Time

It's been two weeks since Blink told me that Niklaus is my brother, Blue and I still haven't figured out how we could forced Niklaus to shift. If only we had Atlas here, he's done this type of thing before when I had first arrived and my amnesia was worse, I couldn't even remember my name before. Atlas would know what to do, he'd know how to get out of these chains, how to escape this pack house, and how to reach Niklaus's wolf to force a shift.

Neil could hear someone coming to the cellar and watched the door to see who it was.

"How are my favorite toys?" It was Blink, a large grin on his face. Neither Niklaus or Neil answered him, they just glared as he looked into each of their cells.

"Aw, are my Little Wolves not happy to see me?" Blink feigned hurt as he clutched his chest where his heart would be.

"Why would we be happy to see you?" Niklaus asked with malice.

"Only for the fact that I haven't killed you yet, nor have I forced you to do the incantation to save your sorry hides!" Blink had his face pressed against the bars. Niklaus rolled his eyes.

***

Happy to see him. Why would we be happy to see him? He captures us, holds Neil prisoner for two weeks and me for nine years, not to mention the beatings we get everyday when Blink is in his usual mood swings.

"Don't look so glum, Little Wolves." Blink was as exuberant as always. "You'll be able to go once you complete my the incantation for me!"

"Never."

"Niklaus my boy, you'll change your mind eventually. One day I'll hand you an offer you'll be unable to refuse.." Blink's voice trailed off as he walked back out of the cellar.

"Psst." Neil was trying to get Niklaus's attention.

"What?" Niklaus was glad that Neil was willing to talk to him after getting him in this mess.

"I overheard part of your conversation before."

"What conversation? When?"

"When he said that it's your fault I'm in here."

"Oh.." Niklaus was worried, it was his fault that Neil was in here and what if that made him want nothing to do with him when he heard the whole truth.

"What did he mean when he said it's your fault? Is it true you're the reason I'm in here?" The dreaded question that Niklaus didn't want to answer. Niklaus sighed and hung his head.

"Yes, it's my fault. I lead them straight to the Red Vine Pack."

"What do you mean?"

"When I escaped from here all those weeks ago, it turns out that he purposely left my cell unlocked."

"Why would he do that?"

"To toy with me. To make me feel like I had my freedom when in actuality I played right into his hands."

"It sounds like it's actually not your fault."

"Of course it is! I was stupid, thinking I could get away and find my old pack only to then lead them straight to exactly what he wanted! It is MY FAULT!!"

"Niklaus, no. It's. Not! You took a chance to have your freedom and escaped. Sure they followed you but it's not like you knew that they wanted to find me too. Nor did you know that I was at that house. All you knew was that your old pack was South-East and you follow your instincts home!" Neil had a point, I didn't know, I didn't know he was my brother, I didn't know that my family was slaughtered because I wasn't there to protect them, I didn't know anything. I still don't know anything.

"You're right, I didn't know anything. I'm so stupid that I can't even figure out where the f*ck my wolf is!"

"You need to stop putting yourself down right now. You need all your strength, which includes confidence." An expression ran across Neil's face then quickly disappeared. He had realized something. "Niklaus, how did you do that before?"

"Do what?"

"The Lightning, how did you do that?"

"That wasn't me, it was just some weather phenomenon."

"Phenomenon? Really!? There wasn't a cloud in the sky, hell there was barely a light breeze! You did that Niklaus, you did!"

"It's not possible! It wasn't me!"

"Yes. It. Was." Neil's face lit up. "I have an idea."

"An idea for what?"

"We're going to escape."

***

It's been nearly a month since I set out to find The Adler Pack. Today, I finally reached the edge of their pack house. There's six guards patrolling the grounds and two more based on the roof of the main building and a single guard on each of the immediate buildings. The center house, the largest one, was the most heavily guarded, signifying that it's the pack house.

Harper couldn't smell Neil or Niklaus anywhere on the outside of the building, so he waited until it got dark to enter the main building and find his mate and new friend. Harper carefully crept closer to the house, just barely getting in the door before a guard turned the corner outside and stood at the entrance, trapping Harper inside if he couldn't find another exit. He examined the room trying to find a door that might lead to where the prisoners would be kept. He didn't see anywhere in foyer that might lead to the cells, just a couple of closets. Harper started down the hall peaking as carefully and quietly in through each door he passed. The first two doors seemed to be guest rooms and the last was the kitchen, since there weren't anymore doors in the hall, he entered the kitchen and looked around for his next path.

He still couldn't smell Neil anywhere which worried him because that meant he's either not here or dead.

Harper could see a stair well leading up and a two doors on either side of it. One seemed to go back outside, which was good because now he had a new escape route, and the other had more stairs leading down. Harper took a deep breath and stepped down the stairs closing the door above him as to not alert anyone of his presence. When he reached the bottom of the steps he could hear footsteps and talking coming towards him, he poked his head around the corner and saw two more guard coming his way. He quickly looked for somewhere to hide and found a crevice carved into the wall, he squeezed into the pocket and moved as far back as he could. The guards passed him without being alerted of his presence. To his surprise he had been holding his breath and slowly released the air from his lungs, breathing normally again. Harper decided to go to where the guards had come from, following the wall until he came to a room full of cells. All empty.

(Damn it!) Harper exclaimed to Apollo

(Mate has to be here, there must be more cells.) Worry could start to be heard in Apollo's voice.

Harper agreed and tried the door at the end of the room, locked, he turned back the way he came and found himself staring into the barrels of two guns, the two guards that had passed him moments before returned. The guards grabbed Harper and after unlocking it, forced him through the door at the end of the room. Through the door was another hall that lead to more cells which weren't empty this time. Harper looked at each inmate as he was forced past them.

(They're not here..) Harper was downtrodden, he had thought that this was the place. It'd been more than a month since he last saw his mate and his chest was starting to feel hollow without his other half.

(We'll find them. They have to be somewhere. ALIVE!) Apollo was right, Harper had to keep trying. Even if Neil and Niklaus weren't here, they were somewhere and Harper was going to find them!

Eventually the guards forced Harper to kneel in front of a great throne and a dark figure sitting with their arms crossed.

"What are you doing in my territory!?" The alpha of the Adler pack spoke.

"I-I was looking for my mate."

"Your mate? Why would your mate be in my pack house?"

"He was taken. Him and a friend were both taken."

The shadowy figure stood and walked down their throne until they were in front of Harper.

"And what made you think they were here?"

"My packs Beta heard two of your men talking about a couple of prisoners that had been brought in, a few days after our two people went missing." Harper peeked his head to see who was standing before him, it was a woman. She was tall and lean with strong finely muscled arms and legs, she wore a large bedazzled feather headdress. Even as a gay man, Harper found her to be exquisite.

"Tell me boy, what is your name?"

"Harper, Ma'am."

"And which pack do you reside, Harper?"

"The Red Vine Pack."

"Well, why didn't you just call? The Adler Pack still owes The Red Vine Pack a favor after they saved us from famine all those centuries ago." She chuckled and made a signal for Harper to be released. He rubbed his arms, trying to wake them up after being pressed behind his back for so long.

"If you owe us a favor then perhaps you can help me."

"I don't know anything about your mate."

"Not that, the man that has him, however, you might know."

"Tell me about this man and maybe I'll be able to do something for you."

Harper relayed all the information that Atlas had told him about Niklaus.

"This guy, he would've had a child captive. The child would've been around 11 years old when he first arrived at the pack and would now be around 20 years old."

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Don't you have anymore information?" She actually seemed invested in helping. Harper had to think, what else did dad say?

"OH, the boy, he's from The Ever Green Pack."

"The Ever Green Pack? But they were-"

"Annihilated, I know but like I said he's been held captive for nine years."

The Alpha's face contorted, she was thinking hard about that name. So familiar. Then she had it.

"Yes! wait here, please I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room and came back with a book titled "Ever Green"

"Is that.." The Alpha cut Harper off.

"The full history of The Ever Green Pack. All the way up to when they were massacred eight years ago."