***
It's been months since the rescue. Atlas had the full force of the pack searching for Blink but after the first three months of being back decided to let him go. After that, James and Charlotte made their mating official, each bearing the mark of the other. Due to Charlotte being the Adler's Luna James had to step down as Atlas's beta and moved to the Adler's pack house. Harper and Neil continue to breath each other in as they prepare Niklaus's initiation into the Red Vine Pack. Neil and Niklaus's 21st birthday was slowly getting closer, Atlas figured they'd make it a double celebration and initiate Niklaus on the same day. Harper had also been helping Neil and Niklaus regain their full strength, helping them train with the rest of the pack and getting rid of their malnourishment.
"How are you two feeling today?" Cindy, the packs main doctor, checked Neil's and Niklaus's vitals and ran through the regular checkup: weight, eating habits, exercise, heart rhythm.
"I think I'm doing good doc. Niklaus?"
"Better than I have been in a long while."
"That's good!" Cindy tucked her clipboard away. "I'm seeing great progress in both of you. However.. Niklaus, there's some things I'd like to speak with you about."
"Okay, what would you like to speak about?"
"I feel it might be better if we were to talk alone." Cindy's eyes shifted to Neil who was looking at Niklaus. Niklaus nodded his head signaling that he'd be okay if Neil wanted to leave.
Neil shook Cindy's hand, thanking her for the checkup, and left the room. Once she was sure that Neil was gone she started.
"Niklaus, I'd like to speak to you about your scars.. if that's okay?"
"Um.. y-yeah. What about them?" Niklaus started fidgeting slightly with his dumbs.
"Well, they cover 60 percent of your body, all ranging in size, shape, and area." Cindy paused for a moment to make sure Niklaus was okay for her to finish. "They mostly cover you arms, legs, and torso. Would it be possible to tell me how you got most of them?" Cindy's eyes were sincere but Niklaus didn't know if he'd ever truly be able to talk about all of his experiences.
"Torture." Niklaus was finding it almost hard to breathe. Suddenly, images flashed in his head and he grabbed his chest, gasping for the air that was trying to escape him. Soon, everything started spinning and going black.
"Niklaus?" Cindy rushed to his side and put a mask over his face. She tried calming him down but due to his six foot four frame and newly built muscle she couldn't hold him on her own. "Help! I need some help here!!"
As Niklaus continued to gasp for air he saw Neil and Harper enter the room, they each ran to a different side of him and held down his shoulders as Cindy injected him with 14mg, twice the recommended amount for a normal human, of Doral, a relaxing agent commonly used with insomnia patients.
Niklaus's breathing and heart rhythm slowly returned to normal as he fell asleep.
***
"What the hell happened!?" Neil released his brother and stared, glowering, at Cindy.
"I-I don't know, we were just talking then he grabbed his chest and started gasping." Cindy was shaken, she'd never dealt with a situation like this before.
"You better figure it out fast.." Neil stepped closer to her as Harper placed a hand on his chest. "That's my brother right there, I just found him and I'm not losing him again. Figure it out!" Neil grabbed Harper's hand from his chest and dragged him from the room.
Neil and Harper were back in their room, Harper still unsure if Neil was okay.
"Are you sure you don't want to go back?" Harper sat on the bed.
"I'm sure. It'll only make me more upset, especially since we don't know what's wrong with Niklaus." Neil was pacing in front of the bay-window.
"Maybe we should go for a run?" Harper stood from the bed and grabbed Neil's hands to make him stop pacing.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Neil placed his forehead to Harper's, who was half a foot shorter than Neil, breathing in his scent again for the eighth time that day. He couldn't get enough since he'd been rescued, Harper's scent was the first thing that left Neil's mind when he was captured, he never wanted to lose it again.
The two walked to the front of the woods and got out of their clothes to shift. Harper shifted first, his brindle gray for swaying in the mid-afternoon breeze, he looked up to Neil waiting for him to shift as well. Neil's wolf, Blue, was larger in size than normal wolves. Blue is what werewolves called a Dire Wolf, an ancient breed of werewolves that were larger than normal wolves at five feet at the shoulder and eight feet from snout to sacral, although still smaller than a Warg which were generally seven feet at the shoulder and ten feet from snout to sacral. Wargs were neither pure or bitten but cursed werewolves, typically created by drinking rain water from a pure wolves fresh tracks.
Blue's fur was pure white like a Caribbean pearl, his eyes were strange, they were the normal yellow, blue, or red but a glowing silver, like storm clouds over the ocean. Neil shook out his fur and rubbed his face down Harper's back, rubbing their scents together.
[You ready?] Harper looked at Neil, planting his feet into the ground and shifting his shoulders, readying for a good run.
[Yeah, you ready?] Neil positioned himself next to Harper like they were going to race.
[I know you can but don't try to leave me in the dust please?] Harper nipped Neil's ear, trying to mess with him.
[No promises, after all..] Neil took off running at full speed, his fur flowing and the wind whipping in his ears. [Dire Wolves are naturally faster.]
Harper could hear Neil chuckling in his head. Neil had just taken off but he was already a couple meters ahead. Harper took off after Neil, who had slowed down enough to let Harper catch up.
[Why do you feel the need to do that?] Harper sounded huffy.
[I like the way it annoys you..] Neil smirked at Harper, nudging him with his side.
[You're lucky I lo-like you.] They hadn't said the "L" word to each other yet. Harper was glad he caught himself, just in case Neil wasn't ready to say it back.
[Are you sure you don't love me?] Neil looked at Harper, after everything that happened, Neil didn't want them to be afraid to say they loved each other any more.
Harper looked at Neil with surprise, he didn't know Neil as the sentimental, words guys.
[What if I do?]
[If you do, then I'd tell you that I love you too.] Neil nuzzled Harper, helping him feel the what Neil felt.
[Are you ready to go back?] Harper nuzzled Neil back, he was surprised that Neil was the one to say I love you first. Neil was more of the "show you in little ways" than the "blatantly tell you" type.
[Yeah, I want to check on Niklaus. If that's okay?] Neil didn't just want to leave Harper as soon as they got back but after learning that Niklaus was his brother he felt more attached to him. He had also realized in the past months why Niklaus's name and scent seemed familiar to him when they first reunited.