Liam woke in slow increments, each sense engaging one by one. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach below, the smell of salt in the air, and the all-encompassing warmth of a body pressed to his and a steady heartbeat beneath his cheek.
Somehow, in the night, Liam and Theo had moved closer, Liam using Theo's chest as a pillow. His leg was pressed between Theo's muscular thighs, and as he shifted slightly, he felt a hard length pressed against it. Liam stilled, and blushed, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth as his mind raced. He glanced up at Theo, who was fast asleep, lips parted slightly as he breathed deeply. He looked younger, somehow, in the soft light of dawn, less troubled. Liam glanced back down.
Part of him was curious, wanting to lift the blanket and look, but the other, much louder part of himself, was embarrassed.
Before he could analyse it too much, he shifted slightly so that his nose was buried in Theo's neck, allowing his scent to soothe him. Guys got hard all the time, it was just morning wood, no need to freak out about it. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
By the time he awoke a second time, light was streaming through the windows and the shower was running in the bathroom. Liam stretched, his eyes blinking open.
It took a few moments to realise that he was still rock hard, the sheet tented around his erection. He glanced at the bathroom door and then back down at his dick. He had been plastered across Theo's chest. There was no way that Theo wouldn't have noticed, and he blushed furiously as he scrambled out of bed, blanket wrapped around him as he charged out of the room in a blind panic.
Scott was in the lounge room watching cartoons when Liam staggered into the room and flopped onto the couch, so tightly wrapped in his blanket that he couldn't move, his head in Scott's lap.
"Everything alright?" Scott asked, sounding concerned.
Liam shook his head vehemently, burying his face against the blanket, utterly mortified.
"You wanna talk about it?" Scott pressed.
"Nope, never," Liam growled.
He felt hot in the blanket, his cheeks on fire, but he was never leaving it, never, never, never. Scott sighed, stroking his hand through Liam's hair, soothing him.
Liam closed his eyes, ignoring everything else around him. What was it about Theo that had him so shook? He had kissed Theo and enjoyed it, and liked cuddling with him and waking in his arms. His wolf always seemed to preen under whatever attention Theo bestowed upon him. It had never reacted like this to Hayden.
Or maybe his morning boner was just a reaction to waking up next to another warm body? He sighed. Feelings were confusing.
He resolved to avoid Theo and ask Mason about it later. With this decided, he opened his eyes to distract himself with childish cartoons.
Theo heard the door slam shut and frowned, hand rubbing idly over the string he held in his hand. Liam had been dreaming, something good, something hot. The smell of lust had woken him and Theo had stared at the back of Liam's head, eyes wide, his cock hard and throbbing. Liam was also hard, all but lying on top of him, hips circling as he whimpered into Theo's chest.
He had panicked, slipping out from underneath him, and standing at the edge of the bed, watching a crease form in between Liam's eyebrows as his arm smoothed along the bed, looking for something. Looking for me, Theo realised. The string was in his hands, almost burning him, and the temptation to follow it into Liam's dream was strong. He closed his eyes, a hint of skin on skin echoing through his mind before he dropped it, pedalling backwards, and rushing into the bathroom, leaning his forehead against the closed door with a muttered curse.
It felt like a betrayal, entering his mind like that, but Theo was desperate for a sign that Liam wanted him as badly as Theo wanted him.
Liam hadn't said anything after their talk with Scott, and he had woken up after his nightmare to find him gone. He had no idea what Liam was thinking and it terrified him that Liam had this much power over him. It was almost better when he didn't know about the red string, because at least then Theo could tell himself that there was hope.
He was so out of his depth it wasn't funny. With a growl he shoved his shorts down and turned on the shower, stepping under the cold spray, gritting his teeth in a silent snarl as it cooled his ardour. Slowly, it heated up, and Theo turned himself to the task of washing. He was nearly finished when he heard the slam.
Liam had woken up then.
A hand rubbing along the string sent a wave of embarrassment burning through him and Theo frowned down at it. Why was Liam embarrassed?
He shut off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his hips as he re-entered their room. A deep sniff confirmed what he already knew and he stared thoughtfully down at their bed as he dried off and dressed in a clean pair of sweats.
Theo left the room cautiously, pausing at the door to the lounge room, watching as Scott carded his fingers through Liam's hair. Whatever it was, it had upset Liam enough to seek out his alpha. He bit his lip, stepping into the room and sitting down on one of the bean bags, pretending to watch the tv as well, his every sense attuned to the beta.
Liam visibly stiffened, staring at him, before rolling off of the couch and immediately leaving the room. Theo's shoulders slumped as he sighed. So it was something to do with him then.
All day, Theo tried to approach Liam, and each time he ran away. Gone was the easy camaraderie of the day before, and Theo was baffled to say the least. His wolf whined in his chest, missing his mate, wanting to bury his face in Liam's neck and inhale his scent.
The mood seems to be absorbed by the rest of the pack, who were snappish and sullen, just too many people in the one space. The only one who seemed to be having a good time was Scott, who was almost glowing.
Theo studied him for awhile, watching how he calmed the others down with a hand on their shoulder or hug, a happy puppy wagging his tail.
He was drunk on power, Theo eventually realised. He had never had so much of his pack in the one place and it was affecting him, making him stronger. Derek seemed to realise this as well, grabbing Scott by the scruff of his neck and dragging him out of the house and down to the beach.
Liam had already headed down there earlier with Mason and Corey with the surfboards, and Theo was now left feeling bereft. No Liam and no Scott. What was he supposed to do now? Of course, at that moment, Brett sidled up next to him, following his gaze.
"No one want to hang out with you today?" Brett smirked. "Poor little Theo."
"I'm not in the mood, Brett," Theo grumbled, pushing away from the window and stalking back towards his room.
"Don't walk away from me," Brett snarled.
Theo stilled, head turning at the threat in Brett's voice. His eyes were glowing yellow and Theo turned fully, studying him.
"What the fuck is your problem?" Theo asked, bewildered. "What the fuck did I do to make you be at me like this?
"I've heard all about you," Brett said, eyes narrowed. "You're a psychopath. I don't need a reason to hate you."
"I'm not like that anymore," Theo snapped, crossing his arms defensively.
Brett's laugh was mocking. "Oh yeah, I forgot, now you're just a loser trailing after Liam like a lost puppy. You're both fucking pathetic. Liam's a powder keg waiting to explode and you're the one holding the matches."
"That's enough," Mason said coldly. Theo glanced at him, seeing Mason standing by the door, an unfriendly look on his face, with Corey and Liam standing behind him. Theo tried to catch Liam's eye but he averted his gaze and he felt his stomach drop.
He whirled on his heel, storming into their room and slamming the door shut behind him.
A knock sounded on the door a few hours later. Theo resolutely ignored it, staring out at the sea from his seat on the balcony. He heard the door open.
"Theo?" Derek called.
"Out here," he muttered. At least it wasn't Liam.
Derek moved onto the balcony, looking sheepish.
"So you're not what I expected." He said plainly, his thick eyebrows knitting together as he lent against the railing, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Not the big bad monster everyone made me out to be?" Theo scoffed taking a drink from the mug he had brought out with him.
"You're more together, actually." Derek shrugged "I guess resurrection looks different on everyone."
"You've seen it before?" Theo asked after a long moment.
"You're not the first; Peter, me, Scott, we've all been dead for a moment or two- and somehow we all got better." He offered a small smile before looking down at his bare feet.
"Did they tell you how I came back? About the whole me and Liam being tied up in red string thing?"
"Yeah Stiles may have ranted for a good hour about it the first night we got here." Derek always seemed warmer somehow whenever Stiles was concerned; there was definitely something more there, Theo was sure. He'd seen the looks and the gentle touches when they thought no one else was looking. "Sometimes you have to be patient; not everyone feels everything at the same time."
"You mean with the pack- I don't deserve their forgiveness." Theo said sadly, looking up at the former Alpha.
"I mean with Liam. He's already forgiven you- and in my experience, the sooner you realise this and stop beating yourself up, the sooner happy happens."
"He'd be happier without me." Theo muttered, shutting his eyes tight.
"Look, the sooner you get your head out of your ass and see that the way you look at him is the way he is looking at you and the only thing standing in your way is-"
"Are we even still talking about me now? Liam doesn't want me like that." Theo snapped, cutting Derek off mid rant.
"Liam doesn't know what he wants- he's a kid. Be patient; Good things will happen." Derek said, scratching at his beard and fighting back a smile. "Really good things."
Theo rolled his eyes at the hint of lust rolling from Derek as he turned away, patting him once on the shoulder before letting himself back out. He stared out at the roiling ocean, brooding as he let the sound of the waves crashing on the shore wash over him.
It was late when Liam entered the room, and Theo pretended to be asleep, keeping his heartbeat and breathing steady. It must have convinced Liam, because he shut the door quietly behind him.
Theo listened to him moving around, first to the bathroom and then back into the room, standing by the end of the bed, unknowingly echoing Theo's position earlier that day. Liam stood there for a long time. He wondered what Liam was thinking about as he focussed on keeping his breathing deep and even. He wanted to roll over and demand answers, but he was afraid of what Liam might say in the dark of the night.
Liam sighed before crawling into the bed, turning to face the opposite wall, leaving a large gap between their bodies. It was only a few centimeters, but it might as well have been a huge gaping chasm. The other boy turned and Theo felt hope flare in his chest, but it died when Liam placed a pillow against his back, before turning once more.
A pillow wall. A fucking pillow wall.
Theo felt his heart ache in his chest and he shivered, feeling cold, anguish making his lip quiver. It didn't matter what Derek said about being patient. It was perfectly clear that Liam didn't want him.
It took a long time for him to fall asleep.