What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 13: Regression to the Mean

Maybe Theo had the right idea to leave. Except the Anukite wouldn't stay in Beacon Hills. If they couldn't kill this thing, it would just keep going, keep killing, until the whole world was paralyzed with fear, turned to stone.

Yawning, Isaac joined them in the living room and patted Stiles on the shoulder. He took his arm to the side, stretching the muscles. Liam jumped up before Scott could come out and scold him for going on a run when he was supposed to be resting.

"Going somewhere?" Isaac asked casually, switching arms.

"Yup."

"If you're going to find Theo—"

"Theo?" Stiles broke in, raising a finger.

"I'm not," Liam snapped, pointedly ignoring Stiles. "I just need to clear my head, okay? I'm going for a run."

Isaac's expression softened, but he didn't let up. "Liam, I really don't think that's a good idea—"

"Don't care," Liam said and opened the front door.

"I still really want to know what you meant about Theo," Stiles called after him.

Liam padded down the stairs, only to hear Isaac's footsteps following closely behind him. "Then I'll just have to join you. Can't have Scott's beta keeling over in the middle of the woods."

Ignoring him, he struck off, setting a pace faster than he normally did. A few miles in, Liam's side cramped and his head started to spin. It dawned on him that between the blood loss and not eating anything yesterday, he probably should've listened to Isaac. He slowed to an eventual walk and then flopped down onto the ground to catch his breath.

Silently, Isaac sat down beside him, and Liam felt the weight of his gaze, but didn't return it. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired is all."

"Sure. Nothing to do with becoming a human shish kabob yesterday. Or having your heart broken," Isaac said.

"I didn't have my heart broken," Liam snapped. Because that would imply that he had stronger feelings for Theo than he was willing to admit. He'd like him, but he wasn't going to let this crush him. Theo was just another person. Just another supernatural creature like the rest of them. If he admitted to feeling something more, then Liam was giving him power over him, and he couldn't have that.

Theo had left, and that's all there was to it. They had bigger things to worry about right now. The impending war and the ever-growing army of hunters.

"Got it."

Liam and Isaac sat until the sun started to warm his skin. A twig snapped behind them, and Liam tracked the noise with his eyes deep into the forest, wondering where Theo was and if he'd even been able to sleep last night. And just like that, the weight of last night settled heavily on his shoulders until drawing breath was a chore.

"When you left..." Liam whispered, not even sure what he wanted to ask, "did you... did you ever regret it?"

The older werewolf loosed a breath. "Yeah. I regret it a lot, actually. It was what I needed at the time, but I still hate myself for having left Scott to deal with his grief all by himself. To keep Beacon Hills safe without me."

Liam raked a hand through his hair. He hadn't missed Scott and Isaac's dynamic over the past few days. The two of them were seamless, like no time had passed between them at all. When the Anukite had nearly cracked Isaac's head open, it'd been Scott who'd run to check on him.

"Do you..." Liam started but his mouth was too dry. He tried again, "Do you think things would've been different if he'd tried to convince you to stay?"