As they pulled into the driveway a ginger-haired boy ran from the front door.
"Olivia!" He threw his arms around her waist as she barely stepped out of the car. "Olivia, where have you been?" The boy didn't seem any older than nine.
The boy looked up from Olivia and noticed Niklaus grabbing the bags from the trunk.
"Who's that!?" The boys stormy blue eyes followed Niklaus. "He's tall!"
Olivia chuckled as Niklaus suddenly seemed to be self aware.
"Well Oliver, that.." Olivia's eyes glinted as she spoke. "That is Niklaus, my mate."
"Your mate!?" Oliver pushed from the car and ran to Niklaus. "Are you nice? You better be nice cause I'll hurt you if you're mean to my sister!"
"Oliver! Leave them alone!" An older woman appeared on the front steps.
"Auntie Mari!" Oliver ran and grabbed his aunts hand, pointing to Niklaus with his other hand. "Olivia found her mate!"
Marianne giggled at Niklaus and Olivia's reactions to someone mentioning their relationship status.
"You're definitely not used to each other yet. I can tell by your faces." Mari approached the car to see if there was anything else to carry. "Well, if there's nothing else then let's get you settled. Niklaus your room is directly next to Olivia's, you might be mates but I can't have you two completing the bond under my roof."
Olivia's face turned red at her aunt's allegation.
"Auntie! Niklaus can sleep in my room, can't he?" Oliver stared at his aunt, she seemed apprehensive to give him an answer.
"That's okay.." Niklaus had been quiet since they arrived, although he was usually quiet. "I don't mind. I can sleep wherever."
Marianne smiled.
"Sure Oliver, Niklaus can sleep in your room."
"Yay!" Oliver grabbed Niklaus's hand and started trying to drag him off. "My room is this way."
Niklaus chuckled and handed Olivia her bag as Oliver dragged him away.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Olivia had a worried look. "Oliver can be.."
"Enthusiastic?" Marianne had a grin on her face that hadn't left since they'd gotten there.
"Overbearing." Olivia glanced back to the hall where Oliver's room is. "I don't want him scaring Niklaus away."
"I doubt even your eight year old brother will be able to scare away your mate, after all, you don't see the way he looks at you." Marianne chuckled as she spoke.
"What do you mean?" Olivia's brows scrunched. "How does he look at me?"
"He looks at you in a way that I'm not quite sure I can describe." Marianne stopped beside Olivia's door. "Anyways, tell me about your stay at Red Vine."
"Oh, it's beautiful!" Olivia entered the room and placed her bag on the bean chair in the corner. "Everyone there is so nice too and Niklaus had a twin, Neil, who's gay and his mate Harper is totally going to be my new bff." Olivia told Marianne everything she saw and learned during her time at the Red Vine Pack.
"It sounds like you had fun." Marianne held her arms in front of her. "Have you and Niklaus talked about your bond yet?"
"Oh no, please don't start that.." Olivia's face was pleading. "I know you said when I found my mate we'd have to deal the bond as soon as possible for the pack but Niklaus has other things to worry about."
"Other things?" Marianne scoffed and raised her brow. "What other things could a young person have to worry about?"
"I'm not sure but I can tell in the way he acts, how he doesn't talk, and how he reacts when he's asked about himself." Olivia held her aunts hands. "Please, Aunt Mari, withhold from the elders the information about my mate."
"Olivia.." Mariannes face shifted. "It's not just the elders anymore."
"What?" Olivia's face scrunched. "What do you mean? Who else do we have to worry about?"
"Your uncle.." Marianne's face seemed scared. "Your uncle has returned."
"WHAT!?" Olivia released Mariannes hands. "Why is he back? I thought he was banned from our pack!"
"He is banned." Marianne sighed, sitting on Olivia's bed. "We don't know why he's here but that's not important. If you don't complete your bond, he could take over the pack and nobody wants that."
"Okay.." Olivia took a deep breathe. "Don't tell Niklaus, let me talk to him on my own.. tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Marianne gave a mild expression.
"I just want him to enjoy being here for a little." Olivia sighed. "How about we go make lunch?"
"Sure, do you know what Niklaus's favorite is? We want to make him feel at home." Marianne followed Olivia as they walked to the kitchen.
"I'm not sure.." Olivia rubbed her neck. "To be honest, Niklaus was in the hospital until yesterday and we haven't actually talked about anything."
"I see, so the entire week you were gone?"
"I was by Niklaus's hospital bed.." Olivia smile guiltily.
"Olivia, you're 19. You're a fully grown adult, you don't have to lie about where you are." Marianne pressed her lips together. "However, I would prefer, should you find yourself in that situation again, you stay at home."
Olivia nodded and helped to grab the ingredients they needed for lunch.
***
Niklaus hadn't laughed like this in a long time. Oliver kept him on his toes. It felt as if Niklaus could be getting a second chance to be an older brother. He missed that chance when Blink had him held captive. The images of the horrid week flashed into Niklaus's mind, his mother had been pregnant at the time of the attack. He wondered how his life would've been had he not been kidnapped. He didn't even know the gender of the baby, his little sibling. He imagined wrestling with a little brother, protecting a sister from boys, running through the forest with his family: mother, father, Neil and Harper, and the baby and the rest of the pack.
"Niklaus!" Oliver pulled a large container of legos from his closet. "Do you know how to build?"
"I haven't played with these in a long time." Niklaus chuckled as he tried to remember how he used to build things. "Let's see if we can't figure out something awesome."
Niklaus and Oliver decided halfway through their builds to have a competition. They had both just finished their buildings and took a step back.
"I think yours is better." Niklaus laughed as Oliver agreed without a second thought.
"I get to destroy your building now because mine is better." Oliver started knocking over Niklaus's build.
"What about your building?" Niklaus grinned as he watch Oliver.
"My building won so it gets to live." Oliver started putting the destroyed building back into the container.
Niklaus scratched his arm, lifting his sleeve slightly.
"Woow!" Oliver's face was lit up. "How'd you get those scars?"
"Oh.." Niklaus gulped. "I. I was in an accident." Niklaus figured he shouldn't tell his mates brother about Blink before telling her.
Niklaus caught a whiff of the air. "Smells like they're cooking lunch, want to go help?"
"Yeah!" Oliver pushed the container back into the closet. "Can I ride on your shoulders? You're a lot taller than my sister is."
"She's pretty short huh?" Niklaus laughed. "Hop on."
Niklaus crouched to help Oliver onto his shoulders. Niklaus had to duck under the doorframe so Oliver wouldn't hit his head. They got to the kitchen just as Olivia pulled a tray from the oven.
"Oh good. Just in time.." Olivia helped Oliver off of Niklaus's shoulders. "We made burgers and fries."
Marianne finished placing the toppings on the counter. Everything was lined up like a buffet table, everyone would just walk down the line choosing what to add to their burgers. Marianne helped Oliver with his plate while Niklaus helped Olivia with the drinks.
"So, Niklaus.." Marianne placed Oliver's plate on the table. "Tell me about yourself."
"Okay.." Niklaus placed the drinks he had in front of himself and Oliver. "What do you want to know?"
"What pack are you from?" Marianne took a seat across from Olivia.
"Originally I was from the Ever Green Pack, but now I live at the Red Vine Pack." Niklaus took a sip from his cup.
"The Ever Green pack?" Marianne's eyes widened. "It's been a long time since I've heard that name."
"You've heard of if?"
"Yes." Marianne halved her burger. "They were once one of our greatest enemies."
Niklaus almost choked.
"What?"
"Yes. I'm sure you know they were annihilated nine years ago."
"Yes and I know who slaughtered them."Niklaus's face became dark.
"You do?" Marianne raised her brow.
"I do.." Niklaus paused for a long time. He thought about everything that happened. "Would you like to know?"
"Please." Marianne took a bite of a fry. "Enlighten me."
"I did." Niklaus shifted his eyes, they were black and pained. "I killed them."