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Nolan sat up in a panic, the sound of arrows in the wind slowly thrumming out of his hearing. He rubbed his eyes, letting them adjust to the dark room. Nolan found himself loosely focusing on the faint sun rays that slowly filtered through the cracks of the curtains, finding entertainment in the way they danced across the surfaces they were slowly consuming, letting the fear fizzle out of the deep settlement they housed within his bones.
The hotel they'd stopped at for the night only had a room for two full beds, so Theo and Liam took the one closer to the door, and Lori had made her own bed-nest situation on the floor.
-
“Why not have you and Brett sleep near the door? Or me and Brett? I worked with the hunters for a bit, and you have experience with the…” Nolan found himself asking, letting his question fade out, knowing Theo didn’t like talking about it. “-and Brett went through years of training with Satomi, so it would make sense to have me and him, or you two closer to the door in case something happens?”
Lori had gladly claimed part of the floor, stealing their coats, while Theo had given her the blanket from his car to make a makeshift bed when Nolan had decided to start the conversation.
“-If anything happens, We could just let Liam loose at them. He’s grumpy when he gets woken up.” the Chimera had said in response, not even batting an eye at Nolan’s questions and reasonings, continuing to mindlessly toss a pillow at Lori.
In hindsight, Nolan should’ve known it wasn’t going to happen with the way Liam and Brett shrunk into themselves when he asked. He should’ve known it was decided because him and Brett would’ve frozen in fear wouldn’t have reacted accordingly if something had happened.
-
He reached around the bed, hoping to find Brett's hand to hold, instead he was met with air. He tried again. Still, he was met with nothing.
Nolan could feel his heart speed up, reaching back again, this time turning his body to look as he squinted in the dark. Brett wasn't fucking there. He- he wasn't fucking there.
Nolan had forgotten that Brett had woken him up an hour prior, telling him that he, Theo, and Lori were gonna try to get some breakfast.
He noticed his vision getting blurry and the oh-so-familiar-feeling of his knees pressing against his chest, shoving his hands up and pushing them to his head. The arrows were back, and they were louder this time. The louder the wind whistled, the tighter he curled into himself. Under his left hand, Nolan could feel the piece of his ear missing under his index finger, breathing becoming more sporadic as he squeezed his eyes shut.
Not now. Not here, not now. Please. He couldn't fucking do it.
Nolan let out a shaky breath as the tears started to fall, he can't fucking tell if the cracking he hears is from the twigs snapping in the forest, or his ribs snapping under the pressure of the boot stomping down on him. Why can't he breathe? His lungs aren't fucking working!
He could feel his stomach drop, the same feeling once overtaking him as he giggled, the same adrenaline once coursing through his body from the rollercoasters he once loved, but this? This isn't the same feeling as that. This was his stomach dropping as his limp body was plummeting towards the bottom of a rocky, overgrown well. He was fucking paralyzed, unable to stop himself, or slow down. The last thing he'd seen was Scott and Allison, kicking and shoving him to the ground. He hadn't even felt the tranquilizer on the arrow they had shot him with.
He'd heard the banshee scream, his own lungs burning, craving, to let out the same blood curdling scream he'd once done when he stood with someone he had considered his sister.
That feeling.
The feeling when his lungs stopped, the air around him going still, and his stomach fucking dropping.
She'd stolen his scream.
He could feel the wailing of her in his bones, and he couldn't do anything about it.
Nolan was going to fucking die.
He prepared himself for the impact, tears streaming down his face.
Except, the impact was wrong.
This was never how it was supposed to go.
-
Scott and the rest of the pack spent weeks meticulously setting up a plan on how to fight the ghost riders, and how to win the war. He had approached Liam after lacrosse practice one day, under the guise of having tips to better his form while playing. Liam would’ve never fucking agreed if he knew how it’d end. Scott was smart, too smart. He had fed the information to him like a three course meal that had poison laced in every part of it. It started with a simple question. “Do you guys need somewhere to practice this weekend?”
That’s how Liam found himself being unknowingly roped into Scott’s stupid fucking plan.
Liam was scared, and completely fed into the plan without knowing. First, It was telling Mason, who after a short conversation where he called Liam every name under the sun, agreed to help. Since he was a human, he offered to take care of mapping out the hot zones with the most activity. Mason subsequently told Corey. He also called Liam many things, albeit, in a much nicer tone than his boyfriend had a few hours prior. After another discussion, it was agreed between the three of them that Corey would camouflage himself behind Nolan and then return back to Mason with all the intel if they could get him on board.
Nolan agreed to help, but only if Liam promised to make him co-captain of the lacrosse team. Poor choice on his end, but oh well. He was more or so extremely thankful and content with helping. However, he refused to admit it was because his survival chances soared compared to what they would’ve been, had he not formed an allyship with Liam. Nolan does not like thinking about what he’d witness if he chose to help the hunters and end up being on the wrong side of the war.
So, The first part was set. He had the operation solidified, but now was the actual hard part: Getting the brawns of the operation. To do that however, he had to start with Hayden.
Easier said than done.
“-Why not Hayden?” Liam whined in response to her scarily-delightful refusal.
“Why,-in the actual fucks-,of the world, would I want to fight to survive? I never asked for this in the first place!” Hayden responded, her reasoning being completely foolproof.
“Fine, okay, but what if I tell you that this will totally boost your chances with asking Tracy out!” Liam bit back, completely and utterly talking out of his ass, refusing to lose this quickly.
Hayden grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing eye contact. “Liam, Hey, I don’t know if you know this, but we aren’t sailor wives to secretly closeted sailors anymore. I think Tracy would run away and pass out if I told her I fought in a supernatural war.” She watched as he paled, sputtering out an apology before he promptly went back to talking out of his ass.
“Okay, fine, I was so very wrong with my previous statement, I apologize about that. However, you’re one of the strongest chimeras I know and you have so many useful talents that would greatly help us!” He added, feeling like he’s somewhat clawing his way out of the very dangerous hole he had just dug himself into.
“Okay, I hear you, but let me counter that. I have one good kidney. I’m on transplant meds. I still have remnants of mercury in my blood, so much so that once a month, I am completely and utterly convinced that I’m dying more than I thought I was, pre-dread doctors. One little prickity-poke and I’m a goner, Liam. I was not brought onto this earth with the forethought of surviving for long.” Hayden sighed with relief when Liam finally dropped it.
“Fine, but,-willyouhelpmeraisetheofromhellatleast? I’ll tell Tracy you’re the one that dropped the letter in her bag!” Liam rushed out, as a last ditch attempt. Hayden considered it, before giving in. “Fine. Do you completely promise and swear to leave me, Tracy, and my friends alone after that? I just want to be a normal, lesbian, teenage girl coping with the effects of the comphet relationships I was in while blushing and embarrassing myself every single time someone I like acknowledges me. Not a genetically fucked with chimera fighting against yet another attempt at avoiding death.”
And with a small price to pay in return, Liam agreed.
Liam and Hayden brought Theo back a few days later, with the help of “borrowing” Kira’s sword, and Hayden left after prying a very panicked Theo away from him. Theo insulted Liam at first, but once he caught the glare of the sword blade, he ate his words and complied quickly. It wasn’t a bad plan per se, just an awfully stupid one. When Theo overheard Scott and Stiles arguing, he realized Liam was in a bit over his head.
After an incident Liam doesn't like talking about, involving him admitting to Theo that he’s changed, and breaking the sword, Theo convinced him to ask Brett for help too.
Somehow, Brett was the most tedious and annoying one to convince. How the fuck did the mass-manipulator murderer agree faster than this dumbass?
In the end, after a fist fight that Liam definitely won lost, Brett agreed to help. Since he told Brett, Brett naturally then told Lori, in which the conversation ended with a firm swear and agreement that no matter what, Lori was to get out safely and unharmed, and if that agreement were to fall through or break, Liam was dead. Whether it be due to the hunters, or Brett.
So, the plan was set.
Mason would mark out a map for everyone Scott wanted, using intel Corey gathers from camouflaging in meetings Nolan would attend with the hunters. Nolan would then, after dropping Corey back off at Liam’s house (where Mason was using Liam’s room as a headquarters since his parents were out of town to attend a con for doctors or whatever), meet back up with Liam and the rest of them, and catch them up on weapon and attack plans. Scott and the older members would discuss among themselves the best course of action, meanwhile Deaton and Peter were briefing the rest of them on how to quickly treat wolfsbane-laced wounds and side effects in case things started taking turns for the worse. Peter had also explained worst-case-scenario escape routes that he’d adjust and change if needed once they got the updated maps back from Corey and Mason, along with scribbled addresses of other Druids who offered to help. Theo nodded along, giving in other helpful things he had learned from his time with the [redacted].
Stiles and Derek would then explain everything they discussed to the rest of them, explaining in both a way Lori and Nolan would understand, and also a way the werewolves and chimera would understand. Stiles was the one to figure out what was best for Nolan’s survival, and Lori’s safety, and Derek would give survival tips for those with enhanced abilities and certain tricks that could give them the higher ground in dire situations.
Once those conversations were done and they got the maps, it was now the most stressful part in Liam’s opinion: Figuring out who would be best where.
Scott and Allison were paired with Nolan. They were conveniently placed near most of the cars, in between a heavily wooded part of the preserve and the old well. So Scott argued that they would have a better advantage point, given that they could be somewhat well-hidden. Allison had also specifically asked for Nolan because he seemed really handy with weaponry and would know how to quickly reload and regather if needed. That was Group One.
Group Two consisted of Malia, Lori, and Lydia. Brett seemed extremely hesitant with the pairings, but Lori was beaming with joy. She always spoke highly of how cool Malia being a werecoyote was, constantly talking the ears off of Brett and various members of Satomi’s pack about how brave Malia was surviving in the wild. And Lydia? Oh don’t even get her started on how insanely jealous she is that Lydia is a banshee. Brett visibly relaxed when Lydia assured him that she’d be fine, and how if they did manage to get found from where they were stationed, Lydia would just have to scream, which would cause Stiles, Derek, and Parrish to run in as backup. He whispered some things to Lori, which Liam assumes was along the lines of “be safe, and watch your back.” and after that, you couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face despite the circumstances of the dire situation they were in.
The mention of Stiles and Derek leads into the technical Group 2.0. They aren’t technically their own group, but an extension of Group Two. They are there in case shit goes absolutely haywire, like the locations of Lydia, Malia, and Lori getting exposed or found. They were located closer to the Nemeton, whereas Lydia’s group would be stationed a bit deeper into the woods. They were tasked with making sure the Nemeton doesn’t manage to get used again, and would act as the meeting place if everything went well. They weren’t originally going to have any of the younger betas with them, but after carefully worded whispers, they asked if Brett could be with them. That way, Brett could easily get to Lori and get her out if needed.
Which leaves Group 3, the final group. It consisted of Kira, Theo, Liam, and Parrish. When Scott got word of Theo getting pulled out of hell, he was fucking livid. The older pack refused to admit it, but Theo and him made an extremely impressive team. Kira was the one who asked for Liam, which made his skin crawl, because it meant she knew he was the one who took the sword. When Scott mentioned Theo would also be with them, Parrish seemed to stare a hole into the chimera’s soul.
Hellhound. Shit. Liam was starting to feel like these placements were a bit more planned then he was let in on. “One wrong move Raeken, and this time the skinwalkers won’t be the only ones wanting you to rot.” Kira snickered as she walked by, placing her sword onto the clinic table.
He suddenly understood why Theo’s stance and façade was faltering when he picked up the faintest cusp of a growl next to him.
Deaton was quick to change the conversation at that point, asking if everyone was ready and if anyone had any questions. Everyone was set, and after a few questions from Lori’s anxiousness finally settling in, Deaton got her to breathe and reassured her that nobody in that room would let her get hurt, even if they weren’t physically at the preserve with her.
Liam took a deep breath before everyone went out to the various cars they’d taken, some ditching their own cars for convenience. He tried to push down the sinking feeling he had in his stomach, reassuring himself mentally that it was a normal feeling, or a somewhat normal feeling in his case, considering he was about to partake in a supernatural war, and his poor mother and stepdad were a few states away, completely and utterly unaware that they may return home to an empty house and a dead son.
“-Whenever I get anxious, I try to think of my favorite song lyrics, and I try to attach them to what I’m feeling. It helps ground me.” Nolan chimed in with, disrupting the spiraling multitude of thoughts making their laps around the beta’s brain.
“I don’t see how that’ll help in my situation.” Liam snarked back, too stressed to try dealing with Nolan’s shit.
Nolan backtracked immediately, apology falling from his lips. “Sorry, you were just kinda…anxiously standing there. I figured it was bad enough that a human was able to sense it. I’m also the last person you probably want to call you out on it.”
Liam didn’t drop his tone, but it was evident that he did care, even if it was just a miniscule amount. “What else helps you?”
“...thinking about my grandma.” Liam stared back at him with an amused look, and the boy’s face flushed a soft pink. “It sounds weird, but she’s been one of the few constants in my life. When my parents kicked me out, she let me move in and cut my parents off. When I was getting passed between schools like a cursed object in a thrift store, it just gave her an excuse to fight my therapists and advocate for me. I just remind myself that every Tuesday, she’ll be waiting for me at home, a cup of tea for herself, and a hot chocolate for me, waiting for me to tell her about the previous week I’ve had.”
The beta’s expression had softened as he let his head hang, his tone less hostile than before. “You got kicked out?”
Nolan tried not to make his surprise at the question known when he responded. “Yeah. When I was about…thirteen or fourteen? Maybe? My mental health basically deteriorated. It’d been bad for a bit, but wow, did it just- get so bad one day. I’d been on so many meds, and my parents were losing money fast. I had been at school that day, and I, at some point, just stopped getting up. I just sat at my desk in math with my head down, completely unresponsive despite being conscious and all. They called my parents, but they were so far in debt they couldn’t do anything. I don’t remember how I got home, but at some point I had gathered all my things after a huge screaming match, and managed to make it to my grandma’s place an hour’s walk away. Turns out I was dissociating quite badly, and It took days for me to finally get my grasp back on reality again.”
“..and that’s why you were so susceptible to Monroe’s manipulation. You’ve been just a silent bystander to supernatural insanity since you transferred here...you thought you’d actually get help, but she just used you.” Liam’s voice was smaller than he’d expected to come out, feeling the queasiness creeping its way out of his stomach again.
“Bingo.” the boy responded, concerningly calm in an unfavorable situation. “...We should get going now.”
“Yeah.” The beta whispered in response, nodding hesitantly as he started processing the new information, and the newly-changed outlook on the boy now walking towards Allison’s car.
The feeling of dread consuming his thoughts was now just a faint whisper in his mind, but the unease in his stomach kept rising with every step Nolan took.
“Nolan?” Liam called out after a second, watching him pause and turn back towards him. He didn’t need a verbal response to know he was listening, which was different. “What lyrics do you think of when you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and worried while simultaneously having adrenaline in your veins?”
He could see him think for a moment before responding.
“Run, Rabbit. Run, run, run.”
“Thanks, and I’m sorry…for everything.”
This time, Nolan’s expression was perplexed before he suddenly looked behind him at Scott and Allison, before turning back.
“Tell me that again when this is all over.”
-
Liam wishes he’d get that chance.
The war was over, or at least so he thought.
They were all exhausted, bruised, and bloodied by the time they heard Deaton and Peter make the calls over the radio, hearing the faint staticy-buzz hum when Scott and Derek confirmed from their stations too. At some point in the midst of the fighting, Theo and him had gotten separated from Kira and Parrish, who were now absolutely fucking nowhere to be found.They’d tried looking for them, calling out their names, but to no avail.
They continued heading to the meeting spot, the air feeling heavier the closer they got. Theo was the one to point out something was wrong, telling Liam to watch his surroundings in a hushed whisper.
He should’ve fucking listened.
Scott took them by surprise, cutting them off around the corner, looking worse for wear. His eyes were gaunt, making him look like he’d aged decades in the hours they’d been fighting.
“Scott-?” Theo asked, taking a step back. “We were just heading back.”
The alpha hesitated, before cutting to the chase. “They’re dead.”
“Kira and Jordan?” Liam assumed, nausea washing over him like waves crashing into rocks.
Scott shook his head, swallowing thickly. “Brett, Lori, and Nolan. They’re all dead.”
“Scott, you said nobody would fucking die-” Liam shuddered out, gaze swapping between Scoot’s unnerving calm demeanor, and Theo’s unease of the situation. His gut was screaming to speak, to trust, his alpha wouldn’t lie, but he couldn’t tell where Scott laid between the line of morality and mortality. “-if they’re actually dead, how’d they die?”
Silence.
“Scott, how did they fucking die?” he repeated, the waves of nausea morphing into a god-awful sense of dread and a tsunami of bile wracking his stomach.
Derek cut in, answering instead. “They are all unaccounted for, but based on the knowledge that we have, and what I’ve heard, there are bodies at the bottom of the well. We’re assuming Nolan is one of them. Stiles found another one at the Nemeton, and Lydia found a body while walking back here.”
“You never left the proximity of the well. How did Nolan die?” Liam retaliated, gaze fixated on Scott. He could hear Theo mutter something, a momentary palm on his shoulder, a beg to not delve into the uncharted waters.
“He got attacked by something, either bit, or scratched, I’m not sure-” Scott started explaining.
Strike one.
“-Allison and I didn’t see it, but we saw him covered in so much blood, and we heard it happen. He was acting different-”
Strike two.
“-He reacted to us, turning and trying to kill us, Liam. Nolan was no longer human. He was strong, and agile, and clearly knew our weaknesses. Allison and I had to push him down the well in self defense.” Scott finished, tears in his eyes as he scanned over Liam. “We couldn’t have known it was gonna happen.”
Strike three.
Liam fucking blacked out. He could hear so many screams telling him to stop, the impact of his fist caving into whatever he was targeting. His lungs burned and his ribs ached, but he couldn’t stop. Scott was a fucking liar. It doesn’t fucking matter if the deep crimson blood coating and staining the skin on his hands only belonged to Nolan, something about his tone and phrasing made Liam’s skin crawl. He was guilty.
Is this how Stiles felt when Theo was lying to him?
He would’ve heard Lydia’s scream if they died, wouldn’t he?
Did Theo not tell him because he knew it’d affect his fighting? “-Stop him! He’s breaking his jaw, Derek!” Lydia cried out.
His bones felt like they were breaking one by one, the anger spilling out causing his muscles to seize and tremble with every punch that landed.
His vision spun when he felt a hefty blow to the back of his skull, followed by four more when each one made his anger cloud his thoughts more, only then did the darkness win. Liam was out.
-
Lori thinks she should’ve stayed home today. Maybe she was a bit too blinded by working alongside people she idolized.
“-I’ll never have to see Theo again if this works out like Scott planned,” the werecoyote mentioned in passing to Lydia, who was leaning against a tree.
Yeah, she wants to go home.
She may not quite have the grasp on her senses like her brother and his friends do, but there is no mistaking the way she’s been treated like a pane of glass the past hour and a half, hearing things they thought she couldn’t. There were only one or two close calls with hunters, Malia handling them immediately, using the thrill of the attacks like she was injecting her veins with caffeine.
Other than those two close calls, Lori was dying a death of extreme boredom and anxiousness. She talked to Lydia once, getting a chirpy response that they’ll be able to leave soon, followed by a death glare towards Malia, and a small shrug in response.
Lori being tired was an understatement. She’d made peace with the talking like she wasn’t even there, nulling over the answers she’d gotten when they had first gotten to the preserve after she went on a huge tirade quizzing them on what it was like with their respective abilities. That’s why when she asked if she could take a small walk, she was surprised when they mindlessly told her not to go far, and handed her a radio.
See this wouldn’t usually pose an issue, but Lori is nearly 15 and really wants to make sure her brother isn’t dead and rotting in a ravine somewhere. What she failed to add into the equation, is the fact that the previous times she’s begged him to bring her with him to the preserve, Brett refused to let her go more than 4 feet away from his car.
She has no fucking clue what the Nemeton is, nor where she’d even begin to find it.
Lori walked for what felt like ages, mood picking up when she finally heard voices, even if they did not sound like happy ones.
It was Malia and Lydia. Lori had walked in a great-big-freaking-circle. She’s so done with this stupid place.
Her thoughts cut off when the loud hum of radio feed crackled to life, her own radio being eerily quiet.
“-Plan’s in motion. I managed to uncover the well while Allison distracted him with a reload. Do you still have eyes on Lori?” Scott’s voice filtered through the air.
What the actual hell.
“She talked too much and was getting antsy. Lydia handed her a radio and told her to go for a walk, but she should be back soon.” Malia responded.
“-See if one of you can get her back sooner. I already gave Stiles the clear, try to prevent her from going to the west. We need her far away from where Brett is. We don’t need more carnage-”
Lori took a step back, hearing the radio hastily click off, Malia’s eyes snapping up to where she was standing.
oh fuck
Oh fuck.
Oh Fuck-
Lori took off running, panic pulsing through her lungs as she felt eyes on her and footsteps following behind. Malia and Lydia followed her every move, constantly one step ahead and one step behind. Lori was being hunted by them.
She doesn’t know how long she ran for, or what supernatural beings decided to give her grace, but the next thing that happened was her foot getting caught in a tree root, a blood-curdling scream, and her body slamming into the solid, dirt ridden forest floor with too much force for it to be accidental.
Pained gasps were leaving her throat, the brute force of the fall weighing her whole body down as she writhed in response to it. Lori let out a sob, feeling like the strings controlling her limbs were pulled taut and tangled, leaving her to cope with the aftermath.
Brett found her sobbing in the fetal position, encased in a vine-covered clearing, as her body was trying to sew itself back together for the first ever, but never the last, time.
Brett pulled up carefully, siphoning her pain so her body wouldn’t be working as hard. It wasn’t long before she was more aware of her surroundings, spilling out as many words as she could as a desperate attempt to warn him, all of which he missed because of her words coming out as a jumbled mess.
“Lori, hey, breathe,” He said, holding her still and coaching her through taking a few deep breaths. “Okay, what happened, why are you way over here?”
“It was a trap, Brett. We should’ve never agreed to help,” Lori responded, restabilizing herself. “I overheard Scott on the radio talking about some plan, they’re going to kill us.”
Brett’s eyes widened, so Lori continued before he could cut her off. “Nolan’s gonna be pushed down the well, and I think your had something to do with that newton- neuron-”
“-nemeton?” Brett filled in, Lori nodding quickly.
“Yes, that- and earlier, Malia said she won’t have to worry about Theo either. I think we were lured here!- I was being chased and followed by them, but then I tripped- and now you're here. I was trying to find you, but I got lost,” she cried out, waiting for him to get mad, but they were cut off by twigs snapping.
Brett’s spine straightened, pulling Lori closer and keeping his voice low, quietly murmuring a plan to her.
She would follow the treeline around the well, and would wait approximately five minutes, and if when those five minutes ran out, she would run to Brett’s car and drive as far as the gas would take her.
Meanwhile, Brett would run to where the creek is, since it’s lower than it is in winter, he’d be able to enter the pipes from there. When he’s in the sewers, he’d beeline it to where the well drops into. He figured Scott purposely chose this time of year since the well would be nearly completely empty due to the creek not filling it up, and just used the wild hunt as an excuse since it just so happened to align.
The plan was set, and the clock was ticking.
By the time Lori could see the well, Nolan was trying to fight off Scott and Allison.
She looked away when she watched an arrow aimed at his face miss, squeezing her eyes shut as he cried out in pain. Lori felt nauseated when Scott and Kira cheered her on, hearing the boy’s body hit the ground after a harsh shove, followed by what she assumed was bones breaking. The air smelled awful, sour even, with a sickeningly-sweet taint quickly following the previous smell.
God, where the hell is Brett?
Lori couldn’t hear anything after a moment, hesitantly looking back, and saw Nolan’s near-limp body being treated like a welcome mat by various pack members. Clearly they’d gotten bored of that quick, Scott picking him up as Allison picked up the boy’s now-abandoned crossbow, whispering something just out of range before walking off with a smile signaling triumph. Lori’s breathing faltered, her head reeling as she tried to find a logical answer.
There wasn’t one.
Suddenly, everything moves slower as Lori watches in horror, unable to do anything as she’s forced to watch in horror, eyes refusing to break away from the scene unfolding in front of her, just past the treeline.
Scott’s shoving Nolan into the well, his body dropping like it was a bag of rocks.
Lydia’s scream echoes through the preserve, hollering cheers and threats to Monroe’s army that they’re losing being screamed into the void of the wildlife and nature surrounding them.
Followed by the most god-awful sickening sound reverberating out of the well, the sound of a loud [CRACK.]
Lori’s stomach lurched, shoving herself against a tree as her stomach started to forcefully empty itself into a pile of moss.
The pack never looked back.
-
A strangled sob escaped Brett’s throat as he caught Nolan, the boy barely being alive. He’d thought he had killed him at first, only realizing he was alive due to his extremely laboured breathing. He didn’t think twice before taking off running, holding his body close.
Lori.
Leave.
Run.
Were the only words repeating in his head as he made his way back out of the sewers. He ignored the burning of his lungs as he kept periodically checking that Nolan still had a pulse, praying that he wouldn’t run into any issues.
He managed to find Lori again, yelling to start running, desperation evident.
Lori was now being hunted for the second time that night, this time not alone.
“Is he-?” Lori questioned as they ran.
Brett failed to take a deep breath before he spoke, more focused on not stopping. “No, Not yet at least. Fuck we need to get him help soon though. It’s bad. Do you still have the keys?”
‘Yeah, We’re almost to the car- Oh fuck- Turn, turn, turn!” Lori pleaded, grabbing Brett’s arm, trying not to focus on how bad Nolan looked.
“Don’t cuss, Lori- Oh shit!” Brett hissed out as he was met by the sight of Stiles destroying his car, and accidentally alerted Parrish who was nearby. “Lori run!” he yelled as they sharply turned around, booking it in the other direction.
Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.
“Brett, how are we supposed to leave?” Lori cried, realizing that they didn’t have a car anymore, and they were probably gonna be surrounded or caught sooner than later.
Brett looked around panicking, before he spotted two familiar figures in a truck. “Go that way. Hurry,” he responded, as they made their way to Theo’s truck.
“Please,” Brett had begged to the universe.
-
Liam had woken up in the passenger seat of Theo’s truck, head throbbing as he tried to recall what had led to this.
“-I had to knock you out” Theo’s voice quietly filled the cabin of the truck. “Five times to be exact. You broke Scott’s jaw.”
“I did?” Liam questioned, voice barely above a whisper as the memories flooded back. “Shit.”
Theo shook his head, his eyebrow quirking as he did that weird observation thing Liam started to pick up on. “You surprisingly held it together more than I would’ve, however justified I think it would’ve been had you kept going, I couldn’t let you.”
Liam leaned his head back against the seat, letting the words sink in, readjusting his gaze when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. “What the fuck was that?” he asked, Theo tilting his head to look too.
He turned to look at Theo’s expression, only to be met with the same fear and confusion coating his own face.
Brett and Lori were running at their car, the older one looking over his shoulder, while simultaneously carrying a near-deceased Nolan in his arms.
Unspoken words filled the cabin of the truck, Theo unlocking the doors as Liam started urging them to climb in.
Theo floored it as soon as the door shut again, driving off with no destination in mind.
-
He could feel himself hit something hard, the wind getting knocked out of him and the way the nausea overtook his body. Nolan remembers hearing a gasp, followed by a strangled sob right before his mind started to succumb to the darkness, shock violently grasping onto and encasing his bones, a desperate final plea of survival as his consciousness snapped, soon being met with a deafening silence.
He didn't know how long he was out, nor did he really want to, but when he'd woken up, he was laying in the bed of Theo's truck, Brett taking his pain. He would never forget the sound that left the tall-statured werewolf when he'd flinched away, throwing himself off the edge of the truck and emptying his stomach onto the dirt.
He let his nails dig into the soft earth underneath him, his vision swimming as he dry heaved after emptying the little bit that had still been in his system. Nolan leaned against the nearest solid thing, which had happened to be Liam's leg. He had never moved so fucking fast, spewing out as many apologies and pleads as he fucking could.
Brett had been the one to speak first, apologizing to him, Theo and Liam following suit.
Nolan could feel the bile rising, arms wrapping around him and something was being pressed against him.
He knew Brett hadn't hugged him that day, nor did anyone else for that matter. They'd all known what he'd been through, knowing the feeling all too well. They knew he needed space.
He could feel his body relaxing a little, his eyes focusing again. He could feel someone's forehead against the nape of his neck, their breathing and whispers ghosting against his skin.
"-you're okay, I promise. In, hold, and out. Just like that. You're doing great Nolan." It was Liam, his quiet whispers surrounded him as he slowly came back to reality. His eyes stung as he blinked, feeling the tear tracks on his cheeks.
Nolan let out a sob, his shaky hands reaching out for Liam's shirt as he started to turn and maneuver himself in his arms so he'd no longer have to face the darkness. He was holding onto Liam's shirt as tight as he fucking could. Liam never let go.
When Nolan spoke, his voice was more scratchy than he was expecting, swallowing a few times trying to fix it. "Felt like- hic- like I was dying this time, could feel it all. Throat fucking hurts."
"Here, small sips." Liam reached over to the nightstand, handing him a small cup of water he'd grabbed earlier. Nolan carefully took a few small sips, handing it back afterwards and dropping his forehead to rest on Liam's shoulder again.
It didn't last long, Liam gently lifting Nolan's chin with his index. He didn't know why, but he let him do it anyway, slowly allowing himself to take a deep breath, already missing Liam's arms around him.
Liam moved his hands up so he could use his thumb to brush away the tears that were settling on Nolan's cheeks, his touch feather light. His eyes wandered to the boy's forehead, recognizing the scar at his hairline immediately. Liam continued letting his scan over every part of Nolan's face, stopping at every mark. He stopped when his eyes got to Nolan's left ear, breath catching as he hesitantly moved his hand and felt it between his pointer finger and thumb.
Liam pulled his hand away, lowering it until he was able to cradle Nolan's jaw, while his other hand dropped down to find the boy's hand. "I'm so sorry for what they did to you. Scott's number one rule was no killing, and the way-" Liam swallowed thickly, his own bile starting to rise at the memory. "-the way that Brett had been carrying you, and you were just, so fucking limp- I'm so fucking sorry. I'm so sorry Nolan." His voice broke, and he dropped his head as he blinked away the tears.
The realizations started to hit Nolan, the reason why Liam was always kind of distant but was also always somehow right there whenever something happened to him, the worried glances to Theo and Brett whenever he'd had a panic attack or got hurt, and the way Liam would constantly be up in the middle of the night despite him having the least amount of nightmares.
Liam, Scott's first bitten beta, completely and utterly blamed himself for Scott and Allison's actions. He's been constantly living with that guilt and self-blame since they'd left that night. Nolan realized Liam had left his family, home and pack because of how disgusted he was with their choices.
Nolan has never blamed Liam for his alpha's actions, but Liam doesn't fucking know that. He's been self blaming for months.
"I've never blamed you, Liam. You had no way of knowing Scott would shove me down the well with the intent of killing me. What I do know though, is that you stayed in the car and willingly left it all behind." Nolan kept his voice soft, giving time for the words to sink in before continuing, letting his thumb brush against the palm beta’s hand in his lap, feeling the raised and calloused scars. “-and please, stop punishing yourself because of the selfish actions of others.”
Liam chewed his cheek as the words sank in, heart breaking as he continued remembering what Allison and Scott had done to Nolan. He blinked back tears, dropping his hand down to the boy's jaw, and before he could, Nolan's lips were already gently pressing against his.
Nolan pulled back after a second, apology on his tongue, but Liam shook his head no. He was already leaning forward this time, catching Nolan's lips again in a slower kiss, hand cradling the soft skin of his jaw in return.
A few minutes later, Lori, Brett, and Theo walked in the door with breakfast, and the five of them ate in the comfortable silence they’d worked so hard to keep.
He’d tell them later that he saw himself die that night in the preserve.
For now, he’ll silence the wails his lungs crave to bellow out.