Liam showered, and while he looked around Zayn's bathroom, he thought hard about what he was doing with his life.
Liam had known Zayn for almost three weeks, and now he had moved into Zayn's home. This is different, he reminded himself. Zayn is a werewolf and we have this... this..
Liam didn't know what to call their connection. He still didnt really understand what it meant to be Zayn's mate because he didn't feel any different.
I feel a little ill, actualy. Liam thought his lack of energy was because of his exhaustion. Washing his hair was a lot of effort.
The steam in the bathroom helped unblock his sinuses, but the water beating down on his head didn't help his headache.
The cold air in Zayn's room wafted into the
bathroom when Liam opened the door. Zayn look up from the couch, but Liam saw his deep frown before he stared intensely.
"Do, um, do werewolves sleep the same as humans?" Liam asked, putting his clothes with his bags. He felt Zayn's eyes following him through the room.
"Yes, though we can handle a few more sleepless nights than humans."
Liam knew he still had lots to learn about Zayn and how he lived like someone with a raging animal inside him. Quite literary, Liam thought and smiled to himself.
"What's so entertaining?" Zayn's deep voice pushed through Liam's chest like a drill, vibrating him to his core.
Liam looked up to those deep brown eyes. "J-Just the thought of you with an actual wolf inside of you."
"Are you getting used to that yet?"
"I'm not sure." Liam hovered near the bed, still too awkward to flop onto the duvet. "I think it depends on my reaction when I next see your wolf."
"When do you want to see it again?" Zayn asked.
During Liam's shower, he had texted Niall about Liam and to tell the wolves not to panic about smelling a human. Niall hadn't yet replied. Zayn also received a text from Baela and he hadn't yet opened it. She was somewhere in the institute. Zayn thought it was best to talk face to face, if he wanted to resolve things.
"I don't know." Liam wore a green long-sleeved tee and blue patterned pyjama bottoms. He pulled the sleeves over his hands. Zayn's room was very cold, but Liam was too shy to ask if they ever put the heating on. He eyed the duvet and shuffled closer to the bed.
Zayn not only saw his anxiousness, he felt it. "Get in the bed" he said, "I'll turn off the light"
Liam climbed onto Zayn's thick duvet, a little guilty that Zayn had to squeeze himself onto the couch, but Liam would sleep a lot easier if he wasn't hyper aware that Zayn was next to him.
Liam slid under the duvet, immediately comfortable, and surrounded by the smell of Zayn. Liam couldn't describe the smell, but he liked the way it was familiar like he had smelt it for years.
He pulled the duvet up to his chin and Zayn turned to look at him with his finger hovered over the light switch. Liam stared back, and as the light turned off Liam could have sworn he saw Zayn's lips curl towards a smile before the room was engulfed with darkness.
He listened to Zayn's footsteps moving through the room and towards the couch. When Zayn settled, Liam asked, "Can you see better in the dark because you're a werewolf?"
"Yes."
Zayn's deep voice coming from the darkness was oddly alluring. Liam sank further under the duvet until only his nose and above was visible.
Liam blinked in the darkness, and soon, outlines formed of the unfamiliar room. He hoped that when he woke up, his mind would feel a little less busy, and he would feel a little less awkward.
Zayn, with a cushion propped up against the armrest and his legs curled to avoid hanging over the side, watched his bed with a thumping heart.
Liam's scent had made its way around his room. Liam had used his own soap in the shower and that seeped from the bathroom too. Zayn couldn't be more thrilled and knew sleep would be hard to reach.
********
Zayn had woken up every time he tried to move on the couch. He would have slept better if he was in his wolf form. Even sleeping on the floor would have been more comfortable.
Every time Zayn woke, his attention darted to the bed, smelling his mate and hearing his soft breathing. Zayn would get excited and take a while to fall back to sleep.
When dawn arrived, Zayn sat up and his eyes fell on the mop of brown wavy hair poking out from the top of his duvet. Liam was curled in the middle of the bed and buried deep under the covers.
His breathing was slow, and his heart drummed steadily.
Zayn stretched and his wolf stirred within. He ached to taste the fresh morning air, and to smell the earth and to feel the cold mud under his paws.
Instead, Zayn sat on the couch until the sun rose higher.
Zayn soon got tired of sitting and tiptoed around his room, getting dressed and ready for the day. Zayn would have to organise a morning meeting to announce Liam as his mate, and Liam had to be there.
When he was dressed in his all-black attire, Zayn stood by the bed, wondering how to wake his sleeping mate. Zayn would love to let Liam sleep in, but he felt the restlessness of the wolves in the institute. Zayn knew most of the pack would be in the canteen eating breakfast, and Liam's scent would be the main topic.
Carefully, Zayn sat on the side of the bed and leaned closer. He gently tapped the lump that was Liam until the lump stirred.
"Morning," he said when Liam's head emerged from the duvet. Half-closed brown eyes started back, confused.
For a moment, Liam looked like he had forgotten where he was, until he mumbled, "Morning."
Zayn's heart was a hot gooey mess in his chest. Liam's wavy hair stuck up in every direction. His cheeks were pink. Liam was like a dozy puppy waking up from a deep nap.
"Did you sleep well?" Zayn asked.
Liam nodded and yawned. "Did you?"
"Yes," Zayn lied, so Liam wouldn't feel bad. Zayn hoped he would only be sleeping on the couch for a few more nights.
"I'm waking you up because I have to speak to my pack about you and it's best that you're there when I do. You don't have to speak or anything, but it's best that they get used to seeing your face around."
Liam understood, but the thought of having unfamiliar faces looking at him wasn't kind on his nerves. "So, everyone in here is a werewolf?"
Zayn nodded.
"And I'm the only human?"
"I know that's daunting." Zayn felt very singled out in Ethdellin Town, even when humans didn't know he was different. "But everyone in here will give you the respect they give to me. If they don't, they can find somewhere else to live."
Darkness formed in Zayn's eyes, and Liam couldn't help but ask, "I- Is this, um, protectiveness thing a werewolf thing?"
"We are very possessive. I'm trying to hold it back as much as I can"
Liam rubbed his eyes, starting to feel more awake.
The air above the duvet was very cold. Liam
wondered if they ever turned the heating on
because he had been very cold during the night.
"I appreciate you holding it back," Liam said quietly, "but you should be yourself. I- I should get used to your werewolf traits"
Zayn tilted his head at his small human mate
wrapped in his duvet, with round brown eyes
twinkling in the morning sun. Liam was a very accepting person, and wanted to see everybody's true self, even Zayn's, despite how horrible he could be sometimes.
"Come on then," Zayn said and stood up. "The sooner I tell everyone about you, the better."
Zayn sat at his desk as Liam rummaged through his bag for clothes, then went to the bathroom to get ready.
Zayn had hoped that his mother would come back to his room to see Liam, but she didn't. Zayn wasn't sure if she would truly accept Liam. If she didn't, Zayn wasn't sure how he would handle a rejection.
When Liam was ready, he left the bathroom biting his lip and fiddling with the ends of his sleeves.
Zayn didn't have to look at him to know he was nervous. He felt Liam's nerves and could smell them.
"Don't worry" Zayn said. "I'll keep the meeting short and I'll do the talking."
Liam nodded and pursed his mouth to stop himself from chewing right through his lip.
Zayn, as he always did, stormed to his bedroom door, reassuring Liam again that everything would be fine, and he would settle in soon enough.
Zayn was looking at Liam as he flung his door open and stepped into the corridor, almost crashing into Baela.
"What the fuck do you want, Omega?" Zayn growled as Baela leapt back.
Her green eyes pointed to the ground. "I'm here to make peace."
"No." Zayn wanted to storm around her, but it was Liam's hand that held him back. Zayn looked down, and Liam looked up with big pleading eyes. Zayn, the merciless Alpha who did everything his own way, and took orders from nobody, melted at the feel of Liam's fingers curled around his wrist.
Zayn sighed. "Fine. You have thirty seconds," he muttered.
"I didn't tell Jaiden a thing. Why would I? I hate the man, and I'm loyal to you and Liam. I knew how dangerous the secret was. I would never have put Liam in that kind of danger. Your respect means everything to me, Alpha. Please believe me when I say that Jaiden is lying"
Zayn looked her up and down with narrowed eyes. Her dreadlocks were tied back with a thick purple hairband. Her dangling gold earrings shook from nerves. Baela furiously twisted her rings around her fingers. Zayn had never seen her so anxious.
"Do you swear on Ethdellin Pack that you're telling me the truth? If I find out you lied, I will hunt you down and it won't end well for you." Zayn felt Liam's fingers slip away.
Baela finally looked up and connected a firm gaze with her Alpha. "I swear on Ethdellin pack that I'm not lying to you, nor would I ever lie to you, Alpha."
Zayn still wasn't completely sure about where to put his trust, but he had missed Baela's company, and Liam needed a friend too. Zayn stared hard until she looked away.
His gut told him to accept her words as the truth, so he did.
"I believe you," Zayn said with his head high. Zayn should have said that he should have believed her from the start, but Zayn never admitted too much. He was a man of few words, because each word meant a lot when he was Alpha.
Baela relaxed. Relief flooded her face as though she could cry with happiness.
Instead, she looked to Liam with a large smile.
"Hey" she said.
"Hi Baela." Liam returned the smile, crinkling his eyes.
"I'm glad you're finally here. I'm guessing you're here because of Jaiden finding out?"
"Yeah, and he lived with idiots." Zayn looked down to his mate who nodded in agreement.
Zayn wasn't going to hold back his anger or the way he spoke to people. Liam had to see how cruel he could be because Zayn wasn't sure Liam believed him when Zayn said he could be horrible.
"Well, you'll love it here," Baela said, also smelling Liam's nerves. "'Alpha, are you announcing him now?"
"Yes. I asked Ni to keep everyone in the canteen."
"Your mother is there too. Did she meet Liam last night?"
Zayn frowned.
"Yes," was all Zayn could mutter before putting a hand on Liam's back and guiding him down the corridor, wanting to get the meeting over with as soon as possible.
As they neared the canteen, and voices echoed down the corridor, Liam started slowing down.
"Are you okay?" Zayn asked.
"I- Is Jaiden in there?"
"He's still in the cellar."
Liam tugged on the hem of his hoodie. Zayn originally wanted Liam to stand by his side, so he could proudly show him off, but his mate was too anxious.
"Baela, sit with Liam at my table," Zayn said, clamping a hand on Liam's shoulder, squeezing it for comfort. "They'll stare at you, but they're just curious, okay?"
Liam nodded. He could barely speak.
Zayn expected Liam to sink into a trembling mess, he just wasn't sure how to soothe Liam's worries.
Zayn then turned towards the door to the canteen. Entering without Liam was bad enough when everyone bowed. At least now he didn't have to walk around with a secret crushing his shoulders.
He reached for Liam's hand at the same time as Liam reached for his. Their knuckles clashed and Liam chuckled. Zayn's heart buzzed around his chest. They intertwined their fingers and shared another glance, a glance to fuel confidence, and to tell each other that they were going to be okay.
Baela approached the door first and held it open. The chatter died down immediately as everyone turned to see if their Alpha or the Alpha's mate was entering.
Zayn wore his best scowl and stormed into the room with Liam close behind. Everyone stood immediately and bowed.
Liam turned bright red and half-hid behind Zayn.
"Liam," Baela whispered and motioned for him to follow her.
Zayn watched her guide his mate to their table, and his eyes clashed with his mother.
Do not, fucking, crack, he thought and moved his gaze to the wolves in the room.
Almost the entire pack looked at Liam, who was trying so hard to be as quiet as he could. By the time Liam was sat at the table, awkwardly glancing at Zayn's mother, the room was silent.
"Ethdellin pack" Zayn projected his deep voice around the huge canteen. Slowly, the werewolves faced him. Zayn thought about how much he should share, and how to structure his sentence.
"There is a human in the institute. His name is Liam Payne, and he is my mate." Zayn allowed quiet murmurs to pass through the hall until he spoke again. "I kept him a secret to keep him safe. But my Beta wolf found out about him and threatened Liam's safety." Louder whispers
spread through the hall.
Zayn felt like the pack deserved to know what was really going on. He looked towards his table. Liam, the smallest person in the room, and the only human, sat with arms around himself, and large brown eyes darting around the room.
Baela watched Zayn with a proud smile. Solana watched Zayn with concrete features.
"Liam, my mate, will be living in the institute from now on. I ask that you treat him like you would treat me. If I hear any slander towards him- find another pack before I find you." Zayn glared around the room. The wolves quickly darted their gaze away, not wanting to be caught in Zayn's hazel storms. "If you have questions, speak to Niall until I find a new Beta wolf!"
As soon as Zayn started walking towards the table, the werewolves sat down, and the chatter swallowed the silence.
"What would you like for breakfast?" Baela asked Liam while Zayn sat next to his mate.
"I- I'm not hungry," Liam said quietly.
Zayn assumed his lack of appetite was because of his nerves. Zayn wasn't hungry either.
"Do you want a drink or anything?" Baela asked. Liam shook his head and Zayn grumbled that he wanted a coffee.
When Baela left, Zayn found himself scowling at his mother who was unusually quiet.
They sat in silence until Baela returned with
his coffee and her own bowl of cereal. Baela
glanced between those sitting at the table.
The awkwardness polluted the air. "Uh- so, Liam, how did you sleep?"
"Well, thank you," Liam said. "It's quite um, c-cold in here."
"We have no heating."
"You don't?" Liam was shocked.
"Well, we're werewolves. We're always too hot, even in the winter. We don't need heating."
"Were you cold last night?" Zayn asked.
Liam nodded.
"You should have said" Zayn rubbed the back of his neck, which felt a little stiff from his night on the couch. "You're the first human to live here. There will probably be more problem with-"
"I-It's okay. I can just wear jumpers inside" Liam smiled.
Zayn appreciated his positivity, especially with his mother staring hard from the other side of the table. Zayn wanted to call her out on her rudeness. He wasn't good at biting his tongue, but he didn't want to argue in front of everyone. He felt many eves on him and would let it slide until they were familiar with Liam.
"Mum," Zayn said, trying hard not to sound bitter. "Are you going to introduce yourself?"
Zayn rested an arm on the back of Liam's chair as an excuse to be closer. More people stared. Zayn ignored them.
Solana looked from Liam to her son. Zayn couldn't tell what sthe was thinking. Her face was so blank, her eyes were expressionless.
"Mum," Zayn said again. "Are-"
Solana silenced him with the sound of her chair against the tiles. She left abruptly.
Zayn was more alarmed than angry. His mother could be stubborn, but he didn't think she'd be impolite in front of everyone.
Especially his mate. Zayn's mother believed in first impressions.
Zayn frowned at the doors while they closed behind her. She could be difficult, but not this difficult.
Liam's neck was stiff when Zayn diverted his attention back to him.
"She doesn't like me" Liam whispered, suddenly on the verge of tears. "I can't live where I'm not wanted. Not again."
Zayn cupped Liam's face "Hey, none of that ok? She just needs time."
"It's a nice morning, and it snowed more through the night. Let's go outside," Baela suggested.
"Come," Zayn said, pulling his mate to his feet and keeping him close by resting a hand in between his shoulder blades. He felt a lot of eyes on them while they left, but Zayn was glad that they left when they did, because a tear rolled down Liam's cheek.
"S-sor-"
"Don't apologise. You're just overwhelmed."
Zayn and Baela hurried him through the empty corridors and to the back doors, leading around the outside of the institute and to some benches which were occupied by a group of werewolves.
"Leave," Zayn demanded and the group of werewolves almost slipped over each other as they tried to scramble away.
Zayn wiped the snow from the bench and sat Liam down. He crouched in front of him and helped to dry his tears.
"Look at me," he said when Liam tried to turn away. Zayn had to hold his chin to keep their eyes connected. "I want you here, and my mum will too. She's not normally so rude. I think she just needs time."
"The way she looked at me, she wasn't happy that I was there." Liam's lip trembled.
"She hasn't been happy for months." Zayn couldn't stand to see him so sad. "How can she hate you? She doesn't even know you." Zayn cupped Liam's cheeks and pushed their foreheads together.
Liam calmed down when they were so close. Zayn handled him with care and softly kissed his lips. He sat next to him on the bench and put an arm around him when Liam shivered, pressing Liam into his warm side.
"Don't worry," Zayn said with his lips against Liam's ear. "You're wanted here, I promise."