***
It's been two days since Neil figured out that Shade disappeared during my missing week. We still don't know what happened in that time that would make Shade stop talking to me entirely.
"Come on, Niklaus! You have to ask him!"
"I can't do that!"
"Why!?"
"YOU KNOW WHY!" Niklaus jerked a little bit as the restraints poked into his neck.
"Niklaus, you're right. I do know why, but would it really be that bad?"
"Neil, y-I lied to you before."
"What do you mean? About what?"
"I did cause the lightning."
"I KNEW IT! That's awesome! Why'd you lie!?" Neil was excited about this power that Niklaus had, maybe it was hereditary, maybe he could do it too.
"I lied because I don't know how it happens, I don't have any control over it, and I don't want that kind of power!" Niklaus gave Neil a pleading look not to delve any deeper into his lie.
"Fine, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook." Neil let out a sigh. "You also still need to ask Blink. Just ask, you don't have to do whatever it is he'll want but maybe if you ask he'll give you the answers."
Niklaus chewed the inside of his cheek while he thought about his situation.
"Fine, I'll call him down and ask." Niklaus clenched his jaw lightly hoping Neil might have something else to add. "Alright."
"Blink!!" The word was like poison on his lips. "BLINK!!!" He felt sick having fallen to this level.
"Shut up! I'm right here!" Blink appeared in the entrance of the dungeon. "Now, what do you need? My little wolf."
"I need to know what happened that week?"
"What week?" Blink smirked, he knew exactly what Niklaus was talking about but wanted to torment him a little bit, it's the most fun he gets aside from the beatings.
"The week after you forced me to shift, that week, eight years ago!" Niklaus just wanted to rip his throat out, at the very least he wanted to wipe the smirk from him face.
"Ooh, that week." Blink's smirk turned into a full grin. He's looked over to the guard in charge of the cells. "Bring him upstairs." Blink walked out of the room.
Three more guards came into the dungeon, two to help keep Niklaus subdued and another to make sure the dungeon was still being watched.
"Hold on!" Neil called as they opened Niklaus's cell. "Why can't the question be answered down here!?"
The guards ignored Neil and continued unshackling Niklaus. As they removed his wrists from the cuffs you could see the marks of where they had been, old and new. Niklaus had to lift his head slightly for them to remove the collar, again Neil could see the scars of old and new markings.
"Hey." Niklaus looked at Neil. "I'll be fine. At the very least, I'm getting those restraints off, right?" Niklaus tried to give a reassuring impression.
The three guards dragged Niklaus upstairs to the main room where Blink was waiting.
"Niklaus." Blink had a serious tone, not his usual over the top self. "I'll tell you what happened during that week but, you'll have to do something for me."
"I'm not doing that incantation thing!" It was strange hearing Blink use his actual name. He would always only call him "Little Wolf".
"No, no, that's not what I want. At least not right now." Blink took a deep breathe. "I need you to find someone for me."
"How am I supposed to find anyone? I can't even access my wolf!"
"Once your memory of that week is returned, the chamber in which your wolf is held will unlock and, should your wolf choose, he'll return to you." Blink turned to look at Niklaus's face. "Will you do this for me?"
"Who am I looking for?" Niklaus raised his head to meet Blink's eyes, something he hasn't been able to fully do since he was a child.
"The one you're looking for is a runaway girl from my pack, Olivia Blink."
"Blink? Isn't that-"
"My name? Yes, it is. You see, Olivia is my niece." Blink picked a photo off the wall and showed it to Niklaus. "My sister's bastard."
"Please Ben! I love him!"
"NO! He's no good for you! He's not even your real mate!"
"I don't care! I. Love. Him!" Amelia turned to face me and I finally saw why she was being to arrogant.
"You're pregnant! Aren't you?" I grabbed her wrists. "What have you done!"
"Please Ben, let me go after him." Amelia's eyes were filled with tears and only for a moment I saw what she truly felt. It wasn't love she felt towards the man who defiled her, but the fear that he too would leave her behind.
"Amelia, you don't need him to take care of you." I was only trying to reassure her but she didn't believe me.
"No, I'm going after him!" With that she grabbed what she could and ran from our home, this very room where we stand now.
"So what? Why can't you get your niece you self?" Niklaus shifted his brow, intrigued.
"Her mother, my sister, told her terrible things about me. She won't come to me."
"Fine, I'll do it." Niklaus thought for a moment. "I'll do it, but you have to tell me about that week before I do and I want a proper meal and shower for Neil and me."
"Splendid!" Blink was back to himself. He pointed to two of the guards in the room. "You two, go grab Neil, let him shower and feed him."
The two guards nodded their heads and marched downstairs to the cells. Shortly after they brought Neil back up and stopped in front of Niklaus.
"Nik, what's going on?"
"I made a deal. They're going to take you to shower and eat while Blink tells me what happened that week."
"Okay, but what does he get out of it?" Neil glanced passed Niklaus's shoulder and looked at Blink.
"Don't worry about it. I have everything handled." Niklaus hugged Neil and spoke next to his ear. "Go. Shower and eat, I'll explain everything later."
Neil gave Niklaus a look and let the guards take him to the shower.
"So, when does this hunt for your niece begin?" Niklaus faced Blink once again.
"Let me tell you what's going to happen first. You'll have eight men with you, they'll be there to make sure you don't try to take off and to make sure you can fully apprehend Olivia. She's a small child but she knows how to fight, my sister made sure of it." Blink walked closer to Niklaus, now he was only roughly a foot away. "When she's apprehended, you'll bring her back here for me."
"You know, that's really more of an idea than a plan." Niklaus smirked, he felt better the longer he wasn't in shackles and that abrasive collar.
"The plan, the plan is that you'll find her and drag her back here at any means necessary. Got it?"
"Yeah got it. So when does the hunt take place?"
"There's some finalities I have to attend to before you head off. So, for now, go, shower, eat, and rest. You have big days ahead of you."