Inked Wrists - A Theo Raeken Series

Chapter Four: Defending Theo

When he first wakes up, Theo can't remember where he is. He blinks in confusion against the rays of morning light peaking through the cracks in the blinds. As he gets up, he pushes aside warm blankets off of a comfortable bed. Then he remembers- he was called up from Hell by Liam and Hayden. He's staying with Y/N, the girl from the hospital.

Theo finds himself thinking about her as he gets ready. When he first saw her in the woods, he couldn't help but be surprised that she was actually awake and seemed fine. How long had he been trapped in Hell? And how recently had she come out of the coma? Also, something about her seemed familiar, like he'd known her for all his life without ever meeting her. Like he could sense every thought running through her head without speaking a word. Theo shakes himself to get rid of those types of thoughts. He doesn't know why Y/N is even allowing him into her home- he did kill Scott and betray her friends many times over, but he knows it won't last long. Nothing ever does with him, and Theo has found himself spiralling from place to place many times before to know that getting attached to anyone or anything is a bad idea. Once you start caring about someone, it makes it that much harder when they are taken away from you.

When Theo stumbles down the stairs, still not quite awake, he's surprised to see Y/N in her kitchen, making breakfast. The delicious smell of cooking eggs wafts over to Theo, and he suddenly finds himself starving. Maybe a stay in Hell does something to your appetite. Without a word, Y/N offers him a plate of eggs, and Theo takes it gratefully. They both settle in nearby chairs and eat. Eventually, Theo can't stand it any longer and turns to Y/N. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Y/N lets out a little laugh, and Theo hurriedly defends himself. "Look, everyone else in the pack hates me because of what I did. Why don't you? No one else would let me stay with them, or make breakfast, or anything. Why don't you hate me?" Y/N leans back against her chair and looks over at Theo with a slight smile on her face. "I guess it's because it wasn't personal to me. Everyone else in the pack had the chance to get to know you, and then it hurt them even more when you betrayed them. I wasn't there for that, so it won't affect me as much as it will the others. Besides, I know how it feels to be considered an enemy of the McCall pack, even when all you want to do is be their friend."

That surprises Theo. He can't see the girl in front of him as being anything other than a close friend and trusted advisor among the pack, and he says as much to Y/N. She looks off into the distance, her mind on troubled times far in the past. "I'm sure you've heard that I'm an omega, but you don't know why. The thing is, the members of my pack were not good people, and once they found out that Scott was bit by their rival pack, they tried to use me to kill him. I had been friends with Scott and Stiles for years, and they used that to their advantage. Luckily, Scott was able to defend himself and my pack left Beacon Hills in disgrace, but I stayed. Scott and Stiles were furious with me because I had betrayed them by not telling them that I was a werewolf and by helping my pack get close to them. Over time, I was able to win back their trust and now we're just as close as we've always been."

She takes a shuddering breath. "One year ago, I received word that they had been killed by a group of enemy hunters. Sometimes, I can't help but think that it was my fault they're dead, and that if I had gone with them I could have defended them. They weren't just my pack, they were my family, and they died without me. Ever since them, I've been an omega." Y/N's eyes mist over with pain, but she quickly shakes her head to clear away her sadness. "But enough about me. You asked me why I've been kind to you, and it's because I've been there before. It was hard to have the others trust me again, but they accepted me once they knew I was honest in my want to protect the pack and it'll be the same for you soon enough."

Theo nods, thinking about what she just said. "Is that why you hide your soulmate tattoo?" The second he mentions the tattoo, her eyes widen and her hands fly to the bandages that are still wrapped around her wrist, despite being out of the coma and healed for months. "I, uh,-" "You know, because you're afraid friends of your old pack might have you as a soulmate and come looking for you if they knew who you were?" She hears his explanation and lets her shoulders fall back to normal, letting go of the tension that had suddenly sprung up. "Yes. That's it."