3

That night he felt something different. The air was thicker, that same odd atmosphere he felt the other day in the cafeteria was back again. The night was cold, more than usual. He felt heavy, like something was dragging him down. In the middle of the night he told his coworkers he was heading home; he didn't feel good. On his way back home, he heard the wolves in the distance. They were howling to the full moon. He felt a shiver running down his spine.

Every night he heard the wolves howling, but this time there was something different. First, it was a foggy night and the streets were empty and silence, like the ones in a horror movie just before the monster attack. Second, it was a lonely wolf, and its sound was louder, even painful, he thought. But that couldn't be, he was thinking nonsense. Maybe he was sick after all.

When he got back to his house, he changed into more comfortable clothes and laid in bed. He's been tired the whole day and thinking on the time he could go to sleep, but suddenly he felt very awake, as if something told him not to sleep and to be aware, to wait for something. He was so alert, listening into the night, waiting for something to happen. The clock ticked; everything was quiet. And that quietness startled him. Not even the sound of an owl, or the wind between the leaves. Sometimes, that wolf broke the silence, and he swore, he felt that it was calling him, that it was saying his name.

The hours turned slower than usual, his eyes wide open in the dark, his body not daring to move. But his brain was working. He had one thing in mind, Emma. She lived alone in a big house outside Storybrooke, with the woods at its backside. Would she be alright? The wolf wouldn't dare approach the civilization, and it probably was miles away from them, but he couldn't help to worry. He wanted to go see her, make sure everything was alright, but he wasn't a creep. If Emma found him there, she would freak out. And she would be in her right. Then, he remembered her early runs in the forest. What if something happened to her then? What if that wolf, or any other creature, attacked her? It hasn't happened before, but surely there was a first time for everything, and after that creepy night, it felt like it was fitting, like anything could happen. If something were about to happen, it would be then. He jumped out of bed, what should he do?

"Have a drink, Jones. Relax, you're freaking out over nonsense. It will help you sleep" he said to himself, and he did that. He was just being paranoid, something that happened to him all the time. He took several deep breaths while drinking a glass of rum. Then, he went back to bed, but even then, he wasn't able to sleep, and the morning eventually came. He made a resolution, he had to make sure Emma was alright.

It wasn't the first time he walked those woods, but it was the first time he did that looking for someone, so with every movement he felt behind the trees, he jumped. He had goosebumps, and that weird coldness was once again surrounding him. Killian kept walking with no direction searching for her. Would she be alright?

Her mind was a mess. She wanted to cry, run, scream, jump off a cliff. She wanted to punch something. Why was she so careless? She had to go back home before anyone saw her. The conversation from last night with Killian had startled her, but she couldn't let him make her feel like that. She had to win back the control of her life. Everything was just fine before him. She didn't need friends, a boyfriend -not that he was her boyfriend or anything, but it was obvious that he wanted something more-. She was alright working from home, helping her mother when necessary, spending her nights watching Netflix. She needed everything go back to normality.

Suddenly, she stopped. Something was out of place, the noise of someone careless stepping the leaves. But it was too late, and she realized that seconds after a man appeared in a bend of the road. Killian.

"Emma, you are here" he seemed... relaxed?

"Killian"

He noticed she had the same clothes from last night, and they were a little muddy, even torn, but he didn't say anything. That wasn't important in that moment. Then he realized he couldn't tell her he had been looking for her, it would be weird.

"I was... jogging?" That came almost as a question and he winced, but luckily, she didn't notice it. She was too focused on making up some excuse to go home. "Can I join you?" he asked. He wanted to make sure everything was alright and make sure she made it home safe.

"I was on my way back" she noticed she was wearing the same clothes from last night. Had he noticed them too? Oh God, she was so stupid. He made a sign with his hand as telling her it was okay for him to go back to the town.

They made their way in silence, sometimes they would steal glances to the other when they thought the other wasn't watching. Did he suspect anything? Was he there because he had found her secret? Did he want to harm her?

"Emma, wait" she then noticed he had stopped walking and was now behind her. She turned around and saw he was staring at something to his left, something inside the woods. She walked to him and what she saw made her skin go pale. There, next to some fallen trees, was a deer. A dead deer. What it was worse, it was turned apart, it's gutses out. Blood was everywhere.

"Something has killed this animal, Emma. Something big" the marks of teeth were visible in its neck, as well as its back. Emma looked at him in panic. She really was terrified. Killian looked at her too "There's a beast here, Emma. I heard it last night, it must have been haunting. It's better if we go"

Killian took a few steps to continue their way, but Emma was like petrified in the spot, eyes still fixed in the poor animal. It has its eyes open and Emma started crying. It felt like the deer was looking her straight in the eye, judging her.

"Emma?" She flinched, Killian was back at her side again "don't worry, we will be safe. And about that deer, it's the circle of life. But we must hurry, it's not safe in here, maybe the wolf is still out here".

"The wolf?" she said for the first time, her stomach turning.

"I think it's a wolf. I heard it last night and there are packs in the mountains. Let's go, love" He rounded her shoulders with his arm and tucked her close. She let him comfort her, only for that time, and she buried her head in his chest. So stupid.

But what he didn't know was that she wasn't crying for the death of the poor animal, but because that's never happened before.