Theos POV
Liam's 18th bday
9 months earlier
I walked into Scott and Isaac's house with a balloon and small gift bag. A sign hung above the doorway that said "Happy 18th." Liam was finally legally an adult and although I was gonna make some excuse to miss the party, Stiles convinced me to come.
After setting his gift on a table with tons of others and tying the balloon to it, I made my way to the kitchen table where some of the others were sitting.
A seat was open next to Isaac and just knowing it would annoy Scott was the main reason I sat down. That and I had a perfect view of Liam from here.
He'd gotten taller over the summer. He was almost as tall as me now. He was already fit, but damn! I could tell he had been working out. And that ass.
Wow, okay, Theo look away.
Shaking my head, I diverted my attention to the conversation between Lydia, Stiles, Malia and Isaac.
My thoughts kept going back to Liam though. I'd been with Stiles when Liam got back from visiting family for the summer. He looked like a mom that hadn't seen their baby for months. Which, in all honesty, was true.
Even then, something seemed different with the Beta. His scent was stronger and I had a strong desire to be next to him.
Though I was fighting it like hell.
This was Liam. Scott's favorite and first Beta. And even though everyone else had forgiven me for last year's...incident...Scott was still weary, even if he had welcomed me into the pack. I knew I hadn't gained his trust yet.
Not that it bothered me all that bad, I wasn't what you'd consider a people pleaser. People liked me, or they didn't. The world still went on.
My attention was drawn back to the teen standing just feet from me, leaning against the kitchen counter now with a piece of cake. How he still managed to look that damn adorable while stuffing his face made no sense to me.
My eyes lingered on him for a moment as a smile creeped onto my lips. He really had grown up since I last saw him.
Taking in a deep breath, I was suddenly aware of a new aroma. A new scent.
Liam's scent.
It was...so fragrant. So good. "Wow!" My eyes changed color and I had to grab onto the edge of the table to steady myself. The edges of my vision blurred and a blue swirl wafted through the air, leading over to him.
What the hell?
"Hey, hey Isaac, um...can you see that?" I pointed to it as he looked over, eyeing me curiously. "See what? Liam?"
Shaking my head, I huffed. "No, the blue-...It's like...like um," I breathed in deeply, letting my eyes close as I hummed. "And that smell its-...fu*k."
Isaac's eyes suddenly went wide as he watched. "Oh shit...Theo...I think Liam...is your mate." At that moment Liam turned from talking to Mason. A bite of cake half chewed in his mouth.
Our eyes met and his changed to the most beautiful color I'd ever seen. "You know...I think you're right...Scott's gonna kill me, but...screw it."
I stood, knocking my chair over in the process. The act gained the attention of everyone else in the room. Liam's eyes were still on mine as he swallowed then licked his lips. "T-theo?"
Oh hell, he was perfect. Mason was looking in between us, confused, but I ignored him, giving the Beta my full attention finally.
My feet were moving fast as my arms reached out to him. One moved to his cheek while the other took the plate from his hand.
As soon as I took it, his hands wrapped around me as our lips met. The sensation that ran through me, had me growling possessively as I pulled him closer.
When we pulled away, I leaned my forehead against his for a moment, panting just slightly as our eyes locked.
Liam looked confused, but his hands were tightly tangled in my shirt.
"Theo?" I shushed him gently and leaned away. "Well figure this out and...if you don't want this...I'll leave." I started to pull away, but the noise he made had my blood running cold.
Did he just...whimper?
"Liam?" He brought his hands up to my face, pulling me down again into a deep kiss. "Don't leave...dammit please don't leave!" He sounded anxious, desperate.
Had he been feeling this too? Either way I felt the need to make it better. To calm him down.
I nodded, pulling him into my arms and cradling his head. "Okay. I won't. I promise." His body fit perfectly in mine. Fitting like a puzzle piece. The one I'd been missing for so long. It was him. It was Liam.
Scott could say or do whatever he wanted to me, but I meant it. I wasn't gonna leave. Especially not now.
"I promise to love you with all my heart, not just my human heart, but with the heart of the wolf inside me. I will protect you no matter what "