The Chaotic Mess Called the Puppy Pack (Puppy Pack TW)

Liam's Habit

TW: Self-harm

It didn't take long for Theo to realize what Liam was doing. He noticed it a few times, claws digging into palms, letting things take longer to heal than they should, but it wasn't until Theo watched him take a few punches when he put the pieces together.

They were fighting off some rouge hunters that for some odd reason thought they could take on the puppy pack themselves. Fifteen hunters versus the six of them were no match. Liam ran in first of course.

"We should sneak in, maybe Corey and Mason should go invisible first to check things..." Theo didn't even get to finish as Liam dashed into the house. They heard grunts and then gunshots instantly.

"Guess we are going in," Nolan shrugged following the beta, Alec at his side.

Theo flashed his claws sprinting in to save his idiot of a boyfriend. Mason and Corey disappeared, but Theo watched as hunters magically began to fall with bloody noses. He looked over at Liam fighting on his own. He already took a bullet to the shoulder that Theo was going to have to clean up, but as Theo was fighting off a hunter he noticed a weird pattern with Liam's fighting skills. The beta knew how to fight; he probably was the best fighter out of them as much as Theo didn't want to admit it, but he didn't dodge. He took punches, shots, without flinching. Theo was so distracted watching Liam he didn't even see a hunter pull a gun up behind him, but Liam noticed and jumped in front of the bullet. Alec and Nolan were fighting off the last hunter as they looked around at the unconscious bodies. Mason and Corey appeared as the boy began to dial the Sheriff's station to have Parrish arrest them. Liam was standing there coated in blood, bruises, and looked like he was about ready to fall over. Theo ran over and caught him as he collapsed on the ground.

"You're an idiot you know that," Theo stared at him in his arms as he examined the two bullet wounds. They, fortunately, weren't wolfsbane; they should heal fine, but Theo also noticed the bruises weren't even disappearing yet.

"What we got them?" Liam looked up as he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Is he okay?" Nolan and Alec ran over.

"He'll heal," Theo assured them.

"Do we need to go to Deaton's or the hospital?" Mason asked staring at his best friend who was now passed out.

"No, he should begin to heal any moment now," Theo looked back at him concerned. Why the hell wasn't Liam healing?

"Maybe we should still get them cleared out; they might heal faster," Corey suggested.

Theo nodded picking up his limp body. Parrish and another deputy pulled in to take care of the hunters.

"Is everyone okay?" the deputy scanned the kids.

"He's just taking a while to heal," Theo answered.

"Why don't you guys get him checked out, and we can handle the rest," Parrish told them.

"Thanks," Theo set Liam down in the passenger seat of his truck as the other four climbed in the back.

They pulled into the hospital since Alec told them Melissa was working. Theo carried Liam in, and Melissa quickly took him from his arms. She told the other four to wait in the waiting room for space.

"Is there anything in his system?" Melissa stared at the chimera.

"I don't think so; he just isn't healing."

She began to stitch everything up and looked at Theo, "he's fine; you're right he just isn't healing as he should be."

"Weird," Theo muttered.

"Theo, you don't think he isn't letting himself heal do you?"

Theo looked down at the boy, eyes closed, and he thought about his earlier conversation with him.

"I should have been there," Liam stared at Theo.

"Liam, you can't protect everyone."

"I should have known hunters were in the area."

"You're not psychic."

"Scott would have saved her."

"You don't know that!" Theo stared at Liam who had blood dripping from his arms.

They had found a dead body of a werewolf in the woods earlier; Liam knew her from school. He was furious that the hunters were back. Theo watched him punch his mirror, digging his claws into his skin. Theo had stopped him from hurting himself further, but he just couldn't understand how Liam processed that this was his fault.
"I failed her."

"Liam stop it; this wasn't your fault."

Just then they heard a knock at the door, interrupting their conversation. Nolan and Alec had a visual of where the hunters were staying. It didn't take the puppy pack long to arrive at the front of the house where Liam barged through the door.

"I think he might be," Theo admitted.

Melissa nodded, "I figured with him; he puts a lot of pressure on himself."

"Too much," Theo sighed.

"I think you talking to him when he wakes up is probably the best option."

Theo nodded, gripping the beta's hand as his veins turned black. Melissa left them alone as Theo watched Liam's eyes flutter and stare up at him.

"Morning, Little Wolf."

"Theo, where are we?" Liam tried to focus, but the lights were too bright.

"We had to take you to the hospital."

Liam looked instantly ashamed. He looked years younger, shying away from Theo, eyes filled with guilt.

"Hey, it's okay you just weren't healing."

"Sorry," Liam muttered.

"Liam, stop apologizing we were just worried about you. I am worried about you."

"What why? I'm fine," Liam stumbled over his words.

Theo sighed, "why aren't you letting yourself heal then?"

Liam's faced dropped; Theo gripped his hand harder.

"I-I don't deserve to," Liam whispered.

Theo nodded, "you do deserve to."

"She's dead, and it's-"

"Not your fault," Theo interrupted, "Liam you can't blame yourself for everything."

"I know it's just I get angry when bad things happen."

"When you get angry, you either hurt yourself or someone else," Theo stated. He heard the boy's stepfather say it before; he watched Liam do it over and over again. He was right; he always did one or the other, but usually, he hurt himself.

Liam nodded, "I mean if you don't want to deal with me."

"Li, that's not going to stop me from loving you. I just want you to know that you can come to me when you feel this way, and maybe we can stop it before you hurt yourself."

"I guess," Liam agreed.

"I love you, Little Wolf."

"I love you too, Theo."

Theo watched as some of the wounds slowly began to heal and smiled.