Niklaus shook at the sound of that voice. It brought him anger, sadness, and resentment. Niklaus could taste the malice filling his throat as he turned to the man that brought so much pain and anguish into his life.
As Niklaus faced Blink, he realized why Nathaniel's scent had changed positions so quickly.
"Help me Niklaus!" Nathaniel called out, the panic clear in his voice.
Niklaus shifted back to his human form, all of his scars now fully visible.
Blink laughed. "I see you've become more comfortable in the skin that my men and I have given you."
"Let Nathan go, Blink!" The malice spilled from Niklaus's mouth like a waterfall.
"I'm not here for him anyway." Blink threw Nathaniel to the ground in front of Niklaus.
"Nathaniel run!" Niklaus shouted, never taking his eyes off of Blink.
Niklaus turned to run with Nathaniel, Blink chasing close behind them. It didn't take long for Blink to catch Niklaus, who was purposely running slower to make sure that at the very least Nathaniel could get away. Niklaus watched Nathaniel running, he didn't care that Blink had captured him again. He waited until Nathaniel was no longer in sight to start fighting back. Niklaus managed to match Blink's power and get free from his clasp.
"Guess I'm not a weak little kid anymore." Niklaus was in a fighting stance, ready to take anything Blink would throw at him.
"I guess not, but that just makes this fight even more fun." Blink showed an awry grin.
Niklaus quickly shifted back to his wolf form as soon as Blink lunged at him in his human form. Niklaus clasped onto Blink's arm and threw him the opposite direction of the house. Blink laughed as the fight continued.
"You've been practicing, Little Wolf!" Blink's voice was condescending. "However, you haven't learned everything." Blink grabbed Niklaus's tail and swung him towards the trees.
Niklaus coughed blood as his a pain shot through his spine. When he looked back towards Blink, he had already shifted to his wolf form as well.
Niklaus wobbled to his feet as him and Blink snarled at each other. They lunged at each other, their teeth sinking into each other's flesh. Blink somehow managed to get ahold of Niklaus's scruff while Niklaus only had only left a bite on Blink's side, which was already starting to heal.
[You've become stronger Niklaus, that's good.] Somehow Blink was talking to Niklaus through his mind. [You're confused right? Wondering how I'm communicating with you. Wondering how I knew where you were. Wondering how, once again, I've defeated you so easily.] Blink released a menacing chuckle. [I never lost you Niklaus. I will always know where you are. For the simple fact that you are my omega.]
[That's not possible. There was never any ritual.] Niklaus huffed and shook trying to free himself from Blink's jaws.
[Oh, Little Wolf. You should know by now that I don't follow those incessant pack laws. All I needed was a witch and some of your blood to make you a part of my pack.] Blink paused for a moment. [Speaking of packs, how's my niece?]
Blink just mentioning Olivia made Niklaus's blood boil. Niklaus shook and yanked, his skin tearing as he got himself away from Blink.
Blink spit out the chunk of flesh and fur as he started to laugh.
[I didn't think you had it in you.]
The blood trickled from Niklaus's neck, seeping into the surrounding fur and dripping onto the ground. Before long a small puddle of blood was starting to form around Niklaus's paws.
[As I said before, I'm not a weak little kid anymore.]
[You say that, but you're still shaking.] Blink shifted back to human. "I guess unconsciously, you are still that kid."
Blink casually started to walk closer to Niklaus, the same menacing smile on his face as before.
"Haven't you realized that I've been going easy on you?"
Suddenly, Niklaus's vision wavered and his energy dropped. He started to shift back, he no longer had the stamina to stay in his wolf form.
A forced shift was painful, during an involuntary shift the body automatically fights the process. It fights the breaking bones, the changing shape of the body, and the mental adaptation it takes to prepare for controlling the different form.
"Aarrhhg!!" Niklaus crumpled to the ground. "AAAARRRHHG!!!!" The pain came in serges.
Niklaus had been forced to shift before but somehow this felt different, it felt worse.
"What..ahg." Niklaus found it difficult to speak through the pain. "What did you do?"
"Oh, just another little spell." Blink grinned widely.
Blink started to approach Niklaus. As Blink got closer he kicked Niklaus in the ribs.
"Mm, I love your pain." Blink took a deep inhale through his nose. "It feeds my soul." Blink chuckled and released a sigh.
As Blink started to approach Niklaus again, Niklaus's eyes shifted and he released a thunderous howl before Blink kicked him again.
***
The pack picked up their pace as they heard the howl.
[Was that Niklaus?] Harper looked over to Neil who had an expression of panic on his face.
[I don't know, either way it can't be good if Blink is involved.] Neil shifted his eyes to Harper.
[Go, we'll catch up.] As soon as Harper said it, Neil was gone.
Harper looked back to check on Olivia, she's small but swift and she seemed to be keeping up with everyone else.
***
(Blue, do you think he's okay?) Neil was quickly getting closer to where they heard the howl.
(He's been okay before.) The wolf spirits were created by Sophia the goddess of spirituality. They were created to help future generations cope with their powers and to pass on the wisdom and knowledge of the previous generations, which is why the spirits aren't very good at making their hosts feel better.
It didn't take long for Neil to find Blink and Niklaus. When he got there he could see Blink standing over Niklaus, hitting him in the face repeatedly. Neil forced himself to run faster, and before he knew what happened he tackled Blink and was snarling in his face, his teeth inches away from Blink's face.
"Neil.." Niklaus spoke through bleeding gums. "Don't kill him. Be better than him. Be better than me." The truth was, Niklaus just wanted the honor of killing Blink for himself.
Niklaus folded over when he finished talking, vomiting blood. Once again he'd been defeated by Blink, and once again he had needed to be saved from him. At this point in time, Niklaus's vengeance would have to wait.
***
Blink had been relentlessly beating on Niklaus for the past fifteen minutes. Niklaus could no longer see consistently, his vision kept blurring in and out like an old 1930s television. His ears were bleeding and he had lost consciousness a few times. The thought that he would be captured again kept crossing his mind, but at this point in time, even with the damage he'd been taking, he was glad that Blink had trouble controlling his sadistic urges.
Niklaus thought Blink might've gone too far and killed him when he could no longer feel the pain or abuse that was happening to him. Niklaus forced himself to hold his eyes open, Blink was no longer on top of Niklaus but tumbling and fighting Neil on the ground.
"Stupid white wolf!!" Blink shouted as he tossed Neil off of him. "You two, always together, always risking yourselves for the other." Blink laughed. "Even when I first tried to take both of you, Niklaus warned you that my men were there and you got away."
Blink walked towards Neil. A toothy, maniacal grin plastered on his face.
Niklaus couldn't move, all he could do was watch as Blink and Neil tore at each other. Niklaus watched as Neil was slowly starting to fall behind. All Blink needed was that small bit of leeway to gain all of the advantage and with it he easily overpowered Neil. Blink laughed at how effortlessly he'd overthrown both of the Quietus heirs. Blink slammed Neil onto the ground and started to repeatedly kick him in the ribs and chest. Every time Neil tried to stand another kick would smash his body and eventually, Neil no longer had the energy to force himself from the ground. Even though Neil was already down and starting to lose consciousness, Blink continued to kick him. Neil could feel his ribs breaking repeatedly as they healed and broke again. Blood spurt from Neil's mouth, he guessed he had internal bleeding but he knew by how hard it was for him to breathe that he had a punctured lung.
Niklaus could see the blood spilling from Neil's mouth and pooling around his head. He watched as Blink mercilessly hit Neil and bashed his head on the ground. It made Niklaus's blood boil, it made his ire grow and that fury gave him the pure adrenaline that allowed him to fight again.
"Get away from him." Niklaus's voice was low and grumbly.
Blink shifted his eyes to Niklaus and grinned as he continued hitting Neil.
"I said get. Away. From him." Niklaus's voice was warbling between its normal grumble and a deep demonic like growl.
Hearing how Niklaus's voice was changing made Blink stop and take a step back from. He stared at the slumped over figure in front of him. It was like a mirage in the desert sun or a hallucination. A shadowed figure was standing in front of Blink, he couldn't take his eyes away.
"Get. Away." Niklaus repeated the two words, no longer like a plead but a warning.
Niklaus raised his head and what Blink saw wasn't human.
Niklaus's skin was half its normal tone and half pure black, protuberances growing from his spine and bleeding, glowing, blood red eyes.
"Demon.." Blink spoke under his breathe.
Blink turned for the trees and started to make a run for it.
Clouds formed over head and a huge blast of thunder sounded. Red lightning streaked the sky. The lightning hit the ground around Niklaus as his moved his hands around his body. Niklaus stomped the ground, cracking the earth beneath his foot. He pushed his hands forward and streams of lightning struck his body and flowed from his palms.
Blink barely managed to make it to the trees before Niklaus tried to fry him.
"He's finally awakening" A cruel grin spread on Blink's face as he made his way deeper into the woods.
***
Harper watched the lightning scatter through the sky and strike the ground ahead where they estimated Neil and Niklaus were. Harper looked back at the rest of the pack, each of them had their own worried looks. They weren't too far behind at this point so it didn't take long for them to catch up. When they arrived the entire pack stopped dead in their tracks at the scene that was unfolded in front of them.
A shadowy figure with wings growing from its back was floating about a foot from the ground. Red electricity was flowing around the figure and into the trees from the figures hands.
Harper's gaze drifted past the dark figure to another figure lying on the ground.
"Neil!" Harper ran over to Neil and kneeled next to him. "Oh my gods. Neil!?"
Harper placed his hand on Neil's chest, trying to shake him awake and yelling his name.
Neil coughed and blood spurt from his mouth, dripping down his cheeks to his ears.
"Oh my gods." Harper turned Neil onto his side and pulled him closer. "Are you okay? Baby answer me please."
"Nik-" Neil wheezed through the blood. "Niklaus." Neil pointed to the shadow.
Harper's eyes widened.
"I'll handle it." Harper whispered next to Neil's ear and kissed his head. "I'll handle it."
Harper stood and the pack hurried to Neil's side. Harper watched as they pulled Neil onto a gurney and half the pack started to escort him back to the pack house.
"Niklaus!" Harper faced the figure. "Niklaus!"
With every breath Harper tried to step closer, protecting his head from the bolts of lightning surrounding Niklaus.
"Niklaus!" Harper took another step forward. "Nik, I know you're angry, wroth even but Blink is long gone now." Harper reached for Niklaus's wrist causing Niklaus to turn his head to Harper.
Harper could see now that the streams coming from Niklaus's eyes weren't electricity but tears.
"Niklaus." Harper's eyes and voice were soft. "I know you're in pain, more than anyone could imagine. Let me help you, let all of us help you."
Harper grabbed Niklaus's wrist, burning his arm up to the elbow, and gently pulled him back to the ground.
As Niklaus's feet touched the ground the red glow disappeared from his eyes and the black started to recede. Niklaus collapsed in Harper's arms, his body looking human again. Niklaus scanned the trees and the roaring fire he created, the tears continuing to stream from his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Niklaus was shaking like he was back in Blink's cell for the first time. "I'm sorry."
Harper looked at the remaining pack members standing around them, he could see on their faces that Niklaus had been correct before. After seeing his scars and the true condition he was in mentally, they no longer respected him. Harper helped Niklaus onto another makeshift gurney and covered him with his shirt.
"It's okay Niklaus." Harper walked along side him. "Let's go, my dad's and James's packs will be here soon."