What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 6: Pack Bonding

"Where's Theo?" he demanded.

Lydia tore off a piece of pancake on the ever-growing stack, and Scott batted her hand away. Liam hated the way Lydia was staring pointedly at him.

"Theo and Malia went out on patrol," Scott said. "They should be back soon."

Liam gaped. "You let them go together?"

Scott separated three pancakes onto a plate and thrust it at Liam. "Sit, eat, relax. They'll be back soon. I thought it might be a good chance for them to bond."

Liam took the plate, but his stomach churned at the thought of food, so he passed it to Corey, who gladly accepted the food. Either Theo and Malia would bond or only one of them would come back alive. There was no in between.

He took a seat on the other side of the island beside Lydia.

"Someone's protective," Lydia whispered, snagging the next two pancakes Scott made.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Liam grumbled.

"Uh huh," Lydia mused. "Well, now that you're up, you can help us figure out a plan."

"I didn't think we had a plan," Corey said around a mouthful of food. "I thought the plan was to lay low."

"We're in the middle of a war," Scott said. "Not on vacation."

A car door shut outside, and Liam and Scott both froze. Liam nodded to his alpha and moved to the window, peering out at Argent and Mason.

"We're good."

Liam unlocked the door, giving Mason a quick hug before letting him and Argent past. He paused, scanning through the trees for any sight of Theo and Malia. He caught his familiar scent—soap and sandalwood. At least his truck was still in the driveway.

They all gathered around the dining table with pancakes and the breakfast burritos that Argent had brought. Liam picked the bacon out of one of the burritos and chewed slowly as Argent explained that Gerard had an armory full of weapons that he was planning to distribute.

The last thing the pack needed was a scared, angry mob that was armed to the teeth.

"So, we find a way to break in and take the weapons before he can sell them," Scott said.

Argent winced. "It won't be easy, but we can try. To start, it's heavily guarded 24/7. We'd have to create a pretty big distraction to lure enough of them away."

Liam sat up straighter. "I've got an idea."

Scott's eyes brightened proudly. "Yeah? What do you need?"

Theo

Running as a human sucked. It was grueling, and he only did it when absolutely necessary. Running as a wolf, though, was pure exhilaration. It was the freest he'd ever felt in his entire life, the breeze catching through his black coat and his feet padding effortlessly across the ground.

Malia had caught a scent halfway through their patrol. She'd yipped before charging into the thick brush, and Theo huffed before following her.

I swear, Malia, if this is a goddamn deer—

She skidded to a stop, whirling on him with her teeth bared and blue eyes flashing. You don't get an opinion. Scott might be willing to overlook the past, but I'm not.

Theo didn't blink, didn't back down. If Malia wanted a fight, he'd fight, but he also wasn't in the mood to start one.

We're on the same side. Theo side-stepped her, keeping one eye on her the whole time.