked, returning with two sets of clothes that, by the looks of them, he'd procured from his own stash of garments.
"I don't know," Emma responded with a shrug. One of the wolves began scratching furiously at his throat, and Emma caught a glimpse of a collar. With raised hands, reminding the wolf she wasn't a threat, she approached and took a closer look. "It's some sort of amulet," she told Killian, unbuckling the leather strap and removing it from the wolf's neck before turning to the second to do the same.
As soon as their collars were removed they began to shift, taking on human form for the first time in God only knew how long.
Completely naked human form, Emma realized, spinning around and averting her eyes as they finished transforming.
"K-Killian?" one of them croaked. "What… how?"
"There's no time, mate," Killian said, rushing over and thrusting the clothes into the men's arms. "Quick. Put these on whilst Swan and I free Ariel."
"Swan?"
Killian sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Graham. Jefferson. Meet Swan. Our Saviour. Swan. Graham and Jefferson. Werewolf brothers, and longtime mates of mine." Emma raised her hand to wave a greeting at them, but Killian had her arm in his grasp, yanking her back out of the room and towards the mermaid tank before she could complete the action.
"What's going on?" the mermaid asked, lifting herself up out of the water as high as she could to see what all the fuss was about. "Killian? What's happening? Who is th-"
"Later," Killian admonished, handing Ariel the bracelet he'd taken from Hades' safe. Emma noted the red welt it left on his hand, and deduced that it, too, must have been made of silver, though it was encrusted in jewels. As soon as the mermaid affixed it to her wrist, her tail began to glow with a blinding light that Emma had to look away from. When she looked back, she was astonished to see two human legs treading water.
Killian reached down and lifted Ariel out of the tank with one hand. Magically, she was clothed in layers that reminded Emma of the sea, the garment most likely a by-product of the enchantment. With shaky steps, Ariel made it down the stairs of the platform, and a bright smile bloomed across her face when she spotted Graham and Jefferson waiting at the bottom.
"I can't believe it," she said through tears. "I can't believe we're finally going to be free from this hell."
"Aye," Killian replied, casting his eyes on Emma. "All thanks to Swan."
"I think you might have had something to do with it, too," she said, brushing off his praise - even if it did make her preen internally - and prompting them towards the exit.
They all had to shield their eyes when the club door opened, revealing the bright sunshine that lay beyond the shadowed threshold. Graham and Jefferson thanked her for freeing them, then each gave Killian a fond embrace of camaraderie, promising to seek him out once they'd reunited with their pack before setting off.
Emma assisted Ariel out the door, supporting the mermaid as she tried to become accustomed to having legs, but turned back when she realized Killian hadn't followed.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Come on. I'll drop you off wherever after we get Ariel into the ocean."
Killian's jaw tightened and his Adam's apple bobbed. "I can't, Swan."
"Can't what?"
"Leave," he informed her. "Not yet anyway." Reaching out his hand, he let the midday rays hit his skin. Sucking in a pained hiss that caused him to bare his teeth, he wrenched it back into the darkness of the doorway then raised it for her to see. His skin was red and blistered, scorched by the sun.
"No," Emma said, shaking her head. "No. I can't just leave you."
"You can, and you will." His tone invited no argument, neither did the stern expression darkening his features. "The charm of the bracelet only lasts for a short time, so you have to get Ariel to the safety of the ocean."
"But… What about Hades? He'll be back before sundown, won't he? What's he going to do to you when he realizes you-"
"You don't have to worry about me, love," he assured her. "If there's one thing I'm good at… it's surviving." His features darkened further, his expression hardening, as his eyes narrowed with a murderous glint that sent a chill down Emma's spine. "The only person who needs worrying over, is Hades. But honestly… I wouldn't waste the energy."
He began to slink back into the shadows and Emma called out after him. "Wait! I…" She didn't know quite what to say, she just knew she didn't want to leave things this way.
As if he could read her thoughts - oh, right… he probably could, seeing as their gazes were fixed on one another's once more - he smiled, and with a light chuckle said, "Not to fear, Swan. I'm sure our paths will cross again someday soon." Slowly, he swiped his tongue over his teeth, then ran it across his bottom lip. "Now that I've had a taste of you, I am eager to know what other delicacies your body offers." With a final glance, full of predatory promise and seductive warning, he met her gaze and huskily purred, "I'll find you."
As he vanished into the blackness of the club, his statement hanging heavily around her, Emma was left wondering, which was it? A promise or threat?
Guiding Ariel to her bug, Emma determined… probably a little of both.
~/~
The window to her bedroom was cracked open two to three inches, just enough space to allow the cool night breeze in, keeping the room a comfortable temperature while she slept. She really should have known better, Killian mused. It might give the currents of midnight access to whisper over her skin, perfuming the air with the scent of the approaching storm, and amplify the symphony of rain throughout her room when it arrived, but it also left her vulnerable… to him.
Despite his promise, Killian had actually done all he could to not find her. After dispensing with Hades and his minions, leaving them to exsanguinate on the floor of the nightclub, bleed out in the center of the fighting ring with their arterial spray splattered on the walls, and filling the filth-encrusted tank until it turned an opaque crimson, Killian had left town. For weeks he'd resisted, ignoring the siren call of her blood and distracting himself from the memory of how good she'd felt in his arms and around his cock. It was no use, though. The woman had not only infected his bloodstream, she'd gotten under his skin. Like an itch he was compelled to scratch.
No. Not an itch. A need. He needed to have her again, to feel the supple give of her flesh beneath his fangs, to taste the sweet copper of her blood, to hear her moans and the way her breath stuttered when he wrapped his lips over the punctures and sucked the essence of her life from her, to see how glorious she looked with his bite at her neck as his cock took her again and again, the scent of him and their coupling infused into her skin, alerting those with the ability to sense it that she belonged to him.
The demand had become so great he'd nearly drained his last meal beyond the point of recovery, desperate to find the thrill she had given him during their brief dalliance. She consumed his thoughts, haunted his hunts, and teased him every bit as much as Graham and Jefferson had when they'd reunited, interrogating him about his Swan and what had occurred between them prior to their escape from The Underworld. While a gentleman never tells - and yes, he did still fancy himself a gentleman… when it suited him - Killian knew their heightened senses had already deduced the nature of his encounter with the fierce and stunningly gorgeous blonde who had saved them all, spurring them on in their assertions that he go after her and stop denying himself the pleasure and satisfaction it seemed only she could supply.
Having finally relented, Killian returned to the seedy den of crime and corruption humans called a city. A few thrall-induced conversations had given him the information he needed to track her down, pursuing the leads until he found her during a stake-out where he later witnessed her take down a shifter. She was as beautiful as he remembered, a fierce lass capable of subduing even fiercer creatures, but she also had a recklessness about her that had Killian baring his teeth in disapproval, even if it had been the quality that had allowed her to surrender to him that night at the club.
Not wishing to reveal himself to her whilst she was preoccupied with her case, he'd followed her for several nights, watching from a distance and forcing himself to not intervene. When at last the remainder of the shifters had been apprehended, earning her the full bounty she'd been promised, she'd adjourned home whilst it was still dark, giving him the first opportunity to visit her abode.
It had been all too easy to pry the screen away and raise the window high enough for him to crawl through. The sudden gust whipping past him ruffled her hair, fanned out over her pillow and softly cascading over one shoulder where its golden strands glowed in stark contrast to the black tank top she wore. The crisp air rippled over her creamy skin, pebbling the swell of her breasts and hardening her nipples. Killian had long lamented the fact he hadn't taken the opportunity to pay them proper attention during the frenzy of their meeting. Tonguing the tips of his fangs, he imagined how it would feel to scrape them over those peaked, sensitive buds, and how her body might respond to the taunting sensation of their prick.
The mattress springs groaned as she rolled from her side onto her back, a sultry sound escaping her, further engorging his cock as he noted the flush of her skin and the fitful way her legs rubbed together beneath the covers. Whatever she was dreaming about had elevated her heart rate as well, and it didn't take more than a deep inhale, her arousal dancing on his tongue and filling his sinuses, for him to deduce the nature of her nighttime musings. He had just fleetingly wondered whether he might be at the forefront of her fantasies when a soft moan emanated from her lips, followed by the indecently breathy plea of his name.
That was all the invitation Killian needed.
Within seconds, he stripped himself bare and climbed onto her bed, pulling back the blanket that concealed her lower half and spreading her legs wide. He hummed appreciatively at the red cotton panties she wore and leaned in to press his nose at her center so he could fully immerse himself in her scent. A pang of desire throbbed through his cock and the ache clenched painfully in his groin. I will have to savor that particular flavor of hers later, he promised himself before moving up her body and pushing her panties to one side so he could dip the tip of his cock into the threshold of that lush heat he couldn't wait to experience again.
Another moan worked its way up from her chest as she instinctively rut up into him, her head lolling to one side and exposing the creamy expanse of her throat. His cock twitched and his fangs throbbed, both eager to sink into her, and Killian could deny himself the pleasure of her no longer. With one thick slide, he entered her tight heat as his teeth penetrated her skin, sending a rush of decadence into his mouth as he buried himself deep within the luxury between her thighs.
Swan gasped awake, and for a moment he feared he might have a fight on his hands, but as he continued to feed and move inside her, she whimpered wantonly and wrapped herself around him.
"It's you," she murmured, her breath husky from sleep, and thick from the swell of desire her dream and his presence had built within her.
"Aye, love," he replied, pulling away from her vein long enough to tell her, "I told you I'd find you."
Her eyes flicked open, their green hue taking his forget-me-not gaze captive as she admonished, "What took you so long?"
A smile stretched over his blood-smeared lips before he resumed sating at least one of his hungers, drinking deeply to quench the maddening thirst she'd left in his veins while he languidly swiveled and thrust his hips into hers. Fuck, he'd forgotten how responsive she was, her body canting up to meet his, her moans and gasps filling his ears and spurring him on, the way she gripped him with her tight core, soft and warm - so fucking warm - and welcoming. And her blood. The surrender she displayed, keeping her neck and shoulders muscles relaxed, bleeding freely for him as he drank deeply, accepting the ecstasy he offered her in exchange without even a hint of trepidation, trusting him with her pleasure, with her life.
A trust he would not jeopardize by taking too much.
With great effort, Killian pried his lips from her neck, swiping his tongue over the punctures to help seal the wound. Lifting himself off her slightly, he glanced down their bodies to where his cock continued to disappear within her. Swan's hands grasped his arse, attempting to pull him closer, to force him deeper as her back arched up and a frustrated groan vibrated through her chest. Braced on one hand, Killian pushed her tank top up, revealing her pert, flushed breasts. He wasted no time taking her nipples into his mouth in turns, scratching his fangs over the stiffened points and causing a string of curses to fall from her lips.
"I forgot what a fucking tease you are," Swan grit out, writhing beneath him, desparate for more.
"My apologies, love," Killian purred, wickedly. Lifting his head from the valley of her breasts, he placed a kiss on her lips then murmured, "What does my lady desire?"
"Harder," she pleaded, her fingers still indenting the flesh of his arse with the firm grip of her hands.
Slipping almost entirely from her, he grinned at the whimper his withdrawal pulled from her and darkly inquired, "Like this?"
Her back bowed and breath left her lungs from the force of his thrust, slamming into her with the full measure of his cock. Retreating once more, he repeated the action before she was able to draw in a breath, then impaled her a third time before taking a moment to relish the feel of being fully seated in her tightly clenched heat as she fought to breathe. When a gasp finally shuddered through her chest, Killian rut into her with short, deep, firm thrusts that made her eyes roll back.
"Keep breathing, love," he encouraged. "Tell me how else I might please you."
Her heart pounded in her chest, the temperature of her skin rose, her walls clenched around him, and a whimper fell from her lips. "Faster," she whined, rocking her hips up into his. "Take me faster!"
"As you wish."
Hitching her legs higher, Killian sat back on his haunches then draped her ankles over his shoulders and wrapped his arms around her legs. "Brace yourself, love," he warned sultrily. "It's about to get rough for you."
Mercilessly, he plunged into her, his hips picking up speed until the entire bed shook beneath them. Swan reached back and wrapped her hands around the iron framework of her headboard, riding out the pleasurable assault with her head thrown back and a litany of incoherent sounds rolling off her tongue. Prying one of her hands away from the headboard, she momentarily draped her arm across her chest in an attempt to still the violent bouncing of her breasts, but then dragged her hand further down, wedging it between her clamped thighs.
A growl rumbled in Killian's chest, a primal indignation that her pleasure should come from any source other than him snarling through him and causing him to capture her wrist in his hand.
"Please," she pleaded. "I'm so close. Please just let me-"
"No, Swan." A small whimper escaped her in response and her body shuddered. "Let me."
He let go of her wrist and relaxed his grip on her legs, then sucked his thumb into his mouth. Coated with saliva, he slipped his thumb through the golden curls framing her sex and massaged it over her clit. Swan gasped and her walls contracted, a spasm rolled through her as her orgasm erupted from the point of contact and her scent changed as a fresh wash of bliss coursed through her. Furiously, Killian continued to rub her clit, his cock pistoning into her with a frenzy as he chased his own release, until he filled her with a sudden jerk of his hips, his back bowing and his head thrown back as her name roared from his lips.
A second burst of euphoria swept through her as he rut into her, drawing out his own ecstasy. Her second orgasm altered her scent further as pleasure continued to flood her bloodstream. Before he was even aware of his actions, Killian pulled out and yanked on Swan's legs, lifting her lower half off the mattress. Her thighs were still quivering when he plunged his fangs into the tender flesh, and the euphoria of his bite made her come again. The intoxicating surge of her rapture pumped over his tongue with each frantic beat of her heart, and he swallowed the indulgent gratification he could taste in the flow, making him moan with sated satisfaction.
With her wound properly sealed, Killian licked his lips, removing all traces of her blood before crawling on top of her once more. Her chest heaved, rubbing against his as she tried to regulate her breathing. Her pulse raced, blood surging through her body loud enough to thunder in his ears. Braced on one forearm, he placed his hand over her heart, the weight and coolness of his touch helping to calm its erratic beat as he fought to bury the covetous feelings threatening to marr the moment, envying her breathlessness and the rapid fluttering he could feel beneath his palm.
Fingers carded their way through his hair, brushing back the fringe that had fallen over his forehead. Lifting his gaze up to meet hers, he was overcome with the sensations he'd felt back at the club the first time their eyes had met. A mutual fascination and craving still lingered in their connection, but so too did the compulsion to defend. Proprietary, possessive, protective basal instincts undulated within the link his thrall created between them, as well as a sense of trust and certainty about the woman he could not quite resolve with the typical cynicism he generally applied to humans. Emma Swan was not the typical human, though, that much was clear to him, and while he willingly continued to drown himself in her sea glass eyes as her fingers drew lazy patterns across his skin, he wondered if she felt the same things he did when she brazenly held his gaze.
Of course, he could always probe deeper and find out, but the mere chance that she may not, coupled with a sense of good form prickling along the back of his neck, kept him from doing so.
"I heard about what happened at The Underworld," she whispered softly, her gaze giving away nothing as to how she might have been affected by the gruesome news.
"Aye," Killian replied. "I left a rather ghastly scene, but Hades had much to atone for and…" He swallowed, the words he hadn't meant to confess trailing off into silence.
"And… what?" she asked, her fingers still toying with his hair and tracing the ancient scars that had carried over from his mortal life.
Bushing the back of his knuckles across her cheek, he admitted, "And… I didn't want to take the chance Hades would come after you." He swallowed again, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily as her expression took a journey from curious to stunned to something that might have been gratitude laced with a hint of discomfort. Not wishing to delve any further into his reasonings, the moment already feeling more intimate than he sensed either of them were comfortable with, Killian rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand, staring down at her as he inquired, "So, tell me about the dagger I helped liberate for you. Did you manage to return it to its rightful owner?"
Emma mirrored him, shifting onto her side with her head resting in her own hand, her skin still glistening with a sheen of sweat. "I did," she told him. "I suppose I owe you a cut of the bounty, seeing as you were the one who actually extricated it from Hades' office."
Trailing his fingers up the side of her arm, a salacious expression teasing her from beneath half-lidded eyes and a vulgar sweep his tongue over his lips, Killian quipped, "No need, love." His fingertips brushed the raised remnants of his bite on her neck, causing her eyelids to flutter as she gasped in a sudden breath. "I'll take my fee with an occasional feed and fuck, if you're agreeable."
Her eyes opened, and a deep set pinch pulled her brows together. "I'm not sure I'd be agreeable to that at all."
Killian balked and pulled back. Had he misread her completely? Perhaps he'd been wrong about their connection, and she'd wanted nothing more than a one time thing? Rolling away, Killian started to leave the bed when her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards her. His brows shot up when she climbed on top of him, straddling his hips and running her hands up his chest.
"The occasional part, I mean," she said with a turned up lip and mischievous gleam in her eye. "I've been waiting for you to find me for weeks, so don't think I'm taking my eyes off of you for a second."
"I would despair if you did," Killian murmured, leaning up to meet her lips halfway. The kiss was no less passionate and desperate than their last, but a deeper swell of meaning slowly began to reveal itself in the slide of their lips, the swipe of their tongues, and the contented sounds each of them moaned into the other's mouth.
Emma captured both of his wrists and held them above his head as she continued to devour him with her lips, her delectable body draped over his, stirring his cock to life. Something metal wrapped around one of his wrists, and he could hear the sliding clicks of handcuffs fastening into place with the other end secured to the iron framework of her headboard. Pulling his lips from hers, his eyes slid to the restraints, his brows furrowed in confusion as an amused smirk quirked the corner of his mouth.
"You know, Swan," he drawled, turning his gaze back to her. "These won't hold me. You'd need silver cuffs for that." Glancing out the window, his heightened sense of sight could already perceive the coming of dawn even though it's glow had not yet begun to illuminate the horizon. "And I'll have to take my leave soon in order to avoid the sun."
"Oh, I know," she replied with a coy smile, her hands running back over the planes of his chest, nails scratching through the coarse hair covering his body as she sat up. "But before you decide to break free and be on your way, I think there's something you should know."
"And what's that, love?"
Her hips ground down over his groin, causing a grunt to work its way up his throat. She wet her lips, then scraped her teeth over the bottom one, leaving it pinked and slightly swollen before she huskily informed him, "I have blackout curtains."
The End