The door to the bathroom opened and Ezra was next to Theo in a heartbeat. Theo turned to him paler than normal. "What's wrong?" Ezra asked.
Theo pointed to his face. "My... my appearance?!" He yelled.
Ezra bit his top lip, the realization hitting him. "Oh uhm... well your wolf form can change your appearance," he grabbed a hold of Theo's hands smiling. "But you're still the same, just... with different colors."
Theo deflated. Everything that has happened has sucked all the energy from his body. His whole life flipped more than when he found out about Ezra. Theo sighed, rubbing his palms into his face.
"I'm... I need to shower." He saidside-eyeingng Ezra. "Can you grab me some clothes and put it on the bed?"
Ezra smiled, but Theo could tell ididn'tnt reach his eyes. Ezra bent down to kiss Theo on the forehead, his breath tickling the hair on his head. "Of course." Ezra then closed the door, leaving Theo alone.
Theo saw the steam of the shower, looking inviting. He stepped into the shower, feeling the nice water pelt his skin.
Tears sprang to his eyes, as he leaned against the shower wall, sliding down to sit on his butt, his knees clutched close to his chest.
Finally alone and able to think, he was overwhelmed. Everything was changing and Theo couldn't see any bright side to this right now except for his children and Ezra. How is he supposed to adapt to now being a werewolf? He was happy being human with Ezra but now? What if this changes his feelings? What if he gets a Spark and loses Ezra's love? What about his dad? Other packs?
Theo let out a sob, running his hands through his hair, and resting his forehead on his knees. He just... he couldn't wrap his head around it. He was physically and mentally exhausted and he hated it.
After 30 minutes in the shower, Theo came out and dressed in the clothes Ezra laid out for him. Theo then retired to sleep.
After about 2 hours of sleep, Theo awakened with the sudden urge to vomit and his stomach tightened. Theo slapped a hand over his mouth, threw the blanket off, and ran for the bathroom.
"Theo?" Came a groggy voice.
Theo opened the toilet just as he gagged whatever food or water was in his stomach. Within seconds he felt hands rubbing between his shoulder blades. "That's it, just let it out." Ezra's hand appeared into view, clasping his hand tightly.
Satisfied nothing else was coming, Theo flushed the toilet, landing into Ezra's hold, his head cradled to his chest. "I hate this." He mumbled out in the most pathetic voice he could muster.
Theo felt Ezra's chest reverberate with a laugh as his hand rubbed Theo's hair. "I know, honey."
Theo's eyes flew open and his chest fluttered at the endearing term. He sat up, looking over at Ezra who was smiling.
"Honey?" Theo asked, a bit of surprised flirtatiousness to his voice.
Ezra shrugged. "I thought it was an appropriate term to use considering we are dating."
Theo smiled. A genuine smile that hasn't been on his face in a while. It made Ezra's heartache. He opened his arms for Theo, who happily accepted them.
"We need pet names," Theo murmured. "Since we are wolf mates after all." Theo chuckled, pleased at himself when Ezra let out a loud groan.
"That was the cheesiest cheese you could've said to a werewolf." Ezra rested his chin on Theo's head, rubbing his thumb over Theo's elbow.
"These jokes will only get worse. We are going to be dads." Theo teased, his eyes closing from the peaceful rubbing and warm hold.
Ezra laughed, leaning back against the bathtub. He looked down at Theo, not at all surprised to see his head bobbing up and down from lack of sleep.
"Come on, let's get your teeth brushed and back into bed," Ezra whispered.
Despite a groan, Theo obliged, having Ezra help him up, brushing his teeth then guiding him back to bed. He helped Theo lie down, tucking him before making his way to his side.
The next time Theo woke up, the room was filled with sunshine and the smell of coffee, and something unexplainable assaulted his nose. Theo scrunched his nose, looking over his shoulder to see Ezra, but his part of the bed was empty. Theo sighed.
He stood from the bed and walked over to his dresser. Digging in, he grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt that wasn't his but he didn't care. Baggy felt better as of now. Throwing off his clothes, he quickly dressed and opened the door. From the top of the stairs he could see Austin putting something wooden together, Ezra was in the kitchen, and to Theo's relief, MJ and his dad sitting on the barstools at the island.
He made his way down the stairs, catching his dad's attention. "Oh, Theodore, it's good to see you!" He jumped up from the seat and practically ran for Theo, enveloping him in a warm hug.
Theo felt his eyes prick with tears. After everything that's happened, smelling his father's scent and being with his dad, hit all the buttons of what Ezra needed. He needed the love of his family.
When his dad pulled away, Theo couldn't help the tears that sprang from his eyes. His dad chuckled, holding back his tears. His dad brought his hand up and wiped away the tears.
"Oh, my boy, it's okay. I know it's been a lot but I'm proud of you. You look... so different." He hugged him again. "You look strong."
Theo couldn't help the choked laugh. "Thanks, dad." He sniffled, pulling away from him and looking over at MJ.
She got up and opened her arms as well. Theo accepted the hug. "You look so handsome." She commented, rubbing at his hair.
Theo admit, it's like having his mother here, only MJ was much more caring. He nodded. "Thanks, MJ."
She nodded, releasing him to hug his dad. Theo turned to Ezra who was now leaning against the counter with a smile on his beautiful face. Theo returned the smile but turned his attention back to his dad.
"I was going to ask. When were you planning to have the wedding? Is the date settled?" He asked.
Mj nodded, her red lips growing wide. "December 20th."
Theo smiled. "Thats almost 2 months away."
"Exactly. Most of the planning has been done. All we need is for all of you to get a tux and be ready to help." She cleared her throat. "I want both you and Ezra to be the ring bearers. Will that be okay?" His dad asked.
Theo squealed with excitement nodding vigorously. "Of course, we will!"
Theo felt hands on his waist, grabbing his attention. Theo looked over at him, sharing the same excited smile.
There was a knock at the door, making the air grow from happy to slightly tense. Theo's smile died when she felt the tension in the air and on their faces. Ezra squeezed Theo's waist, sliding around him and towards the door.
He answered it and Juan stepped into the cabin. "Sorry to disrupt you, but the clan is eager to see you. Now."
Theo sighed. "We have to talk to them." He explained, walking over to the door, facing Juan. "Tell the pack to gather around the courtyard for a big announcement. Once everyone is there, come get us."
Juan nodded, running for the main house. Ezra closed the door, leaning against the frame with an amused smirk. Theo felt his cheeks heat up to the tip of his ears.
"What?" He asked, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
Ezra shrugged. "Nothing I just... you taking charge was kind of hot."
Theo scoffed, exploding into a tomato as he slapped Ezra on the arm. "Ezra!" Theo playfully groaned out between his teeth. "Our parents are here!"
Howard laughed. "Oh please, this isn't new to us."
Theo dropped his head into his hands, shaking his head in embarrassment. "This is humiliating."
Theo turned away from Ezra and made his way to the couch where Austin now resided. He plopped down getting Austin to laugh at his sorry state. Theo felt a wave of dizziness cloud his vision and a sudden spike in his temperature. He knew this wasn't normal as his body seemed to start feeling clammy.
Theo reached for the armrest only to pause when he saw his hand. He let out a screech when the nails of his hands started growing long and sharp.
"Whats the-" Ezra saw the hand and realized what was going in. Kneeling, he placed a hand on top of Theo's comfortingly. "With your wolf being confused, having intense emotions will cause your body to transform. Until we know the extent, try to calm down."
Theo fidgetted where he sat, frustrated at this new life he was now living. He's never had to watch his emotions in order not to let his body change. Just what is having a wolf anyway? No one's explained the werewolf thing to him so what is he supposed to expect?
Instead of letting out the frustrated growl that caught in his throat, he relented and relaxed his body. Theo pulled his hand away, sighing in relief at the sight of his normal nails.
The knock on the door came once again but this time, Theo felt hesitant, but that didn't last long. He couldn't explain the switch that happened within himself, but something changed in the snap of his fingers. He stood from the couch swiftly, standing as straight and tall as he could. He reached for Ezra's hand and helped him to his feet, smiling at him.
"Let's get this over with," Theo stated.
Ezra nodded, leading him to the door. Theo opened it to find Juan yet again, but this time Theo could see the crowd forming around him. Ezra stepped out of the house and Theo followed, closing the door behind him. Although he didn't know why he did that because it opened once again to allow Mj, Howard and Austin to walk out and stand to the right of them though a few feet away.
The small crowd they had, made Theo realize just how many pack members they had lost between the fight, his rescue and just overall leaving. It made him have a guilty knot in his stomach at the sight of such a small amount of wolves.
"Sorry for the delay in getting information to you. Things have been hectic but I assure you, we have every intention on sharing what happened." Ezra grabbed Theo's hand and presented the ring that was still on his hand. Theo had yet to realize the ring was still on his person. He could've sworn he took it off last night but was it put back on him?
"This is Defiants Pride family heirloom all packs know about. But what they didn't tell anyone was that it has special properties that are ancient knowledge to us." He pointed at Theo's features which most were already staring at. "Theo put it on and now he is a werewolf."
Conversation exploded among the pack and Theo felt a sense of dread bubble in his stomach. Instinctively he reached for his abdomen and rubbed in small circles.
"Yes you heard that right!" Shouted Ezra over the pack.
That seemed to quiet them to a whisper but Theo could see people from the crowd pointing at him.
Theo cleared his throat. "This is news, but I know what you all really came out here for and I will be the one to tell you." Stepping forward, Theo slapped his stomach gently, smiling. "I found out I was pregnant not to long ago and we found out before all the craziness happened that yes. It is twins."
This caused an array of reactions to shouting vulgarness to aw-ing at the words. Theo's confidence at the slurs, made him whimper and lose all confidence as he stepped back towards Ezra.
Ezra growled. "Enough!" He shouted. "I get this is dangerous and very worrying, but we are not giving them up. According to legends, yes this will put a target on Lighthide, but it will also attract those who wish for a stronger pack. If you want to stick around to join us in our journey, we welcome it. If you want to leave to stay safe, we also won't try to stop you. But don't blame him. Blame others." Ezra wrapped his arms around Theo and turned him away from the pack, going back into the house. Once inside, Ezra slammed the door as hard as he could making Theo jump.
"Geeze, you didn't need to slam it that hard," Theo complained.
Ezra sighed. "I know they just... got under my skin for some reason."
Theo let out a small smile, reaching out to grab Ezra's hand. "I think we need a day to ourselves. No meeting, no war, no pack, just us." Theo brought Ezra in for a hug, which he melted into almost immediately.
"We can do a date night tonight. I can ask for nobody to disturb us unless necessary." Ezra whispered. Theo felt goosebumps go down his spine at the feeling of Ezra's breath on his hair.
Theo nodded. "Can you make some nice dinner and dessert?" Theo asked.
Ezra nodded. "Of course. I'll go with Austin to grab a few things. I'll be back to kick everyone out, in the meantime, rest."
Theo leaned up and kissed Ezra on the lips. It's been a while since Theo has felt a bit like himself. Tonight was a night for them, and Theo is going to enjoy himself.