Who’s a character that didn’t deserve their fate?

📣ANTHONY DIMMOND!

I will die on this motherfucking hill!!

#JusticeForAnthonyDimmond #HannibalDidHimDirty in so many ways! 😉

Seriously, not his fault he’s not Will! At least H rocked his world!

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 53

Chapters: 53/? 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 feels sad at their current situation and is in desperate need of some good news. And then a mysterious letter arrives...

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Liam was having a headache. He had sat down at the dining table to get some reading done for his classes and he finished a large part but now his eyes were burning, too tired from the small font and the bright color of his highlighter. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. When a can of Coke was placed next to him, he jumped.  “You look like you’re about to pass out. I’ve never seen you so pale,” Brett explained his action. “Drink.” Liam blinked against the dots dancing in front of his eyes from rubbing them too hard and opened the can to take a sip. “Just having a headache,” he murmured once he swallowed.  “You’re all at sea, don’t even try to deny it. Sleeping on that couch is killing you.” Brett pulled a chair towards him and straddled it reversed. He braced his arms on the backrest and watched Liam.  “The couch is not the problem. It’s just a bit much lately.” Liam was trying to take Mason’s words to heart and be more open about how he felt and such.  “Don’t tell me. It fucking sucks. I’d love to be alone with Nolan for a little while so we can sort out if we are together or not but we just don’t have the opportunity when we’re home. We both don’t want to do it somewhere else, it’s a private matter.” "I feel you, Brett, I feel you.” Liam yawned and sipped his Coke.  Brett narrowed his eyes. “You’re still looking pale as fuck. Theo kills me if you faint right now. Go and lay down.” “I am fine,” Liam affirmed. “Just tired. The Coke needs a few moments to work but it will help.” He drank another sip. 

His phone beeped and he grabbed it to check the message he received. Lana had sent him a picture of Landon and Zack smiling brightly in the camera, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders. Since the two boys met they had become best friends and were inseparable. It was great to see Landon having a great best friend by his side and be the happy child he should be. The young Alpha smiled and turned the phone to show Brett the picture. Brett smiled as well. He was just as glad his cousin and his aunt were happy and didn’t live in an oppressive pack anymore.  "I’m happy I didn’t bring him back to Seattle. To think where a child would sleep currently, what a nightmare,” Liam muttered and placed his phone on the table again. “Everything happens for a reason. At the lake, he is happy at least. Although he keeps asking when we move again and he can come to visit me.” “You miss him, hm?” Brett put his chin on his arms and studied Liam. Liam hummed. “Yeah.”

He leaned his head against his chair and sipped his Coke again. His head still hurt. From the look Brett was giving him, he seemingly still looked as if he was about to pass out. “I’m fine,” he growled. Brett just scoffed.  Theo came home at that moment, alongside Sadie and Maya, and Brett pointed at Liam. “Great timing, now you can make sure your boyfriend is not falling off his chair.” “Why would he fall off his chair?” Theo questioned and put his bag down.  Maya glanced at Liam. “Jeez, you’re white as a wall, what’s up with you?” “I am fine!” Liam hated the scrutinizing looks from his Betas. “It’s just a headache. I already have something to drink.” He raised his can.  Theo came over and gently grabbed Liam’s chin. “She’s right, you are pale. Sure it’s just a headache?” “Yeah. Why do you worry?” “Because you are the love of my life,” Theo replied and kissed Liam softly.  It was a really sweet gesture and it gave Liam a kick to know they could have those little moments despite the chaos their life currently was. “I love you too,” he muttered against Theo’s lips. The older smiled.  “I know,” he answered and nudged Liam’s nose with his. 

****** The referee ended the game and Liam pulled off his helmet, let it dangle from his fingers. A curse fell from his lips and he huffed loudly. They had lost. Despite being positive and having faith in his team, the other team had been better and beat them fair and square. It sucked. “Chin, up, Liam! It was a good game,” Rod called over to his captain.  Liam scoffed. “We were not good enough,” he stated heatedly.  “No, hey, you did very well, the others were simply better today. Doesn’t mean you were not good.” “It’s just...” Liam ran a hand through his sweaty hair and looked at his lacrosse coach. “I really hoped we would have this one in the bag, you know? Something positive as a sign life’s on it’s way up again. But I guess karma just hates my ass or something.” “I can tell you are frustrated but don’t give up hope, okay? Good things happen to good people.” Rod gave him a friendly pat on the back.  “At this point, I’m in the need for a miracle. But miracles only happen in Hollywood movies and internet stories. My life is neither a movie nor a fanfiction, so I can’t really hope on a miracle.” Liam made a face.  “I wouldn’t say that. Good things happen to those who deserve it and I would testify you’re one of those people.” “Hm.” Liam stubbornly shook his head. He really could not believe this anymore. “That’s some Disney crap right there and I’m everything but a Disney Prince.” “I wouldn’t say that. You’re my Disney Prince.” Theo had appeared next to Liam. The young Alpha glared at him. “Stop making fun of me!” “I’m not making fun of you. Just trying to make you feel better.” He pulled Liam in a hug. “Sorry that you lost.” Liam grumbled but briefly hugged Theo back. It wasn’t his boyfriend’s fault that yet another thing failed. “I need to hit the showers. See you in a bit.” 

He stepped back and made his way to the locker room. On his way, he slung his arms around Sadie’s and Caden’s shoulders. Both looked as done as Liam felt.  “Losing sucks!” Sadie complained loudly.  “Tell me about it.” Caden was just as frustrated and disappointed as the other two. “I was so confident we would win this time. I don’t know what happened.” “Fate hates me and I was on the field with you, that’s what happened,” Liam grumbled with a stormy look on his face.  Sadie stopped walking and pushed her palm against his chest. “Okay, first of all, you are a great guy, I can’t see how anyone would hate you. Second of all, if fate hates anybody, it’s all of us because we all played.” Liam just gave her a tired look. “Leave it, Sads, I’m really not in the mood for another pep talk.” And he just dragged Caden in the locker room with him, Sadie’s indignant huff behind him ignored. 

****** “Am I feeling sorry for myself?” Liam asked. He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall of Isaac’s apartment outside on the balcony.  “Yeah,” Isaac agreed and took a sip from his beer. He sat next to Liam and had his legs stretched out in front of him. “But that is allowed. Your currently not the luckiest guy.” “I feel like I should do more, you know?” Liam sipped on his own beer. It was just slightly laced with wolfsbane, nearly not enough to get him drunk but it was more the sentiment. “To help my pack gain money and find a new home.” “What else do you want to do? Liam, you are doing everything you can. It is freaking hard to go on when you hit rock bottom, take it from someone who knows that more than well, and sometimes the only success you have is not giving up. You’re not giving up. That’s what matters.” “I’m still unemployed and my boyfriend works his ass off in a sleazy Diner.” Isaac sighed and pointed his bottle at Liam. “You know when things go south? When one of you starts turning tricks. Theo’s job is not good, we both agree on that one, but he’s also not seeling his ass. Neither are you or any of your Betas. And you’re all alive. As someone from Beacon Hills, that should put you in a positive mood.” “Oh, so the newest standard for how bad things are is prostitution? That’s constructive, Zac.”  He sipped his beer again and ignored the look Isaac gave him.  “Look, Liam, you asked if you feel sorry for yourself. Yes, you all do. It is actually important that you do. Because this is grief and grief has several stages. It’s not always caused by someone dying but by traumatic experiences. Only if you grief properly, you can heal. So, feel sorry for yourself, but then pick yourself up when time’s right and tackle life.” “I am drinking beer in the middle of the day. I’m not sure if this counts as picking myself up.” But it had been one of those days, one of the worst. He had lost an argument in class, had gotten in a discussion with one of his Professors, spilled coffee over himself, and had gotten yet another decline from a job he had applied to. Isaac had taken one look at Liam when the younger dragged himself back to the apartment and fell on the couch before he had offered the beer to Liam.  “Hm, some days this is allowed.” Isaac drank again. He swallowed and was quiet for a while. “When I was in France, I felt lost. Not only because I had never been to France before but because of everything that happened. It was never real grief though, always simmering underneath. I thought that was how it would be. I wasn’t and I’m still not overly good with feelings so it kind of worked for me. And then one day it hit me. I woke up and I couldn’t go on. Getting out of bed was hard. How I managed it in the end, I had no idea. All I could think about was Allison, the remaining pack in Beacon Hills, how it would never be the same, how I would never see her again. It crashed over me like an avalanche and there was nothing I could do about it. I hit rock bottom. That night, I got so fucking drunk, I have no idea what happened. The last thing I know was that I grabbed my bottle of I think it was wolfsbane-vodka and staggered through the streets bawling my eyes out. Next morning I woke up in a park. I was reeking like a tavern, my clothes were dirty, and my head hurt, but despite all this, I felt better. Not because of the alcohol but because for one night, I let go and allowed myself to break down. It took a while longer after that but I continuously got better.”

Liam tilted his face towards the sun and closed his eyes. “Basically, your advice is to get wasted and cry my eyes out before sleeping in a park.” Isaac sighed deeply. “Seriously, comments like that make me see that you’re Theo’s boyfriend. Same cynicism.” “Well, his cynicism as you called it, is one of the things I felt drawn to.” Liam snickered. “That and his abs. And his ass. And his spirit. How great he was in fights. How he managed to get under my skin. Did I already mention his ass?” Liam sighed internally. Speaking of all the qualities his boyfriend possessed reminded him how long it was since Theo and he had been alone for a while. A shame. The twenty-year-old sighed and got to his feet. “I will go for a run now. And then I’ll take a shower, preferably a cold one. Mason and Maya declared themselves in charge for dinner tonight.” “As long as Theo doesn’t bring what he calls food from his workplace again, I’m fine with everything.” “It’s funny how everybody hates their food and they still make money with it.” Liam snickered when he slipped inside the apartment to change into workout clothes. He really hoped his run would help him feel a little bit better about himself.

Turned out, the run didn’t really help to lift Liam’s spirits but when he returned back to the apartment he found Theo sitting in one of the leather seats in the entrance hall. “Hey,” the older greeted when he spotted Liam.  “Hey. What are you doing down here?” Liam asked curiously.  Theo shrugged. “Needed to get out of the apartment for a while. Gotten a little crowded.” Oh, how Liam could understand that. “We really need a new place to stay.” “We do,” Theo agreed and held out a chocolate bar for Liam. “Here, got this for you.” “Why does everybody feel the need to give me food or drinks recently? Do I look like I need feeding?” “It’s with coconut. You like coconut and chocolate makes people happy. Is not much but maybe it helps you a little bit.” “Aw.” Liam doubted it would help but Theo had tried and therefore, Liam leaned down and kissed his mate. “I love you.” “I love you too. Are you going to the apartment?” “Yeah, I need a shower.” Liam avoided sniffing at himself, what he already smelled was enough. Theo got to his feet and slung his arm around Liam’s shoulders. “I’ll accompany you.” “If you’d rather stay down here, it’s fine, you know?” “No, I had a little break, that’s enough. I love the pack, is not like I want to avoid them.”

The couple stepped into an elevator and Theo pressed the button for Isaac's floor. His other arm stayed around Liam’s shoulders and his thumb stroked the naked skin on Liam’s shoulder. Liam dressed in a tank top helped him immensely with that.  “I got another negative answer for a job,” Liam filled his mate in while they rode the elevator up. “They really don’t know what they’re missing. Their loss. You will find a job where people appreciate you and want to work with you. Meanwhile, we all appreciate you, Alpha.” “Thanks, T.” Liam pecked Theo’s cheek and wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist. “You know this means a lot to me, yeah? That you always support me and try to make me feel better.” “Well, doesn’t take a mindreader to see you’re not happy. Can’t blame you and I want to help you. What happened wasn’t your fault, Liam.” “I know that.” Liam squeezed Theo shortly then he let him go and pushed his hands in the pockets of his running shorts. “I’m just so fucking pissed. The hyenas destroyed our home and now they’re gone. If they had come to fight at least, I could have ripped them apart, but I was left with nothing. Fucking cowards.” “I’m pretty sure every single member of this pack, even Tim and Corey, are ready to rip those bastards apart. If they ever step foot in Seattle again, they’re history.” There laid the problem. The cowardy shifters had run away after they caused havoc with no intention to fight the pack. Liam didn’t think they would ever come back to Seattle. 

They arrived at their floor and made their way to the apartment. Once they stepped in, both Alphas were happily greeted by most of their pack. “Hey, guys.” Liam waved at his Betas. “I need a shower. Mase, Maya, after that, I can help you with dinner.” “Na, we’re fine. Take a shower and just relax or do your homework or whatever it is you want to do. We got it covered,” Mason called after him while Liam grabbed his spare clothes and then disappeared in the bathroom.  It was an actual miracle how so many people could live together and yet have such a clean bathroom. Then again, no matter how chaotic some of the pack members were, no one wanted a dirty bathroom so they all had an unspoken agreement to keep it clean. That and the kitchen, also that was more Liam’s rule than anything else. Theo found it highly amusing that Liam always kept the kitchen clean but was hopelessly chaotic when it came to everything else. Liam always defended himself in saying being chaotic wasn’t the same as being dirty. It was one of those talks where they both said the same thing but with different words and Theo got his amusement out of it by pretending he was not understanding what Liam was expressing. He was an asshole and Liam loved every part of him and would never let him go. 

Liam stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. He only used a little bit of the warm water and used mostly cold water. Somehow Liam liked cold showers, especially during the summer. Mason once had the misfortune to use the shower after Liam and had shrieked at the temperature of the water when he just turned it on. Corey had doubled over with laughter when his husband literally jumped out of the shower and yelled profanities in Liam’s direction. It had been funny but then again proved how used they all had gotten to the house. The Alpha couple had their own bathroom and Theo was used to Liam’s cold showers. Now that they all had to share one bathroom, problems were bound to arise. Even though Liam was quite proud of how his pack handled them and that there were not many fights involving the bathroom use. 

Liam finished his shower lost in thoughts. He knew Isaac had no problem with them staying here but they could not live like that much longer. And maybe Nolan’s mom was right and they had to accept living together was not an option at the moment. Maybe they got lucky and could get dorm rooms in close vicinity.

He got dressed and then dried his hair with a towel before he exited the bathroom again and made his way into the kitchen. Most of the pack was gathered there and currently wrapped in a discussion.  Isaac was currently speaking. “Of course, there will be insurance but since Mike brought the house with his parent’s money, the insurance money will go to his parents as well. We already covered that. I can’t think of any way you will get access to that money, especially since Mike’s bank account is still frozen by his parents.” “But can’t we like lie or something?” Corey inquired.  Theo snorted. “I’m pretty sure that would be insurance fraud. Technically, Mike’s parents bought the house. It’s only fair in terms of law they get the insurance money.” “You care about law and Mike’s parents getting what’s fair?” Mason could not believe his ears.  Theo shrugged. “I can scam people but insurance fraud is not my strength. Besides, what is this? Ocean’s Eleven? Are you already planning a heist?” Liam cut in before Mason could even start to delve into that fantasy. “We are not getting money by any criminal action. Also, not by prostitution.” His Betas stared at him dumbfounded. “When was prostitution ever on the table?” Maya asked hesitantly.  “I mean,” Sadie played with the tips of her ponytail. “People surely would pay money for you, Liam, but when was this considered?” Theo flashed his eyes. “It wasn’t! That’s not even on the table! Like ever!” “Yeah, that’s what I said.” Liam gently reached out and ran his fingers over Theo’s hand.”Calm down.” “Sorry but my wolf goes crazy just even imagining somebody else touching my mate like that. No! Nope! Not going there!” He vehemently shook his head. 

There was a knock on the door and Ever waved her hand to telekinetically open it. Caden strolled in, followed by Lori and Brett. All three were happily greeted by everyone else. Even though some of the Betas slept at Caden’s dorm room, it was nice to have everyone gather at Isaac’s apartment and be together for a few hours per day.  Lori carried the mail she had gotten from the house and sorted through it while he stepped into the kitchen. “Most is just flyers and ads but there is one letter for you, Liam. Looks important.” She handed the cream-colored envelope over and Liam frowned. He didn’t expect any letters and he surely did not expect such expensive looking letters. There was a blue logo with silver writing on the left upper corner of the envelope. “Ebstein and McArvey? Sounds like lawyers. No idea who they are.” Mike looked up from his phone. “They are lawyers. High-profile ones. My parents’ company used to work with them.” Liam visibly paled at that and Theo gave him a sharp look. “What did you do that requires a lawyer?” He asked suspiciously.  Liam shook his head. “I didn’t do anything!” He glanced at Mason. “What we did at the junkyard was legal, right?”  “Of course it was,” Mason hurried to confirm. He paused, then he added: “Also, those guys won’t hire a lawyer, they would send somebody.” Corey sighed. “That was the most unsettling sentence you said in a long time.” He shook his head when Mason glared at him. “Way to go, baby, way to go.”

Liam meanwhile opened the letter with shaking hands. He had done nothing wrong, why would a lawyer write a letter to him? He had tried to be good so badly, had done his best to not turn into the Liam he once was, the one destroying things in his rage, and now such a letter. It scared the shit out of him and his heart beat furiously against his ribcage. What if he was getting sued? How was he supposed to handle this financially?  Inside the envelope was a letter written on the same paper as the envelope itself and with the law firm’s logo right on top of the page.  “Do you want one of us to read it?” Ever offered empathetically when she saw how bad Liam was shaking. Brett reached out and put a hand on Liam’s shoulder, gave it a squeeze.  “No, it’s fine. I’ll just read it aloud.” Liam grimaced. He felt like he was going to throw up at any moment. He took a shaky breath and unfolded the letter completely. Then he began to read:

“Dear Mr. Dunbar,

we are contacting you on behalf of one of our clients. Our client tasked us with organizing a meeting between him and you in our office here in Washington D.C. to discuss some business matters. Please understand that for now, we will honor our client’s privacy and you can only contact us but be assured all correspondence will be forwarded to the client. 

Accommodation and travel costs will be taken care of; if you confirm the meeting a train ticket and a booking confirmation for a hotel will be sent to you immediately. 

Since this is a business meeting and you haven’t reached the age of twenty-one yet, we also invited your mother Ilona to the meeting. Her hotel and travel costs will also be taken care of.

To confirm the meeting, please send me an email with your phone number in case of any questions. For further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Kind regards,

Cordelia Apscort Personal Assistant George Ebstein [email protected]”

Then came the date when the meeting should take place, her phone number, and the address. Liam blinked. What? “That is a trap! I know a trap when I see one!” Sadie pointed at the letter. “Surely, those hyenas are behind that. They want to lure you in and then attack! It has to be a trap!” “Why does it have to?” Maya asked. “The law firm exists, it could also be legit. I don’t think those cowards would go such lengths to lure Liam out of town.” “Liam, do you know anybody who could work with this law firm?” Isaac questioned. Liam shrugged his shoulders.  “I’m drawing a blank here. I also don’t know what business anyone could talk about with me. Theo’s majoring in business, not me. But it also doesn’t feel like a trap to me. I’m confused. That doesn’t make any sense.”

It sparked a vivid argument between the whole pack about the letter and what it could mean, if it was a scheme to hurt Liam, what he should do about it.  “Can I say something?” Mike suddenly questioned. Liam glanced at him and gave a curt nod. “Those lawyers are great at what they do and they are expensive as hell. Their clients are rich, companies making millions per year, CEOS, stockbrokers, you get the idea. I don’t think those hyenas are rich enough to actually get these lawyers to set up a trap. Even if they had the money, I don’t think the law firm would put their reputation on the line like that. It doesn’t make sense to me.” “I hear what you’re saying and I concede it is logical but I also don’t know anybody rich enough to hire them. I just don’t. So either this is a trap or somebody is actually suing me for something.” Liam put his elbows on the counter and buried his face in his hands. “Maybe I’m going to jail.” “If you were going to jail the police would have shown up here. Also, there would have been a trial. You’re not going to jail.” Bless Theo and his logical mind. 

Liam peeked between his fingers. Then he pushed himself up. “Where’s my phone?” “On the table.” Tim hurried over to the dining table and gathered the device before bringing it to Liam. “What are you doing?” “Calling my mom. They invited her too, after all,” Liam explained and dialed Ilona’s number. It took five rings and she picked up. “Liam, sweetie, I was about to call you.” “Is it because of the letter from those lawyers.” Liam was not even asking. He didn’t have to. “Yes. What is going on, baby?” “I have absolutely no idea. I got this letter today and it makes absolutely no sense to me. I hoped you could help me figure it out.” “Sorry, Liam, I’m afraid I can’t help you with this. They mention a business meeting but I have no idea what this could entail.” “Huh.” Liam worried his lower lip. So far, they knew absolutely nothing and it was hard making a decision. Sure, he was curious, but he had also paid for curiosity in the past and it had made him wary. “Only one way to find it out, I guess.” “You’re actually considering this?” Ilona and Theo asked at the same time. Theo was shocked, Ilona merely surprised.  “Yeah, I mean, what else can I do? To find out what this is about, I have to travel to D.C. and attend the meeting.” Theo raised both shoulders. “Okay, I’m coming with you then.” “No, you’re staying here,” Liam stated. Instantly their mating bond tensed and Theo got a stormy look on his face.  “The fuck I’m staying.” Liam ignored his boyfriend for now. “Mom, what do you think?” “I think given what you’re usually against it is risky. But I will also be the first person to support you and accompany you to a real business meeting. It could go both ways, but I will be there, baby.” “Great. I will call you later, okay? For now, I have to settle this because Dore looks seconds away from sending me to Eichen House. Love you.” He hung up and returned Theo’s stormy glare with a raised eyebrow of his own. “What?” “If you believe I’m letting you travel to D.C. alone, then yes, you belong to Eichen House.” Theo snapped. “I’m totally on Theo’s side this time,” Mason declared. 

Liam pushed away from the counter and wandered into the living room area. He turned around again to face his pack. “It could be a trap aimed at making us split up. If one part of the pack comes with me, the hyenas could attack the other part staying here. You’re stronger if you all stay together.” “And if they attack you?” Nolan questioned. “I’m the Alpha, that is a risk I have to take.” He saw how absolutely not okay his friends were with this and hurried to explain his reasons. “Look, you are right, I could walk right into a trap and a potentially deadly fight. But it could also leave my pack in danger if we split. I’m the Alpha and maybe because of the Alpha spark, those thoughts pop into my head. I can’t shake them. Try to see things from my perspective, okay? How am I supposed to decide who comes with me? Do I take the strongest Betas and leave the others behind? This is not me rating you, you all have your strengths and weaknesses, but what am I supposed to do? Do I take Sadie and Mike, the strongest ones? Do I take Ever who can cast spells and make everything go up in flames or do I let her stay in Seattle for protection and defense? Do I take Theo, so if something happens this pack has no Alpha anymore? I’m aware you all are confident and can survive on your own, this is not what this is about. And then, of course, is always the possibility of this being really just a business meeting.I’m sure the lawyers will love me walking in there accompanied by a hunter carrying several weapons with him.” All his reasoning proved popular with his friends and they nodded hesitantly. “But can’t you at least call some from the lake? Not to accompany you but to be around when shit hist the fan? Backup? You and your mom all alone in D.C. make me anxious,” Theo pleaded. It was strange to see and hear him do so but Liam got it. Still, he wasn’t sure if he should. "I don’t want to put them in danger.” “I swear to god, Liam Emerson!” Theo threw his hands up in frustration.  “Maybe you should talk about this later, when your emotions are not running so high and everything has settled a little bit,” Caden suddenly suggested. “And, this could always be something entirely normal. A business opportunity. Maybe a sponsor. Liam, didn’t you say yourself you needed a miracle?” “Miracles don’t happen in real life, Caden.” Liam scrunched his nose. 

****** In the end, Liam had confirmed the meeting and traveled to D.C. on his own. He would meet Ilona at the hotel and they would spend a pleasant evening, grab a bite to eat and then talk some before they would have the meeting the other day. If he was honest, Liam was anxious. He still suspected to get sued but for the life of him could not recall something he did recently that was worthy of suing him for. 

His farewell to his Betas had been kind of hard. It was strange to leave them, even for one night. Theo had hugged Liam especially tight and didn't let go for a while. “Please, come home to me,” he had whispered in his Alpha’s ear and Liam had hugged him tighter. They had kissed after that and then Liam had to go on the train. The whole ride he had spent running his fingers over the bracelet around his wrist or play with his pendant. He would return to Seattle tomorrow, it was plain ridiculous to act like that and yet Liam could not help himself. The last couple of weeks had been an emotional rollercoaster and their situation was still not getting better. And now he was on a way to a mysterious meeting. What happened to his normal werwolf college life from a year ago?

When he arrived at the hotel in D.C. Liam was surprised by how nice yet humble it looked. He had expected a luxurious hotel, given the law firm’s reputation, and he would have felt way out of place. But this one was a nice white building and the hotel colors were white and dark blue. Upon entering a friendly receptionist beamed at Liam and kindly asked for his name. While she searched on her computer, the young Alpha looked around. White marble floors and dark blue walls, a little seating area with grey armchairs and a round table. He liked it.  “There you go, your room is 523 on the fifth floor. Just take the elevator and then to the right.” She handed him his key card and Liam smiled gratefully.  “Thank you. Uhm, did my mother already check-in? Ilona Geyer?” She checked with her computer. “She did indeed. Her room is 516 on the same floor as yours. Enjoy your stay.” With a small nod and a wave, Liam grabbed his bag and then ventured for the elevator. He only wanted to put his bag in his room, shoot the pack a quick text and some pictures of the room, and then go visit his mother. He had missed her and needed to see her. 

The elevator didn’t take long and soon enough Liam found himself in front of his room. It occurred to him how he spent more times in hotels in the last year than in any other year before. Huh, how about that? But there was not much he could do about it and the aspect of sleeping in a real bed again, excited him. Sure, not sleeping next to Theo would be awful but he would manage this for one night if it meant a real mattress and not a couch.  “Oh, this is pretty,” escaped him when he unlocked the door and stepped in. Dark blue carpet and walls, highlighted with some white and stone gray. His way into the room led him past the little bathroom, completely kept in white and just with blue towels, and then right in front of the bed. Two chairs stood in front of the window, a highly polished desk, and the kingsize bed held the same colors as the company logo. Liam pulled out his phone and filmed a 360 of the room before he sent the video to his Betas alongside a small message. Soon enough his phone dinged with messages where his family gushed how pretty this room was. With a smile, Liam pocketed his phone again, grabbed his keycard and then made his way towards his mother’s room. 

Ilona opened after the second knock. It took her one look at her son and her warm smiled turned sad. “Oh my baby, the last weeks have been hard for you, hm?” She could always see right through him and with his mother in front of him, Liam broke down. He stepped closer and hugged her while he burrowed his face against her shoulder and began to cry. He had been shaken so badly by almost getting killed, becoming homeless, and with his mother around he could finally let loose.  Ilona embraced him after she tossed the door shut. Her hands ran over his back. “It’s okay, baby, I know how tiring always being strong can be. Let it all out. I’m here.” She held him and never wavered, gave her son the shoulder to cry on he needed. Yes, his pack had been there, but they all had to work through the trauma of their house exploding, so Liam had kept back. He was the Alpha, even if he promised Mason to be more open. More open and completely open were two different things. 

It took a while until Liam calmed down and pulled away. He wiped his eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I now understand what you’ve been through after the divorce and what you did for me. I can never repay you that” “Liam.” She stroked his hair. “Never say sorry for crying and showing your feelings. It makes part of who you are, you don’t have to hide. And what I did back then was something I should have done years earlier. But I did it and I did what I had to do for my family, just like you did what you had to do for your family. You don’t have to repay me anything, just seeing the man you are today, is reward enough.” They settled in the chairs in front of the window. Liam inhaled and exhaled deeply. “It just feels like nothing is going my way right now. I can’t get a job and I don’t know why. Theo is helping me but he is also driving me crazy. The others have days when they are just hopeless because we have no money. I don’t know what to do.” “Are you and Theo fighting?” “No. We did that too but he is doing his best he can to make me feel better. He just has this job in this dirty Diner and it makes me cringe every time I think about it. We rarely talk about this topic cause when we do, we fight.” “You don’t want him working there?” “It’s in a bad neighborhood. He can heal faster but I don’t want to have him around drug deals and robberies.” “And you have told him that?” Ilona nodded.  “He is stubborn. No matter what I say, he will continue working there.” Ilona smiled softly. “Maybe that is his way of taking care of you. He’s putting himself in danger so you don’t have to. It’s is debatable if this is a good way but maybe you can see it from his perspective?” Liam groaned. “I’d rather have him somewhere safe,” he sulked. Ilona reached over and patted his hand. “I know you two will find a compromise you both can love with and not fight about.” “Hm, maybe this business meeting turns out real and I get a good opportunity. Who knows?” “Still no idea what this could be about?” Ilona frowned. Liam shook his head. “Your father and I racked our brains but we could not come up with anything. “ “Guess we have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure. Hey, mom, if things go south tomorrow, just know I will get you out, okay? Nothing will happen to you.” His mother took Liam’s hand in hers. “I have no doubt in you wanting to protect me. But I need you to know I can take care of myself. It is my job to protect you.” “But I have the claws and the fangs,” Liam argued back.  “And I am a mother protecting her son. You don’t know what we can do in those situations. Don’t test me, sweetie.” Liam chuckled. His mom was as crazy as him because she was absolutely sincere about what she was saying. He got that from her. 

“Now, come on, let’s grab something to eat. I’m paying. You keep your money together so don’t even start arguing with your mother, Liam.”

****** The hotel bed was comfy but Liam could not fall asleep. He missed the warm body of his mate next to him, the way Theo’s arms wrapped around him, he missed Theo’heartbeat lulling him to sleep and he missed running his fingers through Theo’s hair. It simply wasn’t the same when the older was not around and now they were miles apart. 

His phone chimed with an incoming text and Liam reached over to grab it. Theo had messaged him asking if he was still awake and just after Liam replied that yes, he was awake, his phone light up with an upcoming video chat. He accepted and Theo smiled at him.  “Hey, baby.” “Hey.” Liam propped himself up on his pillow and waved softly. “Can’t sleep either?” “No, you’re missing.” Theo sat outside on the balcony, the apartment behind him dark. The other seemed to be already sleeping.  “I miss you too.” Liam didn’t know how he could express how much he did.  “Did you have a nice evening with your mom?” “Yeah, we found a great seafood restaurant, she paid. Would not even let me pay the dessert. Stubborn woman.” “Pot, kettle, you know?” Theo smirked. Then he suddenly turned solemn. “Hey, I know we had our difficulties lately. The situation isn’t easy by any means and I know you don’t like my workplace. I didn’t make things easier for you, even though I certainly tried to. Do you think we could mend that went you get back home? Maybe go on a date or just spend more time together without arguing? I really miss that with you.” Theo had perfectly summarized the feelings Liam had too and he smiled sadly. “I feel the same way. Yes, I’d love to implement date night again. It will be good for both of us. And Theo?” “Hm?” “I know you’re trying. I’m trying too.” His mate smiled lovingly at him. “I know you do. Lee, I cannot tell you enough how much I love you. You are wonderful and I will do everything I can to fight for us and make you smile again.” “I love you so much. Just stay with me and we will find a way to make it all work and be happy again. I just could never be happy without you.” The look Theo gave him was full of love and promise. They would make it work.  “If someone can, then we, Lee.” “Yeah.” They just smiled at each other before Theo yawned. “Sorry.” “Nah, it’s okay. It’s late, you should go to sleep. I know you have an early shift tomorrow morning.” “You know my schedule better than I do.” “Yeah, because I need to know when to send the guardian angel watching over you.” “Aww.” Theo scrunched his nose. “Sap.” “Go to sleep, asshole.” Liam grinned and flipped the camera off. Theo blew him a kiss and Liam rolled his eyes but then blew a kiss on his own. “And now it’s getting corny and I’m saying bye now.” They probably hung up simultaneously and Liam put the phone on the nightstand before he snuggled in bed once more. 

****** Liam was surprised that it was possible but his anxiety over this meeting had doubled in the morning and now increased tenfold. His mom and he had arrived at the office and the receptionist had led them into a conference room before she told them to wait. And now they sat here and waited for the inevitable. He was far too nervous to look around and take everything, too busy to play with his fingers and not vibrate out of his chair because he was shaking so hard. Ilona squeezed his leg in silent support and gave him a soft smile but that didn’t help. 

And then the door opened and two men stepped in. One wore a tailored dark blue suit and held himself incredible straight, the other wore jeans and a sports jacket over a simple shirt. The one in the suit looked in his mid-fifties, the other man was a bit younger than Ilona. Both greeted Liam and his mother with a handshake.  “Thank you so much for coming, Mr. Dunbar. Mrs. Geyer, thank you for also accepting the invite. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Chadwick Aurel, this is my lawyer Mr. Ebstein,” the younger man introduced himself and suit guy who nodded with a smile.  “Nice to meet you. Uhm, could you call me Liam? Mr. Dunbar doesn’t sound like me at all.” Liam didn’t want to feel any more uncomfortable than he already was.  “Sure, no problem. Liam, it is. Please, have a seat and let us talk. I am sure you’re curious about why you were invited here.” “Curious is an understatement,” Liam confessed when he sat down again. Chadwick laughed.  “I guess we better get to the point then.”

He sat next to Liam and turned his chair so they were face to face. Mr. Ebstein had grabbed his briefcase and opened it to pull out a notepad and a pen. He gave Mr. Aurel a nod and then the man continued: “Liam, this is actually about your grandfather but since the man died it now comes to you. Do you know my company Aurel Tech?”  Liam shook his head and Ilona did too. “Aurel Tech is a large company operating internationally, founded by my father decades ago. My father and your grandfather were friends in college, back then when my father just had this idea of his own company. He had the dream and he worked forward to it but he was missing the money to fulfill his dream. It was your grandfather who helped him out and lent him the missing amount. It wasn’t too much around this time but my father was a humble man and he appreciated every penny. He was so overwhelmed by your grandfather’s gesture he promised he would pay your grandfather back after he made his own money with his own company. Your grandfather was a remarkable man himself and he replied that he knew his friend would pay him back but should first and foremost focus on his success.” Chadwick smiled softly. “My father was also stubborn and when he owed someone something, he was serious about it. To make sure the debt was not forgotten, he marked your grandfather down with 3 percent shares of certain parts of this company.”

“This is all nice,” Ilona said softly, “But why is this important for Liam? His grandfather was an amazing man, yes, but why is this so important right now?” “The company grew over the years and gained more and more reputation and clients. We cover several fields in the technology world today which we are very proud of. My father retired and I took over ten years ago. The reason why we invited you here now is that in his will Liam’s grandfather made Liam sole heir to his belongings and his money. Our company recently accepted a merge from one of our branches and another company. The shares your grandfather held were also affected by it. That means the money from the fusion would originally belong to your grandfather but since he is dead and you’re the heir, it’s your money now.” “We talked to your grandfather’s lawyer and he confirmed with his passing, you inherited the hold on that 3 percent,” Mr. Ebstein chimed in. “It’s even written down in the documents that your grandfather and Mr. Aurel Sr. had made. It’s all perfectly legal.” “Hold up. I didn’t do anything and yet I get money because my grandfather was a nice man?” Liam summed it up and he still could not really believe it. The lawyer’s thin lip twitched in a smile.  “That’s how the economy works.” “Okay.” Liam raised both eyebrows. He had never really liked economics in school. “How much are we talking about? Hundred dollars?” Mr. Aurel and Mr. Ebstein laughed wholeheartedly. “The amount we’re talking about is 7.2 million dollars.”  Liam felt his mother grab his arm tightly. “How much??” Mother and son asked at the same time, completely shocked by this total. “No, no, that can’t be right. There has to be a mistake. Are you sure you didn’t forget a decimal place or something?” Liam could not believe it.  “Young man, the company has the best accountants. No way is there a mistake,” Mr. Ebstein chortled.  “Still, this can’t be right.” Liam shook his head. “You can’t give me millions of dollars.” Chadwick braced his arms on his knees and leaned forward. “Liam, I can understand this is a surprise but it’s just the money you deserve. My father had the highest opinion about your grandfather and I met him when I was younger. He talked about you, you know? Said how proud he was of you. What your grandfather did in college helped my father build a life, a fortune. He never got the chance to pay his friend back because your grandfather died years ago and my father last year but this is exactly what both would have wanted.” He smiled warmly. “We’ll give you time to talk about this with your mother. We invited you here, Mrs. Geyer, because Liam is not twenty-one yet. We would need your signature that he is allowed to accept the money.” “Sure, yeah.” Ilona nodded and gently rubbed Liam’s back while the lawyer and CEO left the room.

Liam hung his head and ran both hands down his face. “This is insane!” Ilona still tried to calm her son. “It is but, baby, aren’t you a little bit proud?” “Proud? Proud??” Liam jumped to his feet and stared at his mother like she had grown a second head. “Are you insane? I don’t deserve this money!”  He began pacing back and forth on one side of the table. “I can’t have 7 million dollars in my bank account. I..No, just no! I don’t deserve to have this much money.” “Why not?” Ilona questioned and straightened a wrinkle in her dress.  “I am a boy from a small town in California, I am a college student living in Seattle. How exactly am I fit for such an absurd amount of money?” Ilona stood up and walked over to her son. Liam was busy freaking out and pacing back and forth. He only had to stop when his mother put both hands on his biceps and gave him an open look.  “Liam. You and your pack are homeless. You are homeless because some people decided they didn’t like their stand in the world and had to destroy your home. You had people trying to kill you, simply for who you are and your place in this world. You saw your friends dying and yes, they came back, but you saw what you saw. You had somebody hurt you when you were the most defenseless, a child. You’re saying you don’t deserve this money because you did not do manual labor every single day? It is right, you didn’t do manual labor but, baby, you worked for it. And if this is life’s way of paying you back, I cannot think of anybody more deserving than you.” Ilona’s voice was calm but firm.

Liam could still not be convinced. “Other people have it worse than me and they don’t get this kind of compensation.” “Other people don’t have Theo either.” “What does that have to do with anything?” “It is a perfect example. You cannot always compare what you have and what others don’t have. Other people don’t have Theo but that doesn’t stop you from being happy with him. If you would want everybody to have what you have, you would need to share Theo with everyone and I’m sure you won’t like that.” Liam shook his head. “But Theo is not 7.2 million dollars. What am I supposed to do with this money? How can you trust me to be responsible for it?” Ilona laughed and shook her head. “Another reason you deserve this money is that you’re so adamant you don’t deserve it. Sweetie, I raised you. I raised a humble, responsible young man. You’re not a little kid running loose in the candy store with 20 dollars to spare. I know you can have this money transferred to you and you would buy some things right now but even if I called you in a year, you would still have some of it saved. The same in two years. Three years. For your kids, if you ever want to have any.” “But don’t you think this is unreal? Things like this only happen in Hollywood movies.” Liam was skeptical. “This is probably just a dream and I will wake up and we go here and I will get sued.” “Liam Emerson, stop that! Those things sometimes happen in real life. There is this family that one the lottery thrice. The guy who held shares on Facebook and became rich overnight. The internet loves story like this and while a lot is fake, some people get insanely lucky. You deserve to be one of them and if your grandfather was here right now, he would tell you the same. He always said you’ll get everything he owns. This is his legacy, Liam. You said he was your guardian angel once and maybe your guardian angel saw how much you were struggling and sent you this. I certainly know nobody better for that money than you and I will be gladly put my signature on the line so you can claim it.”

She smiled and reached up to wipe Liam’s tears away. He had not noticed he had been crying and now he let out a watery laugh. “This is insane. I always said miracles don’t happen.” He glanced at the sky. “Grandpa, you really pulled a number here.” His mother had known exactly what to say to make Liam realize what he could do with the money. it was a lot and made his head spin but he was homeless and he and his pack needed money. Maybe this was a miracle. Ilona laughed and hugged her son, kissed his cheek. “He would be so proud of you. I certainly am. But, honey, listen, we don't have to tell anybody about this. I mean, your father will ask what this meeting was about, so will your pack, but it is your decision who knows.” He snickered. “You can tell dad, it’s okay. I will tell the pack, of course. This is huge, I cannot hide it. But nobody else. Certainly not my aunts and uncles.” “God no.” Ilona grimaced and shook her head. “Only the people you trust.”

They hugged again and the door opened. Chadwick peeked inside. “Have you come to a decision?” Liam moved away from his mother and nodded happily. “Yeah. I’ll accept the money.” “Wonderful.” Chadwick clapped his hands once. “We will contact your bank to inform them the transaction is correctly and soon you will find the money in your account. Mr. Ebstein’s assistant already got the papers next door, you just need to sign. Would you like a glass of champagne to celebrate? Just one, I know you’re not twenty-one yet.” “No champagne, thanks,” Liam declined. He was about to follow Chadwick when he suddenly got an idea. “How long will it take for the money to be transferred?” The CEO gave him an amused and somewhat curious look. “Is there already something you’re planning to buy?” “Yes.” Liam nodded. “There is something I need to buy immediately.” “We will try to get the money transferred as fast as possible but that shouldn’t be a problem.” “Okay, good. Thanks.” And for the first time in weeks, Liam could smile without much trouble. 

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Liam's becoming self-aware, how about that? I have to admit, it was interesting to write the usual so optimistic Alpha puppy as hopeless and somber. It was certainly a change. The pack deserved some good news. That certainly was something, huh? I admit I am anxious about what you will say about this chapter. Took my sweet time with that because I had to find another job and all the stress blocked my creativity but today felt like a good day to finish the chapter. But I'm always anxious at uploading a chapter after a break. I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think. Have a great day! ♥