(Debating doing a chapter that's wrote from Killian's point of view. I think it'll tell yous what's going on with him and why he is the way he is. Let me know! Also, to answer a question left in the comments, Emma is a virgin, what I meant when I wrote that she'd been with Neal was that she'd done things sexually with him, but not sex. They were only in a relationship for a couple years before things got messy, which I will reveal later on. I probably could have worded it better now that I read back on it. But thank you for your review! Always happy to answer any questions you guys may have! And as always, thank you for reading, please let me know what you think so far. Enjoy!x)
Seven.
Graham led them back to the street where two large cars were waiting for them to take them back to the city, one black and the other white. Almost all the other wolves had dispersed one after the other, leaving only a few of them to head back to their homes. Blue shifted back into her human form behind the cars, quickly pulling on a pair of jeans and a tank top. She said nothing as she opened the side door for Ruby and then climbed into the drivers seat, visibly pissed off. Ruby was busy licking and cleaning off the blood from herself before jumping in and laying over the back seats. Peter mouthed his bag out of Emma's hand, changing into his human form too before redressing. The whole time, Graham's eyes followed him. Emma was definitely not the only one in trouble...
"Emma, you get in with Blue. Peter, you're coming with me." She exchanged a look with Peter, but neither of them protested. He rolled his eyes at his older brother but obeyed, slinging his backpack in the huge white car before climbing in himself. Emma notices a cream coated wolf with mesmerising citrine-coloured eyes she'd never seen before also waiting to leave with them. Aside from Ruby, she was the only other wolf left from the pack Graham had brought. She naturally stood next to him, Emma guessed she was a member of the Eclipse Moon clan. So pretty... who was she? Emma hadn't notice her interact with Graham at all, had she missed something?
She tried to get a look at the trio, but Blue started the engine, and she lost sight of the white car within a few seconds. They drove for a while, clearly headed back to the apartment, but a heavy silence had took over the vehicle. Blue didn't even put the radio on, and the oppressive atmosphere was so unsettling. After a while, Emma decided to give it a go.
"Blue, Ruby, I'm sorry..."
"Oh really?!" She sounded really, really pissed. Emma supposed she had a right to be. She had snook out of the apartment while Ruby was sleeping. What could she say now? Blue focused on the road, but she looked boiling inside. Everyone stayed silent again for a moment, but then Blue exploded, yelling inside the car.
"Emma, what did you think you were doing?! Do you have any idea how mad the boss is at the moment? Graham could barely keep him from coming! And you know what would've been the result in him coming? Do you? A slaughter! And you! Do you have any idea how dangerous and stupid of you this was? That idiot alpha of yours could have hurt you! Or any of those wolves! Do you want to go back to the hospital again? Do you want that? It was a foolish idea to go there alone, Emma!"
"I wasn't alone..." Blue hit the dashboard, causing Emma to jump in her seat.
"Don't mention that idiot, Peter! That brat is no better than you. Anyways getting into trouble, why does it have to be the two of you now? Two weeks ago, he got into a fight with five rogue wolves! And now he's skipping school and helping you get yourself killed! If there is anything left in that boy after Graham's done with him, I'm going to teach him a good lesson too. I'm so mad at you two! What is it with you young wolves?!"
Emma felt sorry for Peter. She could handle a scolding from Blue, but she feared Graham would be giving him a real hard time. Judging by their interactions earlier, Peter really respected his brothers.
Blue kept talking, going on about Emma's recklessness, but she wasn't listening anymore; her mind was thinking back to what'd just happened back there. It was crazy.
Neal had made her out to be the guilty one of everything in the clans eyes. Then Graham's intervention... seeing Will, Regina, Marc and his sister, Belle, all dead. Now nothing more than just corpses on the ground. Four people died within ten minutes right in front of Emma's eyes. She knew the Black Moon clan had a reputation, but...
She knew what kind of things happened in Moon clans. Werewolves were not gentle creatures, and their instincts pushed them to use all of their strength to mark their territory and fight for more. She'd seen dead people and wolves before. Rogues her clan had killed and members of the pack fighting to death. But that... now she knew what they meant when they said the Black moon clan were ruthless. Graham didn't even blink when he killed Marcs sister. Peter and Ruby both attacked to kill from the start. None of them showed any hint of hesitation. They had nothing in common with the Red Moon clan, who'd always tried to avoid trouble. The Black Moon clan took what they wanted when they wanted to. It made her think of Graham's words. How could they possibly have been looking for her? They couldn't have known who she was to Killian back then. She thought about it for a moment.
"Emma, are you even listening?"
"Sorry Blue, I was just thinking... why did you save me that night?" She looked taken back by Emma's sudden question, her anger vanished from her face as quickly as that. Blue looked at her, confused. Behind them, Ruby had stopped pretending to sleep, her ears raised up, listening in on their conversation.
"What do you mean? You were attacked and-"
"No, I mean, why me? You didn't know I was Killian's mate. It was cold and pouring, nobody was in the streets, but you guys were there. Not only were you there at the right time, but you took me straight to the hospital and treated me like... like a princess from the start. It doesn't seem like something someone from the Black Moon clan would do at all. Not for some random stranger, some unknown girl you found on the street."
Blue stopped talking, seeming hesitant. Emma seen her exchanging glances with Ruby through the mirror. Were they talking through their telepathic bond? It was hard to tell. The siblings stayed silent for a long moment before Blue finally sighed.
"Okay, you're right, honey. We were out looking for you."
"But you didn't even know me?"
"No, but... we were out looking for a 20 year old girl with green eyes, blonde hair and a scar on her face. We knew you were in danger. Ruby smelt a lot of blood, and we tracked you all the way to that street. It wasn't just us, Emma, the whole of the Black Moon clan were out looking that night for someone who fit your description."
How could that be? It made no sense!
"The boss somehow knew you were in danger. He felt your panic and sent everyone out to find someone fitting your description. I don't know how he knew what you looked like precisely, Emma. He just said his mate was in danger before we all left."
It was impossible.
Firstly, how could he have known she was in danger that night? To know your mate was in danger or hurt, you had to have met him or her at least once and made eye contact, awakening the bond between the two wolf selfs. How could Killian possibly have known she was his mate before they'd even met each other? Even if he could somehow feel their bond, how did he know what she looked like? The description Blue just gave was far to precise to be luck. He even knew how old she was and about her scar. And why didn't Emma feel anything like that through their bond. Her wolf only recognised Killian as her mate for the first time when she was still in the hospital. She was positive she'd never felt any sort of connection like that before; she'd never met him. None of it made sense.
"I don't get how that's possible, Blue... I first met Killian in the hospital, I didn't even know I had a mate before that."
"Me neither, honey. The boss didn't explain anything, he just confirmed it was definitely you when we brought you into the hospital. He never told us how he knew about your bond. From what I saw, the only other person who might have known about the boss even having a mate was Graham, since he wasn't surprised at all. He acted as if he'd known about you right from the start. I'm not sure about Peter, though."
Emma took her head in her hand, trying to process it all. There was way to much happening all in one day for her to handle. Not only what just happened with the Red Moon clan, but now even her bond with Killian was... she sighed. Behind her, Ruby let out a whimper.
"She wants to know if you're alright?"
"I'm fine, Ruby. Sorry again, for sneaking out on you."
Blue looked as though she was about to scold her again, but she exchanged a look with her wolf sister and rolled her eyes.
"She said she's not really mad. She understands you wanted to go out, but was anxious of something happening to you. She said, next time you ought to bring her to... and that I- hey! I don't nag to much, shut up!"
"Aren't you guys suppose to stop me?"
"If you're going to sneak out, we would rather come, too. Well, Ruby thinks that, I don't agree with it."
Emma smiled at Ruby, silently thanking her for being so understanding. She probably felt as trapped as Emma did in that apartment. She didn't understand why Killian was so persistent in having her locked inside. She was done with that golden prison.
They'd finally arrived back at the building, and by the time the elevator took them all upstairs, her confidence had vanished like snow under the sun. Peter was stood next to her, pouting and avoiding Graham's gaze. She guessed the big brother talk really had some effect on him. As she looked at them together, it seemed like they were several years apart. If Peter was only two years younger than her, Graham must have been around 23 or 24. He might be older, she wasn't sure. What about Killian, she wondered how old he was. She'd have to ask Blue later.
With two wolves and four humans standing in the elevator, space was quite crowded, but she wished she could've stayed in there longer. As soon as it stopped, she could feel a pain her stomach starting. She was so nervous, she could hardly breath.
The doors opened, but only Graham, Peter and the pretty wolf stepped out. Did one of the brothers live in the building too? Or both?
"We'll see you later, princess."
The doors closed once more before allowing the siblings and Emma to exit the elevator on the right floor. How was she already this tense? She felt like a storm was waiting for her just on the other side of the door. Blue opened it for her, but both her and Ruby fled towards the kitchen, leaving Emma alone to face Killian. She took a deep breath and walked inside. Pulling off her hoodie, she placed it on side table. It had somehow been tainted with blood, and she felt far to hot. When she finally entered the living room, Killian was waiting for her, back leaving against the glass wall, arms crossed and starting straight at her with his ocean eyes. Even when he was as fuming as he was now, Emma still found him breathtakingly handsome. She felt scared, but not as much as she did before. Slowing walking towards him, his eyes never left her, stopped when she was within arms reach of him.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" That cold tone, again.
"For leaving the apartment without warning anyone, or saying where I went." She really was. She should've at least left a note for them to have known. She realised it when speaking with Ruby in the car. She only wanted to leave the apartment, but she didn't think of how much it would worry Ruby or Blue. Or Killian.
"That's it? You could have been killed, Emma!" She sighed, stupidly.
"I was with Peter."
"Liam is an eighteen year old brat."
"An eighteen year old lead hunter. And what choice did I have?"
"You should've stayed right where you were!" He suddenly yelled, hitting the wall with a thud.
"Please, don't get mad."
"I'm already mad, Emma! You knew I didn't want you going out, and yet you still did! You put yourself in danger and told fucking no one!"
His voice echoed against the walls and she couldn't help but step back. This situation was much scarier than the one before. She found herself defenceless facing him, and he was seriously furious. She had no idea what he was capable of, he was breathing heavily, fists clenched. Why did it have to be like this?
But she was not giving in to him. She felt like if she didn't stand up to him now, she would never be able to express herself ever again.
"You can't keep me locked up in here forever, Killian. I will go out again, with or without your permission. I shouldn't even need to ask you!"
"Why won't you listen?!" He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Emma, you could've been hurt, or killed! You went out there, and if anything had happened to you... if anyone had put a hand on you, I swear, I would have slaughtered each and every one of that wretched clan! The only reason I stayed back was because Peter said you were with him, Graham was on his way there and you were finally taking them to your clan!"
She grabbed his shirt, trying to push him back, though he didn't budge. She used all her strength to try repel him, but he didn't move an inch. Why was he so strong?! Although his grip wasn't hurting her, she hated feeling so trapped. She couldn't help but start tearing up, exhausted from everything that's happened earlier, from yelling and fighting with him.
"Let go of me! Why are you so interested finding my clan in the first place?! You know nothing about me, yet all you talk about is getting to those people. Let me go! I hate this!"
"They hurt you, Emma! They abused you for years! I will never forgive them for what they did to you. And they are going to pay for each and every time they dared to touch you."
His voice was so cold it gave her chills. Why was he so mad? She tried to push him away from her again, ignoring her stupid crying. She understood that he saw her scars, but there was no need for the murderous intentions she could feel coming from him.
No, there was something else... she remembered what Blue had said in the car, and suddenly the reason for Killian's anger became so bright. She stopped trying to push him away, slowly realising the truth.
"...you felt it."
She kept looking into his eyes to see if she was right, and he finally released her, arms falling down to his sides. She started at him, stunned by what she's just figured out. She never imagined such a thing a few hours ago, but it explained it all. Everything about Killian's actions towards her, his eagerness to know where she'd came from. His hatred for her clan, and even his protective attitude over her. Her hands tightened on his shirt, and she whispered in a breath.
"You felt it all, didn't you? Every single time I was hurt, you felt it... through our bond."
A long silence followed her words. She was right. Killian was avoiding her gaze, but it was to late for that. She felt like crying again. How did he feel, through all those years. She remembered every hit she took, each slap she got unfairly. Feeling her pain through his wolf, and not being able to do anything about it, how could he endure it? That had to be the worst feeling.
"I'm so sor-"
"Don't." He stopped her, placing his hands over hers, holding them right. He looked down at her, and even though he was still angry, she could tell he was trying hard to hold it in.
"I don't want to hear you apologize, Emma. What I want, is to make sure those bastards never approach you ever again. I am never forgiving what they did to you. That night... my wolf was going crazy. Someone was trying to take my mate by force, Emma! Do you have any idea how I felt back then? Why won't you tell me anything?"
She was crying for good, reminiscing what had happened. Jekyll's grin, his dirty hands on her. Her screams, her wolf begging for help. She never imagined her mate could have been... hearing her, feeling her despair. She understood his anger. He was t just mad for no reason, it's not like he'd wanted any of it. She got it. Killian had to endure it for years, not being able to do anything, feeling her wolfs suffering day after day. And now this... he must have been mad, so mad... she shuck her head. Killian was boiling with anger, but all she could feel was sadness. She felt so guilty for him having to endure all her hardships with her. How could he not hate her clan? All of it, everything that had happened was so wrong!
With what had happened, she shivered, overthrown by disgust. Neal tried to sell her off to Jekyll. She fought all she could, and escaped somehow. What if she hadn't of made it out? If she hadn't protected herself, and Jekyll took what he wanted? She would have been completely destroyed inside, and Killian would have felt it too.
She realised she was being unfair to him. He had been powerless, in the dark for years, and all she'd done was push him away whenever he wanted some answers. Protecting her pack from his wrath seemed right back then, but there were some people who deserved his anger and payback just as much as her own. She looked up at him, trying to stop her frenetic sobbing.
"...Jekyll"
"Who?" Killian asked with a frown, putting his hands on her should much more gentle than before.
"The man who assaulted me, his name is Dr. Jekyll. He was a friend of the clan, a quick call out doctor if anything happened in the house. But Killian... I think he might be dead."
Things were getting clearer. The blood on her dress, on her hands. Oh, Moon Goddess, she thought. Had she... suddenly, she felt nauseous, as if she was about to collapse. Black and white dots covered her vision. She felt herself stagger back slightly, but Killian noticed, catching her before she could fall.
"Emma? Emma, what's wrong? You... Emma? Emma! Shit, Blue!"
All of her strength left her at once. She heard rushing steps and panicked voices around her. Someone grabbed her wrist, and she leaned against someone's chest. Killian's reassuring smell got to her, and she wished she could get even closer to her mate, where her wolf could feel safe.
"Her blood pressure is dropped, let's get her lay down."
She felt him carrying her, and heard a loud growl. Then she felt something soft beneath her, as he cautiously lay her down on the mattress.
"Ruby, go grab some of the leftovers from yesterday, she needs to eat something. And water!"
"I'll call the hospital."
"Don't worry boss, Emma's just fainted from fatigue. Probably too many emotions for her today, and Ruby mentioned she'd barely touched her breakfast this morning. She just needs some rest. Actually if anything, you could call Graham and ask if he could have something nutritious delivered from the restaurant?"
"Okay."
She felt cold hands on her arms, palpating her. She felt a little better from laying down. She somehow managed to open her eyes, seeing Blue smiling down at her. She was putting a blood pressure measurer on her wrist.
"Hey, baby girl. Stay with us, okay? Let's see your tension." The devise made some weird beeping noises beside her, and Blue didn't look to satisfied with the results as she took it off.
"Yeah, not in top shape today, honey. You're in bed rest for the rest of the day."
She didn't feel good, either. Her head wasn't spinning anymore, but it felt like all the strength she had before had left her body. She wanted to close her eyes again, but she was worried about Killian. She didn't know where he was, but she could hear him somewhere not far, speaking french. She left something heavy hop on to the bottom of the bed next to her legs.
"It's just Ruby, hun. She's going to keep you warm." She managed a nod, definitely feeling better from laying down. At least she could stay awake without too much effort or feeling numb all over. She felt Blues hand patting her head, and Killian came back into her vision field.
"How is she?"
"She's okay, boss. Just a bit tired. Emma, do you think you could eat something?"
With the two of them encouraging her, Emma managed to eat some of yesterday's dinner, and Blue insisted they let her get some rest. She did feel really tired...
When she woke, Emma felt so much better, but immediately realised she was not alone. There were arms wrapped around her, and she felt a second pair of legs on top of the sheets. She felt warm, it was the first time she'd awoken feeling so secure. She recognised Killian's smell as she came to her senses, vaguely remembering collapsing in the living room.
"How do you feel?" His mouth was so close to her ear, she couldn't help but blush a little. She wished she could hide somewhere, but with her back up against his chest she knew she couldn't move even a toe without him knowing. At least he couldn't see her face. She couldn't believe he was holding her like this. He'd gone to the length of actually avoiding her before, and now they were lying in the same bed together?
"Much better." She told him truthfully. She still felt slightly numb, but her head wasn't spinning anymore and she didn't feel tired. However, she really didn't want to get up. Lying next to her mate felt so warm, so right, her wolf was almost purring. She wondered how he was holding up, being so close to her.
"Is this... really okay?" She asked, hoping he knew what she meant.
"Don't ask." She couldn't help but giggle, hearing his annoyed tone. He must've been fighting against all his instincts like crazy, and she was truly grateful for it. It felt so good lying with him, being close to her mate felt like she would never feel incomplete again. It makes her want more. She didn't want to act greedy though, she knew it wasn't the moment. But the closeness of Killian was something she definitely wanted more of.
She remembered how she use to sometimes envy the mated couples in her pack. The girls always looked so happy whenever their loved ones were in the same room, like nothing else mattered. It was so rare for fated mates to actually find each other, most wolves spent their whole life hoping to find their mate. Some give up and get married anyway, others would run for miles in search for the One. And then there was the worst case scenario, like her parents...
"What is it?" He asked.
"I was just thinking... you could have rejected me? If you did, our bond would've been severed and... you could've lived your life normally."
"No." His firm tone surprised her, and she wondered why he was so set on not abandoning her. She was still missing many pieces of the puzzle. The was a long silence before she had to ask.
"Killian... How did you know about me? Blue told me. Not only did you feel our bond, but you already knew exactly what I looked like. How?"
He sighed, and she felt him bury his face into her hair, his forehead on her shoulder. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulder, the other around her waist, both suddenly held her tighter against him. Their closeness only made her blush even more, and she could feel her wolf getting agitated. She liked it, and she wanted more.
Hush girl, not now, Emma told her wolf, we need to talk about some serious stuff!
"We've met before."
"That can't be? My wolf never felt anything like a bond before I met you at the hospital. She had never met you?"
"That's because you were to young, your wolf wasn't awakened yet. Mine was. He recognised you right away, even if our bond was only one way at the time."
The age difference, she hadn't thought about that. Most werewolf's only start feeling their wolf self for the first time at around seven to ten years old, then a few months later they'd start to shape shift. Before then, they're exactly like normal humans. No enhanced sense of smell, no night vision, no mind-linking to their pairs... and no way to recognise their mate even if they were stood right in front of them. She didn't know they could bond even if one of their wolves was yet to be woken. Does that mean the bond was actually that strong? How impressive... and mysterious.
But that would mean they'd met when Emma was still very young! She felt her wolf for the first time just before her 8th birthday.
"How old were we then?"
"I was thirteen... You were just six."
"We have a seven year age difference?" She asked, surprised. She did guess he was around 25 or older, since he was older than Graham, but still, it was amusing to hear it. He growled, annoyed by her giggling.
"Six year and 3 months."
"...you know my birthday"
"December fifteenth, 2000. You told me back then." Why couldn't she remember any of it? Well, she was young, but... she swore she'd never seen his river blue eyes before.
"How did we meet?" She waited a long moment, but he didn't answer. Had he fell asleep? She tried to face him, but he stopped her, still holding her in his tight embrace.
"Killian?"
"I'll tell you some other time."
"Why?"
"It's... it's not a happy memory, for either of us. I just don't want to reminisce now, Emma. Some other time, I will tell you, but not today."
Not a happy memory? But she wanted to know! Why couldn't she simply remember it? She thought her 'unhappy' memories began when she was 7, when she lost her family. She wondered what Killian would say if he knew about that tragedy. Her worst memory so far... with Jekyll's episode. She shivered.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, I... I just thought of that man who tried to..."
"Don't worry, I swear we will get him. Peter has sent his hunters out to find him, wherever he is hiding. Alive or not, we will find him."
She'd almost forgot she'd finally given Jekyll's name to Killian. She was aware that by doing so, she'd basically condemned the man to death, but Emma felt no pity for the rapist. She would feel so much safer once he was caught, but she wished she could at least know if he was dead or alive. The memories from before she fainted came back to her, and she moved her hands to try find Killian's. She weaved her fingers with his, looking for some strength.
"Killian, I... I think I stabbed him." There was a second of silence.
"What do you remember?"
"I tried to defend myself. He... he grabbed me, and tried to drag me into another room. I remember scratching his face, and he slapped me. We fought, and my wolf was going nuts, I almost lost control. I think... I think he grabbed my hair, pulling me into a room. I remember screaming. Then I remember trying to run, but he caught me in the kitchen. He had me pinned and was... he was touching and... I think I... I took a knife and... and-"
She stopped, unable to say another word. She could feel Killian's anger rising as she reminisced, but she couldn't stop. She knew if she didn't tell him now, she'd never be able to talk about it again, to anyone. He held her tight, breathing in with his face buried in her hair. His closeness was the most comforting thing she'd ever experienced, but it still didn't wash away the guilt. Oh Moon Goddess, she'd really stabbed someone. Feeling her distress, Killian's thumb gentle caressed her face.
"Emma, it's okay. It's okay. I swear, I won't let anything like that ever happen to you again. I swear to you."
She felt Killian's arms tightening around her and his lips on her shoulder, but she couldn't help but cry bitterly. Oh Goddess, she didn't want to be a murderer. She just didn't want him to touch her, to force himself on her. She kept crying silently, soothed by Killian's voice, whispering to her under her eyes became heavy and her breathing settled back to normal. But she didn't want to fall asleep.
She drowsily woke back up, feeling like she'd only been out for a couple minutes since she was with Killian. What time was it? She turned to her window, seeing it was turning dusk outside. She must have slept the whole afternoon, how embarrassing. Now there was no way she would sleep tonight. While still lying in bed, she realised Killian was gone, but Ruby was there, sleeping on the floor by her bed.
"Ruby?" She raised her head immediately, walking up to Emma. She rested her big head on the mattress, but Emma pushed her away with a frown.
"I hope you brushed your teeth after chomping on that arm, Ruby." Emma made a face, disgusted by remembering the graphic scene.
Where's your mate, her wolf questioned inside her.
Emma sat up, suddenly, shocked to hear her wolf. She could hear her so clearly, compared to before. She was sniffing around for Killian's scent, and Emma found herself doing the same unknowingly. What a sensation... she could read her as clearly as her own thoughts. She thinks her wolf was grey- no, she was white. She didn't mind Ruby's presence, she liked her, but she wished it was Killian. She could actually smell that Blue wasn't to far away, too. How strange.
Ruby let out a short, low pitched noice and Emma knew he was asking if she was okay. She wouldn't call it a sentence, more like... a feeling. It didn't come as precisely as it would if they were mind linked, but her wolf still understood what Ruby was trying to say to her.
"I'm okay, Ruby, I... I can feel my wolf actually."
She tilted her head like a curious dog, but Emma ignored her. She just wanted to enjoy her new range of sensations. It felt so different, yet the same. As if she'd just awakened a sixth sense, or a seconds Emma, no matter how weird that sounded. She took in a deep breath, checking out her environment. The smell of fresh sheets, and some lavender coming from the wardrobe. Ruby mostly smelt of food and dead leaves. No smell of blood though, thankfully. She picked up something tasty, a smell of something like chicken and onion soup. She looked around, spotting a closed Tupperware box sat on her bedside table.
Now that she thought about it, she was hungry. They both were, but as she reached to grab the cold soup, something made a strange noise near her ankles... almost, a metallic sound. She frowned and grabbed the sheets, pulling them away to reveal her legs.
What the...?
"KILLIAN!" She screamed, to shocked to say anything else. Instead of him, Blue ran into the room, alerted by her scream. She'd changed clothes, into a dark pair of jeans and a sports bra, her hair all over the place. She walked up to the bed, trying to check Emma over, but she pushed Blue's hands away.
"Honey, are you alright?"
"No, Blue, I'm not! Why the hell am I chained to the bed?!"
