What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 6: Pack Bonding

Clearly, she shared Theo's sentiments about loud noises and morning people. When she noticed Theo standing idly by the coffee maker, her eyes flicked to the mostly full pot of coffee, and she quirked a brow at him.

Theo filled another mug to the brim, sliding it gently across to the banshee. She blinked at him until he found the little basket of sugar and creamer on the other side of the coffee pot. He offered her a mini creamer, but she shook her head. He tried again with a sugar packet, and she nodded. Lydia stirred in her sugar and then leaned against the counter too. Together, they sipped their coffee and glowered at Scott and Malia.

Only after Theo refilled his cup and Lydia's did their muffled conversation become coherent to him.

"—breakfast first," Malia said.

"There's not a lot here besides coffee," Scott said. "I can make pancakes, though."

"Pancakes?" Malia asked. "We need protein. I smell deer outside."

"Please don't," Lydia said, finally caffeinated enough to find her voice. She moved to the living room, turning the channel to the news and muting it, before plopping down next to Scott on the couch.

The ringing in Theo's brain quieted a touch.

"What's wrong with deer?" Malia asked. "We wouldn't have to go back into town for a good while with that."

"We'd still need fruits and vegetables," Lydia pointed out. "Those of us who aren't part carnivore can still get scurvy."

"No one's getting scurvy," Scott said, amusement in his voice. He casually took the mug from Lydia's hands and sipped despite her death glare. "And no one is hunting deer. Corey's already been in touch with Mason, and I've contacted Argent. They're going to rendezvous with us here in a bit."

"What do we do until then?" Malia asked. Theo had thought he was bad about going stir crazy if he was in one place for too long, but Malia was already pacing the living room.

"Come up with a plan, for starters," Scott said. "We have to figure out what Gerard's plan is and get ahead of him while everyone thinks we're gone."

"I do my best thinking on a full stomach," Malia said. When Scott and Lydia both shook their heads, she said, "Okay, fine. No deer, but I still think I should check the perimeter."

"We're the only ones out here for miles," Theo pipped up. Three heads turned to him. "No sound of hunters this morning, at least not until you lot woke up."

"I'm not taking his word for it," Malia said.

"Fine, but I don't want you going alone," Scott said.

"You can't shift," Malia protested. "It be much quicker if I can just go as a coyote."

"Scott's right. I don't think any of us should be alone right now," Lydia said, twisting on the couch to peer at him in the kitchen. "Theo, you still want to be helpful?"

"Oh hell no," Malia protested, but Scott and Lydia were already outvoting her.

Theo tipped his mug upside down, draining every last drop and knowing that as the only other full shifter, there was no way he was getting out of this.

Liam

He woke slowly, rubbing the sleep from his blurry eyes, and it took him half a second before he realized that not only was Theo not on the bed anymore, he wasn't in the room at all. He listened, but couldn't hear the beating of Theo's heart anywhere nearby.

Liam's heart jumped into this throat and wondered if the nightmare, if Liam comforting him, had been too much. If he'd pulled away before Liam could get any closer. Though Theo had promised to stay, but maybe he'd only meant overnight. Liam sprang out of bed and skidded into the living room, sliding on the floor in his socks. Lydia was perched on the countertop while Scott flipped pancakes with a tea towel tossed over one shoulder, and Corey was dumping three creamers into a mug.