"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9…" Jack removed his paws from over his eyes and peeked around. "10! Here I come!" He took off into the trees, wagging his tail as he searched for his packmates and friends. He easily found Aaron in the trunk of a tree and Shang hiding in a bush. He literally tripped over Spencer and Benjamin who were using an invisibility spell. Marie proved a challenge to find. He searched half the woods for her, even checked the lakebed. "Okay, Marie. You win." The white she-wolf dropped from the trees overhead and lifted her chin in triumph.
"What should we do now? Play stick?" Aaron asked as he and the others trotted up.
"You always win." Shang scoffed.
"Ooh, let's race to the old toll bridge." He said excitedly.
"That's beyond the borders and Mom says we need to stay inside." Jack reminded them.
"Are you afraid?" Aaron asked, already starting to leave. Benjamin and Shang were quick to follow.
"Idiots." Spencer muttered.
"I agree." Marie added.
Jack sighed. "There is always going to be that one guy who does what he isn't supposed to and ends up getting hurt. After watching so many movies Aaron should know this."
"Doesn't matter. You can't explain why idiots do idiotic things." Spencer replied. "I know this because my brother is one."
Jack chuckled and stood up. "Well, if we're going to do this then we might as well win, right?" Marie wagged her tail in response. The young alpha took off. They bounded right over Aaron's head and laughed as he rushed to catch up. The six of them were sprinting headlong towards the magical barrier, nearly upon it when their mothers appeared in front of them. Jack slammed into Ruby's furry chest and landed on his butt. He looked up at Ruby and Regina, both of them simply staring back.
"Where do the lot of you think you are going?" Zelena asked, looking at Aaron, already knowing he was the mastermind behind their little stunt.
"Just a little race to the toll bridge." He said softly.
Maleficent growled as her son and daughter cowered. "You deliberately disobey our instructions and put yourselves in harm's way?"
"The barrier is for your protection. We've strengthened it so the Dark Wolf can't cross. You are safe behind it." Mulan added.
All six of the pups hung their heads. "At the very least I expected you to get away with it." Mal said.
"My dear, I think you're upset about the wrong part of this." Her mate replied.
"Actually," Marie murmured. "We didn't break the rule yet. You guys stopped us."
"Not the time, Marie." Her blonde mother snapped.
"Back to the den." Regina commanded. "All of you. To your rooms." Jack hung his head as he was escorted back to the den. He shouldn't have agreed to something so stupid.
"Sorry, Mom." He said, flattening his ears as they walked.
"You're children. You're going to try and push your limits, do something stupid." Regina said. "But don't do so at the cost of your life. Wait until we kill the Dark Wolf. Then you can do any stupid thing you want."
"Regina." Maleficent said, coming to the former queen's side. "I have given our predicament some thought. The Dark Wolf seemed quite upset upon learning that you had betrayed it."
"Your point?"
"You might can earn back the darkness' forgiveness. Give us back our edge."
"No." Ruby said as she trotted past them.
"Well, there's your answer." Regina said.
"Ruby." the dragon growled. Ruby stopped and turned around. "Look at our pups. Look around them. What do you see?" Ruby glanced around but didn't answer. "This was meant to be a home, a haven. What does it look like now? We promised our children the world and they're stuck behind a wall."
"It is to protect them." Ruby said.
"I know, but believe me when i say i am tired of walls." She flattened her ears. "I'm far too old and far too stubborn to be sitting here while a monster is sitting on our doorstep threatening the lives of my dragonlings."
"What would you have me do?" Ruby demanded. "I can't. ..I can't beat it. You know I can't."
"I think you need to stop pitying yourself and get off your ass. We all do."
"I've tried! We nearly died the last time."
"The last time a foolish human got in the way. Our plan would've worked. Reconfigure it. Try again, damn it."
Ruby sighed. "We need the dagger."
"The dark wolf almost certainly has moved its den." Regina added.
"Let's give it back to Gold." Ruby said suddenly, wagging her tail. Regina and Mal exchanged looks of confusion. "Come on!" Ruby took off back to the den and they hurried after her.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Henry sighed, collapsing onto his bed. His punishment for getting involved with Gold and ruining the pack's plan was not yet over. Emma was still livid over him putting himself in danger and making a deal he couldn't keep. He also told a lie, convincing Gold that Belle was afraid of the Dark Wolf and that she wanted to go back to the pawn shop and him, but was too afraid of the pack to run. Gold, still being in love wit her, decided quickly to become the Dark One again and help his beloved. He thought that Gold taking back the darkness would solve everything, but it was not to be. Everything fell apart and now Henry could only leave his room to go to school and to the bathroom. Emma brought him food and took out all his video games and comic books.
"Tired of being imprisoned?" Henry shot up, eyes scanning the empty room. He went over to the window and looked out, finding nothing a miss. The sun was falling and his mom would be home from work soon. "Hello Henry." He turned around to find the Dark Wolf sitting in the middle of the room. "I owe you my life."
"W-what do you want?"
"I want you, of course." it flashed a wolfish grin and stood up. "Come quickly and quietly and maybe I won't kill you."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The pack and Emma received the news at the same time. It was Ruby who lead them to the meeting place situated at the edge of a cliff. The Dark Wolf was already there, lying on it with Henry trapped beneath a paw. Ruby gave the signal for the pack to stop and she leaped onto the rock and laid next to the black wolf. Regina pushed Gold onto the rock and Ruby forced him onto his stomach and laid a paw lazily across his chest. He was bound with magic rope and would never get free unless someone did it for him.
"Let the boy go and we'll give you a chance to stay alive." Ruby said, surveying her pack, all waiting and watching. Emma was present as well, standing next to Regina.
"How so?"
"We'll bind you to Gold here and send you to another world. You'll be free and away from us."
"Give me my mate and my son and we'll have a deal." The Dark Wolf looked down and met Regina's eyes. Then it turned to Jack, who bared his teeth.
"You know I'm not going to do that."
"Then I will kill the boy." The Dark Wolf pressed down on Henry's arm, cracking the bone. Henry screamed in pain but Ruby gave a disdainful snort.
"You're going to have to do better than that." She replied. "Truly he's much more trouble than he's worth. Hence why we're having this conversation. If not for him you would be dead."
"Ruby, what the hell are you doing?!" Emma screamed, only to be shushed by half the pack.
"Shut up, Human." Ruby snapped. She turned back to the Dark Wolf. "You'll have your freedom but you won't take my family."
"Your family?" The Wolf chuckled. "Regina was right about you. You're weak and pathetic. Regina mated with the Dark Wolf. Me. Jack was born from my strength. This pack was created because of my strength. If not for me, you would still be running through the forest alone and the Savior would still be lusting over Regina, Something she still does occasionally." Ruby looked at Regina. "Go ahead, dear. Tell her."
"I was lying." Regina growled. "It was all part of the plan."
"Was it? Do you honestly believe that any of these fools would've helped you as you wasted away in your gilded cage? Dying because this boy, this wretched boy told you you couldn't use magic." It looked down at Henry. "He threw you away and now all he does is chase after you. Darkness doesn't lie, Henry." The Wolf rose to its feet, keeping a paw on Henry's back. "This is my pack. I know everything about each and every one of you." It looked at Maleficent first, the obvious target. "The great and powerful Dragon Queen, wasting time trying to hibernate and regain her strength, leaving her daughter in a big, empty house alone. Friendless. Motherless. Willing to forgive and forget the people who stole and cursed her child. You are truly an excellent mother indeed." It looked at Mulan. "Fa Mulan, legendary warrior and savior of China...reduced to playing bounty hunter, bodyguard and brute. Mated to a dragon who only showed any interest in you once she went into heat. Even so, it must be nice not to be the third wheel anymore." Mulan flattened her ears and looked down. "Miss French, another waste of time trying to change a man who would never do right by you, never love you, never treat you as anything over than a symbol for his own goodness. Wicked Witch, oh Zelena, unwanted, unloved, by almost any and everyone she's ever met. Falling for the first person to ever show her any interest. Also another example of being caged and nearly dying because of the idiots of this town. There is one among us." It turned its gaze on Emma. "Emma fucking Swan, I don't really think I need to tell anyone everything you've done being spurred by your parents and your stupid son into bulldozing this town into doing whatever you want because you're the fucking savior. You are nothing and you've always been...nothing."
"Enough." Ruby stood up as well. "Just stop."
"You don't deserve this pack. You are just a watered down dog who obeys the commands of your master, Snow White. You've always bowed to her, always lapped at her heels, always-"
"I SAID ENOUGH!" Ruby roared, stunning the Dark Wolf. "Just for that, you will die." Ruby tackled the wolf to the ground. The wolf only started laughing as the forest suddenly came alive with shadows. The Dark Wolf had created a pack of its own. Regina was the first to leap into battle. In doing so she couldn't see her mate nearly get thrown over the cliff. Ruby barely managed to claw her way back to safety. Marie and Jack made a dive for Henry and Gold but the Dark Wolf turned faster than would've thought possible, backhanding Jack across the rock and grabbing Marie by the back of her neck. It slammed her into the ground one good time, breaking her back. She whimpered in pain, alerting her parents who tried to fight their way to her. The Dark Wolf growled as it launched the little white wolf clean over the side of the cliff.
Mal shifted into her dragon form, intent on grabbing her child. She threw herself into open space, reaching for Marie. The pack of shadow-like wolves swarmed her, climbing onto her back and tearing holes in her wings. She missed Marie and ended falling over the cliff herself, trying to tear the wolves off of her and leaving behind open sores and wounds.
Jack roared and slammed into the enemy. Aaron, Spencer and Benjamin leaped in as well, mauling the Dark Wolf with everything they had for hurting their packmate. Shang rammed into them all. Ruby tried to grab them as the Dark Wolf slid backwards but all of them were sent careening over the cliffside.
/
Jack blinked open his eyes, pain radiating from his right leg. He stood up and shook dust off of his pelt. For the most part he was okay. Thank the gods for his mother thinking ahead with a protection spell. He limped around in search of his packmates, finding Spencer not far away and Aaron a few feet further with Benji trying to wake him up. The Dark Wolf lay in the center of their little carnage, unmoving besides the faint rise and fall of its pelt. It was still alive. Then Marie could be too. "Marie!" He yelled. Please be okay. "Marie!" He sniffed around and finally caught her scent on the wind. He took off after it and found his longtime friend buried in the forest undergrowth, her pristine white fur stained red. "Marie?" He let out a sigh of relief with she tried to lift her head. "No! Stop, don't move. Our Moms'll be here soon, okay?" He knelt next to her, cringing at seeing her twisted back. The others soon found them and curled up around their fallen comrade as well. Shang cradled his sister's head in his paws.
"Why does this always happen to me?" Marie croaked softly.
"Because you're the bravest, strongest she-wolf in the world." Jack replied.
"Help will be here soon, Rie." Shang promised. Benjamin placed a healing spell on her. He wasn't advanced enough to completely heal her but he could lessen her pain for the time being.
It wasn't until night that they were found, nearly stepped on as their mothers flew into a frenzy to find them. It was a miracle any of them were alive after the height of the fall. The pack was bleeding and exhausted, having wasted no time after winning their battle to come and find their missing children. Lily teleported them home while their parents dealt with the Dark Wolf. The young dragon used the last of her strength to heal them and helped Tink and Merida tuck them in. It had been a stressful day for everyone and they had finally succeeded. Except it didn't feel much like a victory. Yet again the pack had taken a hard blow and would need time to recuperate.
Maleficent found Mulan standing on the mountaintop, overlooking the slumbering forest. Her mate had said very little since their return home and the dragon was concerned that the Dark Wolf's words may have hit a chord with her beloved. It was no longer a secret of Mulan's unrequited love for Philip. Mal knew the tale all too well, and it remained a sore spot for the warrior. "Mulan? Have you been healed?"
"Yes." came the soft reply.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I just want to be left alone right now."
Maleficent nodded slowly, knowing her presence wasn't wanted or needed, but she felt compelled to speak anyway. "The Dark Wolf was right about some things. I should've been with Lily. That is true, but when it comes to you, Mulan, you are my world. You gave me my son and my daughter. I know the wolf's words hurt. I just want you to know that if you need anything, I'm here." The blonde turned to leave. "I'm gonna go check the borders and see if the aging spell is still intact. I'll...see you in the morning." Maleficent dove off the side of the mountain and shifted into her dragon form.
Below them, in the alpha's den, Regina was trying to get Ruby to talk to her. She didn't understand why her mate refused to talk to her. "Tell me you don't believe that stupid thing. You know how I feel about you, Ruby." Regina followed Ruby into the bathroom and watched her get undressed and sink into the steaming tub. "Ruby Red Lucas, answer me damn it."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Anything. " Regina whimpered.
"Anything." Ruby replied.
Regina glared at her. "Damn it, Ruby. Stop. Please." She sighed.
Ruby flicked the water with her fingertips. "The darkness was right. I'm not strong enough to defeat it. I only got the courage to talk to you because of it."
"But it was you who took in the darkness to save me and Emma. That was you. Just you. You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I don't want a weak mate, Ruby, just like you didn't." Ruby refrained from replying and instead started scrubbing away the grime of the day. "Fine. You're such a bitch sometimes, you know that?" Regina stormed away and slammed the door as she left.
Ruby rolled her eyes and finished bathing. She dried off, growling to herself and wishing that life could go back to being sweet and simple like it was when she first invited Regina into her pack. She put on a robe and stepped outside, immediately coming to face to face with a certain redheaded archer.
"You gonna stop being an arse and go after her then?" Merida said.
"After today I think we both could use some space-"
"No, you idiot. You're the best things that have ever happened to each other. Don't be stupid, Ruby. Go after her, kiss and make up already."
"You can't just force me to do that." Ruby rolled her eyes. But she knew it was the right thing to do. Her wolf was demanding they find her mate and make it up to her, but she was just so sick and tired of listening to wolves right now. Merida quirked an eyebrow and turned to head to bed. Ruby sighed and walked outside. Regina's scent lead into the forest. She probably went for a run to clear her head and to get away from Ruby. Ruby shifted and threw off her towel, chasing after her beloved. She came to a clearing and found that Regina's scent had disappeared. Probably teleported somewhere. Ruby threw back her head and howled long and loud. When Regina didn't reply she started screaming at the top of her lungs. "REGINA!"
"WHAT?!" Regina appeared in front of her and Ruby wasted no time in tackling her to the ground.
"I'm an idiot."
"Great, we both agree on something."
Ruby growled and furiously started rubbing herself against Regina. Regina tried pushing her off, but she wasn't strong enough and Ruby was too excited. She pushed Regina on the ground and sat on top of her, wagging her tail.
"Get off me."
"No. No, no, no, I'm sorry. I just...it's hard. I don't…" Ruby sighed. "I don't have your confidence. I wish I did but I don't."
Regina rolled her eyes. "You actually do have it and even if you didn't, that's what I'm here for. We're supposed to complete each other."
"I am such an ass. I will never act like that again. Forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you, you idiot. No, wait, you can't be an idiot. That's the Charmings. What about moron? That sounds like you." Regina reached up and licked Ruby's nose. "Now get off me." Ruby hopped down and nuzzled her mate to her feet, furiously kissing and licking her as they trotted back to the den together. Ruby made a detour into Jack's room where their son was curled up in bed in his little wolf form. She picked him up and carried him into their bedroom.
"What the? Mom, what's going on?" He yawned as she placed him on the bed next to Regina. Ruby curled up happily with her mate and son. For now they could get a good night's rest.
/
The next morning the kids raced out to the old toll bridge and leaped off the bridge into the water, enjoying the warmth before it turned cold. Winter was only a few weeks away. Sitting on the bridge and watching over them were the babysitters for the day, Mulan and Mal.
"I'm sorry for being mean to you." Mulan said softly, looking over at her horned girlfriend.
Mal only licked her cheek. "All is forgiven, Mulan."
"I love you, dragon."
"And I love you more."
They smirked and turned back to watching their little ones have their fun in the river. Marie was newly healed. Her dragon blood had caused her bones to heal back incredibly quickly but they ended up having to be broken again in order to be healed correctly. It was not a fun night for their daughter, but you couldn't tell today by how much fun she was having with the rest of her packmates.
"What did you do with the Dark Wolf?" Mulan asked.
Mal growled as she replied. "Caged it until we can kill it for good." The fall had weakened the darkness, but the dragons bathing it in fire nearly killed it, a feat they could not yet accomplish without having the dagger. Rather than bind it to Gold and give the bastard back his power, they stuck it in an enchanted prison until they could get the dagger. At this very moment Regina and Zelena were leading the search through the woods to find the Dark Wolf's den. Once they found the dagger Mal knew a way to destroy the darkness forever, without someone needing to take the darkness into itself to do it. She needed a fire that would burn hot enough to melt the Dark One's dagger. Without it, the Dark Wolf could easily be killed. The thing was, not even dragon fire could help in this situation. They needed something powerful, something ancient. Thankfully they had Belle, who was hard at work in the library at this very moment finding out a solution for them.
"What now?" Mulan inquired. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Not at the moment. Leave it to the alphas for now."
While Maleficent watched over the youngsters her eldest daughter had slipped away to Storybrooke. Lily found Emma in her house, arriving just as Henry was trudging upstairs with a cast on his arm. "Hey, Em." She greeted her lover with a kiss. "How's he doing?"
Emma sighed and crossed her arms. "Better now that this mess is over with. Henry will be fine. He learned his lesson. What's going on with the pack?"
"Nothing much." Lily sat down on the arm of her couch. "Might not see any of us for a while though."
"Why?" Emma frowned. "Is this because of Henry?"
"It's because of this entire situation, and yes, Henry made it worse. Marie's been injured twice, she almost died yesterday. The other kids fell off a cliff. The pack is...tired."
"And you're cutting yourself off from the town because you're tired? You don't think we are too?"
Lily sighed. "Emma, it's…" She flailed around for the right word. "Ruby and Regina formed the pack for peace. To live...without the town. Now, I get we should be united against a great threat like the Dark Wolf but every time, so far, when you all have gotten involved, it's always ended badly for us. Especially for us and we just need a break."
"And you're still searching for ways to kill the darkness once and for all?"
"No, we decided to keep it as a pet." Lily deadpanned. "Of course, Emma. Right now, we just need a break to recover and get back to our roots. After all, our den was meant to be a haven. Once we're settled I'm sure the kids'll go back to school and the pack will come out and talk."
"And us?" Emma demanded. "I'm sick and tired of you disappearing into the forest every time Ruby or Regina gets pissed about any little thing."
"They're my family."
"They're wolves. You're a fucking dragon." Emma snapped back.
Lily sighed and kissed her forehead. "I have to go, but I'll call you later." Emma pouted until the dragon started kissing her all over her face and she was forced to smile.
"You know, you could stay if you wanted."
"I know." Lily smirked. "But tonight is movie night and I have to pick up some groceries. Regina is making a lasagna pizza. It's gonna be great." She gave her girlfriend one final kiss and made her way out the door where Aurora and Dorothy were waiting. Emma watched her leave, frowning slightly. She didn't like sharing her girlfriend with a pack of other women. Especially the new bloods. What if one of them tried to steal Lily from her? She tried to shake off her fears and called Regina but got no answer. The queen obviously heard her phone ringing and clicked decline because it only rang twice.
"Damn it, Regina."
Unbeknownst to her, Regina was quite busy. She hadn't hit decline at all, Ruby had actually taken her phone and thrown it against the wall, annoyed that it was ruining their lovemaking session. The two had been cooped up since the search for the Dark Wolf's den had come up empty. That night, however, they were back at it again. The entire pack fanned out, each one equipped with a magic detecting necklace, just in case the Dark Wolf was using a spell to hide its den. They didn't find the den, but they found where the wolf was keeping the dagger. Zelena's necklace was activated when Lily pushed her into the lake. The pack reunited and they removed the spell on the lake and found the lakebed covered in Dark One daggers, all identical. They decided to go home and rest and came back the next morning when they could actually see.
Regina was not surprised when their movements were spotted by the heros. The idiots were the first to arrive as the pack were getting set up for their diving expedition. She ignored them for the most part as she examined the diving bell that Benjamin and Spencer had made. "Are you sure this will work? I can conjure up some diving equipment in a heartbeat."
"It'll work. I saw this in a video game." Spencer replied.
"What's going on here?" Charming demanded. "Regina!"
Regina sighed and waved her hand, teleporting them away. She turned back to the task at hand. Mal shifted into dragon form and took hold of the bell. She picked it up and hovered over the lake, dropping it in the very center. "Alright, first set." Zelena, Ruby, Mulan and Dorothy would take the first dives. They swam out to the center of the lake where Maleficent had landed to hold the chain of the bell and proceeded to dive, using the chain to reach the bell where it would provide oxygen.
"Maybe we need more than one. They could cover more ground." Aaron suggested.
Regina nodded. "We need three more bells, Spence. Lily, you're up!" Because having two dragons would blot out the sun and ruin their sight underwater, they attached the bells to large balls that would float and keep the bell from sinking completely. While Mal climbed out, Lily dropped the rest. "Where is Ursula when you need her?" The queen said to Mal as she shifted back down and shook herself.
"Probably somewhere singing. Don't talk her up, she might appear." The dragon replied, running a hand through her wet hair. Marie handed her a towel and she went to take a seat.
"Mom, can we try?" Jack asked, bouncing in front of his mother.
Regina smiled fondly. "When the first group returns, maybe. We want to make sure that there are no traps down there that you might get hurt on." Jack nodded and resumed bouncing and looking at the calm crystal waters. The first group returned empty handed and the second, consisting of Regina, Mal, Tink, Merida and Lily, made the dive. The water was colder than she'd expected and pulling herself down to the bell was harder than she imagined. Finally she pulled herself inside it to take a deep breath before diving again. Zelena had left little floating lights in some of the dark spots and deeper water so the others could see. They all wore necklaces that would detect any magic nearby so all they had to do was swim around and wait for the necklace to vibrate.
Regina searched until her arms grew tired and she resurfaced and swam to shore. "No good." She said to a hopeful looking Ruby. "Maybe there's a better way to do this."
"Without activating some kind of trap?" Ruby asked. "How much you wanna bet one is down there?"
Regina turned to the pups. "Seal off the lake for me, dears. We're gonna need complete privacy for this next part." She turned to Ruby. "Call everyone back out. Let's see if we can drain the damn thing."
Jack waved to the others and Regina conjured yellow police tape. They each took one and ran off to tie it to trees. She smiled and turned back to Ruby, arching an eyebrow at her bikini. "What?" Ruby frowned.
"You're sexy as hell, that's what." Regina replied, turning to Mal. "Mal, we're gonna drain it. Call all the magic users."
/
Emma was helping Henry do his homework when she felt the earth rumbling and shaking. She grabbed her sword and quickly raced to find out what was going on. She had made it to the edge of town when she came upon her parents. They informed her the pack was at the lake and she took the lead to find them. It took almost an hour to traverse the wilderness around Storybrooke. The trails would've made it easier but it would've taken longer to reach them. Finally they arrived at the large bowl in the earth that once was the lake. The pack were filing out of it, apparently done with whatever they were doing. "Regina!" Emma yelled. The black wolf turned around, a dagger firmly clamped in her jaws. She pricked her ears and handed the dagger to Jack, who took off after the others. Regina trotted around the bowl and stopped in front of Emma. "What's going on?"
"Nothing that concerns you, Miss Swan." came the deep reply. "The water will return soon. I suggest you not be standing here when it does." Regina turned back and took off after the pack. In Emma's haste to find them, she hadn't noticed the large 'bubble' hanging over the crater where the lake used to be. She only happened to look up and see it just as it fell, the water filling the lake once more and splashing all three of the Charmings, soaking them to the bone. She wiped her eyes and heard laughing from the forest nearby. Regina and the others were rolling on the ground, holding their sides with their paws. One wolf came up to her and licked her nose, still snickering.
"Shut up, Lily." She said, flicking wet hair out of her face. Ruby howled and Lily nuzzled her neck before dashing back off with the pack. That night the entire town heard them celebrating.
/
"We did it!" Aaron yelled at the top of his lungs. Regina and Ruby exchanged grins, watching the kids enjoy this moment of peace. Across the sandy shore of the lagoon, Mal and Lily were grilling and roasting burgers and deer. Mulan, Belle and Zelena was dancing while Aurora and Kathryn played some music. Everyone else were either playing volleyball or swimming in the lagoon. Regina's hand tightened on the dagger in her fist. They had found it, and now they needed to destroy it in order to finally destroy the darkness. But that could wait until tomorrow. This night belonged to the wolves.
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