#full shift wolf

He’s shaking as he stalks further into the woods, a violent tremor running through his body worsened by each of the heavy breaths he takes. Whether it’s from the anger still or the cold, he doesn’t really know and he doesn’t even care.

It’d been a particularly terrible day. Liam had had an outburst at school today after some kid kept shaking his desk with his bouncing foot and when he’d gotten home he followed that one up with an even louder, more explosive outburst toward his mom. But she just didn’t understand. He did ask nicely, a few times even, but that stupid kid just wouldn’t stop. He just smiled meanly at him and kept bouncing his foot. He deserved to be punched, he’d been a total jerk. Why couldn’t his mom see that?

So he ran away. It was just one more terrible thing for him to do, but it’s not like he could be scolded for acting out anymore. He’d be fine on his own and his stupid mom and her stupid new boyfriend wouldn’t ever have to deal with him and his stupid feelings ever again.

With one very loud huff he thought, good riddance, because it’s what those two deserved. If they were just gonna treat him like a stupid kid who needed to do better, they didn’t get to have him anymore. He’d be fine, it’d be better for him anyway.

He didn’t need anyone, just himself.

He repeated that in his head like a mantra the further he walked into the woods. Repeated it as the heat in his chest turned to an ache that made his stomach hurt and kept repeating it even when his face started to feel wet with hot tears quickly turned cold.

He didn’t need anyone. Really, he didn’t.

He stomped further into the woods, just a little bit unable to ignore the growing feeling of fear and frustration building in his chest, familiar heat joining the ugly clenching that made him sniffle and huff. It was stupid to cry, really dumb. He shouldn’t be crying, he was fine and would be fine and he definitely wouldn’t be sad about running away. It was for the best, he just had to keep telling himself that.

He sincerely planned on just walking forward, bull headed and completely and totally uncaring about what might be ahead, but he just had to trip. Just one more stupid little thing had to piss him off. Something like a growl rose up in his throat, a gravely sound of all of his anger threatening to escape. And jeez, he really did just wanna prove his mom wrong, wanted to shake it off and breathe through it like he knew how to, like they’d tried to teach him how to, but he blacked out for just long enough for his hand to connect with a nearby tree.

His bright red anger was lit like a flare and, suddenly, with a loud crack and intense pain, it went out.

The growl of fury previously lodged in his throat was replaced by a pathetic, wet whimper as he cradled his right hand with his left and let himself crumple to the ground. Now, instead of bright red anger, he felt nothing but the purest of frustration laced with pitiful sadness.

Suddenly, his anger at his mom was gone and all he wanted was her. She’d make this better, make his frustration and pain go away like always. But he couldn’t have that, not when he was out in the middle of the woods without a clue of the direction he’d come from.

He was stuck out here with a situation and a wound of his own making, all because he couldn’t be a normal kid, all because he couldn’t be angry and terrible and awful. He deserved the pain in his hand, deserved the tears and the self humiliation and hatred too.

He wept, balled up on the dark forest floor, back pressed against the tree he’d hit. He cried and shivered from the cold and held his stupid, probably broken hand, and what was he supposed to do? He deserved this now, didn’t he?

He was fully intent on letting himself sit and suffer until he cried himself to sleep or until the sun rose, he didn’t really have any other choice really. If it weren’t for a loud echoing snap from the forest, it’s probably what he would’ve done too, but instead, with tear filled eyes, his head shot up toward the direction of the sound.

His eyes surveyed the darkness, head on a swivel and hoping to spot nothing, but of course he couldn’t just have this. In the distance, not too far from himself, were two glowing eyes, golden and too bright to be normal. As if he couldn’t get any colder, a chill of fear rushed through his body. On top of everything tonight, he was gonna get eaten by an animal, he was sure of it.

The gold eyes looked into his own and, to his horror, started to get closer to him. He was surely going to die, cold and alone and in pain, he was certain of it. Another pitiful sound left his mouth, unable to remain silent like he so badly wanted to. “Please,” he whimpered, pressing himself against the tree, curling into himself ever further, aching hand pulled close to his chest, before squeezing his eyes shut tight. “Please don’t kill me, please. I just wanna go home, please.”He sounded like a dumb little kid, but truly, that’s what he was. A stupid, stupid ten year old kid.

He sat with his eyes closed, flinching with each crunch and crack of the earth under the creature's paws. He muttered pleas under his breath as the sounds grew closer and closer but shut his mouth painfully when a twig cracked right in front of him.

He was doomed.

And yet…

Nothing but a cold wet nose met him. No painful demise, no sharp teeth and loud snarls, just a nose and some audible sniffs to his face. In an instant, his eyes snapped wide open. He startled at the sight, it was a… a dog? But not really, it was more than a dog. It looked like a wolf.

If that were the case, why didn’t it want to eat him?

“What-”, what was going on?

Before he could even question his safety any further, the wolf-slash-dog nudged itself closer to him, almost immediately covering him from the cold. “You’re not gonna eat me?” He asks quietly, like he’d get a reply anyway.

And he supposed he sort of gets one when the wolf-slash-dog looks at him and huffs, sounding similar to a sigh his mom would make when he asked too many questions.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a dumb question since you’re lyin’ on me.” The wolf-slash-dog sighs again and settles itself as on top of him as he could. “Thanks for keepin’ me warm. I didn’t really think about… anything when I ran away from home. My mom… she’s probably gonna be so mad when I get home. If I get home at least… I don’t really know where I am.”

The wolf-slash-dog, he still doesn’t know what to call it, just huffs again. “I know you can’t talk but, you kinda seem like you understand so, can I… can I touch you? I know your layin’ on me but my hand really hurts and I-”

He’s met startlingly quick with gold eyes, still shining too bright, growls a little before nudging at his hands, gentle as possible, like he somehow just knows. Liam doesn’t react at first, a little stunned, a little stupefied, but when another growl rumbles from the creature on top of him, he drops his hands into the soft fur, instantly grateful for the cushion and warmth.

“Thanks.” He murmurs, mindlessly petting immediately with his good hand.

Silence settles over them, no sound except for the soft breathing from his new companion and the barely noticeable sound of his fingers scratching through its fur. He’s still cold, but he’s warm enough that, mixed with the emotional exhaustion, he starts to feel tired. Really, really tired.

“You’re really soft, you know that?” He mumbles, a sleepy lisp on his tongue.

The wolf-slash-dog just sighs again.

-

Liam’s not entirely too sure when he’d fallen asleep, he just knows he had when he’s startled from it, met by dim sunlight and his moms panicked voice. He blinks the blur from his eyes, good hand gripping tightly into black fur. He looks at the wolf, he’s sure of it now, before looking up to where his mom comes running toward him. “Mom-,” he says, eyes widening and heart picking up in pace as he reaches his good hand up at her.

But the moment he lets go, his wolf sprints off with nothing more than a look back. “No! Come back!” He leans toward the direction the wolf runs, both hands hitting the hard forest floor before his broken hand buckles under his weight. He hisses, whining at the pain but still wanting to scramble off in the direction of the wolf. “Mom, please, you’ve gotta make him come back! He- he saved me!”

“Oh, Liam!” She ignores his cries for the wolf, pulling him in close even. “You’re safe, oh my god, you’re safe. You can’t- baby you can’t run off like that! And you’re hurt! Honey, your hand’s swollen and bruised. We need to make sure you’re okay.”

“Mom, the wolf, I can’t leave him!”

-

But it didn’t matter. She’d been too worried in the end, reasonably so. Worried about his hand, worried about the fever he didn’t even know he’d had until he was too sick to not notice. He’d never seen his wolf again.

He’d forgotten almost entirely about it actually, reminiscent in a way a dream would be.

That was, until after he’d been bitten. After he’d been changed. Then the glowing eyes… they made more sense. The distant not-dream of the golden eyed, black wolf came back to him in full, the human-like understanding made complete and total sense no matter how badly he wanted it not to.

Still, never did he think he’d ever get a conclusion like this. Face to face with the same wolf in the main hall of Beacon Hills High School, his own golden eyes staring back at the same ones that fled from him all those years ago only moments after he’d turned to scare it away to protect himself and Mason.

It clicked the second his growl died down and his words fumbled in his mouth, clumsy around the still present fangs.

“It’s… you.”

The wolf just stared, recognition flashing in its eyes before it once more turned tail and fled.

He’d see him again he’d soon find out. He’d finally meet his wolf again. He just wouldn’t like how.

—

I’m really sad this is all I could put out for this fun event, but I’m really happy to partake even if it’s not my best work!! Thiam, and Theo in general, has become so special to me. I’ve been a Liam fan for years but Theo… them together…. Ugh I love them so, so much.

Thank you @liamdunbarsappreciation & @theoraekenapperciation for putting all of your efforts into this project and being a vessel to spread so much creativity!

Maybe this could be like a wild pack universe. They’re full shifters too. And they’re just two strays.

Liam’s pack and parents were taken out by his bio father or wtv. He was the only survivor and just ran for days.

Theo being caught by and raised in a pack with adults who made all of the pups do terrible things. He still kills his sister and maybe a few others when he’s younger but it was only because he was told he had to prove his worth and… to be honest he was scared to die if he failed.

Theo is obviously older than Liam still, so after his escape he manages much better. He can hunt, hide effectively and protect himself. A pack would be better, of course it would it always would be, but he didn’t have that anymore and it was better that way. He’s a loner for a while and he thinks he might die that way.

That is until he finds another stray.

He finds Liam. Skinny, fatigued and nearly lifeless. When he approaches, only because he knows there’s no danger in doing so, the other wolf barely reacts. He’s shut down. He doesn’t smell sick though. He just looks… sad. Gray-blue eyes stare blink slowly at him with just a hint of fear, but Theo thinks there might be some relief too. It’s almost as if the pup is waiting to die.

But he’s not that way anymore. He has a bloodied history but he’ll never be that way again. Not unless he has to protect himself. And maybe protect this pup if he can get him to survive.

Theo leaves and Liam can’t be sure if he’s happy or sad about that. He’d been lucky to find this place to lay low and waste away in. After his many hunting attempts went awry, he’d gotten too hungry to try anymore. He figures he’d rather die slow and peaceful than at the jaws of other wolves like his pack did. After the other loner leaves, he feels thankful that he didn’t kill him, but he thinks that maybe he could’ve found comfort in at least being with another wolf through his death.

He sleeps for who knows how long. Only minutes after the other wolf had left, he couldn’t bear to keep his eyes open any longer, so he sleeps and hopes that he just stays asleep for good. But a few solid nudges to his head an undefined amount of time later means his hope hasn’t come true just yet.

When he opens his eyes, he’s met with the same black wolf again. Along with the wolf are two limp rabbits set directly next to him. He stares, slowly blinking between the prey in front of him and the wolf standing and staring down expectantly. He makes no moves, not until the black wolf huffs and shoves the bigger of the two rabbits in his direction.

He was… sharing?

Shock makes him stare a bit longer. He stares at the prey even when the other wolf huffs and takes his own meal just a few feet away, body turned away from his own, almost like he was giving him privacy.

He ate his first meal in far too long that evening.

The black wolf makes sure he doesn’t go hungry again.

-

Slowly, but surely, Theo has the smaller wolf back on his feet. It’s a bit of an endeavor, and he hunts a lot more than he usually would, even if it meant trekking much further away from the small little territory they’ve both inhabited for the past few weeks due to the thinning of near by prey, but it’s worth it. Because the little wolf comes back to life. He’s still skinny, and he’s weak on his feet still, but he’s alive and no longer on deaths door.

Better than that, he’s no longer alone. And they both seem to like that fact. They’ve yet to really communicate it, he hasn’t shifted back once and he’s not even sure if the pup could or not at his strength yet, but he’s almost positive of it. He thinks maybe he’s found someone to call his pack. And once the small is back in sound shape, maybe they could really truly make one.

-

Summer turns to fall and Theo actually starts to worry a little. Not about anything between him and Liam, they’re going strong. They’ve become practically inseparable. Liam hunts with him now, they both wander together and find new places to settle every couple days, and Liam has finally gotten the strength back to shift. It’s been a relief to stretch their human limbs together finally. But winter was on its way and as two wolves, he’s just not sure if they’d be able to hold up.

That worry causes their first ever disagreement. Theo wants a pack. He’s desired one for a long time, one that has power and the ability to protect and feed with no struggle. One that he has no need to fight for a spot in. Liam, on the other hand, seems to detest the idea of approaching a pack full of strangers. He site’s potential danger and violence, states they’d just be better off alone because they didn’t have to worry about trust, but he never gives any reason as to why he’s so against finding a bigger pack.

It ends in Liam running off for a whole night. And though Theo is more skilled in most areas, climbing and running were where Liam excelled. So Liam disappeared and Theo couldn’t track him. He tried, and tried, and kept trying. And thank god he did, because when he finally found a strong scent again, he was surrounded by another pack. Just his small, terrified pup pack mate being circled by four much larger wolves.

Because Liam had wandered onto their territory, he could smell that much. And sure, it was stupid to run into it himself, but he couldn’t leave Liam there, not ever. If they died, at least they died together. Liam was all he had, and he was all Liam had.

So he lunged into the circle, standing over Liam, snapping at the other wolves but never once actually attacking, hoping they’d just run them both out. Because he still was afraid to die, he wanted nothing more than to survive and live a life much better than what he was brought up in, but he couldn’t live on without Liam anymore, he didn’t want to.

The other wolves circle closer and closer, and Theo thinks it really might be their end. He wishes so badly that he’d have just given into living as a pair for as long as they could manage. And right when he thinks the other wolves might finally attack, they’re called off by loud yell.

To their left stands a lanky pale man with moles dotted all over his skin, and next to him, the biggest black wolf he’d seen in his life.

Suddenly, the four wolves look like a bunch of shamed pups. Especially as they’re razed by the man’s words. “Unless they try to kill us, you’re supposed to just run them off or call for help. Bunch of mutts.” Somehow, the insult lands with a lighthearted feeling instead of something that should be enraging.

After some coaxing, the four wolves split so the human and the larger wolf can approach and somehow, they both exude something sort of calming. He and Liam and absolutely still on edge. They’ve both had terrible pasts, but the human and the alpha seem to have no plan to want to scare them off.

Skip forward only a couple hours and suddenly they’re walking into the largest pack territory they’ve both ever seen. Theo knows his was small, but even Liam’s large pack was smaller than this one. Theo is a bit overwhelmed, more nervous than he’d ever been in a while but trying to hold it together cause Liam looked like he could sprint off again, ears flat and tail tucked between his legs, looking smaller than he had in a while.

They’re given a small place to stay and they’re told they’ll be spoken to tomorrow but for now, they could rest and someone will bring them food and blah blah blah.

So, that’s how Theo and Liam get a pack. They’re brought into the fold of the Hale pack.

—

Okay that’s it for the big post. I’ve been plagued by this and I just had to write it out.

Thiam strays au who get absorbed by Stiles and Derek and their inability to not take in every good hearted stray kid they find.

Ages are definitely not canon here, Theo is like 18 and Liam is 16. They’re bonded as hell, like Stiles babbled endlessly to Derek about how bonded they are when literal mated pairs have less obvious bonds then them.

Theo becomes an excellent hunter, he tells his past to Stiles (even tho they have kinda a bitey relationship I think they’d actually bond the most, Theo doesn’t have a lot of strong acquaintances outside of Liam and Stiles) and he’s shocked that they let him stay. I think he’d still be a bit outcasted but it’s mostly because he’s actually incredibly quiet and introverted despite his ability to act extroverted.

Liam makes a lot of friends and, though having the ability to be a talented fighter, he remains inside pack territory for the most part. His traumas are too much for him to be entirely effective all the time, but he can lock in. He bonds with Stiles AND Derek, Derek because he can relate to losing a family and Stiles because he treats him like a little brother.

I’m getting back into some doodling, and I wanna design a chimera form which has scales along with fur!

Sketch and eye colored under the drop.