Chapter Text
Acceptance
Finding mercy and redemption becomes far more complicated when you’re the one who’s denied them to yourself time and time again—not out of a lack of will, but to preserve a quiet reminder.
One that won’t allow the past to repeat itself.
Three months have passed since Monroe’s threat, and without anything to instill fear or a psychopath pushing people toward violence, Beacon Hills has slowly begun to return to normal—or something like that. Now that everyone is aware of the supernatural world, reactions have varied: some have adapted, others cling to their skepticism for the safe of their sanity, and many have chosen to leave.
Just as they planned, Scott and part of the pack moved away, leaving Liam in charge. He’s taken on the responsibility—and the weight—of keeping everyone safe, just as a proper stand-in alpha should.
Still, no matter how hard he tries to fill the space Scott left behind without disappointing anyone—not even himself—there are moments that continue to echo deep inside his mind.
Forgiving himself for falling, for failing, and for those he couldn’t save has become far too familiar a struggle for Liam. Sometimes, he tries to remind himself that every war comes with loss, and that staying on his feet after so many stumbles is what truly matters if he wants to keep moving forward. And in those moments, he can feel a little more at peace with himself.
Thankfully, he’s not alone. His friends are still by his side, ready to face whatever comes their way and he can even count on those who became allies along the journey.
Including him…
After the hospital battle, the last time Liam heard anything about Theo was the night Scott, Malia, and Lydia left for college. It had been a sentimental, almost intimate moment—so Theo’s presence stood out, even if no one said a word about it.
Liam didn’t speak to him. He kept at least a couple of meters of distance, and if their eyes happened to meet for even a fraction of a second, he looked away immediately.
It wasn’t that Dunbar was ungrateful, or that Theo’s presence repelled him.
He did it because he had to protect himself.
Theo was a damn danger to his heart.
A low growl—softer, more like a puppy’s—slips past Liam’s lips when his right foot catches in a dip in the ground. The young beta glances around almost on instinct, as if afraid someone might have seen him, but as soon as his eyes adjust—taking in the darkness of the forest, the scattered moonlight, the trees and their shifting shadows—he relaxes.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that, even as a werewolf, his senses don’t keep him from tripping over his own feet.
Though, to be fair, this one isn’t entirely his fault.
It’s the chimera’s.
For creeping into his thoughts and clouding his senses with that awful, shameless, mocking smile that makes him want to break his nose.
“Idiot…” Liam mutters under his breath, a faint frown pulling at his features.
It doesn’t matter if he’s hundreds of miles away—or wherever the hell he is—Theo always finds a way to ruin his life.
Liam pauses for a couple of seconds, takes a deep breath, and forces his mind back to the task at hand.
He should be making sure the woods aren’t serving as a refuge—or a battlefield—for any supernatural creature or hunter looking to mess with his senior year or threaten the town.
He should be a proper alpha, not a teenager lost in his own personal tragedies—ones tangled up in anger and something else.
He doesn’t know if Theo followed in Scott’s footsteps and left, if he ran because he thought they’d drag him back to hell, or if he’s simply avoiding him to escape the weight of everything left unresolved between them.
Either way, Liam is grateful he doesn’t have to face him—even if that doesn’t fix anything. Because yeah, Theo got away, but Liam can’t run from himself. Or from how he feels.
Taking on the role of alpha while Scott is gone, trying to improve his grades before college, and keeping up with lacrosse practice keeps him busy enough that his mind rarely betrays him. But it’s not foolproof.
On nights when the air turns colder and the silence grows heavier, fleeting—yet lethal—memories creep in and that’s when there’s no escape.
Just like tonight, when patrolling the outskirts of Beacon Hills feels unbearably lonely—when it sinks in deeper than he’d like.
Most of the time, Liam thinks that Theo's decision to leave was the way he found to atone for his mistakes, and at other times he doesn't care to look for reason or logic. The anger builds up in his chest and rises to his brain, dissipating any explanation and sowing the rage and disappointment that, if he left, he did so because that was his nature; everything that could stem from deceit and manipulation. After all, hadn’t he made Liam fall for him just to use him?
Maybe Theo had changed after coming back from hell—Liam had seen that up close.
He wasn’t the same person who put his own selfish survival above everything else. His actions had been those of someone condemned—someone trying to make things right after hitting rock bottom. But that didn’t erase the past.
Didn’t erase the scars he left behind. The ones etched into Liam’s skin and buried deep in his bones.
Liam had never paid much attention to Stiles’ warnings about the malice hidden in Theo, or the soft, dangerous intrigue laced into the words Theo whispered in his ear. And that had been his mistake.
It wasn’t until Theo’s true intentions were exposed that everything finally clicked into place.
Theo hadn’t gotten close to him out of genuine interest—or because he felt anything at all when they were together.
It had all been part of the plan. A way to take the pack. To take power.
Of course the truth hurt. It broke something inside Liam, maybe his trust, maybe his heart.
He was just a teenager. Yeah, one dealing with supernatural crap and anger issues, but still someone capable of falling in love, of mistaking honey for poison.
It had already been hard enough to realize he had fallen for him, and that, because of that tangled mess of feelings Theo planted in his chest, he’d almost abandoned Hayden, turned his back on his friends… even become a killer.
Because of his own naivety—his stupidity—he’d nearly lost himself over someone who had only ever used his feelings when it suited him. So how was he supposed to forgive himself for all of that?
It felt like every mistake was just another stone added to the weight on his back.
Liam doesn’t notice how quickly time passes until the night air turns sharper, colder, raising goosebumps along the back of his neck as it brushes against his skin. His eyes widen slightly, lips pressing into a thin line when he checks the time on his phone.
3:15 a.m.
And sure, he might be a werewolf—but his mom is still in charge.
And if she catches him sneaking in through the window at this hour, there won’t be any supernatural strength—or True Alpha—strong enough to save him.
Dry branches and fallen leaves crunch beneath his feet as he quickens his pace. The cold night air helps keep his mind focused—on getting home, on not thinking about a certain person. It doesn’t last.
His sharp werewolf hearing triggers something like an alarm in his head when an unfamiliar sound cuts through the forest, forcing him to stop. Why do they always show up at the worst possible moment?
Liam’s claws slide out, his eyes flashing amber as a low, threatening growl rumbles from deep in his chest. He’s ready.
The beta scans his surroundings, searching for any sign of the intruder—and then the sound of footsteps becomes clearer.
A soft breeze stirs his hair, carrying with it the faint trace of a scent he knows. The wind brought back what it once took.
Liam can’t control the way his heart stumbles, nor can he hide the sudden spike in his pulse. He feels weak. Stupid. For not being immune to Theo.
“It’s been a while, little wolf.”
The ease in his voice—the almost amused curve of his lips—hits like déjà vu. Like there aren’t weeks between now and the last time they saw each other.
Like he didn’t toy with Liam’s stupid feelings.
Confusion rolls off him in waves, and the hint of a smile on Theo’s lips makes it obvious he’s picked up on it.
Liam feels the anger spread through every muscle in his body. He almost lunges at him, convinced he’s only here to provoke him, but his feet won’t move.
Dozens of questions race through his mind, but one rises above the rest: Why did you leave… and why are you back?
Though deep down, he’s not sure he’s ready to hear the answer. Or believe it.
“Theo.” It surprises him that his voice doesn’t break—that it comes out sharp. Harsher than he intended. “When did you get back?”
“That’s the first thing you’re going to say?” Theo shoots back, effortlessly. “I was expecting a better welcome.”
Liam’s jaw tightens. He hates that Theo knows exactly what kind of storm he stirs inside him—that reckless, consuming force that makes them collide… but never quite let go.
“You say that like you actually deserve one.”
Theo’s laugh fades into the darkness, but it burns hot enough to make Liam’s blood boil. He hates looking at him, but he hates even more the way he feels safe now that he’s back.
“There are three things that can’t be hidden: the sun, the moon… and the truth.”
And Liam can’t hide the fact that he fell in love.
That he did it with someone lethal, not just physically, but someone who’s killing him from the inside out. Like a drug.
He’s hopelessly addicted to the idiot who lied to him, manipulated him, hurt him, protected him, left him, and now came back.
But like any addiction, this can be healed and for that, he has to take the first step: acceptance.
Liam accepts that he’s in love and that if he keeps going like this… it’s going to destroy him.