Varcolac: A Hybrid Tale Chapter 2: Part Two, an once upon a time fanfic

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PART TWO

"I don't want to be afraid of you either."

Killian stood speechless at her declaration. He'd been sure that he'd shattered her trust in him beyond repair. Never imagined she'd offer him a chance to explain, much less open the door. He forced himself to keep his hands at his sides despite the need that itched in his palms and ached in his arms to reach out and hold her. He could hear her pulse pounding in his ears and her anxiety was palpable. She may not want to fear him, but he knew they had a ways to go before that want became a reality again.

If it ever could.

"Would you, uh, care to join me in the living room?" he asked tentatively. "I'll answer any question. Tell you anything you want to know."

Emma nodded wordlessly before he took several steps back to provide her a wide berth past him to the adjoining room. He waited until she chose to take a seat on the sofa closest to the fire, (and the heavy fireplace tools now located within arms reach from the hearth, not that he begrudged her that small comfort), before he took a seat in the club chair at the other end of the space.

Killian shifted uncomfortably in the silence that stretched on between them, determined to say nothing for fear it would fracture the fragile atmosphere surrounding them. He resigned to once again wait and let her take the lead.

"So, if you're both," she began softly, "A werewolf and a vampire. Do you… do you have both sets of abilities?"

Though she hadn't so much as spared him a glance during her question, Killian could read her well enough to know what she was really asking.

What other threat might he pose to her?

"Not fully," he answered. "I have all the traits you'd expect from a werewolf, as that is my born nature. The vampire side of me is… incomplete? I guess you'd say?"

"Incomplete how?"

"I don't require a protective amulet in order to move about freely in the daylight, and though I do on occasion… crave blood. I do not require it for survival. My blood also has the power to heal the wounds of others, but with the standard side-effects if ingested."

"Including turning someone?" she asked accusingly, her tone catching him off guard.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I've never tried."

Her eyes flicked up and met his. He could see hurt and anger swirling in their green depths, but he got the sense that those emotions were not directed towards him.

"What about persuasion?"

Her stare bore into his, and Killian was almost afraid to answer. Swallowing thickly he replied, "Aye. Persuasion, too."

"Have you ever tried to persuade me?"

The question seemed to catch in her throat, causing her gaze to drop to the floor. Fresh guilt washed over him as he nodded in shame. "At the diner. I used it on everyone, hoping it would keep things from escalating too far." His brow furrowed as he remembered her response. "But it didn't seem to work on you."

She brought her hand up absentmindedly and grasped the swan pendant he'd noticed she wore. "Was that the only time?"

Killian sat forward and tried to get her to meet his eyes, but she refused. He swore at himself. Of course she wouldn't want to look him in the eye when they were discussing his ability to control her mind, will, and emotions.

"I swear to you, Emma. I have not attempted to control you in any way other than the moment in the diner. Every choice you've made since we met has been entirely your own."

After several agonizing moments, Emma lifted her head to look at him. Killian's breath rushed from his lungs in relief when she offered him a quick nod, signifying her acceptance of his word.

"Is that what all this is really about, then?" she pressed on. "Because you used your power of persuasion over other werewolves?"

"Aye."

Emma shook her head then bolted out of her seat, taking an angry step toward him. "Then why did you let me think it was all my fault?" she shouted. "If all of this," she gestured around her, "has nothing to do with me, then why didn't you make sure I left when I had the chance?"

"I didn't say you had nothing to do with it, Swan," Killian countered back. "I had every reason to believe that at least one of those wolves would have gone after you, and I seem to recall giving you every chance to leave. You were the one who insisted on staying."

"Because I thought I had brought this down on you! I thought I owed it to you that you not have to face them alone!"

Killian could see a shimmer of tears in her eyes, and against his better judgement, he stood and took a step toward her. "I know Swan, and I'm sorry." His action caused her to take a skittish step back. The pain of her rejection tore through him, but he pushed it aside. "I should have made you go, but I…" He couldn't tell her the real reason he hadn't forced the issue. Not yet, anyway. "I do believe you were better off staying here, though. One of them would have gone after you. At least this way, you didn't have to face them alone."

"Why?" Emma questioned skeptically. "Why are you so sure they would have come after me?"

"To answer that, I'll need to tell you a bit more about the charter I mentioned yesterday." He gestured toward the sofa, inviting her to sit back down, and returned to his seat after she reluctantly complied.

"Fine. Tell me about the charter, Professor," she sassed.

"The charter was first established when the town was founded in 1695, a few years after the witch trials. I'm sure you're aware that the events in Salem caused a number of arcane creatures to head north in order to escape persecution themselves." She gave him a look to confirm that she did indeed know all about the event. "With so many packs in such a small geographical location, a number of peace treaties and charters were established in order to keep the peace and ensure our kind remained concealed. Over the centuries the charters have been amended many times. Social climates and customs have changed, migrations have occurred, alliances have been made and broken, all of these things require an alteration to the spirit and language of the documents."

"What does any of that have to do with me?" she asked curtly.

"About eighty years ago, the Storybrooke charter was held between three packs. Then something… happened. Something too terrible to speak of. What's important is that once it was all over, one pack had been completely decimated, and the other two both lost their Alphas." Emma's demeanor softened compassionately at the news of such devastating loss. "One pack had a natural successor, but the other was left to the mercy of in-fighting that dwindled their numbers even further. In an effort to restore the balance, the crippled pack was allowed to engage in an old, and formally outlawed practice." Killian closed his eyes, unable to give voice to the distasteful tradition.

"What practice?" Emma prompted gently, clearly aware of the discomfort the subject brought him.

"Conscription," Killian spat. "Forced recruitment by administering a transformative bite against one's will. I told you the Oz pack was made up of mostly Bittens. That is how they replenished their numbers."

A look of disgust came over Emma's face. "That's horrible! How on earth did they get away with that? Without the outside world noticing all those missing people?"

"It was The Depression, love," he reminded her softly. "Millions upon millions of displaced and desperate people. Easy for anyone to go missing. Which is horrific enough when you don't consider how they went missing."

"By becoming werewolves against their will," she commiserated.

"If they were lucky," Killian muttered darkly.

"What do you mean?"

Now they had come to the part that had to do with what had happened in the diner. Killian met Emma's confused gaze with as much tenderness and compassion as he could muster. This wasn't going to be easy to hear.

"Every pack has a certain… vibe or character. A certain culture within it. One of the reasons conscription became so widely used in the werewolf community is because, unlike with Borns who earn their place within the pack as a matter of birthright, regardless of whether or not they fit the mold, packs could find new members who were more… compliant with toeing the line. Unfortunately, you couldn't always tell right away if a certain human would be the right fit."

"How does a pack decide if a person is the right fit or not?"

"By scent," Killian answered. "Whether or not that person's scent melds well with the rest of the pack. The best time to determine that is-"

"During the full moon," she finished for him, understanding of where his explanation was heading registered in her expression.

"The practice allowed pack members to bring potential, unwitting recruits into town on the first day of the full moon. If it was decided that the person was a proper fit, they were given the transformative bite. Males would fight over the women who were brought into town as potential mates."

"And those who didn't make the cut," Emma asked apprehensively.

Killian's jaw clenched, the muscles ticking madly before he answered, "They were offered up as blood sport."

"So, when Walsh found out that you brought me into town on the first day of the full moon he thought you meant to-"

"No," Killian stated emphatically. "Even Walsh knows I'd never resort to such a thing… but he would." Killian took a chance and moved over to the sofa, seating himself at the farthest end from her. He didn't wish to put her on guard again, but he wanted - needed - to be closer to her so maybe she'd be able to see the sincerity brimming within him. "All I wanted to do was get your car fixed and get you out of town. For your own safety. But my intentions don't matter to Walsh or the rest of his pack. They saw an opportunity to strike a blow against me and they tried to take it. Conscription hasn't been in practice here since just after World War II, but it is still sanctioned under certain conditions within the current charter. It's never been updated properly. But as I'm not a part of either pack, I have no rights under the charter, and Walsh knows that. He would have used the charter to force conscription on you just to torture me."

"Why, though? Why does he hate you so badly?"

"Because of what I am," he said matter-of-factly. "Emma, there's never been a documented account of something like me ever existing before. Being a hybrid, it's… it's unheard of. Being fearful of, or hating that which you don't understand isn't just a human characteristic, you know."

Emma turned her body toward him and tucked her legs underneath herself. Killian felt the corners of his mouth tick up, but suppressed the smile threatening to break across his face. Emma was just starting to open up to him again and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. She wet her lips and swallowed tentatively before focusing them on her next topic of interest; one she seemed hesitant to broach.

"You said your best guess as to how it happened was when a..." she paused, clearly torn in wanting to ask him to relay the terrible story.

"He was a sadistic bastard." Killian took a deep breath, fortifying himself for the tale he hadn't repeated to another soul since Granny had told it to him. "From what I've been told, he tortured my family - my father, mother, and brother - for days. Administering severe injuries with instruments fashioned from silver, which negated their natural healing abilities. Instead, he used his own blood to heal them, keeping them alive just enough to continue his evil. It's believed that my brother succumbed first, then my father. By the time a rescue came, the demon had fled leaving my mother, who was heavily pregnant with me, barely clinging to life." Killian's throat tightened and he had to speak past labored breaths to get the rest of the story out. "She begged Granny to save me. She knew I was still alive within her and she pleaded with Granny to get me out. My heart stopped as she… cut me free from my mother, but she was able to revive me." Hot tears ran unchecked down his cheeks and he had to fight back sobs before he could continue. "Vampire blood doesn't turn werewolves because we metabolize it so quickly, but somehow, in my unborn state, I had enough of his unmetabolized blood in my system when my heart stopped that it… changed me."

Killian didn't know when Emma had moved closer, nor at what point during the telling she had taken his hand, but it mattered not. When she wrapped her arms around him to offer him comfort, he gladly fell into her.

"I'm so sorry, Killian," she sniffled past her own tears.

Rain lashed against the windows as Emma soothed Killian through the tempest that had been unleashed within him. No one had ever allowed him to truly express his grief. Granny might have understood if Killian had ever granted himself the freedom of such sorrowful displays, but he hadn't wanted to add to her burden. Now, as chaos whipped and howled outside the cabin, he emptied his hurt in Emma's embrace. After the last bit of anguish had rendered itself, Killian experienced a peace he'd never known existed, there in his Swan's arms.

Emma cradled Killian tightly, silent tears streaming down her face. The anger that had surged through her earlier had completely dissipated, replaced with heartache and empathy for the man who had lost so much. Because Emma knew. She knew exactly how it felt to have everything ripped away from you before you even had a chance to know what it would be like to miss it.

"Killian?" Emma whispered softly after he'd composed himself. He pulled out of her embrace to meet her eyes, inquiry set in his brow as he waited for her to continue. "I was left on the side of the road when I was only a few hours old," she blurted out.

Killian's eyes went wide with shock then softened as he assured, "You don't have to-"

"No, I want to," she affirmed, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze for emphasis. "I need to. I've never told anyone about my past." She looked down to her lap before amending that lie. "Actually, that's not true. I told someone once, but he…"

Killian offered back a supportive squeeze to her hand. "Tell me," he murmured. "I'd like to know more about your beginnings. No matter what they may include."

Emma took a deep breath and brought her gaze back up to his. "After I was found, I was put into the system, and was adopted almost immediately by a young couple. I was three when… it happened."

"What?"

"They were murdered." Killian gasped and closed his eyes mournfully. Emma pressed on before he could say anything in response. "I bounced around for years after that. No one wanted the little girl associated with such an awful event. Kids in the group homes used to call me cursed. It wasn't until I was much older that I looked into the crime and discovered the truth." Emma swallowed and braced herself, worried at what Killian's reaction would be when he learned, "They were attacked and killed by vampires."

A beat went by as Killian processed the news, a myriad of emotions raced behind his eyes as he fought to keep his composure in order to offer his condolences. "I'm so sorry, Swan."

Emma shrugged and chewed her lip before responding. "It's alright. It's not as if I really remember them anyway. All I have are fragments of memories and sometimes these flashes of… I'm not sure really."

"What kind of flashes?" Killian asked curiously.

"I see these, um, eyes. Red, glowing eyes. And there's a smell. Something metallic, but also… fleshy? I'm… I'm pretty sure it's the attack," she whispered tightly. "I just don't understand why it left me alive."

Emma hadn't realized that she'd begun to tremble until she felt Killian's hands run up and down both her arms in a soothing motion. "I wish I had an answer for you," he said softly. "Could be that it had enough of a conscience to not harm a child, or perhaps you didn't…"

"Didn't what?"

A pained and disgusted expression crossed Killian's face. Emma knew he didn't want to actually say the words out loud, an apology underpinned his tone as he said. "You might not have appealed to it."

"Appealed to it?"

Killian stilled his hands, his eyes gauging something in her own before explaining, "Like werewolves, vampires are scent driven. Certain smells inflame the… the bloodlust more than others. So, it's possible that yours didn't-"

"Didn't tempt it like my adoptive parents did," she finished for him.

Emma wasn't sure what to do with that information. It had been so long ago, she wasn't sure the reasons made any sort of difference to her now. The news did spark a new question in her, though.

"Is that what my scent does to you? Inflames the-"

"Not like that," Killian interjected quickly. "Bloodlust has many forms. It isn't always just a need to… feed." He winced slightly as the word left his lips. "Besides, my wolf nature helps to curb that particular demand. Most of the time."

Those final words were barely audible, and Emma could sense a weight of contrition and regret applied to them that seemed to have nothing to do with her.

"What do you mean, most of the time?"

Killian shifted in his seat, and Emma took the opportunity to readjust her position as well. It seemed sharing time was not over. Not by a long shot.

"I told you that Granny raised me," he reminded her. "She married into the pack my family was a part of back in England. It became apparent rather quickly that I was… different. I didn't age as the others did, for one. You were correct, I should appear closer to sixty, but I age at about half the rate of other werewolves. I came into my adolescence about the same time as Ruby, even though she was born decades after I was."

"Ruby is Granny's granddaughter?"

"Aye. She was raised by Granny too after her parents died."

"What happened to them?"

"Cholera epidemic," he replied. Emma's brows knit together, and seeing her confusion, Killian elaborated. "Werewolves have the ability to heal quickly from injury, and we can ward off most disease, but we aren't completely immune. At the turn of the twentieth century, a cholera outbreak ravaged the werewolf population in the UK. It wiped out most of my family's pack, and claimed Ruby's parents. After that, Granny decided to bring Ruby and I back here, to her original pack."

"Granny is from Storybrooke originally?"

"Her family dates back to its founding in 1695," he informed, a hint of pride tinging his words. "It's one of the reasons she so well respected. That, and she's a pretty tough old bird. You should see her with a crossbow."

It was probably the first time either of them had smiled since they'd began their now lengthy conversation. Emma knew there was still plenty they each wished to share, more revelations that needed to come to light, but she was content to simply sit and enjoy the levity, if even for just a moment.

"So, Granny brought you and Ruby here to Storybrooke. What year was that? How old were you?"

Killian thought for a moment then replied, "About 1908, I think? I hadn't hit adolescence yet. That happened about 1910."

"The same time as Ruby?"

"That's right," he affirmed. "We both transformed for the first time in the same year. The ability to shift doesn't happen until late into puberty. That's also when," Killian stopped and a cloud of sorrow passed over his features.

"When what?" Emma whispered, offering the question on a gentle breath in the hopes it might provide some comfort to him.

"When my other nature revealed itself," he answered bitterly.

"You didn't know before then?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Granny, Ruby, and I knew the attack on my mother had altered me, but no. It wasn't until I hit adolescence that the fullness of that alteration was discovered."

Killian's entire body had gone tense, so Emma placed a hand on his thigh and encouraged, "Tell me."

He ran a hand down his face, rubbing it against the stubble along his jaw then recounted the tale. "That first year of transition is a volatile one for werewolves. Hormones are out of control, and more often than not aggression runs high. Especially in the males. I was no different. I got into an argument with another male and it escalated to us throwing punches. I landed a left hook and shattered the boy's nose. Blood gushed everywhere, and it… it triggered the response. The bloodlust completely took over. Three others had to restrain me while they got the other boy away. It was Granny who was able to finally calm me enough to get my fangs to retract and my eyes to return to their normal hue. The other abilities followed quickly after that."

"What did they do after you tried to attack the other boy?"

"If it weren't for Granny's intervention," Killian's jaw clenched and released, "they would have killed me."

Emma gasped, "What?!"

"Werewolves and vampires are natural enemies, Swan. And I possess both natures. An abomination in most of the pack members' eyes, and someone who couldn't possibly be trusted. The Oz pack demanded that I be put down, but Granny pleaded on my behalf to her pack's Alpha."

"The one Ruby is mate to?"

"No. Ruby's mate is Graham. They didn't start courting until she was older. This was Graham's father."

Right. Emma had forgotten that Killian and Ruby had come of age the same year.

"So, the alpha? He agreed to Granny's request?"

"I told you she was a tough old bird." Killian gave a soft, fond little smile as he lost himself in a moment of reflection for a several seconds. "He agreed to spare my life under one condition."

"What condition?"

"That I leave Storybrooke and all its surrounding territories," he replied sadly.

"Oh, Killian," Emma lamented. "What did you do?"

"What else could I do?" he replied defeatedly. "I left. I went back to England to try and find some answers that might help explain what I am, but every road led to a dead end. My shift had unleashed both of my natures, and other wolves could tell there was something off about me. My scent is… well it isn't right, so any pack I approached about joining shunned me. By the time the Great War began in 1914 I was pretty destitute, so I thought - why not? At least I'd get three meals a day, and I didn't really have anything to lose."

Emma was still hung up on the comment about his scent. She didn't think she'd ever smelled anything - anyone -more right in her whole life. A thought she'd first found rather odd and disturbing, but now. Now, it made it her wonder at the significance of that reality. That she would respond so strongly to the scent of a man whose nature - natures - relied so heavily on such permeations themselves. She forced herself to push aside the bits of knowledge she'd collected in her research that now began to knit themselves together into some sort of answer, an answer she wasn't sure she was ready to consider, and instead brought her attention back to Killian's story.

"You served in World War I?"

"Aye. I wanted to join the navy, but transforming at sea on a ship full of sailors didn't seem like a good idea, so I enlisted in the army instead. Got up to the rank of captain before it was all over." A hint of pride echoed in his words, despite his still melancholy demeanor.

"So, if the alpha forced you to leave Storybrooke, how did you end up back here?"

A cunning little smile broke through his features as he answered, "Ruby. She and Granny had planned to go back to England as soon as the war was over so I wouldn't be alone, but Graham had started pursuing her. She told him that she'd agree to stay and be his mate only if he'd let me return to Storybrooke when he became alpha. He accepted her terms, though, he probably thought he'd have more time before he'd have to make good on that promise."

"You mean, the event that took out one of the packs and killed the others' alphas?" Killian nodded. "You said that happened during The Depression, so is that when you came back?"

Killian cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No. I, uh. I had something I had to take care of first."

Emma watched as he flexed and released his hands a number of times, a mixture of rage and regret rolling off him.

"You found him, didn't you," Emma said knowingly. "The vampire that killed your family."

"Aye," Killian clipped.

"How?" Emma scooted closer, undeterred by his countenance. Somehow, she just knew he would need the comfort of her presence.

"There was a soldier in my regiment. He and I became mates from almost the first moment we met. Like me, he too had a secret."

"He was a werewolf?" Emma guessed.

"No. He was a vampire," Killian corrected.

"Did he know that you were…?"

"I kept my werewolf side hidden from him," Killian replied. "I hadn't had much success fitting in with my born nature, and his quick camaraderie made me think that perhaps, I could find a place among the other side."

Emma smiled at the knowledge that Killian had found a friend, a feeling of belonging, but it faltered when she considered how alone he was now. "Things didn't go as you had hoped, huh?"

"Not entirely, no." He reached up and scratched behind his ear before carrying on. "Before things went south between us, we discovered something about the kinship we both felt we shared. Turns out that bond we had was actually… a Sire Bond."

Emma's eyes went wide with understanding. "You were both turned by the same vampire?"

Killian nodded slowly before divulging, "The same vampire, who was also the lad's father."

Emma's face contorted in outrage. "He turned his own son?"

"It seems while they were mortal, the boy's mother died. His father became obsessed with finding a way to cheat death. He maintained it was so his son would never have to be alone, but the boy knew better. He pleaded with his father, asked him not to become this thing they'd both once reviled, but the man didn't listen. Not only that he… he waited until the boy grew into a young man then turned him in secret without the lad's consent."

Emma felt the blood drain from her face. The room spun as she forgot to draw breath, and Killian's worried voice sounded muffled against the thundering of her pulse in her ears.

"Swan?" Killian called out frantically, taking her face in his hands. "What is it? Did I do-"

Emma drew a deep breath into her lungs and screwed her eyes shut. "No, no. It wasn't you. I'm… I'm fine. It's fine."

"Like hell it is," Killian argued. "You've gone as white as a fresh sail. Do you need to lie down, love?"

"A fresh sail? I thought you said you didn't join the navy," she quipped playfully, hoping to distract him even as her eyes remained closed so she could concentrate on calming herself.

"That doesn't mean I don't still hold a fondness for the sea and all things nautical, and stop trying to change the subject."

Emma giggled at his disgruntled tone even as she continued to focus on taking steadying breaths. She hummed appreciatively at the feel of his thumbs skimming across the apples of her cheeks, and finally opened her eyes when her heart began strumming a more even rhythm. The concern in his eyes nearly stole her newly cultivated breath.

"Would you, uh. Would you mind getting me some water?" she croaked, her throat tight and parched from both her reaction and his response.

Emma took the opportunity while Killian was up getting her the requested drink to reassess her surroundings. Though the brunt of the storm seemed to have passed, there was still a light patter of rain resonating from the roof and windows. She chanced a peek out the curtains and was surprised to see no trace of wolf presence, filing away a note to ask Killian what he thought they might be up to later on. Not much later, though. The clock on the mantle told her it was already approaching early evening, and the sun would be setting before too much longer.

"Here. Drink up."

Killian handed her the glass of water then returned to his seat on the couch, scrutinizing everything from her complexion to the rate of her pulse with his keen senses. He waited until she drank her fill before posing the question he'd put together in his mind from all the hints she'd alluded to over the past twenty-four hours.

"It was about him, wasn't it?"

Emma's eyes went wide, the look of a startled and caged animal swept over her features, and her mouth hung slack before she composed herself enough to reply.

"What was about who?"

"Your anxiety attack," Killian clarified. "It wasn't about what I'd told you. It was in response to something you'd experienced for yourself. With the vampire you mentioned yesterday? Was he the other person you shared your story with?"

Emma leaned over and set the water glass on the coffee table, her heart rate gearing up again, but not alarmingly so. She wet her lips and answered, "Yes. I met him not too long after I discovered the truth about my adoptive parents' deaths. I didn't know what he was when we met. I didn't find out until after."

"After what?" Killian asked delicately, unsure if he was ready to hear her response.

It seemed she wasn't ready to just come out and say it, either. Choosing instead to take him through her relationship with the man from the very beginning. How she'd met him as she was trying to steal the car he'd already stolen - the very vehicle that had brought the two of them together the day before. The life of petty crime they'd shared as they robbed gas stations and squatted in hotel rooms, a veritable Bonnie and Clyde, swept up in the romance of them against the world. Until something changed.

"He said he wanted to settle down, plant some roots, so we got steady jobs and an apartment together."

"Is that when you got into bail bonds?" Killian asked.

"Sort of," she hedged. "I wanted to try and find my birth parents, so I ended up going to a local P.I. for help. We never could find anything, but when he learned what happened to my adoptive parents he introduced me to a woman who made her living tracking down criminal arcane creatures." She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and shifted uncomfortably. "Neal didn't want me working with an organization like that, but I had hoped it would eventually lead me to my adoptive parents' killer, so I hid it from him. He thought I just went after skips, and I did… I just also went after the occasional werewolf, vampire, witch, and warlock as well."

"That's how you gleaned all your knowledge," Killian commented. "By working with this woman?"

"Cleo. She gave me all these papers and journals to read written by a professor who was an expert-" Emma stopped and cocked her head to one side as she stared at Killian, coming to the same realization he just had. "Oh, my god! Dr. Jones, I presume?! Those were your papers, weren't they?"

Killian scratched the back of his ear, a blush creeping up his neck. "Most likely. There aren't many others in the field who would have given you any useful information to assist in your endeavors of tracking and subduing all manner of arcane creatures."

"It was useful," she stated emphatically. A sudden shimmer formed in her eyes, catching Killian off guard. He wasn't sure his papers warranted such a response. "If it weren't for your papers, I might not have realized what was happening until it was too late."

Dread prickled along Killian's skin and his stomach turned with apprehension. "Realized what, love?"

A tear slid down Emma's cheek, her gaze full of gratitude he had no idea how he'd earned until she spoke. "That he was using his persuasion on me, and lacing my morning coffee with his blood."

"He what?!" Killian snarled through clenched teeth, rage flaring within him at the implication of such tactics.

"He'd been making me forget things that would have caused me to ask questions, keeping me from learning about his true nature. He wanted me to feel bonded to him, so he dosed me with his blood, probably from the very beginning. I started to suspect something after I read one of your papers, and decided to have my blood checked. Cleo set me up with a lab that would be able to detect traces of vampire blood, but Neal must have found out about the appointment."

"What did he do?"

It took every ounce of control Killian possessed to remain calm when Emma finally answered.

"He sent someone after me. Fortunately, I was able to fight the attacker off until Cleo arrived. Together we were able to subdue and question him. He confessed what Neal had hired him to do, and the lab results confirmed my suspicions. He hired that man to kill me, while his blood was still in my system. He tried to turn me, even though he knew I would never want that. That I'd never want to be that."

"Please, tell me you drove a stake straight through the bastard's heart." Killian wiped away the remainder of her tears even as anger continued to course through his veins.

"I would have, but he was long gone by the time I got back to the apartment. His cover was blown and he was in the wind." Emma reached up and unclasped the swan pendant from around her neck. "He gave me this," she said as she took his hand then dropped the necklace into his palm. "After he left, I had it enchanted so I could never again be persuaded. That's why your attempt in the diner didn't work on me. I kept it as a reminder to never trust anyone again." She folded his fingers over the necklace and placed her hand over his closed fist. Killian held his breath in anticipation for her next words. "But now, I don't think I need it anymore. Not with you." Her eyes flicked up to meet his and he could feel his heart begin to race as his breath left his lungs.

"That's an awful lot of faith you're putting in me, Swan," Killian murmured.

"I know," she agreed, worrying her lip before stating, "But I think there's a good reason for that."

"What reason?" Killian questioned in hopeful reply. Could it be possible? Did she sense it the way he did?

"Why didn't you just leave me with my car?" Killian's brows furrowed at the question, then deepened with the next. "Why did you ask me to come into town with you?"

"I… I didn't want to leave your company," he answered honestly.

"Why?"

Killian hesitated for a brief moment as he considered the choice before him. Whether she felt the connection between them or not, he knew he couldn't keep the way he felt about her a secret any longer. "Your scent," he confessed. "Once it filled my lungs, it… it stirred something in me."

"The bloodlust?"

"No. It was… it is more than that. It's you, Emma." He reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair, brushing it over her shoulder as he explained, "Scent is intrinsic to who we are. It's how wolves find and recognize their mate, how vampires find and recognize their bond." He paused and cupped her cheek in his palm, gazing into her sparkling sea green eyes with all the intensity he felt. "It's how I recognized you." Emma's lips parted as she let go a startled breath. "I didn't realize at first, because I... I didn't think I'd ever be capable of finding someone. Someone both my natures would connect to so strongly. That is, until I met you."

"A-Are you saying?" Emma stuttered. "Are you saying that I'm-"

"I'm saying that both of my natures... want you, want to be with you."

"The werewolf and the vampire," she clarified, and he nodded in response. "And what about the man?" she asked softly. "What does he want?"

It was Killian's turn to release a startled breath through parted lips. For so long he'd only seen himself as one or both of his natures, never just a man.

"He wants you, too," Killian whispered, dropping his hand from her face. "But more than that, he wants whatever it is you want. You have a choice in this, Emma. Always."

Emma leaned in to him, her gaze flickering down to his lips. "Kiss me, Killian."

"I can't, Swan," he murmured, an agonizing hair's breadth from her lips.

"Why not? I know you want to."

"You've no idea how much."

"Then why-?"

"Because I won't be able to stop myself, Emma." He closed his eyes and tried to muster some semblance of will power over the desire flooding his veins. "I've wanted to taste you in every way imaginable since the moment I caught wind of your scent, and if I kiss you… I won't be able to stop until I've done just that. Besides, we have other concerns to contend with. The pack outside, keeping you safe, the sun-"

"Shh." Emma pressed her fingers against his lips, and he forced himself to open his eyes. "Right now I don't want to think about any of that." Lightly, she traced her fingertips along his bottom lip before skimming them down the front of his throat. "Right now, I just want to feel this moment. With you, Killian."

Emma pressed her lips to his, and he hesitated for only a moment before giving in. He savored the feel of her mouth against his before gently pushing her back until she lay beneath him, his body molding to hers as he matched the urgency of her kiss. A low growl escaped him as her lips moved to brush along his jawline before returning her mouth to his, and he licked the seam of her lips, plunging his tongue in to claim hers when they parted. The taste of her kiss was every bit as intoxicating as he'd expected, and he wanted nothing more than to drink from her lips again and again for the rest of his days.

A tug at the back of his shirt released it from the waist of his pants, and a desperate need to feel her skin against his consumed him. She slid her hands under his shirt and ran them up his spine, clawing his bare back on the way back down and igniting sparks beneath his skin in their wake. He groaned into her mouth when she raised her hips to press into his, his arousal strained against his jeans as he grew even harder in response to her.

He could feel his primal urges welling up inside of him. The instinct to take, to claim, to mark her as his own. To bite, to taste, to turn…

Killian pulled back, gasping and panting. "I can't do this." Rejection soured over Emma's face, and Killian rushed to reassure her. "I want to. Gods, do I want to." He rested his forehead against hers, eyes shut as he fought to keep his resolve. "But if I have you now, Emma. I won't be able to let you go."

Emma's hands rested against his cheeks. "Killian, look at me."

He complied, and they both just stared into one another's eyes. His body hummed with what he thought was desire, but when Emma opened her mouth to finally speak, reality took hold as a spasm of transformation rolled over him. Killian cried out as the pain lanced through his ribcage, and he threw himself onto the floor before he could cause Emma any harm.

"Shit, the sun set," Emma realized as she crouched down before him.

"Go… into the… bedroom, Swan," Killian stammered as he tried to unbutton and remove his shirt. His body had gotten so caught up in his arousal, that he'd neglected to notice the warning signs. Now his transformation was coming on faster than he was prepared for.

Emma swatted his trembling hands away and took over the unbuttoning process, peeling his shirt off him once they were all released. Her hands moved to the waist of his pants, but he stilled them with his own before she could undo the fastenings.

"Please, Emma," he pleaded. "I don't want you to see me transform."

Her eyes told him that she wasn't concerned about it, that seeing him shift wouldn't change how she felt, but regardless, she nodded and respected his wishes.

"Will you come join me when it's over?" she asked hesitantly.

"Aye, love," he replied with as much of a smile as he could manage though the pain. "I'll be along as soon as I've stabilized."

She carded her hand through his hair before she stood and reluctantly made her way into the bedroom. Once Killian heard the door snap shut he hastily removed his remaining garments and surrendered himself to the change. Cursing his nature's inconvenient timing through each and every agonizing moment.

He waited longer than was probably necessary before making his way into the bedroom. Given the gamut of emotions, urges, and impulses he'd endured over the course of the day, Killian didn't want to take any chances with his Swan. When he entered the room it was much darker than he'd expected, and he was reminded of how the pack had found a way to the rooftop and the now covered skylight. It occurred to him that he hadn't heard any disturbances or evidence of their presence since earlier in the day. An unnerving realization that he had no idea what they might be up to raised the hair along the back of his pelt.

Before alighting onto the bed, Killian padded his way across the room and intently listened for any sounds that might alert him to the pack's whereabouts. Nothing. No noises outside of the normal orchestral offerings the forest typically played at night this time of year. Surely they hadn't abandoned their vendetta against him? Killian sniffed the air, but only found notes of petrichor, earth, and his Swan surrounding him.

Knowing there was little more he could do until morning, Killian made his way onto the bed and began to settle himself. He could tell Emma wasn't asleep, but he made no effort to disturb her. She had been quiet since he'd entered the room, and he wondered if she might be regretting the invitation she'd made.

He should have known better.

"I'm worried about what they might be plotting," she whispered in the darkness, as if she could read his thoughts. "There hasn't been any sign of them for a while now."

Killian nuzzled his head under her hand and stared up at her, hoping she might find reassurance in their contact. She smiled down at him and began scratching behind his ear, causing his tail to thump against the bed.

"Like that, huh?" she giggled.

Killian huffed at her teasing tone, but it didn't stop him from angling his head so she could reach the other ear. They both laid in companionable silence, drawing comfort from one another's presence as the night stretched on before finally succumbing to sleep.

Killian awoke the next morning as his transformation ended, and just as they had the morning prior, his teeth and groin ached from the pleasant assault of Emma's scent and soft form next to him. Unlike the previous morning, however, it appeared he was not the only one to be stirred from slumber by his return to human form.

Emma stretched and rolled toward him from her other side, snuggling in close to his body. Content to remain right where he was, Killian made no effort to leave the comfort of his bed or the warmth of the woman next to him. He might have drifted back to sleep if not for the soft graze of wandering fingertips through the hair at his chest, pulling a low moan from the back of his throat; or the tentative press of warm, supple lips brushing against his jawline and down the front of his neck. Killian inhaled deeply and the recognition of a fresh aroma hummed in his blood, making both his fangs and erection throb with need.

Arousal.

Killian could practically taste Emma's desire. The heady perfume filled his sinuses and danced on his tongue, and he wanted nothing more than to consume it.

"What are you doing, Swan?"

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" she asked coyly.

"I told you, Swan," he strained, trying to keep a grasp on his crumbling fortitude, "I won't be able to let you go."

"Maybe I don't want you to let me go."

Killian's eyes snapped open and were met with the green hue of her lust filled and darkened depths.

"There can't be any maybes, Emma," Killian protested. "You have to be completely sure."

Emma brought her hand up and cupped his face. "I am sure," she breathed. "You said last night that each part of you wanted me; the vampire, the wolf, and the man. Well, I may be just a woman, but this woman wants you, too."

Emma pressed her lips against his, and Killian had all the answer he needed.

"Oh, you are so much more than just a woman, love," he teased against her lips. "You've many parts to you as well, and I'm a fan of every part of you." He shot her a devilish smirk and challenged, "Shall I show you just how much?"

Emma giggled as he rolled them so she was once again on her back and pinned beneath him. "If you think you can without your wolf getting in the way."

"You can hardly hold a compulsory transformation against a man, Swan."

"I won't," she promised. "As long as you make it up to me now."

"With pleasure, love," he replied into her ear before sucking the lobe between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue. "With. Pleasure."

Killian dragged his tongue along the line of her jaw then claimed her lips with his own. Revelling in all the little sounds she made as he teased her lips and tongue while his hands explored her body.

"You appear to be overdressed, Swan," he quipped as his hand toyed with the hem of her - his - shirt.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping me remedy that."

"Not at all."

Killian gave her just enough space to sit up so he could slip the shirt over her head, marvelling at the reveal of her creamy skin and rosy nipples before he tossed the garment aside.

"You are absolutely stunning, Swan," he murmured through the press of his lips against her chest. Wasting no time in lavishing his attentions upon her beckoning flesh.

Emma's hand clutched at the hair at the back of his head as his mouth enveloped one of her nipples. He swirled his tongue, raising it to a hardened peak and he gloried in the moan that passed through Emma's lips as he repeated the process on the other side.

Slowly, he made his way down her body, not wishing to neglect even an inch of her skin as he bathed it with caresses of his tongue and lips, peeling her leggings off her body and following the path down both her shapely legs. Emma squirmed and groaned in frustrated impatience as he made his way back up, skimming his nose and lips along the inside of her thigh.

With his head now settled between her legs he could hear the pounding of her pulse on either side of his head. The scent of her was almost too much to bear, and Killian had never had to exert as much restraint over himself as he did in that moment. The compulsion to sink his fangs deep into her thigh nearly overtook him, but he refused to put his pleasure before hers.

Emma's hips bucked when he finally made contact with the tender flesh of her sex. If he thought the taste of her kiss was intoxicating, it was nothing in comparison to the ambrosia he'd discovered between her thighs. With each flick and flutter of his tongue, he brought her closer to that point when it might become soaked with her release; a delight he sought after with great fervor until he heard Emma cry out his name, claiming her own satisfaction as they were both rewarded for his ministrations.

Killian kissed and nipped his way back up her body, sending pleasurable spasms through her as she continued to come back down from the intense release he'd just given her.

"I don't think I could ever grow tired of your taste," he whispered into her skin, a possessive growl mixed with a seductive purr lacing his tone and causing another wash of desire to cascade over her. "You smell incredible after you come," he murmured between soft presses of his lips along the column of her neck, and up to the place just behind her ear. "The release does something to your blood. It calls to me, Emma. Sings to me. I won't deny that I crave it. That I crave you."

"You can, you know."

Killian stilled then pushed himself up to meet her gaze.

"Can what, love?" His eyes burned with a wild intensity, a raw hunger he'd fought to maintain control over, and one she was offering to satiate.

"Taste me," she answered. His jaw clenched, the muscles below ticking as he swallowed and flicked his eyes over to the expanse of her throat. "Taste me the way you've been craving to, Killian. I want you to."

Killian caressed the blue lines of her veins, faint under her porcelain skin, then met her eyes once more. "At some point, Emma… you may have to stop me."

Emma felt the tip of his nose skim down the length of her neck as she brought her hand up to run her fingers through the back of his hair. A sharp pinch pulled a hiss from her lips before she felt his latch onto her skin. His guttural groan vibrated against her throat, and an unexpected surge of euphoria overwhelmed her senses.

She knew he'd derive pleasure from taking her blood, but she never expected to experience any for herself. At least, not like this. It was rapture and ravishment, a flood of intoxication more potent than the strongest proof liquor. He'd said that she may have to stop him, but how would she ever be able to? Or want to?

Sparks ignited across her skin where his hand roamed. She arched into his touch when he cupped her breast, a gasping moan fell from her lips as he rolled the overly sensitive nipple between his finger and thumb. It was both a relief and a bereavement when he released it, but the feeling was short lived as his hand moved further down her body and began coaxing her other sensitive bud. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears, erratic and wild, making her hot and flushed with need. With want. A carnal craving she hadn't recognized until that moment.

She wanted to taste him, too.

The shocking recognition of her own bloodlust slammed into her just as another orgasm tore through her body. She cried out Killian's name, her hands fisting both the sheet and his hair in a tight grip before surrendering to the bliss.

Killian's lips released their hold from against Emma's neck. Braced on his forearms and hovering over her, his eyes fluttered to a close. His mouth was slightly parted with a look of unbridled euphoria resting upon his features. Emma could see the smear of her blood on his lips, and she pulled him down to claim them. Overcome by the mixed salty tang of her arousal and the coppery notes of her blood still coating his tongue, she felt drunk with lust once more.

Killian hissed and pulled back from the sharp nip she'd given his lower lip, and ran his tongue over it to collect the fresh flow of blood.

"I don't think you're ready for that, Swan." His eyes flashed as he pushed himself further back, kneeling between her legs.

"Please, Killian," she whimpered. "I need it. Need you."

"I know what you need, love." He ran his fingers through her folds, still wet with want, then coated her warmth along his length jutting out from the coarse hair between his legs. A shadow of something dark and feral passed over his expression. "Roll over," he commanded gruffly, and Emma was helpless but to comply, her skin still buzzing from the need hissing in her blood.

Braced on all fours, Emma felt Killian's calloused hands grasp her hips. He roughly pulled her towards him, collapsing her down to her forearms, and in one swift motion he buried himself inside her. Emma cried out at the welcomed intrusion, her body quickly molding itself to him before he slid out, only to drive himself back in again. He was forceful and aggressive with an animalistic dominance that snarled around each gruff declaration of possession and every grunt of pleasure.

His claims over her should have riled her anger. With anyone else they would have, but with Killian they only served to further fasten the bond she'd felt growing between them since their first encounter. The connection that had led her to trust him, rely on him, open herself up to him in ways she hadn't done with another soul in years. Just as he had done with her.

Killian's punishing pace slowed, and Emma's head fell forward onto the mattress. She whimpered at the languid drag of his member against her walls. Her skin flared at the press of his lips on her back, and shuddered against the vapor of his breath.

"I'm sorry, love," he remorsed into her skin. "I'm afraid I lost myself there for a moment. Are you alright?"

Emma nodded then gave a sound of protest at his withdrawal. Killian pulled her hair back over her shoulder and away from her face, laying tender kisses along her shoulder, and up her neck.

"I don't want to take you this way, Emma. Not our first time," he murmured in her ear, nipping softly at her lobe which sent a warm current over her. "I want to see you, love. I want to look into your eyes and watch your face. You're magnificent when you come."

Emma rolled onto her back beneath him and allowed him to settle between her thighs before bringing his lips down to hers. Killian hummed appreciatively as she poured out her response in the slant of her mouth, the scrape of her nails down his back, and the impatient thrust of her hips against his. He pulled away from her lips to look down at their bodies, lining himself up to her entrance before sheathing himself once more.

The inflection of their union vastly different than before as Killian laced their hands together and cherished her body with the reverent gaze of his eyes and the worship of his hips paying homage to hers.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered over her lips.

Emma wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her heels into him, forcing him to press her further into the mattress as his balance shifted. She gasped and clenched around him when he met her there, and he groaned into her neck.

"Bloody hell, do that again," he begged, and she tightened her muscles once more.

Killian's chest rumbled against her, and a low growl made its way up his throat as he snapped his hips with more urgency. Her breathing staccatoed, each thrust pushing her towards another release and she felt her thighs begin to shake.

"That's it, love," Killian panted, his eyes fixed on her as he encouraged her to surrender to the wash of ecstasy cresting within her. "Come for me, Emma. Let me hear your blood roar for me one more time."

His words sent her careening over the edge of bliss. Wave after wave crashed over her, each with greater intensity than the last, until his release met hers.

Emma had no idea how long they laid there afterward, their bodies still joined together and the dampness of their exertions cooling against their skin. Killian's head rested next to hers, his breathing just as labored and erratic as he braced himself on his forearms so he did not crush her with the full weight of his body. When both their heart rates normalized he rolled off to her side, pulling her to him. His arms wrapped around her, unwilling, or perhaps unable, to allow any distance between them, refusing to ever let her go. Just as he'd said.

"I can heal that if it pains you," he whispered softly into her shoulder, and Emma struggled to follow what he meant. "The bite," he clarified. "If you'll permit me, I can heal it for you."

"No, it's fine," Emma replied. "It's not disturbing me."

"But it is disturbing me, love," he confessed sheepishly. "You're too tempting without my mark upon your skin, with it... I'm not sure I can manage to resist taking from you again." Emma wanted to tell him that she was more than willing, but realized it might not be safe for him to do so just yet. She had no idea how much he'd taken from her earlier. "You won't have to ingest any of mine. I can apply my blood to the outside of the wound. It'll take longer, but you won't have to endure any of the side effects."

She resisted telling him that she wouldn't mind the side effects. She already felt bonded to him in a way she'd never felt connected to anyone before. Even Neal. Because what she and Killian had between them was real. It wasn't like the artificial bond Neal's blood had created in her when there were no real feelings to ground the blood connection to. She knew the effect Killian's blood would have on her would be greater than that which she could ever imagine, but as eager as she was to experience it (the bloodlust still hummed softly in her veins), she knew what a big step it was for Killian. It wasn't something he'd let either of them enter into lightly.

Emma nodded her consent for his healing then watched as he brought his thumb up to his mouth and pricked it against his exposed fangs. She winced slightly as he brushed the droplets over her neck, even though his touch was nothing more than a gentle caress.

"May I see your hand?" he asked.

She'd completely forgotten about the wound that had exposed not only his true nature, but both their true identities - a lost boy and a lost girl - as it led to them to open up to one another the day before. Offering her hand up to him, he peeled back the bandage and smoothed a thin layer of his blood over the cut. She watched in fascination as the injury healed then faded away over the course of several minutes before she smiled up at him.

He wore a pensive expression, and she wished more than ever that he had allowed her to take his blood so she might have an idea as to what he was thinking.

""What is it?" Emma questioned as she swept back the hair that had fallen across his forehead.

"We should have discussed it more beforehand, this thing between us," he replied. "I should never have allowed things to go this far without-"

"Stop," Emma chided. "I told you. I want this. I want you."

"But do you even know what that means, Emma? Wolves mate for life, and bonds between vampires are eternal. I've made my choice. I'm in this for the long haul if you'll have me, but are you really ready for that kind of change?"

Emma chewed her lip, the reality of what her decision would mean hit her full force and she blurted out, "I don't want to become a vampire." The shake in her voice pulled both a pained and empathetic look from Killian's features, and insecurity clouded his gaze. "I'm not against the idea of becoming a werewolf, but a vampire is something I just couldn't-"

"You don't have to become either, Emma," Killian assured softly. "You can stay human if you wish, I won't force you to take on either of my natures. I'm not entirely sure what effect the transformation would have on you given the… uniqueness of my situation."

Emma considered his words for a moment then asked, "But would you be willing to try it? If I decided being your mate, your true mate is what I wanted, would you?"

"I would," Killian answered. "But only if you're absolutely sure that's what you want."

Emma did want it. It scared her just how much she wanted to be with this man, and only after such a short time. She'd let him take her blood, and still craved his. Every fiber of her being was ready to accept his bite in wolf form if he were to offer it that very night. Regardless of the certainty that ran through every nerve ending, she found herself saying, "I'm going to need some time to think about it. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, love." Killian smiled down at her, though it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Whatever you decide to become, or not become, is entirely up to you."

"No," Emma stated firmly. "It's up to both of us. I know you're worried about how your hybrid nature might complicate things, so I want you to be sure, too."

Killian lightly pressed his lips against her forehead and murmured, "We don't have to decide anything today, Swan."

"But we will have to figure it out sooner rather than later," Emma protested. "After tomorrow night we'll… wait. What is going to happen once the full moon cycle ends and those wolves transform back into their human state?"

Killian released a resigned sigh. "Once they're human, my persuasion will work again and I can command them to go. Should give me enough time to leave without them following."

"Leave? What do you mean leave?"

"I'm not welcome here any longer, love," Killian confided sorrowfully. "Walsh and his pack have been given leave to seek out retribution against me, and they won't stop once they go back to being human. I left Graham with little choice. He can no longer offer me a place of sanctuary here after I broke my word to never use my powers against either of the packs. I'll have to leave as soon as the cycle ends."

"Where will you go?"

Another cloud of uncertainty settled over Killian's features, and Emma realized the implication of her question. "I mean, where were you planning on going?"

A grin broke over Killian's face. "I didn't have much of a plan, truth be told. Why?" he asked with a smirk. "Did you have somewhere in mind?"

"Well," Emma grinned back at him coyly, swirling her fingers through his chest hair. "I suppose I'd be willing to take in a stray. How would you feel about moving in with me?"

"Well, when you put it like that," Killian huffed in mocked offense before tightening his embrace and nuzzling his face against the side of her neck, murmuring into her skin, "I would love to move in with you."

Emma hummed appreciatively at the feel of his lips moving up her neck. Her skin hummed in anticipation of his touch, desire pooled within her once more as his mouth claimed hers. It was a slow, languid kiss, filled with the declaration neither had actually expressed yet, but one Emma knew they both felt with complete certainty. One that Emma was more than willing to express to him in other ways than mere words.

"As much as I would love to continue these more enjoyable activities," Killian whispered against her lips. "If I am planning on leaving the day after tomorrow for good, I'll need to get some packing done."

Emma groaned at his sensible nature, causing Killian to chuckle. "Come on, Swan. I promise to make it up to you later." He swaggered his brows at her before releasing her with a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. "Why don't you go have yourself a shower while I wrestle us up some breakfast, love."

Emma barely registered his words, too distracted by the view he was giving her as he retrieved a fresh pair of boxer briefs and slid them on before making his way to the closet to finish getting dressed.

"I'll have coffee waiting for you," he said as he gave her one last kiss on the top of her head before throwing a knowing smirk over his shoulder as he exited the room.

Killian surveyed the living room while the coffee brewed, considering what all he might take with him to begin a new life with his Swan. Despite his age, and the opportunity he'd had to amass belongings over his already long life, Killian didn't have much in the way of possessions. In all honesty, it wasn't going to take them terribly long to pack up his meager belongings, but Killian had to get them both out of that bed. Desire had started clawing under his skin, the need to take her again had become almost too much to bear - and not just bodily.

In need of something more to distract him, Killian turned his thoughts to the still absent pack. He pulled aside the front curtains, exposing the dampened landscape around his cabin. The abnormal stillness outside alerted Killian to the fact that the pack had remained close by, but the lack of sound or scent to identify their location was unnerving. He re-entered the bedroom and drew back those curtains only to be met with the same sort of false calm the front room's view had provided.

Killian focused his hearing, isolating each sound he came across so he could identify its origins. The spray of the shower with Emma lightly humming some tune he did not recognize, mixed with the delicate rustle of pine tree limbs in the mid-morning breeze pulled a quick smile from him before he pressed further into his senses. Barely audible animal noises from the forest caught his attention briefly until he homed in on a curious sound. Scratching? Digging? It sounded as though it was coming from the back corner of the kitchen.

Emma turned off the water to her shower as Killian began making his way back toward the kitchen. The sounds stopped when he reached the island, but Killian determined that it had to be coming from the cellar beneath the pantry. He stood there for several long moments, frozen in concentration as he willed the noise to begin again. A quick sniff of he air alerted him to Emma's presence, and he turned to find her standing in the bedroom doorway wrapped in his robe.

"Everything okay?"

The sight of her had him temporarily forgetting the troubling sound. His eyes hungrily swept over her, appreciating how the silky fabric hugged her curves and her long damp locks curled next to her breast. The coolness of the droplets seeping through the thin material had hardened her nipples into beckoning peaks and Killian couldn't help but take a step towards her. Before he could take her into his arms, a thud sounded from behind the pantry door that had Killian's hackles raised and all his senses on high alert.

"What was that?" Emma questioned, grasping onto Killian's arm as they both stared warily towards the pantry.

Too late Killian heard the creak of the cellar stairs and had only a moment to shove Emma back into the bedroom before the first wolf burst through the pantry door.

"Killian!" Emma screamed as the beast lunged at him.

Killian used the wolf's momentum against him, sidestepping the attack and tossing him into the living room just as another wolf made its way up the stairs. He reached behind him and slammed the bedroom shut, leaving a protesting Emma banging on it from the other side.

"Lock the door, Swan!" Killian commanded, squaring off with the new wolf who had paused at the top of its ascent, readying itself to pounce.

"What about you?" Emma argued angrily.

"Survivor, love," Killian quipped without taking his eyes off the posturing brown wolf before him, while also keeping the first wolf in his periphery.

They coordinated their attack, both springing at him at the same moment, just as Killian suspected they would. The impact landed him on his back, the brown wolf crushing him with his massive, muddy paws pressed firmly against his chest, jaws snapping at Killian's neck and face. He'd brought his hands up, keeping the deadly fangs at arm's length while kicking at the blonde wolf.

Teeth sank into his thigh, and Killian cried out in pain before rearing his right arm back and punching the brown wolf in the throat. It yowled and stumbled off of Killian's chest, causing the blonde wolf at his leg to release its grip. Killian rolled and wrapped his legs around the blonde wolf. Using his superior strength, he squeezed until the beast's back snapped and the wolf went limp.

While he'd been fending off the first two wolves, the third and fourth had made their way from the cellar and were attempting to get through the bedroom door. Killian growled and launched himself towards the animals, but was foiled by the brown wolf who'd recovered enough to mount another attack, this time sinking its fangs into Killian's shoulder. He stumbled back, calves hitting the edge of the couch before he toppled onto the cushions with the beast still tearing at his flesh. Killian reached up and attempted to pry the animals jaws from his shoulder. Its lower jaw shifted unnaturally in his grip and the wolf whimpered in pain before pulling away, leaving itself vulnerable to Killian's fangs this time.

Killian snarled as the hot rush of blood hit the back of his throat. If it weren't for the last two remaining wolves' efforts against the bedroom door, he'd have drained the animal of every last ounce. Instead, Killian took just enough to render the beast unconscious before wiping his chin and hastily pushing the wolf aside.

Emma's scream tore through him as the sound of splintering wood filled the air.

"No!" Killian roared.

Pain lanced through him with each footfall towards his bedroom from the wound still healing at his thigh, but the panic of seeing the ruddy colored wolf making its way through the broken door allowed him to ignore it. Whimpered cries quickly followed after the red wolf entered the room, and Killian could hear the hiss of aerosol. Relief swept over him that Emma had remembered and used the silver spray, but it was short lived as he watched the final, sable, wolf make its way through the door before Killian could reach it.

Grasping the ravaged edges, Killian pulled the rest of the door free from its hinges and rushed into the room. The sable wolf had Emma backed up against the windows, the now empty and useless spray still clutched in her hand as tears streaked down her cheeks. Killian fought past the throbbing agony in his leg and threw himself at the wolf he recognized to be Walsh, but he didn't get there in time. Walsh raised himself up and slashed at Emma with his claws just as Killian tackled him. Hints of copper filled Killian's senses and he recognized the scent of Emma's blood on his tongue. Pinned down with Killian's hand at his throat, Walsh brought his paw up to lick the fresh blood from it before Killian snapped his neck.

Killian didn't need to see it to know the damage that had been done. He could smell it.

"No! No, no, no. Emma!" Killian gathered Emma into his arms, a large gaping slash across her throat poured blood with each fragile beat of her heart.

"I can fix this," he promised desperately as he stared into her wide, dimming eyes. The words offered to try and convince himself as much as her. Killian ripped his fangs through his palm and laid it against the torn flesh of her neck. "It isn't enough," he panicked in realization. "It won't be quick enough."

"Yours," Emma gurgled past the blood pooling in her airway. "Give me… yours."

With one hand administering at the wound site and the other holding her upright so she wouldn't bleed out as quickly, Killian had no choice but to sink his fangs into his bottom lip before pressing them against hers. He felt the pull of her mouth against his, sucking the blood from his lips, but she only managed a few swallows before passing out.

Was it enough? Would it heal her before…

Killian listened in terror as her pulse continued to weaken, slowing with each beat as more blood trickled from her neck. The terrible realization of what might happen if her heart stopped slammed into him.

He would have turned her into the thing she hated most.

There was only one thing left he could try in order to stop that from happening, but it came with a price he wasn't sure she was truly willing to pay. With only seconds to make his choice, Killian laid Emma down and forced himself to transform. His clothes shredded against his shifting body, and agonizing torment raged through him, but he paid neither any heed. As soon as his transformation had progressed far enough, he administered the bite then waited with baited breath.

Her heart fluttered weakly then stilled for one… two… three beats of his own before another flutter finally strummed in her chest, followed by another, then another. Each stronger than the last which had Killian ready to weep in relief that either his blood or his bite had prevented it from stopping forever.

It was a temporary feeling though, for no matter what, she would wake up different. He had promised it would be her choice, that whatever she chose to become or not to become was as much up to her as it was to him, but now he'd taken that choice from her. He couldn't make himself regret it, though. Not truly. She was alive, and that's all that mattered to him, even if that made him a selfish bastard, no better than the man who'd tried and failed to turn her all those years ago. He just hoped that one day, she'd be able to forgive him for succeeding where the other man had failed.

The stirring of the other wolves pulled his attention from Emma and he braced himself protectively over her prone body. Killian knew the other three wolves would already be on the mend from the injuries they'd sustained in their initial attack, and he wasn't willing to take anymore chances with his Swan's safety. With one last assessment that she was no longer in immediate danger from the neck wound, Killian nuzzled her hand and gave it an affectionate lick before taking care of the remaining three wolves.

There was a buzzing in her ears. A drone she became more and more aware of as she slowly regained consciousness. Her body tingled, the hairs prickling on her skin from the cool air circulating around her. An assault of scents permeated her sinuses, stirring her further into wakefulness as her brain attempted to identify each one.

Fresh linens, a wood burning fire, dampened earth, pine, notes of leather, wolf musk-

Emma shot up and looked around frantically, the memory of the wolves getting in finally coming to the forefront of her mind. She squinted against the soft rays of fading daylight coming in through the windows before her gaze fell to a dark mess of hair. Relief washed over her at the sight of Killian seated on the floor with his back against the bed, his head tilted back on the mattress as he snoozed peacefully.

She ran her fingers through his hair, rousing him from sleep. She could hear his heart rate and the rhythm of his breathing change. The soft sigh he gave rang clearly in her ears, though she knew it should have been barely audible. Her hand stilled as Killian's eyes opened.

Troubled blues bore into dazed green, and though Emma could already read the truth displayed in them, it didn't stop her from asking, "What happened?"

She watched his Adam's apple bob, a pained expression clouding his face as he answered, "They got in. Dug their way into the cellar while the ground had softened from the rain."

Images flashed in her mind: Killian forcing her through the bedroom door, a blonde colored wolf lunging at them from the pantry, Killian shutting her inside the bedroom, the sound of Killian crying out in pain, wolf snarls and snaps, clawing and scratching at the door, a red wolf she sprayed with silver, a sable wolf that-

Emma reached up and grazed her fingers against her neck, searching for some trace of the injury she now remembered receiving. She found her skin to be smooth and unblemished, that was until she reached the other side and felt it.

The bite mark.

Not the one Killian had given her when he'd taken her blood, that one had already healed by the time she'd finished her shower. No. This was a bite from his other nature. A mark no amount of supernatural healing could ever completely remove. A brand she would carry with her for the rest of her life - a life now tied to the cycles of the moon and to the man who sat vigilantly at her bedside.

"I'm so sorry, Swan," Killian remorsed, pulling his gaze from hers as shame cascaded over him. "I gave you my blood, but it wasn't working fast enough. I worried what would happen if your heart stopped. The bite was the only way I could think of to save you from a fate worse than death… or death itself. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, even if it meant taking the choice from you. Even if it means you hate me for it."

"Oh, Killian," Emma responded gently. She pulled the covers back and crouched down in front of him on the floor, taking his face in both of her hands. "It's okay. I get it."

"You do?" he asked incredulously, finally snapping his eyes up to meet her.

"Of course." She pressed her forehead against his. "I would have done the same thing."

Killian's eyes widened briefly as they flickered between hers before settling on her mouth. He surged forward, one arm wrapping around her waist while other hand cradled the back of her head as he fused his lips to hers.

"I love you, Emma," he murmured between kisses.

She smiled against his lips. "I love you too, Killian."

They lost themselves to a few more hungry kisses with Emma straddling his lap before the fading light reminded them of Killian's impending transformation. But would it only be his change they had to face that night?

"Will I… Am I going to change tonight, too?"

"No," Killian answered. "The first shift doesn't happen mid-cycle. It'll be another month before you'll transform." He kissed the tip of her nose before helping her up. "I should go and get myself ready."

Emma grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. "You don't have to go, you know. You don't have to hide that part of yourself from me."

Killian furrowed his brows, and his jaw tightened in consideration. He reached back and took hold of the collar of his shirt, peeling it from him without taking his eyes off her. Emma could feel her entire body vibrating in anticipation as he removed the rest of clothes before sitting with her on the edge of the bed. He took her hand and she could hear the measured ebb and flow of his breaths as he worked to keep his breathing steady. The even cadence filled her with an overwhelming sense of peace and calm.

Until pain stabbed through her rib cage.

"Emma?!" Killian called out in response to her cries.

"Killian? What-"

"Don't fight it, Emma," Killian instructed, having just realized what was occurring. "Surrender to the process, love. Regulate your breathing." Emma kept her eyes focused on his, drawing in shaky breaths as tremors began to wrack her body. "That's a good girl."

Emma could her the strain in his voice from stalling his own transformation in order to guide her through her own. "I thought you said…. I wouldn't change yet," Emma panted.

"I don't understand it either," Killian replied. "But we'll get through it together. I'm with you, love. Always."

Emma nodded at his assurances and clamped her eyes shut, giving over to the process with Killian at her side. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. The very foundations of her being rendered and reformed as muscle and sinew knitted itself anew over repositioned bone and joints. When the warm prickling in her skin finally subsided she opened her eyes to see the hue of forget-me-nots staring back from a familiar wolf face. She startled at the feel of an involuntary movement, and realized it was her tail swishing in response to him.

Killian padded towards her tentatively then sat down before her, eyes still fixed on her as he waited. Allowing her to take the lead, though she could sense the dominance radiating off him. Emma sniffed at the scruff of his neck, and it was though some invisible link tethering them together permanently solidified itself within her. She was his, and he was hers. He was her home, no matter where they'd be forced to go.

Emma nuzzled Killian's snout, and he returned her affectionate gesture. He remained patient as she moved about the room, acquainting herself with her new form. A sandy flash of fur startled her until she realized it was her own reflection in the darkened windows. She stood staring, marveling at how collected she felt in the face of such a surreal sight. As if she'd always been meant to take on this form, had always been meant to be bonded to the dark wolf who now stood beside her. Emma had no idea from where or who she had come from, but she had no doubt in that moment that this was where she'd always meant to end up. With Killian. Her mate.

Killian groaned as the remnants of transformation back into his human form siphoned themselves out of his system. He was torn over the decision to remain in his human form, so that he could take care of the necessary packing that would need to be completed that day so he and Swan could leave the next day, or shifting back into his wolf form in order to keep Emma company while she remained in hers until the next morning. He had no idea why the shift had occurred so soon, but as a Bitten, he knew his mate would not have the ability to change back until the cycle ended.

His mate.

Killian still had trouble fathoming such a reality. Emma was his mate. For better or worse they would be tied to one another for the reminder of their lives. Another realization that brought a whole host of concerns to Killian's mind. Would she age as other wolves did: slower than human, but faster than he? Would belonging to him be enough to sate the need only a pack could typically provide? How would their differences in nature affect their future? The ability to have a family? Was that even something they should contemplate? There were so many unknowns, so many variables to consider.

None of which could be addressed in that moment, which was why Killian chose to set his worries aside in favor of meeting the day head on.

By first checking in on his Emma.

Killian rolled to his other side and blinked the sleep from his eyes, fully expecting to see the sandy colored sheen of her coat. Instead, he was astonished to find the nude form of his Swan, stretching out the kinks her recent transformation had left behind.

"What the devil?" Killian exclaimed, sitting up in the bed as she mirrored his action.

Emma stared at her hands, then her gaze traveled over the rest of her body. Confusion beset her expression, matching Killian's as they both finally met one another's eyes.

"How in the bloody hell are you human again?" Killian questioned rhetorically.

He watched as Emma's expression slowly morphed from confused to stunned to gratified. She beamed a wide grin at him, and that's when understanding hit him full force at the sight of her smile.

But how?

The answer came as the memory of her heart stopping moments after he'd given her his bite flashed before him. Her heart had stopped with his blood still in her system before his wolf bite had taken affect and got it beating again. Emma wasn't simply his mate, she was also his bond. Sired by both of his natures. Which meant her unexpected transformations must be...

Emma swept her tongue over her exposed fangs and stated, "I guess it must be a hybrid thing."

Part Three Coming Soon...