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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.

They continued their walk and once they reached the house, they found Brett and Nolan on the front porch. Not that those two noticed Maya and Liam approaching, since both were wrapped around each other and more concerned with sucking tongue than watching out for anyone else nearby. "Why is it always me who stumbles over kissing pack members?" Liam joked. Maya cackled. "You two are incredibly impolite!" Brett complained after he tore himself away from Nolan. "Hey, you two were the ones blocking the front door with your making out", Liam replied without a care in the world. "Yeah, think about that!" Nolan tried to one-up him and then considered how lame that was. "Damn!" "Does that mean you two are a real couple or is this still the figuring things out stage?" Maya was not curious, not at all. "Couple." Nolan laced his fingers with Brett and raised their hands. "Not letting that one go." "You beat me to that reply." Brett smiled at his boyfriend and kissed Nolan's knuckles. "Even though I still would have loved the announcement via billboard." "You're a dork", Nolan replied fondly and kissed Brett again. Liam took that as his cue to push both out of the way and open the door.

"There you are", Theo said when he spotted him. Liam raised the boxes in his hand. "We got breakfast. Your favorite muffins are inside here as well." "Aw, I love you." Maya peaked behind Liam. "Does that also count for me?" "I love you in a completely different way than Liam. You're more of my annoying little sister", Theo replied jokingly and she gave him a playful shove with her shoulder when she brushed past him. Theo reached out to take the boxes from Liam. Liam whereas kept them and stared at his boyfriend. "Quick question, Maya said you talked about me not having any hobby without the pack's involvement. What's up with that?" To his credit, Theo looked the tiniest bit guilty. He cleared his throat. "I mean, it's true, right?" "Yeah. I'm just surprised you didn't tell me about that. Usually, you're pretty straightforward with those things." "It's not a problem. Why should I bring it up? If I feared you were unhappy, I would have said something." Theo grabbed one box from Liam when his Alpha didn't move them out of reach. "Besides, you have begun finding your own things recently." Liam squinted. "Were you worried about me?" "Sometimes", Theo confessed, "I love you and have always worried about you. We talked about you being capable. Doesn't stop me from worrying though and yes, sometimes I fear you focus too much on making other people happy and forget yourself a little bit." The worry was sweet and Liam wasn't angry. A little bit confused that his friends all seemingly shared this thought but they all looked out for each other. He as the Alpha was no exception. His Betas had his back and protected him as much as Liam protected them. A good feeling. "You're cute." He knew Theo hated this word relating to himself. "Now, why don't you run and grab Brett and Nolan. They're making out on the front porch." "They're doing what now?"

****** "According to the directions you have to take a right turn here and then follow the road. There is only one street, so I'm not sure why you want me to check with the map. What's your plan? Breach and slam your truck against a tree? Your choice. Left or right? Which tree should it be, given we're currently on a freaking road seamed by forest left and right?" Liam nagged his boyfriend. As much as he loved the older man, the ex-chimera managed to get on his nerves sometimes. If his truck was involved it was especially bad. Take right now. They were on their way to Luka's house and Theo had insisted Liam used the map from the glove department. Not that he was not using the navigation system in his truck, no he used that too but wanted Liam to double-check. "Maybe there is a junction!" "This is a forest!" Liam, Brett, Nolan, and Lori called out. True. After they left the main road (and just like Luka had described it to Liam and why would Liam doubt him? Luka knew where he lived and how to get to his own home, thank you very much, Theodore!) the paved road had narrowed and wound between trees in all shades of green. No chance at swinging off if you didn't want to crash your car. "I was just checking!" Theo defended himself and Liam snorted. His boyfriend shot him a glare but Liam ignored it as much as possible. It was one of their usual spats, without any real anger, just the two of them riling each other up. They were good at those and the better they knew each other, the more those evolved.

Suddenly a big house appeared several feet in front of them. Liam jumped in his seat, not due to the building, but due to Brett's head suddenly appearing between the driver and the passenger seat. "Sick! Are you sure you didn't miss a turn and drove us straight to Italy??" He all but yelled and Liam held his left ear. "Thanks for making me go deaf, Brett!" But yeah, Brett also had a point, The house looked straight from a travel brochure about the sunny vineyards in Tuscany. Same building style as those villas there with bright walls and red shingles on the roof. "How unbelievable pretty." Lori was quieter than her brother but also mesmerized by the appearance. "That is a house. No, screw that, that's a mansion", Theo declared. Liam nodded slowly. He had never paid much attention to his friend's monetary status but that house was bigger than theirs and now he felt kind of silly for never thinking about it before. His jaw had dropped and the closer they came, the more it dropped.

They drove through opened iron gates with some intriguing design on them (Nolan exclaimed he would like to ask what it represented) and past a small fountain sparkishly purling water. The fountain served as some sort of center for the round driveway. Theo now stopped his truck in front of the red entrance door. Liam still gaped. To the left was a garage with closed gates but from what he could see, it could hold more than three cars. A small red car was parked in front of the garage. Then came the main building with two floors and on the right side you could walk around the house. Liam would take a shot in the dark and say this led to the garden. "Impressive!" Mike commented after he got out of Liam's car. The rest of the pack filtered in from the truck, Liam's car, and Ever's car. A door in the garage gate opened and out came a tall, broad-shouldered man with dirty blonde hair. He nodded at them in a welcoming gesture. "Hello. I'm Holden. Welcome to our home." Liam's pack greeted politely and Holden nodded at Theo's truck. "Yours?" "Yes." Theo nodded. "It's in impeccable condition. This model has some problems and you rarely see them be in good repair." "I try my best. It's my truck after all and I want it to last", Theo acted as if this was nothing but Liam knew how proud his boyfriend was and how much work he had put in the car.

"They're here for five minutes and you're already talking about cars? Seriously?" The front door had opened and a brunette woman stepped out. Her wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders and her lips curved into a bright smile. "Hi, I'm Delaney!" She introduced herself to Liam and his pack. It wouldn't have really been necessary, she had the same impish features around the eyes her brother had and the same dimples. Holden scoffed. "Cut your hair again. You are so much nicer when your hair is shorter." His tone was fond, like an older brother talking to his sister. Luka had described Holden as his brother cause they grew up together. So he also grew up with Delaney and their banter made sense. "Nonsense!" Delaney waved her arm around. "I'm a delight, all the time. Every time." "Says who?" Holden questioned sarcastically. She left him behind in favor of tending to the Morning Dew Pack. "Come inside, have something cool to drink. My brother will be with us shortly. And you, Holden, wash your hands. Why do you always have to hide in the garage when we're having guests over?" Holden mumbled something but didn't follow when she ushered the group inside.

"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.

"What is cool?" Luka walked out of the house and joined them. "Our powerful Alpha! And here we thought you would never show your face", Delaney joked. "Hey, business is business. Didn't know you would miss me so much, sis. And hello, guys." He greeted Liam's pack. No time for further niceties since the doorbell rang. Luka turned around and disappeared into the house again.

And he appeared again moments later with Maddie in tow. "Maddie!" Liam greeted her happily and she hugged him. "Hey, Liam and the others." "No Asher?" Corey was a tad disappointed. Since the first meeting, Asher, Mason, and Corey had stayed in contact and even met up two more times. They had considered him being here a no-brainer. "I wanted to bring him but his father called and ugh!" She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out in distaste. But then her face lit up again. "Yet I didn't come alone." Only now they all noticed the blonde woman who had followed Maddie and Luka into the garden. She now raised a hand. "Hi, everybody, I'm Jade." "Vampire, right?" Mason, straight to the point. "One of the ones following Meadow, yep." Jade nodded. "Fantastic. Is that everybody?" Simon had turned the meat on the grill and was only now ushered away by Will. "Sava texted me they won't make it this early but they will join us later", Luka declared. The nickname came easy, Savannah herself had texted them all days ago they could use Sava or Savi if they didn't want to say or write her whole name. "So, let's start. Please, have a seat. Who wants a drink?"

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.

"Hello, hello, hello. We're right in time for the part-ey!" Savannah and her Betas rounded the house, in the best party mood. Their welcoming was heartfelt and cheerful. Her black-haired Beta dashed past her. "Hello! My name is Carmen but I love this dance and have to join!" She yelled and settled next to Mason to dance with them. "Oi, Carmen, way to make an impression!" Paola laughed. "Let her be, Paola, enjoy the time. I'm Beatriz everyone. Hello." Beatriz was the oldest of the bunch but still dressed very colorful and lively. Savannah meanwhile happily hugged Luka and Liam. "Glad you could make it!" Luka greeted her and she kissed his cheek. "Grab yourself drinks and enjoy your stay at casa Barrett." "Oh, I will." She disappeared to greet everyone if they knew them or not. Luka leaned on the backrest of the chair next to Liam. "That was a good idea." Liam looked around. His friends were all laughing. He saw Caden sitting with Jade, Tim, and Delaney and they were laughing like crazy about something. Ever talked with Simon. Theo had sat next to Holden and they were involved in a conversation where sometimes Sandro joined from the other side when he wasn't talking with Mike. Brett had pulled Nolan on the makeshift dancefloor and the new couple was laughing. "Can't remember when I've last seen them so boisterous", he admitted. "Yeah, me neither." Luka had watched his pack as well. He smiled gently. "I think some new friendships started tonight. And a complete platonic crush from one of my best friends on your boyfriend's car." Liam chuckled. "Theo loves his truck and is very proud of it. I think he will entertain this crush." "Good, good." They looked at each other and laughed before Luka took the last swig from his beer bottle. "Want another one as well?" He asked Liam. "I'll come with you." Liam didn't plan on just sitting in his chair and watch the party without getting involved.

The two werewolves ventured into the kitchen where Luka pulled two beers from the fridge and handed Liam one. "I must admit, it feels good to make connections with other supernaturals again. Ones who actually live close by. Our nearest companioned pack lives in Canada", Luka let Liam know and opened his bottle. "We have the ones at the lake but that's our pack. And then maybe my old pack in Beacon Hills." Although Liam was not completely sure where he stood with Scott. They were friends and helped each other but both Alphas focused on their packs and didn't have much contact for the moment. Maybe this was also part of growing up. "I don't believe in dragging others into my fights. But it's good to know who will be by your side when push comes to shove." And could Liam not relate to that opinion. He had been through so much already and people he initially trusted turned on him, so he valued loyalty very high. He nodded.

"There you are." Maddie and Savannah walked into the kitchen. "Are you hiding from us?" "Yeah, that's the point of the whole party. To hide from you", Liam replied and Maddie gave him a playful shove. "Don't get funny with me, mister." Liam laughed and raised both hands. "Alright, alright." Savannah slapped Luka's arm hard. "How could you?" "Ow!" He stared at her with an incredulous laugh. "How could I what?" "Not tell me what a fine hunk Holden is!" He sighed. "Sava, should I ever talk about the guy I grew up with, the guy who's like my brother, as a fine hunk, please send me to the nearest asylum!" To the end of the sentence, Luka's voice had a fake pleading tone. Liam and Maddie laughed. Savannah was still on his case. "Is he single?" "Everybody in my pack is currently single. By all means, shoot your shot."

Despite his "puppy ways", Liam rarely met anybody he wholeheartedly liked and trusted after a short amount of time. It was probably his best-kept secret and he was willing to bet not even Theo knew. Liam was good at appearance, had learned it after his childhood and after his diagnosis. Living as a werewolf only solidified that. Only if you were willing to give him something significant in return, he warmed up to you faster. Byron had managed that, for example. With his open character and willingness to take Liam seriously. Mason back in the day too. Because he never shied away from Liam and didn't care what other kids said about him. And now the other three supernatural leaders as well. Maybe Maya was right when she said it was good Liam had found something not immediately pack related. No, she was definitively right.

"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.

"There's the Alpha Squad." Mike showed up in the doorway, polaroid camera in hand. "Alpha Squad? I'm not really an Alpha", Meadow corrected gently. He shrugged. "You're leading a supernatural group and you hang with three Alphas. To simplify it, we will call you Alpha as well. So Alpha Squad, say cheese!" He raised the camera and took a picture of the four persons in the kitchen. "Huh, can't really argue with that", Maddie admitted. "Well then, Alpha Squad it is." Liam thought it sounded fun.

________________________________

Author's note:

The members of the other groups in no particular order:

The werewolves:

Delaney Barrett

Bryn Yates

Holden Welling

Simon Welling

Lynn Erikson

Alessandro "Sandro" Townsend

William "Will" Murral

The were cheetahs:

Pilar Merediz

Beatriz Ramos

Carmen Diaz

Paola Catala

The vampire:

Jade

______________________________________

It's a good feeling to have them all come together. Liam found new friends without losing his old ones, I think this is important too. Right now, life is really good for the core pack. What will happen next? Did you like the chapter? What do you think will happen? I'm curious to hear from you.

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

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formerprincess · 3 years

Video

youtube

Nick Sorrentino x Pity Party

#nick sorrentino #bitten #my edit #i love him so much

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formerprincess · 3 years

Text

I'm considering creating an Instagram account for A tale..../The Morning Dew Pack Universe where all things (edits, videos, etc...) as well as news and questions would be posted. Would that be a good idea?

#a tale written with fangs and claws #thiam

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formerprincess · 3 years

Photo

Asher Heymil in the latest chapter of ATWWFAC

#asher heymil #A tale written with fangs and claws #my gifs #my edit #love the guy #love him to death

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formerprincess · 3 years

Text

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."

He ended the call and pocketed his phone. The store was very central, with many shops around, and Liam used it to run some smaller errands quite often. When he now arrived at his workplace, Ellie was on a ladder. “Didn’t I tell you to wait with restocking until I’m here?” Liam asked lightly and sidestepped a few empty boxes. His boss placed a box on the shelf. “You mean because you’ll heal faster if you fall from the ladder?” “I…yeah. Besides I’m your young employee. Use me.” “I want to take up that task in case you have no use for Liam!” Carlie yelled from somewhere between the shelves. Her friends giggled. “Carlie.” Liam smirked. “What about Theo? He would get jealous of me for having you.” Theo had visited Liam in the shop before and as expected Ellie and her friends had fawned over his charming personality. “I take both of you!” They all laughed and Ellie thankfully climbed down from the ladder to let Liam take over.

He was working away for a while when the door opened and Theo entered the shop. He didn’t even need to open his mouth, the feeling of resignation and frustration pouring through their bond was enough. Liam gave him a pitiful glance. “The job interview didn’t work out.” Theo completely skipped over Liam already knowing his emotional state and just continued. “They wanted a twenty-year-old with thirty years experience and I can’t offer that. Tried telling her I’ve been to hell. She thought that was a joke.” "I'm sorry." Liam meant it and went to console his boyfriend. He hugged him tightly and Theo clung to him. He wanted to work again and Liam always felt a pang of guilt. Theo had hated working at the diner but he had been working and because his Alpha pressed, he was now jobless. "It's just...It's starting to get borderline ridiculous! Seattle is not a small town, how can nobody be in need of a healthy college student willing to get his hands dirty? Bullshit!" Theo ranted and Liam let him. It was only logical Theo needed to air out his frustration.

"Don't mind me barging into your conversation", Ellie appeared next to the couple. "But, Theo, if you really want a job, I can offer you one. Liam said you two wanted to work together after college anyway. Why not start now?" "That would be possible?" Liam asked surprised. She shrugged. "I see why not. There is more than enough work for the two of you. Also, two strong young men are always better than one. Carlie, don't even comment on that one!" "I didn't say anything!" Carlie shrieked and Theo laughed. "It sure sounds like fun." He looked at Liam. "Is this okay for you?" "Yeah, I don't mind." Liam really saw no issue with that. Ellie was right, they wanted to work together someday, might as well as start now. "Then, yeah, I'd love to accept, Ellie. Thank you." Theo was extremely grateful. She was happy. "Amazing. We can later talk about all the details. I'll offer you the same contract as Liam." He understood that. "Any rules for working together as a couple?" "Boy, you visited Liam several times since he started working here. I never had to fish you out of the storage room or the back office. I'll take the chance." "We are professional!" Liam squawked. Ellie shot him a grin. Then she pumped her fist. "Not me being selfish but there will be some deliveries arriving soon. You two strong men can take this, right?" "Absolutely", Liam promised and pulled Theo along to show him everything.

****** 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."

Liam snickered but then grabbed a box and followed his boyfriend back into the store. "Before I forgot, Sadie and Mason plan on taking you shopping to your new friend Savannah's boutique. Told me before I left." "Me??" Liam shrieked and Ellie looked at him in shock. "Yep. Sadie stalked Savannah online and wants to see the stores. Mason's all for that idea but both agreed it would be rude to show up there without you. So, you have to be the sacrificial lamb, puppy." "No", Liam said firmly, "I'm not going shopping. You all dressing me up once was bad enough. No way!" "Tell them that. I'm just warning you."

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."

"Can the old coot give you advice?" Ellie injected. Both men looked at her. She shook her head. "Don't do that to each other. Don't tell yourself you're not allowed to find someone attractive just because your partner might get jealous." "I'm not jealous", Theo clarified. "I know you're not. It's just general life advice from an old lady." "You're not that old", Liam mumbled but continued to listen to her. "I saw relationships end over this. Because one partner thought they were not allowed to find anybody else than their partner sexy or handsome. It's ridiculous. Finding a person attractive says nothing about feelings or ambitions. Just like you said, Theo, it's a preference, a type. But this irrational of making the significant other jealous can become such a pressure, it ends in a breakup. And yet somehow society began telling people, young people, this is how it should be. It shouldn't. It's toxic. My advice is to see it as easy as you two do. A little bit of jealousy is good and I know there is a thing called emotional cheating, that is wrong, but not taking things too seriously is the best way to handle it. I am in a happy marriage and we both find other people handsome. Doesn't mean anything." Liam and Theo looked at each other. "I think we got that one covered", Theo muttered and Liam nodded with a smile. "Yeah."

****** "I hate you and regret all my life choices up to this point." Maya had her arms crossed in front of her chest and glared at the building ahead of her. "Why am I here?" Liam put his arm around her shoulders. "You know you love me and your life choices were good. But if I get dragged down by them, I need to drag someone with me", he explained sardonically and pointed at Sadie, Mason, Brett, and Corey currently gushing over the shop window of Savannah's boutique. Mason had managed to convince Corey and Brett to accompany them and they had excitedly agreed. Liam had decided for that alone they all would get one Christmas present less. Or a lump of coal. "Liam, look, they have suits." Mason was already at the entrance. Coal was a good idea. "And bowties!" Or nothing at all.

The boutique was perfectly illuminated and the carpet was held in pastel colors. One ground floor and a first floor, connected through circular stairs. Several clothing racks and shelves with all kinds of garments were placed around. Liam didn't know where to look first. "Welcome, welcome." Savannah walked towards them looking stunning as always in black heels, white ripped jeans and a black spaghetti top. She smiled brightly at Liam before she hugged him. Then she introduced herself to the others. "I am Savannah. Feel free to look around and see what you might like. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask. And shut up, those earrings are adorable." Just like that, Sadie had a new best friend. Both women excitedly greeted each other and soon enough their friends all swarmed the place. Maya stayed next to Liam. "You look out of place. Are you alright?" Savannah asked. "I don't like shopping", Maya admitted. "I just can't spend hours browsing a clothing store. It's just not me." "That's a shame. I think everybody should enjoy buying things for themselves. We try to give customers that here in our store. But maybe we can help you. Pilar!"

A dark-haired woman in Savannah's age showed up at the top of the staircase. "Yeah?" She called out while she walked down the stairs. She wore sneakers, grey shorts, and a colorful top. "Guys, this is Pilar, she works here with me and is also one of my Betas. Pilar, those are Liam and Maya. Maya hates shopping. Think you could help?" Savannah moderated the getting to know each other. To Maya, she further explained: "Pilar is great with clothing and has this unique talent of always finding something a person likes. I swear, she will make this a fun experience." "Oh, great." Maya still didn't seem convinced but she gave Pilar a brave smile when the were cheetah grinned proudly. Then she swiftly pulled her long, wavy hair up in a bun and studied Maya. "Tell me about yourself. Are you more tomboy or more sporty? Dresses yes or no?" "I'm not a tomboy. I'm simply not interested in too much makeup or dresses. Don't know if that makes me a tomboy already?" Pilar hummed. "What are your hobbies? What do you care for?" "Painting, I care about the environment, protests," Maya started to list. "Environment, amazing. We have a collection of local-made eco-friendly clothes here. I make all of them, so I know what materials were used and how. Maybe we can find something there?" Maya looked suddenly incredibly happy and followed Pilar up the stairs again.

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!"

****** "Do we have everything we need? Are you sure it's fine? Maybe we should have picked up wine? I don't know." Corey stood in the kitchen and nibbled at his thumbnail. He had begun that after running his hands through his hair and destroying his hairstyle three times in a row which almost caused a nervous breakdown on Mason's part. Liam reached out and gently tugged his friend's hand away from his mouth. "Wow, you are nervous. Relax, it's only Maddie and Asher." Corey groaned. "I know. But I feel this is the first time Mase and I represent this pack as emissary and consultant. Yes, you are here but nobody else is, and what if something goes wrong?" "Corey, you advised me in the past", Liam reminded him. "I know but that was in group settings. This time, it's just us." He pointed at himself and Mason who also seemed incredibly nervous. Liam almost pitied them. "Look, I felt the same way before the Alpha meeting. But it turned out fine. Maddie's a great character and I'm sure Asher is as well. I mean, otherwise, they surely wouldn't be friends." He exhaled. "I also don't think you two are even capable of starting a war or offend somebody. I know you. Mason, you're great at diplomatic stuff, and you, Corey, are great with keeping the peace. I trust you." Sometimes as an Alpha, you had to give a pep talk. Liam could relate to the anxious feeling and the fear of destroying everything but he absolutely believed in his consultant and his emissary. He would have never given them those positions otherwise.

The doorbell rang. "Okay, relax!" Liam felt like a father protecting his kids from trouble in school as he now made his way towards the front door and Mason and Corey followed closely.

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.

Mason was already on the case and lead them to the dining room where they had put the bestiary and Corey's computer. "He needs to write this down." Liam knew his friend. Maddie pointed at Asher. "I have one of those as well." Asher was more interested in what Corey and Mason had gathered. "Is that a bestiary? I've heard about those but never saw one before. Wow. How did you get that?" "From friends. Yeah, I think that's a good explanation." Corey kept it simple. It didn't need more explanation for the moment, the three of them started talking animatedly. Meadow and Liam retreated into the kitchen.

"I know it's weird. A human and a vampire being best friends. But he makes me feel normal." She smiled weakly. "I don't think it's weird." Liam shook his head. "Mason and I were friends before I became a werewolf but after I finally came clean to him, it was good to have him. To know not everything is supernatural. Sometimes I need this. Normality. I understand what you're saying." Maddie seemed happy he understood and looked at the three men. They were still deeply involved in their exchange, didn't even notice their friends being gone. "I think this was a good decision", she said quietly. "Yeah? That's good." Liam was also pleased it worked so well. She sighed. "He doesn't have many friends. Acquaintances, yes. But not those I-can-call-you-at-three-in-the-morning-because-my-whole-life-is-exploding-right-now type of friends. It's good he's meeting new people." "I thought Asher was part of your coven." Had Liam been wrong? "No, he can't be", Meadow declined, "See, vampires are independent beings. We can form covens but even then we tend to ourselves. I told you I can walk around during the day but at night, vampires are more active. You won't find a vampire sleeping during the night unless they're forced to. Our rhythm is completely different than a human's. It's not like your pack, you are humans as well. We have a human side and yet we're detached from the human living. Having a human in a vampire coven wouldn't work." It made perfect sense Liam just had not considered it before. Logical. "So best friends but not part of each other's groups. Huh, okay." "Yep." She popped the 'p'.

"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.

Asher returned his attention to the bestiary and pointed at an entry. "That information is false. It says nymphs are redhaired. Nymphs can have every hair color in the world, not just red. If you can, I would note that somewhere." "You can read Latin just like that?" Corey was baffled. Asher shrugged. "Sure. Learned it in school and never stopped using the skills. Especially after I met Maddie and started helping her with a few vampire-related things. Comes in handy." "Asher is good with languages. It helps him in his job as well." "What are you doing for a living?" "I'm an event planner. My client list is small but exclusive. It's not the most charitable job in the world but you have to get out of bed." And just like that, Liam decided he liked Asher immensely. He had this wicked humor you only got after years of being through an absolute shit show and from what he already heard about his father and what he saw at the meeting, Liam could see where this came from. Meadow had said Asher's mother died when he was a child, another traumatic experience. Yet here he was, talking openly with strangers and sharing things with them. Away from his father, Asher seemed more relaxed and himself. And it was obvious he cared deeply for Maddie. Liam liked people with their hearts in the right place. Those were his type of people.

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Author’s note:

The eyes of a were cheetah when they flash:

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I am happy I got to insert Asher more. I love this guy. I love all my characters but after I barely had a chance to write about him in the last chapter, this chapter felt good. Next chapter they all finally come together. Or do they? We will see 😁 Did you like the chapter so far? I hope I managed to bring out the friendship Maddie and Asher have. They're each other's persons.

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

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formerprincess · 3 years

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Period-products ads can suck my dick

Just once I would like to see an add for pads and tampons showing a woman like me

(and I can’t be the only one like this come on)

Not wanting to party all night on my period

Not wanting to try treeclimbing on my period

Not wanting to swim to a yacht or other fucking stupid activity on my period

Just once, I want to see a woman, wearing yoga pants or other comfy clothes, going to sit on her couch with a bag of M&Ms or other chocolatey confections, rolling into a ball and turning on the TV while moaning in pain

And the slogan will be “Just think about getting comfortable through your period, we’re making sure of the rest”

And that’s

The more ads we see telling women that their periods shouldn’t stop them from doing anything, the more society invalidates the very idea that periods can be debilitating, and that it IS an effort, for some uterus-owning people, to just get out of bed during them

It is an effort

It is painful

Just let us get through those painful days without bleeding all over our places of living, and that will be enough

Stop trying to sell the idea that the only issue with periods is the bleeding problem

Because the bleeding?

Just the very tip of a pretty big iceberg

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formerprincess · 3 years

Text

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?"

Shit. Oh shit.

Liam had completely forgotten about that rule. Yes, he had told his Betas not to bring strangers into their new home. And here he was breaking his very own rule. Great, Dunbar! "No...I mean...yeah, I did....But...." Tim got up to leave the room. "I mean, you're the Alpha and therefore it's your decision. You can do whatever you want. I just remembered the rule." He gave an insecure shrug and then left the room in the direction of his room. Liam huffed. "You forgot you had put the rule in place, right?" Theo guessed. "Yep." Liam closed his eyes for a moment and scolded himself mentally. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! "I mean, you are the Alpha. We can still follow the rules but what you do is up to you", Corey suggested softly. Liam's eyes snapped open. "No!" He said sharply. "We're not running a pack like that! If rules are in place, we all have to follow them. Including me. Especially me." "Then you have to decide what to do with that situation. You could always meet with Meadow and her friend somewhere else", Mason suggested. "No. The rule made sense back then but not it's not feasible anymore. And I will tell Tim that."

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.

It took him a little while to find his sunglasses (he really needed to try and be tidier) but when he found them under some papers, Liam let out a triumphant cry and ran back downstairs. His Betas were involved in a conversation with Luka (surprisingly not about cars) which Liam now interrupted. "I'm ready." "Great. Hop in." Liam opened the passenger door and marveled at how smooth this was going. He somehow expected the door to get stuck because of age. But this car looked and felt like a brand new one. "See you guys later. Don't burn the house down", he joked. "Yes, dad!" All three Betas chimed in unison. Theo smirked and came to the passenger side to give Liam a quick kiss. "Have fun", he mumbled and Liam nodded. "Bye, guys. See you next time!" Luka called out before he started the car and soon they rolled down the driveway.

"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."

Thus he found himself telling Luka everything, from how Scott bit him to the hyenas. It was somewhat therapeutic to talk about all this with another wolf without knowing him beforehand. He didn't need to find periphrases for things, could tell it how it happened and didn't need to sugarcoat the events. He also could be as open as possible without having to worry about insulting some old friends. It had been the same with Byron.

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."

Liam took a look inside the menu. Right on cue, a waiter appeared. "Hello gentlemen, I'm your server for today. Would you care for a drink?" The Alphas looked at each other. "Just water is fine for me", Liam decided. It was hot, despite the trees providing shade, and he would become thirsty, he knew himself. "Water is good", Luka decided himself and the waiter went to fetch their drinks. "You said no matter what country you are in. Are you traveling a lot?" Liam had picked up on that. "For work yeah." "What are you doing for a living?" "I deal in car parts for either oldtimer or pimped-out cars. Like the convertible. Holden is the mechanic, we work together. He screws the cars together, I contract the clients and the manufacturers. We have business all over the world since some of the parts are very rare. So I traveled a lot. For periods of time, I wasn't home for months. I never had my own apartment because it made no sense to pay for something I used. Tried it once and after weeks my landlord called and said he just wanted to check if I was still alive since I never came around. So I moved out again and if I stayed home, I stayed with the Alphas." "And that was okay? For you to be gone so long?" "My parents ket an open door policy. If something important came up, they called us home but aside from that, we were free to leave as long as we wanted. We knew we could always return to the pack house. No matter how late, even in the middle of the night, we were always welcome. We all made use of that rule over the years."

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."

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When I started this story, I imagined how many chapters this might will have and thought sixty was a good number. Now we are at chapter 60 and this story is far from over. I can't believe that. It's absolutely amazing and I want to thank every single one of my readers for the support. You all are amazing! Thank you!!!

In regards to this chapter, I like the friendship between Luka and Liam. They both are on the same wavelength and get each other. And it was fun working out Luka's Betas. In the next chapter, both packs will fully meet each other. I am excited.

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

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formerprincess · 3 years

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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.

The lobby was air-conditioned which Liam was grateful for. The short walk from Theo's truck to the hotel had been enough and he needed to cool off. For days the weather channels reported about an upcoming heatwave but to Liam, it was already there. He looked around. The inside of the hotel was just as dated as the outside but it looked clean. Wasn't that the most important thing? The reception desk was a huge mahogany thing with two receptionists, left and right from the reception led the staircases up to the elevators, and a red carpet laid down in the middle of the steps. All the seats and sofas in the lobby were held in red and gold with some brown mixed in and decorated with elegant-looking forms. Liam remembered his mother once watching a movie about a hotel in Marokko or something and it almost looked identical. Huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the bellhops wore red suits and those tiny hats. The floor was made from white marble, quite classic, Liam had to admit. He almost certainly expected a starlet sliding down the stairs in an elegant dress, a newspaper in hand, before she hurried to catch her train. Old movie chic. Not Liam's style but again, he didn't have to book here.

The receptionist looked professional cold when Liam approached her. She had been on the phone and just finished when Liam stepped up to the reception. "How can I help you, sir?" "Yes, hello, I am invited to a meeting taking place here? The Corbins must be the organizers." "Yes, please, I understand. You go here to the left and down the hallway. The meeting room is at the end. Have a nice stay." "Thank you."

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.

They walked to the meeting room side by side. It seemed to be the hotel's ballroom, a large thing with several round tables fitting eight people each, a little bar in the corner, and large windows where you could see a patio with chairs and tables outside. The same colors as in the lobby dominated here but Liam was more concerned about the people than the interior. Savannah stood next to him, had her hands loosely folded together, and now spoke up: "Wow. The two of us really bring down the average age. Should be around forty now." Liam stared in horror. "I expected older Alphas but not that much gray or white hair. Yes, Byron was also older and he was the Alpha before me but...yeah. We are the youngest there by far." Also, another thing caught his eyes. Everybody looked sophisticated and very rich. "I am hopelessly underdressed." Savannah looked him up and down. "You look you. Comfortable in your clothes. That's what matters, right?" Liam frowned at her. "My family owns three boutiques in town. I know fashion like the back of my hand. And to impress it's always best to dress how you want. Comfortable people are so much sexier than disguised people."

She grabbed his wrist. "Come on, I need a drink." And pulled him towards the bar. "One glass of white wine. Whatever you have", she ordered and looked at Liam. He declined. Savannah shrugged and pulled out money from her purse. The barkeeper poured her drink but shook his head. "Everything's free tonight, Madam." "In that case." She swiftly snatched her glass and then stuffed twenty dollars in his tip jar. "Keep the change, buddy." She turned to Liam again. "I know we can't get drunk but I like the taste of wine." Tried a sip and hummed approvingly. "This is good. Tasty." "Great." Liam looked around again. "So, how does this work? Go we around and start small-talking?" Several people stood together and talked, nobody paid them any mind, his assumption was not far off. "Why not?" Savannah didn't seem to care that much.

An old woman walked past them and Liam used his chance. "Hello, I'm Liam Dunbar. Nice to meet-..." She scoffed. "Darling, why should I care?" She asked in a post accent. "Uhm, isn't this what this meeting is all about? Meeting each other? Talking?" Liam was taken aback. "Look how at you. What could you possibly tell me?" She shook her head. "Our mistake. We thought since you look like a granny you were also nice!" Savannah snapped in place for Liam before she grabbed him by the upper arm and dragged him away. They heard some muttering about cocky Betas behind them but didn't turn around.

"What did I do to her?" Liam asked floored. Savannah had let go of him and straightened his shirt. "Nothing. She's just a dumb coot. Ignore her." "But...but...I just introduced myself!!" Liam was agitated. "I didn't do anything!" "Oh, you don't cope well with people not liking you, do you?" Savannah asked motherly. Liam waved his hand as if to wish her concern away. "I deal just fine with people not liking me. What I can't stand are ignorant people!" "Liam, look around. The room is full of them. You are a good-looking young man and I'm a blonde bimbo with fashion sense. We stick out here like a sore thumb. Of course, no one likes us." She sipped her wine and seemed astonishingly unbothered by this. "Do you care about this at all?" Liam asked her and narrowed his eyes. She lowered her glass. "Liam, look at me. I'm blonde, I dress in short dresses, I love makeup, and to be sexy. Do you know how many people think I'm dumb?" Savannah raised her index finger. "Or a slut?" She raised her middle finger. "Or not cut out for hard work? Not even just weres, but a lot of people in my daily life underestimate me and make assumptions. I learned a long time ago I fare best if I don't care what they think of me. Like me or like me not, I will be fine either way. If we have to work together, we can, but that's it. I'll leave you and your prejudices behind." Liam grumbled. "Guess I'm too young for that stage in my life." "You'll learn. Important people try to get to know you, want to see what's behind all that. Those people matter. These people here? I don't plan on ever seeing them again. They can get lost. Not you. You're cool."

"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?

Wait a second. "It's the middle of the day, how can you be here?" He questioned Meadow. Did vampires not burn in the sun? "Vampires can go out during daylight. It's just tiring for us and we prefer not to. But no, we don't burst into flames. That's made up", she clarified patiently. "Oh." Made sense. "We evolved over the times, just like humans did. We can go out in daylight, we can even eat normal food. All to better blend in", Meadow further explained. "I'm learning something new about the supernatural world every day", Liam called out. He liked that. So much he didn't know and the more he knew, the better he felt prepared for whatever might come their way. Meadow seemed to like his answer. "And with that, you show being more open-minded than many other supernatural beings." Liam frowned. "What do you mean?" "Look around." She made a circular motion with her finger, compassing the whole room. "I'm an outsider in this room. Just like you are. We don't fit in here because they don't want us to fit in here." "Then why are you even here if you hate them all so much?" Savannah asked and sipped from her glass again. Meadow smirked and shrugged one shoulder. "Because I'm the leader of the biggest vampire coven in Seattle. They invite me because they know that and I immensely enjoy keeping them on their toes. They dread having me around. It's fun." "Psychological warfare, I like it." Savannah nodded approvingly. The two women shared a smirk and Liam felt slightly sorry for the people in this room. Not himself though. He was in their good grades and he intended to keep it that way.

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.

Savannah put her empty glass on the table. "Okay, so what happens now? This is it? We're sitting and drinking wine?" "Pretty much. There will be some finger food later on but nothing major happens. No speeches or introduction. It's boring. The meetings in the Roaring '20s, those were amazing. Parties full of dance and glamour. Alphas brought their packs, kids, many people, and good music." Meadow reminisced with a smile. Liam could imagine that. He had seen pictures of those times, elegant looking women, for someone already alive during that time, it must have been a blast. "Why did they stop with the parties? Parties are fun." Savannah didn't understand. Meadow shrugged. "The more time processed, the more these Alphas wanted to stay in their little elite club. They're aristocrats, old money. None of them are interested in actually meeting new packs. Only if they have no other choice. Meetings like this are just for parading around, showing their wealth, and to state Look, our family still calls the shot." She scoffed. "Ridiculous." "Well, I don't fit in." Liam had made his peace with that. It wasn't his social circle and while this had been an eye-opening experience, he didn't want to repeat that. The next meeting could happen without him. "None of us three does," Savannah corrected and Liam huffed out a laugh. True.

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.

"There will be some finger food served outside", the organizer of the whole meeting announced and most Alphas followed her lead to step outside onto the patio. "I'm not hungry but if you want don't hesitate", Meadow declared. Liam wasn't hungry, he rarely was when he had been so nervous before. Savannah and Luka didn't appear hungry either but Luka pointed out to the hallway. "Wanna take some shots at the hotel bar instead? My treat." "Shots? In the middle of the day?" Meadow raised an eyebrow. Luka shrugged. "Do you wanna stay here and stare at the old guys? Besides, this port wine tastes awful and I need a better taste in my mouth." "Fine by me." Savannah got up from her chair. Liam rose as well. "I'm twenty. Just so you know." "They won't ID you here, Liam. It's Cyrus' hotel. Just don't cause too much of a scene and you'll be fine", Meadow managed to wish his concerns away as she also got up now. "I buy, you drink", Luka offered and Liam had to laugh. "Deal!"

They left the ballroom and soon found themselves at the hotel bar. Not many guests here given it was the middle of the day and soon they all had some shots in front of them. "Did you guys have to travel for the meeting? Or are you living close by?" Luka questioned after their clinked their glasses together and took the first round. "I'm living in Seattle. Near the center", Savannah said. "I live also in Seattle, with my coven", Meadow answered. "My pack lives a few hours away at a lake actually. But I'm attending college here in Seattle and so me and the core pack are living on the outskirts of town", Liam replied. "What about you, Luka?" "We're living a bit outside of Seattle. You said lake. Is your pack the Morning Dew Pack by any chance?" "Yep." Liam nodded proudly. Luka was avid. "I never met a member of your pack but heard about your philosophy. It's unusual and the way you're choosing an Alpha is really, really great. Have you always been in the run for Alpha? Or how were you chosen?" He asked curiously. Liam hummed. "Uhm, no. no, I'm not part of the pack since I was born. My first pack is in California. I was bitten in high school. I was just on vacation at the lake and Byron, the old Alpha, chose me as his successor. That was almost a year ago." Liam paused. "You guys are the first Alphas I met since then who are nice to me and don't want to kill me", he confessed quietly after a while. The twenty-year-old raised another glass. "Cheers to that."

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.

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Author's note:

I'm happy to introduce you to...

Savannah :

Meadow:

Asher:

Luka:

____________________________________________________

This chapter was cursed. It was supposed to be posted right after the last one but my internet connection broke down and I was without internet access for several days. I even had to fear what I wrote of the chapter already was completely gone. Thank god that wasn't the case. But when I finally got my internet back and could have continued with the chapter, work became stressful and I temporarily lost motivation to write. But I'm now finished and I like the chapter.

On a more positive note: I am so incredibly happy to introduce Savannah, Maddie, Asher, and Luka. What do you think of them? I am really curious to hear your thoughts and I'm also excited to see if you like what I have in store for all of them and Liam's pack. Just wait and see. It will be fun!

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

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formerprincess · 3 years

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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.

After he finished, his listeners were shocked. "You experienced all this and you still find it in yourself to be such a happy and polite young man?" Libby asked in awe. She was usually full of life and laughed loudly, her afro curls always bouncing around her round face, but now she was stunned. Liam shrugged. "What's the option? Turning bitter? It worked out in the end. Doesn't mean I will ever forgive them for what they did but no one died, at least." "You are a terrific young man, Liam", Ellie praised. He smiled softly. "Thank you."

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.

****** Liam sat in his car and watched the house across the street. The sun was beating down and these barren landscapes made the air even drier. The dusty roads stirred up sand whenever a car raced by. Bleak. He cast a look at the passenger seat. All documents he needed were laying there, including a pen. Now all that Liam was left to do, was get out of the car, walk up to the door, and get a signature. Angela's stern talk from days ago had left Liam rallied. Once he was home, he had told Theo about everything and the couple had to admit them taking Landon out of the house had been a stupid move from the legal point of view. They had emotions get the better of them and now this potentially harmful situation had arisen. Theo had supported Liam in whatever was needed to ensure he would become Landon's guardian but the Beta was also not a lawyer and as much at loss as Liam.

Thank god for Angela. She had helped Liam set up the documents Emmet had to sign and those documents Liam grabbed now when he exited the car. Theo was not with him, his boyfriend didn't even know Liam was here. Nobody knew. This, Liam felt, was something he had to don his own. Maybe to find a deserving ending. Maybe to test his control. Or maybe this was stupid but then again, Liam could proudly admit he was doing stupid crap now and then. Stiles, according to his own claim, could show Liam a list.

He let out a shaky breath when he walked through the unkempt front lawn. Some new beer bottles and cans had gathered around the chair. Emmet was not there but Liam heard his heartbeat through the ajar window. You're not going to kill him, Liam. He does not deserve you getting your hands dirty. Liam knocked at the door. Inside the house, he heard some bottles falling and Emmet's slurred voice mumbling. Then scuffling steps and the door opened. And the young Alpha had to gasp and take a step back. "God, you stink!" The stench of booze, beer, and sweat made him almost gag. Disgusting, his man. "You. What do you want?" Emmet slurred angrily and grabbed the door for support. Liam turned his head away and took a few breaths. He willed his nausea down and turned to face his father. "How long have you been drinking, alkie?" "What do you care? Why are you even here? I don't want you." "Trust me, I don't want you either. But I need something from you and that means I have to come here. I would rather be somewhere else, believe that." "What? Want money for the little gremlin? I'm not giving you a dime." Emmet swayed on his feet. "I don't need your money. Go inside, before you fall flat on your face. I'm not catching you." Liam pointed inside the house. His father made a step towards him. "I should beat the crap out of you for talking to me like that and not stop til you're whimpering. Do you know who I am?" "A sorry excuse for a worm." Liam pushed his biological father by the shoulder and he stumbled back. As drunk as he was, he didn't stand a chance against an Alpha.

Emmet was taken by surprise but managed to catch himself at the table. He spewed a few curse words in Liam's direction before he shuffled around and fell on one of the chairs with the grace of a sack filled with potatoes. Liam closed the door and followed inside. His nose twitched and he wanted to retch at the smell and how dirty everything was but he kept himself from it last minute. This was not for him, this was for Landon. "How's your mother? Still wailing about how horrible I am? The slut should be lucky an honest man wanted her." "My mother is neither a slut nor are you an honest man. Don't mention her or I break your nose." Liam felt his anger building up. This was a test for his control and he might fail it. "Piss off! She's the reason you're such a weak bastard. Wonder what happened with the other one. He's just as weak. Cried whenever I hit him. Begged me to stop. Just like you. Oh, I remember you. Your mother screamed and cried when the ambulance came. I would have left you on the ground. Would have taught you a lesson." "I didn't need a lesson, I needed a father who loved me!" Liam slammed the papers on the table. "Here! Sign this!"

Emmet grabbed it after a few tries and dragged it over the table. He narrowed his eyes at the print. "What should I sign?" "Those are the papers for you to make me Landon's legal guardian. Sign and we're out of your hair forever." Liam balled his hands and felt his fingertips itch. His claws wanted to come out, his wolf furious at the man in front of him. Years of pent-up rage welled up and dared to spill over. He could kill Emmet and probably nobody would shed a tear. Laughter disrupted his thoughts. Emmet had left the papers on the table and laughed. It boomed in Liam's ears. His blood rushed through his veins. This man was mocking him. "If you really think I'm signing this crap, you're mistaken. Know why? Because you bastard want me to and you get nothing from me!" Emmet was still laughing but decided to underline his words by spitting in Liam's direction. It landed on the carpet between them. His claws almost broke through and he was ready to lunge but a voice in his head stopped him. No. Not like this. Not him. Maybe it was his wolf who was even stronger than Liam's human side burdened with IED but it was enough to make Liam pause. If you kill him, you'll never become Landon's guardian. Keep the little one safe.

Liam exhaled loudly through his nose and closed his eyes for a second. If even the animal inside him knew better, he would follow. Had to follow. All for his little brother. Landon didn't deserve a murderer for a hero. He opened his eyes and stared at Emmet. Suddenly Liam was seven again, cowering at the floor while his father screamed at him and walked closer and closer. He had put his arms up back then, in a feeble attempt to shield his body from the hits, and pleaded for the man to stop. Fear. Panic. Pain. But this time Liam didn't feel panicked. He was not afraid of this drunkard calling himself a father. Instead, Liam felt disgust and maybe even pity. This guy had nothing to live for. It gave the young Alpha a strange sense of calm. Out of the two of them, Liam was the better man. The better person. IED or not. The condition didn't rule him as much as it ruled his father, and Liam had quite a lot more on his plate.

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.

It only dawned on him what just had transpired when he was in his car and already on the road. Liam stopped at a red light and breathed a sigh of relief. "Holy shit!" He had faced Emmet Dunbar, that one man he hated with a burning passion, the one who had made his childhood horrible and hurt Liam, Ilona, and Landon so much. Against what he had wanted to do to him, Emmet had left the meeting completely without a cut, Liam was incredibly proud of himself. Even though now, that everything settled, his hands shook and his heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his body. That had the potential to go so, so wrong and yet Liam stood tall. He glanced at the papers safely sitting on the passenger seat. Not only had it worked out without Liam losing his temper, but it had also really worked and he was Landon's guardian. The threat of Emmet interfering with their lives and taking Landon away again was erased. Liam wanted to cry.

His phone chimed and Liam almost hit another car. "Jesus Christ!" He accepted the call over the speaker. "Hey, Theo." "Hey. Say, just out of curiosity, where the hell are you? Nobody knows where you left. It's not like you to disappear like that. What's going on." Liam bit his lip. "I was at Emmet's." "Emmet? Emmet Dunbar? Your father? What the fuck! Is he still alive?" "Shh, let me explain. I told you about what Angela said and I went to get his signature. Yes, he's still alive, I didn't touch him. Even though I wanted to." He heard Theo closing a door and birds singing in the background. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have accompanied you." Yeah, good question. Liam didn't know for sure. "I guess...I needed to burn this bridge alone? Prove to myself I can stay calm around him. I'm not like him in any capacity and while I know you and I absolutely adore you for always being there for me, this was something I had to do alone. You understand? Maybe for my own peace of mind, I dunno." Theo was silent for a few moments. "Yeah, I understand", he finally confessed. "Did it work, at least?" A smile broke out on Liam's face. "Yep. Have all the signatures I need. Thanks to you as well." "Thanks to me? What did I do?" "Well, let's say you're a good teacher, even if you don't want to be one. I'll tell you everything once I get home, okay?" Theo laughed. "Okay. Love you." "Love you too."

****** 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.

Byron sat on the desk chair. "I know he signed but did the meaning with your father go well?" "It did. As well as possible with this man. I was pretty surprised at my control. At a certain point, I was ready to snap but somehow my wolf made me pull back and I got more level-headed." "That's the Alpha in you. Even if our personality or our urges say otherwise, sometimes the Alpha part can balance it out to keep the peace. It is impressive how well you learned to work with your wolf." The praise was nice because Liam tried. Sometimes it felt like all he did was running in circles but then he proved to everyone (and mostly himself) he was a good person and improving. "Speaking of Alpha and peace, Liam I forwarded an email to you just now. Have a look at it, maybe Theo should do so as well."

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."

He had a point. They all did. Liam was still torn. For once because he was afraid of making a fool of himself, then for the reason not to offend another Alpha and start a war, and on top of it, he now came to the realization just how different those Alphas seemed to be. He looked at his boyfriend. "What do you say?" Theo had listened to everything and had made up his mind. "You should go. For all those reasons. Byron said there will not come anything bad from it. He would never let you go to any event if he feared something might happen to you. If he says you can go, I believe him. And yeah, it is a good way to get information. Maybe there are not that many packs around. But you will only find out if you go." Since most of his Betas said he should go, he considered. Maybe it was a good idea indeed. Only one problem: "If it's that high class, what should I wear?"

Fifteen minutes later Liam regretted that question. He stood in his bedroom while Theo, Brett, Mason, and Sadie sat on his bed. Sadie throned between the other guys, one leg crossed over the other, and looked like she was having the time of her life. Liam was the poor victim and had to model several outfits for the self-proclaimed fashion experts of his pack (he knew Theo could dress good but at this point, Liam felt betrayed) who all had other ideas of the perfect outfit. "That dress shirt is perfect for you. Not too out there but also not too normal" Mason praised Liam's current outfit consisting of black pants and a dark grey dress shirt. Liam hated it. It was not even one of his shirts but one of Theo's Mason had just grabbed. His boyfriend had not protested (see, there was the betrayal) but now shook his head. "That's not the outfit to go." "Absolutely right. Liam, grab the one I hung there." Sadie pointed at the clothes and Liam grumbled but grabbed them and stalked into the bathroom. When he emerged again, he was wearing jeans, a blue slipover with a white button-down shirt underneath. Liam felt like he was a kindergartener dressed by mommy. "Now you look like back in Devenford. Then again, maybe this private school flair is exactly what you need", Brett snickered. Liam glared at him and Theo scoffed before he handed Liam the third outfit. Liam glared at him too for good measure and disappeared into the bathroom again.

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.

But then she got up from the bed and walked towards Liam's open closet. She dug around there for a while before she pulled out a pale blue t-shirt. It was a new one, Liam had only worn it twice and he loved how soft the fabric was, it felt good and comfy on his skin. Sadie handed it to him. "The color makes your eyes pop. That and that one light blue jeans you have. If you walk into a room full of strange werewolves, bright colors make you look friendlier." "That's Sadie. If you can't dress them up the way you want, at least get into chromatics", Brett praised.

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Quite a Liam-centric chapter but then again he's the Alpha and Landon's brother. And he had to make decisions. Now the question is, what will happen at the meeting? What do you guys think? All I can say is, I'm excited about the new chapter.

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

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formerprincess · 3 years

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Marvel Heroes in different colors (3/?)

#marvel #thor #natascha romanoff #Black Widow #my edit #heroes in different colors #Thor looks so strange #he's the one i find the most strange up to this point #not gonna lie #natascha looks badass as always #what do you guys think?

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formerprincess · 3 years

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Marvel Heroes in different colors (2/?)

#spiderman #peter parker #Scarlet Witch #wanda maximoff #marvel #my edit #heroes in different colors

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formerprincess · 3 years

Photo

Marvel Heroes in different colors

#marvel #Steve Rogers #Loki #Wanda Maximoff #Bucky Barnes #my edit #captain america #Scarlet Witch #heroes in different colors #thinking about turning it into a little picture series?#what do you think #click on the images for a larger view

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formerprincess · 3 years

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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."

They walked inside with the others, it was time to start dinner anyway and then they would probably spend the night watching a movie or something. They liked to do it as a pack, as long as they could settle on something to watch. That alone took some time. Sadie and Lori jumped in the kitchen with Liam and helped him prepare the food. Since they moved into the new house, Liam had noticed he was never alone when he cooked. At least one Beta hung around, even if they did not help because Liam didn't necessarily need help, they talked with their Alpha. It had somehow become a nice little habit of the whole pack to unwind and recap their day. It felt nice, Liam would always admit to that. After everything, they've grown closer.

It went on for a while, the other members mingled around, watched tv, or talked quietly; Brett, Ever, and Caden joined in the living room after they were done burying every single piece of rope; a nice relaxed atmosphere in the house.

Once dinner was ready they all gathered around the big table and sat down to indulge. "It's fantastic as always!" Tim praised and wolfed down yet another fork of his food. "All thanks to Lori and Sadie, they helped a great deal", Liam praised the two women and they smiled proudly.

But suddenly Lori glanced outside and screamed on top of her lungs. Her fork fell on the carpet but she didn't even bother to pick it up, too busy slamming both hands over her mouth in shock. "There's something in the garden", she whispered. Liam spun around. The scream had made him jump from his seat but since his back had faced the windows, he didn't see anything. It was already darker outside, not pitch black but already evening, yet he didn't need werewolf vision to see wraithlike white things wavering in their garden. "What the fuck is that?" Mason exclaimed what probably everybody was thinking at this very moment. "We will soon find out." Liam stormed over to the patio door. A loud sound from a chair scraping over the floor sounded up behind him and he heard Theo's fast footsteps following. "Thought we had a deal about you barging headfirst into potential danger alone!" His mate scolded him when Liam flung the door open.

He took a sharp breath.

The white hazy things in their backyard were humans or, to be more specific, humans with translucent skin and a white glow surrounding them. Also, they barely touched the ground and seemed to float. And the garden of the pack house was full of them. Big, small, women, men, older and younger-looking, some in antiquated clothing, others more modern. Some swirled around the garden, others stood still and looked at the house, others talked quietly. "Excuse my french, but what the fuck???" Caden exclaimed, utterly overwhelmed by the display in front of them. He, like all other Betas, had followed the Alpha couple and now they stood on the patio and stared. "I second that", Liam muttered. Theo grabbed his arm, probably to keep him from moving any closer, and Liam was kind of happy about that. He was unsure how to pursue, what to do. What were those things?

"Uhm, hello?" His voice was shaky but who could blame him? "Excuse me? White floating thingies?"

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?

"It's the time!" Bea announced and the ghosts formed a circle around the whole house. Well, Liam guessed it was around the whole house, he could not see all of them anymore but they stood there in line, holding hands, creating the barrier no foe was supposed to cross. "Oh, you already have to leave?" He asked disappointedly. "We are not able to manifest the whole night. For the spell to work, we now have to form the barrier", the curly-haired woman explained and just dropped the hand of Byron's predecessor to give him a thumbs up. "You will be fine." "Byron made the right call with you. Good choice", the man praised him. Liam smiled weakly. "Yeah? I'm still so young and have so much to learn." "You're growing, as a person and as an Alpha, that's the important part. Because you want to. Just some words of advice, don't forget you are a person as well. Don't be always just there for the pack. Be a little selfish every now and then. It's a good thing and recharges your energy." Liam huffed out a laugh. "It's hard sometimes. Easier said than done." "If it would be easy, son, everybody would be an Alpha." Liam shrugged. "I think becoming an Alpha is easy if you're coldblooded enough. So I'm not sure if this is helpful." "Becoming an Alpha may be easy but not everybody is cut out to be one. Don't forget that, son." The ghosts gave the living pack members one last smile and then they slowly faded away until nothing showed they ever were there before.

"That's some crazy shit", Mike put it into words. Corey scoffed. "Moments like this make me realize how bad Beacon Hills fucked us up. For real." "What do you mean?" Maya asked with a frown. "Beacon Hills had some good moments, yeah, but mostly it was all danger and dying and people being afraid, another danger lurking, people hunting everything left and right, things trying to kill you, dying once more. If you only experienced those things, believing in good supernatural things gets hard." Liam sat down on the steps leading from the deck to the garden. "It's normal, I think. Not really your fault. Besides, I also didn't expect actual ghosts to show up after Ever's spell. Ever? Did you think that would happen?" She squeaked. "No! Hard no! Like, I honestly thought the spell did nothing. It doesn't even say anything about ghosts in the book." "That woman said the spell was powerful and you executed it perfectly. So, congrats I guess." Mike patted her shoulder. Ever blushed and fiddled with the seam of her shirt. "I think it's you, guys. Witches get stronger when they're in a coven. Or, as in this case, in a pack. Your energy helps my magic." "This pack is quite good at this. Helping each other." Theo sat also on the steps and stretched out his legs while he leaned against the banister. "And to get back at what Corey said, maybe we have to unlearn the bad experiences. Be more open about good supernatural happenings. I myself am I cynical bastard but I have to admit even I start to think some magical fairytales might be true. Even fairies." "What?" Liam could not believe his ears and laughed. "I finally convinced you to entertain the idea of fairies?" "Maybe." Theo didn't want to set his mind yet. "We already have ghosts in our backyard. What's next? Nymphs?" "Don't make fun of nymphs, they might hear you", Sadie warned him.

****** Liam scurried through the streets, head ducked in a failed attempt to keep a little bit of his body dry. He had been out in the city running some errands when the skies opened and a summer rainstorm went down. Like, seriously, Liam was sure some streets had turned into rivers that much water was cascading down. The rain made even his heightened senses useless since Liam could barely see past the grey curtain of water all around him. He just needed to get to his car and drive home. If he could drive in this weather, that's it. But just sitting in a dry environment would be great at this point. He was already soaked but would still feel better.

Liam turned the corner of a street and hastened into a less busy road, hoping he had found a shortcut to his car. But just a few more steps forward and Liam tackled something solid. He lost his footing on the slippery ground and crashed down with what he now realized was a customer stopper. "Shit, shit, shit! Oh, fuck, sorry!" He apologized to the unmoving object and quickly got up from the ground to set up the stopper again. A door to his right opened. "Oh my, darling, have you hurt yourself? Geez, you're all wet. Why don't you come inside? I have towels there and you can check if you suffered any injuries", a soft female voice called out to him. Liam glanced up. The voice belonged to what he supposed was the owner or the cashier of the store the customer stopper belonged to. She was holding an umbrella to save herself from the rain which she now also held over Liam to shield him from the weather. He caught a whiff of chocolate and cinnamon from her and an even stronger scent of sweetness and chocolate from the open store door. The lights were turned on inside the store and altogether is was far more appealing than continuing to run through this downpour. "I am sorry about your customer stopper, Madam", he politely said. Ilona had raised nothing but a polite young man and she would hunt him for forever if he was rude to kind strangers. "It's alright, please don't worry. Nothing that can't be repaired if any. We will take a look at it once the rain stopped. Now, come inside, honey, you must be freezing. It's summer but it's not good to be that soaked." She ushered him inside and Liam leaned the stopper against the store window before he followed her.

The smell of chocolate and all things sweet was even stronger inside and he inhaled deeply. It smelled wonderful in here. Suddenly, he was a little kid again and his mother baked cookies on a Sunday. The whole house had smelled afterward and those Sundays were one of his favorite memories. The world had been perfectly fine on those Sundays. "I don't have fresh pants but I have some old shirt here from one of our promotions? Maybe you want to try it on? Here is a towel." She pushed the towel into his arms before she closed the door and put her umbrella in a small stand next to the door. "Thank you but it's alright. I don't get sick that easily." Liam ran the towel through his hair and over his face. When he lowered the towel he got the first good view of the nice woman. She was smaller than him, maybe 5' 6", with big grey streaks in her otherwise dark hair, framing her round face and dark brown eyes. Liam would have guessed her in her fifties but he was not that good with ages so he better kept his mouth shut. But he liked the summer dress she wore with little birds all over it in different colors. "Would you care for some tea, darling? I know it's warm outside but maybe it helps with the coolness? You must be freezing. Or a hot chocolate?" "No, please, I don't want to be an inconvenience. You're already so nice to invite me into your store after I ran over your customer stopper." "Oh, that old thing, don't mention it. Nothing materialistic is irreplaceable. If you want to change your shirt, there is a curtain in front of our back office." She shooed him in the direction and since his own shirt was sticking to his body, Liam gratefully took the suggestion.

The back office was just a small room with a desk, computer, and shelves filled with folders and papers. Nothing unusual but he still hurried to change and then join her in front of the store again.

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."

Maybe she was right, Liam needed one look at his pack to know he made the right decision. But he also doubted himself sometimes. Maybe this was normal. "Thanks, Ellie", he still said gratefully. After all, she was nice to him. And then another question came to mind: "Do fairies exist as well?" "Never met one but sure. They're small, barely able to be seen with the naked eye. You can mostly encounter them in gardens or forests. They enjoy beautiful flowers and juicy fruits." "Can I call my best friend and you tell him that too? Mason will love you. You're like a walking lexicon of good magical beings." Liam was in awe. Ellie laughed. "I'll do my best. You can bring all your friends here. I like making people happy with my candy. Want some?" She opened a jar of toffees and held it for Liam to take from it. He kindly accepted and grabbed one. Once he tasted it, he groaned. Such a creamy, delicious taste. "Oh, Ellie, they're amazing. Did you make them yourself?" She happily nodded. "All of the candy you see here is made by me and my husband. It goes perfectly with the elves' need to make people happy and our candy-making skill. Why not use it to bring joy into the world?" "I love candy. If I weren't a werewolf, I probably would be round as a ball." She laughed again. "Say, Liam, do you have a job? I'm currently looking for help for the store but never found somebody whose love for candy can rival mine. Would you be interested?" "Uhm." Liam had not seen that coming. "I'm a college student but looking for a job on the side. So yeah, I'd like to work for you." "Wonderful. We can work out all the details now if you want. I'm happy."

****** Liam closed the door behind him and carried his loot in the kitchen. He had spent time with Ellie and helped her in the shop until the rainstorm passed and then she had insisted he left the store with a huge bag filled with basically every type of candy in the store. For him and his Betas to enjoy. Liam already knew which one Theo would like the best.

Theo was coincidentally the first he encountered in the kitchen. He looked up from his phone. "What you got there?" "Candy. Catch!" Liam pushed his hand in the bag and pulled out some licorice stick. "I have a new job at a candy store." Theo caught the candy Liam tossed him and unwrapped it. He took a bite. "A new job at a candy store? How did that happen? Uh, that once's nice. Is that coffee?" "Thought you might like it." Liam grabbed a bowl and poured everything from the bag inside. "And you won't believe what the owner is."

He launched himself into telling Theo the whole story. Mason walked into the kitchen at one point and listened to his best friend while munching on some peppermint candy. "And seemingly the magical world knows about Scott and Beacon Hills and the pack, I don't know. I cannot help myself but imagine the newspaper from Harry Potter so everybody knows what the talk is about. But how surreal is that? Elves, real elves." "Is she tiny?" Mason asked. "Smaller than me. Not much tho. Why?" "Aren't elves generally quite small? Anyway, I have to meet this woman. She can tell me so much and I can add it to the Bestiary. Kind of telling only dark beings exist in this book." "Maybe because it's called Bestiary? Maybe a book about good ones is called...I don't know....Lightiary?" Theo suggested and grabbed another licorice stick. "Smartass. I think this is really interesting. Even more to know why so many good beings avoid Beacon Hills. Can you imagine there are more of those mediums in the world and no good one comes near them?" "There were good ones there, in Beacon Hills. Us for example", Liam added for consideration and unwrapped a chocolate bonbon. "You were already there, that doesn't count", Mason deflected. "Theo also came back to Beacon Hills, just to name one example." "Why do I have to be the example? You're right but why? I didn't do anything now." "If you had not come back to Beacon Hills, you wouldn't have met Liam and you both wouldn't have this against all odds romance." "Says the one already being married", Liam mumbled.

Caden rushed into the kitchen. "LIAM! We need you!" "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Caden hummed. "Not really. I mean, no, I'm not hurt. Tim, however, is...not hurt...You have to see for yourself. Just come with me."

The three men in the kitchen gave each other a look but then followed Caden outside. He led them down the stairs and over the grass towards the beginning of the woods. Sadie stood there, one arm crossed and the other hand under the chin. "Looks like Liam was actually right." Maya next to her also had her arms crossed. "Yeah, but why Tim? What did he do?" "I think I stepped on one of them. I am sorry! Ouch! That stings!" Tim wailed. Liam stepped next to Maya and found Tim on the ground and a shiny pink orb in front of his face while three other orbs in green, orange, and yellow floated around him. The one in front of him flew back and forth and when it collided with Tim's nose he once again complained about stinging. "What the fuck is going on here? And really, I hear this question quite often this week in our garden."

The orb from Tim's face floated upwards towards Liam and now hovered in front of him. So close Liam could see the tiny chubby man with fluttering wings, in a noble robe and with a tiny crown on his head. His eyes were roundly shaped but right now squinted shut in an angry grimace and he stared at Liam while furiously waving a tiny sword. To be honest, Liam was afraid he would cut off his bulbous nose with it.

"I am Peridot Tulipfly, the king of this proud tribe of fairies. How dare you intrude in our territory? Just because you're bigger? I will show you bigger! Are you their king? I challenge you to a duel." "Jesus fucking Christ!" Mason mumbled behind Liam. "Lee, I don't know what you're doing this week but you're a magnet for magical beings. Seriously." "Look how tiny they are", Sadie said in awe. "I am so sorry we didn't believe you, Liam." "Liam, is this your name? Liam, be a man and fight me!" Peridot Tulipfly screamed and his voice became hysterically high. Frankly, Liam was now afraid he would explode in sheer rage. Or swallow his tongue. "Listen, your highness? Is that the correct way? Anyway, your highness, I think there is a mistake. My friends and I were not intruding anywhere." "Lies and slander!!! We have your subordinate. You want him to live, you will best me in combat! Or are you a coward?? Shall I find victory over you because you refuse to battle me?" "Hey, nobody battles him! You're so tiny, I could crush you with one hand!" Theo snapped. Liam loved his boyfriend but that probably was not the best way. Peridot now started screaming even louder and called them all kinds of nasty things. But then again, Liam had never been called a cow stealing weed before, so there's that.

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.

"Ghosts, elves, fairies. If we keep that speed up, I don't know how Mason will manage to archive anything in the Bestiary" Theo said. "Wait, when did we meet an elf?" Maya asked confused. "We didn't, Liam did." And Liam was prompted to tell them all the story again on how he met Ellie. "Maybe it's some sort of law of attraction. We're in a good spot after the hardships now so maybe we attract good things?" Tim pondered. Liam had the same train of thoughts. "I'm done with demons, crazy witches, or brutal Alphas. So if I can choose between those and some combative fairies, I'll take the fairies any day", he confessed. "Those I can handle and they don't hurt anyone. There's some of Ellie's candy in the kitchen. Take some if you want."

His Betas hurried away, only Theo stayed back with him. "You're worried those good times won't last, right?" Theo knew Liam so it was more fact than a question. He pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and waited for Liam to answer still. "I want us to enjoy our lives. But yeah, maybe Beacon Hills did fuck me up as well in this regard but I don't think the good times will last forever. So we should make the most of it. I am reassured we are protected by this ghostly barrier and it's kind of nice to know there are good fairies and elves around but the worry will probably never go away. I had it even before I became an Alpha", Liam confessed. Theo put his arm around Liam's shoulders. "Whatever happens, we will take it as a pack. Maybe Tim's right, right now only good things are happening and we all deserve this. And us from Beacon Hills, we have some credit in the Karma bank as well." Liam laughed. "I guess you could say that." "It will be fine, Liam. Worry is good, it stops you from being careless. Just don't worry too much, okay?" "Promise. I just want some peace after a year where everything crazy happened. Right now, this is nice." "It is." Theo pulled him in and kissed him gently. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo's waist and returned the kiss.

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

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