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If there was anything in the world that Liam thought would never happen in his life, it was seeing Theo walk out of a five-story office building in a dark-blue suit, clearly outdated, sighing and shaking his head every three steps.
His lacrosse practice had ended an hour ago. His parents were both conveniently on shifts, Mason and Corey were conveniently going on a date, and the small, crumbling fast food restaurant across from the school was also conveniently closed for renovation, so he had to take the bus to the commercial district a few blocks from his house, and wander around to find a diner not too inappropriate for his wallet.
Then he saw Theo, looking dejected with a tie flipped over his shoulder like a strap.
The chimera noticed him too. He stopped for two seconds when their eyes met, then slapped a hand on his forehead and let out a loud, hoarse “It couldn’t possibly get any worse today!”
The corners of Liam’s mouth tugged up slightly. What was Theo doing here? Liam wasn’t always the nosy one in the pack—that title would probably go to Scott, or Stiles—but Theo was his friend, if that word was used loosely enough. And watching Theo’s exaggerated expression wasn’t something he got to see every day. He trotted over, ignoring the increasingly loud groans, and skidded to a stop in front of him.
“Watcha doing here?” Liam grinned, his voice sounding more excited than it should have. Well, maybe he really was happy to see Theo—um, looking miserable.
“Liam, it’s none of your business,” Theo said exasperatedly, but he somehow didn’t walk away, which Liam took as an invitation to poke his nose further into said business. He took one more step closer, completely intruding on Theo's personal space.
“Why are you dressed like that? And why—” Liam broke off as he saw a piece of paper sticking out of Theo’s hand. Theo seemed to notice and tried to yank his hand back, but Liam was faster and snatched it in a split second. Theo rolled his eyes.
Liam scanned the paper for a good minute, then his eyes widened as he realized what it was.
“Theo, is this your résumé?”
“Liam—” Theo tried to protest, but he was instantly cut off by Liam’s exclamation.
“Education: Beacon Hills High School. Theo, you didn’t even graduate! And this, leadership: Head of a scientific research group focusing on human potential. What the hell even is that?!”
“Liam,” Theo grabbed the paper back. “Can you please just leave me alone? And what’s wrong with that?”
“Are you looking for a job?” Liam craned his head to peek at the résumé, so Theo put it behind his back.
“Of course, Liam, or how else do you think I’m gonna afford a shitty apartment ten miles away from downtown?”
Oh crap, he almost forgot that Theo actually needed money. Theo had been living in his truck for, like, over a year? Maybe he had reached a breaking point that he would definitely need a job to maintain at least a half-normal life. Liam suddenly felt sorry for him.
He glanced at the chimera, who was still standing there for some reason, then his eyes lit up.
“Theo!” he shouted, his body bouncing in excitement. Theo had to take half a step backward just so their noses wouldn’t collide. “I’m gonna help you find a job!”
“No.” Theo vetoed immediately, and Liam visibly deflated. “I’m not letting you anywhere near my financial situation.”
“Why not?” Liam whined, sounding almost like the time he was begging Mrs. Finch for extra assignments just to pass the class. “Judging from your outfit, you suck at doing this yourself.” Theo glared at him, looking deeply offended, but Liam continued, “And what position were you interviewing for anyway?”
Theo stared at him for a few seconds. “...Counselor.”
Liam gasped, then burst into laughter. “Dude! That’s perfect! You’re gonna manipulate your clients into self-loathing the rest of their lives.”
Liam felt a sharp glare from Theo, so he quickly zipped it. Sure, Theo was mostly reformed, but Liam still remembered what he was capable of. Then again, he was pretty sure Theo wouldn’t just kill him on the spot...right?
Theo just stood there in silence, and he sighed. “You’re probably right. I suck at this and—”
“Perfect!” Liam yelled. So much for shutting up. “I’ll go look for some job listings for you. Text me if you’ve got any preference.”
“Liam—”
Liam didn’t hear what Theo was trying to say, because he turned on his heel and sprinted off. But then he stopped after a few steps and turned around.
“And throw that thrift shop suit away. You’re gonna need a new one.”
*
Liam got home in about twenty minutes, completely forgetting about dinner as his priority shifted without asking. He rummaged through his closet and found his suit buried at the bottom. The suit he had worn for his junior prom, where Theo had somehow ended up being his partner—wearing a hoodie, and as a friend. He quickly grabbed it before feeling a slight vibration in his pocket, so he pulled out his phone.
A helluva chimera: No Craigslist, and no sketchy jobs.
Liam chuckled. The sketchiest chimera in the world avoiding sketchy jobs. Theo should really clean those mirrors in his truck. But Liam also didn’t want to question the Reformed ChimeraTM, as long as he was going in the right direction. He tossed the suit beside his backpack and texted back.
Liam: I got u a new suit. Come pick me up tomorrow after school so I can give it to u :))
A helluva chimera: Fine.
Liam flopped onto the bed. A plan quickly formed in his head. Since Craigslist was banned, he would probably need some help from his friends, and he could also steal some of his dad’s newspapers and look for job listings the old-fashioned way. Oh, and he would definitely have to fix Theo’s résumé. Sure, his enthusiasm was a bit over the top based on his actual experience, but whatever. He could figure things out.
*
“Did I miss a party?” A voice rang out as Liam sat in his chair in the library, scrolling through a bunch of tabs for Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and some other job-hunting sites.
“What party?” he asked offhandedly.
“Then why did you bring a suit?” The voice came again. Liam finally whipped his head up and saw Mason standing across from him, a hand resting on the table with a suspicious look on his face. Liam put down his phone and smiled sheepishly.
“Um, yeah, no, Mase. There’s no party.”
Mason raised an eyebrow, then his eyes landed on Liam’s phone. He grabbed it without hesitation. “What are you doing?”
“No, Mase. I—” Liam lifted his hand, but Mason was already scrolling through his phone, so he dropped it back and grunted.
“Are you looking for a job?” Mason’s voice became slightly louder.
“Yeah?” Liam answered tentatively. He saw Mason’s eyebrows slowly reaching his hairline. “Well, actually, I’m not—”
“Liam,” Mason cut him off sharply. “You’re, like, seventeen, and your dad’s a doctor. Are you trying to buy something illegal?”
“No, Mason,” Liam groaned, grabbing his phone back. “Yes, I’m looking for a job. And no, I’m not the one looking for a job.”
Mason furrowed his brow, like he had just heard something incomprehensible. Liam swore he could see new wrinkles forming on Mason’s face, so he quickly added, “I’m searching for a job for Theo.”
“You’re searching for a job for Theo? Why?” Mason sat beside him, his expression turning serious and a little...worried.
“Well,” Liam paused, glancing at Mason, then he sighed. “I saw him interviewing yesterday, and he was kinda shitty at, you know, normal human stuff, so I decided to help him.”
Mason gave him a meaningful look, but he didn’t press any further. He stood up and patted Liam’s shoulder. Liam turned toward him, confused. Then Mason let out a small “Okay” and left the library.
Liam stared at him for a short moment, but he soon pushed Mason’s weird reaction aside and dove back into his phone. He was confident that he knew Theo pretty well for their current friendship status, so he would definitely find the perfect jobs for him. He added a couple more filters to the listings, and something clicked in his mind as he saw the next few entries.
Two honks snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned toward the window and saw Theo’s truck parked outside, so he grabbed his backpack and the suit before running out of the building. He trotted toward the passenger side of the truck and got in.
“Hey.” He grinned at Theo, who was now staring at Liam’s lap. He looked down and saw his suit sitting there. “I got you a suit.”
Theo stalled for a second, then asked hesitantly, “Is that...your suit?”
“Yeah,” Liam said brightly. “I wore it at prom. You remember? It’s probably a little small, but you’re like an inch taller than me, so I think—”
“No, Liam.” Theo cut him off firmly. “I’m not wearing your suit.”
Liam blinked, slightly startled by the blunt rejection, but then he saw Theo close his eyes and exhale softly. He thought for a second before replying, “Theo, you have no clothes other than hoodies and t-shirts. You’ll have to wear mine.”
“I know, it’s just...” Theo hesitated. Liam tried to figure out what he meant. He glanced at Theo’s arm and, wow—No, that was not it. Theo was probably thinking about the size. He probably didn’t want to look awkward again in another interview.
“Fine,” Liam finally gave in. “I’ll ask Corey about it. His suit would probably fit.”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Theo rushed out. Liam was thoroughly lost at this point, but Theo continued, “I mean...it’s not like...” His voice became quieter with every word. “Like I don’t want to...” Liam was having a hard time processing those fragmented sentences, then Theo finally put him out of his misery. “Okay.” He forced out the words, like saying them literally caused him physical pain. “I’ll wear your suit.”
“Awesome!” Liam cheered, then he suddenly remembered something. He pulled out his phone and shoved it in Theo’s face. “I also found a job opening that could be perfect for you.”
Theo eyed the screen, then his face broke into a horrified expression. His mouth dropped open. “No, Liam. That’s ridiculous.”
“Too late. Already applied for you,” Liam said victoriously.
“Oh, God...”
Liam laughed, ignoring Theo’s aggressive curses and growls. He was such a genius middleman. This was going to work out without a doubt.
Then his head slammed into the seat as Theo floored the gas pedal and peeled out of the parking lot.
*
They stood in front of an old building after making five wrong turns and circling downtown for twenty minutes. Liam stared at the crumbling facade, hoping those tiles wouldn’t fall off the walls and kill them. Theo was doing the same.
Liam’s eyes darted around before finally landing on a dusty staircase beside the front door, a small sign reading “Purgatory” standing atop the railing.
“I think that’s the entrance,” he said tentatively.
Theo rolled his eyes, seemingly disappointed by Liam’s discovery, but he still followed as Liam took off and headed downstairs. They reached the bottom and found themselves in front of a giant glass door. Liam pushed the door open, and they were immediately met with a surprisingly fancy interior. A row of pendant lights hung above the bar. A few half-open booths sat at the other side of the room, with beige sofas that looked dangerously comfortable. And a checkered dance floor in the middle with lights beaming upward.
They stood there nervously for what felt like five minutes, not knowing what to do. Then a man in a suit appeared from a doorway and strode toward them.
“Which one of you is Theodore Raeken?” he asked flatly, his gaze drifting between the two of them.
“I am.” Theo’s voice faltered slightly, but he somehow managed to straighten his face in half a second.
The man nodded before turning toward Liam. “And you...?”
Liam fidgeted, his mind scrambling for responses, but he forced out the words anyway. “I’m Liam. I’m his middle—”
“Friend.” Theo cut in loudly. Liam practically jumped. “He’s my friend.”
The man paused for a few seconds, then looked back at Theo. “Okay, Mr. Raeken. Your interview will be held in five minutes. Follow me, but your friend needs to stay here.”
He turned around and headed back toward the doorway. Theo followed after two seconds, leaving Liam behind, stunned.
Liam crashed onto a sofa after they disappeared, his mind reeling. Did Theo just call him a friend? Well, sure, they were friends, at least that was what Liam thought, but this was the first time he had ever heard Theo say it out loud. He spiraled for another minute before violently shaking it off. No. The top priority right now was getting Theo a job. Nothing else.
The interview ran long, to the point that Liam was basically lying on the sofa dozing off, but he abruptly jumped up as he heard footsteps coming from the doorway. He blinked a few times and saw Theo walking toward him, looking relieved.
“How’d it go?” Liam asked.
Theo stopped in front of him, then a small grin surfaced on his face. “I start on Friday.”
“Good for you.” Liam chuckled. “You seemed happy to be hired as a bouncer.”
“Well, I changed my mind,” Theo said. “I think I’m gonna be pretty good at restraining people.”
“I think you mean hurting people, but fine,” Liam blurted out. Theo shot him an unimpressed look, but Liam jumped to his feet and headed toward the front door. “I’ll be there on your first day.”
“Don’t,” Theo growled before walking out of the club.
*
Friday came in no time, at least when Liam’s mind was fully occupied with Theo’s new job all week. He hadn’t seen or texted Theo for a couple of days, but he was fairly certain that Theo would be okay with him showing up on his first day.
He hopped on the bus after his lacrosse practice. Theo started at six, so he should be there in time. He rested his head against the window and stared at the dimming sky. What would Theo be wearing? Did they have uniforms? A hundred questions flashed through his mind because he was obviously just curious.
But again, what would Theo look like in that uniform?
The bus screeched to a stop and Liam jumped off immediately. He walked toward the building and, oh God, the line was outrageous. He never knew humans could look like a caterpillar, but he quickly shoved the people aside and squeezed into the crowd, leaving the curses and shouts behind.
He successfully got to the bottom of the staircase and peeked inside. Theo was standing by the front door with his hands behind his back—in a freaking uniform. Liam gaped at him without words, then he suddenly saw Theo turn toward him. He ducked instinctively, but it was too late. Theo scowled before walking over.
“What are you doing here? You’re underage.” Theo glared at him, arms crossed.
“C’mon, Theo.” Liam pleaded. “I told you I was coming.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Okay, you’ve already seen me, so you can go now.”
“No, Theo. I’m not—”
Liam was cut off by a hand grabbing his shoulder. He turned around and saw a tall man standing in front of him, his face twisting in rage.
“What the hell were you doing, little brat?” he snarled.
Liam’s mind went blank. Did...he do something wrong? But before he could reply, the man’s voice slammed into his ears again.
“Don’t fucking play dumb with me! You shouldered me. What, are you a fucking idiot?” He raised his fist.
“No, I-” Liam stuttered. “I’m sorry—”
Screams exploded, and a loud bang pulled him back to reality. He looked down and saw the man lying on the floor, holding his face. Blood began seeping through his fingers. Theo stood where the man used to be, his trembling fist dripping blood. Liam stumbled backward, then he heard Theo’s deep, hoarse voice. “Leave.”
Liam didn’t remember how he got out of the club. The next thing he knew, he was curled up on the bed like a ball. He refreshed his texts with Theo frantically, hoping to see good news, but nothing came from the chimera that night. The moment he finally heard Theo was fired immediately after the incident, it was three days later, from Corey.
“What happened to Theo?” Corey appeared out of nowhere by a tree in the lacrosse field like he always did. Liam didn’t even move a muscle.
“What? What happened to him?” Liam asked back.
“Well, he texted me he got fired last Friday. I didn’t even know he had a job,” Corey said casually.
Liam’s body stiffened. He turned until they were face to face. “He told you he got fired?”
“Yeah.”
But he didn’t tell me? Liam swallowed the latter part of the question. He felt his stomach drop a little. Yeah, it made sense that Theo wouldn’t want to tell him, because it was all his fault. He shouldn’t have pushed people to get to the door. He probably shouldn’t have gone to the club that night in the first place. But he had just wanted to see Theo on his first day. He lowered his head for a second, but then lifted it back up. Theo was fired because of him. He had to fix it.
Coach was yelling in the middle of the field. Liam glanced at the angry man, and an idea suddenly came to mind. He sprinted toward Coach and stepped in front of him, then broke into the biggest smile.
“Coach. My dearest, highly respected, amazing coach,” he said in a flattering tone.
Coach stared at him, his eyes growing narrower and narrower until they were basically two lines. “What do you want, Dunbar?”
Liam let out a sheepish laugh before continuing. “Coach, I know it must be veeeery tough to deal with a bunch of monkeys on the field, so I’m thinking...” He paused. Coach’s face twisted into some impossible configuration. “...you might need an assistant coach?”
He stared at the ground, rubbing his hands, but Coach only answered him with silence. He waited, then pain sliced through his head as Coach’s loud whistle pierced his eardrums. He held his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. When the noise finally stopped, he was able to speak again.
“What the hell, Coach?” he blurted out, then immediately regretted it. He kept his eyes closed, expecting a roar from Coach, but instead, he heard a loud cheer.
“Great job, Dunbar! Why didn’t I think about that before? I’ll ask the school about it.”
Coach patted his shoulder before walking over toward the other players. Liam just stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
*
The world never seemed to give Liam enough surprises, because the school actually agreed to his idea, and Coach actually agreed with Liam being the one choosing the candidate, so right now, there was only one thing left: forcefully convincing Theo.
Liam skipped out of the school building and pulled out his phone. He dialed the number without hesitation, and the chimera picked up on something like the tenth ring.
“Theeeooo,” he called.
“No.” Theo’s cold voice came through the speaker.
“C’mon,” Liam groaned. “I know you’re still mad at me, but you have to listen to me.”
The line fell quiet. Liam could hear Theo breathing on the other end. After a long moment, Theo spoke again. “Mad at you?”
“Well, you didn’t tell me you got fired,” Liam said in a flat voice.
“No, Liam, that’s not—”
“Anyway,” Liam interrupted loudly, “I got you a new job opportunity, and this time, I’ll be the one choosing the candidate, so you’ll be guaranteed a job. If you say yes.”
Theo paused for another long second, then he sighed. “Fine.”
Liam cheered quietly before hanging up, then he trotted toward the bus stop.
Theo came to the school the next day, and the interview lasted only like three seconds, because when Coach saw how built Theo was, he was hired.
Liam bit his lower lip, not knowing what to feel about it.
The practice session went smoothly. Theo was in charge of physical training, and he was surprisingly good at encouraging the players. Well, anything could be considered better than Coach’s methods, but anyway, after the session ended, everyone seemed to like Theo, especially Nolan.
After Theo left, Nolan trotted toward Liam, clearly excited. “Dude, how did you get Theo to be our assistant coach?”
Liam shrugged. “Dunno. He just somehow agreed.”
“I’ve only seen him like a couple times before. I never knew he was such a cool guy!” Nolan rested a hand on Liam’s shoulder.
Liam held his gaze, then exhaled. “Well, he’s still a psychopathic bastard.” He turned around and walked away.
Nolan threw him a confused look, but he didn’t press him further.
For the next few practices, Theo was there every time. Liam felt happy about it, mostly because Theo was finally able to make money regularly, but he could also feel fire grow in his chest whenever a player stared at Theo for over five seconds. Maybe as the captain, he didn’t want them to be distracted, or maybe he just caught the flu.
After the first week, Theo started offering Liam a ride home, and Liam was absolutely delighted to accept the bonus benefit. It was surely because he would be able to save some money from the bus, though. They talked more, and Liam would dump every complaint he had about the school to him. The chimera would listen quietly, and make some mean comments that would earn him a glare from Liam, but Liam didn’t actually mind, as long as Theo could secure his finances. Everything should be fine.
Except it wasn’t. On one Sunday night, Liam found Theo’s truck parked in front of his house at twelve.
He rushed over to the front door and stepped outside. Theo was standing by the truck, his body resting against the door, looking extremely exhausted. Liam quickly stepped over to him.
“Theo, what happened?”
Theo let out a long sigh. “Coach wanted me to finish the stats by tomorrow.”
Liam blinked. “The player stats? I thought that was Coach’s job. You don’t even play.”
“I know.” Theo dropped his head onto the side of the truck. “But he wanted me to do it anyway. And also, the strategy planning for the next game with Devenford.”
Liam sucked on the inside of his cheek. He knew Coach was sometimes very pushy, but this was definitely overreacting. It was like Coach was trying to retire and dump everything on Theo. He thought for a second before replying, “I think you should go talk to him.”
“You think I haven’t?” Theo scoffed. “Liam, it’s Finstock. I knew how ridiculous of a guy he was even before I was sent to Hell.”
Liam froze. He never thought Theo would casually say the word out loud, like it was something he had gotten over and could joke about, but Liam knew that was definitely not the case. Not when Theo was still constantly keeping distance from the pack—except Liam, of course.
He glanced at Theo’s dark circles, which were getting darker than before, then he dragged his thoughts back to Theo’s working conditions. He forced out a question.
“Then why did you accept the job?”
Theo didn’t answer. He opened the driver’s-side door and climbed inside, then closed it before rolling down the window. He started the engine and said, “Liam, I’m gonna quit. I don’t think the job is gonna fix my sleep-deprivation. But I can still drive you home after practice. If you say yes.”
Then he drove away.
*
“Why have you been disappearing after practice lately?” Corey asked as he walked over to Liam and Mason’s table, carrying his lunch. He sat beside Mason. “We used to take the bus together.”
“Theo’s been driving me home,” Liam said, his eyes still fixed on the phone.
“Theo?” Mason cut in sharply. “Theo’s been driving you home? Why?”
“Well, he was our assistant coach for a couple weeks. But then he quit.” Liam took a bite of his sandwich. “He still offered me the rides, though.”
Mason threw a glance at Corey, who replied with a small nod, then he spoke again.
“So that’s the job you’ve been trying to find for Theo?”
“You knew?” Corey cut in. “Why didn’t you tell me, babe?”
“I never thought he was serious about it,” Mason said helplessly. “And his plans usually su—”
“Okay, shut up, Mason,” Liam exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “So, one, I was serious about it, and I still am. Two, my plans don’t suck. And three, can you guys stop talking about me and help me find a job for Theo?”
Mason and Corey exchanged a look, but they soon leaned over to Liam and peeked at his phone.
“So,” Liam began. “I put on these filters, but I still couldn’t find a suitable job for him.” He shoved the phone toward his friends.
“What filters did you put on?” Mason started scrolling.
“Well, he’s smart, and he’s very built. He’s also good-looking, and damn, those arms—”
“They have those filters!?” Corey gasped.
“Um, Liam,” Mason said in a deeply concerned voice, clearing the filters. “I don’t think you’re doing it the right way.” He sighed. “What’s Theo good at?”
“Well, we all know he’s good at killing—” Corey cut himself off as Liam immediately shot him a murderous glare.
Liam thought for a moment, then he said tentatively, “I think he’s good at biology, you know. Human, werewolf, animal stuff.”
Mason quickly set the filter and hit search. A new entry popped up. His eyes lit up. “Aha!” he shouted, pushing the phone back to Liam. “I think this is the job.”
Liam scanned the screen and saw ‘Animal Shelter Staff Member’ at the top. He clicked on it and started scrolling. Requirement one: high school degree. Well, Theo didn’t graduate from high school, but Liam was pretty sure Theo could talk himself out of it. Requirement two: love animals. Hmm...as long as they were canids, Theo should probably be fine with them. Requirement three: punctual. That was likely not a problem. Requirement four...
Liam furrowed his brow. He lifted the phone in Mason’s face. “It says ‘no criminal records’. Do you think that’s the case?”
Mason stared at the screen for a couple of seconds, then shrugged. “You should just ask him, or Sheriff. But I think asking him is the way to go.”
Liam hesitated. He knew this wasn’t something that could be asked with a ‘by the way’, but this was probably an essential step for a more formal job hunting. Plus, he also wanted to know. He picked up the phone and put it in his pocket. “Alright, I’ll ask him.”
The afternoon felt long. Liam couldn’t process anything his teachers said. His mind was full of Theo’s future career path, and Mason and Corey’s whispering behind him wasn’t helping. As the final bell rang, he grabbed his stuff and sprinted toward the door. He saw the familiar truck in the parking lot—apparently, Theo had been driving him home even when there was no lacrosse practice.
He walked toward the passenger side, trying to figure out how to start the conversation, but he immediately forgot about everything as he opened the door. Theo was sitting in the driver’s seat, smiling, and he was wearing Liam’s suit. Liam almost choked on his saliva.
“Th-Theo,” he faltered. “Why’re you wearing my suit?”
“Well, little wolf,” Theo turned toward him. “I’ve got an interview, and you’re coming with me.”
“What kind of interview?”
“It’s at Sinema. I think they’re hiring bartenders, or waiters. I’m not exactly sure about the position,” Theo said as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“I thought you were done with club jobs,” Liam muttered.
“When did I say that?” Theo snorted. “But anyway, we’ll be there in fifteen. I hope I’ll get the job.”
“Sure.”
Liam glanced outside, slightly annoyed. This was supposed to be Operation: Liam helping Theo find a job, and he had spent the entire month thinking about the whole thing, but Theo somehow just stole it—wearing his suit! Then again, this was Theo’s career choice. It was Theo’s future. Why did Liam care about it so much? He didn’t even have a say in it. Also, the first two jobs were basically a disaster because of him.
The truck sped through the streets, and the club soon came into view. They both got out of the truck and walked inside. The manager was already waiting for them.
“You must be Theodore Raeken.” He smiled at Theo before turning toward Liam. “And you are...”
“His friend/My friend,” they said in unison.
“Alright, Theodore.” The manager clapped his hands once. “That’s a nice suit. I bet you’re gonna look perfect on the job.”
“Wait,” Liam blurted out. “Do...do waiters and bartenders wear suits here? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”
The manager threw him a complicated look, then his head whipped up as he seemed to remember something. “Oh, I might’ve forgotten to tell you. You’re not interviewing for a waiter or a bartender.”
Liam and Theo exchanged a confused look, then Theo asked, “Then what position am I interviewing for?”
The manager let out a boisterous laugh, then walked toward the center of the stage. The two teenagers followed him before finding themselves staring at a pole. Liam’s eyes widened.
The manager rested a hand on the pole. “You’ll be a dancer. Well, technically, a stripper.”
“What!?” they both shouted.
“Don’t be so alarmed. You’re nineteen. You’ll be fine.” The manager walked toward Theo, who still seemed too shocked to move a muscle. “We’ve got a lot of strippers, but no one like you.” He put his hand on Theo’s upper arm, moving up and down gently. Liam could see Theo twitch a little. “I’m sure you’re gonna get lots of tips with those muscles.”
Theo was still petrified, and Liam could practically feel lava start climbing up his neck. He glared at the manager, his eyes shooting death beams, his hands curled up into fists, but the manager didn’t seem to notice anything. He continued.
“So, Theodore,” he said, moving his hand up to Theo’s collar bone. “Why don’t you try taking off this shirt first?”
“Absolutely not!” Liam screamed. He grabbed Theo by the arm and dragged him toward the entrance. Theo seemed to finally pull himself together halfway through and followed him. They quickly walked toward the truck and got in. Theo peeled out of the parking lot before Liam even buckled up.
“Why on earth would you want to interview for a stripper job?” Liam growled as they pulled onto the streets.
“I didn’t know!” Theo shouted. “And why do you care that much?”
“Well, it’s inappropriate, and you’re barely an adult.”
“I’m nineteen. It’s fine,” Theo muttered. Liam stared at him, his eyes becoming wider and wider.
“What do you mean it’s fine?” His voice thundered through the entire vehicle. “Theo, are you seriously thinking about it?”
“No, Liam. I’m not.” Theo rushed out. “I mean, they do tip you handsomely.” Liam shot him a glare, so Theo continued, “But no. I’m not going to take the job. Okay, Liam?”
Liam stared at him for a few more seconds, then sighed. “Right. I’ll send you the link to an animal shelter job I found today. Tell me if you need me.”
They didn’t talk for the rest of the ride, and Liam jumped out immediately after they arrived at the Dunbar-Geyer house. He ran toward the front door without looking back at the truck, then got in and closed the door with a slam.
*
Liam lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind was still spinning wildly from the ‘incident’ earlier. He pounded his fists on the sheets, making a thump, thump, thump noise. And his eyes were flashing between yellow and blue.
He was still irritated by the manager, but he knew he probably shouldn’t. Why the hell did he care about Theo being a stripper? He was supposed to be happy about it, especially if Theo could be making money. Hundreds of images of Theo dancing on the stage and peeling off flashed through his mind. The music was loud. The crowd was cheering, and the guys and girls at the front were shoving bills into Theo’s...remaining clothes.
Those bitches could back off! This was supposed to be only for—No. What the hell was he thinking about?
He flopped to his stomach and buried his head into the pillow, letting out a long groan.
At least he had given Theo the link to the animal shelter, and Theo had told him he wouldn’t take the stripper job. This was his last resort. Theo wouldn’t take it, right?
He pulled out his phone, hoping to see Theo’s messages, but still, nothing came from him. Liam tossed the phone onto the nightstand, then he turned off the lights. Just sleep. He told himself. Everything was going to work out, just like every plan he had made before.
He had believed it until he got a message from Theo the next day after school.
A helluva chimera: Sorry, little wolf. I won’t be able to pick you up from school today.
Weird. He frowned. But he quickly hid his gloomy face under a forced grin. Theo had a life, after all. Maybe he just happened to be busy. It was not like Liam was going to shatter just because he didn’t see Theo for one day. He grabbed his stuff and walked toward the bus stop.
Then it happened again. Then again. In fact, he hadn’t seen Theo the entire week, and Liam was genuinely about to explode.
He stomped toward the bus stop on Friday afternoon, then he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Nolan grinning beside him. Liam shot him a glare.
“Dude!” Nolan exclaimed. “Are you trying to kill me with your look? Or do you have RBF?”
“What do you want, Nolan?” Liam replied coldly. “And no, I don’t have RBF.”
“Well, then you definitely need to relax,” Nolan said cheerfully, seemingly forgetting about Liam’s werewolf status. “Brett and I are going to Sinema tonight. You wanna come?”
Sinema. The word rang in Liam’s ears. He shook Nolan’s hand off his shoulder and walked away. “No, thanks.”
“C’mon!” Nolan ran after him. “It’s Friday. TGIF! And I heard they’ve got some new dancers.”
Liam’s head buzzed. He froze for a long moment, trying not to think about the things he shouldn’t think about, but his mind started racing out of control. Those images began flashing through his eyes again. Theo dancing. Theo stripping. Theo. Theo. THEO—
The bus came.
“Alright, I’ll go,” he snapped before getting on the bus, ignoring Nolan’s yay behind him.
Well, this was going to be a great night.
*
It was, actually, at first.
Brett somehow brought wolfsbane, so Liam was able to get drunk, Mason and Corey somehow showed up an hour later, so Liam could escape from being the third wheel (well, to being the fifth wheel), and the dance show somehow hadn’t started yet, so Liam wouldn’t have to risk punching the wall and making the whole building collapse.
He had drunk a couple of rounds of shots, so he was already feeling tipsy. The surroundings started to blur, and the conversations between his friends started to sound like gibberish, but maybe this was a good thing. Maybe he was finally able to relax after a tough week. He downed another shot.
The music switched, and the crowd began exploding in cheers and screams. Liam whipped his head around and saw the MC walk onto the stage, announcing that the dance show was about to start. His friends began cheering with the crowd, but Liam’s heart started racing. His eyes were fixed on the stage, hoping not to see a certain chimera.
The first dancer walked on stage. It was a girl. Mason and Corey cheered in a perfunctory manner, and Brett whistled, earning a squeeze on the waist from Nolan. Liam felt a slight relief, but his hand was still gripping the chair. The dance ended quickly, then a tall, muscular guy took over. Liam’s four friends screamed so loud that he had to cover his ears the entire dance, but he was still happy to see a stranger on stage.
Then the screams finally stopped, Liam exhaled and turned toward his friends, only to see four of them drop their jaws, eyes popping out. He snapped his head back to the stage, then he suddenly began to see red.
Theo Raeken was standing on the stage, his belt already filled with money.
And he was wearing. That. Suit.
Liam felt his heart almost jump out of his chest. His eyes were flashing fifty different shades of yellow. His claws began to slide out and poke into his flesh. And his mind was scrambling the six letters in Theo’s last name. No. This shouldn’t be happening. Someone needed to grab him or he was gonna—
Before the whole club could react, Liam lunged forward and sprinted onto the stage. He pounced on the chimera, grabbed his arms, and dragged him toward the entrance, ignoring the shocked and confused shouts from the crowd and his friends and everyone. Then he yanked Theo up as they got outside. The chimera looked half-exasperated, half-amused, but at least he was still appropriately dressed, and he actually had the audacity to grimace at Liam.
They both panted sharply, then Theo snapped first.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“You dare say that to me? You told me you weren’t taking this job!” Liam growled back.
“That’s my own choice! Can you stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong? Why can’t you stay out of my business for once?”
“Because I can’t! And I won’t! And Theo, what do you need that much money for?”
“Well, gas costs money. Apartments cost money. Food costs money. And your college costs money. Liam, don’t you get it? My life was—”
Liam’s mind suddenly went blank, and whatever Theo was saying now, it wouldn’t have a chance to register. Did he just say Liam’s college cost money? What did that even mean? No, of course colleges cost a shit ton of money, but why would he say that? Was he just desperately trying to grab any excuse, or did he accidentally spill something out? Well, Theo was still yelling non-stop, and he was so loud and annoying that Liam’s eardrums were about to explode, but why did he look like that? He didn’t actually look like he was angry or frustrated or disappointed or flabbergasted but he just somehow looked like he cared. And yeah, Theo probably didn’t know, but Liam cared about him too. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot a lot. To the point that he almost killed the manager when he was groping Theo like he owned the body! No. Liam probably regretted it now because that manager should really be dead already. But what the fuck was Theo thinking? And why the fuck was Liam so angry about this? Was it because he simply cared about Theo’s dignity? Was it protectiveness? Was it jealousy? Or was it something he couldn’t explain because Theo was still firing at him now? But Liam wasn’t actually angry anymore. He actually thought Theo looked a little cute when he was annoyed, or when he was so done with Liam’s plans. Nope. Liam’s plans were always perfect, but still. And Theo’s cheeks were getting redder and redder, and they looked so soft that Liam wanted to bite. And his lips, and his neck, and of course his muscles that Liam needed to claw his own palms right now just to not touch. Yes, Theo would probably be a fantastic stripper, but he didn’t want Theo to be. He didn’t want anyone to touch or see Theo’s body. He didn’t want Theo’s body to have a price tag. He didn’t want anyone to have him. Because Theo should be his. Theo should only be his. Theo was his.
Theo was still yelling like a machine gun, but Liam couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. He pulled himself together and stared at him.
“—that’s why I’ve been interviewing for jobs! And I didn’t want you to know. Apparently, your plans always suck, but I didn’t want you to be worried—”
“Theo, shut up.”
“—I got the first job and, yeah, I got fired on the same day, and that’s because you’re an idiot. I wasn’t mad at you because I’ll always do the same—”
“Theo.”
“—always knew Finstock was an asshole and he really was. He tried to put every duty on me, and I wasn’t getting enough sleep doing his shitty—”
“Theo—”
“—finally get a chance to make some real money and you just ruined it! Do you know how much was in my belt? I swear I saw at least a couple hundred—”
“THEO, I LIKE YOU.”
“—and I’ll never get a job. I’ll never—what did you just say?”
Theo finally, finally stopped, or rather, froze, but Liam didn’t hold back. He took a step closer and grabbed Theo’s tie.
“I said, I like you, Theodore Raeken.” He stressed every word. “Don’t you get it? I fucking like you.”
They stared at each other for what felt like a thousand years, not noticing the crowd cheering for the seventh, eighth, and ninth dancers, not noticing Mason and Corey and Brett and Nolan hurrying to their side, not noticing the manager grunting and walking around in the club. They just stared at each other, like nothing in this world existed anymore. Then Theo let out a snort.
“You’re telling me this now?”
“Theo,” Liam growled. “Can you stop being an asshole for one second? Or I swear I’m gonna punch—”
“Liam,” Theo cut him off. “I already know.”
This time, it was Liam’s turn to freeze, but Theo took no prisoners and kept talking.
“It’s obvious, little wolf. Why would anyone want to get close to me? Or help me find a job? Or lend me a suit? It’s because you like me. And the thing is, I like you too.”
Four loud gasps rang out, but Liam didn’t even bother to look, because Theo just said he liked him back. Theo liked him.
Then he pulled Theo’s tie and crashed their lips together.
He pushed everything in his mind aside, only savoring this moment, then he felt Theo kiss him back hungrily. They kissed hard, like two dense idiots finally resolving their sexual tension, their breaths and scents mixing together. Then Liam abruptly pulled away and stared into Theo’s eyes.
“What?” Theo said, still panting.
“Don’t you say that again,” Liam said firmly.
“Say what again?”
“Say nobody wants to get close to you.” Liam gave Theo’s tie a tug. “Because they,” he pointed at his four friends. “...are gonna be your friends, and you,” he pointed back at Theo. “...are gonna stop being an asshole with low self-worth and start living like a normal person. Because you have us, and you have me.”
Theo held Liam’s gaze, then he broke into a smile.
“Then you’ll have to help me find a new job, little wolf.”
*
They didn’t have to wait long before finding Theo a new job, because as soon as Deaton came back to town, he started looking for an assistant, and Theo was the perfect candidate for that. They went to the clinic together, and Deaton offered Theo the position as soon as he saw him enter the front door. The process was even shorter than Coach’s.
Theo’s living issue was magically resolved as well, because Liam somehow managed to compel Derek to give Theo an empty unit in his apartment building, so he could worry less about his spending. Liam guessed even a cool werewolf like Derek couldn’t survive a bombardment of three hundred texts.
Liam was satisfied with the results not only because he got to spend more time with Theo, or he got a free chauffeur, or they got together, but because Theo was finally able to blend in with people, and he also got some new friends, even though they were basically Liam’s friends. They were a pack, anyway, and they would always have each other’s backs.
Oh, and Liam got to kiss Theo whenever he wanted. That was a huge plus.
“So, how much did you guys bet?” Mason asked as they were all in his house for a movie night.
“I put fifty bucks on a Friday.” Corey chuckled.
“Thirty on the club, and thirty on Liam kissing first,” Nolan added.
“Wait, I put twenty on Theo wearing a suit,” Brett chimed in.
“So who’s the winner?” Mason tapped rapidly on the calculator.
Liam rolled his eyes. “Okay, fuck you guys,” he growled.
Theo laughed, then he pulled Liam into his chest.
In the end, it turned out that Liam’s plans were always perfect, after all.