Chapter 27
Regina and Emma came out of the vault and the mausoleum. As soon as they break the door way, Regina's cell phone alerts her to a missed call. Emma grabs hers on reflex and checks it. Nothing. She's a little surprised that she doesn't have a missed call or message, too. She is surprised but she is also happy at the same time. No calls meant no issues.
"That's odd," Regina said looking at her phone.
"What's odd?" Emma asked her.
"Snow called me."
"She called you? Why would she call you and not call me? What does she need?" Emma asked.
"I don't know. I haven't listened to the voice mail, yet. Hold on and let me find out," Regina told her as she dialed into her voice mail.
Emma watched her face. The confusion was quick and not expected. Emma reached out and touched her arm. Regina whipped around and stared at her. The look of utter confusion only got worse the longer she listened to the short message.
"What?" Emma asked her.
"I need to find Snow. Can you go home and make sure that Coraline is okay? Also, call Will and tell her to come to the house. It seems we need to talk some more," Regina told her.
"What's going on?" Emma asked.
"I am not sure, but your mother is worried about something. I'll go see her to find out what it is and then I'll meet you at the house. Just please make sure that Coraline and Will are there. I have a feeling that I am going to need Will's services before the night is through."
"Guess I'm poofing home, by myself, then."
Regina leans into Emma and gives her a quick kiss. She is trying to not act as worried as Snow, but there was something in her voice that has put Regina on edge. She is hoping that she hasn't worried Emma too much because she knows that Emma will follow her to Snow's if she has. She wants to make sure that Coraline is okay and that there isn't another threat against her or worse.
"I'll be home soon. I am sure it is nothing. It is probably something that Neal ate and she isn't sure what to do. Go to the house. I'll be there soon. I promise," Regina told her.
She didn't wait for Emma to acknowledge her again. She flung her arms up and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Emma stood there a minute herself before she followed suit and poofed herself back to Regina's house across town.
Regina opened her eyes. She was standing in Snow and David's living room. As the smoke cleared, Snow saw her former stepmother appear.
"I didn't mean that you had to come over right away."
"Snow, any time you call me like that I am going to come right over. Now, what is so important that you needed me so quickly? It sounded like a matter of life or death. Is everything with Neal alright? What's wrong?" Regina questioned her.
"Neal is fine. I called because we need to talk about Red and Will. Granny told me something that has her extremely upset and I'm sure what to do about it," Snow replied.
"Granny told you something about Red and Will?"
"Sit down, Regina. I'll get you some coffee. Charming, don't you need to go check in at the Sheriff's office. I am sure that someone has called for something by now," Snow told him.
He understood that he was being dismissed. He also knew that it meant that Snow wanted some privacy with Regina. He went across the living room and scooped up Neal. He changed Neal's clothes and put a jacket on him. Then they were out the door in less than five minutes.
In that time, Snow gave Regina a fresh cup of coffee. She moved around the kitchen with a practiced ease and rustled up some sort of cookie. She was trying to play at hostess and Regina didn't understand why. Whatever it was that Snow needed to tell her, it was something that she was worried about telling her. This didn't help ease Regina's mind as she sat at their kitchen table waiting for Snow to just tell her.
"Snow, sit down and tell me whatever it is that you know," Regina urged her.
Snow finally stopped and sat down. She looked across the table at Regina and hung her head. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to start this conversation.
"Snow?"
"Granny came to me about Red. She is worried about her. She thinks that there may be a play for power among the Wolves of the town," Snow told her.
"There aren't that many Wolves here. Does she honestly believe that there will be a coup? And what does that have to do with Red? It isn't like she is an Alpha," Regina stated.
"But, she is an Alpha."
"What?" Regina asked breathily.
"She is the daughter of the daughter of the Conulf. She is an Alpha of her tribe. It turns out that Granny's husband was the head Alpha of their pack."
"Anita was his daughter and Red is hers…"
"Yes, and because of that Red is his natural heir. Being his heir, she is an Alpha. She would be the leader of the pack if it so chooses to reform. Granny is scared for her life."
"If Red is an Alpha, she'll be fine. I doubt that anyone in town would step up against her. She has earned their respect and their fear. If there is another Wolf in town, I am sure that Ruby is already aware of it. She hasn't said anything to me about it. Has she to you?" Regina questioned taking up her cup of coffee as she started to relax but still waiting for more bad news.
"You would think so, Regina, but she doesn't like to talk about her Wolfside. You know that. I am afraid of what might happen if she is challenged," Snow told her.
"You really think that someone will challenge her?"
"I'm almost sure that it will happen," Snow replied.
"Who is it?"
"You already know."
"I already know who it is?"
"Yes, you do," Snow told her and then hid behind her coffee cup.
Regina studied Snow. She could see the fear and the understanding in her eyes. It didn't help settle Regina's mind at all. She watched Snow fidget with the coffee cup in her hand as it set on the table. Regina was running through people in her head. She couldn't come up with an answer that made sense to her. She couldn't think of anyone that would be a Wolf and she didn't already know about their other life. She turned her gaze from Snow's fingers back up to her face and studied it.
"Who is it, Snow?"
"Regina, I don't know that it will do any good for you-"
"Just tell me who it is!" Regina demands.
"Will, it's Wilhelmina," Snow told her.
She heard the gasp. Hazel eyes met mahogany. She could tell that Regina was trying to figure this out. She couldn't believe what Snow was telling her but on some level it made sense.
"I need to go."
"Regina, wait."
"No, Snow, I need to go."
Regina stood up. She was obviously in a daze. Snow stood up, too. She tried to reach out to stop her, but before she could lay a hand on her, Regina was gone in a plume of smoke.
Emma arrived at home quickly. So quickly, that Coraline almost ran into her coming out of the kitchen. They stared at each other but didn't question the immediate appearance of Emma in the house. Coraline just watched as she crossed the room and pulled out her phone.
Emma opened the fridge and grabbed a beer. She had her cell held up to an ear with one hand as she opened the beer bottle with the other. Coraline stands in the doorway and waits for her mother to tell her what's going on. Emma just shakes her head when Will doesn't pick up.
"Call Will," Emma quickly orders Coraline and takes a long pull of her beer bottle.
Coraline watched her mother for a few seconds before she decided to follow direction. She reaches into her blue jeans and pulls out her cell phone. She calls Will and waits for her to pick up. She is staring at Emma. The intensity in her eyes was not lost on Emma.
They were both uneasy about this phone call and neither really knew why. Emma knew that she was just doing as Regina asked and hoped that she would have an answer soon. Coraline had learned quickly not to question her mothers, but she knew that something had to be going on for Emma to demand that she call Will. They stared at each other for a few tense minutes, green mirroring green.
"Will?" Coraline finally said when she finally got an answer on the line.
"Yeah?"
"Ma needs to talk to you," Coraline stated quickly as she handed the phone to Emma without any further preamble, hoping that it will prove to give her answers faster.
"She wha-" Will states as the phone is passed across the kitchen counter.
"Will, it's Emma."
"What's wrong?"
"I am not sure that I really know, but Regina wants you to come to house."
"I'll be there soon."
"Good. I'll see you when you get here. Hopefully Regina will be here by the time you are."
"She isn't there?" Will asked suddenly fearing for the former queen.
"No, she went to talk to Snow before she came here."
"Why did she go to Snow's?" Will questioned.
"I am not sure. I came here first. Regina should be here soon. Can you just come here? She asked me to call you. Will, I don't know what's going on, but I know whatever it is, it can't be good. It's got Snow scared enough to call Regina. Can you just come over?"
"I'll be there shortly."
Emma hung up the line and handed Coraline back her phone. She pun back around and started rummaging through the fridge. She needed something on her stomach. She knew that if she didn't eat something now, she wouldn't once Regina told her whatever it was that upset Snow.
Coraline watched her. She could see the uneasiness in Emma's movements. She could feel the questions flowing off her and she hoped that the arrival of both Regina and Will would calm her. She knew that Emma didn't know why she was upset just that she was.
"Snow called your mother," she finally said as she dropped the beer bottle in the trash.
Coraline watched as she put together two sandwiches on the counter. She didn't reply as Emma returned her sandwich materials back to the fridge. She almost laughed as Emma turns around with two beers in her hand. She opened the both and handed one to Coraline along with a sandwich. Coraline takes them and watches her mother.
She knew that she hadn't seen her this edgy since she was a child. She couldn't understand why Snow calling Regina would set her on edge this much. She is about to say something when Regina appears to them both in the kitchen. Without saying a word, Regina reaches across the counter and snatches Emma's beer.
They both watch as Regina makes a face, but drinks the beer anyway. She sets the beer down and turns to the cabinet taking a glass down. She reaches into her wine stock and selects a bottle. She opens it and pours herself a healthy amount. She swirls the glass, admiring the color, and takes a big sip. She places the glass back on the counter top.
Emma unconscientiously takes a step towards Regina. Coraline watches as her mothers come together without knowing it. The pull to be near other was growing. Coraline smiled. Regina grabbed the counter top and dropped her head as Emma encircles her waist with her arms.
"Is Will on her way over?" Regina finally asked.
"She is."
"I need to talk to her," Regina stated and Emma and Coraline both heard the unsaid "alone."
"Want to tell me what about?" Emma asked.
"It seems that she is part Wolf," Regina told them as she downed the rest of the glass of wine.
"She's what?" Emma asked.
"That explains some things," Coraline replied as they both turned to stare at their adult daughter.
Coraline decided not to further elaborate what she meant by that statement. She gathered her beer and sandwich and left the room. Emma was on her way out the room after her when Regina grabbed her arm and held her back. Emma turned back around and stared at Regina.
"What?"
"I need you to support me in this," Regina told her.
"Support you in what? You come home and tell me that Will is possibly a werewolf. Our daughter mumbles something under her breath that I want more clarification on and then you tell me that you want my support. What are you hinting at?"
"It seems that Wilhelmina's mother and Red's mother are sisters," Regina started.
"They are?"
"Yes."
"And, this is a problem?" Emma asked, unsure why Regina seemed so upset about Red and Wilhelmina's lineage.
"It could be," Regina said.
"How? Can you tell me why? What is it that them being cousins could be so bad? Regina, Red is your sister. What am I not seeing as a problem?" Emma questioned her.
"Red is an Alpha."
"Of what? There aren't any other Wolves in town besides Granny. And, I doubt that Granny would stand up against her. So, I ask again what the significance to that?"
"Will is also from an Alpha line."
"You're afraid that Will will challenge Red for leadership of a nonexistent pack?"
"I am not afraid of it happening. I know that it could. Granny's so worried about it that she went to Snow who called me. We have to talk to Will and make sure that she won't try anything with Red. I can't lose either of them, Emma. One of them will have to back down."
"And, you're sure that it should be Will?" Emma asked her.
"She has to obey me."
"She had to obey you? Do you even hear yourself? What are you talking about?"
"She has to obey me because of the Vulcannonian Contract. She has to do whatever I tell her within reason. She couldn't kill your Grandfather or your mother because they were royalty and the ruling family of the kingdom. Leopold was also not an idiot. He made sure that his family would be protected, even if that included me because of the marriage. He was trying to ensure his line and his lineage," Regina explained.
"Meaning me?"
"He had no way of knowing that you would be born. Snow hadn't even met your Charming father before his death. He could only hope that I would produce a male heir or that Snow would. I never gave him a child, but he knew that Wilhelmina would not die. She could defend the family and their heirs for years to come. The contract is iron tight for her. She cannot disobey it," Regina stated.
"So, if you tell her to submit to Red, she will?" Emma asked.
"That is what I am hoping. I won't know until I talk to her. I need to address this alone, Emma. I don't know what she might do once I explain everything to her. I am not only trying to protect Red and Will from each other, but the town as well."
"What do you mean?"
"You've never seen an Alpha fight. I know that Granny has. I know that Snow hasn't. They will fight to the death, which for Red would be the only outcome that she could succumb to because of Will's Vulcannonian blood. She maybe a Wolf, but she is damn near immortal."
"Fuck."
"Exactly."
"I'll go deal with Coraline. I am sure that she knows a little more about this situation than she is letting on. You talk with Will and give her your orders. We'll have a family dinner and talk about it all a little later. Does that sound acceptable?"
"Are you cooking?"
"I thought I would help Coraline make something," Emma stated.
"Good, because I don't won't the house to burn down."
"You're hilarious," Emma replied.
"I am sorry for all of this, Emma."
"What do you need to apologize for? You didn't create this issue. You are dealing with it just as well as everyone else. How were you supposed to know that Will would come back to you? How were we supposed to know that our daughter would come back to us to save us all? We didn't. There was no way to plan for something like that. We can only do what we can do. Don't beat yourself up about this. We will figure this out. We'll deal with it," Emma told her.
"Keep reminding me of that. Keep telling me that we are doing the right thing. Keep me on the right path," Regina stated in reply.
"I will, Regina. I am not going to let you go dark again. I'll keep reminding you over and over that we are going to beat this, because we are going to beat it," Emma told her and then kissed her.
Regina melted into the kiss. She was glad that Emma could make her feel so much, such strength and so much weakness at the same time. She gave her so much happiness that she wasn't sure that she should be allowed to have it. She knew that the past few weeks had been difficult for them both, but they were coming to terms with each other and their budding relationship. They were making things work.
"Stop thinking so much about it," Emma told her.
She held her close. They heard the doorbell and Coraline's yell. They knew that Will was at the door and Emma held Regina to give them some time alone.
"Let them be for a few minutes, Regina. I know that you told Will to stay away from her, but who is that really helping? You or Coraline? I know that you are afraid for Coraline, but Will loves her. She'll do right by her," Emma stated, kissing her again.
Regina melted into her again. Ignoring the nagging feeling in her head to go get Coraline away Will, she returned the kiss. She ran her hands under Emma's shirt and caressed her back. She heard the soft moan that Emma gave it and ate it up like a drug. She needed this. She need more of it. She needed Emma.
"Later, Love," Emma told her breaking the kiss and backing up from the other woman.
"Later?"
"Regina…"
"I know."
"Look, I'll make dinner with Coraline. You go talk to Will. You and I will have some alone time later and I promise that you will like it," Emma told her.
"And if I don't want to wait until later?" Regina asked her, cocking her eyebrow.
"Regina…"
"What?"
"You can't do or say things like that and just leave," Emma said pathetically.
"Why not, Darling? You kissed me and then sent me away. Fair play and all," Regina replied walking out of the kitchen and towards the living room to find Will and Coraline.
Snow entered the forest sometime around six. She was looking for Red and she knew where she might be hiding. There was a clearing about a mile in that only a few people from town knew about. She'd found Red there many nights during the full moon. It was a big enough for her to bed down. Snow wouldn't be surprised to find out that Ruby that had a den somewhere near there. She wasn't going to look for it, either. She was just trying to find Ruby.
"RUBY!"
"I'm here," she answered stepping around some trees.
Snow could see the pain in her eyes. She was covered in foliage and dirt. She had changed and Snow knew that it had been without a full moon. She was worried about her friend.
"Rubes, are you okay?"
"I am fine."
"You changed didn't you."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"How long ago?"
"About an hour or two, I think. I am not sure. It's not like I understand everything that is going on around me when I am like that," Ruby stated sitting down on a falling log.
Snow slowly crept over to her. She didn't know what to do for her friend. She knew that Ruby wouldn't hurt her and neither would the Wolf, but she didn't want to invoke the Wolf's wrath either. The pain in Ruby's eyes was more apparent the closer she got. Snow sat down beside her on the log and began to pull the small twigs and other tree bits out of her long mane of hair.
"Tell me what's going on, Ruby," she begged.
"I don't know."
"What do you remember before you changed?" Snow probed.
"I was walking through the forest to clear my head like I normally do. I'd been at the diner with Belle, Granny and Will. I found out that Will isn't just Vulcannonian. She is my cousin or aunt or something. I am not quite sure. I know that Granny knows. I just couldn't be there anymore. There are too many secrets when it comes to my Wolf lineage, Snow. It is like Granny only wants to tell me things when she has to tell them to me not because it is part of who I am."
"Maybe she is trying to protect you," Snow replied.
"From what?"
"I…"
"From what, Snow?!" Red asked staring to get angry with her friend.
"I am not exactly sure," Snow stated.
"What do you know that I don't, Snow?!" Ruby hissed.
"Wilhelmina is your cousin. Her mother and your mother are sisters. You are both of the Alpha line. You are both Alphas," Snow told her.
"Great," Ruby said immediately calming.
"What?"
"That is why I changed then," Red replied.
Snow watched her. She wondered if Red knew more than she let on about her Wolf side and her lineage. Could she possibly know that she and Will could fight it out for the leadership position of the pack? She looked into her hazel eyes and waited for her to say more.
"You have to promise me that you won't start a fight with her, Ruby."
"I can't promise that, Snow and you know it. I can't want to not do it, but if we are too close to each other the Wolf in me will demand that submit. I understand your fear. She is Vulcannonian. If we fight, I'll die. I get it."
"That is a very distinct possibility. Red, I can't lose you. I can't lose Regina either. If you two come to fight for the head Alpha status, you know that it could start a war amongst the town."
"What can I do?"
"Can you find a way to submit to her?"
"You want me to submit to her?"
"If it will save your life, then yes, submit."
"But, what if she won't let me?" Red asked her.
"I doubt that Will would not take your submission. I am sure that Regina will order her to take it. Wolf or Vulcannonian, she'll obey Regina. She has no choice."
"Because of her contract?"
"Yes, the Vulcannonian part of her blood will override the Wolf's. It may be why we never knew she was part Wolf. If she does change, it must be at her leisure. I've never seen her as a Wolf and I know that Regina hasn't either," Snow told her.
"How do you know that?" Ruby asked her.
"Because she would not have seemed so upset by learning the truth."
"You've told her about our mothers?" Red asked.
"I did, once Granny confirmed it."
"I'll speak with Will."
"Thank you, Red."
"Don't thank me yet. This isn't done. This is only the beginning of the turmoil I feel that we are going to have to deal with. No matter what happens, I need to know that you, Regina and Emma will be there when we have this…discussion. If things don't go well…"
"You're asking me to put you down?" Snow questioned tears in her eyes.
"No, I am asking you to save me from myself. If our discussion turns into a confrontation, I won't be able to stop my Wolf. Instinct will take over and we will fight. It will be to my death, so I need to know that you will take care of it before it comes to that."
"I'll talk to Regina. We'll figure something out. I am not going to lose you to this, Red. I refuse to lose," Snow told her.
"I'm guessing that Regina is talking to Will about this."
"I am sure she is."
"Fine, I'll stay out here for a while. Come back here to find me. Will discuss a meeting once you and Regina are okay with it. But, do me one favor, Snow," Red said.
"What?"
"Don't tell Belle what's going on. I don't need her worrying about me more than she already is. She has enough to deal with. Just let her worry about Rumple and her research. She doesn't need to be worried about me. I'll be fine out here on my own. Just tell Granny where I am. And, remind her to stay out of the way. I am a Wolf. I can take care of myself."
"I'll do it," Snow replied.
"Thank you…for everything, Snow."
"I'll go talk to Regina again."
Ruby watched her friend go. She knew that Snow meant well and she knew that Regina would ask her to submit, too. Honestly it would be an easy thing. Red didn't want to be the leader of any pack. She was happy being a lone Wolf. But, things had changed in town. She knew that the other Wolves would fall in line behind her if they were needed, but she didn't want to call on them for any reason except to save the town. Now, after finding out that Wilhelmina was in fact her cousin, she was worried. She knew that town would split behind them if it came to a war of the Alphas, but Ruby was determined to not let that happen. She couldn't afford to on many levels…her life, her family…and Belle.
She sighed and she paced. The Wolf inside her clawed to get out and for a moment, she knew that it would be safe in the woods to let it run free. She felt her body give over to that desire as she changed. She shook her Wolf's head and a new scent assaulted her nose.
She turned her head skyward and sniffed. It was the smell of magic, old and foreign, but she knew that it was magic. She sniffed again trying to locate where the smell was coming from. She blew out her nose when she realized that it was coming from the well and not town. Her paws were already moving towards the old well before the thought had completed itself.
As she neared the well, she saw Rumple beside it. She was still a Wolf, so she hung back in the shadows and watched the Imp. She saw the glee in his eyes with your yellow Wolf eyes. She could only wonder what he was up. Her brain was at war with itself. She didn't know whether she should run to town and warn Regina or wait for Snow to come back to her. Either way, they needed to know and they needed to know quickly.
She turned back towards the clearing and ran as fast as her body could go. They needed to know. Alpha war or not, she would protect this town. It was her pack and she would default to Regina and Snow as her Alphas if need be. Right now, they needed to know what Rumple was doing, even if she didn't fully understand what he was doing.
Coraline sat down in the den with her sandwich and beer. She turned the TV on to find something mindless to watch. She wasn't surprised that her mothers were uneasy about Will being part Wolf. It made sense to her in some degree.
Will didn't favor Red that much, but she did at the same time. She could see the similarities, but she wondered why that would upset her mother so much. She knew that Red and Regina were sisters. It was no secret in the future. No one dared to make it a problem either. It was actually considered a good thing. Red never tried to usurp anyone. She just stayed in the background and protected her niece.
It had only taken finding the journals for Coraline to learn the truth of Red's lineage. She had never used it against her aunt. It just gave her more credence that Red was just trying to help Regina out more. The more that she read about Red the more she trusted her. It just seemed that Red was protecting Coraline not just out of familial duty, but because she loved her like she was her own family, like she was a daughter. She had stepped up when Regina asked and made sure that Coraline was not just taken care of but loved, too. It meant more now to her then it did when she realized who Red was to her.
She had just taken a bite of her sandwich when the doorbell rang. She sat the sandwich on the plate and then the plate on the coffee table. She took a quick swig of her beer and sat it down.
"I got it," she yelled at the kitchen, letting both of her mothers know that she would get the door.
She made her way from the den to the front door. She figured that it was Will and she wanted to talk to her alone before Regina took her off heaven knows where. She missed her and she was sure that her own mother had told her to stay away for a few days. She understood that they had an uneasy and complicated relationship, but that didn't mean that she had to suffer because of it.
She opened the door to find Will on the other side of it. She smiled at her and Will smiled back. She thought about how amazing it was that they could communicate so easily with each other without saying a word. She knew that Red and Belle could do it. She'd seen it first-hand, but she'd never had anything like it with someone else. The closest she'd come to something like that was with the other knights, but that was soldiers being soldiers for survival, not love.
"Hi," Will finally said breaking their silence.
"Come in. Mom and Ma are expecting you. They are in the kitchen," Coraline told her.
"I figured. You called me to come over remember? And, I also know that Emma like to stress eat when no one is looking. I bet she made you a sandwich, too."
"She did," Coraline said with a laugh.
"Emma is so predictable sometimes."
"I am sure that she is. I wouldn't know. I only had them for five years. I don't really remember Ma that much. I was usually with Belle and Mom before everything happened."
"We're going to figure it out, Coraline. I am going to help them. We're going to find a way to beat the Blackness. I am not going to let anything happen to them. I can't."
"I know," Coraline stated as she leaned towards Will, who graciously took her weight.
Coraline leaned into her warmth and immediately felt a calm that she couldn't describe. She let Will hold her and keep her fears at bay. She wished that she could have more of this with Will and she knew that she would have to talk to Regina in order to get it. She would have to make her mother understand how she felt when she was around Will. For her part, Will rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.
"I miss you," Coraline whispered.
"I know."
"I'll talk to Mom," Coraline told her.
"I'll talk to her, Coraline. Don't push her away. Keep her close to you now. You need her."
Coraline looked up at her and studied her azure blue eyes. She could see the love reflected back at her. She gave her a quick hug and pushed her towards the kitchen.
"Mom and Ma are in the kitchen. Go ahead and head that way. I'll be in the den watching TV waiting for you all to get done. I want to go out tonight, if we can." Coraline told her.
"I'll talk with Regina. Let me go and get this over with. I am sure that they have something important to talk to me about. I'll come back and tell you good-bye before I leave. Coraline, I am not going to push the issue with your mothers. I love you and I love her. Unfortunately for both of us, I am still under Vulcannonian contract with her. She still owns me, Coraline. I cannot change that until she lets me go."
"I know, but it isn't fair for either of us."
"I'll talk to her, Coraline. I can't promise anything. I owe her so much for leaving her."
"I know you feel guilty about that, Will, but you can't control her."
"I could have prevented a lot of it, though." Will explained.
"Then, Henry and I wouldn't exist," Coraline replied.
"I know. I know. Trust me on that, I know. I have lived many lifetimes. Coraline, I know more than I let on most times. But, I regret leaving her the way I did. I could have been more…"
"Communicative about it?" Regina asked, finding them in the foyer.
"Yes, Majesty. I believe that I could have. I am sorry for that."
"Coraline, go help Emma make dinner. I'll be back in a few minutes. Let's go into the study and talk," Regina stated.
"Yes, Majesty."
"She's staying for dinner," Coraline declared as she wondered into the kitchen to help Emma.
"I see," Regina stated as she followed Will into her study.
She immediately poured Will at tumbler of cider and handed it to her. She still had her wine. She sipped it as she sat down on the couch. She watched as Will sat herself down on the other.
"She definitely has your defiance," Will told her taking a slow sip of the cider.
"I think she comes by that naturally from both of us. She is going to be a handful as a child, I fear. I am also scared that I won't be able to be there to enjoy her mischief. But, that isn't the reason that I asked you here tonight."
"I didn't think it was."
Regina sat down her wine glass and studied Will. Her normally clear blue eyes were dancing with fire and love. She could see it in her face. The few moments that she was afforded in the foyer with Coraline had renewed her somehow. It also gave her the needed motivation to follow Regina's orders so that she could prove herself worthy of Her Majesty's daughter.
"I know you love her."
"I do."
"Then understand that when I ask this, it isn't because I want to ask you this. I am giving you this order to protect my family…all of it, even the ones that not everyone knows about. Do you understand that?" Regina asked her.
"My service is to you, Majesty. I serve the royal family as an afterthought. If someone has threatened you, Emma, Henry or Coraline, I will make them pay for the insult and then then threat. Who is it that needs to feel my wrath?" Will asked very seriously.
"No, there will be no wrath."
"Then, what is it, Majesty?"
"I have been told of your lineage."
"Yes, what of it?"
"It seems that you and Ruby share a common ancestor, Will."
"Who?"
"Your grandfather's…your mother's were sisters."
"So what?"
"You're both Alphas of the pack."
"I see."
"Do you?" Regina asked.
"I shall submit to her, Regina. Have no worries about that. I will submit to my Alpha."
"You will?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Regina questioned.
"Because even though I was born to the Alpha line, being a Beta is what I have always been. When mother died, Rohan became the Alpha with his wife. No one questioned it, even though the pack Alpha line usually falls to the female side. I quickly submitted to him, not only for the Wolf side of our world, but also for the Vulcannonian. I will have no problem bending my knee to her. She is my Alpha. I'll tell her that myself."
"Good."
"So, can I stay for dinner?"
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."
"I do love her."
"I know."
"I won't hurt her."
"I know."
"Then why are you distancing us?"
"Because she is my daughter and she will hurt you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because, I hurt you. She won't be able to help it. It is in her nature," Regina explained.