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Everything was going wrong.
There were way too many hunters than they planned for and it was only him and Liam fighting against them. Theo already sent Scott a panicked text ten minutes ago but Stiles’ jeep got surrounded by almost an army of more hunters when they tried to come to help.
Fuck this. Theo dodged an arrow, the smell of wolfsbane burning in his nose. Fuck this and fuck those stupid hunters.
He tried to get closer to Liam to somehow find a way to escape this shitshow, but another arrow whizzed by, missing his head by an inch. Theo growled, his eyes flashing yellow. “Don't fucking piss me off,” he snarled. He was about to go attack the hunter — he seemed to be his age and probably not good at close combat if he was only armed with bow and arrow — when he heard a scream.
His head instantly snapped in the direction it was coming from, his eyes frantically looking for Liam. “Liam!”
He found him on the hard forest floor, his hands clutching at his shoulder and leg, face twisted in pain.
“Fuck.” Theo didn't waste any second and hauled Liam up, dragging him behind an old tree trunk to take cover from the next bullet that was coming their way.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Is it bad?” He pulled Liam closer to him, taking a quick look at the wound.
“It's not— it's not normal wolfsbane. Smells different,” Liam panted.
“Shit. We can't stay here.” More bullets and arrows were flying by. “I gotta get you to the truck.”
“I don't think I can walk,” Liam gasped as he tried to move.
“I'll carry you,” He put one of his arms around Liam's back and the other under his legs so he could pick him up bridal style. Then he ran as fast as he could, miraculously dodging everything that was flying their way.
Thankfully it wasn't long until they arrived by the truck, Theo tearing open the door on the passenger side, carefully sitting Liam down and closing the door again. He ran to the driver's side and started the truck as quickly as possible, slamming the gas pedal and rushing down the road.
Liam was breathing heavily, quiet whimpers spilling from his lips that he couldn't hold back. Theo put his hand on his thigh to take his pain and almost swerved off the road as Liam's pain was rushing over his body. “Jesus.” He gripped the steering wheel with both hands again.
“Liam, we need at least half an hour to the animal clinic. Do you think you can take it? Should I call Scott? I don't know if they're still surrounded by the other hunters or if they could escape.” He pushed his sweaty bangs out of his face, pressing down the gas pedal even more.
“I— I don't know. It hurts. It's not normal wolfsbane. I don't know.”
Theo cursed and hit the brakes, guiding the truck to the side of the road. He could just hope that the hunters weren't following them anymore.
As the truck stopped, he took a quick look at Liam's injury again. The flesh of the wound was colored an ugly oozing red-purple. Without a second thought, Theo ripped Liam’s shirt, pushing it off his shoulders so he could see what the rest of his chest looked like.
“If you wanted to undress me, all you had to do was ask,” Liam laughed hollow.
Theo ignored him and studied his chest, carefully following the purple zigzag lines with his finger. “Shit.”
“What?” Liam raised his head, looking down his own chest.
“Shit. Fuck. Where the fuck did those motherfuckers get this???”
“Theo, what—?”
“It's purple wolfsbane. A special kind of wolfsbane. It's very rare and it's—,” he swallowed, his blood rushing in his ears. “It's— it's deadly,” he choked out, “it's deadly if untreated.”
“Fuck,” Liam looked at him with wide eyes and Theo felt his heart sink.
He took Liam's head into his hands. “It's okay, it's okay, look at me. We're gonna find a solution, okay? I know there's an antidote and Deaton gotta have it in his clinic. We just have to make it there as fast as we can, okay? Everything is gonna be alright,” he kissed him quickly, trying to force back his own tears, heart pounding in his ears. Liam nodded weakly, sweat already running down his forehead.
Theo breathed in sharply to collect himself and to not go into panic mode. He sent Scott a quick voice message, telling him that Liam was badly hurt with purple wolfsbane and that they're on their way to the animal clinic because he needed the antidote. He tried to call Deaton as well but he didn't pick up. He cursed, ending the call.
It's okay, he's going to break the lock or door, he doesn't care. He's going to get that antidote one way or another.
He had to focus on getting Liam to the clinic first. He started the truck again, pushing the gas pedal, not caring the slightest about the speed level. There weren't any other cars on the road anyway because they were a bit out of town. The only thing that was important was getting to the clinic.
Theo couldn't help but check how Liam was doing every few minutes. He noticed that Liam was trying to hold back whimpers but it didn't take long until that just wasn't possible anymore. Liam's breathing was ragged. He let his head fall back on the backrest, closing his eyes, his suffering clear on his face. Theo tried to take his pain again but Liam weakly batted his hand away. “No— it's too much, you gotta drive.”
Theo's hands were shaking on the steering wheel, teeth clenched. After they were about halfway there, Theo suddenly saw in the distance a black car coming their way. He knew that car. Hunters.
“Shit,” he cursed, slamming the breaks and jerking the steering wheel to drive the car into the forest, hoping they haven't seen them yet. Liam gasped as gravity pulled him against the door. Theo guided the truck behind some thick trees, praying to a god he doesn't believe in that they would just drive by.
But of course luck wasn't on their side and he saw how the black car slowed down.
“Fuck, Liam. We gotta run and hide. We're too slow with the truck compared to them, they're gonna catch us.” Liam just groaned in pain as Theo unbuckled his seat belt and ran to the passenger side to pick him up again. With the extra weight in his arms it was hard to not trip and fall as he rushed through the woods, dodging old tree trunks and branches.
“Theo, Theo,” Liam wheezed. “Please, stop. I can't— I can't. It hurts, it hurts too much.”
Theo came to a halt. “No, Liam, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I gotta get you to the clinic. We need the antidote.”
Liam gasped for air. “It’s too late. We're not gonna make it.”
Theo's throat closed up, tears springing into his eyes. “What? Nononono. Liam, you can't give up. We're so close we're halfway there. Please, Liam. We gotta get to the clinic.”
They heard a gun shot way too close. “Shit, they're still following.” Theo started running again and Liam groaned in pain, letting his head fall against Theo's chest. Theo's arms were burning with exhaustion but he didn't care.
After a few more minutes, Liam started pulling on his shirt. “Please Theo, stop. I can't— I need to lay down. Please.”
Theo stopped again and looked down at his boyfriend. His face was pale, sweaty bangs hanging into his face, his naked chest full of purple lines. Theo swallowed, pushing back down the urge to scream.
“Okay, look there's a little cave over there. We can hide while I try to call Scott again, okay?” Liam didn't reply, but Theo walked into the direction of the cave anyway, laying Liam down with his back against the wall and sitting next to him so Liam could put his head on his shoulder.
Theo pulled out his phone so he could call Scott. A weight was lifted from his chest when he actually picked up this time.
“Scott? Liam is injured. It's bad, we need the antidote for purple wolfsbane now.”
“We're on our way to the clinic. Where are you guys?” Scott's worried voice came through the phone.
“We almost got caught by hunters. We had to leave the truck and we're in the forest, hiding in a cave. You can track my phone, right?”
“These fucking hunters... Yeah, we're gonna bring you the antidote. Make sure Liam's staying awake, okay?”
“Yes, please hurry.” Theo ended the call, setting his phone down. He looked at Liam who had his head on his shoulder, eyes closed, his breathing coming in shallow breaths. “Liam, hey,” he put his hand on his cheek, drawing slow circles with one thumb, “look at me. They're on their way. It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine.”
Liam's eyes opened slowly. He moved closer until their noses were touching. “I love you,” he whispered against his lips, “please promise me…that you will never forget that, okay?”
“Liam…,” his voice broke, eyes filling up with tears immediately, “no stop, it's gonna be alright, baby. You're gonna be alright.”
He was full on crying now, tears mingling with Liam's, when he pulled him closer, rubbing their cheeks together. “Please. You can't. I can't lose you. You're all I have.” He felt his own heart break into one million pieces, his throat tightening, he rang for air. “Please.”
Liam kissed him. Their kiss tasted like desperation and tears. Theo pulled Liam's shaking body closer until he was sitting in his lap.
Liam slid his arms around his neck, pulling his head away and looking up at him. “I love you so much and I always will. I know you don't believe it but you made me a better person. You're good, Theo. You deserve good things. I hope one day you see that too.”
Theo was shaking his head, tears still falling down his face. “No, you're the one that's good. It shouldn't be you that's hurt. It should have been me. I should have protected you. You have a family, you have Mason, Scott and the pack. I only have you.”
“No, Theo don't say that. You're also part of the pack. I promise you the others think that too. It's only you who can't see it,” Liam wiped his tears from Theo's face. Then he moved and settled with his back against Theo's chest, letting his head rest where Theo's heart was pounding fast and loud. Liam was panting, his body looking weaker every minute. Theo left a kiss on his head, his arms tightening around him.
This boy in his arms was his world. Nothing mattered besides Liam. He would do anything for him. He would sacrifice his own life for him. He knew he couldn't live without him. He always knew that.
He raised one of his hands and let his claws come out. Liam was too distracted by trying to breathe steadily to notice. Theo moved his claws closer to his own throat until he felt them prick his skin there.
He slid his other hand into Liam's hair. “It's okay Liam,” he breathed. “We will be together. If you go, I'll go too.”
Liam raised his head weakly. He needed a few seconds but then he understood. His eyes widened. “What?— no, Theo. Please don't. Don't do this.”
“I don't wanna live without you,” his own voice sounded so foreign to his own ears. Hopelessness, misery, despair.
Using the last of his strengths, Liam pushed himself up and captured Theo's hand with the extended claws in both of his hands. “I want you to live. Please live for me. We will see each other again one day. Until then I need you to live.”
Theo was crying again. Liam was too. Theo let his forehead rest against Liam's, slowly breathing in and out.
“I will wait for you. I love you,” Liam whispered.
“I love you too,” Theo replied quietly.
“Please tell my family and Mason and the pack how much I love them.”
Theo nodded, giving him one last kiss. He tried to give all the love he has for him in this last kiss. This love went beyond words so he tried his best to make him feel it. And Liam did. Theo knew he could feel it. Because he could also feel how much Liam loved him.
Then Liam pulled back and let himself slump against Theo's chest again, his heavy breathing the only sounds in the little cave. He closed his eyes and Theo just held him, tears kept falling quietly down his face.
Eventually he closed his own eyes.
Just as he tried to focus only on Liam's breathing, he suddenly heard a noise. His eyes snapped open, immediately worried that the hunters found them.
But then he realized that the voice sounded familiar. It was Scott calling his name. He instantly sat up calling him as loud as he could with his hoarse from crying voice. “Scott! We're here! Please hurry! He's dying!”
It didn't take long until Scott appeared in front of the cave. Without wasting any time he held up a syringe with what Theo assumed must be the antidote and injected it into Liam's upper arm.
As Scott pulled it out again, Theo gently patted Liam's cheek. “Please, please don't be too late. Please wake up, c'mon.” He could still hear Liam's heartbeat but it was very faint. “C'mon I can't lose you, wake up Liam.”
He saw his eyes fluttering. And then he was looking into the big blue eyes that he thought he was never going to see again. “Liam, oh my god,” he hugged him, tears welling up in his eyes again. “I love you. I love you so much. I thought I lost you.”
“I love you too,” he croaked out, voice still weak, “you're not getting rid of me that easily. Til death do us part, no fuck that shit.”
Theo laughed between tears, not believing those were his first words after almost dying. He pulled him closer, wrapping his whole body around him. “You know what? Yeah, you're right, fuck that.”