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A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 62

Chapters: 62/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf), Brett Talbot, Lori Talbot Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar, Bisexual Theo Raeken, Original Character(s) Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

It's party time at the Barrett house and finally, the members of the supernatural groups all meet. New friendships will be made.

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Liam tiptoed out of his room and down the stairs. Theo was still sleeping, just like the rest of the house given it was incredibly quiet. Even Koda and Aka slept in their beds. But Liam didn't mind, he couldn't sleep and so got out of bed to get dressed and walk downstairs to prepare breakfast. When his pack woke up, they could all dig in and then do whatever they liked before driving to the Barrett Pack in the evening.

To his surprise, Liam found Maya in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "Hey." She smiled at her Alpha. "Hi. Already up? Special occasion or just because?" Liam inquired and grabbed himself a fresh glass. "Couldn't sleep any longer so I decided to do some yoga, shower, and get dressed. And now I'm currently deliberating what to make for breakfast so you don't have all the work." She handed the juice carton over for Liam and he poured himself a glass as well. "Ah, I don't mind, you know that." Liam enjoyed cooking, especially for his pack. "But breakfast was on my mind too." "Yeah, I know. But even you, our wonderful Alpha, deserve a break." Maya smiled placatory. "Oh hey, know what we could do? We could grab some muffins and bagels. There is a bakery down the street, I always wanted to check it out." The idea was good. Liam had not found the time to check out the stores around their new home until now. Since they had the time, he saw no problem with it. "Yeah, sure. Good idea. We'll walk?" "A morning walk never hurt anyone." Maya gave him a beaming smile and Liam laughed. He hurried after her and grabbed his wallet and phone on the way.

It wasn't too hot but you could already feel the heat starting to build up. Liam groaned. "Thank god we're having a pool when the heatwave hits." "Hm." Maya made some confirming sounds. They walked in silence for a while. It was still early morning and both were not so awake to have an intriguing conversation. "You excited about the party tonight?" Maya asked after a while. "Yeah. My pack finally meets all of the other packs, which is cool. Kinda feels as if everything comes together." Liam could not wait for the party. "I think now it's the perfect time for meeting new packs. It's time this pack puts itself out there", Maya declared boldly. Liam frowned. "What's that suppose to mean?" She explained: "We spent almost a whole year coming together and figuring things out for ourselves. So much happened already but, in my opinion, we are now at a point where we are solidified in our positions in the pack, we know where we stand. We have to get out there and socialize with other supernatural beings in a good way. The way I see it, no pack - just like no person - is an island. We have to get together with other people, have to make connections, be part of society. To do that properly you need a good base. We established that base all year long. And now, we can make go out and link with other supernaturals." "Just because we make new acquaintances does not mean we abandon the pack." "Yeah." Maya paused. "Have I ever told you my parents came from two companioned packs? That's how they met. So I know how important this is. Not for alliances, that too, still not what I'm talking about right now. But just like we make friends outside of the pack with humans, we also have to make friends outside of the pack with other supernatural beings. Feel free to correct me, you maybe see this different?" "Not really." Liam shook his head. "It's tough to express how I feel about it. In Beacon Hills, it was only us. In the beginning. Then came others, like Brett's and Lori's pack. Still, it wasn't the mass as it is here. Seattle's the bigger town, guess that's the reason. I like meeting new supernaturals, it helps me get a better understanding of this world. Beacon Hills was one horrible being after the other, barely anything nice. Right now, it feels as if I'm experiencing the bright side of this world, and yeah, I like it." "We are happy you're branching out from the pack", Maya let Liam in on a well-kept secret of the pack. Liam would love to say he understood that but not really. "Huh?" "Almost every one of us has some hobby or side activity not involving the pack. Sadie has the university newspaper, Mason has debating society, I have my protests, for example. You don't have something without any involvement of the pack and we noticed. Your Beacon Hills gang said you went to the museum back then and such. You don't do this anymore. It's a pity and we feel it might be because you're just focused on us and our wellbeing." "I don't pay much attention to that", Liam was honest. "It's not like I feel as if I'm missing out. I have a boyfriend, I can do things I like. I have lacrosse." "Where two other pack members play in the team." "I work at Ellie's." "I'm talking about free time here, Liam, and as much as you might like your job, it's still work." "Okay." Liam laughed softly. "But I didn't have many hobbies, to begin with. Lacrosse was my thing. Since that doesn't count..." he teased his female Beta. "It's great you're having so much fun with lacrosse, don't get me wrong. But when we talked about hobbies, we discovered that you don't have many without the pack. You're not the only one, by the way, Caden and Corey also." "Maybe we're just frugal", Liam suggested. Maya snorted. "Right." "Well, we are not unhappy. I know I'm not. Don't think Cade or Cor are." "We know that. It's just something that came up. Wasn't an attack or something." "Didn't think it was. And I guess you're kinda right. I focused on the pack for the last year. Not solely but a lot." Liam had to admit that to himself and anybody else. "I accepted the Alpha spark and from that point on it felt like a snowball running. Met you, Sadie, Ever, Theo got sick, Nolan came back, the wendigo, the first Alpha, and so on. Sometimes I lost track of time and when I realize I'm an Alpha for almost a year, I sometimes can't believe it. Where did the year go?" He shook his head in wonder. "And once again, I have to say right now feels like a new beginning. Like our season two, so to speak. New challenges but also new friends and opportunities. We have to finish the semester and then spring break. Those are the next key events for me."

They arrived at the bakery. It stood in line with a butchery and a grocery store. The square in front of the stores was cleanly swept, some trees placed around strategically with some benches underneath. Liam guessed it had something to do with the neighborhood. Everything was spotless here. Neat. The houses around were expensive and he suspected this was why it looked like that. "Feels like this is a little town on its own, not part of Seattle", Maya voiced what Liam had thought. He grinned. "When I bought it, I was told the neighborhood was lovely and boomed during holidays. Around Christmas, the streets will be full of lights and decorations. I'm excited about it." Liam entered the bakery after Maya. The store was just as neat and the outside and the woman behind the counter greeted them friendly. The range of baked goods was mouthwatering and they even had a little coffee corner. "Look at that!" Maya was as amazed as Liam was. They spent the next few minutes choosing various muffins and bagels before they each got a coffee, paid, and left the store with pale blue boxes holding their loot. "Do you think summer break will be difficult?" Maya asked. Liam sipped his coffee and shrugged. He considered his answer and swallowed. "Different, not difficult. It will be strange for sure, for weeks we will only have contact over the phone not in person. But I also think it will be beneficial for all of us. Just like a child going on vacation without their parents for the first time. And once we're all back together, we have stories to tell." "I'm excited to return home. My aunt and I won't be traveling much but just coming home, to the house I left as a completely different Maya, feels good. Now I have control. I can manage. My aunt is proud of me. I never thought this day would come." "I'm pretty sure your aunt was always proud of you. But the control thing I get. And coming home, after you changed so much, I also get the feeling. I'm not sure how I would feel if I returned to Beacon Hills." Liam would spend the summer break in Hawaii. Theo came with him, of course, they would meet his parents there, but a trip to his hometown was not on the list. For the moment, he didn't need to. "Wouldn't you like it to return and meet people after you changed so much?" Maya questioned him. Liam shrugged. "Not sure. I didn't have to return home since becoming an Alpha, I don't know what to expect. I'll make my mind up about it once the occasion arises." He continued to sip from his coffee. "Maybe you have become too large for Beacon Hills", Maya mused.

"Your house is incredible. I really thought we were in Italy!" Mason complimented Delaney and she smiled proudly. "Italy is big in our family so my dad had it built years ago. We all love it. Some little Mediterranean flair in North America." She led them past a large staircase leading to the upper floors, and towards the right side of the building, right into the kitchen. The kitchen itself held almost the same appliances Liam had, with one kitchen island in the middle. Two other women were currently working there but quit their chatting to greet the visitors. "This is Bryn and that over there is Lynn." "Hi! So glad you're here!" Lynn waved at them and beamed. Her blonde curls bounced around her petite face and her blue eyes shone with such excitement, you immediately liked her. All in all, she looked like a doll and Liam remembered Luka saying people underestimated her. Sadie had the same problem but he knew she could kick ass. Lynn probably too. Bryn, compared to Lynn, seemed more reserved, even though her smile was warm and welcoming. She seemed shyer. Her hair was dark brown but with blonde highlights and currently put up in a braided bun, with only some curls framing her face. "It's so nice to meet you." Her voice was softer too, not as enthusiastic as Lynn's but that wasn't a bad thing. "Would you like some lemonade? I made it this morning." "Homemade lemonade is always a great thing. Know how to make homemade lemonade and you have a place in my heart," Corey gushed. She beamed at him and then proceeded to fill enough glasses with everyone. "Bryn knows how to make a ton of homemade things. She's a great baker and cook, uses a lot of vegetables and fruits she grows in the garden!" Lynn praised and Bryn blushed softly. "Stop it." "This is so cool. I thought about cultivating things in our garden but I haven't made my mind up about it yet", Liam told Bryn. She pointed outside a window. "If you want, I can give you some tips later? Even share some seeds and I can bring you a box of what I harvested. It's too much for us anyway." "If that wouldn't be much trouble, yes, please! Oh, I'm Liam. We haven't really introduced ourselves. Sorry." "Nah, don't worry. She cyber-stalked you." Delaney pointed her thumb at Lynn. "We know all of your names, Instagram is fruitful." "They both stalked you. I tried to allure them from it but what can you do?" Bryn corrected and her friends gaped at her. She giggled. "Ah, our stalking unit are these two." Mike pointed at Mason and Sadie and both protested at first but then agreed. "Not all of your pack members are on Insta, right?" Sadie inquired. "They are, but some private and some under different names", Lynn explained. Bryn distributed the glasses with lemonade to everyone. An older man approached a door from the outside and opened it. His dark blonde hair was grey in some spots, he was clean-shaven, and looked fit. "Hello, everybody. I am Simon. Welcome to our lovely home." He stepped closer and extended his hand for Liam. "You're Liam Dunbar." "Nice to meet you, sir. Yes, I am." Liam shook his hand. It was a firm handshake, Simon knew how to grab things, and Liam was almost certain that extended over other areas of his life. Luka had told him, Simon had been the advisor of the pack, after all. "And you are Theo Raeken? The second Alpha?" Simon now dropped Liam's hand and greeted Theo. Theo also shook his hand. "Indeed, sir, nice to meet you." "So you're for Liam what Sandro is for Luka. Wonderful." He also dropped Theo's hand. "If you want you can already join us outside. Unless Will manages to make the grill explode, it should be safe", Simon joked and they all laughed. "Will and Sandro are the pack's answer to the Weasley Twins from Harry Potter. You know, cheeky jokes, pranks, that type of thing", Delaney filled Liam's pack in while they followed Simon outside.

In the garden stood already a table with plates, cutlery, and glasses. Garlands and fairy lights hung above the table and between some wooden poles, a big grill was already fired up, two men stood in front of it. They turned around when the group came closer. Both with dark hair, one just curly, the other not. They shared almost identical smiles. "Hey, our guests have arrived!" The curly-haired one said. "Astute observation, dearest cousin", the other teased him. He left the grill and waved. "Hey, I'm Will." "And I'm Sandro!" "And you're watching Disney Channel!" Delaney, Bryn, and Lynn said at the same time. Simon looked amused at their antics but then hurried over to the grill and tend to the meat already on it. He probably feared Sandro and Will would burn it. "Okay, now we're here, who is missing is my brother. Where is my brother?" Delaney looked around. "He's in the office, a contractor is causing problems. He will be with us shortly." Holden had joined the group again. "Just wanted to make sure he didn't go on a run." "He went on a run this morning, I accompanied him. Afterward, we transformed again, had a shower, and waited patiently for the party to start", Sandro defended Luka. "You showered together?" Lynn piped in. Sandro made a retching sound. "Gross. I'm gay but he's like my brother. I mean, yes, we are two attractive friends but not so much attraction I would sleep with him." "Jesus", Simon muttered. Mason and Liam looked at each other and began laughing. Mason had said the same thing about Liam at one point. "But wait, if you say transformed...Does that mean Luka can shift?" Tim had picked that up almost immediately. "We all can", Sandro said casually. Liam and his friends stared at him. What? "You all, the whole pack, can shift into actual wolves?" Lori could not believe this. "It's not clear what enables the ability to transform. But this pack managed to gather individuals with this special talent", Simon added. "So cool", Caden mumbled devoutly.

They all went and found a place for themselves on the large table. Will turned out to be a god at the grill (with Simon's help, of course) and soon they all could eat. "I hope you have the steak extra bloody", Maddie joked. Will grasped his chest. "That's the only way we werewolves eat it. I was never aware there could be other choices. Please, tell me more, lady." She laughed and was brave enough to actually try a steak. When she tasted it, she hummed. "This is good." "Will is a chef. Every type of food he touches is amazing. Thank god for werewolf metabolism", Lynn sighed and drank from her wine. Conversation flowed easily around the table after that, they all got to know each other better, just as it had been planned. Liam talked with Holden and Maya about college and expectations from life. After Liam had explained his problem with his major and what he wanted to do after college, Holden was on his side. "The same for me. I graduated with a Women's Rights major but before I even finished my college education, I knew this wasn't what I wanted. Sometimes we realize what we want to do as a job is more of a hobby and what we saw as a hobby is actually what we want to do. I get what you're saying, Liam, I made the same decision once." He was a very understanding character and Liam noticed how carefully Holden listened. He had his full attention on the other persons in the conversation, a very comfortable feeling. Maya was now highly zealous. "You majored in Women's Rights?" "Yeah. The topic is close to my heart and there is still so much that needs to be done in this world. We, as a society, have to do something and I wanted to be part of the solution." The young Alpha smiled as he watched them dissolve in a very animated discussion and turned to his other side. There sat Maddie, Mason, and Will and they talked about the general perception of vampires. "Oh please, this is the Hollywood image of us vampires. The brooding lovers, pained by the thought of their eternal love aging and dying while they stay young and beautiful. And the tantalizing choice of turning them or not turning them." She raised her hand to her forehead and acted as if she was about to faint. "Bullshit!" She sat up straight. "Over the ages vampires managed to find a solution for this problem. With the help of other supernaturals and potions, we can also age. And we can drink a certain potion to fall into a neverending sleep. Some vampires live surrounded by humans and have to fit in. Sure, some of our kind do live this Hollywood image lifestyle but most of us are actually reasonable." "This is strangely upsetting", Mason confessed. "Not that you can do that and that Hollywood lied but that there could be vampires around without any of us noticing." Maddie just gave him a cheeky grin and drank her wine. "May I ask how old you are? I have this on my list since day one but it never came up." "I'm 317...Or 318?...No, 317...316?..No, no, 317." Maddie had to actually do some math. The three guys laughed and she joined them. "Then tell me, what era did you like the most?" Will questioned and swirled the rest of his wine in his glass. "Hm, okay, let me preface by saying every age and era had their problems and never was everything absolutely fine. Modern times are fine, we don't have to boil our food anymore. But I really loved the Roaring 20's. Dancing the Charleston was so much fun and I loved the dresses there. The glamour, the parties." "The Charleston...It's been a while since I learned and danced it but might giving me a refresher?" Will put his glass on the table, stood up, and held his hand out for Maddie. She chuckled but still followed him. Bryn manned the music player and when Will told her what they were trying to do, she searched for a fitting song. Soon she found one and they started dancing while the rest of their friends hollered. "Is that the Charleston? I always wanted to learn the dance!" Sadie was amazed. Will extended his hand towards her. "Sure, the more, the merrier." She happily jumped to her feet and joined. Mason followed closeby and Maddie began explaining the steps. Lynn swarmed around them and snapped pictures after pictures. At one point during the party, she had talked about her job as a photographer and went to her room to grab her camera as well as a polaroid camera. The polaroid camera was making its way around, everybody snapped a picture at some point, some sillier than others, but always really funny.

"You okay?" Maddie gently nudged Liam's arm. "You're quiet." Her concern was touching and Liam smiled softly. "Just thinking. Maya said this morning she's happy I found something without other pack mates with you. Apparently, I focused too much on the pack and don't have hobbies without my Betas and my Betas were worried about me." Liam kept his tone light, he didn't want them to think he was complaining about Maya. Luckily his new friends didn't seem surprised. Savannah looked at Luka and Meadow. "I know I did the same, how about you?" Casual question. "Yeah", Luka confirmed. "It's what I call the Alpha hole." Maddie debated on the question a little bit more: "Liam, every leader, every good leader, of a supernatural group has done that. You have to establish things first. For yourself and the ones following you. So everybody knows which direction it's going. It's normal." "In this regard, the leader is like a parent. The kids come first", Luka chimed in, "Their happiness and wellbeing come first, then comes you." "Even if you take over from another Alpha and want to continue their type of leadership, you are your own person and you need to figure out things on your own. It's a strange sense of belonging and loneliness at the same time. You have to evaluate which way to go, which direction to take. It can feel overwhelming. The proverbial image of a hole fits very well", Savannah agreed. Liam had to chuckle at that. "I'm good at falling into holes." Yet he wondered: "So that doesn't mean I made a colossal mistake in my early Alpha life?" "No. It means you take being an Alpha seriously. A very good trait if you want to be a good Alpha", Maddie affirmed. Liam huffed. "Will this ever stop? Focusing on the pack so much?" "You will get better at balancing it more", Luka promised with a comforting smile. Liam believed him. All of them really. Savannah, ever one to use an opportunity, was already onto another thing. "But, just to ensure all of us don't get so caught up with our groups and forget ourselves, how about regular hanging outs? Just the four of us? Getting something to eat or going to the movies? Bi-weekly? At least once a month?" "I'm game. When I'm not traveling for work, I will come." Luka liked the idea. "It's a good idea. Count me in", Liam also decided. Maddie nodded as well. Savannah looked pleased.

#A tale written with fangs and claws #Thiam #Morning Dew Pack series #alpha!liam #My writing

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 61

Chapters: 61/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf), Brett Talbot, Lori Talbot Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar, Bisexual Theo Raeken, Original Character(s) Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Maddie and Asher follow Liam's invitation. He also learns new things about were cheetahs and Theo gets a new job from an unlikely source.

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"Anyways, he invited the whole core pack to a BBQ. It's nice meeting with Luka. I learn so much about general history and other things. That's alright with you?" Liam switched his cellphone from the right hand to his left so he could reach for a shampoo bottle with his right. He was currently doing some shopping before his shift at Ellie’s started and also used the time to have a phone conversation with Byron. Byron chuckled softly. "Why shouldn't it be?" "Dunno. Maybe because you think I'm replacing you? Rather listen to him than you?" Byron sighed softly. "Liam, I am well aware of my own age. It is very noble of you to care about my feelings in that matter but I have to tell you not to worry. I know you listen to me but having another werewolf, an Alpha even, closer to your own age group, gives you undoubtedly the advantaged to see things from a different perspective. You young people see the world differently than we do, that is perfectly fine. You can never know too much and different viewpoints allow you a better understanding of things. I am not worried you will forgo my advice or replace me with Luka. In fact, I am excited you get to make this experience with other Alphas and leaders of supernatural groups." Liam exhaled and smiled. "Good. I am grateful for all of you taking your time to teach me things, explain things to me. Especially at the moment, I feel I'm learning so many new things about our world. Things I never ever thought of before." "Your willingness to learn is one of your most admirable traits. When we met, it was one of the first things I noticed", Byron praised him. Liam meanwhile opened the shampoo bottle and sniffed. He grimaced. Way too chemical for his liking. He hastily closed the bottle and put it back on the shelf. "I try my best. The way I see it, knowledge makes me a better Alpha. Which, funnily enough, is an insight I share with Scott." "You're right. Knowledge is always good." Liam found another shampoo he liked and took it to the cash register. Byron meanwhile reminisced. "I think I met Luka's parents once. Unless there is another pack with the same name in North America, which I highly doubt. Insightful and willing to listen. Remarkable people. It appears, their son takes after them." "Wow, maybe one day you two can meet and you can tell him that. I'm not sure when his parents died exactly but he still grieves them and hearing about them will surely make him happy. Maybe you can also meet Savannah and Maddie." He considered this a good idea. Byron hummed approvingly. "I'd love to."

"One second, Byron." Liam found it incredibly impolite to check out and be on the phone so he paused the call and turned his full attention to the cashier once it was his turn to pay. The transaction didn't take long and Liam left the store with his shampoo. Only then he picked up the conversation again. "Sorry, had to pay." Byron hummed again and Liam remembered a question from earlier he had wanted to ask: "You said it's highly unlikely two packs with the same name existing in North America. Why?" "I guess I should have worded it better. There is a chance of another pack having an Alpha named Barrett, it is not an incredibly rare name, but the possibility of the other pack referring to themselves as Barrett Pack is rare. You know, Liam, packs can have all kinds of names. A lot of them take their Alpha's last name. McCall, Hale, Barrett. Others, like ours, derive their names from the world around them or things connected to them. Red Ambers Pack, The Creek Pack, Silver Eyes. What all those names have in common is they are exclusive to those packs, simply because no one wants to be dragged into another pack's business because they share the last name. Imagine another pack, full of brutal and disruptive wolves, being called Dunbar Pack. One day someone shows up at your door and causes trouble. You would be furious. It's common werewolf etiquette to not have an already taken name. Also an etiquette stemming from old times." "Why do I now imagine all Alphas visiting an office where they register their names and pay the registration fee?" Liam snickered. Byron laughed wholeheartedly. "It's a nice image. Most come from hearsay, to be honest. And, in case of a pack having their Alpha's last name as pack name, the name changes with the Alphas. Unless it's another family member taking over, but that goes without saying." Liam pondered. "So our pack would have gone from Fairclay Pack to Dunbar Pack, if it weren't for Morning Dew." Liam opened his car and put the shampoo bottle on the passenger seat before he closed the door and locked his car again. Now he made his way toward's Ellie's store. "Exactly", Byron confirmed. "I like it better that way. Think of the poor registration office. All this paperwork for a name change." Byron laughed again and Liam joined him. "My shift's about to start, Byron. Talk to you later." "Take care, Liam."

****** Working with Theo was easier than Liam imagined it to be. Sure, he would have never made the suggestion for their own coffee shop had he doubted that but it was even easier than in his imagination. They worked well together and knew how the other would react in certain situations. They also fell in an easy working rhythm without speaking so much. "Is it really okay for you? Me working here?" Theo still asked when they were storing the deliveries later on. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind in the slightest." Liam opened a box and began handing Theo things. The Second Alpha sorted them meticulously. "Just wanted to check, so you don't feel like I'm intruding or whatever." "You're not. We want to have our own store one day. This is a great exercise." Liam gave him a big smile which Theo returned. "Besides, Ellie is a great boss, you'll see. Makes life easier." "Easier?" Theo inquired and grabbed another box from Liam to store it away. Liam grunted. "She knows about us being werewolves. We don't have to find silly excuses if anything comes up. I had to lie so often in Beacon Hills and come up with stories to cover. Now my boss knows what I am, my coach knows, even my most important family members know. I don't have to lie anymore and that makes things so much easier. My friends all are either supernatural themselves or involved with the supernatural one way or another. I can be honest, and just be me, you know? It feels so much better", Liam confessed. "It truly is easier", Theo admitted. "Ellie is my first boss in known about the supernatural, it's quite a luxury for me." He gave Liam a cheeky grin and Liam laughed. "You don't mind working with me, right?" He then inquired. "If I did, I wouldn't have accepted the job offer. I'm desperate for a job, but not that desperate." Theo sorted the last thing and handed Liam the label maker. "I'm sure there was a compliment somewhere in that sentence", the young Alpha nagged but didn't mean any harm. Theo understood and scoffed playfully. But then he grew serious. "It's actually quite soothing for my wolf. Being around you, knowing where you are." "Knowing where I am? You know where I am, even if you're not here with me." "It's not that. I know where you are, yes. But are you safe? That's how the mating bond manifests for me. By the urge to protect you every time and at all cost." Liam loved Theo with all his heart and he loved the protective streak the older one had developed for him. Yet... "I like that and I appreciate that. However, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself." "I know you are", Theo confessed, "And that scares the crap out of me." "Huh?" Liam frowned in confusion. Theo grumbled. "One day, I fear, I will be too slow. And you jump headfirst into danger, probably sacrificing yourself for us, and I won't be able to protect you and keep you from doing it. One day, even though you're perfectly capable, I'm afraid a bad guy will get lucky and you will die." Theo shuddered and Liam smiled softly. He put his things down and moved closer to his boyfriend. "I protect myself as good as you do. I will never leave you like this, okay?" "Hm. Promise?" "Promise." Liam kissed him. Maybe it was a dangerous promise given their life but at this moment it felt needed. The sheer thought of one of them not returning after a fight was terrifying and cruel. So acting as if they had complete control over their fate was the only thing to stop the thoughts from going down this path. Theo responded to the kiss but then poked Liam's side. "Come on, let's get those things to Ellie. She didn't hire us to make out. That would be a different line of work."

The young Alpha grumbled and Ellie chuckled. Liam decided to change the topic slightly. "Luka said he would also invite Savannah and Maddie to the BBQ. I'm really excited to have you all meet. They're cool. It's nice hanging out with them." "Or texting with them", Theo teased. It was true, especially Savannah sent a lot of texts but she never expected a decent answer and just spammed with various things. Maddie, her sister in spirit as the two called themselves, responded equally excited and Liam's phone was buzzing significantly more since he met them. "Are you jealous?" "Me? Of what or whom?" Theo asked surprised. Liam shrugged. It had crossed his mind, he still remembered Theo's jealousy regarding Scott once. "Of Luka maybe?" "Why? Because you had a lunch date?" Theo joked and began tidying up behind the cash register. "It wasn't a lunch date. Not even a date. Just two friends getting something to eat. I do the same with Mason." The Second Alpha shook his head. "I'm not jealous. You're friends, you clearly respect each other and I see how happy it makes you. You see it as a chance to exchange views and advice. How could I be jealous of that?" He paused. "I mean, he is handsome and I know you noticed this as well. You have a type, puppy. Charming men with dark hair. Only natural you find him attractive." "I don't have a type." Liam had begun to fill the displays around the cash register and now shook his head. Theo raised his fingers while he enumerated. "Brett. Me. Luka. Even some of your exes. All fit the bill." "No." Liam scrunched his nose. Though he was not so sure about that one. "Hayden, for example, didn't fit the description." "Yeah. This particular type you have is reserved for males only. I met all your ex-girlfriends and when it comes to women you go for different types. But almost all your ex-boyfriends or crushes share the same traits." Flawless logic but Liam would rather swallow his tongue than directly admit that. "Okay, so what? He is attractive. Doesn't mean I want to start something." "Never said you do."

Savannah grabbed a polka-dotted bowtie in blue and white and held it up to Liam. "You would look pretty in a bowtie." "Absolutely not!" Liam shook his head. She laughed. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. You're not my dress-up doll." He chuckled. Her humor was something you had to like, otherwise you might feel insulted or ridiculed. But Liam got it. "You're coming to the BBQ?" "Later, I think. It's a busy day here and I cannot plan in advance when we will be done. Stocktaking, you know? I'll keep you guys updated." She smirked. "I wonder what his house looks like. Is it big? Small? Maybe even bigger once inside." "Are we still talking about Luka's house?" Liam questioned. Savannah clicked her tongue. "Maybe. Maybe not." Her eyes flashed light blue. Liam narrowed his own eyes in concentration. "Are your eyes always this color? Or did they change after you did become an Alpha?" "Blue, you mean? It's the default eye color for cheetahs. Our Alphas don't have different colored eyes than the rest. Blue for everyone." "Wolves only have blue eyes once they took an innocent life. Hence why I'm asking." The blonde shook her head. "We don't have that." Savannah wrapped one arm around Liam. "Now, tell me, any life updates? Things I should know about? Should I take time off work for a wedding?" "My wedding is in a few years, don't stress." Liam blushed. She cackled and let go of him when three women passed the store window. They waved and Savannah waved back. "The brunette one is Beatriz, the redhead is Paola, and the one with the black hair is Carmen. They make the rest of my pack." "Your pack is solely women?" Liam was surprised. "I mean if you don't count our parents, yeah. It's not uncommon for were cheetahs. We are matriarchic minted packs most of the time. It has its origin in the myth of the first were cheetahs. We originated in Africa and there was a village. The old king had been okay-ish to the women in the village. Not the most supportive fella but not bad either. But he got dethroned and killed. The new king made women fair game. They had to serve the men, were mistreated, abused, raped, were no more than slaves. One night the women fled into the wilderness. But without any food or weapons, they were scared and so they prayed to the highest gods for help. One heard their prayers and decided to help them in exchange for something. The women would get the powers to overtake their oppressors and in return, they would forever serve the cheetah goddess. Thus were cheetahs were born." Liam marveled. "I have no idea how werewolves were created. It is so cool you guys know your origin story." "Well." She looked rather proud of herself. "It's tradition and we're proud of it. No, we don't hate men. That's not what this is about." "Who hates men?" Mason appeared next to them. "Nobody." Liam ducked last minute before his best friend managed to place a pink tie around his neck. He just didn't count on Corey appearing behind him and placing a small tiara on Liam's head. "We crown you Alpha of our hearts!" Liam wanted to be mad. But it was hard when he was already laughing. "You're ridiculous!"

And then he opened the door. "Liam! I brought the playdate for your boys" Maddie announced cheerfully and with the biggest grin on her face. She stood at the front door alone, Asher still at the car which he currently locked. Other than last time Liam saw him he was now wearing jeans, sneakers, and a grey henley. It fit him better than the suit. More like him. And it seemed like his best friend had not bothered to wait for him. It also seemed as if he was used to this given he didn't even comment on it when he now joined them at the door. "I'm thirty-one. I don't need a playdate!" He now corrected her playfully exasperated. He smiled at Liam. "Hi, I'm Asher, please ignore her." Maddie opened her mouth in mock outrage and Liam laughed. "Hi, I'm Liam, welcome. Those are Corey and Mason." He stepped aside and pointed at his friends respectively. Both raised their hands. "Hey." "Hi." Maddie had overcome her faked shock from before and stepped into the house. She continued the conversation with her best friend as nothing happened. "No, what you need is some happiness fucked back into your soul." "Oh my god!" Asher glanced at the ceiling as if he asked higher powers for help. Then he gave Liam, Mason, and Corey an exasperated glance. "Please, double-ignore her." "You can't ignore me! You love me!" She reminded him gleefully. He sighed. "I wonder why." But the banter between the friends managed to break the ice, Mason and Corey warmed up immediately, and smiles spread over their faces. "You just stepped into the house, so you don't need an extra invitation", Mason mused. Maddie nodded. "No, I don't need this. We can enter any house unless a or mountain ash barrier prevents us. Speaking off, you have one outside, right? I felt it." "A ghostly barrier created by our witch, yep", Corey confirmed. "You were only able to pass because Liam invited you. Other supernaturals without invitation would have not been able to get over it. But it's amazing you could feel that." "Sometimes we can feel those things. Not always", Maddie explained.

"How did you two meet?" Corey asked meanwhile. Asher put one arm over the headrest of his chair and looked at Meadow. He started laughing. She grinned. "Oh, I can tell you. A few years ago this vampire came to town. She had been going on my nerves for a while and causes some havoc. One night, she was on the hunt for new prey and picked Mr. Asher himself. Look at the guy, who can blame her?" Asher groaned and rolled his eyes but continued to look highly amused by how she was telling the story. "Anyways, she lures him away and I follow. She's doing the most, all seductive and sexy, and then I barge in, ready to save the innocent human. The vampire chick and I start yelling at each other, she cries about how she almost had him and what does he say? Sitting on the couch, frowning as if she insulted him, and then he hits her with: I'm gay!? Like, how could you not pick that up? Completely unfazed by the reveal about vampires." "To be fair, I knew about supernaturals through my father. It wasn't a groundbreaking discovery", Asher relented. Maddie ignored him this time. "From that moment on I knew he is game for everything. We started talking, I learned whose son he was, the rest is history." "Meaning since this moment she's pestering me and acting like my undead auntie", Asher teased her. "Well, someone has to take care you're not going to the dogs. Also, undead auntie? If anything I'm the cool auntie!" She acted arrogantly and watched her nails. "Don't be fooled, she's the one getting her heel stuck in the streets and lands on her behind while trying to get it unstuck." Asher let Liam, Mason, and Corey in on a secret. Meadow shrieked and walked over to his hit shoulder. "This was one time and absolutely not my fault." Every word was followed by a hit. He laughed and tried to stop her from hitting him. "You were drunk and the shoes too big. Which I told you in the store." "Yeah, the only fashion tip of yours actually useable." Asher groaned. "Oh god, no, not this again." Mason used this to take notes. "So calling out god in the presence of a vampire is okay. Nothing happens." "I'm not Satan. We can walk into churches without bursting in flames or getting hit by lightning too." "Demons burst in flames upon entering a church. Hence why my father never visits one", Asher put in his own two cents. Corey eyed him. "Morbid sense of humor or truth?" "Dark humor. His father is the human equivalent of a demon if you must know. Though I personally prefer to call him a walking trash pile of a human being. You never know when a demon is around and overhears. Wouldn't want to insult them", Meadow nagged and Asher shushed her. "Maddie!" "What? Your father is garbage. Not just because of his businesses but just alone based on how he treats you." "It could be worse." This didn't seem to be the first time the friends got into a spat over Asher's father. "At least, he didn't let me be homeless." "He lets you live in a tiny shoebox of an apartment and makes you pay horrendous prices for rent. The bar is so damn low and yet this rat walks beneath it with his head held high." Liam didn't want them to fight and cut in. "The joy of terrible fathers. My biological one is also one of those. But it's good to have people in your life who care about you." "You cherish them more. That's how I see it", Asher agreed. Meadow understood the peace offering as what it was and kissed his cheek. "Such a cutie." "Hate you." "Asher, you're embarrassing me in front of our new friends." "They know you for a few days now. That train has left the station. They already know how nuts you are." Mason cackled. These two gave him and Liam a run for their money. They also could banter and bicker but when push came to shove, they were there for each other and had each other's backs.

#thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #My writing #Morning Dew Pack series #alpha!liam

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 60

Chapters: 60/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam meets with Luka again and learns a bit more about the other werewolf pack. The friendship is blossoming.

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"Thank you for dropping me off." Liam climbed out of the passenger seat of Savannah's car and closed the passenger door behind him. "Don't forget to text me!" The blonde yelled through the open window before she reversed her car. Liam waved at her and watched her drive away before he finally made his way to the front door of his house. Luka, Savannah, Maddie, and he had sat together in the bar and talked for a while until they all had to disperse in different directions. Maddie and Luka had matters to attend to in regards to business and coven, Savannah had plans with her friends later on but offered to drop Liam off. He had gladly accepted her offer since it saved him from riding the bus during summer. Would Theo or someone else had come to get Liam? Absolutely but his Betas were not his chauffeurs.

Liam unlocked the door now and stepped into the house. He heard the tv running, the bass of Mike's music coming from downstairs. As always, it filled Liam with the undeniable feeling of home and happiness. Here he belonged. He hung his keys up and walked further into the house. Theo and Mason lounged on the opposite ends of the couch; Theo with a book in his hand and Mason with his notebook. Corey sat in front of the couch table and solved a puzzle. Tim sat in one of the chairs and watched tv. "Hey, you're back." Mason checked his watch. "Way later than I expected you to be. So it was good?" The others stopped what they were doing and turned to Liam. Tim even muted the series he had been watching. "Mixed, I would say." Liam kissed Theo and then sat next to his mate. Theo licked his lips. "Have you've been drinking lemon shots?" "I'm concerned how you got that from just one kiss", Liam remarked. Then he decided to answer Mason's question. "First of, those Alphas really think they're something else. Something I'm not. I don't have enough millions in my bank account to ever have them accept me." "That bad? I'm sorry." Corey grimaced. His parents were like that as well and he despised them for it. "Most of them, yeah. But I met three people who are very cool. First of, Mase, were cheetahs and vampire are a thing." Mason squeaked and pushed his notebook out of the way. "Tell me everything!" "The hotel had such old Hollywood glam style. Not my chic but whatever. First I met Savannah. She's the cheetah. Alpha of a very small pack here in Seattle. Outgoing, very direct, and honest. She talked to me before I even entered the meeting room. Was her first time too. We kind of stuck together. Then we met Meadow, the vampire. She has been to meetings before but she does not like the Alphas. She has a human best friend and told me he also has some notes about the supernatural community. I invited the two of them here cause I thought you and him could maybe check your notes, combine them so to speak. He surely will have things you don't have and vice versa, Mason and Corey." "Great idea." Corey helped Mason with the Bestiary and he would also profit from meeting Asher. If Asher wanted to follow the invitation. Maddie had said it would not be a problem but Liam would wait for clarification from Asher himself. "You said you met three people. Who's the third?" Theo asked. "Luka. He's the only other cool werewolf I met. Also older than us but his pack is from around. They're more modern and open-minded. Like ours is." "Sounds good. All in all, it seemed as if the meeting wasn't for nothing." Mason smiled. "And vampires. Wait! How was she there? Can she walk in the sun? Did the other Alphas wrangle her into the hotel? Is she traveling in a coffin? Did she try to drink your blood? What was she like??" "Jesus, Mason." Corey shook his head. But Liam gladly answered every question his Emissary had. "I'll stay in contact with them", he finally ended and his mate, as well as Consultant and Emissary, voiced their agreement. "Liam?" Tim said shyly. "Didn't you put up a rule of not having strangers come to the house? When you said you invited the vampire and her friend here, are you not breaking your own rule?"

The young Alpha got up from the couch and marched downstairs to his Beta's room. He knocked, waited a few moments, then opened the door. Liam peeked into the room. "Hey. Have a minute?" Tim had sat on his desk and now spun around in his chair, a mixture of shock and surprise written on his face. But then he caught himself and nodded. Liam walked in and closed the door behind him. "You can sit on the bed if you want." Tim pointed at said furniture piece and Liam sat down on the edge. He rubbed his palms over his thighs. "You're right. I set this rule and I completely and utterly forgot about it. Had you not said anything, it would have left my mind forever. I am sorry about that." "It's okay. As I said, you're the Alpha. You make the rules, you sure can break the rules." Tim tried his best to give off the impression it was really okay. But Liam was stubborn. "It's not okay", he stated calmly. "When I set the rule, it seemed reasonable to me and came from a place of being worried about everyone and our home. I wanted to be absolutely sure nothing could get to us. That was weeks ago. I should have kept it in mind and change it again after Ever cast the spell and we were more secure. I didn't. I fucked up and I am sorry about that." Tim opened his mouth to protest but Liam was faster: "I am grateful for you guys calling me out. Tim, you're my friend, my family, my Beta. You and the others absolutely should call me out when I do something wrong. I'm not perfect and I will make these mistakes. But only with this echo from you, I can improve and become a better leader. I'm not mad at you and you don't have to be afraid to speak up. This rule was okay back then but now is not anymore. Therefore I cut it. Gone! Just like that! thank you for bringing this up. I mean it. But what will never happen is that I set rules for you and then don't follow them myself. This is not the type of leader I wanna be. Okay?" Tim gnawed on his lip. "I would not care so much but this is the first house I am not judged and ridiculed in. I can be myself and I want to protect it as much as I can", he confessed. "So do I, Timmy", Liam promised him. "I would never let anyone in here I might consider not fully trustworthy." Tim considered. "So you trust Meadow and her friend?" "I do, yeah." Liam nodded. "Do you consider them good allies for the pack?" The twenty-year-old had to laugh. "My brain's not wired like that." Liam played with his hands. "Theo is good at that, Mason too. But I don't think strategically. On the lacrosse field, yeah, that's my jam, but not when it comes to people. I meet a person and I either like or dislike them. Maybe I trust too easy and maybe I will make a fool out of myself but then I have to take responsibility for it. I can't, I don't want to meet someone and be like Your name is what? Oh, you will be a splendid ally to my pack. This is not me and I will probably never get there. Hence why I keep Theo around", he joked at the end. Tim chuckled but then sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm not like that either. It would feel...I don't know...like..." They both thought about it. "Like using someone", they both finally said at the same time and this time they both laugh. "Mike is good at it too. To easily find out how people can be useful to him upon meeting them." "Maybe it's a survival tactic", Liam put out a theory. "How can you help me in my current situation to get a better stand and survive. Would explain why Theo is so good at it. He and Mike both needed to survive in a world that didn't want them." Tim raised his shoulders. "My survival tactic is not being seen or heard. Not draw any attention." "Well, I hope you don't feel like that anymore in the house or around the pack in general." Liam sounded like a father, he realized that himself. But wasn't an Alpha supposed to be a father sometimes? Tim shook his head. "Not always. But it's hard to unlearn what I learned for nineteen years. You know, you guys are great! You make me feel welcome! Don't think anybody else, please!"

He moved his hands around and knocked over a small can filled with brushes of all kinds. They clattered to the floor. Liam knelt and helped him pick them up again. "Didn't know you were painting, Timmy. Those are many brushes." His Beta turned a concerning shade of red and stuttered. "I...No...Not...Irgs. I don't paint! Pictures! I don't paint pictures!" "Then what do you paint?" Liam had never seen Tim being creative with brushes in any shape or form. From how his friend acted, one would think he was doing forbidden things with those brushes. "You don't have to tell me, of course. I'm just curious." You could basically see Tim's thought process on his face. Denial, fear, nervousness, fear again, shame. Finally, he pointed to the other side of the room. There was a large board with something tiny on it. Curiosity got the better of Liam and he stepped closer. Tiny little figurines were placed all over the board, along with trees, and various other little things. There was even a tiny truck looking amazingly similar to Theo's truck. And there was a car looking like Liam's. Wait a second. "Are those figurines of the pack?" Tim rushed next to Liam. "I can stop with that if you think it's weird. It's just, I like making those little scenes and take inspiration from real life." He gently pushed a tiny figurine in a blue jersey. A tiny Liam in lacrosse gear, Liam realized. "You've got to be kidding me! This is awesome! Can I touch it?" Liam was in awe. Tim blushed furiously but then gently placed lacrosse Liam on Liam's palm. The young Alpha turned the figurine to inspect it from all sides. For such a small thing, the details were incredibly detailed. "I make the figurines from a special clay and then I paint them. I hope you don't think it's weird. I am sorry if you do. I'm not a creep, I promise!" Tim almost stumbled over his words in his haste to get them out. "You make them? This is incredible, Tim! Why did you never show us this? That's not creepy or weird, this is fucking amazing! You're crazy talented." Liam could not stop praising the guy. And Tim beamed under the praise. Once he realized Liam did not find anything weird about that and actually loved it, he preened. "Does anybody in the pack know you're doing this?" "Mike knows." Tim smiled shyly. "But I made him swear he wouldn't tell a soul. Made him swear on something important to him." "Uh uh. What did he swear on?" Now Tim blushed again. "Our friendship." "Aw." Those two were cute and deserved each other. Mike because he needed a calm anchor in his life, Tim because he needed someone to speak up when he couldn't himself. "But seriously, Timmy, those are cool. I'm not going to say anything but if you ever want to share with the rest, I can already assure you, they will be as amazed as I was. It's a really cool hobby. I imagine it takes a lot of time?" "Oh, it does. But I like to modulate all the figurines and then paint them. It's calm work and I can think while doing it." Tim began chatting about his hobby. Now that Liam knew it seemed like a dam had burst and he could share it with the Alpha. Liam willingly listened.

****** "I'm glad you could clear the air with Tim." Theo pulled the covers back and crawled in bed. Liam was already under the covers and had scrolled through his phone but now put the device away to concentrate on the talk with his mate. "I'm glad too. It is important to me to get those kinds of replies so I can reflect on myself. I'm not doing everything right. But I'm working on it." "You're doing a lot of things already right. The things you're not doing right, well they partly make you Liam. Not perfect but human and very loveable." "How were you ever the chimera of death?" Liam teased and Theo smacked him with his pillow. Liam laughed. "I am trying here to compliment you and you do not appreciate it? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Theo wailed. Liam laughed louder. "Naw, you will survive that one, big boy. You know I love you." To prove it, he pressed his mate down on the mattress and kissed him passionately. Theo laughed into the kiss but returned it soon enough. "I know you love me", he mumbled after they parted. "And I love you, Lee." Liam was proud to hear that and he smirked. His phone chimed and he let go of Theo to grab it. "It's from Luka. He's asking if I want to meet up sometime next week. Cool." Liam already typed an answer. "You really like the three, right?" Theo mused. Liam looked up from his phone screen. Theo was watching him with questioning eyes but there was no sign of jealousy as he had shown with Scott in the beginning. He sighed. "I do. It's strange. They're all older than me and yet they never acted like they had to explain the world to me. Never a patronizing word, never telling me I'm still so young. I was just Liam and from the get-go, I was part of this little gang. I didn't have to prove myself to them. Because it felt like I had already proved myself prior to meeting them and they didn't even care. It was nice. I wasn't...." "You weren't the fourteen-year-old?" Theo asked amusedly and yet with compassion. "Yeah", Liam confirmed. "I wasn't even Liam the twenty-year-old. I was just...Liam." He fell silent for a few beats. "Doesn't mean I will leave you guys behind. You're my family." "Nobody's thinking that!" Theo furrowed his brows. "If we did, we would be bad friends and family members. We all are individuals outside of this pack and we all will make friendships without the pack being involved. If not, we would be one lousy pack. What we are is, happy you found people appreciating you and liking you for who you are." He reached out and pushed Liam's chin up so the couple looked at each other. "Liam, you have so many things going on for you. Your age shouldn't be one of the first things to notice." It was still strange to hear those things with such sincerity and Liam swallowed dryly. "What's the first thing?" He asked softly. Theo smiled lovingly. "Your good heart. And your eyes. Not because of their color - even though it's a beautiful color - but because they shine with such honesty and happiness." They stared at each other, Liam lost for words. He found his voice only after moments passed. "Were you always that poetic?" "You bring out the best in me", the ex-chimera replied and then kissed Liam deeply.

****** "Not to be pessimistic or something but would it not have been better to plant the flowers after the heatwave?" Liam stood in the open front door and watched Brett watering their plants. Nope", the tall werewolf replied and carried on with his task. "Because?" "Because I wanted to do it now", Brett simply answered. He gave Liam a cheeky grin. "That's reason enough." "Why would I ever doubt that?" Liam remarked teasingly. "Careful before I water you. You could use some growing", Brett teased back. The next moment, he was distracted by the red convertible oldtimer rolling into their driveway. The car was highly polished, not one speck of dirt to be seen, and it was sparkling in the sun. "Holy crap, that is awesome." Brett didn't even realize he was watering the ground instead of the plants, too busy staring at the car. It stopped in front of the entrance and Luka in the driver seat smirked. "Hi." "Hi." Liam laughed. "Nice car." "It's the pack car when one of us wants to go for a nice ride. Holden, a pack member, resto moded it but he lends it to everyone. Thought it's a nice day, why not take it?" He took off his sunglasses and seemed quite proud of his Beta's skills. Liam had no interest in cars but it was a pretty one and why not? He had no objections to driving around in this. Mike and Theo came out of the house. "Dude, that car is sick!" Mike jumped down the stairs and rounded it. Luka preened. "I'll forward it to Holden." Theo was also circling the car, as amazed by it as Mike and Brett were. Liam could only shake his head. Who knew those guys were such car freaks? "Luka, that one over there is Brett and that guy there is Mike. And that is Theo." "Nice to meet you." Theo was the only one to actually shake Luka's hand, the other two simply waved and then continued to fawn over the car. "Nice to meet you too", Luka replied. "You're Liam's boyfriend, right?" "I am", Theo proudly confirmed. "Bring him back in one piece." "I swear on my life", Luka promised in a playful serious tone. Liam grunted. "I can hear you guys! Theo, maybe I won't bring Luka back in one piece. How about that?" "As long as you bring the car back in one piece!" Mike cut in and made them all laugh. "Okay, now that some of my Betas embarrassed me in front of you, I'll get my sunglasses and we can go", Liam called out to the older Alpha and ran into the house and upstairs.

"You're one of the few people in this car to use the seatbelt immediately", he informed Liam when he turned into the street. The young Alpha looked down. "I do this in every car. My mother drilled this into me from a young age. I could not drive in a car without buckling up." "My mom was like that too. She always said just because were werewolves didn't mean we had to challenge fate. And she got mad if she saw one of us without a seatbelt on. Not just her own kids but basically everyone. There is a story where she refused to drive another Alpha's wife to the airport because the lady refused to put hers on. It's said they sat in the car for forty minutes until my dad went looking for them." Liam started laughing. "That's dedication. It's that the temper you were talking about?" Now Luka laughed. "My mom was stubborn. I'm too. And my sister is as well. Fun times during puberty, I can tell you. Good thing my dad was good at finding middle ground." "Your parents seemed like an amazing couple. Their personalities really matched with each other, from what I already heard." He wanted to know more about his new friend. And Liam wanted to share things about himself as well. He believed Savannah was right, this could become great friendships. "They were the perfect match even though their personalities were as different as they can be. But they balanced each other out. They were incredible Alphas for our pack." "You say Alphas. Were both real Alphas? Or just an Alpha couple?" Luka stopped at a crosswalk and let some pedestrians pass. "Technically, if you base it on red eyes and stamina, my father was the Alpha. My mother was a Beta but no one would have dared to treat her like one. Or like she was just dad's wife and mate. The way she cared for her pack, the way she made decisions, the way she spoke, she was an Alpha. There is so much more to an Alpha than red eyes. It's all about behavior and the relationship to the pack members." "I don't base it on the red eyes. Theo, he's also a Beta, but we call him Second Alpha. He takes over if I can't. We're the Alpha couple. Why should the color of somebody's eyes define their role?" Luka agreed with Liam's point of view. "There are some packs without an Alpha with red eyes. One Beta is in charge and guides them." "I didn't know that, that's awesome. But wouldn't that be an Alpha by conquest in the long run?" "Depends on how serious the pack takes it. Not all packs are focused on Alpha and Betas, some are more lenient. There are so many kinds of packs. Not just different species but different versions. There are also many Alpha Omegas around." "Alphas without a pack? So wolves with the Alpha spark." "Yeah." "Huh." Liam had never considered that. To him, Omegas had always been those wolves. With normal wolf powers. What were normal wolf powers? Betas? Liam guessed so. He never bothered to really make a distinction or think about what exactly Omegas were. "I kind of don't know a lot about the supernatural. I know how to fight and about several evil beings but all those connections between weres, species, what other magical beings are there, rituals, I know nothing about." Luka didn't take it badly. "At what age were you bitten?" "Fourteen." "You're twenty now. Which means I'm twelve years older than you. Trust and believe me when I tell you I didn't know that much more when I was your age. Plus I have the unfair advantage of being born in a werewolf family." He smiled impishly. Liam grinned. Yet he still insisted on his opinion. "I still think the first few years as a werewolf did not prepare me for that."

He talked until they parked in the parking lot of the restaurant they had picked to grab something to eat. Liam didn't know the place but according to Luka it had delicious food and you could sit outside under trees so it would not be too hot. "See? That's the reason why teenagers shouldn't become Alphas", Luka said matter of factly and killed the engine. "I don't mean this condescendingly but it is what it is. Maybe if Scott had been a born werewolf it would have been different but I understand why this was all complicated. And why you didn't learn about the supernatural community. You had enough other problems to take care of." "I just wished I could have learned more. Maybe being an Alpha would be easier then", Liam mumbled. "Nah." Luka denied. "Becoming an Alpha does not mean you suddenly get access to this knowledge. It's not like a hatch opens and it's flowing into your brain. You have to make mistakes to find your footing as an Alpha." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "I was prepared to become an Alpha after my father's death for years. It could have become anybody in the pack but since I'm the oldest it was kind of expected for me to take over afterward. But it's not possible to really prepare someone for the weight we shoulder as Alphas. For the magnitude of responsibility settling in. It's something we just feel. And every Alpha has to find their own way to cope with that." Liam frowned. "How do I know I'm doing the right thing then?" Luka gave him a brotherly nudge. "I'd say you're on a good way already. When the first Alpha came to town, your Betas followed you into a potentially deadly fight. They were willing to die by your side. That's a type of loyalty you cannot buy or blackmail. It's loyalty coming from the soul and the heart. And it's only happening because an Alpha made the right decision for those Betas. You're young, Liam, one of the youngest Alphas I've ever met but you marched into the Alpha meeting without a care in the world. Do you think any of those Alphas would have done that at the age of twenty? From my point of view, you're doing absolutely great. Don't focus so much on being perfect and rather follow your heart and gut and you're set. You will be fine." It felt good to hear that. Byron told him that often enough but now a second experienced werewolf told Liam the same thing. He felt flattered. Those men saw him as equal, not just as a teenager. Saw eye-to-eye with him and respected him the same way he respected them. Enough to give Liam a soaring feeling in his chest. "Thanks." He clapped Luka's shoulder. "No come on, I'm hungry."

They exited the car and walked to the restaurant entrance. The hostess greeted them with a friendly smile and an even friendlier one when she got the first good glance at Luka. Liam was friends with Brett so this was not new to him. He was flabbergasted still. "How do you do that?" He had to inquire once they sat outside on their table and the hostess left to get menus for them. "Do what?" Luka acted innocently but his grin and the sparkle in his eyes betrayed him. The hostess came back and made a show to slowly put the menus on the table. She didn't pay Liam any mind and that was fine, he was mated, instead just gave Luka a coy smile. "Don't hesitate to ask me in case you need anything." "Will do. Thank you", he repaid her with a charming smile of his own and she left in a slow, seductive motion. On top of the menus, she left a little note with digits behind. "You barely talked to her and still got her number. Brett managed to pull this off as well. How? Not that I will ever need to try since I have Theo but how the fuck do you pull that off?" Liam could not find any satisfying explanation. Luka had gazed back at the hostess but now his head snapped back. "Luck, I guess. And charm, maybe." "Maybe, uh uh." Liam snickered. Luka had a certain boyish charm about him and that made him attractive. Not taking life too seriously, giving everything an easier vibe. Liam also understood the hostess because the deep green t-shirt Luka was wearing brought out his eyes nicely and accentuated his fit body perfectly. "I like sex. What can I say? Everywhere. No matter what country I am." Luka was not embarrassed to share this. "Have you always been like this?" "Frankly? Yeah. I always liked to flirt and when I was old enough to actually become sexually active, I saw no harm in there. I don't play. That's how my parents raised me. My mother always said: Go and have fun with whoever you want to have fun. But don't break hearts if you don't have to. Be upfront. If it's just sex, say it. Saves you and other people heartbreak. I always followed that. Yes, I had relationships but most of the time I have been single and had one-night-stands. Or several night stands. Whatever. The minute I'm interested in someone or in a relationship, I'm faithful. I can't stand cheaters." "That's the right answer. Sex is nice, with the right person even better, but I don't like players. Nice to hear someone having values."

The waiter brought their drinks and took their order. When he left the two alone again, Liam raised his glass. "Good idea to meet up again", he praised. "Well, Savannah said it right, it's the beginning of wonderful friendships. So of course." Luka smiled and they clinked their glasses together. Liam took a sip. Perfect, cool water, he never drank anything better. He put his glass down again and savored the sip. "Uhm, I never got the chance to ask. How many Betas do you have? We're only talking about me." "I don't mind. You're good at telling a story and explaining things. Somebody ever told you that?" Luka had put his glass down as well. Liam made an incredulous face. "No. What would they? I'm kind of dumb." It had slipped out faster than Liam could have stopped it. Luka's frown was almost instantly. "What asshole told you that?" "No one. Life experience, if you will. I'm not the brightest." "You don't have to be a genius but you really don't appear dumb, Liam. Don't believe it when people tell you that. They're just haters." It had the same vibe as a worried older brother giving a stern talking to his younger sibling and Liam chuckled. He was a big brother but not a little brother and yeah he called Scott his brother sometimes but that was different. Maybe because Scott was only two years older than Liam himself. They came from the same walk of life, small town, maybe that was also a factor? Liam could not really put his finger on it but it hit differently with Luka. "Okay", he said to end this topic. "I will remember this talk." "Good", Luka looked stern but then he smiled. "To get back to the question, seven Betas. A few less than you have." He leaned back in his chair. "There is my younger sister Delaney. Younger by three years. An absolute firecracker. If she gets angry, if you piss her off, she will cuss at you and rant for hours if you let her. Especially in the background of a phone conversation. Very entertaining, if I'm being honest." Luka laughed. But the love for his sister was evident in his words. "Then there is Simon. He is...was dad's best friend. They've been to school and college together and he acted like some sort of advisor for the pack. Helped with international deals and connections. He's my godfather and like a second dad. I'm happy I still have him after I lost dad. It doesn't bear contemplating if he would have been also gone..." Luka trailed off. Liam managed a compassionate smile. "I am sorry for your loss. Losing somebody we love is never easy." He touched his collar bone where the Lion King tattoo was hidden under his shirt. Luka appreciated the sentiment. He continued his list on a lighter note. "With Simon came Holden, his son. Holden's just a few months younger than I am, we grew up together." "Holden's mom is not part of the pack?" "No. She never wanted to get married or have kids. Yet she married Simon and got pregnant with Holden. Weeks after his birth she handed Simon the infant and announced: I don't want to be a wife or a mother. Here's the child, I'll leave your life for good. He does not have to search for me, I want nothing to do with any of you. My lawyer will send you the documents where I signed my rights away and the divorce papers. Got her suitcase and left. From that moment on, mom and dad gave a hand to Simon. Holt and I basically grew up like brothers. He annoys Delaney the same way I do." Liam giggled. "Are younger siblings not something fun? I have a younger brother. He's ten but living at the lake." "Aw, they're so cute at that age. And then they start stating their own opinions and become brats." It was obvious Luka didn't mean a thing he said about his sister. They both began to laugh. "Holden's a great guy but he can be a hothead. Impulsive and very brash. Those are not his finest moments and we have to hold him back. But he's fiercely protective of the pack. Would do anything for us. Another one of my Betas is Sandro. Alessandro. My second in command. We met during freshmen orientation in college and clicked almost instantly. Have been inseparable ever since. When I brought him home the first time, mom looked at dad and said: Look, it's Luka in another body. Our parents often joked how they could each take the wrong son home and nobody would notice cause we're so similar. It's eerie. "

Their food came out and they interrupted their talk to thank the waiter and dig in before Luka resumed talking. "Sandro was human when we met but after a while, he noticed my family was hiding something. He confronted me and after consulting with my Alphas I came clean to him. Thank god cause when he was twenty-five, he go involved with a lone Alpha and said Alpha got a bit too excited in bed. Right before a full moon. Sandro showed up at our doorstep, bloodied and already on the verge of transforming. Dad took one look at him and dragged him to the basement where we keep a cage for those things. I stayed with him the whole night and after that, it was more or less clear he would become part of the pack. Sandro helped me a lot after my parents' death. He took charge when I couldn't do it and held the pack together. That's why he became my second in command, just like Theo is for you." Luka drank from his water. "We have two other women in the pack. Bryn and Lynn. Laugh if you want, their rhyming names are a running joke in our pack. Bryn I know for almost her whole life. How fit are you in werewolf genetics?" Liam snorted. "That a thing? I'd give it a solid zero." "To keep it simple: The werewolf gene is dominant most of the time. Werewolf parents will have werewolf children. Even if only one parent is a wolf, the child likely will be one as well. The chances are even higher by born wolves rather than bitten ones. But if you have several generations of werewolves mixing with humans there is a slight possibility to have a human child even as werewolf parents. In Bryn's family case it was the opposite. There had been some wolves here and there, some of them had been in contact with my father's pack, but for generations, there were only humans. Until Bryn was born. Boom. Human parents with a werewolf baby." "You're kidding me!" Liam was amazed at how crazy nature could get. "Absolutely not. But her family knew about werewolves and so they knew the name of my father's pack. They grabbed their daughter and moved closer to us, showed up at our door, and kindly asked my parents to help them. To make having yet another child running around somewhat plausible, we started calling Bryn Delany's and my second cousin. We kept this til this day and mostly refer to her as our cousin. Lynn, on the other hand, was bitten after a night of clubbing and then left to die. Mom found her somewhere in the ditch and brought her home. We were not sure she would survive but that girl is tough as nails. Don't underestimate her." "She reminds me of Sadie. One should never underestimate Sadie as well. She will kick your ass and probably gnaw on your bones without ruining her makeup." "Somehow that description also fits Maddie and Savannah", Luka realized. Liam had to agree with that. "Anyway, you said you had seven Betas. One's missing." "The latest addition to the pack before my parents died. Will. He's Sandro's cousin, full-blood-related this time. They have been close while growing up and he visited one time. This family is good at picking up things and he got curious. We never got to explain to him everything cause a hostile pack attacked and he was wounded badly. Dad turned him in an attempt to save his life. It worked and Will moved to live with us. Funny enough, he and Holden clicked almost as instantly as Sandro and I did. They just balance each other a bit better. Hopefully. One's a hothead, the other is too cocky for his own good sometimes. I think the day these two linked, Simon's world kinda ended. He had several gray hairs more after that day. Lynn once kept a tally which one had to get bailed out of jail more often..." Luka tilted his head. "Huh, wondered what happened to that. I think I was the third place..." Liam smirked and Luka gave him an innocent smile. "I mean, we are all law-abiding citizens and never do anything wrong. We stick together and love each other, as a family should." "So do we. My pack and I. They're my family and I don't want to miss anyone of them." "Tell you what, Liam, why don't you and you pack visit us? We could have a BBQ party. Next Friday, is that good?" "That's a great idea. I'll check with the pack and text you."

#Thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #Morning Dew Pack series #My writing #alpha!liam

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 59

Chapters: 59/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam attends the Alpha meeting. Who will he meet? What will happen? Will he make a fool out of himself? Or maybe start a war with another Alpha?

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Theo turned off the ignition. "There's the hotel." He pointed across the street to the building. It looked fancy, like one of those old-time Hollywood hotels. Maybe a bit too dignified for Liam's liking but he didn't have to book there. He exhaled shakily. "Great." Theo looked at him. "Nervous?" Liam tried a smile but only mustered a crooked version. "Nervous is an understatement. My mind is running laps with everything that can get wrong. I have no idea what's going to happen and that sucks. If I could take you with me at least. But yeah, rules." He grimaced at the end. Theo squeezed his leg. "I will be only a phone call away. Whenever something happens, I will come and get you as soon as I can. Just think about that, you have nothing to hide. These Alphas are damn right to be curious about you. You are awesome." He leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on Liam's lips. Liam kissed him back and was really grateful for Theo Raeken in his life. "I will do my best." "That's more than enough. But, if you feel better, I can wait around? Find a nice parking spot and wait until you're finished. I don't mind, I have a book with me." "Nah, it's okay." Liam didn't want to keep Theo busy. God knows how long he would attend the meeting. It was a hot day and he didn't want his mate sitting around all day in a sticky car. "I will be fine." The older man smirked. "Go get them, Alpha!" His eyes flashed teasingly and Liam flashed his eyes back before he loosened his seatbelt and opened the car door. "See you at home, Dore." He slipped out of the passenger seat and closed the door. Theo waved and Liam waved back before he made his way over the street.

He gave her a smile which she didn't return so he turned around and gladly there was only one large hallway so no possibility to miss the meeting room. He continued walking and had already crossed the large entrance hall when he heard the hurried clicking of heels on the marbled floor and hissing. "Hey! Hey, you! Wait!" Liam stopped walking and turned around again. A young woman with long flowy honey blonde hair chased after him. She was clad in a short red dress with some well-positioned cleavage showing, nude high heels, and a purse dangling from a golden chain from her shoulder (in the same red as her dress). When she came closer he noticed how she did her makeup differently than Sadie or Ever, hers was more bold and daring, but it was flawless. Now she stopped in front of him and Liam realized she was taller than him. One look down and yeah, that were the heels. She was shorter than him without them, for sure. "I heard you're going to the Corbin meeting. Please, tell me it's your first time!" "It is indeed, yeah." "Oh, thank god. It's my first time as well." She pulled the chain of her purse higher up her shoulder. "I have been sitting there for so long, watching all those old coots arrive, and I hoped for somebody in my age range coming. And here you are. Wonderful. I'm Savannah, by the way." She extended her hand gracefully. Even her hail polish matched her outfit and was, like the makeup, flawless. "I'm Liam, nice to meet you." He shook her hand. "I thought I would be the youngest and everyone else would be much older. Still new to this whole Alpha thing and have never attended such a meeting before." "Tell me about it. I'm an Alpha for roundabout seventeen months. All totally new for me. But here we are. So glad I found you and have someone to walk into the room with. Nothing against a solo entrance but have you seen some of them? I do not fit in with them. Don't want to make them jealous right at the beginning." "No, I have not yet. That bad?" If she didn't fit in with her perfect look, Liam didn't saw a chance for himself. But okay, Savannah seemed nice and maybe he could stick to her. That had worked for him in the past when he did it with Mason. "You'll see. Shall we?" "Yeah, okay." Liam nodded with a smile.

"You both appear very cool. Even though, admittedly, you don't fit in here at all." A woman stepped up to them and casually joined their conversation. Her dark blue dress clung to her like a second skin and her black hair framed her hair in soft waves. She was as stunning as Savannah, even though both women were the complete opposites in looks. "I hope you don't mind I just approached you, I just have been watching you and I needed to talk to you. I am Meadow." "Hi, Meadow. I'm Liam and this is Savannah", Liam dutifully introduced his new friend and himself. Savannah did a little wave. "Here I thought we were the only young ones here but there you are. I eyed this dress during my shopping trips but it looks even better on you than on the mannequin. I am obsessed." "I am the oldest one here. But thank you." "How's that possible? You look not even thirty yet. Or your plastic surgeon is incredibly good", Liam blurted out. She gave him a cheerful smile and while doing so exposed two sharp fangs. "I'm a vampire." Hey, look, Liam found another way to put his foot in his mouth! "Shit! I didn't mean to! Oh god, I'm so sorry! Didn't mean to insult you!" He stuttered and wanted to slam his head against the next hard surface. "Liam, it's okay. No worries. You couldn't have known." Meadow laughed it off and put a soothing hand on his shoulder. She smiled gently. It worked to calm him down. "I didn't even know vampires existed." "Neither did I", Savannah admitted. Meadow shrugged and pulled her hand away from Liam's shoulder. "So many supernatural beings out there and vampires are ones of the more mysterious ones. I don't blame you." Mason would freak out, Liam knew that for sure. Maybe he should ask Meadow for her number so his best friend could schedule an interview. It would make Mason's entire month. He looked around again. For this information alone it had been worth coming here. After his unpleasant encounter, Liam was not too fond of talking to the other Alphas. They also ignored the three of them anyway so he saw no harm in continue talking to the girls. Maybe they could find a seat, maybe even out in the sun?

Meadow pointed at an empty table. "Want to have a seat? Create the outsider's table?" "I don't see why not." Liam looked around again. He would not initiate another conversation with these snobs. But before he could pull out a chair, a guy with a clipboard approached them. "Excuse me? Hi. I need the name of your pack and your names, please", he drawled politely but dispassionately. This was strictly professional and he didn't care about their names on a personal level. Savannah went first. "Hi! I'm Savannah Landis from the Landis Pack." She gave him a grin full of teeth and threw her blonde hair over her shoulder. He noted that on his clipboard. Liam's turn. "Yeah, hi. I'm from the Morning Dew Pack and I -..." He was rudely cut off by the guy. "Oh no, no, no. Did your Alpha not know not to send Betas? I thought it had been absolutely clear - ..." Now Liam interrupted him: "I am the Alpha!" His eyes flashed red for a moment. "As I was trying to say, the invitation had been sent to the old Alpha and he forwarded it to me. Maybe renew your lists? Because they're not up to date. My name is Liam Dunbar, in case you want to write that down too." The guy scribbled on his board but then stormed off under giggles from Savannah and Meadow. He made his way through the room and started talking to a woman with grey streaks in her brown hair in hushed and seemingly angry whispers. She frowned and her perfect sculptured eyebrows twitched before she looked over to Liam and then back at the other guy. "Boy, she hates you", Meadow chuckled. "What? Why? What did I do? I just corrected him!" Liam did not want any other Alpha to hate him. "This is Loretta Corbin, she organized the meeting. The guy's her assistant. She is an absolute perfectionist and liked to think she knows everything. You called them both out on their bullshit. For that alone, she despises you now." "Great." Liam pulled a chair out and sat down. The two women sat on each side of him. "Don't worry about her. All these Alphas won't do anything. They like to think they run the show but to actually run it, they would have to get off their asses", Meadow remarked sarcastically. Liam gave her a grateful look. It calmed him down to have an experienced person by his side. If she said it wasn't that bad, surely Liam didn't need to worry, right? She had been to other meetings, after all.

Meadow didn't reply but had looked around and now pursed her lips. "Wondered how long it would take for him to appear and start kissing ass." She glared at a man in his fifties, dressed in an expensive-looking suit and with a sparkling golden watch on his beefy wrist, deeply involved in a talk with several Alphas. Liam guessed they were talking about golf based on their hand movements. He was laughing at the moment but it didn't reach his eyes. They were cold and dangerous. Curiously he looked at the vampire. "Who is that?" "Cyrus Heymil. An absolute scumbag and walking trash pile of a human being. He owns the hotel so it's only natural he shows up." Savannah snickered. "Okay, girl, what earned him that title? Give us the tea! Come on! Spill it!" "Okay." Meadow moved a little closer to the two Alphas. "There are several groups when it comes to humans and the supernatural. The first group is humans without any knowledge of the supernatural. They live their life thinking werewolves and vampires only exist in horror films and fantasy. Then there are the humans who know about us supernaturals and decide to hunt us. Hunters. The third group consists of humans knowing about our existence and being okay with it, even helping us hide from the rest of the world. Peacefully coexist with us. But there's also a fourth group. People profiting off on supernaturals. Cyrus here is one of the biggest sharks of that group." Liam listened but he had trouble following. "Wait. How can people profit off supernaturals? Most people don't know we exist so isn't that a paradox?" The dark-haired vampire shook her head. "No. For example, a human cannot be turned into a vampire by a bite. They have to drink fresh vampire blood to be transformed. So we vampires can drink from people without killing them or turning them into our kind. The human simply experiences a rush, a high so to speak, similar to an orgasm. But if we drink too much or too often from a human, they can die or get addicted, always chasing the next high. Cyrus runs blood parties, where innocent humans are thrown to the vampires. No security measures whatsoever. A vampire could lose self-control and kill someone or a human could become a literal addict. A weakened body, like it happens with every other drug. My coven and I, we fight against this and try to protect the humans. It's not always possible in such a large city as Seattle. Or he holds werewolf fight clubs. Some garbage humans love to pay good money just to see two weres punching the crap out of each other." Liam stared. "Werewolf fight clubs??" He hissed. "I didn't even know those were a thing. What the actual fuck?" He could not imagine himself in such a club. His IED was bad and Liam knew in such an environment, where it was furthered to be aggressive, it would have turned into a disaster. Beacon Hills had been bad enough already but Liam realized in this regard he had been sheltered. Meadow put a hand on his arm. "You're innocent. Never lose that, please." Had this come from any member of the Beacon Hills Pack, Liam would have felt patronized. Strangely enough, he didn't feel like that with her. Instead, Liam recognized it as an honest wish from her side and he gave her a short shake of the head. "Never." She smiled softly and then let go of his arm.

A door on the other side of the room opened and a young man stepped into the room. Tall, dark hair, but he held himself incredibly upright and the look when he now approached Cyrus could only be described as timid. He whispered something to the older man who nodded but didn't even spare a look at the other and then swatted him away like a nasty fly. "Of course he's sending him away!" Meadow hissed angrily. Her tone changed so drastically compared to before Liam was kind of taken aback. "Who is that?" He inquired, unsure if it was wise to even ask. "Asher Heymil, Cyrus' son. He didn't win the father lottery, so to speak." Liam looked at father and son again. Cyrus continued his talk with the Alphas and Asher waited a few moments before his shoulders sacked in defeat and he turned around to leave the room again. Savannah clucked her tongue. "Nice ass. Would probably look even better in a suit made for him and not one off the rack." Meadow and Liam gave her amused looks. She seemed unimpressed. "What? I'm a twenty-seven-year-old single cheetah. I'm horny and always on the lookout for fun times." "Well, you have to find your fun times elsewhere. He's gay." Meadow smirked. Savannah perked up. "And how would you know that?" "Because he's my best friend. Trust me, honey, you don't have the parts he is interested in", the vampire explained highly amused. Liam laughed. "Your best friend is gay and human? My best friend is also gay and human. If Asher's married they would have a third thing in common." "Nah, Asher's single as it can be. Before he even has a chance of getting married, I'd have to push Cyrus off a roof." She rolled her eyes. "Ah, a fantastic family relationship I see", the blonde cheetah remarked sarcastically. "Mind asking me why you're friends with the son of a guy you clearly hate?" The vampire shook her head. "We are not our parents. Asher is a good guy. A genuinely good guy. He even helps me save some unsuspecting persons from horrible things and his father's temperings. Ash's mom died of cancer when he was eleven. Cyrus is the only family he has left and he uses that to manipulate his son, always lures him back in, makes Asher work for his fondness and love. Asher doesn't want to lose the last remaining member of his family which I understand in some way. Even if that means getting mercilessly humiliated and treated like a doormat."

Neither Savannah nor Liam said anything about that. It wasn't the place or time and nobody wanted to have a serious talk about fucked up parents right now. Savannah's attention was already caught by something or rather someone else. A new guy had entered the room through the same door they had come through. "Boom, would you look at that? Meadow, is he gay too?" The cheetah asked and raked her eyes over the man's body. Liam could not blame her. Even taller than Asher had been, lean body, dark hair, and bright eyes. If Liam had to take a guess, he would say the man was around thirty. So another younger Alpha. And he was gorgeous. He had a certain swagger in his step showing he knew exactly how good he was looking and a very charismatic smile. "I don't know him. But if he was it would be a shame for us." Meadow craned her neck to get a better look at the newcomer. "Could also be bi. That would be a good compromise", Liam muttered. He had Theo and no one was more attractive than his mate but even Theo would attest to the other's hotness. "See? This is how your ass looks when you're wearing a tailor-made suit." Savannah shamelessly ogled the guy's behind in his dark blue suit and almost fell out of her chair while doing so. The guy didn't notice that, however, and greeted a few of the Alphas after they stepped up to him. "Luka Barrett, didn't think you would give us the time of day", an elderly Alpha said in a rough voice. "You know, business matters. A client needed help. I'm taking my work seriously since some of us have to actually work for their money, Powell." The Alphas shook hands and the men assessed each other silently. Luka was the first to withdraw his hand and to speak. "By the way, just to get this out of the way, could you guys stop sending all those gift baskets? It's getting really out of hand." He kept his tone light and friendly but there was still some firmness in his voice. "It's custom for courting", another Alpha chirped. Luka kept his neutral smile. "Not every custom is still reasonable these days." His smile grew a bit. "Now, I need a drink. Gentlemen." He abandoned the Alphas to saunter to the bar. And Savannah, Meadow, and Liam made sure to turn their heads away so no one saw their grins. "Oh my gosh, their faces!" Savannah gurgled with suppressed laughter. "I still have no idea who he is but he clearly has no time for those stuck-up Alphas and I can get behind that", Liam praised. It was impressive how unfazed Luka had been by the others. The ones who now stalked away like the conceited old men they were. "Serves them right." Meadow felt no compassion towards the men. "They are annoying with how they always cling to their old rules. The world is ever-changing and we all have to adapt. No one knows that better than I do. They simply refuse to because it would mean doing something instead of just talking and celebrating themselves for simply being born in the right families." "There's a lot of that, right? Old name werewolf families who think just because of their heritage they're the big shots. It's the same with rich humans. Not all of them, of course, but a lot." Liam had met some of the latter during his private school time and he had hated them all. Meadow now nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey. Is this seat taken?" Luka, now a glass of port wine in his hand pointed at the empty chair next to Savannah. She beamed at him and smoothly moved the chair away from the table. "Absolutely not. Have a seat." He plopped down in the chair. "I'm Luka, by the way." "We kind of heard you when you came in. I'm Meadow. These are Savannah and Liam. Vampire, were cheetah, werewolf, in that order." He laughed softly. "Yeah, that. Some things need to be said rather sooner than later." Luka didn't seem to be bothered that they overheard his talk with the other Alphas. He seemed like an easy-going person and Liam liked that personality trait. "I hope you don't mind what was that about gif baskets?" He was inquisitive. Luka smirked. "I was single when I became an Alpha and I'm still single. A single Alpha over thirty is a rarity, at least according to some of the most esteemed packs around. So they send gift baskets as a matter of courting to change that. Because I'm the werewolf version of a unicorn." Savannah didn't even miss a beat: "Oh? Say, do you have a big horn to match the unicorn image?" His smirk turned a bit more lewdly. "Let's rent a room, go upstairs, and I show you how big my horn is, darling." Her eyes flashed a bright blue for a moment. "So you do like women. Not gay. We were debating this." "I'm pansexual actually." Luka didn't mind at all. He was open which made Liam like him even more. "Okay, so, cheetah, wolf, and vampire. First time here? Because you stick out of the bunch." "First time for Savannah and myself", Liam clarified. "But you seem to know them already." Except Luka shook his head. "Not as an Alpha myself. My parents did. But they were killed so I'm the Alpha and yeah. I'm just here to say my piece about the baskets, to be honest. It's getting annoying to always have to send them back." "Why don't you keep them?" Savannah saw no problem with that. "Because that would give them the signal I am considering one of their Betas as my wedded partner which no. I don't want to get married now, I don't even want to be in a relationship. Come time, come love. Not because I have to because I'm an Alpha, you see." "I understand. I mean, I will never have this problem cause I'm already mated, but we're still humans. Just because we're Alphas doesn't mean we have no emotions and not our own lives." Liam could see where Luka was coming from. "Yep. But those Alphas? They hold onto those old and outdated practices. It's sad." Luka pointed around the room. "Although I guess it's easy to never want to change if you're sitting on hundreds of acres of property with horse stables, maids, and butlers." "Is this true? Are they really that rich?" Liam had no idea how people with supposedly that much money looked like. Not really his social circles, you understand? "Rich and well esteemed. It's mostly the name, to be honest. Some of those packs can trace their roots back to the witch trials in Salem. Others came from the pilgrims. Anyway, they've been around for ages. Old money, really old. They hang on rituals and customs from when there were no big cities but holds and villages. Back in the day, every pack had its territory and no other wolf could cross it without either starting a war or at least without them knowing. Allies were important, as much as it was for kingdoms. Marrying off Betas with each other was a good way to ensure the loyalty of another pack. Nowadays those practices are not logical anymore. I mean, my family has money as well and we are an esteemed pack. My mom's ancestors immigrated to the US generations ago and their pack is still well esteemed in the old country but our pack is yet far more open-minded than the old-established here. It has always been our policy to go with the times, unite tradition with modernity, to always be at the pulse of time. Otherwise, it can get dangerous." "I see." Liam nodded.

They all drank but the mood had turned somber. Luka turned his glass between his fingers. "I will never understand how one can cause pain and terror just because they can or in the name of power", he mumbled. "You said you became an Alpha after your parents were killed. What happened?" Meadow asked gently. She didn't want to pry but since it was already on the table... "Rogue Omega infiltrated our territory. My parents called us Betas home but when I arrived my mother was already dead and my father was in the last moments of his fight with the Omega. Dad managed to kill him but then succumbed to his injuries in my arms. So I became the Alpha." He put his glass down. "Not how I planned it but that's part of life, unfortunately." "I'm sorry." Savannah put her arm around his shoulders and rubbed his arm with her other hand. He smiled sadly. "What about you? How did you become an Alpha?" The blonde pursed her lips. "My grandma passed away. Natural causes, don't worry. My mother had been injured in a fight years ago and is physically not able to be an Alpha. So I became the new one. It's cool, my mom is so proud of me." "I heard of that. The Alpha spark skipping a generation because someone is mentally or physically not able to be an Alpha. Makes sense." Luka agreed. Meadow tipped on the bar. "I have a question for you, Luka. Your father, was his name Felix?" "Hm hm." He nodded. "Then I met him once. It was astonishing how calm he was. Really centered into himself. I was impressed." Luka got a proud smile on his face. "My dad was a calm, level-headed person. Mom was the more temperamental one. She could cuss up a storm if she got riled up. My sister and I inherited her temper." He scratched the back of his neck. "Really? You seem quite laid back", Savannah wondered. "If I get emotional I can lose it. And then my temper flares up. I can be ruled by emotions, especially when it comes to people I care about", he sheepishly admitted. "Don't worry, I'm like that as well. Come for my family or my friends and I'll start a brawl", Savannah assured him. "Another thing we have in common", Liam admitted. He sighed. "I didn't know what to expect from the meeting but I'm happy I went and met you guys." He felt at ease around them. None once had they tried to talk over him or told him he was too young and they all were older than him. Liam felt they kind of understood him and he could not wait to tell his pack about the new people he had met. Who needed the uptight Alphas in the ballroom? "You're cute. And right." Meadow wrapped both arms around Liam. "By the way, just call me Maddie. All my friends do." "Aww, Maddie", Luka teased her in god fun and she pawed at his arm but laughed. Savannah whipped out her cellphone. "I take a lot of pictures for Instagram. We so have to take one now. This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Say cheese!" She held up her cellphone and positioned herself so that all four of them were in the selfie. Liam smiled. It really looked like three new friendships had come out of today. Pretty awesome, he thought while the flash went off.

#Thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #Morning Dew Pack series #alpha!liam #My writing

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 58

Chapters: 58/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam has to take care of a very important matter. And there is an invitation...

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Liam immensely enjoyed working for Ellie. She was happy to show him her craft, teach him things, but she was also very easygoing, and as long as she saw him trying, she loved him and was thrilled with his performance. Also, Ellie knew about the supernatural, so she completely understood when he looked at his phone after it chimed with a text, just in case his pack needed him. Not that anything had come up in the few weeks since Liam started working for her, but he liked to have this option. He didn't have to hide anything, and Liam realized how much better he felt with that.

When work was slow, they talked about a lot of things and Ellie taught Liam some things about supernatural creatures. She had laughed loudly at the story about the fairies in their garden and proceeded to elucidate the different variations of fairies and elves. There were plant fairies, water fairies, sun fairies, and almost that many elves classes. Just like there were different weres out there. Liam felt kind of silly he didn't know about any of this and one day voiced his thoughts. Was he simply ignorant or just blind?

"Neither. You're from a town where none of those things exist. Don't blame yourself for that", Carlie said. Carlie was one of Ellie's three best friends, the other two being Libby and Simone. All three were at Ellie's age and the friends had a weekly meeting at the shop where they sat together, talked about their lives, drank tea or coffee, and ate cookies. Carlie herself was a petite woman with short spiky hair and big square glasses. From what they had told Liam upon first meeting, they all were elves but Liam secretly suspected Carlie of being a pixie. She was cheeky, witty, always said what was on her mind, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Needless to say, Liam liked her. "Yeah, but I also feel like I should know more." "You know enough. About Onis and Berserkers and Kitsunes and hell and other terrible things. You're twenty. Most guys your age know how to party and wear their base caps the wrong way." She bit into a cookie. Liam laughed. "My boyfriend likes to wear his caps the wrong way. He looks hot with it. But he also knows other things." "You have so much time to learn still. Don't worry. Even we old ladies don't know about any supernatural being out there", Simone comforted him and filled her cup with some more tea. She was the opposite of Carlie; tall, thin, and the quietest of the bunch. "I also agree with Carlie, you know about terrible things, traumatic things, things one should not know about. Especially not this early in life. But unfortunately, trauma is also experience. " Liam made a face. He sat down on the armrest of one of the chairs Ellie had placed around. "I just could have lived without some of those experiences. I mean, I could have gone without the experience of being homeless but hey. Maybe that's just me." Ellie put her arm over the backrest of her chair and turned to look at Liam. "When have you been homeless?" They talked about a lot of stuff but Liam's life story, she only knew parts of it. Good parts. He didn't want to deliver sob story after sob story. Liam had a good life, he knew some people had it worse. He cherished that. Now he exhaled loudly through his nose and then he told the four women how the hyenas came into town and caused havoc, how they finally destroyed the house and left the pack picking up the pieces. He ended with the move to the new house.

The store door opened and Angela, Ellie's oldest daughter, stepped into the shop. She was a lawyer and used her breaks to visit sometimes. She greeted everyone happily and hugged her mother. Liam ran to get her a fresh cup and dragged another seat to their circle so he should sit and interact with the group. She squeezed his arm in a silent thank you as she sat down and accepted the cup. "What were you guys talking about? Is everything okay?" She asked good-heartedly. "Liam just told us about those horrible, horrible hyenas who destroyed his house" Libby filled her in. Angela raised both eyebrows. "I hope none of you were harmed." "Everybodys fine. We managed to get out in time before the house exploded. I'm just grateful I got my brother out of town before it happened." "Oh, you have a brother? I didn't know that." Angela loved kids and had specialized in family rights. She claimed she liked to help kids get justice. "Hm." Liam nodded. He walked to the cash register where he left his phone and while he walked back searched through his pictures. "Landon. He's almost ten." She showed her and the rest of the women the picture and they all cooed how much alike the brothers looked. "You said you brought his out of town? So I take he's usually living with you? Your parents must appreciate such a tight brother's bond." Angela was surprised but happy. Liam hesitated. "Landon's not my mother's son. We're half brothers. Same dad. Well, father. Sperm donor. My biological father is...he's a piece of shit. Alcoholic. Abuser. You get it. I didn't even know Landon existed until we met months ago by a pure coincidence. The circumstances don't matter but in the end, Theo and I took him home with us. Not a chance I would have let him stay with that man. So he lived with us in the house. Until I brought him to the lake to keep him safe. He lives there now." Liam missed Landon terribly but they were all still so young, they could not care for a child properly. Byron and Lana were perfect for that task and Landon also liked them. He blinked. "But enough of sad stories. Let's talk about something different, okay?"

****** He was cleaning up after Ellie's friends had left. After he had basically pleaded for a change of topic, the talk had revolved around lighter topics and ended on a very funny note. Now Ellie was in the back, doing some accounting, and Liam manned the front of the store. Angela was the only one still there. Now she stepped to the cash register where Liam was currently filling some jars with bagged candy. "I'm going to tell you something, not as a friend but as a lawyer, okay? And I need you to listen." She looked serious and Liam tensed. What happened? "Did I do something wrong? Is your mother mad at me?" "No. But listen." She tapped both index fingers on the counter. "You need your biological father to sign his rights over to you as fast as possible. What you said about him, having him in Landon's and your life is dangerous and not good for either of you. So you need to act fast. Have him make you Landon's legal guardian." Liam frowned. "I planned on doing so once I turned twenty-one. I wasn't aware I can do it now. Thought I had to be twenty-one." Angela shook her head strictly. "No. You need to do it now. In most states, anyone who is eighteen years old can become a guardian. Look, who tells you your father agrees to it in a year? He still holds guardianship and can make decisions for your brother. If he does not sign over his rights, he has so much time to cause harm. You said Landon's almost ten. That means another eight years of having the right to decide about medical procedures, school enrollment, the living situation. Even if Landon stays with you, all it takes is somebody checking who is the legal guardian for Landon. Could be school, could be a doctor's office, or if he gets in trouble it could be the police. If he's in the hospital. For eight years, you have to always fear for this to happen. If your father does not sign his rights over." "If he does not do it on his own, I will take him to court." Angela shook her head even more firm this time. "Honestly? They will ask you where Landon lived for the past year. Legally, what you and Theo did was kidnapping. If you manage to get a strict judge, that alone will cause you to lose the case. Landon will get sent back to his father and you're probably not even allowed to see him. I told you, I'm not telling you this as a friend. As your friend, I understand why you did it, as a lawyer I have to inform you about this likely possibility. The only chance you have is to have your father make you his guardian." It was a hard pill to swallow and Liam gulped. He had been naive, he realized now, and considered it all easier than it was. And maybe Landon had to pay the price for his neglect. "Thank you, Angela", he mumbled sadly.

He sat at the opposite of the table and took the pen in his hands. "And why wouldn't you? What's in it for you? Just to be petty? Just to put one over on me?" Emmet snickered. "It will bug you forever, that's good enough for me." He reached for a bottle of booze and uncorked it to take a swig. Liam glared at him. Then he put the pen down. His glance landed on his bracelet. The bracelet he shared with Theo. Suddenly, he got an idea. Maybe it was time to see if he could take a book out of Theo's playbook. He raised his head and crossed his arms on top of the table. "Okay, fine, don't sign. We will play your game. I will send Landon back to live here." Emmet eyed him. "You're bluffing." "Not at all. He will come and live with you again. But be aware. I will be around every damn day." "And then what? What will you do? Punch me? You're no match for me", Emmet sneered. "If you lay so much as one finger on him, and we both know you will, I will call the cops on you. They will come and they will arrest you for domestic violence. And yes, Landon may be sent to foster care but I will make sure you will be sent to prison. There is no booze, no beer, no schnapps in prison. But the people there love people who abused kids. I know people and I will make sure every inmate knows what you did to two little boys. That's what will be awaiting you. No freedom to get wasted like you're doing now every day. Think about it." His biological father still eyed him suspiciously. "No way you would ever let him live here again." "To get you locked up, I would do other things. Landon too, by the way. All to make sure you will rot in hell. He's tough, he will take whatever you might to do him. Maybe I will move in as well. One happy family. With me comes my boyfriend, obviously. By the way, how's your hand?" He looked at Emmet's fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle. Father and son stared at each other, accessed each other until Emmet snorted. "Your mother raised you better than this. I call bluff. You don't have it in you, weak shit!" A cold, dangerous smile appeared on Liam's face and he leaned closer. "You call my mom a slut and other horrible names, yet you forget I also inherited DNA from you. We both have IED. Wanna find out how much more alike we are? If I'm as cruel as you are?" He gave his father a death glare. "You want to start a war? I'll raise you World War III. Your choice. Either don't sign and feel the whiplash or sign and you will never have to see us again." Liam placed the pen on the papers and waited. His heart was thundering inside his chest. That was not his usual way to carry on negotiations and he had no idea if it worked. Theo made it always seem so easy and pulled it off without a hitch. But Liam knew he was not that good. Emmet grabbed the pen and fiddled with it. He scribbled his signature at the marked fields, an unruly chicken scratch but his signature nonetheless. "Get the hell out of here. If I see you on my front lawn again, I will shoot you." Liam's hand shot towards and he pulled the documents towards himself after the last signature was done. "I have better people to be around than you. Give your liver a break once in a while." He got up just in time as Emmet's hand shot towards his throat. The alcoholic missed by far and his hand thumped on the table. "Fuck off, you piss baby!" The sound of the splintering bottle hitting the wall was the last thing Liam heard from his father when he now left the house without so much of a goodbye.

****** Landon's face appeared on the screen in front of Liam and as soon as he had a picture, the child waved animatedly. "Hello, Liam!" Videocalls were a good way to keep in contact even if they could not see each other in person. Liam happily waved back. "Hey, Landon, how are you?" "I'm good. Zack and I built a fort." Landon launched himself into a story of all the things his best friend and he had done. Lana and Byron appeared in the background of the call but they simply waved and let the boy talk. Liam put his chin in the palm of his hand and listened with a smile. Seeing Landon so carefree and hearing about him being a normal child was all he ever wanted. It came nine years too late and Liam knew his brother must have been affected one way or another by his upcoming but now that he was out of Emmet's claws, Landon was in for an amazing life. After he was done, Landon asked about Liam's life in Seattle. Now it was the older's turn to talk about college, his pack, the fairies (Landon loved this part and he asked thousands of questions). Theo had joined Liam for a while and laughed softly. "He's like you", he whispered into his mate's ear and kissed Liam's cheek before he disappeared out of the frame again after a wave in Landon's direction. Liam chuckled but then he finished his story. "One more thing, Landon. You know we took you away from Emmet, right?" Landon shivered at the mention of his father's name but nodded bravely. "Do I have to go back? Please, don't make me go back!" "No, no, hey, I would never. That's why I'm telling you. He signed all the papers. I am your guardian now." Lana and Byron appeared left and right from Landon. "He did? Oh, how wonderful, Liam." Lana was touched. Landon scrunched his nose. "What does guardian mean?" "It means Liam is responsible for you now and Emmet can never hurt you again. Say you want to go on a class trip, for example, the school has to ask Liam and not your father anymore", Byron patiently explained to him. Landon considered. "So, he can't get me?" "Never again. He's out of your life for good", Liam promised firmly. His brother beamed at the adults. "That's amazing!" "Yeah, it is." Lana stroked through his hair. "But, Sweetie, you have to get ready for bed now. Tomorrow's a school day." "But I want to keep talking to Liam. I'm not finished." Yes, Landon could be stubborn. "We can talk tomorrow, Laddie. After school, yeah? Now you have to get ready for bed. Sleep is important. I'm going to bed now too. Theo does too. See?" He rolled to the side and tilted his screen so Landon could see Theo brushing his teeth with the bathroom door open. Theo waved. It wasn't that he actually wanted to go to bed but he had tried some licorice Mike had brought home, not from Ellie though, and after eating it Theo claimed to have a bad taste in his mouth. Landon huffed. "But we talk tomorrow", he insisted. "Werewolf promise." Liam raised his hand solemnly to swear. "Good Night, Laddie." "Good Night, Liam. Good Night, Theo." Landon stood up. "Good Night, you two," Lana called out and then disappeared with Landon.

Theo had dried his mouth and now walked over to lean on Liam's chair while Liam opened the mail Byron had forwarded. It included a word document and when Liam opened it, it turned out to be an invitation to a meeting held in a hotel in Seattle. "Liam, part of being an Alpha are pack politics." Liam whined. "I told you I'm not good at that! What is this? An Alpha congress? I can't go there." "Maybe let the man talk before you cut and run", Theo suggested and smoothly avoided the contact between Liam's elbow and his stomach by moving aside. "I know what you said, Liam, and this is no pressure but I wanted to inform you. The invitation is indeed for an Alpha meeting. No congress, just a few Alphas coming together and talking." "About what?" Liam saw himself on a stage, in front of hundreds of Alphas, a whole auditorium filled with them, and making a fool out of himself. People would laugh. It would be a degrading experience. "Life. This and that. No one is expecting a speech from you, Liam. See I've been to a few of those meetings. There are only packs living close by attending these meetings. They're mostly boring. You stand around, do some small talk, maybe eat a quick snack, and leave. But they can also help you get a better idea of which packs are around yours. In the area. It can be interesting, if only so for scouting. But, of course, that does not mean you have to attend. It's no declaration of war not to go there. Just like you cannot declare war by saying a wrong word if you go." "Those are all Alphas, experienced Alphas probably, and then I show up. Junior McJunington. What will they think?" "Screw what they think. So what if they're older or more experienced? You're you and that's awesome" Theo passionately declared. "Thank you, Dr. Seuss", Liam hissed. He frowned and scratched his cheek. "I have to think about this." "As it is your right. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with." "If I should attend, there will be no problem? I can just show up there?" "The invitation is addressed to the Alpha of the Morning Dew Pack. They seemingly didn't get the memo about the change in our pack but that doesn't matter. The invitation is for you, not for me. Actually, no Beta can attend the meeting. And no Alpha mate either unless they're specifically invited." "I have to go there alone??" Liam shrieked. In his mind, he had Theo by his side. Maybe Brett and Caden since both could be real charmers and have intellectual conversations. Corey would have also a good match despite him being as insecure as Liam in those settings. Byron rubbed his hands together. "Those are the rules. But I know, alone or not, you will be just fine. Should you go or not. This is not something I can do for you. The decision is all yours. Just one more thing, to be fair. you will be the youngest in this group. By a few decades, I suppose. That's why I don't think they will pay you much attention. They're just curious." "Great", Liam said sarcastically. "Given my track records with strange Alphas so far, this will be a marvelous experience."

****** "I don't think you should go. What if that's a trap?" Tim worried about Liam's safety. Liam had informed his pack about the invitation right the next day and after classes, they were sitting in the living room and discussing this. "I think he should go. Just to check the others out. Maybe he can make allies?" Brett opposed. "I also think Liam should go. Byron said he has been to a few of those meetings. I don't think it's a trap", Sadie tried to dissolve Tim's worry and he gave her a grateful look. "The two strange Alphas I met in the last year have both tried to kill me. You understand I'm not keen on walking in a room full of unfamiliar Alphas?" Liam questioned. "I think that should be the reason you go", Ever stated, "to show all of them you're not afraid. If they plan on messing with you, you will look them in the eye. Maybe then they won't underestimate you." "I just don't see the purpose of those meetings. From what Byron said it sounds pretentious." Corey looked peeved. "Oh, it is", Lori confirmed. "But they are not that rare. I don't think you have to be scared, Liam." She offered a genuine smile. Liem returned it cause he knew she was trying to make him feel better. "What do you mean by not rare?" "Well, they're not, if you have Alphas of the old school" Brett took over from his sister. "Modern Alphas just meet up, talk, like Scott with Satomi. They don't even call it an Alpha meeting and send out fancy invites. Those are practices of the old guard, mostly well-esteemed werewolves who love to use those meetings to gossip. Ever seen those movies with scenes in Gentlemen Clubs? Country Clubs? Those are the people to expect at those meetings. Byron's not that far off when he says they won't spare you a look. You're - and don't take this the wrong way - not their type of person, if you know what I mean." "The Alpha from my parents' pack also attends such meetings. They always gush about the delicious and expensive things they eat there. But this woman also has a rich husband and considers herself playing tennis and golf as labor. So, pretty much pompous, entitled snobs", Sadie said. Maya rolled her eyes. "I also know about those meetings but I'm so glad I never met an Alpha going there before. Eh, no offense, Liam." Liam groaned. "Okay, just the danger of becoming the new hot gossip for the elite wolves around. Yeah, I think I'll pass." "I would still go", Caden chimed in. "It's a good opportunity to get to know how many are around. Do you know that? They invited Byron so their radius must be quite large but how many packs live between Seattle and the lake? Wouldn't it be good to know in case we need help? What if the hyenas come back? Having some werewolf allies would not be that bad."

The outfit Theo had picked for him, Liam didn't even know where he got it. He had never seen Theo wearing this particular combo. Cloth trousers, a polo shirt and a sports jacket over it. "How the hell do you get this? And why do you get this?" He asked once he emerged from the bathroom. Interesting, Theo became a bit sheepishly. "I got it for some occasions? Maybe a job interview?" "This is so not you." Liam eyed himself in the mirror. "This is so not me either. What were you thinking, guys? None of your outfits were good." "You wanted us to help you", Mason defended himself. "I wanted to get suggestions, not become your dress-up doll", Liam replied sharply. Sadie sighed. "You're being difficult. Don't you want to make a good first impression?" "A good impression as himself, shouldn't that be the goal?" Caden had walked into the room and crossed the arms in front of his chest. He looked at Liam. "You look strange. Actually, you look like me whenever my aunt visited the family. Horrible." "How do you look when your aunt visits?" Brett had to know. Caden pulled out his cellphone and searched a bit before he handed the phone over. Brett snickered. "Okay, thanks for the laugh. So dapper, oh my. One would not think that since you're almost only ever wearing more casual clothing." Sadie giggled. "Does Ever know you can look like that?" "As a matter of fact, yeah. She doesn't like it. I can relate. But my aunt is quite old-fashioned and conservative. She came to town, we dressed like that, covered up our tattoos, the whole shebang. We just never liked it. Liam doesn't like dressing up either." "Tell me about it. That's a topic we have had since we're friends." Mason rolled his eyes. Liam wanted to glare at him but if he was honest, his best friend was right. So he raised his shoulders. "I have dress shirts. I just happen to like t-shirts and jeans more." "Hence why I think you should wear that", Caden stated. "You are not like the type of Alpha who wears expensive clothing and the latest brands. You're Liam. We like Liam. Why do you want to be somebody you're not? Just to impress people you probably will never see again after that one time?" "That's true." Even Theo had to admit that. "I know when you're comfortable and you never are when you dressed up to a certain extend." "I still think if the occasion calls for it, you should make an effort", Sadie insisted. "It's not about what you want; it's about what our Alpha wants. Liam goes to the meeting and Liam has to represent himself and our pack. He should do it as his truest self possible", Brett retaliated. She pouted.

#Thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #alpha!liam #My writing #Morning Dew Pack series

Cordell x Liam

alpha!liam

#cordellliam #liam walker #alpha!liam #omega!cordell

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 57

Chapters: 57/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

The pack learns that there are good supernatural beings out there, you just have to find them. And they get protection from such an unexpected source they barely can believe it.

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"I swear, if you pull more I will fall flat on my face!" "Hey, it's not my fault I barely have room to move!" "Mike, you're standing on my toes! Ouch!" "Yank me one more time and I will kick you!" "You still have room to kick? How? Ugh, Lori, that's my foot, I'm sorry!" "Thank god our neighbors cannot see into our backyard and watch us standing there all chained up!" "We're not chained up. It's rope." "Nitpicker!... Mike, I swear!!" "You're cutting my blood flow off! Stop moving so much!!”

“Guys!" Liam raised his voice to be heard over his bickering Betas. To be fair, he kinda got them. They were all in the garden and all had some part of a big rope wrapped around their wrists or arms. Due to the rope, moving was restricted and as difficult as it could be. The loose ends swayed in the light breeze going on outside which also didn't help with the Betas' impatience. "I know this is difficult but Ever needs it for a spell, okay? Work with us here and it will be done in just a few minutes." He glanced at Ever. "Please, tell me it will only be a few minutes!" She looked up from where she was crouched next to Maya, a book on her lap. Her left hand was not bound on because she used it to turn the pages but her right arm was raised from where it was bound to Maya's arm. It looked uncomfortable and Liam felt sorry for her. For them all, honestly. He was the reason they were all playing tug-o-war with each other in their garden after all. Ever sighed. "I never cast such a large protection spell for a property before. But I asked around in my family and a few other witches and this one seems to be the best for the job. It really should just take a couple of minutes." Mason craned his head to get a look at her from his position in the crooked circle they had settled for. "How high are the chances we will be damned for all eternity?" Again she sighed and turned a page in her book. "Not very high. I think." He gave her a blank stare. "Let's see the bright side, we will be damned for all eternity together." Corey smiled sweetly at his husband. Not that it helped Mason for that matter but Liam appreciated the sentiment.

Ever now got to her feet, well tried to, but stumbled. Liam tried to grab her which in turn led to him pulling at Theo, Theo got dragged and dragged Brett with him, and to make things short, the whole pack stumbled a few steps to the left. Liam winced. "Sorry, guys!" "Is alright, alright. Just get it on with. I can't feel my hands from restricted blood flow", Maya complained. "Okay. So, Liam, give me the other end of the rope, I have my end here. Yeah, just let me grab them both with my free hand, that should work." "Great, let's move even closer together", Mike mumbled but when their Alpha moved they all had no other choice and kind of huddled together. Again, glad no neighbor could see them. Ever meanwhile exhaled loudly when she managed to get a hold of both ends. She looked up at the sky. It was already early evening but the spell had not been stated a specific time to get cast so she took some liberty with it. "I need you all to be quiet right now, okay? I need to concentrate. As I said, never worked such a spell before." "Ever, please don't take this the wrong way but that's not very comforting", Lori whispered and made a face when the rope cut into her upper arm. "I know, I know. Okay, I'm starting now. Sorry for the inconvenience, guys." "It's alright. If anybody's to blame it's me. I wanted you to cast such a spell." Liam would not let her feel guilty for an order of his. She gave him a soft smile and then looked back down at the book. Then she cleared her throat. "I'm calling to all good spirits out of sight, protect this home with all your might. Ancestors, ancient and old, ban the evils beings as you're told. As long as this rope is buried in the ground, keep our home safe and sound. Today we put a barrier in place for no foes to ever set a foot across." She held both ends of the rope up as good as she could and without making her fellow pack members fall over. "Protect this pack and all they hold dear, but don't let anybody sinister come near. Ancestors, spirits, I'm calling out to you."

She fell silent and they waited. Maybe for the wind to pick up, maybe for thunder or some other sign Ever's call had been answered but nada. Nothing happened. "Dammit!" Ever dropped one end of the rope and fiddled with the other one. "I was so sure it would work!" "Maybe it did work!" Liam hurried to console her while he also untied himself from the rope. "I think I saw the rope shimmering a little bit." "It did? I saw nothing", Theo muttered and gasped in the next moment when Liam's elbow collided with his stomach. "I mean, yeah, it shimmered. I thought you said something about the wind." He glared at his mate but Liam ignored him. "I am sure it worked, Ever. Just bury the rope and I'm sure it will do what it's supposed to do." Corey tried his best to make her feel better about this and gave her an affirmative smile. He believed in her. "No, I don't think it did anything. I mean, we can still bury the rope but I think I failed you guys. I just have so much to learn and can't be the witch this pack deserves." Ever was still insanely frustrated and started cutting the rope in pieces after every member had been untied. "Don't say that, Ever! You are awesome and already so strong!" Nolan also tried to reassure her. "I'll help you bury the pieces", Caden offered to his girlfriend and grabbed a shovel. "You will see, it works wonders once the first threat rolls around." And with other words of encouragement, the couple moved away from the group to bury all pieces of rope around the property. Brett trailed behind them shortly later, after he claimed that if two dug holes it would be way faster. Liam looked around and caught Mason's glance. "Do you really think it worked?" His best friend asked and Liam shrugged. "How the hell am I supposed to know that? I think I want to believe it did because after everything we've been through we deserve good nights of sleep knowing we are protected from things like hyenas and other critters. But I have no idea how to prove it worked. Guess we have to just believe." "Like fairies?" Mason joked and Liam huffed. "Fairies. are. real."

Most of them turned their heads towards them and then they all hurried over. Liam felt himself stretching out both arms to keep his Betas behind him. It was a reflex, he wanted to protect his pack. Even Theo though he stubbornly refused to leave his side and this time, Liam let it slide. He stared at the things coming closer and closer until they all gathered in front of the porch. Suddenly he spotted a tall man with short hair, dressed in a fringed jacket and cowboy boots. "Hey, I know you. I mean, I saw a picture of you and Byron once. You're the Alpha before Byron!" "I am, I am." The man nodded and smiled brightly. His voice had a soft touch and you could almost hear a chuckle in it. He seemed like a sunny character. A woman with curly hair and in a dress full of flowers nodded proudly. "The best successor I could have ever asked for!" Her voice boomed, determined and strong. Despite this Liam could still not make sense of what was happening. "Wait! Are you guys ghosts?" "We surely are!" A lanky woman dressed in a high-necked dress and with pinned-up hair nodded. Her voice was a bit shriller and she reminded Liam of a teacher. Or one of those etiquette experts. "You called upon us if I recount correctly." "Well, she did." The curly-haired woman pointed at Ever. "Ever," Liam faced her, voice zealously calm, "what did you do?" "I didn't do anything!" She shook her head. "I mean, I cast a spell but I surely didn't call ghosts into our garden! "I guess, I can explain this." Another woman pushed through the group to get in front of them. She was young, not more than thirty, and wore a soft flowing dress and sandals. Her long hair was tied in a soft ponytail and despite her ghostly appearance, she looked friendly and as she belonged there. Her melodic voice only added to this. She looked at all of them but then returned her glace to Ever. "You don't have to be afraid, your spell worked exactly as you intended to. You called upon the ancestors and spirits to protect the pack and the home. So, here we are." "Wait!" Theo shook his head. "Stop and rewind: Just because Ever cast a protection spell for our home, you guys will from now on be hanging around in our garden?" "We will appear when there is danger, just like the spell asked us to do. But we're always there, in spirit, if you need us. We just appeared now because we needed to manifest once and see what we're actually protecting. The rules of the other side are complicated", the young woman explained again. "You don't need to fear us, we pose as no danger to you. You are our pack, we will protect you. And shall the day come you die, we will welcome you to the other side with open arms", Byron's predecessor added to the conversation. Mason still had a hard time wrapping his head around that. "It's just, I only know one person able to see ghosts and she's a banshee." "You can see us because the spell connected us and called upon us. You all were bound together by the rope so the magic transferred to all of you. That is what pack magic is about", the etiquette expert corrected. "It's a very powerful spell and you executed it perfectly." Ever's face lit up at the praise from the curly-haired woman. "Despite, why are you all acting surprised about ghosts? This one gets saved by Mckenna's wolf regularly." She jabbed her thumb in direction of Liam before looking over her shoulder. And there Mckenna stood in person (well in ghost) and nodded with a genuine smile on her face. Liam had seen her before but seeing her here with all the other ghosts seemed kind of surreal. He smiled shyly. "So, you all are former Alphas?" Corey inquired. "Former pack members from all eras. I'm a former shaman. My name is Bea", the woman who had explained Ever's spell introduced herself. "Ghosts are real, I still can't fully believe it. And yeah, I've lived in Beacon Hills, don't even start with me, but yeah. It's crazy." Nolan shook his head and sat down in a chair. "There are good and bad ghosts, just like there are good and bad werewolves and other beings. But we all are real." "Can we call upon you and ask you questions? That would really help us sometimes." Mason had switched into full research mode and wanted more information. Unfortunately, the ghosts shook their heads. "After tonight, we will disappear and only come when danger arises. But be assured, we are around, you just cannot see us. Sometimes the veil between the worlds thins but it never falls completely. Unless there is a disruption." A lot to take in. Ghosts were real and Liam had known this before but now he felt like he was in the Mulan Disney movie and he watched Mushu argue with the ancestors. Was he reassured now? Yes. They were safe because he believed it when the ghosts told them so. They all were one pack, alive or dead, and they all provided protection for one another. On the other hand, it made him realize there was still so much about the world of the supernatural he had no idea about. And he didn't expect Ever's spell to have this effect. But those were old pack mates, some of them were even Alphas and Liam wanted to ask questions. A lot of questions. He had the Alpha journal and he read it but having a talk face to face was something entirely different. He wanted to talk to Mckenna since he seemed to have some similarities with her. Maybe Byron's predecessor could give him some advice as well?

Only when he pushed back the curtain and stepped behind the register again, Liam took a look at the store. Two floors and shelves made from high-polished wood filled with all kinds of candy and sweets. Lollipops, gummy bears, cookies, filled chocolates, Liam had found his own personal dreamland. Mouthwatering displays of sweets Liam didn't even know but he wanted to try everything. No wonder the woman and her store smelled so good. "Is this a candy store? A real one?" She giggled. "It is. I'm the fifth-generation owner, my family is very proud of this little nook. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Ellie. Well, actually Maybell but everyone calls me Ellie." "I'm Liam. Nice to meet you." He reached out to shake her hand and she beamed at him. "You members of the Morning Dew Pack are always so nice, I can only agree with others saying that." He was surprised. "You know the Morning Dew Pack? And how do you know I belong to them?" She pointed at his necklace hanging over the shirt she gave him. Liam reached up and touched the little pendant. "I recognized the symbol. Also, I was once on vacation at the lake. Incredibly nice people. Oh, and the magical community is full of gossipers. I heard you got a new Alpha. Are they nice? Heard they're young." "Yeah. The Alpha is me. I'm the Alpha", Liam revealed slowly. Ellie's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful. Such a polite Alpha for such a polite pack. A marvelous match." Liam was a bit slow to take everything in. "Wait, you said the magical community is full of gossipers. What are you? You're not a werewolf, are you?" Ellie shook her head with a laugh. "I'm an elf." Both of his eyebrows shot towards his hairline. "Elf as in Christmas elf?" "Those are our cousins." "Seriously?" Liam had to laugh. He could not fully believe that. "Is that a joke?" "No." She wiggled her fingers and silver glitter started dancing around the air and floated around. A small magic trick but Liam liked it and it convinced him. "I'm sorry. I'm just not good with all those types of supernatural beings. Evil ones I know a few but when it comes to other beings I barely have any knowledge. There weren't that many in Beacon Hills." "Beacon Hills? That means Scott McCall, the True Alpha, right? Wait, does that make you Liam Dunbar? The Beta?" And again Liam was surprised. "You know who I am? Why?" "As I said, gossip. The first bitten Beta of a True Alpha is worth a word or two. And now you're an Alpha yourself, quite a career." "How should I picture this? Do you guys have a newsletter or a magazine? How did you hear from Scott?" "You know, the spirit tells the witch, the witch tells the nymph, nymphs love to gossip and they tell the gnomes and pixies and elves. It gets around. Obviously rarely in Beacon Hills. A horrible, horrible place." "Why?" Liam tilted his head. Ellie sighed. "Powerful magical mediums as the Nementon create a pull of power for all kinds of beings. But us good magical beings, we feel the darkness in this power and it sucks the life out of us. Take us elves. We love to make people happy so we stick to happy places. We work in all kinds of professions, my race brought up the best clowns in history, wherever we can make people happy. The only thing the people need is a good heart. The energy of the Nementon can cloud those good hearts and we are not strong enough to break the spell. Hence why we avoid such places. No offense." "None taken." Liam shook his head. "But back to the topic ahead, I wasn't aware people know about me. I mean, I'm just me. Liam. Nothing too special. I don't even have that much experience. Don't know what you can gossip about that." Ellie reached out and poked the tip of his nose. "It's not what you have that determines who you are, but what you do with what you have. The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have. Vince Lombardi. Nobody knows everything but you don't need to if you make good decisions. Need to utilize what you already got and make the best of it. I know a bit of your pack so I am positive if they made you the new Alpha, you are making good decisions."

He rubbed his nose when the king's tiny sword poked it. "Hey! Watch it, that can hurt people!" Peridot lunged forward again but then an angry voice from the woods reached them. "Peridot Ingenius Tulipfly, I can't believe you! How dare you pestering those lovely, lovely people!" A pale blue orb shot towards them and stopped between Liam and Peridot. A female fairy also in a noble robe and tiny crown but her hair was in a long braided ponytail and she was thinner than the king. "But, honeydrop, they intruded in our territory. I had to challenge him to a duel." Perditot sounded not as angry as before, more a little contritely. "THOSE NICE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING FRUITS FOR US AND YOU WANT TO FIGHT THEM!!! HOW DARE YOU??? I CANNOT LEAVE YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT OR YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!!! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT THEY COULD DO TO US??? HOW DISRESPECTFUL!! THOSE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS!!!" She was now full-on yelling at her husband and he ducked his head in shame. "I didn't know that, honeydrop. I thought they wanted to attack." "WELL, NEXT TIME YOU THINK TELL ME SO I CAN TELL YOU TO STOP THINKING!" She turned to face Liam. Her face was small and her nose quite petite. She smiled. "I have to apologize for my imbecile husband. He can be hot-headed and get irritated, I hope you don't mind. You were not intruding in our territory, don't listen to a word he says. I am Mari Tulipfly and I hope you can forgive us for this ridiculous display. We are a nice, peaceful tribe. Most of the time." She gave her husband a sharp glare. "Honeydrop, I am sorry." "YOU SHOULD BE SORRY! TELL THAT THEM!!!" She pointed at Liam and his pack. Maya had helped Tim to his feet again and the king slowly flew over to him. "I deeply apologize for my mistake. As a king, I have to protect, and maybe I did a mistake." "Maybe??" Mari shrieked and Peridot shuddered. "I sure made a mistake but I'm owning up to it. Here, take my sword as a sign of my apology." "Oh, no, that's fine. I don't need your sword." Tim shook his head. "I'm not a swords kind of guy." Peridot floated to Liam. "And you take my crown to show you my apologies. I promise it will never happen again." "Keep your crown. You actually helped me tonight. So, you're fairies? Some of my friends didn't want to believe you're real but I knew it. So you kind of proved my point. I have to say thank you." Mari floated up to him again and bowed mid-air. "You are too kind. I promise something like this will never happen again. We live in the woods near your garden and sometimes like to float around. I understand if you ban us from there." "No no, don't worry. Nobody was hurt, I think we can chalk it up to a simple mistake." Liam really didn't want to banish the fairies. They were kind of cute. And they genuinely seemed sorry. "You are a very noble man. Mind telling me your name?" The queen asked curiously. "I'm Liam. These are Theo, Mason, Caden, Sadie, Maya, and Tim. We're part of a werewolf pack living in this house. I'm the one always leaving fruit out for you. You're welcome to still get it." Mari poked her husband between his rips. "See? This is how you solve conflicts. Not with a sword and without talking." "I know, honeydrop, I know." He really seemed ashamed and Liam felt sorry for him. He held out his index finger. "From one leader to the other, peace? You are welcome to visit our territory and we are welcome to visit your territory. What do you say?" Peridot grabbed the tip of his finger with both hands and tried to shake it. Since he was so tiny, he moved up and down but Liam's finger stayed in place. Until Liam moved it himself. "Should you ever need us, just sent a messenger and we will know. We will come to your aid as you are now friends of our tribe. Thus shall it be!" Peridot declared solemnly. His wife sighed and then bid them goodbye before she dragged her husband back to the woods, followed by the other orbs.

#thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #alpha!liam #Morning Dew Pack series #My writing

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 56

Chapters: 56/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

The pack finally moves into their new home. It's time to reminisce.

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Liam had been excited when Theo and he had moved into their own apartment after moving to Seattle. It wasn’t big but it was his very first apartment, the first thing he and one of his best friends could furnish on their own. Their very own place to fill to their own liking. His parents had given the two boys fairly free reign when it came to picking out stuff as long as it was reasonable and not too expensive. It had been an adventure but despite everything, Liam had not felt as excited as he did now. There was something about driving to the furnishing house with his pack, the task of picking out the furniture for their bedroom in their forever home in mind, something so big Liam could not put it into any words. He was practically buzzing with excitement and the smile on his face could not be contained for longer than a few seconds. Not that he tried very hard.

He wasn’t the only one. His friends were just as excited, constantly babbling, and once they were out of the cars and had passed the entrance, the pack was all over the place. There was just so much to do, furniture to pick, colors to sort out, Sadie had made an entire color concept ton the way here and was now on the hunt for the perfect things to make her vision come true.

“Where should we start?” Liam asked Theo. His mate shrugged. “Why don’t we just walk around and see if anything speaks to us? See what the store has to offer. We can meet later and discuss.” It was probably the best solution and Liam nodded along before he left Theo to his own devices and wandered the aisles.

He found his way to the paints and looked through some example colors. While he loved their bedroom, the white of the walls drove Liam crazy and gave him a headache so he wanted another color for the walls. It had not been a problem in the apartment or the first pack house but maybe because there was so much light in the room and it was so big, the white was now overwhelming.

Nolan walked along with Liam and together they rounded the next corner and found Corey in an aisle looking through some pillows. “Are you two already done with picking your furniture?” Nolan was scandalized. Corey laughed. “No. I just like to have comfy things and those pillows are soft. We are nowhere near picking out our furniture. This came as such a surprise, not even Mason who is very good at planning things had a plan for that.” Liam raised his shoulders in a what can you do kind of move. “Well, I had to tell you about the house. We can move in now, it’s finished. Didn’t want to wait any longer.” “I get that, Lee. It wasn’t a complaint. I simply wanted to point out none of us even considered this option of a new house so soon. And such an amazing house even. Though I am kind of happy it came that way,” Corey admitted thoughtfully. Nolan looked at Liam and raised an eyebrow but Liam had no idea either. “Meaning?” he finally asked. Corey cleared his throat. “The first house was amazing, really. Pretty and nice furniture and the pack could live together. But it was a townhouse and space was limited. Mase and I moved in as well, Lory and Brett came, some additions you could not see beforehand when you moved in. The place was full to the brim, there was not even room for Cedric, not to have his own room at least. I was as devastated as all of you when the house got destroyed but afterward I could not help but think, maybe this was for the better. Now we have this huge house with enough space for all of us and even more rooms in case we have guests or add more pack members. It’s the perfect place for a pack of wolves, not just because of the forest all around.” Corey proved once more how insightful he was and that’s why Liam had wanted him to become the consultant. He thought about things none of the others would have thought about at first. “Wow, you’re right,” Liam mumbled baffled. Corey raised one shoulder and smiled humbly. Then he held up two red pillows, once a darker shade than the others. “What looks better? The darker one left or the lighter one left?” “What do left and right have to do with anything?” Nolan was just as loss as Liam when it came to these things. Corey hurried to explain: “Mason and I once decided he would sleep on the left side of the bed and me on the right. I now try to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, you know?” But Liam was kind of caught up with something else. “You and Mason actually had a discussion about who gets which side of the bed?” He crossed his arms and raised both eyebrows. Corey snickered. “Yeah, you and Theo never had one?” “No.” “Which side of the bed Theo sleeps on?” “The right. After we kissed, we slept in the same bed and Theo kinda ended on the right side of the bed. But not because we discussed it, it just happened. Guess we got kind of used to it.” It didn’t even cross Liam’s mind to talk about their sleeping arrangements.

Theo and Liam had decided to split it up, Theo was assembling the bed, Liam was working on their new wardrobe. He sat on the floor and worked smoothly. Theo had already managed to put together the largest parts of the frame on one side and was now working on the other. Liam looked over. “Corey told me earlier, he and Mason discussed who sleeps on which side of the bed.” “Really?” Theo checked the instruction sheet and only now raised his head. “Yeah. He then asked if we did the same and I declined. It never actually crossed my mind. You?” “God no!” Theo shook his head. “It just fell into place and that’s amazing. I like this with you. It’s easy.” Liam had returned to screwing and stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his boyfriend. “Easy?” He raised his head. “Because I’m simple or what?” “Neither what I said nor what I meant.” “Really? Then how did you mean it?” “How I said it. It’s easy being with you. The relationship is easy.” He noticed Liam’s face and elaborated further: “I had high maintenance partners. The ones who only accepted and liked expensive gifts and luxurious dates. You, on the other hand, do not care about luxury or money. You are fine with us going to a pizza place as long as we are together and having a good time. Doesn’t mean I don’t have to put any effort into our relationship but knowing you will be happy about a self-made gift and not demand a three hundred dollar watch as a present is nice, actually.” The sweet words conciliated Liam and he smiled. But then he had to ask. “Who did you date that wanted such an expensive watch?” Liam was curious. “Damien.” “Yeah..that guy was a jerk.” Theo chuckled. “He hated you.” “He did?” “Hm, the minute he laid his eyes on you and saw how we were talking to each other, he saw you as a threat.” “Oh well, I didn’t like him either.” Theo pointed a screwdriver at Liam. “We are not having this conversation about exes. I hated all of yours if you must know, but that’s all I’m saying about that.” “Okay, okay, fine by me.” Liam returned to tending to the wardrobe.

“So, that’s it. We really moved into our new house,” Maya announced after a while and the pack rejoiced. Liam swallowed the bite he just took and nodded. “Yeah. A new beginning.” He laughed softly. “It’s crazy. Not even a year since I became an Alpha and so much already happened.” "Do you regret anything, Liam?” Nolan inquired. “Regret, not directly. But I will be the first to admit, had I’ve been able to choose, I would have wished for more time between all those things. Like, the space in the old house became limited and I would have liked it better if we had the time to find a new home for all of us without being homeless, not gonna lie. And I obviously would have voted for not almost getting killed several times during this year. I know it from Beacon Hills but it’s still different as an Alpha. So yeah, I would have wished for a few more time between the bad stuff but I don’t regret one single thing.” He looked around. “I’m actually quite proud of this pack and how far we’ve come.” It reminded him. “Oh, by the way, guys, for the next time I don’t want any strangers in this house, okay? Only pack. I consider parents an extension of the pack so this is okay but no study groups or friends from university. Please?” His betas looked at each other. “A reasonable request. We had strangers come into our home and destroy it. Understandable you do not want anyone not related to the pack here in the foreseen future,” Lori adjudged. The others had to agree with that. “You’re the Alpha, we do as you say,” Sadie summed it up. Liam was glad his pack understood where he was coming from. “Ever?” “Yeah?” She sipped her lemonade and looked at him. “Can you find out if there are any ban spells you can use to protect the house? Obviously, the pack must be able to cross the border but maybe a circle around the house?” She pondered on it. “There should be some spells for that. I’ll have a look into that.” “Great. Mason can help you with that. Right, Mason?” “Of course, Lee.”

"Why didn’t you want to?” Caden asked softly. He turned towards Sadie, indicating he was interested in her story. “My parent’s pack is full of judgemental people. I am a werewolf with IED, just like Liam. I can’t take any meds for that since they don’t work for a werewolf and it’s not like you can ask your human doctor for something else suited for your animalistic side. My parents even asked healers, emissaries, or other werewolves but it always came down to control. She needs to learn control. That’s what they always said. Learning control is already bad but mixed with such a condition, it’s worse. I heard the people whisper about me and my parents. When we stepped out to buy groceries or eat dinner, I heard how they said they pitied my parents, how they would be mortified to have a daughter like me. So for me, a pack was just judging you and I was fine with being an Omega. During full moons, I chained myself up and that was it. Otherwise, I pretended not to be what I am.” The blonde looked at Liam, Maya, and Theo. She smiled. “I kept them all at bay, just hanging out with them.” “Until you saved a girl from getting killed by the wendigo”, Ever cut in. “Until I saved a girl from getting killed by the wendigo the pack was hunting around this time. It made me realize I could use my supernatural powers to more than just being a shame to my parents or just being aggressive. That I could help other people without those abilities. I made the decision to join the pack and it was the right one.” “We’re happy to have you as part of the pack,” Nolan admitted and she gently grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you.” “Although, admittedly, someone else gave you a hard time as well” Maya teased and snickered in Theo’s direction. Liam laughed. “Don’t glare at her, T, she’s right. You were jealous of Sadie.” Theo defended himself and huffed. “I thought she was replacing me as your friend, okay?” Maya scoffed. “Please! You imagined how their kids would look like!” “What??” Sadie and Liam were equally shocked and stared at Theo. He shot Maya a dead glare. “Next time you walk in front of me on the stairs, I will push you.” “Naw, Theo, you didn’t have to be jealous. It was clear as day Liam was in love with you back then”, Sadie claimed and patted his arm. He huffed again. “Change of topic, please!”

He walked into Mike’s room on a quiet day since they were the only two in the house and he just wanted to check on him. It had not taken long for Mike to set up his computers and work station where he constantly disassembled various tech stuff and was roaming around the internet. He was working when Liam entered the room. “Hey, Mike.” “Hey.” Mike pressed a button and a female voice sounded up. “Hello, Alpha Dunbar.” Liam looked around. “Where did that came from?” “That’s Kennedy. I created our very own security system. And called it Kennedy because I like the name. Do you like it? You can control her over voice.” “Yeah, uh, Mike, that’s...awesome. But we’re not the Avengers. You know that, right?” Mike spun around in his chair and faced Liam. He rolled his eyes. “I know but hear me out. You said you wanted protection for the house and no strangers. While I’m not Ever or Mason and can’t do some magical juju I can take care of burglars or intruders. I created an app exclusively for us. You know the security system at the front door has this little screen showing you who is at the gate. I can link this to the app and you get the camera picture on your phone, we all can get it on our phones. That way we have the control and always know who is at our property. Your property, whatever.” Liam grimaced. “I didn’t really intend to use the security cameras outside.” “Really? Liam, that is a very expensive, highly developed security set. To literally leave them hanging there would be a waste. Come on, please! I even added a messenger to the app so we all can stay in contact without worrying about sending a wrong text to a wrong number or someone reading what we are saying. Security all around, safe from attacks from the outside.” He was torn. Liam knew he had money now but he refused to become a rich person desperate to stay private and paranoid about his safety. Then again, one house had already been destroyed, he didn’t want to take any chances. “Okay, set up Kennedy. But, for the love of lacrosse, tell her to stop addressing me as Alpha Dunbar. Liam is enough.”

It revealed a large midnight blue canvas. In the left upper corner was a simplified drawing of the lake and a few trees. Little pictures of the council members of the lake were listed next to the drawing, all names written in golden letters, and the pictures had small silver frames. Right in the middle of the canvas were pictures of Liam and Theo right next to each other. Their frames were golden, just like their names beneath the pictures. And a bit beneath them came a line of the Betas. Each picture next to the other and in the order of how they joined the pack. Their names were also written in gold but their pictures were framed in silver, just like the Betas from the lake. Each picture was connected with a small golden line and each came together at the Alpha’s picture. Above Corey’s and Mason’s and Byron’s and Lana’s lines were two small golden rings joined with each other, above the line between Liam’s and Theo’s picture were two small paw prints. Brett and Lori had a line with two small triangles, just like Liam and Landon had. One triangle had just the outline, the other was filled on the inside. It was a beautifully crafted family tree with enough space to expand should the pack ever face new additions. “Oh my, Liam, this is beautiful.” Sadie had both hands in front of her mouth and was tearing up a bit. She wasn’t the only one. Others were also emotional. “From how the pictures are arranged, it looks like we all are siblings”, Tim noticed. “Aren’t we?” Maya replied and gave him a warm smile. He looked at her and also had to smile. “You are the first siblings I like.” He wrapped his arms around her and she scrunched her nose in happiness and ran a hand through his hair. “This is truly beautiful,” Theo praised their Alpha. Liam was happy. “I read about it in the Alpha’s journal and wanted to put it up here. I asked Shana to help me and she did. Oh, wait.” He walked into the kitchen and returned with a pen. “Shana said there’s a little bit of magic, as it’s written in the journal. So, Theo, will you start? We sign one another. Here in that corner.” Theo took the pen and signed the canvas. His signature appeared in gold but then disappeared into thin air. “Whoa!” Liam held two fingers a few centimetres away from each other. “A little bit of magic.” One after the other signed in the left lower corner. All of their signatures glowed goldenly but then disappeared. Liam was the last one to sign. He exhaled loudly. “Okay, now flash your eyes. Corey, this should work with your powers as well, so if you could help out the humans, that would be amazing.” Corey nodded with a smile and grabbed Mason’s and Nolan’s hands. The wolves flashed their eyes and Ever let some of her magic swirl around her.

“Life is good now, don’t you think?” Liam had gained his positive outlook back and was just happy. About the house, his friends, his love life, everything. “Next thing, well the next big thing, is the garden. We already gathered some ideas, thanks to Brett, and we started to plant some rose bushes but there is still so much to do. Yet, the fairies seem to like the garden already.” It was more thinking out loud than actually talking to his pack but they still had heard him and now cut into Liam’s train of thoughts. “Fairies?!” “Yeah, we have fairies in the garden. have you never noticed before? Those little floating lights?” Liam explained what he had seen several times now since they moved into the house. He had considered it fireflies but they were too bright for that and soared too collected. “Are we talking about those little things with tiny wings?” Corey was confused. “Yeah. Do you know other fairies?” “There are no fairies. Our garden has no fairies. I’ve never seen a floating light in our garden.” Theo shook his head. “Fairies don’t exist, Liam.” “Why?” Liam answered with a question of his own. “What, why?” “Why do fairies not exist? Why does every scary and creepy thing in the books exist but not good things like fairies?” “If fairies exist, and I’m not saying they do, but if they exist, you don’t know if they're good, baby,” Theo told Liam with a condescending smile. Liam glowered at him. “Just because you have not seen them yet, you say that. I know what I saw and I think they exist!” “I think fairies exist too”, Tim chimed in. When he saw Liam’s hopeful expression, he relented, however. “I haven’t seen on in our garden but I still think they exist. Liam is actually right, who says only the bad supernatural things exist and the good ones are just fantasy?” “You are thinking about an ideal world where everything is in balance. For any bad is equally as much good. But the world is not always fair and given the track record we had so far, I think it’s safe to say there are more bad supernatural beings in this world than good ones”, Mason made up his mind. “Yeah but then again fairies are magical creatures and if they do not exist magic shouldn’t exist either.” Now it was Ever’s turn. “There is so much more between heaven and earth and not even supernatural beings know everything. Heck, it could be highly possible dragons exist somewhere.” “Are we counting dragons to good or bad magical beings? Because living in a world with real, gigantic dragons scares me, to be honest,” Nolan called out. “How did we get from tiny fairies to literally the other end of the spectrum?” Maya had lost the train of thought. “Guys, I get saved by a literal ghost wolf from time to time. How can you expect me not to believe that fairies exist as well then?” Liam didn’t understand that logic. Theo shook his head hastily. “I don’t joke around with ghosts. Those are a whole other level. Ghosts exist but they’re not the same as fairies.” Liam huffed and Theo laced their fingers together. “I don’t want you to get frustrated. If you think fairies are real then they’re real.” “Of course I am frustrated. You don’t believe me.” “Maybe one day you can catch a fairy and show it to us. Then we would believe you”, Mike offered a solution. Liam was shocked. “I would never catch another being just to show it off. Despite they are fast and I’m not that dumb to not think all of you would film me running around in our garden, trying to catch them.” His friends grinned and Liam had his answer. “You’re mean. Landon also believes in fairies.” “But Landon’s nine. Liam, I think it’s amazing you and your brother get along so great and share the same imagination. But to name him to prove your idea is kind of silly. He’s a child. At his age, I also thought Santa was real”, Corey said softly, clearly, he intended not to hurt Liam’s feelings or make it seem as if he was badmouthing Landon. “Children and fools tell the truth,” Brett cited. “There are theories talking about how only kids can see a certain type of supernatural beings. Guardian angels and yes, fairies as well. Because as a kid you have a certain innocence and the more you grow up the more you lose said innocence. Only a few people keep their innocence in a way they can see those beings. It is possible Liam is one of these people. That way he would never be able to prove the existence of fairies to us and we have to believe him. And before you ask, yes, I do believe fairies exist.” He raised his chin and looked at his friends, almost as if he was tempting them to say anything. And Liam smirked. Good to have a few believers in his corner.

#thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #alpha!liam #Morning Dew Pack series #My writing