What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 11: Glass Bubbles

Notes: The next few chapters might be longer as we get closer to the finale!

Theo

Keeping watch on the hospital was largely uneventful until Lydia decided to walk out of the hospital and into the woods barefooted. Theo ran after her, but wasn't sure it was exactly safe to attempt to drag the banshee back into the hospital. Injured or not, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her screams.

Liam called Scott, his voice frantic. "Should we go after her?"

"Stay with my parents. We just finished with Deucalion. We'll find Lydia, what direction was she headed?"

"I dunno, toward the trees!" Liam shouted.

Theo grabbed the phone from Liam. "Northwest. She was heading toward the ravine. Start at the north edge of the forest, and you can probably track her scent from there."

"Thanks," Scott said, his tone curt before hanging up.

"How did you know that?" Liam asked.

Theo shrugged. "When I'm a wolf, I have to be able to figure out the direction based on my surroundings and where the sun or stars are. It's not rocket science."

They made their way back into the hospital, but Liam's gaze was still trained on him.

"What?" Theo asked.

"Turning into a wolf ... is it something you can teach?" Liam asked.

The corner of Theo's mouth twitched up at the mere thought of being able to transform with Liam. To run wild and free with him in the middle of nowhere.

"I dunno, it's pretty complicated. I've been doing it forever, and I probably couldn't even remember the basics anymore—" Theo couldn't keep up the fake excuses because Liam had jutted out his bottom lip, and it was melting the damn heart in his chest.

"Yes, Little Wolf, I can teach you," he said, bumping his shoulder against Liam's. Scott's mother was at least awake now, and the FBI had request that his father was going to be transferred to another hospital in the morning.

It was another few hours before Isaac and Argent showed up with a dirt-covered Lydia in tow. Liam leapt up from his chair and offered her his hoodie, but she declined.

"I need a shower. I've seen a lot of dead bodies, but that one..." she shivered and made her way into her room.

Theo and Liam both looked to Isaac.

"What did you find out there?" Liam asked.

Isaac sucked his teeth. "Have you ever seen a skinless, faceless body stripped down to the muscle before?"

Theo's stomach churned, and Liam shook from head to toe as if wishing he could rid the image from his brain.

"Wait, does that mean—"

Isaac nodded. "The Anukite's other half has a new face."

"And it could be anybody," Theo said.

"It had a pack tattoo, and Malia pulled a phone off the body," Isaac told them. "Scott's hoping we can figure out their identity between the two."

"Please tell me that's a tomorrow problem," Theo said. Today hadn't been quite as bad as the previous few days, but he was ready to not be on guard duty anymore.

"Yeah, you guys go get some rest. Argent is meeting me here, and we'll keep an eye on them until morning," Isaac said, placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. It was a casual, friendly gesture, but it still sent a flash of jealousy running through Theo's every nerve. "Make sure Scott sleeps, okay?"