( 10th century — kingdom of norway )

Niklaus was 21 when he figured out that he was a wolf as well. Athena had always told him to be very careful with his anger and never go for the fatal shot unless it was absolutely necessary. Niklaus just thought she didn't want him to have the guilt of a murder on his hands.

He should've known it wasn't that.

He should've known he was one too because Athena was one. And she was his better half.

So when he accidentally got too lost in the blood lust and the person in his arms went limp completely, their heart silent, he didn't really think much of it.

He had just thought that he would now have to tell Athena and she was going to smack him over the head.

He buried the body, licking his lips. Then he stood to leave when a sharp pain started behind his abdomen. He cried out as he felt his joints collapse and rearrange.

Gold filled his vision as he screamed in pain.

Elijah appeared with Mikael at his side. "Brother! Father! Help!" Niklaus cried out. Elijah rushed to his brother's side... or at least he tried to. Mikael held him firm, glaring at Niklaus in disgust.

He knew he and Athena were bastards.

"No," Mikael said, sneering, "we're leaving. He's a monster." He turned to Elijah, "the same monster that killed your brother. Let's go, boy."

Elijah tried to resist. He wanted to help his brother. Henrik had been in an accident. A terrible accident that wasn't any of their fault.

Mikael tugged him along, and being older, he was stronger than him.

Elijah looked back at Niklaus whose arm bent and shifted into an unnatural position. "Brother..." Niklaus whimpered.

Suddenly, Athena was sitting next to Niklaus, pulling his reshaping body into her. "Oh, Nikky, it's alright, darling boy. It's okay. You're okay," she whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair as he trembled and sobbed.

Mikael sneered once more then he turned on his heel and sped away, Elijah's arm firmly in his grasp.

"Athena!"

The redhead looked up, finding Alix rushing toward them. She had been around much more recently even though Mikael was here. The pack had been moved after Henrik's death to keep them safe, but Alix went between easily with the portal Athena created.

"Mama," Niklaus whimpered, reaching for the woman. Alix slid down beside him, catching his hands gently.

"Oh, hi, sweet boy," she murmured, kissing his hands, "hi. Okay. I know it hurts, honey, but you cannot fight it. If you do, it'll make it worse." Niklaus nodded, crying out as his spine snapped and reshaped. "Listen to your surroundings. Listen to our hearts. Listen to the birds in the trees and owls on their perches. Listen to the critters sprinting through the forest. Feel the dirt beneath Athena... and become a creature of the moon."

Niklaus' scream turned into a howl as his wolf form lay across Athena's lap. Black fur and golden eyes took his place.

Athena smirked a little, wondering why both of them had different wolves to their hair color.

Alix laughed, grinning as Niklaus stood shakily. "There you are, precious boy." She ran her fingers through his fur gently. He shook it out, panting with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "You are okay."

Niklaus nuzzled into her chest, whining. He was bigger than her in this form and since she was crouched he still sought her comfort.

Athena ran her fingers through his fur, resting her head against his shoulder. "I warned you, Niklaus," she clicked her tongue. The wolf growled and launched himself at her. Athena yelped as she maneuvered herself just in time. She smirked at him, crouched low with amber eyes. "Catch me if you can, brother!" She took off into the woods.

Niklaus howled and then took off after her.

Alix chuckled as she shook her head. She followed after her children, hoping they wouldn't cause too much distraction. 

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

Esther had heard the howl. She had smiled after hearing it. Niklaus had finally become one with his wolf.

She never really understood why only those two carried the dormant wolf gene. Not even Freya had. She had also been confused while Athena had been a witch, unlike Niklaus whose wolf side overpowered his witch side.

She had tried to look for answers, but Athena was nothing anybody had heard of before. All of her children were, the first of their kind. It's a wonder Rebekah and Kol were able to retain their magic when Finn and Elijah had lost theirs.

Athena had called them Heretics. Rebekah had asked where she came up with that, but she had just shrugged and said it came to her in a vision. Kol had thrown a rock at her head.

She laughed softly as she thought about her children. Henrik still lived in all of their hearts, and all of them did whatever they could to keep his memory alive. Esther appreciated it, finding it hard to keep her head on most nights at the loss of another one of her children.

"You whore."

Esther blinked and turned. She barely dodged Mikael's reach for her. "Pardon me?" She demanded, glaring at him with a sneer. Recently, Mikael has been worse than ever before.

She had done everything she could to prevent him from chasing the wolves. Athena has been a very big help, hiding them away with spells so powerful it made Esther's blood burn. Alix knew where most of the original wolf packs, derived from her own, were which helped a great deal. Kol helped whenever he could, Rebekah did her best to help the poor woman who Mikael tried to burn, and her three eldest boys helped slow him down.

Mikael knew Esther knew he did, that Alix was still around. Probably could smell her on every surface. And yet... none of them cared. They were powerful now, more powerful than he could ever wish to be. Esther was still forced to do as he said, but Athena seemed to be on the brink of breaking the spell if the crack in her cuff was any indication.

Athena was also trying her hardest to create more of those immortality rings now that she did not need them. The one she had wouldn't work on anyone but her and her person (she had asked the gods), so she sought to make one for each of her family members, starting with Alix and Esther.

"Niklaus just transformed into the very thing that killed my son!" Mikael spit and Esther cocked an eyebrow.

"Athena did as well. You should've known better," she brushed off. Wasn't it obvious that one day he would too? He was, after all, her other half. He would follow in her footsteps when the time came. They all knew that. Even Niklaus.

Mikael appeared in front of her and she did her best not to flinch. Though her heart did race a little from the fast movement. "I thought perhaps he could be mine since we had consummated around the time they were conceived, but you are just a whore."

"So you've said," Esther deadpanned. She clenched her jaw, determination setting into her features. "You know I never wished to marry you. You had others lining up to be with you, but you chose the one person who didn't. It is not my fault you chose to be blind instead of accepting the fate we were all given."

Mikael sneered, his eyes shifting. Veins protruded underneath his eyes as his fangs slid out. "You should've surrendered to your fate. You are my wife and you should've given in to that. You made our marriage miserable—"

Esther rolled her eyes and went back to preparing dinner for her children.

"Do not turn your back on me!" Mikael roared and Esther turned immediately, clenching her jaw tightly. She hated how much power he had over her. "Remember that you did this!" He snarled, his hand wrapping around Esther's neck tightly. She choked, grasping his hand as her eyes widened. "I am the one in control. You will do as I say." He smirked evilly, leaning closer. "You will get rid of their wolf sides. I never want to see it again. You will make it near impossible for them to ever break it. Especially Athena's. You will make your bastards suffer for being alive. Do you understand me?"

Esther's eyes widened in horror. "N-No," she rasped even as she felt her muscles working against her. Even as her magic already reached out for her grimoires and looked for a spell. "No."

Mikael's smirk deepened. "Yes." 

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

"Mother?" Athena awoke, her eyes blinking. She felt like her entire body was on fire. Her wolf was restless, terrified.

Esther met her eyes from over the fire, staring at her sadly and with so much regret it almost hurt to look at.

Athena slowly moved to get up but two hands grabbed her, forcing her against a large piece of wood into the ground. Her hands were bound to the sides even as she tried to fight against it. Her energy was draining.

Mikael appeared in her face, sneering. "Abomination," he spat.

She flinched as his spit hit her face. She stared at him with glowing eyes, growling. "And you're a douche. What do you want from me?"

Esther smiled slightly, shaking her head at her daughter.

Mikael smacked her across the face and Athena sighed, feeling the cut on her cheek heal instantly.

Elijah watched from where he was checking on Niklaus as the man slowly awoke.

"What is happening?" Athena demanded as she looked at her mother. Mikael moved to Niklaus, hoisting him up. Niklaus snarled at him, trying to pull away as Mikael chained one of his arms.

"I am so sorry," Esther whispered, knowing her daughter would hear. Athena stared at her, lost. Sorry about what? What was Mikael making her do?

"Elijah! Elijah, help me!" Mikael demanded as Niklaus was able to pull his arm down, "hold him down."

"Brother!" Niklaus shouted, looking to Elijah for help. Pleading with him. "Don't let them do this to us!" He said. He knew what was going on. He had overheard his father and Aniya speaking about binding their wolf sides.

"Do it now, boy!" Mikael yelled, glaring at his son.

Elijah did as he was told, forcing Niklaus back against the wood.

"Elijah!" Athena shouted, incredulous, "fight back, you coward!" She tried to yank on her chains but it was no use. Whatever spell her mother had cast before was draining her.

"Leave," Niklaus said, staring at his brother with betrayal and rage in his eyes.

Elijah stared back at him, his eyes apologetic and scared.

Mikael grabbed Elijah and appeared beside Esther. "Do it now," he demanded, his eyes filled with resentment and rage. Esther glared at him, even as her mouth recited the words.

Mikael pulled out a pouch with another ingredient, something that would tear the family apart forever.

How wonderful.

He poured it into the fire even as Esther tried and failed to go against her sister's magic.

Athena and Niklaus screamed their throats raw, feeling their wolves being tied inside of themselves and forced so deep into their mind that they couldn't feel them. Feeling a piece of them stripped away, a gigantic hole takes its place.

The fire rose as high as the tallest tree as Esther sobbed, watching her children in such pain. Elijah curled into himself, covering his ears though nothing could drown out the sounds of his siblings' agony.

Mikael grinned in glee, watching as they writhed and howled. How they cried and threw up. Oh, how he loved inflicting pain upon others.

Then the fire died out, surrounding them in darkness. Athena and Niklaus had fallen unconscious, their bodies leaned forward as their arms and legs strained against the chains holding them up.

Esther rushed to them, undoing their binds and pulling them off to the side with Elijah's help. He was shaking a bit, looking like he was going to be ill himself. Esther didn't know how to console him, but she placed her hand on the back of his head.

She turned to Mikael, "what was the added ingredient? What did you do?" She demanded. She knew he had added something to her spell. That Aniya had to have helped him, he wouldn't have known what to do.

Mikael smirked, stuffing the pouch back into his pants. "Aniya helped me find a spell that will make you all suffer for many, many years to come. Niklaus and Athena will never be able to get their wolf sides out again. I will hunt them forever. And to add to it," he clapped his hands, gleeful, "Athena will be cursed with... reincarnation."

"What?" Esther asked, her eyes wide as she paled.

He laughed in delight. "Oh, isn't it wonderful? Every 170 to 180 years give or take... she will die!" He clapped once more, "and when she is reincarnated... she will forget all of you ever existed. I don't know if she'll get her memories back or not—not my problem." He waved, "bye, bye."

Then he was gone.

Esther turned back to her unconscious children slowly, tears gathering fresh in her eyes.

Elijah didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

AN: BOOO MIKAEL!! *throws popcorn at screen* YOU SUCK

this book is finishing up this week *GASPS* yk what that means!! (no, seriously, what does it mean?)

wc: 2268