34 Sarah Kline

***

8:27am

Olivia woke up squished in Niklaus's arms. She tried to wriggle free but it seemed to only make him tighten his grip around her stomach. Olivia carefully unlaced his fingers and moved his arm. She quickly scurried out of the bed before Niklaus was able to pull her in again. Olivia found a sweatshirt and some jeans in her bag and walked into the bathroom, getting in the shower.

Olivia finished her shower and got dressed before Niklaus had even woken up. She figured she'd let him sleep and see if there was anything for breakfast.

***

Niklaus felt the blankets next to him, Olivia was gone. He opened his eyes and read the clock on the nightstand. 11:43am.

Niklaus sighed and simultaneously cleaned the gunk from his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He sat up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. Niklaus yawned and stretched, popping a couple of the joints in his back. He stood and looked out the window. He couldn't believe where they all were, who he was with, who they had found waiting for them. Niklaus sniffled and cleared his throat. He walked to his duffle and pulled out the T-shirt Neil had gotten for him, he thought about whether he should put his jacket on too. Niklaus looked at the scars on his arms: the three parallel gashes, the burns, and the carvings.

(What do you think, Shade?)

(I think it's time we stop living under that psychopath's thumb.) Shade spoke casually, easily conveying his opinion to Niklaus.

Niklaus put the jacket away and checked himself in the mirror before leaving the room.

Everyone was already downstairs. By the size of the group, Niklaus figured that Evelyn told the entire pack him and Neil had returned and with their mates. As Niklaus walked through the crowd, he could feel the eyes of everyone following him. He was glad that he hadn't been asked about his scars, although his immediate family knew how they had been forced upon him, he wasn't sure if he was ready to disclose the information to everyone else he knew.

Niklaus found Neil, Harper, and Olivia at the center of the crowd, surrounded by people trying to hear the story of how he survived the attack and where he's been since. The conversation halted when the people noticed Niklaus walking up, it had been even longer since they had last seen him. Niklaus didn't know when it happened but he suddenly noticed Olivia holding his hand, he looked at her eyes, she was trying to be reassuring.

"Niklaus!" A girl came rushing up to Niklaus and before anyone knew what happened, she kissed him.

"Oh fuck!" Neil's face turned red as he tried hiding his laughter and buried his face in Harper. "I totally forgot that was thing." Neil's body shook as his attempt to hide his laughter failed.

The girl pulled away as she felt Olivia's eyes on her. She could see the jealousy and rage in Olivia's eyes.

Niklaus was speechless, this girl looked familiar but as he felt Olivia's jealousy in his own mind the girl's name escaped him.

"You don't remember?" The girl looked hurt. "It's Sarah Cline."

Niklaus's eyes widened, Sarah was his best friend before Blink took him. When they were little they believed they were each other's mates.

"I'm sorry." Niklaus gave a slight smile. "It's been so long, I didn't recognize you."

"That's okay, I understand." Sarah grinned and placed her hand on Niklaus's arm, just above his elbow.

Niklaus moved closer to Olivia, almost behind her. "This is my mate, Olivia."

Sarah's eyes looked Olivia up and down, a fake smile placed on her face.

"Oh. It's.. nice to meet you." Sarah's smile faltered as she offered her hand to shake. "So, Niklaus.." Sarah turned back to him. "Remember when we were little and you would follow me around yelling that we'd be mates."

"Yeah.." Niklaus let out a little scoff like laugh. "I guess Eros has other plans." Niklaus wrapped his arm around Olivia.

Sarah gave a Pan Am smile as she released a chuckle from her throat.

Niklaus looked past Sarah at Neil, he pinching his lips closed with his teeth, still trying to contain his laughter. Niklaus conveyed with his eyes that if Neil didn't get him out of this, he'd kill him. Neil was no longer containing his laughter as he shook his head and pulled Harper away.

(He's dead.)

(Perhaps our mate has an idea?) Shade sounded bored. (Can we go for our run? I'm still half asleep.)

'Of course our mate is the answer.'

"Please excuse us Sarah." Niklaus grabbed Olivia's hand. "Shade just reminded me that I wanted to show Olivia where my favorite spot was as kid."

"Oh of course." Sarah bowed her head. "Why don't I come with you?"

"Niklaus and I haven't had a moment to ourselves since arriving." Olivia finally spoke up. "We were hoping to.. get away."

Sarah scowled. "Of course, I'll make my rounds before leaving then."

Niklaus and Olivia walked out of the crowd and hurried upstairs before someone else decided they wanted to have a conversation.

"She seemed.. nice."

"Yeah.." Niklaus sighed. "Thanks for going along with that escape."

"Of course.." Olivia chuckled. "I probably wanted to get away from there more than you did."

"I'm sorry about that whole kiss thing." Niklaus held both of Olivia's hands. "I promise that everything I felt for her as a kid is gone."

"I know Niklaus." Olivia placed her hand on his chest. "I could tell how uncomfortable you were after the kiss and when she touched your arm."

Niklaus could hear her words but the look on her face said differently. Niklaus clasped Olivia's chin, tilting her face towards him.

"I promise." Niklaus lowered his face slightly closer to her's. "Everything there used to be, is long gone."

Olivia's emerald eyes shimmered as flecks of gold danced in them from the light.

Unknowingly they inched their faces closer, they could feel each other's breathe on their faces.

"Hey, Niklaus." Neil walked into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh, um. I can come back." Neil started to turn around.

"Neil.." Niklaus cleared his throat and stepped back from Olivia. "We were just... were you looking for someone?"

"Mom has something to tell everyone." Neil gestured towards them. "Apparently it has something to do with you."

Niklaus and Olivia looked at each other before following Neil down stairs.

As they reentered the living room, Evelyn stood in the center of the room with Harper.

"Ah, there's my boys." Evelyn gestured for them to join her. "As I'm sure you're all aware by now. My sons have returned and with them are their mates."

Murmuring could be heard from certain areas of the crowd.

"As you know.." Evelyn continued speaking. "Niklaus and Neil hold the power of the quietus, as a result, Niklaus was kidnapped ten years ago. By a man we now know to be Benjamin Blink."

More murmurs could be heard from the crowd.

"As the Luna I refused to have the next heir to be named because as a mother.." Evelyn's eyes were watering slightly. "I believed my sons wouldn't return. As such, I failed all of you."

Daniel walked over handing a couple items to Evelyn.

"Now, I would like to make that up to all of you. The items that you've just watched Daniel hand to me are the tooth from our greatest ancestor, Cerberus, and the claw of our greatest, long dead, enemy, Lamia." Evelyn held up the items to show the crowd.

Cerberus's tooth was roughly thee times the size of Evelyn's hand and Lamia's claw was the same size as any average human hand.

Once again murmurs were released from the crowd as Evelyn placed the items on the stand in front of her and waved Neil and Niklaus over.

"I believe the time had come for us to name our new Alpha and Beta and their mates so that they can complete their own bonds and fully unlock the power of the Quietus."