Kurt was sprinting through the shadows of the forest. Again. Despite the reoccurrence of the dreams, he could tell that tonight would be different. His skin prickled with unfamiliarity, the air thickening with anticipation for the chase that was bound to come. His milky skin glistened under the slivers of moonlight, the subdued hues engulfing him. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, centering the heels of his feet into the ground. He smelled the aromas that were teased out of the pine cones, the woody scent of tree bark and the musty earth that was moist from humidity. An owl prattled from the trees above, its call being swallowed by the vast expanse of the night.

He had never thought to explore his other senses whenever he was under the spell of this dream. He was too one-track minded. Too busy prioritizing evasion. Perhaps he spent too much time attempting to escape, and not enough time facing whatever it was that chased him. Always running away and never staying in one place long enough for anything, or anyone for the matter, to get too close. It was easier that way. Kurt was beginning to realize that this was more than merely a dream. This was a direct manifestation of his Achilles heel that plagued his entire life.

He was always running from something. Bullies. Pain. Love. And now, he was even running from being a witch. Kurt was emotionally and physically spent. It was high time he planted his feet and met whatever it was that chased him with full force. He was ready for the wave of change that would inevitably rip away his shroud of avoidance. He was ready to give in to the chase.

The branches of pine that surrounded him preened and chortled in satisfaction. They were just as tired as him for avoiding his fate. Their roots settled; the tips straightening in relaxation. The nocturnal creatures that stirred in the shadows went silent. Something was about to happen, and they were merely preparing themselves for it. The gentle breeze evaporated into nothing in response. Silence fell over the forest with a resounding hush.

It was here.

Kurt felt it's eyes first. Their golden hues burning into his upper back. He remained motionless, not daring to move. He wanted to take his time. He spent all this time running; he needed to savor the moment of this willing reveal. The walls crumbled as the creature, his creature, stalked forward. It's gait was heavy, the strides hard and confident. It was the walk of a predator. A predator whose prey had at last relinquished after their long and drawn out duel for survival. But this was not a matter of life and death; this was a matter of union. A marriage of divinity; of two souls merging into one.

Kurt felt the creature's breath; lapping just as surely as a wave breaks and approaches the shoreline before ebbing back into the sea.

In. Out. In. Out.

Kurt turned. He had saw the creature before, but it wasn't nearly the same as being directly in front of it at such a close range. The moonlight reflected over it's black fur, it's chest heaving in and out. It's mouth was open, his eyes ablaze with desire. Of longing that was finally obtainable. Kurt wanted to run his fingers over the coarse hair. So, he did. He jutted out his chin in defiance, not letting the nerves consume him. Kurt's hands shook before he placed them gently on the column of the creature's neck, his thumb rubbing lines into it's cheeks. The werewolf's eyelids drooped, it's satisfied breath fanning over Kurt's face.

It's large claws, their nails sharp as knives, made their way around Kurt's back. Their touch, as tender as a chaste kiss, settled at the base of his spine. "Kurt. My Kurt." The wolf's voice was rough and guttural. Savage, even. But it felt so utterly familiar. He couldn't help but feel as though he heard it before, albeit in a much less harsh and more humanized form. The creature suddenly pulled Kurt forward, their bodies flushed closely together. His pronounced arms consumed him, the taut muscles braiding and entwining around Kurt's lithe form. Kurt held his breath. Not out of fear, but out of anticipation. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like forever. Here, time was like liquid, slipping through the cracks and constraints of mere seconds, minutes, or hours. It wasn't something that could be measured, just felt.

The werewolf nuzzled it's nose into the crevice of Kurt's neck and drank in the scent that emanated from the pulse point. Kurt's head dropped back, his erogenous zones burning with unadulterated pleasure. The wolf seemed to want to be in contact with all parts of Kurt's body, his hips thrusting into the pale man's pelvis. It's clutches palmed every square inch of his creamy skin. It was marking Kurt. It's scent invading his and mingling its own way until it was impossible to discern where it's smell began, and Kurt's ended.

Kurt dropped his nose into the wolf's mane, breathing in. He smelled of pine and overgrown grass with subtle notes of wild mint. Fresh, like wilderness that was untouched. Pristine, even. He scent was like a maze, a dizzying labyrinth that Kurt wanted to willingly lose himself in.

Kurt felt something buried deep within his chest awaken and unleash inside of him. Something long ago forgotten. A binding was somewhere being unraveled, a lifetime of pent up power animating itself from an unspoken slumber. His blood was the fuel, and witchcraft was the spark. A fire of magic erupted through the narrow passages of his veins.

It was the fire of witches.

A chain was being formed between the two of them; melding their souls together. The links clasped one another, securing themselves in a tight seal bound by magic. There was no turning back now. They would be inseparable after this, Kurt was sure of it. The wolf and the witch, spellbound together in a divine pairing.

Once the unraveling and bonding spell were complete, the wolf unexpectedly jolted back. It screamed out in anguish, it's rasping voice piercing the night air. Kurt gasped. Seeing a creature so strong, so formidable looking, doubled over in pain was an unsettling sight. It's bones snapped, shortening themselves into more recognizably human forms. It's dark hair, which covered its entire body, slowly receded as it reabsorbed into its skin. It left a light dusting of it on its chest, legs and shoulders. It revealed a hulking muscular body, remarkably human, with olive tinted flesh. It's face was the last to morph. The snout and teeth caving in towards its skull and eventually flattening out and settling into a recognizable visage. Kurt gulped, stifling a gasp. It wasn't an it but a he.

And he...was Blaine.

The realm of consciousness washed over Kurt like cold water. Frigid, and all at once. The first thing he smelled was pine, grass, and mint. Lost remnants of his dream. Or so he had thought. It was Blaine's scent, he was sure. He opened his eyes instantly. His gaze was met with Blaine's face which was tucked neatly in the domain of sleep. His arms were wrapped tightly around Kurt; like he was protecting him from harm even while unconscious. It felt nice, even if unexpected. Kurt fixed his gaze on the darker man's face for a few moments. Despite his bearded jaw and brawny frame, he looked like a child. So innocent; like the world had yet to ruin him for good. Kurt savored it and locked the image away in the deepest corners of his memory for safe keeping.

As if he knew he was being watched, Blaine lazily open his golden orbs. A look of complete adoration dawned on his face before settling into Blaine's usual passive exterior. It was so brief that Kurt almost missed it.

"I'm really a witch, aren't I?" Resignation and reluctant acceptance bled through his voice. It was small. Like a child accepting a story at face value without question.

"Yes, Kurt. You are. It's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's something to be proud of." Blaine took Kurt's hand and turned it over, exposing the underside of his forearm. He ran a thumb over the bluish veins that bloomed through his wrist in fibrous branches. "You have so much power running through your veins. So much so that you don't even know it."

"And what about you?" Kurt's tone was questioning. But it was a question he already knew the answer to. He merely wanted confirmation.

"What about me?" Blaine was deflecting. He wasn't one to reveal his truth so easily. It never did him any good.

"You're the wolf that's been stalking my dreams, aren't you?" Kurt looked Blaine directly in the eyes, unflinching. The truth was out, and he wanted Blaine to know he didn't care. "I'm no expert on creatures but does that make you a werewolf?" Blaine's body stilled. He wasn't sure what to do or say. The dark-haired man breathed out deeply, the air hissing between his gritted teeth.

"We...prefer lycan. But everybody else usually goes with werewolves." Blaine looked uncomfortable at unsheathing secrets; like a top secret agent providing the enemy with closely guarded intel. "How did you figure it out?" He snuck a glance at Kurt who was drawing circles on Blaine's chest with his index finger.

"I should have known when you growled at Adam. Also, you sniff a lot. It's very dog-like." He laughed a little bit, his eyes wary to gauge if Blaine took offense. When he didn't, he continued, "but it wasn't until my usual dreams, that I was sure."

"Usual dreams?" Blaine was confused, his brows knitted together in an attempt to understand.

"I had these recurring dreams of something chasing me. I never knew what it was. It never got close enough for me to find out. Until you came into my life that is. It kept giving me bread crumbs, little morsels of reveals here and there. But tonight was... different." Kurt blushed, recalling what happened between the two of them.

"And why was it different?" Blaine leaned in, his curiosity getting the better of him. The blush of Kurt's cheeks made his heart soar. He suspected he was the cause for it and it made the wolf in him shudder with pleasure.

"I had seen you in your other form before...but this time you got closer. I was able to touch you and you were able to touch me." Kurt avoided his gaze and Blaine quickly misinterpreted the look.

"I didn't...I didn't hurt you, did I?" Blaine's eyes were wild with regret and sorrow. Like he would never allow an ounce of forgiveness if he had harmed Kurt in any way.

Kurt rebounded quickly, wanting to reassure Blaine. "Oh, not at all! You were actually...you were quite gentle, in fact. Tender even." Kurt paused. "You were just really adamant about smelling me and putting your body all over me." It was Blaine's turn to blush.

"Lycan are...are very in tune with our sense of smell. Smelling is essential component of our social interactions." His voice was blank, devoid of emotion. He was lying.

He's lying, he was marking you. The devilish wolf doesn't want to upset you. Too bad he doesn't know you enjoyed it. The voice in Kurt's head crept from the shadows and sprang to life to catch his attention. He ignored it. He snorted in response to Blaine.

"That's the understatement of the year." Kurt sat up, reluctantly pulling himself from Blaine. "I felt something. Something important." Kurt gathered his thoughts.

"What is it, Kurt?" Blaine's eyes were alert, ready to remedy any problem Kurt had.

"It's hard to explain, really. We were holding each other and suddenly I felt something unravel within me. Like how one who unwrap a present that's tied with twine. One pull and everything hidden in the box would be revealed." Kurt took a breath. "And one more thing, I felt a chain being linked between us. I can still feel it if I focus hard enough." He whispered the last part, still unsure where this was going.

"It must be your powers coming in. You broke the binding spell in your sleep somehow. As for the other part, I have no idea."

"Binding spell? What does that even mean?" It was Kurt's turn to be puzzled. Witchcraft, the real kind and not the kind he read about, was a fresh field of confusion ripe with unanswered questions. Kurt was more than ready to bite into the forbidden fruits of magical knowledge.

"I can't answer that. Well, more like I don't know how to. Witchcraft is a witch's business and it's one that I'm not intimately familiar with to be honest." Blaine looked sheepish, frowning as Kurt deflated. "But I do know someone who can." Kurt's eyes lit up, curiosity shining brightly back at Blaine. The dark-haired man wanted to bottle that look. So alive. So beautiful. He could almost see the wheels turning in that gorgeous brain of Kurt's.

"Really? Oh my god, do I get some fairy-witch mother or something?" They shared a small laugh.

"In a way, yes. Her name is Santana. She's a mean one, sassy as hell for an old woman. She came to me in the dead of night in Lycan territory and told me about you." Blaine minced his words, not wanting to scare Kurt off with the absolute truth.

"What did she say?"

"That you were spellbound and needed her to discover the true extent of your powers. We need to travel to meet with her soon."

"Travel? Soon? I can't just put my research and life on hold, Blaine. I have things that need to be done. Life doesn't stop because one finds out they're a witch." The lively banter they had built dwindled, the air around them souring with reality. Blaine's face turned hard and serious.

"Kurt, something is coming. Something evil. Santana said that you're the only one who can stop it. You're the one." It was the same thing that the voices who overtook Frank had said. You know it's true. You felt the tremors in the library. "She instructed me to provide you with safe passage so that she can teach you about your magic."

"So, I've been told." Kurt pursed his lips, mulling over the limited options he had. He could stay in Washington and continue his research in an attempt to forget about this witch business. Or he could travel with Blaine to fulfill a destiny defeating an evil being. Which, for the record, he didn't ask for. He peddled between the two options. Running in place was still running. If he stayed, he'd only be running away from who he truly was. He'd be hiding in a world of familiarity that only served to make him comfortable. The other option meant that he was still running but he would instead be running toward something. And that something was his destiny. A destiny that would reveal himself by a journey of unquestionable power. And he needed to learn more about that power if he was going to defeat whatever diabolical entity that was out to obliterate the world.

His decision was made.

"Fine, I'm in."