40 Death

***

There was a lot of screaming and chaos when they got there, Nathaniel was hunched over in front of a giant hole leading inside a weird chamber like room.

Neil and Evelyn raced ahead of the group to make sure Nathaniel was okay and upon closer inspection he was fine but he wasn't responding, he was simply looking blank faced.

"Nathaniel, what happened?" Neil looked directly into Nathaniel's eyes, noticing the dried blood on his head but no wound. "Are you okay?"

Nathaniel stayed silent, his arm raised past Neil's side, pointing inside the chamber. It was then that Neil noticed all of the bodies. Neil's eyes widened and his face turned as white as a ghost's.

"Mom.." Neil tugged gently at Evelyn's arm. "I don't think any of us are going to be okay."

Neil stumbled over his feet, heading to the center of the chamber. Stepping over body after body, Neil recognized a few as members of Blink's pack, then he saw a body that was misshapen and disfigured, a body he recognized.

Neil squatted next to the body.

"I guess you got what you deserved." Neil noticed Evelyn standing next to him and the rest of the packs that were with him filing into the room. Speaking to everyone Neil raised his voice. "This is, was, the man that tortured Niklaus for nine years." Neil scanned the crowd, he noticed James and Atlas staring at something further inside the chamber. Following their stares Neil noticed another body, this one was laid on a stone slab at roughly waist height in the very middle of the chamber. His arms laid gently at his sides, a peaceful, serene look on his face. As Neil got closer, he noticed the cut along the neck and knew that he was dead.

"Niklaus?" Neil's voice cracked as he started to stumble before finally falling to a kneel next to the body. "Niklaus!?"

Neil picked up Niklaus's hand and held it to his chest. Tears fell from Neil's eyes as he started to cry. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he saw Harper standing behind him, Evelyn kneeled with Nathaniel on the other side of Niklaus's body.

"I'll handle his burial." Tears rolled down Evelyn's cheeks. "As his mother and only living female relative, it is my right, my duty to perform the burial rituals."

Neil nodded his head and began to shift to his wolf. The others followed Neil's lead and shifted to their wolves too.

Neil looked at his mother, her wolf was as honey blonde as she was with all the same greying hair. Her eyes a dulled, tired, and long sad red.

As Neil began to put his head back to howl, Evelyn and Nathaniel did the same. The three of them signaling the death of a loved one. Harper, Atlas, and James came closer to the alter like platform where Niklaus laid and they too began to howl. The howls of the rest of the wolves sounding soon after.

The tones, the harmonies and melodies, of all of the different wolves blending together like that of a sad song. Echoing throughout the chamber and catching on the wind and carrying the song over the trees.

***

After carrying Niklaus's body back to the Ever Green pack, Evelyn took him to the pack mortuary to prepare his body for burial, she'd been in there for nearly eight hours now, Harper checked on her roughly every thirty minutes. Either bringing her tea or just poking his head in.

Neil locked himself in Niklaus's room, they'd heard crashing when he'd first shut the door but it was just quiet crying and huffing now.

James and Atlas, they didn't know what to do. They'd only been at the Ever Green house for a day before everything hit the fan again, Niklaus was in the hospital when they'd arrived the day before and hadn't returned to the pack house until after dark, he then disappeared before the sun had even come up. As such, the two did the only thing they could think of, which was writing up the allied paperwork for the three packs.

Atlas knew the pain of losing a son, he knew that Evelyn wouldn't care about the alliance's paperwork's, but Atlas also knew that there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. So him and James started the paperwork, and at the very least it could be a small stone lifted from Evelyn's shoulders.

Nathaniel still hasn't spoken to anyone about what happened or what he saw. Evelyn asked Daniel to watch after him and see if he can't get Nathaniel to talk.

Harper walked into the office where James and Atlas were putting together the final touches of paperwork.

"Dad.." Harper looked Atlas in the eyes. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"I can leave if this is a private matter." James walked towards the door.

"No, you might be able to help too." Harper sighed and took a seat at the desk. Resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his palms. Harper combed one hand through his hair before sighing again. "How do I help Neil?"

"What do you mean son?" Atlas sat against the desk.

"How do I help him?" Harper leaned back in his chair. "I know it was hard for me when Aaron died but Aaron and I, we weren't as close as Neil and Niklaus. So, how do I help him? How do I make him feel better about everything that's happened?"

***

Atlas's eyes looked softly at his son, at this moment, he knew that Harper was ready to lead the pack. Harper now knew the true pain of losing someone and the value of life. Atlas and Scarlett had protected Harper from Aaron's death, he had been quite young when Aaron died, no older than Harper was now.

"I'm sorry son. There isn't a correct answer I can give you." Atlas spoke gently. "There's no single way to help people after they've lost someone. I think the only thing you can really do for Neil is to be there for him."

"What do you mean?" Harper's eyes were more dull than they had ever been, Atlas could see he was suffering from Niklaus's loss too but was shouldering the burden to take care of those around him. "How do I be there for him when he won't even open the door?"

"Harper, I don't know how to answer that." Atlas said solemnly. "I suppose, you'll have to let him emerge on his own time."

Harper looked to the floor.

"Okay." Returning his gas to Atlas. "Thank you for the advice, Dad."

Atlas watched as Harper stood and began to leave the room.

"Harper." Atlas followed behind Harper. "I love you, son." Atlas wrapped his arms around Harper and felt as some of Harper's tensions dissipated.

"I know dad." Harper returned the hug. "I love you too."

***

Harper gently knocked on the door and listened for any signs of life.

"Hey Neil?" Harper spoke softly, his ear turned towards the door listening for signs of life. "Baby? Please let me come in."

Harper sighed and put his back on the door sinking against it.

"I'm sorry Neil." Harper spoke quietly. "I'm sorry I don't know how to help you, I'm sorry that you're going through this, I'm sorry he's gone, and I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do to help you feel better. I'm just.. I'm sorry." On his final sorry, Harper's voice broke. He could tell through their bond that Neil was in a dark place, somewhere so dark Harper wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to pull him back to the light.

As Harper sat there, he started to hear shuffling inside and then the door unlocking. Harper looked up behind him as the door cracked slightly, Neil peeked through.

"Are you going to sit out there all night?" Neil asked in a low perturbed voice.

"If you don't let me in." Harper said nodding.

Neil sighed and pulled the door open the rest of the way.

Harper rose quickly and followed Neil inside the room, it was disarrayed with broken furniture and wooden splinters all over the floor. As harper looked around more, he realized Neil was wearing Niklaus's leather jacket.

"Neil?" Harper said in solemn. "I don't know how to help you feel better, I wasn't as close to Aaron as you and Niklaus were and my parents protected me from his death until I was ol-"

Before Harper could finish his sentence he could feel Neil's lips on his own, breaking away after a couple seconds.

"It's okay Harper. I'm okay." Neil put his forehead on Harper's shoulder. "I'll be okay as long as I have you." Neil looked into Harper's eyes.

A soft smile tugged at the corners of Harper's lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

A slight smile crept onto Neil's face. "Harper?"

"Right here babe."

Neil swallowed and reached into his pocket.

"I trying to plan something before doing this, like a date to your favorite place but I realize now that it doesn't matter how or where I do this just that I do."

"Neil what do you mean?" Harper scanned Neil's movements, from the way his face changed from sadness and guilt, to anxiety.

"Harper?" Neil pulled a small box from his pocket. "I had asked Niklaus to hold onto this for me while I figured out how to ask but here I go." Neil lowered himself to one knee and presented what was in the box. "It was our father's band. I had asked mom for it a couple days ago. So, Harper Randall Amier, will you let our mate bond become official and do me the honor of becoming my husband?"