Archive of Our Own ^beta

There’s a reason Theo never stayed in Liam’s neighborhood too long. Never stayed longer than to pick him up and drop him off; never lingered, despite how much his heart begged his mind, to stay . Park. Sleep the night in the cul-de-sac, close enough he can pick up Liam’s heartbeat, far enough Liam won’t see him.

But he can’t. He wants to, but he never will. It’s too dangerous. His truck is too big and too recognizable. The hunters have seen it too many times and it makes him vulnerable. Theo can live with that, being vulnerable. He doesn’t have much of a choice; his truck is all he has. He’d rather have it than nothing, even if it makes him a target. 

What he can’t live with, though, is Liam being vulnerable. The beta’s been the target of Munroe and Gerard for months. His death would bring them a pleasure that makes Theo sick to even think about. They shoot to kill; they don’t care who gets caught in the crossfire. It’s no longer about fear anymore, they hunt for the thrill. 

Theo will never stay, because he’ll never put Liam at risk. His love for the beta, his need to protect him, will trump every desire he ever feels to stay . If they find his truck parked unusually in the neighborhood, it’ll only be a matter of time before they find Liam, and that can’t happen. 

So, he’s careful. 

He picks Liam up and he drops him off. Sometimes, he takes different routes. Liam’s usually too absorbed in his own rambling to notice, but occasionally he does. When he does, Theo always has an excuse prepared. “There’s a major jam on that road,” or “There’s a huge pothole over there I’d like to avoid.”

Liam never questions his excuses. Theo never tells him the truth about the excursions, because he doesn’t want him to worry. If Theo shares the slightest suspicion about someone watching him, Liam will erupt in a full fledged panic. He’d never let it go. 

Part of protecting Liam is making sure he doesn’t worry. He wants the bitten wolf to be as carefree as possible, like how he would be if he was never brought into the supernatural world. He wants him to feel normal. Safe. Happy. Theo would do anything to keep him that way. 

He should’ve done a better job. 

On the plus side, they didn’t take Liam. 

On the minus side, they know where he is now. 

It was a typical night for what’s left of the McCall pack - those not off in college, still in highschool, and who keep it together in his absence. They’re still very much his pack, but they’re also their own little sub-pack. Theo’s kind of included, being Liam’s personal chauffeur, but he’s unsure of his place among them. Do they accept him? Do they even trust him? Will they notice he’s missing? Will they care? 

His captor seems to think so. 

The man has a wicked smile on his face. His eyes are dark without even a flicker of humanity left. He holds a knife in one hand, metal coated with drying blood - Theo’s blood, which has finally stopped trickling down his chest as his healing starts to take over. 

The man watches in awe. He stares at Theo’s bare torso with childlike wonder - if the child was born with a taste of blood, and a heart black as coal. He’s far enough away to not make another mark; he’s not even within spitting distance of Theo right now, but he’s still close enough to watch his slash wound seal back together. He looks proud of his work, but frowns when it’s gone. 

A group of men ambushed him early in the evening, twenty minutes after he’d dropped Liam off and returned to the preserve. Theo had gotten out of his truck and walked not ten feet from it before they caught him off guard and rendered him defenseless quickly. When he woke up with his hands tied above his head and body exposed, he cursed himself bitterly. Bit down on his tongue until he bled - self-punishment for a moment of weakness. 

Theo’s always careful. He works himself to exhaustion every day, checking his mirrors, behind his back, around every corner. He listens for any single sound out of the ordinary, keeps his nose keen to catch anything new. Even though he’s used to being vulnerable, he doesn’t like it. He keeps himself safe second to Liam. He’s always on guard, always aware. 

But for that one moment, he wasn’t. A moment of indulgence that threatened his survival. And now, he pays the price. 

It was so stupid , too. Theo can’t believe how much he let it affect him. The second Liam walked through his front door, Theo’s defense collapsed. He let himself feel the emotions that always threaten to spill over when Liam’s around, because this time, not only was Liam near him, he had touched him. 

It was for a mere second, but it felt like an eternity. 

Liam had touched him before, of course he has - they’re notorious for arguing with their fists (something that always upsets the rest of the pack) - and their hands (always clenched) have collided with their skin (always roughly) plenty of times.

This was different. 

Liam had touched him carefully . He’d placed a hand on Theo’s right arm, and crossed his chest to give his left shoulder a gentle push. It was a recap of something that had happened earlier, something that had almost set Liam off, before Corey managed to calm him down at the last minute. They had a game today, and a player of the opposing team handled Liam in the way he demonstrated to Theo. He spent the whole ride home complaining about it, ranting about the other boy’s audacity to grab him like that, insisting he should’ve faced more penalty than a red card. 

Honestly, by his recount, Theo can’t blame Liam for being upset about it. The boy had twisted his wrist and shoved him right above his heart. If Liam wasn’t a werewolf, he probably would’ve had to sit out part of the game just to recover from the force of the attack (Liam’s word). Luckily, he managed to not only heal, but also keep his cool, thinking about… something he wouldn’t quite disclose to Theo, plus hearing Corey’s voice across the field to let it go . For the remainder of the game, he did, but he’d apparently saved his anger to rage about the incident to Theo. 

And Theo listened, of course he did, because Liam could read off a “Terms and Conditions” manual, and still have Theo’s full attention. Listening to the younger boy talk, hearing the passion bleed through his voice, and watching the way his blue eyes sparkle with excitement, is something he’ll never get tired of. 

But even in the driveway, Liam wasn’t yet done. A bit of rage still bubbled deep within him. He wanted to show Theo what happened, touch him in the way he’d been grabbed. Theo consented, not sure what he was getting himself into, but not really caring. A touch is a touch, and he’ll take what he can get. He just didn’t expect him to be so gentle. Didn’t expect a slow-motion, sensitive retelling from the boy with anger issues. The boy who’d only ever hit him has never been soft like that before. 

So of course it tore down the barrier between Theo and his heart. Of course it blurred the lines between what he felt, and what he thought Liam might feel. Of course it made him weak - head swirling, legs wobbling, heart warming. He could still feel the touch by the time he got to the preserve, like it had been burned to his skin. He liked it; he felt drunk on it. 

But as Theo knows all too well, all good things must come to an end, and now the gentle touch Liam had offered is drowned out by the sharp pain of a cut down his torso. The soft smile Liam sent him right before jumping out of his truck is replaced with the maniacal grin of the man before him. 

Theo just hopes they found him in the preserve because they happened to be there, not because they had tracked him from Liam’s house. 

Again, he was wrong. 

He knew he was wrong the moment the beta was mentioned. He knew they’d been tracking him, despite Theo’s best efforts to keep Liam hidden from their sight. He knew he’d failed to keep his little wolf safe. Failed Liam, failed Scott, failed Jenna . Failed himself. 

The man seems to know his weakness as well as Theo does. It makes his skin crawl, his stomach drop. The cuts healing on his skin suddenly don’t hurt so much, compared to the one stabbing him straight through the heart. 

“See if the beta comes looking for you,” he starts, confident. Dominant. He has the upper hand and they both know it. “You seem to get along well. Driving him around, every day, for school, for leisure - or whatever you mutts do on the weekends.” 

No amount of detours matter when you stand out like a ship in calm waters. They had been watching him. Quietly, deceptively. Tracking his truck and the routes he’d take. Seeing him take Liam to school and bring him home. Seen Liam go home, seen his house, the distinctive green door, and the pink poppies along the sidewalk that Jenna had grown. 

They’d been planning this. For how long, Theo doesn’t know. Doesn’t want to know. They’d been watching Theo to get to Liam. Waiting, for him to be vulnerable, to let his guard down. And now, they’re using Theo to get Liam; to coax him out of his house, leading him straight to danger. 

But Theo’s not sure he’s pack, and he’s not sure what he means to any of them, and he’s not totally confident that his sudden disappearance will garner a search. And though it hurts his heart to think, he hopes it’s true. He hopes Liam doesn’t care. Because if he doesn’t - if he doesn’t look for Theo - he’s safe. 

Time passes, and Theo has no idea how long it’s been since he was taken. The deep smell of earth tells him they must be far from the town, but the accompanying scent of metal means other people aren’t too distant from his location. It’s likely another of Munroe’s hiding spots, if he’d have to guess. Cave-like, hidden corners meant for torturing supernaturals while frightened humans watch. Seeing them at their weakest, their most vulnerable, and then handed a gun for defense. Humans are animals, too, and werewolves are still half-human, but nobody seems to remember that now that she’s waged war. 

His hands are numb. He’s been held here long enough to lose much of the feeling in his arms and upper body. His mouth is dry with a hint of iron from biting his tongue. The slashes are all healed, not like he can see them, but he no longer feels his skin knitting back together - a sensation that almost hurts as much as the injuries themselves. 

Theo strains his senses for anything around him. He wants to know his surroundings, can’t see much around the corner, and doesn’t want to be taken off guard again. More importantly, though, he looks for Liam. Something, anything that tells him the beta’s not here. He inhales a taste of the air, hoping it doesn’t carry his scent; listens to the sounds of water trickling, footsteps pacing, voices whispering. None of them belong to him, making Theo take a breath of relief. He’d recognize him in a second if he were here; his scent, voice, whine, gate, are all ingrained deeply in his brain. 

Someone is coming, though. Someone with a quick gate, rushed footsteps, heavy breath. Within the next two seconds, the same man from yesterday appears. His face is stern, worried, if Theo’s not mistaken, and his jaw is tense. If Theo weren’t still tied up, he’d nag him with a tease. 

“You stay here,” he orders, searching the almost empty room hurriedly. He’s wearing a different shirt from yesterday. His hair looks freshly washed. 

Now Theo can’t help but joke. “Not sure where I could go.”

He receives a hateful glare in response, but it means nothing to Theo. He’s seen much worse. 

“Are you looking for something?” He asks, rhetorically, because he definitely doesn’t care, but can’t help wonder what’s gotten him in such a tizzy. 

“Shut up,” he snaps.

“If it’s your knife you need, the last place I saw it was wedged in my chest.” The comment goes ignored. “Maybe you dropped it over here.”

“You think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”

“Hey, it’s not like I can do anything. You think I’d still be here if I could get out?”

“Even if you did, you’d have nowhere to go.”

“Maybe not. But it might just be fun to watch you have to chase me around.”

To his left, he catches a glint of metal. The knife is beside him; the last time the man was here, his final cut before leaving the scene left the weapon buried in his muscle. It wasn’t deep enough to cement, though, and had eventually clattered to the ground. 

The man continues to scurry. Theo starts to pick up on more voices in the distance, men and women, whispering and yelling. Sweat starts to form on the forehead of the one in front of him. It’s laden and sour, though, nothing like the earthy smell Liam carries after practice. The scent that permeates the seats in his truck; the scent he’s come to love. 

With every passing minute, the footsteps grow louder, more urgent. Another tease is on the tip of Theo’s tongue, but before he can speak, the man’s eyes catch the glint he’d previously seen. He follows his line of sight.

“What’s going on out there?”

“None of your damn business.”

His hand wraps around the knife’s handle, then admires its shine underneath the tip of darkened, dried blood. He chuckles at the sight, bouncing his eyes back and forth between Theo’s chest and the blade. He advances, suddenly. But right as he takes a step forward, he’s beckoned by another man at the room’s entry. 

“I’m not done with you,” he threatens, waving the knife in front of Theo’s face. 

Theo doesn’t think before he acts - something completely uncommon for him - yet something about this man makes his skin crawl. The way he trails his eyes so carefully down his body before he cuts awakens something volatile in Theo. Maybe it’s the fact that it could easily be Liam in his place, or maybe it’s the craving he has for Liam, wanting him so badly, he doesn’t want anyone else to see his body but the little wolf. As if he owns him. 

Theo’s never liked being owned. That was the relationship he had with the doctors. There was nothing familial about it, he was always their pet , their subject . He never had a choice to break free from them, it was obey or die, and despite the bad hand of cards he’d been given throughout his life, Theo always tried to survive. 

Liam, however, owns his heart whether he likes it or not. The little beta has managed to worm his way into his life, and continues to stick around no matter how difficult Theo knows he can be at times. He realized, a long time ago, that he quite likes the control Liam has over him. It terrifies him sometimes, both in the sense that he would do anything for him, and that Liam can so easily break his heart, but Liam shows no signs of doing such a thing, and Theo likes to indulge in the feeling of being wanted . He would die or kill for the beta without a second thought if it meant he would still want him despite it. 

The man looks into Theo’s eyes, knife raised, and Theo, hands still tied above his head, spits on him. It hits him on the bridge of his nose, between his eyes, and sends him falling to his knees in disgust. He mutters something incoherent, but Theo’s pretty sure he catches a few vulgar words in there, and it brings a smirk to his face. The man wipes his face furiously, glaring at Theo with an anger so intense, he’s surprised his face isn’t red. 

“I’m going to kill you when I get back.”

For the first time in a pretty long time, something goes Theo’s way. His numb hands ache with strain and it makes his head fuzzy. He doesn’t register the sound of light footsteps, nor smell the newcomer until he’s right in front of him. 

“ Theo , c’mon wake up.” His eyes rake down from his bloody jeans, up to his tied hands. He fights the urge to touch him, or maybe shake him back into consciousness, but he’s never touched him too softly before he was taken, and he’s certainly never touched the bare skin of his chest. “Theo…”

His eyes snap open, recognizing that whine, and the way Liam pleads his name when he wants something. Only now, the sound is accompanied by tearful eyes and a heavy heart. 

Liam sighs a big breath of relief when he wakes. His scent’s tinted with a bit of hope now. 

“I’m gonna untie you, but you have to be ready, okay? Grab onto me for support.”

“Li-”

“I know, I know. I’m gonna get you down.”

“You shouldn’t be here. ‘Specially not alone.”

“I’m not alone. Stilinski and Argent are here. They’re holding them off until I could find you.”

“How did you find me?”

“Later, okay? I need to get you down, but it’s going to hurt.”

“Can’t hurt much worse than anything else they’ve done.”

Sadness pangs Liam’s heart, and he reaches up quickly to work on the knot. It’s a bit of a struggle; Theo has two inches on him, and the rope is slightly taller than the chimera so they could hang him a little off the ground. The balls of his feet drag along the earth, but his heels can’t reach. 

“Grab me when I get it.”

“Li, no.”

“You’ll fall if you don’t, and you’re too weak to take that right now. Grab my shoulders.”

As soon as he gets the knot undone, he surges forward to catch the older boy just in case his stubbornness keeps him from listening, but luckily, it seems he decided he is too weak to not grab onto him. 

“There you go.” Liam holds him for a minute, ignoring the way he’s almost a deadweight on his shoulders. He takes several deep breaths for Theo to try to match. After a moment, his anxiety dissipates a little. Feeling starts to return to his fingertips, and his body doesn’t feel stretched beyond its will. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”

“I’ll manage.”

“Okay. Start slow.” He pulls away and Theo straightens his back. He stumbles on his first step, causing Liam to grab onto his hand for guidance. “I’ve got you, c’mon.”

Any other given day, Theo would protest to the gentleness he’s being offered, but right now, he’s dependent on it if he wants to make it out alive. Even more important, if Liam is going to make it out alive. 

He can’t believe the beta would be stupid enough to go looking for him. 

He chides himself. 

Liam’s not stupid, he’s caring. He’d save him even if they weren’t growing as close as they have been lately. Hell, Liam pulled him out of his underground prison still hating him. He defended him from Malia and Scott; he offered him a hot shower and clean clothes. Liam came for him when they meant nothing to each other. Of course he would come now. 

“Are you getting better?”

“Legs feel better,” he offers, mouth too dry to say much. 

“Okay, that’s good. Keep holding my hand.” He’s also holding onto Liam’s back, supporting himself with a small touch to the center of his spine, but neither mention it. “There’s an entrance we’ll use that’s not where the fight is. Then I’ll press this button and it’ll let them know we’re safe. But you gotta cover your ears when I push it. We’re sensitive to it, it’s designed to hurt our ears, but while they won’t hear it, they’ll see the light and know.”

Theo nods. He lets Liam guide him through the maze of rooms and hallways. They stop and hide when it sounds like someone’s coming, and twice, they pause so Theo can readjust his positioning with every bit of feeling that returns to him. 

“You’re doing so well, we’re almost there. Corey’s out there, and Mason’s on his way. Then we’ll go to Deaton, okay? Is it alright if Mason drives your truck?”

“No Deaton. I’m okay.”

“Theo-”

“They didn’t put anything in me, just a knife. I just want to go-” he stops himself. 

I just want to go home.

He doesn’t have a home; he’s not sure where that came from. 

“I just need to sleep it off,” he says instead. “I’ll be fine in the morning.”

“You’re not going to be better in a day. You’re coming home with me. If I decide Deaton needs to see you, he can come to the house.”

“No, Liam-”

“It’s non-negotiable.”

Liam pushes his way through a manhole that takes them outside. It’s evening, luckily, because if they had walked out into the bright sun, Theo knows he’d be blinded and stumble. The sky instead is a painting of pink and blue as the sun sets and the moon rises. He breathes in the fresh air and relaxes a little. 

Corey becomes visible the moment the manhole is closed. He holds a physical map in his hands and looks rather confused reading it, but a sharpie-marked path guides him well enough. 

“Hey, dude, you freaked us out! What happened- uh, later. Mason should be coming around soon. Liam, do you have the button-thingy?”

“Yeah, cover your ears.”

“Is it really that bad? Argent said it be- aghh!”

“Corey!” He hisses.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

Mason comes around the corner a moment later, driving pretty well, instead of rushing his way through the trees like they do in action movies. He hits a bush blocked by the view of the large grill of the truck. Liam catches the glint of sudden panic in his eyes, knowing how overprotective Theo is of that thing. He gives him a thumb’s up for reassurance. 

He comes to a gentle halt and unlocks the doors, then waits for the three to climb in. Theo moves surprisingly well for someone who’s been kidnapped for three days, but they’d all put money on him just trying to appear less hurt than he really is. Liam crawls in the backseat, his guiding hand still on Theo’s back, which he doubts will be removed any time soon. Though the situation is dire and not at all amusing, Corey lifts himself into the passenger seat and smiles. He turns to the older boy behind him as Mason starts to drive again. 

“How are you doing?” He tries to feign innocence, but his dimples give him away. 

“This is the first and last time you get the front seat.”

He only shrugs, teasingly. They might’ve taken some of his spirit, but never his sass. Corey never thought the boy’s attitude would be something he’d missed. 

“Alright, so Deaton?” Mason asks, nearing the entrance of the preserve.

“No,” Liam says, sighing.

“What? Why not?”

“He’s being stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn, Li, I’m fine.”

“The hell you’re fine.”

“I told you, no bullets. He only had a knife.”

“That still requires medical attention.”

“I don’t need a doctor to heal from slashes. Most of them are healed. I just need to sleep it off.”

“That’s-”

“Didn’t we just have this discussion? You agreed, no Deaton.”

“I didn’t agree , I just found a possible alternative.”

Theo doesn’t reply. 

“So what’s the alternative?” Mason asks, now pulling onto the main road.

“My house. Mom’s home, but I’ll talk to her.”

Liam’s parents know about the supernatural; he told them about a month ago. It was totally on accident, and Liam doesn’t want to blame anyone, but it was Corey’s fault. The three of them were baking cookies in the kitchen - Liam was begging Theo to join them over the phone, but right before he hesitated like he was going to agree, Corey chimed in with an excited, “hi, Theo!” and the older boy, on the spot, rejected - and didn’t know his mom had gotten home early. At one point - the most unfortunate point - Corey had molded into the cabinet in an ill attempt to scare his boyfriend, but at the same time Mason opened the cabinet in search of red sprinkles, his mom walked in to check on them. At the sight of her wide eyes after watching the boy materialize out of thin air , they knew they couldn’t keep the secret anymore. 

So, eventually, the three stuttering boys spat out the truth. They started out vague, but then his mom’s signature eyebrow knit had them spilling out all the details, even the most shocking. Luckily, though, (and if Liam’s honest, he never expected anything less) his mom took it well. It answered a lot of questions she had accumulated over the years about his odd behavior and whereabouts. Once she understood the gist of it, she began to list off names and have them fill in who was what and where they came from. 

Theo, then, got brought into the conversation. Or, as she called him, “that boy in the truck.”

Liam sheepishly answered. An answer that could’ve been simply explained by Mason or Corey, had Liam not immediately gone red and sparked his mom’s attention. 

The worst part is, Liam didn’t even know what he said until the boys rehashed it to him later that night. Something along the lines of, “he is, but kind of not. He’s like Corey, but he’s not invisible. He’s part coyote, and has the attitude to prove it, but he’s also proven he’s capable of being nice when he wants to be. But yeah, he drives me everywhere, and he’s- he’s- like us, and um, yeah, he’s a wolf… ish. Artificial wolf, I guess. But I don’t like to remind him of that, because of y’know- how he was, uh, made.”

“Right,” his mom had replied. 

Not to mention that not ten seconds after that long-winded response, Liam had tried to escape his mom’s slight smirk and narrowed gaze, just to bump his elbow into the jar of red sprinkles Mason had just opened, causing them to go cascading to the floor, and making a huge mess. 

“And how old is this boy, may I ask?” Is all she said, observing the explosion of red that now covers the floor. 

“Eighteen. But barely eighteen. Like, it’s what? The twelfth? He’s like, two weeks eighteen.”

“Well, thanks for that specific answer.” She squinted. “Any of you happen to have vacuum-like abilities that can clean that mess?”

Of course, none of them do, which left the job to Liam. 

Mason pulls the truck into the Geyers’ driveway and makes sure to lock the doors when they all get out. He really hopes Jenna’s upstairs or something when they all walk in, and not in the kitchen, where her first look of them will be carrying a heavily injured boy into the room. To their fortune, she isn’t anywhere to be seen, but Liam hears her heartbeat in the laundry room upstairs. Once they lay Theo down on the couch, Mason goes up to find her. 

Jenna is quick to respond and rush downstairs to help. The first thing she sees is her son; his back is to her while she gently eases Theo’s head up just enough to slide a pillow under it. Liam then reaches for his shirt, pulling the hem and threatening to rip it off. Theo budges enough just to smack him. 

“No.”

“I need to see it.”

“It’s fine.” 

Liam then catches the scent of his mom closer to him and turns to face her. His eyes are heavy with exhaustion, red in a way that tells her he’s just had a mini-episode. Liam cries out of frustration equally as he does out of sadness, but he works hard to hide it. However, Jenna knows him, and she knows by the irritation in the corners of his eyes that he’s nearly at a breaking point in his frustration, and if Theo keeps up his stubbornness, Liam is going to lose it. 

She goes to stand beside her son, identifying the superficial wounds on the boy’s neck and arms. They’re minimal, thankfully. Most in the late stages of healing or sewed up completely. Jenna tries not to stare. The boys told her they could heal on their own, but she’d never seen it for herself until today. 

Jenna puts a gentle hand on his head. She notices the way he flinches, but then corrects himself to be stoic just as fast. 

Artificially made , Liam had said. 

Jenna only translated that one way. Two simple words held so much meaning. And as an abuse survivor herself, she can recognize the signs. 

“Hi, sweetheart, I know you don’t know me, but my name’s Jenna, I’m Liam’s mom. I want to know if you’ll let me peek under your shirt, just at your chest, to look at any injuries. Just real quick. If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s totally okay. I can make you a green tea. It’ll aid in tissue regeneration, so maybe your healing will kick in more quickly. It’s your choice.”

Theo stares. He’s never had an adult offer him a choice before. 

Jenna grows worried. “Liam, you mind getting the hot water ready?”

“Sure.”

She wants a minute alone with him. Wants to look into his cautious eyes and promise he’s safe here, safe with her. Jenna lowers herself onto her knees. “Liam’s told me a little about you,” she starts, knowing damn well all three other boys can hear her and are definitely listening, “but I don’t know if you know anything about me.” And even if he does, she wants him to hear her say it. “So, I own a little bakery downtown. My husband’s a surgeon at the hospital. This is a safe neighborhood. The most eccentric person is Crazy Cathy down the street, but she only has that name to acknowledge the amount of garden gnomes she has in her front yard. We have a Ring doorbell camera that records both audio and visual. There’s a camera pointing to the driveway, and another in the backyard. 

What I’m trying to tell you is that you’re safe here, okay? Any abnormal behavior is detected and reported to us immediately. No one can sneak up on us or stalk us without a friend letting us know. Actually,” she chuckles, “I had to tell our neighbor across the street that your truck was safe when you started driving Liam around.”

Theo starts to smile, but then worry takes over his face. “Where’s my truck?”

“It’s safe, honey. It’s in the driveway.”

“Put it in the garage. It needs to go in the garage.”

“Okay,” she says, agreeing without explanation. “Mason, do you mind driving the truck into the garage? It’s empty, David’s at work.”

“Yeah, of course.”

Jenna thanks him, then turns back to Theo. “No one’s gonna find it, it’s okay.”

At the sound of the heavy door opening and closing, she sees him relax just a little. 

“I want you to know you’re safe with me, okay?” She continues. “I’m only here to help. When you’re ready, I’d like to look at your scars, make sure they’re healing alright. I will not touch you while you’re asleep, I promise. You can stay here as long as you want, and we’ll all be around if you need something.”

He blinks, then nods slowly. 

“Okay. So what do you want to do? Want to let me take a look, or no, do you want to rest? Maybe drink some tea? If you don’t , don’t worry about it, Mason will drink it. No pressure.” She acknowledges the sound of the hissing kettle, not wanting him to feel like he has to just because she made it.

“I’ll try it,” he says anyway. “And you can look.” His words come out shakier than, judging by his face, he intended, so Jenna smiles sweetly, hoping to convey he doesn’t need to pretend around her. 

“Thank you, Theo. I also want to get you out of these clothes, they have some blood on them. Do one of you mind looking for some?”

“Yeah, I’ll get some,” Mason volunteers, knowing Liam’s closet as well as the boy himself. 

“Alright, thank you.” She puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I can see a couple small marks on your neck and arms, but a little bit of soapy water and some neosporin should be good for them, clean them up and prevent any infection.” Corey prepares that exactly as soon as she says it. “Thank you, sweet,” she says to him. “And then I’m going to do the same to the ones under your shirt. I’ll just roll it up, you don’t have to take it off. When I’m done, I or someone else can help you to the bathroom to change into something clean.”

“Okay.”

She softly dabs at washcloth at the smaller cuts, then applies a strip of neosporin. Anxiety shows in his eyes as she takes the edge of his shirt between her fingers. “Y’know, I’m certainly not the doctor that my husband is, but I’d like to say I’m pretty good at this stuff, too. Liam was a rambunctious little boy when he was younger. He was always rough-housing outside, would always come in with a scratch or two and grass stains on his knees.” 

Theo relaxes a bit. She can see his chest rising and falling slower now. 

“He would always argue with me, too, like he wanted to keep his cuts and stains like it was a badge for playing outside. Sometimes, I had to just let him stay like that for a bit until he’d realize he was itchy and let me clean him up. But no matter how much it would frustrate me from time to time, I’d never force it on him.”

Artificially made.

“Just like how my husband is with his patients, if someone rejects a treatment, even if they need it, he won’t do it to them anyway. Everyone should always have a right to choose.” She pauses at a cut on his lower stomach, right above the fabric of his jeans. “Is it okay if I get this one, or do you want to do it yourself later?”

“It’s okay,” he mutters, tears unmistakable in his eyes. 

“Okay, I’ll be gentle.”

Liam and Corey watch from the kitchen, neither ever seeing Theo so subdued, so compliant. 

But his mom always had a way with people, a gift, and patience, that many don’t have. Her ex-husband liked to take advantage of her kindness, but most people yearn for it. 

Mason comes down with the clothes and puts them on the nearby chair. He joins the other boys in the kitchen and pours two cups of tea. 

“Everything looks to be healing well,” Jenna decides. “The good thing about psychopaths,” she says hesitantly, “is that they clean their weapons. They like to see their reflections.”

She isn’t sure why she said it, exactly. Maybe it’s because Theo looks like someone who would know that or be able to handle it. Maybe it’s because she wants to tell him it wasn’t his fault, and that some people are just crazy. Maybe it’s because it might make him more likely to believe her that he’s healing well, or that he’s safe because she understands. 

Regardless of the reason, Theo nods. She rubs her thumb on his shoulder gently, comforting him while she pulls his shirt back down over his chest. 

“Want to change? I think you’ll be a lot more comfortable in something clean and soft.”

“Okay.”

Before she can ask if he wants Liam to help instead, he begins to stand, putting a hand on her shoulder for support. Jenna grabs the clothes and offers them when they reach the bathroom. As soon as she shuts the door, she feels Liam attach to her waist. 

“Oh! Hi, sweetheart.” She puts a hand on his back, rubbing soothingly. 

“I love you,” he mumbles into her side. 

“I love you, too, sweet. You okay?”

“Mhm.”

She kisses his head. 

“Stilinski wants to ask questions,” Mason says from the kitchen. “Should I tell him to wait, or…?”

“Let me ask him when he comes out, see if he’s ready, or wants to rest first.”

“Okay.”

Three minutes later, Theo gets settled back on the couch with a warm cup of tea. He decides to nap first, fearing that talking to Stilinski will open a can of worms he's not ready to expose, and wants at least some time to rest before that happens. Jenna agrees, and while he finishes the cup, the four of them sit around the living room to give him company. 

They talk quietly. Liam sits with his back against the couch closest to Theo, within arm’s reach. Jenna notices, of course, and her mind replays that description of him he gave over a month ago when she learned about the supernatural. 

Friends, huh?

His eyes are filled with worry, and a hint of frustration she doesn’t quite understand. She knows anyone would be upset about the situation , but part of his anger seems directed at Theo. When Jenna catches his gaze, he looks down, confirming her suspicions. 

Within the next five minutes, Theo falls asleep, and over thirty minutes later, Stilinski arrives at the house. The woman puts a finger to her lips as she lets him inside, plus the two boys he has in tow. 

“Is he okay?” The blond one asks.

“He’s okay, but he’s sleeping right now.”

They both nod. 

Jenna walks them past the foyer where the other four are. Liam, Mason, and Corey have impressively managed to keep quiet while playing a game of spoons right beside the couch where Theo is sleeping. Upon noticing the two new boys, Corey beckons them over and points to the kitchen for them to grab two more spoons. Stilinski joins Jenna in the kitchen. He looks like he could use some tea. 

“We haven’t identified the person who was hurting him directly, but we obtained a couple people that were involved in taking him. Munroe’s men, not surprisingly. Though,” he glances at the boys deeply concentrated on their game, “they fessed up pretty quickly, they didn’t take Theo because they wanted him, they took him because they wanted Liam . They were confident in this plan, they were expecting him, and if the boys didn’t come to us first, things could’ve gone much worse for both of them.”

The color drains from Jenna’s face and her heart drops to her toes. “What do they want with Liam?”

“I… I wish I knew. They didn’t tell me that much.” He lies, because for now, it’s easier than telling her the truth. “We’re still talking to them. Trying to learn more about their plans, and goals, and if there are any more around here. They’re in and out of town all the time. Hopefully no one else shows up for a while after this, though.”

“Please keep me informed if they say anything else. I need to protect him, and if he’s in danger, I need to know.”

“Mrs. Geyer-”

“Jenna.”

“Sorry. Your son and his friends are always going to be in some degree of danger. We protect them the best we can, always, I promise you that. These boys do a great job of keeping each other safe, too. But I can also tell you, with absolute certainty, as someone who was directly involved in last year’s war, no one is safer than Liam as long as that boy,” he points to Theo, “is around.”

Jenna nods, teary-eyed. “Thank you, Sheriff.”

“Stilinski,” he corrects politely.

She nods again. 

The kettle starts to whistle just then, and she hurries to take it off the stove. She’s grateful for the distraction, it gives her time to wipe her eyes. 

“Why does your mom still use a kettle?” The blond boy asks.

“Because she’s fancy like that,” Mason replies.

“My foster mom used a Keruig.”

“Well my mom’s cooler.”

“Hey, that’s my mom,” Liam jokes, shoving his best friend’s shoulder. 

Theo starts to stir, whether from the humming kettle or the sudden banter, no one’s sure, but as soon as he does, Liam drops his cards and crab-walks over to him. 

“Hi. You’re awake.”

“Hi. Seems I am.”

“Nice threes, Liam. You could’ve been so close to winning.”

“Don’t look at my cards.”

Theo blinks a few times. “When’d Alec and Nolan get here?”

“They came with Stilinski, who’s in the kitchen.” 

“Oh.”

“He just has a few questions.” Quieter, he adds, “if he asks too many, my mom’ll shoo him away.”

Before he can reply, Jenna calls to him. “Theo, would you like more tea? Or any of you boys?”

He accepts a second cup, and so does Mason, then Nolan. It’s Jenna’s first time meeting the latter, as well as Alec, the blond boy. Stilinski filled in that they’re all friends, or pack, if she’s ready to hear that term. 

Once everyone who wants tea has a cup, they settle down into the living room so Stilinski can ask the questions he needs. The pack refuses to leave Theo alone, and Liam had whispered to his mom if she could stick around, so she does. 

“I just have a few questions about the incident.”

He goes on to ask several questions, actually: where it happened, the time of day he was taken, from where had he just come, how many people were involved, and could he point out, amongst these ten people, who was the one that held him captive? 

Theo answers his questions, nothing more, nothing less. He thinks he’s out of the woods when Stilinski starts to pack up, but then he sighs. 

“Theo?”

“Hm?”

He chooses his words carefully. “Do you have somewhere to stay that’ll be safe until we can get this all wrapped up?”

“Yes.”

“Are you positive?”

“I’m fine.”

Liam shoots him a hard glare that makes Jenna almost jump. With a second glance, she notices all of the pack members’ faces are either glum or upset. She narrows her eyebrows. 

“Alright, kid. Well, I’m glad you’re safe. I’m going to take this down to the station and get it processed. You stay here until you’re better?”

“He will,” Liam answers for him. 

“Okay. See you soon. Jenna, can I call here if I have any more questions?”

“Certainly.”

“Alright, thank you.”

She follows him to the door politely, leaving Theo alone with the five younger wolves staring at him. He’s hesitant, but has to ask one thing. Has to learn his place in this pack, because despite being here, he’s still not sure of it. Has to know if he was needed or wanted . Which one made them come looking for him?

“How’d you realize I was gone?”

The silence grows heavy. A look of hurt crosses Liam’s face and he doesn’t hurry to hide it. “You didn’t pick me up for school.”

Oh. Right. 

“And then I tried calling you, you wouldn’t answer. Alec tried calling, but Corey said it was pointless; if you hadn’t answered me, something’s wrong. I worried, then, because I realized he was right.” He pauses, something on the tip of his tongue. Before Theo can ask, he shares anyway. “Mason wanted to go to the station first. I didn’t but he practically dragged me. I wanted to go search the preserve, but he thought that was impulsive.” Mason shrugs like he still believes he’s right (he is). “So the three of us went. Nolan was halfway to school, but he changed course and hurried to meet us. Then Parrish helped to find your truck using some aerial footage thing and found the coordinates. He called Argent and we all went out. I caught your scent quickly, but there was also your blood, and a lot of clues that looked like they were put there on purpose.”

“They were,” he says, swallowing hard. “They wanted you. They said they took me to get to you.” Jenna re-enters the room but neither notices her. Liam’s practically glaring daggers at the older boy. 

“You told Stilinski you had somewhere safe to live.” Theo opens his mouth, but Liam shuts him up. “Why’d you lie?”

“What?”

“You lied to him.”

“I didn’t.”

“Theo.” Right before snapping, Liam takes a deep breath. “Finding your coordinates wasn’t the only thing we learned at the station. When your truck was pulled up on the computer, one of the other deputies walked by and saw it, and asked what we were doing, and when Stilinski vaguely replied and asked why she was asking, she told us something.”

“What? She recognized the location?”

“No, dumbass, she recognized your truck. Every night, alone, on the streets or off in the preserve.” Theo sighs deeply. If he weren’t exhausted, he’d be thrumming up excuses right now. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you sleep in your truck?”

“Liam-”

“No, don’t ‘Liam’ me.” The anger he previously held back rises up in his throat. “Don’t give me some bullshit excuse about having to be a marauder and not being able to ask for help. You come to my house everyday, twice a day. You couldn’t ask to come in with me? Mom would be fine with it, you know that.”

“That’s just the thing, Liam, I’m already at your house enough.”

“What?”

“How do you think they found us? Liam, they know where you live, they know how to target you, because I’ve made you vulnerable. Every time I go in your neighborhood and wait for you outside your house, they’ve been watching. They know my truck. I thought I was being careful, taking different routes, driving longer than necessary sometimes, but I wasn’t careful enough. They waited for something to happen that would make me lower my defenses, and as soon as that happened, they attacked.”

“What? How do- Why- What made you lower your defense?”

Theo scoffs. “Out of all the questions you could’ve asked… Not, what should I do about being a hunter’s target? How do I avoid this in the future?”

“Shut up, Theo. You’re always watching out, so what happened?”

“That part’s not important. What is, is that I’m putting you in danger every time I take you somewhere. Every time I come here, you’re at risk.”

Liam’s heart breaks. “What are you suggesting, that you no longer want to drive me? Because I don’t care if hunters are watching, they’re always watching! I don’t want to lose the time I get with you just because you’re scared I’ll get kidnapped! I can hold my own, and especially when you’re with me.”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to drive you, I’m saying it’s too dangerous-”

“I don’t care!” He yells, bursting into tears at the same time. “I don’t care if they’re watching. I don’t care if they’ve memorized your license plate. I don’t care if they shoot a fucking tracker into me. I don’t want to be separated from you; I don’t want you to leave me!” The tears are falling faster now, and he covers his face with his hands. 

“Liam-” Theo and a wide-eyed Mason say in unison.

“No!” He turns and hurries out of the room, face bright with embarrassment and eyes stinging. 

Mason looks at Jenna for help, while Theo avoids her gaze completely. “It’s okay,” she assures everyone, especially the older boy. “I’ll go find him.”

Theo slumps down into the couch, hands over his own eyes. 

Corey gives him an understanding look. “You’re not at fault for wanting to keep him safe.”

Liam becomes such a blubbering mess that when his mom finds him, she has to hold him in her arms to soothe him. His crying drowns out the conversation in the living room, nor can those upstairs hear him and Jenna. 

“C’mon, it’s okay, you’re okay.” He’s nowhere near an episode; there isn’t anger anywhere present in his body, just grief. “Let it out and then we’ll talk. You’re gonna be okay.”

Liam rests his forehead on her shoulder, tears wetting her shirt but she doesn’t care. He shakes with the force of his emotions spiraling out. Jenna lets him cry, comforting him gently. 

Meanwhile, Theo and the four hold a small conversation of their own. 

“Do you not want to drive him anymore, or do you just want him to know there’s dangers associated with driving him?” Nolan asks hesitantly. 

“Of course I still want to, but I don’t want him to get hurt because of me.”

Mason squints. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the last three days happen because you were protecting him from the hunters that wanted to hurt him?”

“Yeah, but what if it happened differently? Liam’s parents are rarely home, what if they tried to break in instead of following me? What if they targeted him directly instead of using me to get to him?” 

“Theo, we’re all at risk all the time. Aside from us all being bonded and having separation anxiety, we’re always together. Even if not as a whole pack, we’re still usually in groups of two. The hunters could target any of us. They could take Mason to get to me, or Nolan to get to Alec. Yes, Liam’s at a higher risk because he’s Scott’s bitten beta, but we also all know that you would never let that happen, because it’s the way you are,” Corey says.

“What’s crazy to me, too,” Nolan takes back the conversation, “is that you still question your place among this pack when you’re practically what’s holding us together. Like yeah, Liam’s the stand-in alpha, but he relies on you. The rest of us look up to both of you.”

“Just because I’m older than you all doesn’t mean-”

“It’s not because you’re older,” he cuts him off, “like Corey said, it’s because of the way you are. Look, you had a dark past, and I relate to that. I’ve done some really bad things, as everyone knows, so being welcomed amongst you all was bewildering to me, but then seeing you come to meetings and hanging out with Liam made me feel more comfortable.” He gestures to Alec. “And look at him, you brought him out of his shell, too, because he used to be so shy, but you were even more shy, so he latched onto you like a starfish and got more and more comfortable, and now he never shuts up. And he’s still clingy.” There’s such a fondness in his tone that despite his words, everyone knows he’s just teasing. 

“Corey has no reason to be nice to me.” Theo looks at him. “I made your life hell.”

“The doctors made my life hell when they decided to strap me to a gurney and sow microscopic scales into my skin,” he corrects. “I watched you be a literal walking nightmare, a whole societal menace, but I also watched you try everything to make up for what you did. I saw a noticeable difference in you from the Ghost Riders’ war to the hunters’ war - you no longer fought just to stay alive, but also to protect. Now, I’m watching you be better every day. I’m meeting you as the person you want to be, not the one the doctors were hoping to make.”

“Yeah,” Mason agrees. “And dude, I know I’ve said some mean stuff to you in the past, but I don’t feel that way anymore. Corey’s right, that you’ve changed for the better, and Nolan’s right, that you’re a part of this pack.”

“Whether you like it or not!” Alec adds, blowing a raspberry at him. 

“Pack member or not, don’t count me on being here much longer, because I’m pretty sure I just ruined things with Liam.” 

The words are bitter in his mouth. Not just because he hurt Liam, but also because of the rejection he forces himself to make, despite wanting so badly to be a part of them. All he’s ever wanted is a pack, someone to feel close to, someone to protect and that’ll protect him back. A pack is everything the Dread Doctors were not, and if they wanted to make him into a werewolf mock-up, then he’ll be damned if he doesn’t have at least half the mindset of one. 

But instead of receiving crestfallen looks like he expected, Alec snorts . 

“Yeah, right. ‘Ruin things with Liam’. As if you ever could. Did you not even listen to what he said? He’s afraid that you’re going to leave him. He’s afraid that if you stop taking him everywhere, you’ll slowly fizzle out of the pack altogether, and we would all lose you.”

“Yeah, and did you catch the bit about him not wanting to lose having time alone with you?” Mason and Corey exchange glances, wondering if they should stop the younger two from exposing Liam’s poorly hidden crush, but decide against it. 

“Like Corey said, we travel in pairs. It’s not the fact that Alec, Corey, and Liam don’t have licenses, it’s because we like the niche little pairs we’ve organized ourselves into. Personally, I would actually die if Alec decided to take the bus or something instead of ride with me. Not only is he good entertainment and company, I just like being around him.”

Mason adds a tally to his mental checklist of poorly hidden crushes amongst the pack. 

“Also, if Malia, or anyone else in that older pack has an objection, they can fuck off.” Theo blinks. He’s never heard Nolan cuss before. “ Liam is the one that accepted me, and he told me himself that even if they object, I’m still pack on his terms. So stop objecting against yourself, because Liam accepted you a looooong time ago,” he says, drawing out the ‘o’.

Theo doesn’t say anything. He knows this is a battle he’s lost. He is pack, regardless of what his mind tells him. It’s evident in the words and expressions of the four in front of him. It’s in the way he can still hear Liam sniffling upstairs. Crying, because he doesn’t want to lose Theo, doesn’t want him to leave . Those words hit him now. 

Don’t want to lose the time I have with you. 

Don’t want to be separated from you. 

Don’t want you to leave . 

“So are you done being dramatic now?” Alec asks. “You’re pack. Deal with it. Can we play spoons?”

Theo hesitates, waiting for the creaking of stairs that will indicate his approach. “Not yet, I need to talk to Liam first.”

“Ughh! He’s going to say the same thing!”

“Not about the pack stuff.”

“Oh. Okay. Anyone, a game?”

Jenna rubs her son’s back until he stops shaking. She waits until his sobs turn to sniffles before asking him a question.

“So… did you know you love him a month ago when you described him to me, or is this a new thing?”

That effectively gets his attention. “What?”

She chuckles softly. “You’ve never been good at hiding your feelings, Li. And I say that as a compliment.”

“I…” He wants to deny it. Wants to roll his eyes and make up some lie about how he only sees Theo as a friend despite enjoying his company on the road. But he can’t lie to his mom. Not only can she see right through him, but he’s always hated keeping things from her. “I don’t know when it happened, but I do know when I realized it.”

“Okay, well then tell me about that day. When was it? What made you realize?”

“Right after the zoo, when he was driving us away from it. I was dizzy, because he had to knock me out to get me under control, but instead of being mad at me when I woke up, he just wanted me to open up about why I was so out of sorts there. Since I risked his life there and felt safe in the moment, I told him about Brett, and that whole… incident. And, I… he didn’t say a whole lot about it, but what he did say meant a lot to me. What meant even more, though, was the genuine look in his eyes that reassured me it was okay to tell him. 

And then at the same time, I realized it wasn’t only then that I trusted him, but every time since I brought him back. I told everyone I didn’t, including myself, but despite everything that happened before, I still found myself doing it. Part of me expected it to backfire on me again, but the other part argued that this time would be different. Better. And then time after time, fight after fight, he proved he had changed for the better. 

I don’t know when I fell for him, but I realized it in the truck that day. That’s part of the reason I love driving around with him so much.” He pauses. “After that conversation, it was short, but he gave the cutest smile I’d ever seen. He looked genuinely happy that I opened up about it, especially with it being so personal.”

His mom smiles and tucks a stray piece of hair behind his ear. “Baby… What happened downstairs, I don’t think that was him trying to push you away, I think he just wanted you to know how it happened, and that it could, again, in the future. I asked Stilinski how I could protect you better, after he told me the hunters were after you in the first place. He didn’t really have an answer for that, but he did say that as long as Theo’s around, you’ll be much safer than without him. If he’s that protective, he’s not going to leave you easily.”

“But what if he takes it to the extreme and avoids me in an attempt to keep me safe?”

“Truthfully, I don’t think he will. He can’t protect you if he’s not around you. But, if you’re worried that he might, talk to him. Ask him away from everyone else, be patient, and tell him how you feel.” She pauses. “Besides, I think you two need to talk anyway. We have to go back downstairs at some time, and it’s not gonna do either of you any good to ignore it.” 

When he says nothing, Jenna gives him a slight nudge, silently asking, what’s wrong?

“How do I talk to him normally after everything I just said?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just yelled in his face that I’m scared I’m going to lose him. You figured out in two seconds that I love him. What if he doesn’t feel the same and rejects our friendship over that?”

“Ah. Well first of all, I’m your mother. I can read you like no one else can. And mom’s are particularly good at reading crushes, might I add.” She smiles. “But look, a lot of trauma survivors do share a habit of running away from something good, in the fear that they’ll be the one to mess it up. You and I have both done this before, and while it’s not wrong to have that - it’s a defense mechanism - it does destroy good relationships by letting fear plant itself in the space between you and the other person. You get what I’m saying?”

“Mhm.”

“I say this, because the only reason I could see Theo reacting negatively is out of fear. But again, I don’t think he will. Just make sure your conversation is one that fosters safety for both of you. Assure him you’re not angry, just upset.”

“He’s used to seeing me angry, though. He’s my anchor.”

“I know,” she says. She did not know, but that doesn’t matter right now. “But for this conversation, go for honesty. Raw and brutal honesty. You don’t have to tell him how your heart feels about him, but emphasize what you’ve already said. Don’t give him room to make up scenarios in his mind that could be untrue about how you really feel, okay? Because something tells me that Theo doesn’t want to run, and he knows he doesn’t, but also that he’s prepared to if he’s not sure where he stands with you. So make sure he knows.”

“Okay,” he says softly, heart racing with nervous anticipation.

His mom rubs her thumb along his cheek. “Ready to go back down there?”

“I think so.” He starts to stand, then stops. “Do I look like I’ve been crying?”

“He knows you have been. But it’s okay. Just talk to him.”

“Okay.”

Theo’s head snaps up to the ceiling at the first sound of the floor’s heavy creak. He swallows hard and smells the air in an attempt to determine his emotional state before he sees him: nervous, sad, but slightly hopeful. Jenna’s still with him, and he hears her give him a small kiss as they begin to descend. 

For a moment, Theo turns, feeling a hard gaze on his back. He meets Alec’s eyes, who whispers, “don’t say something stupid.” The chimera rolls his eyes. 

“Hi.” Liam’s voice carries to his ears. He’s made it down the stairs and now stands still at the end of the foyer, where the hardwood meets the carpet of the living room. “Can we talk?”

Theo’s quick to agree. He eases himself off the couch and walks towards him, nodding to the staircase if he wants to go back up, away from the pack. 

Liam’s eyes dart to the floor. Sheepishly, he asks, “can we go in the truck?”

The truck that started the argument - that’s where Liam wants to go, and that’s why Theo hesitates. Though Mason has the keys still, and he shakes them loudly before dropping them in his coat pocket, making a point. The truck is safely parked in the garage where no hunters will be able to find it. Still, he wants to argue, afraid of both of their emotions being heightened in that environment. 

“Please.”

Theo’s argument collapses. He can’t ever say no to the beta’s soft whine. If Liam only knew how much control he had over him, he’d be done for. 

“Okay.”

Liam guides him. He walks him to the garage door and herds him through it like a border collie. Within a few seconds later, both of the truck’s front doors can be heard shutting, but their voices are drowned out as if they’re underwater. 

“Spoons?” Alec prompts. 

With nothing else to do, the rest agree. 

For the first few seconds, both are quiet. Liam’s entire speech he’d somewhat devised flew out the window the moment he’d seen Theo’s sullen face, and Theo never knew what to say in the first place. Right before Liam can clear his throat to attempt what would've been part of his speech, Theo shifts in his seat, posturing towards him. 

“I never meant to make you cry.”

Liam’s lip trembles, speech abandoned, once again. “I know.”

“Hurting you was never my goal. I just- I wanted you to know what happened, how it happened. It wasn’t interpreted the way I- That wasn’t how I wanted this to happen.”

“You didn’t hurt me, I just got upset, because I thought you meant-” he hesitates. Theo’s green eyes pierce into him, prompting an answer. He swallows, then continues. “I thought you were saying you didn’t want to be around me anymore. Not- not because of- only to keep me safe, though.” He pauses, rephrasing, “I was afraid that the way you wanted to protect me in the future was to not be around me anymore.” Another pause. He runs his finger pad along the soft leather of his seat. “If you aren’t driving me, I barely get to see you. And if you don’t have to drive me to meetings and movie nights and whatever else, I’m afraid you might not come at all. I like being around you, y’know. I meant what I said, that I like having time alone with you. Of course, I love when we’re all together as a pack, but I also like just being with you. And I like this truck, I feel safe in it, and I feel safe with you.” Liam wishes his mom could be a little conductor in his head, directing him on what to say. Was that too personal? Did he reveal any feelings? He can’t remember. 

Theo processes for a moment. He has a response for the boy’s fear of him leaving, but not for the amount of times he repeated he likes being with him. He feels the same way, of course, but feeling and telling, and being told are all entirely different. It’s an emotional vulnerability he’s never learned how to manage. He starts off easy. 

“Liam, it’s not at all that I don’t want to drive you. I just want you to be safe. I told you what happened so you’d be aware of it, but I was going to give you the option to decide for yourself, if you still wanted me to drive you, despite the risks.” He pauses, and Liam’s lips part, guilty, for interrupting him and causing such a scene. Before he can apologize, Theo continues. “Truthfully, I don’t want to stop driving you. You’re the first person who’s ever made me feel… normal, and I don’t want to lose that time with you, either.”

“Really?”

Theo sighs. “When I realized I was taken, I was hoping you didn’t care about me enough to come looking, because I didn’t want you to get hurt, too. But then I remembered, you pulled me out of hell and defended me when we meant nothing to each other. Of course you were going to come now.”

Both pause, unsure what to say next. Liam, then, mutters, “you didn’t mean nothing to me.”

“What?” Theo’s not sure he heard him right. Surely , he didn’t. 

“You didn’t mean ‘nothing’ to me,” he repeats, more clearly. “Yeah, you did something bad, but you didn’t deserve hell for it.”

“Li-”

“I always hoped you’d be good.” Then he rephrases, “I always knew you could be.”

“Don’t let your opinion of me now cloud your judgement of how I used to be.”

“I’m not. If I didn’t think you had it in you, I wouldn’t have brought you back. If I believed you were purely bad, if I didn’t believe a safer environment would change you for the better, I would’ve left you. Gerard? The hunter Scott said has been after him for years ? I’d leave him. He’d deserve it. You don’t.”

“I’ve killed people, Liam. I don’t think I deserve anything.”

“You were a child, trained and manipulated to kill, because if you didn’t, they’d kill you. Munroe and Gerard are adults with no sympathy and no remorse. It doesn’t matter if you’ve killed before, not to me, anyway. You matter to me, not what you’ve done.”

Theo’s heart races beyond his control. His hands feel shaky and a sudden spark shoots down his spine. It’s unfair how much power Liam has over him, even with just simple words. He’s not sure how to reply; he’s not sure he trusts himself to talk. 

“Theo?”

“Hm?”

“You said they caught you off guard.”

He freezes. “I wasn’t paying attention, and it was just long enough for them to get the jump on me.”

“You’re always watching out,” he repeats what he said just twenty minutes earlier. “Please tell me what happened.” He pauses, then asks. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“What? No.”

“Was it something I said then?”

“No! I mean…” he licks his lips nervously, “you weren’t the reason I got kidnapped.” 

Liam’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

“I was distracted, but you never did anything wrong . I had… a moment of weakness.”

“Tell me.” The beta’s eyes water, blaming himself despite the conviction in Theo’s voice that he’s not to blame. “Theo, please . Tell me, and I won’t do it again., I promise. Not if it gets you hurt.”

Theo swallows hard. “If you promise to not do it again, then I won’t tell you.”

“Wait, what? Theo, I’m confused.”

God , every time he says his name , Theo falls a little harder. And Liam’s whining , again, making him weaker to his demands every passing second. “I… I want you to do it again. I was distracted, but it was worth it. I’d let myself be taken again if it meant you doing it again.”

“ Theo .”

He wets his lips with his tongue. “You had a game that night, the night I got kidnapped. I picked you up afterwards.”

“Yeah, I remember that.”

“And do you remember that you were upset that a player on the other team only got a red card for grabbing you?”

“Yeah?”

“You told me what happened. The whole ride back was filled with your voice, and I barely spoke a word in response, because I was too fixated on listening to you.”

“I tend to dominate conversations when I’m upset. I’m sorry! I-”

“Don’t apologize. I like listening to you,” he admits.

The boy’s eyes narrow again. “Okay. So then what-?”

“Do you remember what happened after that?”

“Why can’t you just tell me what happened after?” Liam asks, frowning. 

Theo opens his mouth, then shuts it. He was hoping Liam would do that part, saving him from the stuttering that would surely escape past his nervous lips. 

“You-”

Liam’s eyes suddenly widen. His lips twitch with a smile. “I touched you.” He sees Theo visibly swallow, truth out. “I was so upset about it, I wanted to show you what he did, to see if you’d be as upset over it, or if I was being dramatic.”

Theo takes a steady breath. “I expected you’d be rough. You were upset, and the guy was rough with you, so I expected you’d hit me like he hit you, and like we always do when we’re upset. But you were so gentle, and touched just enough that I’d feel it, without applying any pressure. I tried to ignore it but it was impossible, and when I got to the preserve, I stumbled out of my truck, head feeling fuzzy, and they jumped me.”

Tears well in Liam’s eyes immediately. He was the reason Theo was kidnapped. If he hadn’t been so careless, he would’ve never gotten hurt. He stares at his knees, unable to face the boy beside him. 

“ Liam ,” he says sharply, gaining the boy’s attention in an instant. Theo resists the urge to wipe the forming tears from the corners of his eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You got hurt because of me.”

“That’s not what happened.”

“You were trying to protect me and I set you up for their trap.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I-”

“I would let myself be kidnapped every day if I’d be promised your softness. I’m… fucked up, Liam. I’m not used to gentleness, and it makes my head fuzzy when I get it. Even sitting next to you makes me a little dizzy, but I crave it. An adult who’s never had a drink before often gets drunk their first time at a bar. Their body isn’t used to it. It puts them in a daze. But then it becomes something they crave, because they realize they love the taste. Some get addicted.”

Liam takes a heavy breath. “You’re not fucked up for craving touch, Theo. That’s a basic human need.” He pauses, running the words back through his mind. Liam opens his mouth to say something else, but Theo beats him to it.

“Maybe. But would it be fucked up to admit I’m addicted to you?”

The beta’s heart skips a beat. His stomach knots with an embarrassing amount of butterflies.

“No,” he says quickly. 

“My dad used to drink,” Theo counters. “The minute he’d throw a bottle away, he’d grab another, because he couldn’t be apart from the taste for more than a few minutes at a time. I never understood how someone could be so dependent on a feeling like that. Then you pulled me from hell, and slowly, I began to understand.” He takes a sharp breath. “I understand my dad’s addiction now, because I can’t stand to be apart from you. That’s not fucked up?”

“No,” Liam says again. “Your dad used alcohol as a crutch, because he was too weak of a person to love another person that much. Mine did too. Loving-” he corrects himself quickly, “-or liking someone so much that you don’t want to be without them isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength a lot of people don’t have, because they lack commitment or confidence. Your addiction is nothing like your dad’s. You’re nothing like him at all.”

“You don’t know him, Liam.”

“But I know you. And I know you’re not weak or fucked up. And if you say you are, then I guess I am, too, because I-” he mentally argues which would to use - his mom’s or Theo’s - “ love you, too,” he confesses, choosing the former. 

The older boy looks at him, heart racing audibly, out of control. 

“I love you,” Liam repeats. “And I realized it in this seat. Months ago, sitting beside you amidst a deadly war, after you had saved my life for the-” he counts on his fingers, “-third time. And I don’t want to lose my seat. I don’t want an aftershock of the war taking it away from me.” He catches Theo’s eye. “People who are addicted to alcohol suffer withdrawals when it’s taken away from them. They don’t cope well. They become angry, irritable, depressed, emotionally void. They would do anything to get it back.” Theo’s staring at him as intently as Liam was when he caught his gaze. “I can’t be separated from you. It would break me.”

Theo’s voice is quiet. “I can’t lose you, either.”

“So let’s not leave each other. Let’s just take this as a lesson. Bad things might happen, but we have each other, like we always do, and it’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” He smiles softly.

“And I can also take it as a lesson that I need to touch you more, so that you don’t get caught off guard again,” Liam says, mischief sneaking onto his face. 

“I… would not be opposed to that.”

He smiles wider. “Can I start now?”

“Okay.” Theo’s voice is shaky, but Liam knows it’s just nerves and not fear. He wants it - he’s made that clear - he’s just unfamiliar with it all: consent, concern, compassion. Everything he knows about touch is sharp and sterile. It’s taken without asking. Liam wants to undo all of that. He wants to replace every bad memory with something good. He hopes he can make him forget, one day, what it’s like to be handled only by nitrile-gloved hands, to be held down by men twice his size, one hand over his mouth. 

He puts his hand on top of Theo’s and rubs his thumb along his wrist. Theo swallows, watching, but it’s a small step. “Is this okay?” When he nods, Liam shuffles around his seat until he’s facing him completely. “Can I go a little further?”

“Yeah.”

Liam dances his fingers up his arm and lands on his shoulder. He gives Theo a moment to adjust before slipping two fingers under the collar of his shirt and feeling the warm skin beneath it. Theo shivers hard enough that Liam can feel the vibration. “You okay?”

“Yes.”

“Can I do more?”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.”

He consents, yet Liam pauses. “It’s okay to say no. We don’t have to go that far today if you’re not ready.”

“I want it,” Theo insists. 

“I’ll go slowly.”

“Not too slow.”

Liam smiles cheekily. He pulls his fingers from under Theo’s (his) shirt and places them on his neck. The boy shivers again.

“Cold?”

“No.”

Liam continues. He rubs the side of his neck gently, beckoning Theo closer to him, while he pushes himself up from the seat. He has to hoist himself over the console to reach his other hand up to Theo’s cheek, which makes the older boy chuckle. For a second, Liam’s embarrassed, but it seems to minimize some of Theo’s anxiety, so he lets it go. 

“Are you okay with this?”

“Please just kiss me.”

No time’s wasted after that. Liam leans forward and captures his lips with gentle passion. He keeps a hand on the nape of his neck, brushing a finger against his skin, holding him close. Theo lets out a surprised moan almost instantly. His cheeks blush at his own sound, but Liam kisses harder when he hears it. 

“That was hot,” he murmurs against his lips.

There’s too much on Theo’s mind for him to formulate a response. He lets out a short breath against Liam’s slightly-parted mouth. The younger boy kisses again, licks into him, sucks on his lower lip, then releases it with a low pop sound. Theo inhales sharply, causing Liam to freeze. Before he can ask, the softest giggles tumble from Theo’s mouth, but he quickly takes a deep breath in an attempt to swallow his laughter. Liam breaks the kiss off and looks up at him, holding back a smile. 

“Sorry,” he apologizes quietly. His cheeks are so red, and his lips are wet and used , and his pupils are the widest Liam’s ever seen. He looks beautiful, and Liam’s about to tell him. Then he lets out another chuckle. 

“You’re such a dork,” Liam says instead, the smile creeping onto his face. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeats. 

“Don’t apologize.” Another kiss. “You look beautiful.”

Liam brings his attention down to his neck. He tilts Theo’s head up just a bit, testing the waters, and leans in to press a kiss directly against his pulse. Theo melts under his control. He sinks down into the seat, body almost going limp. Liam kisses a trail from his jawline down to his collarbone, eliciting another moan. His lips part. A shiver runs along his spine. 

“Li-”

“Hm?”

He whines , almost panting. 

“Want me to stop?”

“ No .”

Liam smirks into his soft skin. Theo’s hand hovers beside him, unsure where to set it. When Liam starts to pull back, he glues it to his waist. 

“ Don’t stop ,” he whines again. 

Liam obeys. He might be initiating it, but to him, Theo’s in control. He kisses his neck once, twice, more, before moving back to his lips. Liam kisses one last time, then pulls away, leaving Theo breathless. Both boys’ lips are wet and red, and their bodies are tense, yet relaxed at the same time. Liam wants to kiss him again. God , he could spend the rest of his life kissing him, but he knows his pack is waiting inside for him, Mom included. He blinks up at Theo, lashes fluttering.

“How-?” He stops, how was it? How are you? Are you okay? He’s not sure what to ask.

“ Perfect ,” Theo answers anyway. He licks his lips nervously before chasing Liam’s own. It’s short, but reassuring in the way Liam needs. 

“I love you, I mean it.”

“I love you, too, Li.” He takes in the way that Liam beams, then hesitantly asks, “does this make us something?”

“Do you want it to?”

Less hesitancy. “Yes.”

“Then yes, because I’d like that, too.” Liam’s heart stutters at his bashful smile. “On one condition.” The older boy narrows his eyebrows. “Don’t get kidnapped for me again.”

Theo’s eye twitches. “I can’t promise that.”

“Okay, then can I buy you one of those tracker bracelets or necklaces that send your location to me if you do get kidnapped?”

“Sure,” he smiles softly. “But you have to wear one, too.”

“Promise.”

“Quite honestly, the whole pack should wear them, given our luck.”

“Not a bad idea. My mom will sponsor that.”

Theo snorts. “Speaking of your mom…” There’s a glint of worry in his eyes. Liam understands, but he also knows there’s no reason to be afraid. 

“She knows,” he assures. “She ships it.”

The chimera laughs. “Okay.”

Liam smiles. After a moment, he sighs. “Should we go back in, then?”

“I guess, even though I’d rather stay here and kiss you more.”

“We can make time for that after we face the fit of giggles we’re sure to walk into, given your state.”

Theo’s blush returns. Liam wants to kiss his cheeks, but he knows that won’t help them face the others any better.

“Is it bad?”

“You look kissed.”

“I am .”

“You look beautiful.”

“Alec is going to make fun of me.”

“They’re all going to make fun of us .”

“I’ll just turn it back on Alec if he laughs,” Theo decides.

“Wait, why?”

“He and Nolan.”

“They’re together?!”

“They’re gonna be, by the end of the year probably, if they can ever budge up and admit they like each other.”

“Says the guy who’d rather be kidnapped than admit feelings.”

“Hey, I didn’t see you jumping to do it, either.”

“That’s because I was afraid you’d say no.”

Theo frowns. “Why?”

“Because you’re beautiful and it’s intimidating.”

“That, or because I’m cold and unfriendly?”

“Shut up, Theo,” he jabs playfully. “We all know you’re sweet and cuddly, you just like to look grumpy and tough.” It earns a laugh. “Now I know I can take you apart with one kiss.”

“You could look at me softly and I’d do anything you asked. That’s why I was so afraid to admit it. You own me, Liam, and it scared me to know someone else had so much control over me.”

“I don’t own you,” he counters immediately. “You own yourself. Your body, your mind, your heart , your soul, is all yours . I just simply occupy a part of your heart. Healthy love isn’t ownership or demands, it’s support and commitment. A relationship isn’t something to fear when it’s one you know you’re safe in. I want you to feel safe with me.”

“I do.” He blinks. “You should go into counseling. You’re good at this… Knowing what to say.”

“I did a lot of therapy after my mom’s divorce. My therapist helped me see what parts of him - which was most of him - were harmful, and what something healthy is supposed to be like. She helped me move on and learn from it. My step-dad helped, too. Taught me how to channel my anger into lacrosse. Plus, he gave me a positive male figure to look up to.” 

Liam knows Theo’s equally untrusting of men as he once was. The doctors were two men and a woman, none of whom he knows a lot about, but Theo’s sharing more now that he and Liam have time. The chimera nods.

“Stay here,” Liam says suddenly.

“What?”

“Stay with me, here. With my mom and dad. They can help you, too, like they did with me.”

“Liam-”

“Please. I’ll ask Mom, but I already know she’ll say yes.”

“She won’t once she finds out we’re… dating.”

“She already knows I’m in love with you.”

Theo doesn’t respond. He’s not sure what to say. 

Liam sighs softly. “If I ask my mom, full disclosure, and she says yes, will you consider it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Liam breaks out in a huge grin. “Okay!” He leans forward and kisses Theo’s cheek. 

Blushing again, the older boy glances at the door. “Should we go back?”

“Yeah. They might think we’ve taken it to the backseat.” He opens the door and drops out, leaving Theo to take a second to process his words. When he does, he shakes his head and smiles, getting out of his car just as Liam rounds the front. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Even behind the heavy garage door, they can hear the rowdiness coming from inside. Eighty percent of it seems to be from Alec, who yells at Corey the moment they tune in to listen. 

Nolan’s words ring in Theo’s ears. “You brought him out of his shell… and now he never shuts up.” A smile twitches at his lips.

“My mom’s gonna have a headache,” Liam mutters.

“Better go in and save her.”

The commotion stops at the door’s first creak. Four pairs of eyes turn and stare at them intently as they enter. His mom’s in the kitchen sipping another cup of tea. She’s the first to break the silence, and she’s smiling.

“Hey, boys. Work everything out?”

“Yep,” Liam replies, vague at first. Jenna knows better: he’s holding back. The moment someone gets too curious, he’ll become an unstoppable force. 

“Aaannd?” Alec prompts. 

“We’re good.”

“You’re good?”

“Yep.”

“You worked it out?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Are you still a passenger princess then?” Nolan jokingly asks. 

Liam bites back a retort. “ Yes , he’s still going to drive me.”

“And what about, y’know, what you said to him?” Alec jumps back in. “Did you talk about it?”

“Yeah,” Theo shrugs. “It came up, but we decided we’re better as friends.”

Alec looks devastated . He looks like the emoji of the pleading face, and despite it being a joke, Theo feels bad. Before he can correct himself, though, Corey snorts. 

“Yeah right. I think that’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard you tell. You didn’t even bother to control your heartbeat, either.”

Theo’s expression switches from a faux indifference to a genuine grin. Corey starts to smile with him, Mason smirks, and then Liam catches Theo’s hand to link their fingers together.

Alec’s jaw drops. “You’re a dick!” Jenna ducks her head to laugh without him seeing. “You suck! I’m not talking to you anymore!”

Theo grunts, muttering a small, “sure.”

Their relationship so closely mimics that of siblings, the rest of the pack can’t help but adore it. Theo had an older sister, and Alec had a younger brother, but both died tragically while they were still much too young. But now, in Liam’s pack, new bonds are formed through unlikely pairs, and strong relationships are built on second chances. 

Liam reaches up to kiss Theo’s cheek, earning a soft, “awwh,” from the other three. Alec, who missed it by glaring at the carpeted floor, grumbles something under his breath. 

“So, just to clarify, you are dating now, right?” Nolan asks, directing the question more at Liam than Theo’s sarcastic ass. 

“Yes,” the boy answers quickly. 

“Good. Because I’d be so mad if your outburst,” he points at Liam, then to Theo, “and your whining, didn’t end with you getting together. And if I’m honest, it’s way overdue, because I thought you'd been dating for months, like, middle of the war months, until you actually invited me into the pack and Corey told me you weren’t.”

“I had to, like, convince him you weren’t, ‘cause at first he thought I was joking.”

Jenna giggles from the kitchen. “I can see where you’d be confused. First time Liam talked about him, he tripped and spilled a whole jar of sprinkles everywhere.”

“Mom!”

“I’m just teasing!” She winks, then grows a little more serious. “One more thing. Though, it’s kind of about the accident.”

Liam and Theo both nod, suddenly remembering the situation that finally brought them together. 

“I was thinking about it, and the boys and I talked some while you were in the garage… About what Stilinski said… I want you to stay here until you’re fully healed and rested, okay? I’m not taking no for an answer here. But after that, if you want to, I’d like it if you’d stay with us long-term, too. I gave my husband a brief call at work; he’s totally fine with it. You can stay, and we can help you look for an apartment or something, or you can just stay with us indefinitely. If you don’t, I don’t want to force you, but I really don’t want to let you go and have you still sleeping in your truck, okay?”

Liam beams . He hadn’t even talked to his mom about the same thing, yet here she is, thinking of it on her own. 

Theo, though, frowns. “I would, but I don’t want to cause a bigger problem that I already have.”

“What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“It was easy for them to track us because they know my truck. Every time it’s near your house, it puts you all at risk. I can’t make you vulnerable like that.”

“And it’s better to make yourself vulnerable by sleeping alone in parking lots?” Jenna asks. He doesn’t reply, eyes full of guilt. “We have a garage, Theo. David can park in the driveway, or along the road where my car is. I’ll give you an opener so you can get in and out, you don’t have to be trapped in there. We’re in and out all throughout the day, so you don’t have to worry about waking us up or disturbing us with any noise.”

Theo wants to hate how she always covers the bases. Jenna thinks of any excuse he might think up, and squashes it. He hates, though, that he doesn’t hate it. She wants him to stay. She makes sure he doesn’t have any excuses, that it’s only if he wants to or not. It’s purely choice . He swallows hard. 

“I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“The world is dangerous, sweetheart. Even without supernatural threats or hunters, the world is still going to be dangerous. But you will be safer living in a home, and I know damn well, Liam is going to be safer with you here all the time. I want you to do what you want to do, without worrying about anything else. Okay?” He nods. “Do you want to do a free-trial period of ‘get healed and rested and then decide’?”

Liam squeezes his hand, reminding him he’s beside him. 

As tempting as it is to move right into the family’s life, Theo still can’t help but feel like he’s invading. He can’t stop the lingering thought in his mind that it would be against her better judgement, and that agreeing would be selfish of him, but Jenna’s offering , and Liam’s hand is in his, and the rest of the - his - packmates are staring at him like he’d be both a fool and cynic for not accepting. Not to mention, his own heart seems to be pulling away from him. It wants to stay, to separate from the mind that tells him to go. 

“Can I do that?” He asks, satisfying his mind and soul. “Give it a week or two?”

“Of course. You don’t have to make that decision now. All that’s important today is that you get some more rest soon, mmkay?”

“Okay.” He finds himself smiling. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.” She gazes at him with kindness in her eyes. Theo doesn’t think he’s ever seen someone with such a calm and gentle soul. 

“So, until Liam has to settle his pup down for bedtime-” They both roll their eyes at Alec’s choice of words. “-is anyone up for another card game?”

Liam coaxes Theo back to the couch and they both sit. He has to admit, he’s exhausted. For three days, he’s barely gotten any sleep; adrenaline alone has kept him going. Now, with the boy he loves finally at his side again, a heaviness rests on his eyelids. 

Corey looks tired, too, leaning against Mason. “Dude, can we make naptime early? I’m so tired, I don’t think I’d be able to read cards, let alone hold them.”

“Yeah, man I’m so behind on sleep. You and Nolan can play, though.”

Nolan bites his tongue. He’s tired, too, but now Mason’s put him in the spotlight versus the sad puppy eyes boring into him. “I’ll play one game with you, and then will you take a nap with me?”

“Sure!”

“Okay, cool. What are we playing?”

“I’ll be upstairs, if anyone needs anything,” Jenna whispers, watching them yawn with exhaustion one-by-one.

“What time’s Dad home?”

“Not until six.”

“Okay. I’ll come down before he pulls up to wake you.” 

She says that mostly for Theo’s sake, understanding the trauma he has could be triggered by a newcomer into the home startling awake. He nods at her graciously and Liam kisses his cheek. 

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Rest well, you guys.”

They settle down on the couch - Corey and Mason have collapsed on the floor - and let sleep carry them away. Liam molds like a spoon around Theo, practically hugging him, but neither seem to mind. Five minutes later, the once-rowdy living room is quiet. All six are passed out contentedly, together, as a pack.