Maleficent was late. Very late. The date predicted for her return had come and gone. Regina was worried out of her mind, but a new development tried to take over her attention. They took down Ruby's barrier for a few days and allowed the pack to do as they pleased. There was still work to be done to fix their forest and they were even making bridges across the divide and down into it. It was mostly a test. Regina wanted to see if the Dark Wolf would stay true to its word. It did. The only thing was that if Regina decided to leave the den, the Dark Wolf would usually make an appearance, even going so far as to offer her her favorite prey and bringing her pelts. It barely retorted when Regina snapped at it, but if Ruby stepped in, and she always did, then it would fight back.

"I don't like this." Ruby said.

"What?" Mulan asked.

The alpha gestured down the hill to where Regina was laying in the sun in her wolf form. Jack, Lily and Marie were nearby, sunning themselves as well. Not far away was the Dark Wolf. It seemed that it was getting closer and closer the more Regina let it come around.

"I feel like I could lose her to that thing." Ruby said. Regina had always been attracted to darkness, always been attracted to power. She said so herself. Now Ruby felt like the Dark Wolf was using this very thing to try to worm its way between her and her mate.

"Regina isn't going anywhere." Mulan scoffed.

"She refused to have sex with me. Last time she was pregnant she couldn't keep her paws off me."

"Women might differ during pregnancies. Regina loves you."

"I want to kill it so badly." Ruby growled.

"We will. Come on, we have a bridge to finish." Mulan nudged her shoulder.

Ruby sighed, silently conceding that she was too amazing and Regina was too in love with her to let go. She was about to follow when she noticed the Dark Wolf move a little closer to her mate. Regina and Lily must've been dozing off because neither one made an attempt to move. The Dark Wolf continued stalking forward, trying to get as close as it could. Regina still didn't move. Ruby bared her teeth and shifted to make her way down the hill. She needn't have bothered considering that the pregnant women were perfectly well guarded. Jack leapt clean over his mother and barrelled after the Dark Wolf like a bullet out of a shotgun and Marie was hot on his trail. The Dark Wolf zigged and zagged to escape them and the kids only ceased their chase when they considered the threat erased. Jack trotted back to Regina with his tail in the air and laid down next to her. Regina raised her head to nuzzle him before laying back down again while Marie cuddled up to her big sister. Ruby slowly relaxed and followed after Mulan. Their forest had been wrecked during the past few months, but they were healing it piece by piece. Mal was the genius behind that. Her magic worked well with nature anyway so it was she who lead the way. Many of the fallen and uprooted trees were pushed back up and magically put back in their places, some had to be reattached to their stumps, others were chopped up and brought back to the den for firewood and building supplies. Their mountain had taken a beating as well with their fishery being broken in half, some cracks in the walls and ceilings from the earthquakes, sinkholes near the lagoon. It was a mess, but the pack was on the case.

They arrived at the divide, the canyon-like fissure in the earth where the rest of the pack were putting in planks for walkways, creating a series of ramps down into the gap. Zelena and her sons were at the bottom, sealing any giant holes that could potentially collapse even further. The witch hadn't stopped working since the deadline had passed and everyone knew it was to keep herself from worrying. It was the same with Mulan, but she was a little less worried about someone of Mal's power.

"How's it coming along?" The alpha asked.

"We've fixed most of the damage." Zelena answered, wiping dirt off of her hands and taking a look around. "It's not going to get any bigger at least. Had to fight off Henry and those stupid dwarves earlier but it's coming along. We can also-"

"Wait, Henry and the dwarves?"

"Snow sent them to check it out or something. I don't know, I just kicked them out." Zelena shrugged. Ruby frowned, noticing that the woman was almost shaking with fatigue. She glanced at Benji and Aaron who shook their heads quickly.

"Maybe you should take a break." She suggested, turning back to Zelena, who instantly scoffed.

"I've tried. It wasn't working so I got back to work. I can finish some more of those tunnels by nightfall and get a bigger bridge made. Stone or wood-"

"Zelena-"

"No, Ruby, you don't get it. I can't just sit down while Belle is out there. I should've gone in her place."

Ruby stepped forward and took the witch by the chin. "Just so she could worry about you? I do get it. But working yourself to death is not going to do anyone any good. Belle wouldn't want it."

"I know, it's just...they should've been back days ago."

"I know, but they'll come back. What could keep Belle away?" A soft growl behind her made her spin around, finding the Dark Wolf standing behind her. She and Zelena both instantly pushed the kids behind them. "What are you doing here?"

"You and I must speak."

"No, we must not."

The Dark Wolf sighed and snapped her fingers, teleporting them to the top of the mountain, beneath Regina's tree. "I want to make a deal."

"No." Ruby growled. "After all the shit you've pulled, the only thing you're getting me is a sword through the heart once we get Excalibur. You're done."

"I don't want to be. You and I both know that without me, you would have nothing. You would be stuck being a waitress wishing for a happy ending." The Dark Wolf said. "Look at where you stand. Without me, this would just be a mountain. It would just be a forest. Because of what I gave you, we have built a home for our pack. We gave our mate a life worth living. We gave her children. You cannot deny that we both created this."

"Is there a point to this?" Ruby asked, crossing her arms.

"Let us be the Dark Wolf again. Us, as we were, when we found our mate on that rock that night. When we defended Belle from Rumpelstiltskin, that pathetic asshole of a man. When we healed Zelena. When we one by one brought all of these women into our pack and made it strong."

"Oh please, a few weeks you insulted every member of this pack. That was right around the time you threw my son off a cliff-"

"I didn't throw him off. He tackled me." The Dark Wolf sighed and looked up at the apple tree. It reached out to touch the ancient bark. "I was there the first time Regina saw this tree. I saw her crying under it. Even then, I wanted to hold her. I wanted to strangle Leopold where he stood and rip Cora apart for making her cry."

Ruby took a step back, realizing what this was about. The darkness had been tied to dozens of people throughout the years, all with their own desires, dreams, goals and vendettas. It was finally free now. It could do anything it wanted, go anywhere it wanted. But it stayed here, because of Regina. It was never about her and being the Dark Wolf, it was always about Regina… "What is it that you really want?"

"Her." The Dark Wolf suddenly ran at her and she barely ducked the attack. She launched herself at the Wolf, furiously punching and clawing at the Wolf's face. The Dark Wolf flipped her and slammed her head against the ground, almost knocking her out. "Why bother? You can't kill me. You can't hurt me." Ruby felt something heavy on her throat, shutting off her air supply. She instinctively shifted into wolf form and the Dark Wolf did the same, teleporting them across the forest to the end of the canyon, where the pack hadn't reached yet. It dropped off at a large cliff where it was barren at the bottom and marked the end of the magical border around Storybrooke. It would be a dangerous fall. 10 seconds into their fight, Ruby knew that was exactly what the Dark Wolf was trying to do. Everything became a blur of fur and claws and teeth. The Dark Wolf was right in that she couldn't kill it, not without Excalibur. She had no choice but to try and defend herself and wait for a moment to run. The Dark Wolf wouldn't let up. It was in some kind of frenzy, but it knew exactly what it was doing when it caught her paw in its mouth and crushed it. It knocked her off her feet with a single blow and grabbed hold of her back leg, swinging her around to the edge of the cliff. She used her good leg to kick her off and dove on top of the Dark Wolf, raking its face with her claws and tearing its ears with her teeth. She grabbed onto the back of its neck and snapped it with a sharp turn of her head, but the monster bucked, throwing her across the dirt to edge of the cliff. She managed to grab onto the edge before falling over completely. "It's a shame." The Dark Wolf dragged itself towards her with an eerie grin as it changed back into a human, now looking exactly like her. "You wait until you're about to die to show your strength. You put up a good fight, I'll give you that."

"You son of a bitch." Ruby growled, struggling to hold on with a busted paw and a broken leg. "Regina will never believe you're me. Not her, not the pack, not my son."

"My dear, we were you for the past 10 years. I was inside of you, I know your heart, your memories, your mind. You won't even be missed." The Dark Wolf slowly got to its feet, its neck snapping back into place with a sharp pop. "I'll take care of Regina and our children for you. Goodbye, Ruby."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The pack heard the rockslide all the way across the territory and Regina lead the charge to investigate. They found that part of the cliff had collapsed and Ruby was laying on the very edge, broken and bloodied as if she'd just gone to battle.

"Ruby!" Regina ran to her mate and knelt next to her. Ruby groaned and rolled over while Regina started using her healing magic on her. "What happened?"

"The Dark Wolf tried to push me off a fucking cliff after I refused to make a deal with it." Ruby growled. She hissed in pain as she tried to sit up and Regina pushed her back down. "When I wouldn't fall, it tried to drop the whole cliff on me. Ow, Regina."

"I'm sorry, you have a lot of broken bones, maybe some internal bleeding as well. We need to get you back to the den." She looked up at Zelena. "No more working today." Her sister simply nodded and teleported them home where Ruby was placed on their bed. She sent the others away and closed the door, taking a seat at her mate's side. "What deal did the Dark Wolf offer you?" She asked as she healed the injured wolf.

"It wanted us to become one again." Ruby let out a groan as her broken hand popped back into place. Her ribs followed suit and once the broken bones were healed, the rest was easier and painless. "I'm so sick of this thing!"

"Hey, relax." Regina cautioned her. "Mal and the others will be back soon and we'll go back to our perfect life."

Ruby sighed softly and smiled. "Getting rid of all our cares, running through the forest until our legs ached. Splashing in the lagoon. I promised you a life of peace and I haven't delivered yet."

"Peace never lasts, my love." Regina scoffed. "And I couldn't wish for a better life." She took Ruby's hand and kissed it.

"We could make it better." Ruby moved the hand she was holding down to graze her stomach. "More children. I'm sure Jack would love even more siblings. A couple dozen or some."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I do believe I said that we need to focus on the Dark Wolf right now…"

"I know, but it hit me in the lip. Maybe you should check it out."

Regina smirked. "Is that so?" She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Ruby's lips. The she-wolf suddenly flipped them, Regina landing on her back and Ruby on top of her. Ruby pecked her lips again.

"I need you tonight, Regina. I want to make love to you in ways I never have."

"Ruby-"

"You deserve it. Instead of worrying and working, you should be resting, growing big and strong for our little one you carry. Starting tonight, that's what's going to happen. I don't want to argue, I know you're a strong woman who would rather be out helping the pack, but there is nothing to do involving the Dark Wolf until Maleficent and the others get back and as for working, if you so much as dare to pick up a board or hammer I will spank you. Have I made myself clear?"

Regina nodded, smirking. "Yes, ma'am."

"Now," Ruby's touch was intoxicating. She lowered her head to Regina's neck, letting her teeth graze the soft flesh there. "Tonight you are mine, but...I want your permission." Ruby raised her head to look her in the eye. "May I?" Regina arched an eyebrow. Ruby hadn't asked to make love to her since their first time. It was an odd request, but she nodded.

"I want to hear you say it, my love. My beautiful queen, I want to hear you say it." Ruby licked her lips, her eyes glowing gold in the darkness and her voice deepening with lust. "Say yes." She slowly licked the mark on her lover's neck and Regina quivered underneath her touch.

"Yes, Ruby. Please." She whimpered.

"Thank you."

/

It was early the next morning, just as dawn was streaking across the horizon that Regina slid out of bed. She winced as she put on new lingerie and a long sleeved blue dress. She made her way to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat, thinking back over the night before. Something was...off. She couldn't put her finger on it, but last night was different. Ruby was never so aggressive, so animalistic. At least, she hadn't been that way in years.

"Morning." Zelena walking into the kitchen interrupted her thoughts. "Please tell me you made tea."

"Morning. You look horrible." Regina said, putting on a kettle and starting the coffee machine.

"And you're glowing, bugger off." Zelena snapped back, taking a seat to the kitchen island and running her hands through her messy red mane.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No." The redhead sighed before looking up. "Am I being crazy? I feel like everyone is just so calm and I am freaking out."

"I'm not surprised. Belle has hardly left your sight for the past decade and she's been gone 2 weeks. Everyone is worried, just as much as you, so don't feel bad."

Zelena nodded, watching her make a cup of tea and cup of coffee. She moved both to the kitchen island and sat down across from her sister. "Thank you." She sipped her tea and glanced at Regina. "Busy night?"

"What?"

"You're covered in hickies, Regina."

"Oh." It wasn't the first time this had happened. Regina looked down at her coffee. "Can I tell you something and have it stay between us?"

Zelena cocked an eyebrow. "Sure."

Regina bit her lip and looked up again. "Last night, Ruby and I made love."

"Obviously. Was it bad or something? Lackluster after all these years?"

"No, Ruby's always fantastic in bed. It was good, like she was trying to rip out my soul it was so fucking good. But that's the problem." She dug a hand into her hair just thinking about it.

"Good sex is a problem for you?"

"No, it was like it was a completely new person. Yeah, it was good, but it didn't feel like Ruby. Not at all." Ruby never marked her so badly. Last night, it was like she was desperate to claim Regina, like it was her first time doing so. She was literally covered in claw marks and bite marks. Ruby even bit her neck again, remarking her as her mate on the other side of her neck. "Am I overthinking this?"

"Overthinking what?" Ruby asked, walking into the room dressed in jeans a red shirt. She strutted happily up to Regina and kissed her lips.

"Hmm, just what to eat for breakfast." She said, surprised by the passion in the kiss.

Ruby kissed her forehead. "I'll make you something good and then give you a massage. I arranged for a doctor's appointment tomorrow too."

"Um, thank you." Regina smiled. Ruby moved behind her to the stove and she and Zelena started sharing idle chit chat until everyone else got up for breakfast. Ruby took Jack out to the lagoon to teach him battle moves. Regina sat down in the sand nearby to watch.

"Alright, we'll start with fighting humans. First lesson, you see someone with a weapon, you get rid of it. Disarm them and go straight for the throat."

Regina silently watched the training session with narrowed eyes. Yes, she thought Jack should learn self defense and yes, some of Ruby's teachings were good, but one thing remained that she didn't approve of. Ruby was teaching Jack to kill. "Maybe you should focus on incapacitating someone instead." She said. "Killing should be a last resort."

"Of course." Ruby nodded. She shifted into a wolf and started demonstrating some fighting techniques. She called over Dorothy and Kathryn to assist her and showed Jack how in battle, he could use every asset he possessed, including fighting with all four paws. Even Regina was fascinated with the way she moved. "Never expend more energy than necessary, be aware of everything around you. Got it?" Ruby wagged her tail, looking at her son who quickly nodded. "Come on, show me what you got." Jack was a fast learner, a hard learner, soaking in everything Ruby showed him. When the training session was over, she sent him to cool down in the lagon and came to sit next to Regina. "He's good."

"You never showed any of us to fight like that." Regina said.

"Never thought it would be necessary until now." Ruby laid down, laying her head on Regina's neck. "I thought I would be able to defend him and he wouldn't ever have to lift a claw, but with the Dark Wolf, that's not the case. We all should learn how to fight properly. I can start creating a lesson schedule if that's alright with you."

Regina nodded. "Sounds necessary." She said stiffly.

"You don't like the way I was teaching Jack."

"I don't want him to kill. I don't want him nursing that darkness in him. He was born from us, so I know he has darkness inside, but the last thing I want is for him to feed it, to be seduced by it."

"He's stronger than us." Ruby gave her ears a few comforting licks. "Um, about last night, I want to apologize." Regna raised her head, turning to look at her mate. "I went way overboard, I just….I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"It's fine." Regina shrugged.

"Other than that, was it...good?"

"It was...very good."

Ruby wagged her tail and licked her cheek.

/

Mulan and Zelena shared the task of washing dishes after everyone had eaten. They were quiet for the most part, focused on their chores, until Mulan felt a strange sensation in the back of her brain. She touched her head on instinct, hearing a soft voice calling to her.

Stop fighting me!

"Mal?" Zelena's head whipped up and she looked at her in concern.

Relax, baby. Let me see.

Mulan blinked and when she looked up, her eyes were were Maleficent's eyes, looking through her. Zelena leaned towards her.

"That is fascinating." She whispered in awe. "Is that a sight spell focused entirely one a person's eyes? That's amazing!"

"It is." Mal appeared next to them and looked around. "Is everyone alright?"

"Are you alright?" Zelena asked. "Is Belle?"

"We're fine. Sorry we've been gone so long but King Arthur is an obsessed asshole. I had to destroy Camelot to get the sword."

"Did you now?" Mulan asked.

"Okay, I didn't have to, per say...but it made it easier and it was much more fun." Mal shrugged, smirking at the fond memory.

"Why didn't you just ask Merlin?" Zelena asked.

"Because he's a fucking tree. Do not ask. We're on the way to get the fire right now and then we'll be on the way home. Should be another couple days, a week at the most."

"Hey!" They all turned towards the door at Regina and Ruby. "We're taking the kids down to the training room in case you needed anything." Mulan almost flinched when she saw the creature standing next to Regina. It still looked like Ruby, but there were cracks in her skin showing nothing but darkness beneath and her eyes were glowing gold, like the Dark Wolf's. Mal started growling next to her but no one seemed to notice. She managed to keep a straight face as Zelena replied for her. The alphas departed and she looked at her mate.

"Mal, what was that?"

"What?" Zelena asked. "What happened?"

"That's not Ruby." Mulan whispered, in case it was listening.

"What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't! It had to be the Dark Wolf. I swear it. I saw it with Mal's eyes."

"She's right." Mal interjected.

"Regina did say last night it was like Ruby was a completely different person." Zelena said, eyebrows rising as she thought about it. "But wouldn't she know?"

"I doubt it." The dragon replied. "She's been with Ruby while she was the Dark Wolf for over a decade. It probably knows how to play her very well. Don't tell Regina, don't tell anyone. I'll deal with it myself. We'll just have to move faster-"

"Don't tell? You're going to let Regina continue thinking she's with her mate when she's really with a monster?" Mulan demanded.

"Absolutely. If you tell her the truth, the Dark Wolf will eventually notice and there is no telling how it will react, not after getting what it wants. It is not the problem right now. It wants Regina so it won't harm her or the children, especially not while she's pregnant. The problem is where the fuck is Ruby."

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