Chereads / Quietus Wolf / Chapter 2 - Red Vine

Chapter 2 - Red Vine

***

"Aauugghhhh!!"

(Who was that?) Apollo couldn't recognize the voice of whoever screamed.

(I don't know.. Should we go check it out?) Harper wondered who could possibly be screaming all the way out here, he was sincerely hoping nobody fell off the cliff into the rapids below.

[James]

[What do you need Harper?]

[I heard screaming by the cliffs, should I go check who it was?]

[Not by yourself, I'll send Morgan to help you. Please, wait for backup this time!]

[Uhm.. No promises] With that final word Harper shrugged and started running towards where he heard the scream, Morgan was fast so he wasn't worried about her finding him. When Harper arrived at the cliff he couldn't see anybody but he could hear rustling in the bushes at the edge of the forest and decided to creep closer. Still not seeing anything Harper walked into the forest and looked around, nothing.

"BOO!" Morgan jumped from a tree branch causing Harper to fall over himself.

"It wasn't funny!"

"No, you're right it wasn't funny. IT WAS HYSTERICAL!!"

"How'd you get here already? I was like eight miles ahead of you!"

"I knew you wouldn't wait for backup and decided to cut you off and just wondering, did you manage to find where the scream came from?"

"The scream! I'd totally forgotten. No, I didn't find anybody."

"Let's check again, just to be safe."

Harper and Morgan checked the edge of the cliff again, when they still didn't find anyone they looked over the edge and remembered the cave entrance a mile back from where the came and decided to check it out.

"Race You!!" Harper took off running towards the entrance.

"You know I'm faster than you, right!?" Morgan started after him, passing him shortly after.

"HA! Beat you."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just check the cave." Harper said sourly while rolling his eyes. They entered the cave. They didn't need a flashlight, or torch as Morgan would call it with her Britishness, due to their wolves night vision. They heard a rock clack against the hard stone in the cave.

"What was that?" Harper whispered manfully

"It was a rock." Morgan answered with a sarcastic whisper

"No shit Sherlock!"

"Shh! If someone's here, you don't want them to hear you."

They continued down the path and came upon some water that seemed to be flowing towards the center of the cave. They decided to get a drink while they had the chance.

*Clip

*Clup

*Clip

Harper and Morgan could hear the faint steps of someone coming closer from farther inside the cave. The steps sounded staggered though, like what you'd imagine a zombies footsteps to sound like. They backed against the darkest wall in the cavern and watched as a man knelt down over the waters edge, Morgan grabbed the biggest rock she could fit in her hand and quietly crept up behind the stranger, striking him on the back of the head.

"What did you do THAT for!?" Harper exclaimed staring down at the now unconscious man.

"I don't know, we don't know who he is, what if he's dangerous!?"

"Really!? Come on, look AT HIM! You can tell he's malnourished!"

"I'm sorry! I panicked. Look, let's just ask Atlas what we should do with him. Okay?"

"Fine, but you have to be the one to talk to him."

"Fine."

[Atlas? Come in Atlas.]

[Yes, what is it Morgan?]

[We followed the scream to that cavern near the cliffs and found a large, malnourished man. W-what do we do with him?]

[Tie his hands together in case he wakes up and then bring him back to the pack house.]

[Okay. What do we do with him once we get there?]

[Put him in the cells... oh, and Morgan..]

[Yes, Alpha?]

[Don't let Scarlett see him just yet. You know how she is with prisoners.]

[Of course, Alpha]

"He said to bring him home and put him in the cells, I'm going to go take a squat. In the meantime bring him to the cave entrance" Morgan started walking away before stopping and facing Harper one more time "Don't forget to bind his hands."

Harper did as he was told and waited for Morgan to get back before taking the strange man home.

***

I woke up on a metal bench, my head was throbbing and to top it off I really needed to pee with nowhere to go. I don't recognize this cell, maybe Blink put me in a different area of the basement so I couldn't escape again. I looked out of the cell bars and spotted a woman watching me from the main door, I didn't recognize her either.

"Hey! Hey, where am I!?"

No answer

"HEY! I'm talking to you. Where AM I!!?"

"You're in the Red Vine Pack territory." It was a man who answered, he looked to be mid-late 50s, salt and pepper hair with a slight stubble on his cheeks and a scar across his forehead, he walked past the female guard and in front of the cell door.

"My name is Atlas. Now, I think the real question here is, who are you and why are you in my territory?"

"The Red Vine Pack?" I whispered to myself, I know I've heard that somewhere before.

"I'll only ask one more time, who are you? And why are you in my territory?"

"I-I'm Niklaus and I didn't know I was in anybody's territory"

"And where do your allegiances lie? Who is your pack?"

"I don't have a pack" a dejected tone filled his voice.

"So you're a rogue wolf then?"

"Yes, well I mean no, I have a pack but-"

"Which is it, do you have a pack or not?"

"I'm with the Ever Green Pack."

"That's not possible."

"What do you mean "not possible"?"

"I mean the Ever Green Pack was annihilated eight years ago."

"What? N-no, THAT'S not pos-possible!" Niklaus couldn't help but think of his brother and his parents, they couldn't be dead, right? Niklaus wanted to cry and scream but no tears would come and his throat was dry due to still being dehydrated, he just curled up in his cell with his back against the wall and his head in his lap. What would he do now?

"I'm sorry but I have to ask, what exactly happened to you? How could you not know your own pack was gone?"

"I've been a prisoner for the last nine years" It was barely a whisper, the defeat evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way..." A gentler tone in his voice, Atlas looked to the guard and gave a nod to open the cell doors.

"I understand you might not be up to it right now but there's a guest room you can stay in until you get on your feet and there's a shower if you want to get cleaned up. I'll have my wife find you something more suitable to wear."

Niklaus didn't say anything, just slightly nodded and got to his feet with a slight stagger and followed Atlas to the guest bedroom. Niklaus looked out the window as he waited for his change of clothes and could see so many unfamiliar things and people.

*Knock knock*

"Hello?" An older looking women appeared in the doorway, she has ocean blue eyes and red hair with a single strand of silver down the side.

"I'm Scarlett, Atlas's wife and Luna of the Red Vine Pack. I understand you've been through somethings, I picked these out for you for after your shower. Sorry if they're too big, they were my son's"

'She said "were" did something happen to him? Or do they just not fit him anymore?' Niklaus lost himself in his thoughts not noticing Scarlett had already left and closed the door behind her. Niklaus couldn't help but feel a little guilty for being here, these people seemed nice and he didn't want them getting hurt if, no, when Blink came looking for him. He figured he'd finish his shower, pack some food and water and be on his way. Niklaus also thought of his family and pack, could all of them really be gone? He had to know for sure. Niklaus looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, so skinny he could see his ribs, his face was almost skeletal, his lips were chapped and he had bruises and scars covering his body, some still fresh from his escape. He looked at the clothes on the bed that Scarlett had given him, a grey flannel and some light colored jeans, they didn't fit him at all in his current state, the shirt drooped past his waist and he had to keep pulling up the shorts but they were still better than what he had before. Niklaus was very tempted to lay on the bed and doze off but a tap at the door broke his thoughts, it was Scarlett again.

"Hey, Niklaus. Don't you look mighty better? I couldn't even tell you had black hair before or those gorgeous copper colored eyes!" Scarlett had a sudden frown on her face, she hadn't totally seen his bruises and scrapes before but now they were more visible and she knew he went through far worse than just being a captive. Her motherly instincts kicked in and she gave him a long hug before realizing how uncomfortable it was making him, he wasn't used to having peoples affection.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you or make you uneasy. Are you alright?"

He gave a slight nod.

"Alright, well there's a whole dinner down stairs if you're hungry, I'll show you where."

"T-thank you"

"Of course, now it might be a little overwhelming meeting everybody at the same time but just remember that you're safe here."

Again Niklaus only gave a slight nod.

Niklaus could hear the chattering of the dining table from the hall and his nerves slowly picked up. Who was he going to meet? What if they didn't like him? What if it's all really just a trap and Blink is waiting at the door? "What if's" filled Niklaus' head, he didn't know what to expect and worried that he might make a fool of himself at the table, he also had to keep reminding himself to use the silverware provided. When Blink had him, Niklaus was never provided with utensils to eat with because they could be used as weapons, so he always had to eat with his hands or slurp the food out of the dish. They reached the door and he let out a long sigh to try and calm himself before going in.

"You don't have to do this right now, I could always bring a plate up to your room."

"No, I'll be okay. Thank you."

"You don't have to keep thanking us, we would've done this for anybody."

"Right, thank you." He blushed slightly realizing he thanked her again.

Scarlett let out a small chuckle and opened the doors to the dining room, everyone went quiet wondering who the strange man was that Harper and Morgan found. Everyone was staring at Niklaus which made him feel even more uneasy, one at a time everyone started greeting Scarlett and Niklaus and introducing themselves to him, he couldn't remember everyone's names especially after meeting 26 people at the same time. Morgan was the last to introduce herself, that's when Scarlett noticed that a couple people were missing.

***

"Where's-?" Morgan cut her off, already knowing the question.

"Harper went to find you know who."

"Why, what'd he do now?"

"Broke the headlight to the neighbors truck."

"Again!? I know that boy has problems with Mr.Gregory but that's the seventh time this month!" Scarlett let out a disapproving sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to release her frustration.

[Where are you two!?]

[On our way back now. Somebody had to take a bathroom break!]

[It's not my fault I have a smaller bladder than you.]

[It's not that your bladders small, it's that your brain is smaller than a squirrels' ball sack.]

[Boys! Just hurry back please, you're the only ones who haven't met our guest.]

[Yes, Luna!]

Everyone had finished eating and gone to there rooms by now but Niklaus sat at the table with his plate still empty.

"Is something wrong? You haven't touched any of the food."

"You mean, I don't have to wait for you to eat?"

"No, of course not, why would you think something like that?"

"That's how it was there."

Scarletts heart dropped, they didn't allow him to eat until everyone else was finished.

"That's not how it works here, you can come down and eat or drink whatever, whenever you'd like."

***

With that Niklaus filled his plate, he hadn't eaten like this in literal years. He was so full by the time he was done that he thought he might die right there at the table. Scarlett escorted him back to his room and gave a gentle goodnight as she closed the door behind him, there were fresh pajamas laid on the bed, Scarlett must've noticed how the previous clothes fit because these were slightly smaller and better suited for him. He changed into the tank top and sweats and laid down on the bed, he hadn't slept on a real bed since he was taken away. Unfortunately, after years of sleeping on the hard concrete floor, the bed was to soft and he moved to the carpet and slept for what seemed like an eternity.