Part Four

Killian crept along the underbrush of the forest, his senses heightened in his wolf form as he tracked the scent the vampire had left behind. After realization of the creature's identity had struck him, Killian had transformed and snuck out of the cabin, determined to seek it out on his own. He knew he was to blame for it being there, and Killian's gut had twisted painfully at the knowledge that all the attacks, the death of the Oz Alpha, were all because of him. He wouldn't allow anyone else to put themselves in harm's way on his behalf. Especially Emma.

With any luck, he'd be able to put an end to things peacefully. Convince the vampire he'd once called friend to turn himself in, so they could work through the grievance without further bloodshed. Hopefully with enough time to return to his mate before she left the comfort and warmth of their bed.

Killian felt a little guilty for sneaking out without so much as leaving a note, but was confident that her exhaustion from the day's travel and stress would keep her from discovering his absence. If the vampire was unaware of her existence, Killian wanted to keep it that way. It would be safer for her should things escalate past the point of reconciliation. Killian knew he didn't deserve, nor did he expect forgiveness for what he'd done, but surely there was a way for them to find a resolution without any more violence.

His ears swiveled and twitched at each noise as he padded deeper into the forest. Though many hours old, the now recognizable scent steadily filled Killian's sinuses, leading him through brush and briar until he came to a small clearing several hundred yards from the cabin. It was too quiet here, and the change in the atmosphere around him made the fur along his back raise in wariness.

Killian was contemplating transforming so he could call out for the creature to appear when his paw pressed down on a hard metal plate. Too late he heard the soft clink of the spring release before the trap snapped around his front left leg. Searing pain burned up the extremity as the metal teeth were driven further into his flesh, crushing the bone beneath. Killian yelped and howled in pain, his cries echoing across the clearing while he attempted to transform so he could remove the infernal contraption. Another surge of agony went through him as he tried, and failed, to shift.

"Don't bother," a cold and familiar voice drawled from the shadows. "The trap is made of silver. You won't be able to transform."

Killian focused his gaze and took in the appearance of the man he'd not seen in a century. His old comrade in arms, Bae. He looked just the same, of course. Same brown hair, same brown eyes, though admittedly a bit colder, with the same premature lines creasing at their corners as he smiled sadistically.

"Been a long time, Killian," Bae said as he stalked his way forward from the darkness of the tree line. "I have to admit, this was easier than I thought it would be." He gestured toward the trap. "Thank you."

Killian's hackles raised, and a low growl reverberated from the back of his throat as the man came closer. Without thinking he attempted to lunge at him, but the biting claws of the trap sent another spasm of pain tearing through him, causing him to yelp and whimper in the face of the now laughing man.

"I wouldn't struggle too much if I was you. It'll only make the silver coating leach into your system that much faster." He pulled a knife from the back of his waistband, the moon reflecting off its surface as he brandished it before Killian. "And I mean to have some fun with you before you pass out."

Killian growled again, but couldn't help his natural instinct to cower back at the man's menacing approach. Each of them were so focused on one another, they both startled when a sandy haired wolf leaped in front of Killian, baring her teeth and emitting her own sinister growl. The growl stopped suddenly and Killian could sense a ripple of shock roll through her. He yodeled, hoping to gain her attention so he could communicate through their bond that she should go and get help, but she refused to take her eyes off his attacker.

"Well, I'll be damned," Bae chuckled. "You went and got yourself a mate? I mean, by the way she's protecting you, I assume this bitch belongs to you, right?" Emma began growling again and took a step toward him, despite Killian's protests.

"You've got a choice to make, sweetheart," he told Emma, backing up at her continued approach. "You can try and fight me off, or you can run for help. Either way, Killian's up against a clock. The longer that trap stays clamped on his leg, the more silver enters his bloodstream. Eventually he'll pass out from the toxicity, and I'll be able to move him. Question is… do you want to waste time fighting me, or call for help and hope your reinforcements are fast enough to get here before he succumbs?"

It was a calculated risk. Emma could run back to the cabin, call for help, and come back to try and hold Bae off, but help was at least twenty minutes away. Plus, there was no guarantee Bae wouldn't harm him, or perhaps speed up his incapacitation somehow in order to move him before she returned. The effects of the silver began to cloud his vision, and Killian shook his head to try and clear the haze that was overtaking him. The action pulled Emma's attention to him, and he used their bond to tell her to go for help once their eyes finally connected.

Emma turned back towards Bae and gave the man a few snapping barks, causing him to stumble backwards even further. She used the advantage of his caution to quickly nuzzle her head against Killian's before bolting off for the cabin. Relieved that she'd chosen to listen, and was now out of harm's way, Killian focused on staying conscious. He kept as still as possible and concentrated on steadying his pulse and his breathing; a feat made difficult when Bae stepped towards him again.

"Smart girl," he praised with mock sincerity. "With any luck she'll be back with the calvary before you pass out. Would you like me to villain monologue for you while we wait to see which happens first?"

Killian fought to stay lucid as Bae recounted his life's journey since they'd parted ways close to the end of the first world war. Their fallout had been a catalyst of reconciliation between Bae and his father, their sire. He'd been able to track him down faster than Killian had, locating him in Germany just before his rise in power with the regime that would usher in the second world war.

"Once it became evident that Germany would fall, we planned to escape to Argentina with other members of the inner circle," Bae went on to explain, his voice becoming fuzzy and distant in Killian's ears. "I left first. Papa was supposed to meet me with our fortune a week later, but he never arrived. Of course… you already know that, don't you?" His cold, accusatory stare swam in Killian's vision, and he knew he was running out of time. "I stayed in Buenos Aires for as long as I could, hoping for some news of my father's fate, but eventually I had to leave. Too much time without aging had passed, so I worked my way up through Southern and Central America, then finally into the US." Bae crouched down and assessed Killian, a smirk pulling at his lips. "I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I return to Europe to continue my search? Well, I did eventually, but before I could something happened that delayed my plans… I met a girl."

Bae chuckled to himself and settled further onto the ground before an extremely woozy Killian, engaging with him now as they used to as friends. The wolf shook his head again in an attempt to clear it, but the silver's effect made it impossible. He just had to hold on a bit longer. Emma would return any moment and help stall for time. He just had to remain conscious until then. What was it the man was saying now? He'd met a girl? Killian focused his attention on Bae's tale, hoping it would keep him awake.

"I know, I know," Bae chortled. "Who would have thought that either of us could find love, right? I knew the moment she tried to steal my car, which I'd already stolen, by the way, that she was the one." Killian's blood ran cold at his words, and he lifted his head to meet the man's eyes. "It wasn't the first time I'd come across her, though," the man reminisced. "I recognized her scent from years before when I fed on a couple, and left their daughter behind." Killian's heart slammed in his chest from the rage churning in his gut which only exacerbated his weakened condition. "There was something about her scent that told me she was special, but I never expected for her to show up in my life again. Of course, she didn't seem as connected in our bond as I was at first, but that changed once I started do-"

"Dosing her coffee with your blood." Emma emerged from behind a tree to Killian's left, a sight that had him both relieved and riled with worry.

"Emma?!" Bae shot to his feet with a stunned expression on his face that answered Killian's internal question of whether or not he'd already been aware of her connection to them both.

"Neal," she answered coolly, making her way to stand protectively in front of Killian while the man reconciled the meaning of her presence.

"You?! You're his… his…"

"His mate."

"His bitch," Bae spat. Killian growled, and Emma reached back to run a soothing hand through his fur. "You let him turn you? Into a filthy werewolf? You could have been so much more, Emma. I could have given you so much more."

"All you ever gave me were lies," Emma challenged.

"Oh, and I'm sure Killian was upfront and honest from the very beginning about what he was." A smug sneer twitched at his lips from her hesitation.

"At least he didn't try and change me before confessing what he was."

"But he did change you!" he hollered. "And now you're nothing but a… wait." Bae's eyes went wide as he verbally pondered, "He changed you. That means you're a Bitten, so how did you transform earlier without the full moon?"

Even without seeing her face, Killian knew the triumphant expression that now graced Emma's features as she said, "Killian didn't just make me his mate when he changed me." Bae stumbled backward, and Killian knew he'd just seen her eyes flash crimson. "He also made me his bond, which means I'm not letting you anywhere near him." Emma pulled the gun she'd had holstered in the back of her waistband and pointed it squarely at Bae's chest.

"Immortal. Remember?" Bae responded with more bravado than his eyes betrayed.

"But not invincible," she countered. "Three ways to kill a vampire. Sunlight, beheading, or penetrating its heart. Dawn's still several hours away, and I assume you still have whatever trinket you used so you could go about in the daylight, and I might not have a sword to decapitate you with, but I assure you… I'm an excellent shot."

Bae took a moment to weigh his options before threatening, "This isn't over," then hightailing it back into the shadows of the forest.

Emma waited until she was sure he'd cleared the area before releasing Killian's leg from the trap. Finally freed, he collapsed to the ground, pain still spasming through him from the silver corrupting his bloodstream. The scent of Emma's blood twitched in his nose and danced along his tongue as she pierced her palm with her fangs. He greedily lapped up the offering from her hand, allowing its healing power to combat the poison in his veins before losing all coherent thought as Emma carried his wolf form back to the cabin.

Killian groaned in the wake of his transformation back into human form. Enough of the silver had been purged from his body to allow the shift, and he awoke to the calming presence of his Emma running her fingers through his hair.

"Hey beautiful," he croaked, turning his head, which was resting in her lap, so he could look up at her.

"How are you feeling?" Her brow was furrowed with concern, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as her gaze swept over his face.

"None the worse for wear, I assure you," he comforted softly.

"Good." Without warning she slapped his chest with a cracking force and shoved him off her lap to stand next to the bed.

"Bloody hell, woman," Killian grunted in pain from her strike, the residual ache of the silver, and the still healing wound on his forearm.

"Don't you bloody hell woman me, Killian Jones," she snapped. "What the hell were you thinking going out alone? Do you have any idea what you put me through when I woke up to find you gone, only to hear you howl in pain from off in the distance?"

The tears shimmering in her eyes tore right through him and he moved to kneel before her on the bed. "I'm sorry, Emma."

"Don't." She held up her hand and took a step back from him, which hurt far more than her tears. "I don't want your apologies. I want you to stop keeping things from me. We're a team. You said I was your partner, that you would always treat me as your equal, but then you go off all lone wolf and nearly get yourself killed!"

Tears streaked down her cheeks, and her whole body trembled with a mixture of rage and fear. Killian left the bed and pulled her into his arms, another apology suppressed at the tip of his tongue. Those weren't the words she needed from him. "You're right, Swan. I was reckless, and thoughtless, and…"

"A complete sodding git," she muffled harshly into his shoulder.

A smile tugged at his lips, and he tightened his embrace. "Aye. That too." He pressed a kiss into her hair before pulling back to wipe away her tears, allowing his eyes to do all the apologizing necessary through their bonded gaze.

Emma nodded her head at his unspoken atonements, and the two resumed their places on the bed; Emma laying on her back with his head resting against her stomach, so she could continue her soothing caresses through his hair.

"Did you know?" she asked quietly.

"I discovered it was my old army buddy after you'd fallen asleep, but I didn't know that Bae was also Neal until just before you arrived the second time."

"How did you figure out it was him? That he was the vampire behind the attacks?"

"The scent," Killian replied, shifting his head. "Once I studied it properly I recognized a specific note in its mixture. The same redolence you and I both share."

"The sire bond?" Emma deduced.

"Indeed. We all share it. Bae and I more strongly, since our sire is the same, but you as well since you are part of the line."

"Does this mean I have to call him Uncle Neal?" she teased. "Because that would be weird."

Killian huffed in amusement and waited for the questions he knew she'd get around to sooner or later. The ones they hadn't addressed since the last time they'd been in the cabin, both wishing to simply let the past remain in the past.

"What happened between you two? I mean, I know you killed his father, but you told me things had gone bad between you before then."

"You remember how I told you that I kept my wolf side from him?" She nodded in the darkness. "Part of the reason I did was because I'd been shunned every time someone learned of my dual nature, but the other reason was the same as why I didn't tell you about my other nature when you first learned I was supernatural."

"He told you he hated werewolves," she responded knowingly.

"For good reason," he continued. "A werewolf killed his mother."

Emma hummed thoughtfully. "And then he ended up being the vampire that killed my adopted parents, creating my hatred for his kind. That's a hell of a coincidence."

"Fate can be funny that way," Killian mused.

"So, I'm guessing it didn't go over too well when he found out your weren't just a vampire."

"That's putting it mildly." Killian's chest tightened at the memory. The look of anguish on Bae's face when the truth had come out. "Because of our sire bond, we had regarded one another as a brother, as family. Once he discovered what I was he… he saw it as the ultimate betrayal, and then I…"

"You what?" Emma prompted.

"Then I had to tell him the truth about how his father had turned me, that he killed my family. Bae accused me of using him to find out about his father so I could kill him. He didn't believe me when I told him my motives had changed. He deserted that very night, and I never saw him again, until tonight."

"You didn't know he'd made peace with his father when you-"

"No," Killian insisted. "Though, I'm not sure it would have mattered. Once I learned my family's killer was in Germany, I enlisted again and made it my mission to hunt him down. I caught him just as the war ended, then came back to Storybrooke when it was all over."

She didn't press him any further, knowing he'd give her the details of the encounter if she asked, but not wishing to force him to relive it. "So what now?"

Killian sighed. He'd been wondering the same thing. "We've no choice but to tell Graham and Arthur that we've identified the vampire. His vendetta may be against me, but he'll have to answer for his crimes against their packs."

"All those attacks, and for what? Just to lure you back here?"

"So it seems," Killian answered heavily.

"Don't do that." Her hand stilled, and he swiveled his head to look up at her.

"Do what?"

"Blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

Through the darkness he could see the battle she was fighting with her fatigue. Now that the anger and trauma had passed, the long day and night was catching up with them both. Killian took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, brushing it lightly against his lips.

"Get some sleep, love." She tsked at his side stepping and raised a brow at him. "I promise to not leave this bed again until morning."

"You better not," she yawned. "Or else I'm gonna have to put you on a leash."

"You'd get no complaints from me," he purred cheekily, pulling a snort from her before she drifted back to sleep.

Killian knew he should move to his side of the bed and allow Emma to sleep undisturbed, but couldn't bring himself to pull away from her just yet. He took in the solace of her scent, the gentle rhythm of her breathing, and the metronomed beat of her heart. Something strange stirred his attention as he lay there, though. A faint fluttering had him pressing his ear more firmly against her abdomen and his breath caught when he realized what he was hearing.

A heartbeat.

Killian bolted upright in stunned amazement and let out a watery chuckle as he looked down lovingly on his mate. A babe. They were going to have a baby.

Killian's mind raced every bit as much as his pulse at this new reality. Why hadn't she told him? Was it possible she didn't know? How far along was she? Would their child be like them? As he settled next to her on the bed he was overcome with that instinctual drive to protect what was his. With his hand protectively draped over her stomach, Killian considered how he would convince her to stay in the safety of the cabin the next day. It was true that they were a team, but Emma's pregnancy changed everything. Killian resolved to stand his ground the next morning, and finally nodded off preparing himself for a fight.

"I think I might just stay here today," Emma announced the next morning as Killian prepared their breakfast.

"Really?" Killian turned from the burner with a stunned expression, dropping bits of scrambled egg on the floor from the spatula grasped tightly in his hand. "I mean, uh… why?"

Emma narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously. He knew he'd been acting strange all morning, trying to find a way to broach this very idea with her, while also attempting to figure out if she knew of her condition.

"Now that we know who's behind the attacks, I think my time would be best spent here doing some research to see if Neal has any connections to the area. Maybe get an idea of where he could be hiding out." She chewed her lip hesitantly and moved to stand before him, placing her hand on his chest before adding, "Plus, I think it would be better if you broke the news to the other males without me there adding to the tension." He opened his mouth to respond, but she pressed on before he could. "I couldn't care less about making them uncomfortable. You're the only one I'm concerned with. It's important that they respect you as an Alpha, especially now, and I think that'll be easier without me there."

Killian swallowed hard, his eyes darting between her own. "Are you sure those are the only reasons you'd want to stay here today?"

Emma cocked her head, her brows scrunching in confusion at the question. "What other reason would I have?"

Killian diverted her inquiry with a shrug and turned back to the stove top to finish off the eggs. He could feel her speculative gaze burning at the back of his head, but she thankfully chose not to press him any further.

"Did you make coffee yet?" she asked, moving toward the cupboard at his right.

"There, uh, isn't any," he fibbed. "Ruby must have forgotten it when she stocked the cabin. There's tea, though."

Killian glanced over his shoulder as Emma groaned and reluctantly made herself a cup of tea. "Make sure and pick some up when you're in town." He gave her a noncommittal smile and brought the pan of eggs over to the island to add to the rest of the spread he'd prepared that morning. "Uh, Killian?" she began with raised brows. "We're hybrid bounty hunters, not Romanian powerlifters. What's with the buffet?"

"We skipped lunch yesterday and barely ate dinner. I figured you'd be hungry."

"There's hungry, and then there's preparing for hibernation," she quipped playfully before turning a speculative look in his direction. "I've never known you to be a stress eater."

He chuckled nervously and handed her a plate, suppressing the urge to scratch behind his ear which he knew would give him away. If she thought he was acting odd as some sort of side effect from the tension the day before, then he would let her. Now that he was reasonably certain she was not aware of the babe growing within her, he didn't quite know how to tell her. It probably wasn't the right time anyway. The other males would be expecting him, and she needed to stay focused on tracking Bae, er… Neal's movements over the past few years. There would be time later for such revelations, and a proper celebration over the news.

They both ate quickly and in relative silence. Killian did not wish to cause any further suspicion that might result in a conversation he was not ready for, and Emma seemed willing to simply leave him with his thoughts.

"You're sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Killian asked as he prepared to leave for town.

"I'm sure. Other than coffee, I have everything I need."

Killian huffed in guilty amusement before grabbing his keys and gave her quick peek on the cheek.

"Hey," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to her. "Before you go, are you going to tell me what's going on with you? You're acting strange."

"I'm fine," he dismissed lightly with an overly bright smile.

"You know I can tell you're lying, right?" Her eyes didn't hold any mistrust, just a stated reminder that he wasn't fooling her.

Killian sighed and confessed, "Aye, love. I know. It's just… I'm not sure how to, that is… this might not be the right time to-"

"It's okay," she soothed tenderly, running her hand through his hand and toying with the wisps at the back of his neck. "I get it."

"You do?"

"I'm still processing everything from last night, too," she whispered timidly. "I never expected to see him again, and knowing that he's here causing all this carnage because he wants revenge against you..." She shook her head and looked down at her feet. "We're bounty hunters, not murderers, but I can't help wanting to tear out his throat for what he did to you last night. I can't even imagine what you must be feeling."

Killian gripped her chin and gently tilted her head back up. "I've wanted to end the bastard ever since you told me what he did, and tried to do to you," he admitted. "Knowing that it was the same man I once called friend doesn't change that. You aren't alone in your murderous desires." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to try and provide her a sense of comfort, and to perhaps try and quell his own rising ire. "But as you said, it isn't our place to mete out his punishment. We have a duty to bring him in to face justice... more's the pity."

His final words managed to pull a smile from her. Arms circled his waist, and he wrapped his around her, breathing in her scent and recognizing for the first time a fresh note in its mixture. His throat tightened at this new evidence of his child's existence, and it took everything in him to not blurt out the truth and drag his mate back to bed so they could celebrate properly.

"Are you sure you're okay with me not coming with you? I don't want you to think I'm abandoning you to explain all of this on your own."

"I'm sure," he said quickly, not wanting her to change her mind. "I've got to go. It wouldn't do for me to be late." With one last kiss he disentangled himself from her embrace and headed for the door.

"Make nice with the other Alphas," Emma called after him.

"Where's the fun in that?" he shot back with a wink.

Emma stretched and got up from her laptop, heading back to the kitchen for another cup of tea while the program she'd been running finished its search. Wrinkling her nose at the dissatisfying beverage, she had half a mind to text Ruby and have her remind Killian about bringing back coffee. Maybe even ask how things were going between the men.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried about how Graham and Arthur would take the news that all of the attacks had simply been a ploy to lure Killian back to the area. Though, why Neal had attacked the Camelot pack, she wasn't quite sure. It seemed too coincidental for it to have been some other random vampire, but nothing she'd found in the past few hours had given her any sort of connection between Neal, Camelot, or Storybrooke.

The sound of the perimeter alarm from her phone startled her from her thoughts. It was too early for Killian to be back. She wasn't expecting him for another couple of hours at least. When she didn't hear the crunch of the tires on the gravel driveway, Emma pulled back the curtain and peered out the window. Killian's truck was nowhere in sight, but it wasn't long before the cause of the perimeter alarm started making its way towards the cabin.

Emma retrieved her gun from the bedroom and swung the front door open just before Neal could set foot on the porch. He raised his hands in response to the barrel directed at him.

"I just came to talk."

"Then talk," she replied without lowering her weapon. "My hearing is excellent. No need to come any closer."

"Could you maybe put the gun down first?" he suggested apprehensively, his arms still raised above his head. "I promise I won't come any closer unless you ask me to. You know, like if you wanted to invite me in or something."

"Not a chance in hell."

"That's too bad," he quipped with his still familiar arrogance. "I was hoping we could catch up over a nice cup of coffee."

"We're out of coffee," Emma deadpanned. "What do you want, Neal?"

"I told you. I want to talk."

"About what, exactly?"

"You," he answered softly. "How have you been? You look good."

Emma raised an incredulous brow while lowering her gun slightly. "Are you serious right now?"

"Of course I'm serious." He lowered his arms and took a step forward, stopping short when she raised her weapon again. "I've missed you." Emma snorted, but he continued on, undeterred. "I didn't want to leave like that, but I knew you'd need some time to get over the shock. I always intended to come back, I just got a little… sidetracked."

"Please," she scoffed. "I don't believe for a second you ever intended to come back. You're a coward, Neal." His fists clenched at his sides. "That's why you didn't come at Killian directly. You preyed on the weaker members of the packs, then laid a trap you knew he couldn't free himself from. Tell me something, Neal. Did your daddy teach you that?"

Red flashed in his eyes, but he remained where he was. Perhaps sensing that she was purposely goading him. Killian was right, they weren't Neal's judge and jury, but that wouldn't stop her from pulling the trigger if he came at her.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? Do you really think I don't know about how your father tortured and murdered Killian's family?"

"And did he tell you what he did to my father in return?" he seethed. "You've put him on some sort of pedestal, believing he's this virtuously righteous being when in reality he and I are not so different." Emma rolled her eyes, pulling a sneer from his lips. "I know things, too. I asked around, and it turns out your change wasn't entirely consensual, was it?"

Emma's eyes widened, his words snapping in her mind as a cold line of dread ran down her back. "What do you mean, you asked around?"

"I can be quite… persuasive," he said smugly, confirming Emma's fear that there might be members of the packs unknowingly operating under his persuasion. "How can you stand there and tell me that what he did to you is any different than what I did?"

"Killian only changed me to save my life, you only ever tried to take it," she grit out through clenched teeth.

"Come on," Neal scoffed dismissively. "It wasn't all bad. You can't deny that we had something special."

"What we had wasn't real."

"We can make it real," he insisted. "With the sire bond we now share, it'll be real this time."

"Are you insane? Even if I wasn't bonded to Killian as his mate, I would never choose to be with you."

Neal's entire countenance darkened. "Even if it meant saving your mate's life?"

"You really think you're a match for him?" Emma snickered. "Killian's a hybrid, Neal. He's faster than you, stronger than you, and impervious to silver in human form. He can't be persuaded, has no photosensitivity, and… he has me to watch his back. So, threaten him all you want, Neal. My money is on my Alpha." The pinging of the perimeter alarm sounded from her back pocket, and Emma threw Neal a smug look of her own. "Speaking of…"

Neal glanced over his shoulder, his startled expression barely smothered when he turned back to face her. "It doesn't have to be like this. You can end things now by coming with me."

"The only way this ends is with you in our custody to face justice," she replied matter of factly. "Turn yourself in, Neal."

A broad, gloating grin broke over his face. "Not today."

Emma tracked him with her gun as he ran towards the treeline, unable to get a shot off before he disappeared into the woods. A growl of frustration tore from the back of her throat as she slammed the front door closed. She should have just shot the bastard where he stood.

Emma emerged from the bedroom, having just stowed her gun away, when Killian burst through the door. "Swan?!" His panicked expression gave way to relief when he caught sight of her, and he wasted no time securing her in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, running her hands soothingly up and down his back. "He never even made it onto the porch." She didn't need to explain who he was. The lingering scent already answered that.

"What did he want?"

"Long story short… me."

Killian pulled back, his expression hard and unyielding. "Come again?"

"He seems to think that since we share a sire bond now that things would be different between us this time around. He wanted me to run away with him." She rolled her eyes and huffed exasperatingly. "The man is delusional."

The muscle in Killian's jaw began to tick wildly and his gaze darkened with hints of scarlet in their midnight hue. "That's it, then," he snarled as he stalked past her towards the bedroom. "You're going back home. Now."

"What?" Emma rushed after him, watching in disbelief as he grabbed a bag from the closet and began filling it with her things.

"Graham, Arthur, and I will deal with Neal," he said without missing a beat. "I want you safely back home by tonight."

Emma began removing her belongings from the bag after he went into the bathroom to gather her toiletries. "You are not sending me away, Killian. I'm not leaving you here to deal with him on your own."

"Yes, you are, Swan," he stated emphatically as he dumped bottles and other products into the bag, refusing to meet her gaze.

"No. I'm not," she snapped indignantly. "We talked about this last night. We're a team. Partners."

"Things are different now," he growled impatiently, sweeping a frustrated hand through his hair.

"How? How are things different?" She braced her hands on her hips, unwilling to give an inch.

"They just are."

"Why? Because now that you're surrounded by other Alphas you feel the need to exert your authority?" she sassed. "You might be my Alpha Killian, but I have just as much right to be here as you do. I can handle Neal. I can take care of myself."

"And what about the baby, Swan?!" Killian roared, causing Emma to blanch.

"Baby? What baby?"

Killian swallowed heavily and closed his eyes briefly before moving to stand before her. His expression was softer now with eyes full of emotion as he placed his hand over her stomach. "This one."

Emma's mouth dropped open in astonishment, the truth of all her seemingly unrelated symptoms slamming into her all at once. "I'm… I'm pregnant? H-how do you even know that?"

"Last night, after you fell asleep, I was resting my head against your stomach, and I heard it."

"Heard what?" Emma questioned, still having trouble fully processing the news.

"A heartbeat, love," he answered with a watery smile and thick tone. "I heard the wee one's heartbeat."

Emma clamped her own hand over his against her abdomen. "Are you sure?"

"Aye. It was faint, but strong." He glanced down at their hands then looked back up at her with a hint of uncertainty. "You really didn't know?"

"No," Emma breathed, her eyes brimming with tears. "We're going to have baby?"

"Aye, love," he beamed, a happy tear slipping past his lashes. "We are."

They both laughed through their tears and exchanged soft kisses, holding one another as they relished the moment of pure joy.

"I can't believe you knew before I did," she muffled against his shoulder.

"Well, now that we do know about the babe, it's even more reason for you to go. For the wellbeing of-"

"Oh, no you don't," Emma chastised, looking up at him with a firm resolve in her eyes. "Don't you dare use my being pregnant as some sort of excuse to try and send me away. If anything, this child is all the more reason why I should stay."

"How do you figure?" he questioned with scrunched together brows.

"Neal is a part of both of our pasts. We both deserve the chance to deal with that past before moving forward with our future. This future," she emphasized by gently pressing her hand against her stomach.

Killian let out a resigned sigh. "You can't blame a man for trying to protect what's his. I mean… that's not what I meant, love. I-"

"It's okay, Killian." She cupped his cheeks. "I know what you meant. You have to stop berating yourself for these instincts. Do you honestly think I don't get territorial or possessive about you from time to time?"

"Oh?" Intrigue danced within his eyes and a smirk twitched at his lips. "Is that so?"

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, and replied huskily. "I see the way women look at you; humans, vampires, werewolves, they are all stare at you like a piece of meat they want to devour, and it makes me crazy."

"Does it, indeed?" His eyes darkened slightly and his grip on her hips tightened.

"Mhmm." Her tongue swept across her bottom lip and his gaze tracked its movement. "Because as much as I'm yours, you're mine, Killian." Her fingertips grazed along his jaw and over his mouth. "My lips," she declared before running her hand down his body, laying claim to other parts of him. "My neck. My chest. My chest hair," she quipped with a twitch of her brows, causing him to chuckle before he sucked in a short breath when her hand found its way under his shirt. "My abs," she continued, smiling at how his muscles jumped under her touch. She guided her hand lower and cupped his hardening length through his jeans. "My…"

"Yours," he groaned, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

"Damn right," she said, stripping him of his shirt then pushing against his chest until he fell back onto the bed. "All mine."

"If I didn't know better Swan, I'd say you were pretty guilty of that devouring look that makes you so jealous of others," he teased. A lusty smirk accompanied his raised brow as he looked down his body at her and watched while she unfastened his jeans.

"Oh, I most definitely intend to devour you." His Adam's apple bobbed and his hips lifted, allowing her to free his legs from the remaining garments before she sank down onto her knees and pulled him closer to the edge of the bed.

Her hands skimmed along the tops of his thighs and lightly scratched through the coarse hair at their apex. She could hear the rush of blood in his veins, the hot and steady stream that continued to harden him and drove her wild with its pounding in her ears. Shallow pants of anticipation echoed in the quiet room, and he twitched under her feather light touch when she took him in hand. A soft plea fell from his lips when her breath ghosted over his tip, and the moan he gave as she swirled her tongue around his velvety head shot straight to her core.

Working him over with her mouth, tongue, and hand it wasn't long before his legs began to shake, his climax quickly approaching. Emma pulled her mouth from him, but continued her pleasant assault with swift, even strokes as she fixed her attention to the vein calling to her from the inside of his thigh. His hips bucked at the pin prick sensation and continued to thrust into her hand as she drew from another source of pleasure. Husky and strained encouragements gave way to a choked sob when she broke off from her ministrations just before he could find completion.

She giggled at his disgruntled expression and began shimmying out of her own clothes. "Do you delight in my torment?" he groused playfully.

"Pay back for depriving me of coffee today," she countered as she crawled up his body and straddled his hips.

"Mmm, a most grievous sin," he confessed with a small whimper at the roll of her hips over his.

"Bet you won't be making that mistake again," she stated smugly, running her fingers through his dampened chest hair as she continued to swivel her hips tortuously over his.

"On the contrary," he mused in a slightly strained tone. "If this is to be my penance, then I'll have you adhering to every healthy pregnancy practice in the book."

Emma's breath caught at the reminder of the life growing inside her and she once again placed her hands protectively over her tummy. Killian's gaze clouded over with an emotion she'd never witnessed from him before; something paternal underscoring the look of strong Alpha devotion and dominance. With his hands resting on her hips, he gently brushed his thumbs over her lower abdomen as she shifted and sank down over his length.

Never taking their eyes off one another, Emma rocked their bodies in a slow rhythm of building desire. Their bond whispering through the other's consciousness things they could never hope to fully put into words. Impressions of the feelings that resided in each of their hearts infused themselves in one another's skin under the heat of their gaze. Declarations and promises of forever were silently exchanged until that beautiful pleasure pain expression caressed Killian's face, and his mouth fell open to give utterances of his ecstasy with her own falling alongside.

An indiscernible amount of time passed with each of them tangled in the other's arms before Emma heard a soft buzzing sound coming for the floor at the foot of the bed. Killian cursed trying to extricate himself from the covers in order to fish his phone out from his jean's pocket.

"That'll be Graham checking in," he surmised. "I forgot to call and let him know everything was okay here." He settled back onto the bed and scratched adorably behind his ear. "I uh, left in a bit of an enraged panic when the perimeter alarm went off on my phone."

With all that had occurred since Killian burst through the cabin door earlier, Emma hadn't had a chance to ask him how things had gone with the other Alphas that morning, nor had she been able to relay her suspicion that Neal was using persuasion on someone, or ones, in town. Neither of those things seemed to matter after the words that left Killian's mouth when he answered Graham's frantic call.

"What do you mean, Ruby is missing?!"