AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews, it's the only reason I was able to update so quickly. Hopefully the next chapter wont take too long either, I'm excited about this story and where I'm going with it, so I'm glad that you all like it too :) Thanks again.

feed that empty stomach with a killer instinct

It was Monday and Regina should've been at the Diner. She should've been having lunch with Kathryn. It was a standing date between the two of them, one they've done every week day, and Regina knew that Kathryn was already there, probably waiting at their table, probably trying to call her.

What Regina shouldn't have been doing is having sex with M in the back seat of her car. Pulled off the main street, surrounded by wooded terrain on a dirt road, the mayor was shoving two hundred dollars in the girl's hand while M shifted her body to straddle the other woman.

It wasn't planned, she was going to just drive past, but who knew when the next time it would be when she saw M. The younger woman had a knack for showing up whenever she damned well pleased, so Regina was being stupid and parking someplace not that private, smearing her lipstick as she tasted the skin of M's neck. It was like a drug, a terrible, painful drug, that drove the mayor crazy, breathing heavy in short black hair, whispering;

"I just needed this so bad…I needed you…"

Then M was all comforting murmurs soaked in seduction, telling her it was okay—that she would take care of her. The knee that was nudged firmly between the older woman's legs shifted away, making room for her hand pushing up the mayor's skirt. Regina obliged and spread her legs farther as M pushed the material of her underwear to the side, running two fingers along her folds. They both knew they didn't have much time for foreplay, so once the younger woman felt how wet Regina was already, whimpering at the feeling of being touched, she pushed inside her and felt walls clench around her fingers.

And it all unraveled from there, the ingrained routine, the mundane day to day—it fell apart until it was only the two of them and the picture of trees surrounding them. Both finding each other over and over again, and the memory of green clouds engulfing the sky filled Regina's mind, until suddenly—...she was falling apart against the other woman's hand, feeling a rush of pleasure run through and the images behind her eyelids disappeared.

Once Regina's breathing became somewhat steady she opened her eyes to see M watching her with a lazy smirk. Probably quite proud of herself, as she stayed on the Mayor's lap without any rush to leave.

It wasn't enough though, already Regina knew this wasn't ever going to be enough. She needed more already, more of something that she couldn't quite place, but still something more than this.

"When can I see you again?" She rushed the words out breathlessly, resigned to this madness and no longer caring.

The younger woman considered her for a moment then turned away and picked up her purse that was thrown on the seat next to them. She opened it and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a pen. Then, with that smirk still in tow, she started to unbutton Regina's shirt, and once a generous amount of her cleavage was showing, M took the pen and started writing on the top of Regina's left breast, right above her heart. The mayor looked down confused and tensed for a moment, though she couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw that the younger woman was writing a phone number. When M was done, she examined her handy work with mischief in her eyes, and then leaned down and left a slow and long kiss right above the number. And Regina felt her heart fluttering at the feeling.

"When you can afford it."

It didn't take a second longer for the call girl to move off the mayor, taking her purse and leaving the car and not even looking back as she walked away.

Still, Regina didn't feel a sting from it, idly playing with the top button of her blouse for the rest of the day, still feeling the press of M's lips on her skin.

The forest was thick, trees and brush blocking her view, so she relied on her senses. Staying low to the ground with practiced ease, her stomach empty and feet sore. She closed her eyes for the sound of prey nearby. Her fingers held an arrow between her fingers, rolling it idly as she felt the wind change.

A rustling nearby.

With skilled speed, she had her arrow in the bow, aimed with eyes still closed. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her own, but the feeling didn't startle her as it should have. She was familiar with the shadow that appeared from time to time.

Even with eyes closed the hunter could see the olive skin of the hand, nails painted black, and full red lips as they brushed against her ear, and whispered;

"Go for the kill."

Regina Mills woke with a start, from a nightmare she couldn't remember.

One Monday came when the Mayor went to the police station, and just like every Monday the smell of a particular perfume hit her. Except this time, it was strong and distinctive, and she knew almost right away what that meant. With a sinking in her stomach as she made her way past the two jail cells, she saw M in the first one, sitting on a cot in the corner. Their eyes met, and she smiled at the Mayor like any hunter would at their prey. Regina's steps stuttered to a stop and her face flushed, as she tried to subtly glance at David's office. He was there, with his back to the two women, engaged in a telephone call

"Is it time for my conjugal visit?" M greeted in her own seductive way had when she talked to the older woman. The last time Regina saw the call girl was Friday night after another tense dinner watching passive bitterness reach a boiling point, and she provided a release at M's apartment once again.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, but if felt like scolding. The younger woman was unaffected, standing up and taking her time to stride over to the bars.

"Good question. Let's talk about it after you get me out of here."

Regina almost laughed at the suggestion that felt more like an order, and she did scoff a bit at it while glancing back over to make sure David hadn't seen her yet.

"How do you purpose I do that? Bake you a cake with a file in it?"

She waved her hand around lazily, everything so nonchalant for someone in jail. M still thought she had a few tricks up her sleeve, apparently.

"Just do your Mayoral thing, pull strings or something." As if it was that easy, just abracadabra and a wave of Regina's hand could unlock doors. The older woman put a set scowl on her face, not wanting to encourage this conversation any longer. This was so dangerous, it was a bounty on her head just for talking to the call girl in front of David. She needed to get away from here and fast.

"Absolutely not."

"Oh come on," She pleaded and maybe even whined a little, holding onto the bars for effect. "He's kept me here since last night. That asshole didn't even charge me for anything, he just wants to see me squirm." That couldn't be true, Regina thought, that had implications to it that she didn't want to think about. Though as soon as the Mayor's resolve was about to weaken, M's childlike pout was back on her face, making her feel like she was playing a game she didn't know the rules to. "I'd much rather squirm for you."

"Be quiet." She shushed her, then gave out a frustrated sigh. "I can't just tell him to let you go. How would that look?" Regina implored, trying to find an out of this conversation as soon as possible. When she glanced back at David's office, she could see him still on the phone, but now he was watching the two of them with a confused look on his face. The mayor knew that was her cue and started to walk away from the cells. She only got a few steps though, when she heard M's voice say something that caused her to go cold all over.

"It'd look a lot better than me telling everyone I've been fucking the mayor."

She turned to look at the younger woman's face, and it didn't hold any flirtatious levity or mocking smirk. It was stoned and serious which made Regina's stomach sink even more. There was also a look in M's eyes that she'd seen before, maybe something always there but hidden behind its usual smolder. It was a hint of desperation, a trapped look that made her always just a little on edge. A caged animal. Any other time Regina passed it off as something relatable and enticing. Now it just looked terribly dangerous.

"No one will believe you." She said after a beat and with an unconvincing tone.

"No one likes you enough not to believe me." The younger woman's words were cruel, but the tone almost sounded a matter of fact. As if her popularity as Mayor was known to everyone in its lacking. It stung, somewhere in the back of her mind. Then M gripped the bars and pulled her body against them—somewhat subtly. "Come on, Madame Mayor," That seductive tone was back in voice, but the trapped look in her eyes never left. "Take me home, and I'll let you do anything you want to me." Then she shrugged, playing nonchalant even while she gripped the bars so tight her knuckles turned white. "Or let him keep me locked up until I give him a blowjob. Your choice."

Regina looked away and shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Everyone in this town is horrible." And she was the fool standing in the middle of it, getting played by all of them. God, it made her just burn her skin growing clammy and hot all at once. This town she had sworn to look after was just a snake den that should be left to its own destruction.

"You're not." M replied softly, and against her better judgement Regina was looking back at her. Those trapped eyes. The green that pulled her in every time.

The Mayor cursed herself while she stormed towards David's office.

"That woman in the cell, what has she been charged with?"

Whatever David was expecting Regina to say when she closed the office door behind her, it wasn't that, by the confused look on his face.

"What? Why?"

"Because she's said that you haven't charged her with any crime, but still kept her here overnight." She tried to sound strong, still her insecurities were getting the best of her as his stare was pinning her down. "I'm sure that's not true, though."

"By law I can detain suspects for 48 hours." He retorted with a shrug, and any hope Regina had that M was stretching the truth about her lock-up was getting farther out of sight.

"By law, but I prefer not to have the citizens of this town treated in such a way. What is she a suspect of exactly?"

"She was soliciting." He finally relented with a short tone.

"So, you have charged her."

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Why do you care? I do my job, and you do yours. Which is to collect my budget report." He snapped in a patronizing tone, getting angry and defensive which the Mayor knew meant she was going to get through to him less and less. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her tone before appealing to him again.

"You need to release her, David." It wasn't even about what M was threatening her with, at this point it was just about the fact that it was wrong. The younger woman committed no crime and she shouldn't be kept locked up per ransom of her body. The whole idea of it was sitting heavy in her stomach, a feeling a dread rising on her like something bad was going to happen at any moment.

"There's never any issue when you see Leroy sleeping it off in the cells." David went on, obviously not feeling the coming storm like Regina did, either that or not caring.

"She's not just some drunk fisherman." She argued back.

"No, she's a junkie hooker." Then he paused, his face gained an expression that immediately set her more on edge. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

"I certainly didn't." She defended, but he only smirked at her in a way that made the hairs on the back of her neck raise.

"I saw you two talking out there, and she looked very chummy with you, Regina."

"She was trying to appeal to me, since you were wrongfully holding her—"

"Are you one of her clients?" The question took her off guard, not expecting David's mind to go there, at least not expecting herself to be so obvious in her reaction to it.

"Don't be ridiculous." Regina paused too long, and that smirk of his turned to a smile as he let out a quick laugh.

"Oh my god. You have got to be kidding me." She felt her face flushing and terror filled her body. "That's why you don't ever go out with the guys Kath tries to set you up with. This is rich, just fucking rich."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Regina might as well not of said anything, the way he was advancing towards her, hands on his hips and chest puffed out, with the grin that made her feel microscopic.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't blame you." His smug tone caused her to break his eye contact and look down. She felt him get closer to invading her space, so she instinctively crossed her arms defensively. "That piece out there will let you do anything to her, and I do mean anything." This was a nightmare. This had to be a nightmare. "And everyone has needs, don't they Regina?" David's tone grew darker, she could practically hear the leering in his voice. The deep pitted nausea that was growing in her stomach started to turn into something else. "This doesn't have to leave the station though, especially not traveling to Kathryn's ears…" A heat started rise underneath her skin, something past fear or embarrassment. David had Regina backed against the wall of the office, and it felt like she couldn't breathe. "I know your re-election is coming up, so I'm sure the two of us can work this out." He whispered, and it caused her to close her eyes tight. "Or maybe the three of us…" His hand touched her arm, and that was it.

It was like a flip of a switch. The storm hit, and an unfamiliar rage filled Regina quick and strong. Her eyes snapped open and glared at David with red burning in her sight. Her arm knocked his hand away then she pushed him back hard with two hands. He stumbled, obviously surprised by such a violent reaction from the timid mayor.

"You don't touch me. Ever." Regina's voice was dark and different, loud and echoing off the glass walls of the office—it didn't even sound like her own. It was like she was watching her own body from across the room. Something took her over, something old and primal. The heat under her skin was moving to its own accord, making her body stand tall and battle ready.

"Hey, listen—" David tried to appease with wide eyes, but Regina cut him off.

"No. You listen for once you wannabe frat boy, every week I come here just so Kathryn can keep an eye on you, now what do you think she's going to care about more?" She was talking fast and confident, like words rehearsed a hundred times and it felt too good to even wonder where it all was coming from. "You getting blowjobs in the station where there's security cameras everywhere? Or some rumor you try to start because you're a scared little boy holding on to your wife's apron strings?"

"You can't talk to me like that—"

"Like what? Like how Kathryn talks to you? Like you're a pathetic excuse of a man?" A flash of hurt crossed his features and it made Regina smile darkly, white teeth flashing like fangs. She started walking towards the Sheriff and with every step he matched it with a shuffle back. "I should have you fired for fun, just to see if you are you capable of doing anything other than this. What would you do without your big gun and big badge, asserting your pathetic dominance over people? What if you were just another nobody, worth nothing?"

Another step closer to the Sheriff had him stumble back again. Then suddenly a voice inside Regina's head whispered in a way she's never felt before; Go for the kill, and she couldn't agree more.

"Do you know how I see your future?" She went on, the unfamiliar cruelty in her tone grew to a heated point, as her steps advanced on him more, leading him towards the back of his office. "A room at the Inn, with a rope around your neck—and if you're not careful David, I'll be the one knocking a chair out from under your feet." His eyes widened even more in a shocked fear, as Regina deftly hooked her heel against the back of his ankle, pulling his leg out to lose his balance, and a swift push on his chest had him falling down and back into his office chair. The wheels rolled him a bit from the force of it.

David Nolan was absolutely speechless, and Regina was too much in the moment to care about the consequences. Not five minutes later the Mayor was walking out of the station with M close behind.