38 Practice

"Dammit!" The electricity fizzled from Niklaus's fingertips. "Why can't I get it to be like it was before!?"

Niklaus thrust his hands forward but only a small spark of lightning came out.

(You're not going to master it in only hours.) Shade laughed.

(I know!) Niklaus huffed. (I thought I could at least get it to properly form in my hand. Why can't I do it, what's changed between then and now?)

(Your state of mind.) Shade said bluntly. (You're not feeling everything like you were before.)

(You mean I'm not trying to kill that son of a bitch?) Niklaus could feel the abhorrence in his throat.

(Yes.) Shade chuckled. (Use that hatred, you'll be able to do, that, again.)

Niklaus felt beckoned to look up. The sky rolled with thunderous, dark clouds as red flashes could be seen through the sky.

(Did I do that?) Astonishment peered on Niklaus's face.

(Yes.) Shade laughed. (However, using hatred can lead you down a dark path. Try finding a better emotion, one that's not derived from the horrors of your past but the hope of your future.)

(What will happen if I can't find a different emotion to control my power?) Niklaus asked apprehensively.

(That's not important right now.) Shade said evading the question. (Come, let's try to get some sleep.)

As Niklaus approached the front door he noticed a light on in the main room. Niklaus was going to try sneaking past whoever it was awake but when he reached the steps he noticed Olivia sitting on the couch, playing with her phone.

"Oh." Niklaus stopped awkwardly, bringing his foot back from the steps. "Hey.."

"Hey.." Olivia dropped her phone onto lap. "Were you.. out running?"

"Uh, no.." Niklaus stepped just behind the couch adjacent to Olivia. "I was practicing with the Epulon."

"How'd that go?" Olivia looked down, they hadn't spoken about her moving to her own room.

"Good, I think.." Niklaus sighed and took a seat. "I mean, I don't really have anyone to show or teach me how to completely control it."

"Yeah." Olivia glanced up at Niklaus, he looked..different somehow. "I'm sorry I changed rooms without telling you."

"No." Niklaus gently shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for that, I know it's probably been difficult for you having to deal with everything since we've met."

Olivia looked towards the kitchen. "I think I'm going to make some coffee." Olivia said getting up. "Do you want some?"

Niklaus took a deep breath. "Yeah, that sounds good.. I think." Niklaus chortled lightly. "Truth be told, I've never had coffee."

"Right." Olivia watched as she poured coffee from the pot into two mugs, adding cream and sugar to her own before bringing both mugs back to the main room. "You'll have to figure out if you like it with the extra stuff." Olivia said lifting her cup to her to lip, watching Niklaus take a sip of his own coffee.

"I think I might need a little sugar." Niklaus tittered, standing and walking towards the kitchen.

Olivia's eyes followed Niklaus, placing her cup on the coffee table she quietly inched closer behind him.

Niklaus reached for the sugar, suddenly feeling dizzy, Niklaus vision started blurring, he had barely been able to grab the glass sugar jar before his legs gave out. His head hitting the counter as he fell, Niklaus dropped the sugar, the container shattering and spilling white granules across the floor.

Niklaus looked up with blurry vision, a warm liquid, which he knew was blood, leaking from his head. For only a moment Niklaus managed to make his vision straight, just long enough to see Olivia standing over him with a gentle pained look and a small leer on her lip.

"I'm sorry Niklaus, I didn't want to hurt you but after realizing your packs still alive we had to move up the deadline, which is why we had to force your Epulon to emerge. We knew you wouldn't unlock it unless something were to happen, so we took Nathaniel on your run, we also knew you wouldn't leave willingly, even if I am your mate, and so, here we are." Olivia sighed, standing and walking to the back door, unlocking it.

Through barely conscious, fuzzy vision, Niklaus watched three shadows enter the door and one, who he figured was Olivia, walk out. The three shadows crowded around him. One at his shoulders and the others by his legs, the three of them started picking him up as the final grain of consciousness left Niklaus's body.

***

Nathaniel watched from the stairwell, barely poking around the corner. He'd been having the same nightmare since that day and was coming to get some water when he heard a loud thud and some glass breaking. When Nathaniel peered around the corner he could see Olivia crouching by Niklaus's head, he could see her lips moving but wasn't close enough to hear her words, he couldn't control his wolf's, Monty's, hearing yet.

Nathaniel watched Olivia let three rather large men inside, who then lifted Niklaus and carried him out of the house.

Nathaniel didn't know what to do, he knew Olivia was Niklaus's mate but from what he saw it seemed she might not have been after all. He took a moment to think about the situation, on one hand he could barely control his wolf and was still in pajamas, but on the other hand, it was raining and any trace of them would disappear before morning when the grown ups would be awake. Nathaniel took a deep breathe and waited for the last one to leave the house before starting to follow behind them.

Nathaniel remembered what he could from his hunting classes. He stayed downwind from the group, stayed hidden when he could, and stayed quiet.

As Nathaniel reached the forest where the group had carried Niklaus, he found a sharp rock and began to scratch the trees as he passed.

Nathaniel followed deeper into the forest, the foliage getting denser and more out of control. The humidity getting worse the farther through the forest Nathaniel traveled.

Staying off the main path Nathaniel continued to follow the group until they came to a stop at what seemed to be a sort of campsite. Smaller tents outline the site as a larger tent took over the center.

Nathaniel watched from the outside as Olivia and the three men took Niklaus to the larger tent in the middle.

***

"Hello Uncle." Olivia spoke in a neutral tone, bowing before Blink who sat in a throne-like chair.

"Niece." Blink spoke phlegmatically to Olivia, but seeing that the three men were carrying Niklaus caused a shift in his tone. "Ah, I see you've managed to capture my little wolf." Blink grinned and raised from his seat.

Walking in front on Niklaus, Blink placed his hand on Niklaus's chin and raised his head, Blink's grin growing wider. "Finally, the changing of power can commence. Put him in the cage, we leave at first light for the Cairn Chamber. Better yet, bring the cage in here." Blink dismissed the men and they dragged Niklaus away.

"What about what you promised me?" Olivia asked as the last man left.

"Oh that.." Blink turned back to Olivia. "All of that will have to be handled after the ceremony. For now, make sure Niklaus is prepped for what's about to come."

"Yes, Uncle." Olivia spoke under her breathe and left the tent.

Olivia wanted to check on Niklaus before they moved the cage into Blink's tent. He was still unconscious, Olivia reached into the bars to check if he was still breathing. Just as Olivia placed her fingers on Niklaus's neck to check his pulse, he grabbed her arm and pulled her against the bars.

"You betrayed me.." Niklaus spoke with a darkened expression. "Why would you do this?"

"Y-you're hurting me.." Olivia spoke softly.

Niklaus growled lightly and released Olivia just enough that she wasn't pressed on the bars anymore.

"Answer the question, Olivia." Niklaus couldn't help but speak her name as if it was poison on his tongue. "Why would you help my torturer?"

Olivia felt a pained twinge in her heart when Niklaus said her name. Although he was right about her betrayal, he is still her mate and hearing the way he spoke her name made her hurt, even though she knew she didn't deserve to feel that way anymore, after all, she was in the processes of rejecting him.

"I- I helped him because he promised to bring my parents back." Olivia hung her head, she felt ashamed saying the words aloud. She knew that this would be what dragged her soul to the underworld when her time came.

"You know he's lying to you." Niklaus released Olivia's wrist. "He's lying to you and using you, and you're letting him."

"You're probably right, but there's not much I wouldn't do to see my parents again."

***

Nathaniel managed to get closer to the large tent without being seen, he was just about to sneak in when he saw Niklaus being put into a cage and shortly after he could hear Olivia coming out of the tent. Nathaniel was barely able to find cover before Olivia stepped out and walked over to the cage.

Nathaniel watched Olivia reach into the cage and saw Niklaus pull her against it. Nathaniel carefully crept closer, hiding behind the miscellaneous things around the camp when he could.

Nathaniel stopped when he was close enough to hear what Niklaus and Olivia were saying.

He listened to their conversation waiting for it to end and Olivia to leave so that he could help Niklaus escape the cage.

Nathaniel watched and listened intently, waiting, hiding, and slowing his breathing and heart beat like he'd been taught in his hunting class so he wouldn't be caught.

Finally, just as he'd started to believe Olivia would never go away, she left and the coast was clear. Nathaniel slowly emerged from his hiding place and ran to the gate in the cage.

"Niklaus." Nathaniel whispered. "Niklaus!" He said again in a yelled whisper.

"Nathaniel??" Niklaus's eyes widened and he moved to the side of the cage Nathaniel was on. "What are you doing here? How'd you know where I am?"

"I saw them take you." Nathaniel pulled on the lock, it didn't budge. "Help me get you out. Where's the key?"

"I don't know but I have two guesses and I don't want you near either one of them."

Nathaniel's eyebrow cocked and he sniffed the air.

'Someone's coming.' He thought. "I'll be back." Nathaniel quickly scurried back to his hiding place and once again watched Niklaus in the cage. Nathaniel watched as a tall, lanky man appeared by the cage.

'The man from before.' Nathaniel couldn't remember the man's name, he wasn't even sure if he'd been told his name but he recognized his face. It was the man from his and Niklaus's run. The man that had begun to haunt his dreams a few days ago. 'Why is he here? What does he want from Niklaus?' Nathaniel was quiet but it made him good at watching, listening, and waiting for his moment. Nathaniel soon realized, however, that the lanky man wasn't saying anything, he was simply standing there, staring at Niklaus inside his cage. Before Nathaniel realized it the sun had began to rise. 'Crap. Mother will be wondering where I am by now.'

[Mother.] Nathaniel called through the pack telepathy. [Mother!]

[Nate? What's wrong? Where are you!?] Evelyn's voice came through like static.

That's the main thing Nathaniel remembered when Niklaus told him about his scars and the people who gave them to him. They had a witch that was able to block telepathies from other packs.

Nathaniel knew that if he was going to get Niklaus out safely, he'd have to get out of the witch's magic field and get help.

"Sorry Niklaus." Nathaniel snuck from his spot and started heading for the outside of the camp.