Theo-

"Theo! Buddy wake up," says Uncle Mason quietly.

I passed out when I got home from school. It was a long day of finals, and my head hurts. "What time is it?" I mumble with a stretch. "Did I sleep all night?"

Uncle Mason shakes his head. "Nah, kiddo. It's about 6. I don't want you to have trouble tonight. Plus....the lawyer called."

I sit right up. Dad's been sentenced. He cut a deal and pleaded guilty last month, but the legal system dragged its feet. I know he flipped on a couple of people, so he won't be going to prison for too long.

I gesture for him to continue, and he sighs out, "3 years. One with good behavior," he says quietly. He's annoyed that's all he got.

I nod, "so....so I won't go back to him then. He'll be out when I'm like 20, right?"

"Or 18," says uncle Mason with a nod. "Tasha and I are looking to adopt you so you can have a stable home life...if you want that." I'm shocked that he would want me forever. I'm not worth that much trouble. "Don't say anything yet. Think about it. It'll take time anyways."

"What about Mom?" I ask quietly.

"That's the good news. Her social popped up a couple of months ago in Las Vegas. I'm still tracking down the information, but that means she's alive," he says with a weak smile.

I know it's killing him to not know. But, despite all her problems, he wants his twin sister to be alive... cause then he can save her. That's why he wants to adopt me; to try and save her little boy.

I shouldn't be his problem, though...I'm just bringing him down. I know it. He gives me a soft kiss on the forehead and leaves me in my thoughts.

My phone buzzes, and I pull it out. Danny's hitting up the group chat.

Bro chat

Danny- Theo's birthday is coming up. What's the plan?

"Fuck no," I groan out. I don't want anything special.

Me-nothing.

Brenden- I'm thinking a party.

Me-I'm thinking no.

Me- ich denke nein

Bryce- only losers know German. I'm thinking a party with the team. The Varsity bros.

Danny- loving this plan. Theo!!!! Come play with us.

I shake my head. I've been out with the three of them ....they become really dumb.

Me- only cause you'll all die without me.

Bryce- says the guy that wants to go on a hike this weekend.

Me- it was an idea.

I wouldn't actually push it. I just really love those woods. Plus, I wanna see that wolf again.

Danny- no hiking, birthday boy. Brenden round up the guys. Party Saturday night. Bryce, get your Dad on board.

Me- good luck.

Bryce- it's a team-building exercise, baby cousin. He'll be fine.

I'm worried about the guys, but I can't tell Bryce that. He'll tell Uncle Mason and cause all sorts of issues.

I decide to text Danny. He's oddly protective of me, and I don't hate it.

Me- please don't leave me alone at the party.

Me- I get weird vibes from some of the guys still.

Danny-I'll protect you, little one.

I shake my head but still smile at his message. I really like how protective he can be of me. It's sweet and not overbearing like Bryce can sometimes be.

Bryce knocks on my door as these thoughts move through my head. "Hey. It'll be a lot of fun. I promise."

"You know I don't drink," I say back louder than I meant to, and he shushes me and closes my bedroom door. "I don't wanna be around all the drunk jocks."

He tilts his head, "Hey, maybe one of them is secretly gay and into you, and they just need a drink to make it happen?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Then he should wait until he's sober to kiss me."

"Lameeee, but ok," groans Bryce. "Come on. Let's watch a movie."

I nod and follow him out of my room. As I close my door, I catch my wolf protector on the window looking cute.

Bryce gives me a weird look, and I ask, "what's up?"

"You ok?" He asks in response. "I heard Dad talking to you. It was a lot to take in."

I nod. "I think I'm gonna be ok. Dad can't hurt me, and Mom....might be out there someplace."

He nods and leads the way down the stairs.

It's true. Dad is going to prison for a couple of years, and when he's out, I'll be long gone. Join the Army. Hop a boat to Alaska. Hitchhike to Florida. I'll be gone.

I was sure Mom was dead....or deep in a meth lab living her best life, but either way, I can't deal with that right now.

I take a deep breath as we get to the kitchen. I'm trying to force myself to be ok with it all, but it's not working. It hasn't been working for a couple of weeks, and I can't figure out why.

"Theo!!!! Come on. It's pizza and movie night," shouts Mandy from the couch. "It's your turn to pick the movie, but it has to be a Christmas movie."

I smile and head to my spot next to her on the sectional. Mandy is my movie buddy, and we love it. Bryce is my sports bro, and Jackson is the one I can play videos games with and sometimes win.

I pull up Disney+ and smile as "Muppets Christmas Carol" starts to load.

Uncle Mason comes in with the pizza. Followed by Aunt Tasha, who can't stop herself from saying, "oh Theo. Great pick you win this year, I think."

"I love this movie. It's so much fun," I say back and get comfy under the blanket.

"It's fun, but Scooged is the best version," says Uncle Mason handing out pizza. "That's my pick for tomorrow."

I look at Bryce, who's quick on the pick-up. "Actually, Theo and I have a team builder tomorrow at Brenden's.....if that's cool. It's for Theo's birthday too."

Uncle Mason looks like he has doubts, and I might not have to go, but Aunt Tasha always ruins my evil plans. "That sounds good. You two'll have fun. We can do the movie on Sunday."

"Alright," says Uncle Mason, sensing defeat. "But home by 11 unless you're sleeping over there."

"We'll probably crash with Brenden," says Bryce staring at his phone.

Uncle Mason snatches it from him and sets it by the TV with his phone. "No phones during the movie," he reminds his oldest son with a smile. Then, as he takes his seat on the couch, he groans out, "ok. Start it."

I hit play and sit back and enjoy my favorite Christmas movie.

It was my Mom's favorite movie. We'd watch it in the middle of the summer on hot days.

I really hope she's ok...

********

"Dude!!!!! Get up," groans Bryce as he hits me with a pillow. "You've been sleeping all day."

I roll away from him, but I don't say a thing.

"Theo. The guys are waiting. You need to shower and stuff," he says in an annoyed tone.

I've been like this since last night. Watching that movie reminded me of all my happy childhood memories. I don't have a lot of them, and that's part of the problem. I miss my parents, but I shouldn't cause they were terrible to each other and me, then I feel bad about thinking that, and the whole thing starts over.

Bryce sits down on my bed and rubs my back, "hey. I'm sorry about you're Dad. If you really don't wanna hang out tonight, that's fine....but I think you should."

"You always think I should hang out," I mumble into my wall.

"That's true, but Danny'll be there, and you like him," he says quickly, and I know he's smiling. "Plus the guys like you. All of them. You're great, and you need to be able to have fun sometimes."

I feel him get up from my bed. He's right. I need to have fun. Plus...Danny. I smile a bit at the thought of him. "Ok. I'll go. Let me get ready. Maybe 20 minutes?"

Bryce pulls out his phone and taps something. "I'll give you 25 and go."

I shake my head as I see him set a timer and rush to the bathroom.

When I get back. I notice my window's open. I assume Bryce did it to look out at Riker, who's barking like a mad man at something. So I shut it and start to get ready.

I gel down my brown hair. I'll never be able to contain the wavy hair, but this will do. I'm going to keep my glasses on cause I hate contacts. I just wear them for practice and games. Bryce was wearing a red Trailblazers hoodie, so I pull on my Seattle Krakens shirt that Dad got me last summer. They may not be a real team until next year, but Seattle is my hometown, and I'm gonna be proud.

When I enter the kitchen, I see Jackson and Mandy making cookies. "Ewwwww, you're wearing that?" Groans Mandy. She hates all things Washington, and I blame Bryce.

"I am cause it's my home team.....no matter where I call home," I say with a grin and add the last part for Aunt Tasha, who uses the distraction to steal a cookie.

"Ok, you two remember the rules," she says to Bryce and me.

"Yes. Drink all the drinks you can," says Bryce with a smile.

"And drink and drive whenever possible," I add.

We both dodge the ball of tin foil she throws at us. "I mean it. Don't drink tonight."

We nod, and she pushes us toward the door. She looks back at the others before she speaks, "if you drink. Don't drive. Spend the night there. Text me if you two plan on crashing there anyway, ok."

We both smile, but I speak for us, "don't worry, aunt Tasha. He has to drive so he won't drink and I don't anyway. We'll be perfect angels." We both flash her matching smiles.

She shakes her head, "get out. Have fun. Text me by 10 when you know the plan. Mama's coming over tomorrow to decorate cookies, so be BACK by 12 if you do spend the night someplace."

"Love you," shouts Bryce to her, retreating back. He turns to me. "I think I'll crash at Megan's...her Dad and his girlfriend are out of town this weekend, but I'll drop you off first."

I follow him out the door to Aunt Tasha's little car, "I'll try and get a ride home to save you some time."

As I climb into the car, I ask a question I should've asked earlier. "Where is the party anyways?"

"It's not a party party, just the guys getting together to have fun, but it's at Brenden's house," he says and backs out of the driveway.

"His parents don't mind drinking? His Dad's a deputy," I say in a shocked voice.

Bryce shrugs, "they're out of town too. They went to some show in Seaside or something with Danny and Megan's parents."

"Huh....small town," I say, and we head down the road. I am kind of amazed at how many families seem really interconnected. Not just because their kids go to the same school or play the same sports.

When we pull up at Brenden's house, I see about a dozen cars, and I exhale in relief.

Bryce clearly picks up on my feelings cause he nudges me and smiles, "I told you it was going to be a low-key party."

He hops out, and I follow him up the driveway. I recognize all the cars, so it's just the hockey team...maybe their girlfriends.

Bryce doesn't even knock; he just goes right in, and I'm hit with a wave of teenage boys being loud.

I take a breath before I follow him into the house.
*********
Danny

"When should the birthday boy be here?" Asks Brenden as he brings up the beers from the basement.

His Dad may be on the force with mine, but he would rather we drink at his house than sneak around. Dad doesn't love it but doesn't care; Sheriff Mason isn't a fan of it all but looks the other way.

"Bryce texted me when they left. Should be in a couple of minutes," I say as I take a box from him.

Eric Stevens takes the other box from him and says, "it's weird having a gay guy in the team."

Brenden and I both pause, "why's it weird?" I ask.

Eric's a senior, so he's trying to get a scholarship and can't afford me breaking his arm right now.

"Come on, man," he says with an eye roll. "You know why it's weird. He's gay."

"You act like he hits on you and grabs your ass or something," I say defensively. The other guys are gathered around us now in the kitchen. I look around, "anyone else have a problem with Theo?"

Brenden speaks up, "I thought we'd be over all that, seeing as it's been a month."

I see the only sophomore on the team, Skyler Reed, raise his hand. "I don't have a problem. He's a great guy."

Most of the guys nod their heads, except Eric and his two buddies. "I mean. It's weird, but I don't hate him or anything," says Eric defensively. "I don't have to approve of something to not be nice to the guy."

I hear the van pull up, and I notice the four other shifters on the team do the same thing. "That's probably them. If you don't have a problem. Then don't make a problem."

Eric throws his hands up defensively, " I got it. Who knows, maybe it won't be weird next week or two weeks or whatever."

"Put on some music. Let's have some fun," shouts Brenden, and the team follows his lead.

Bryce walks in as the cheers hit a high note, and Theo walks in behind him, looking adorable and nervous. He gives me a faint smile as I give Bryce a bro hug.

"Dude. Tell me there's food here. I'm starving," says Bryce quickly.

I nod, "pizza's coming'. Happy Birthday, Lil' T." I pull him into a tight embrace. I could hear the content sigh even without super hearing. So he might actually like me back.

When we pull apart, his face is a little red, and he pushes his glasses back up his nose. "Thanks, Danny Boy. Do the guys know it's my birthday weekend?"

I nod my head, " yeah, they do." He groans out in pain. "Don't worry, everyone has them."

He seems unconvinced. Thankfully Bryce comes over, "you loved your old hockey team, right?" Theo nods. "Then let us be your new team and love us too. It's a good group of guys."

"You're right. I hate it, but you're right," says Theo softly more to himself than to us. "Let's do this."

I move aside to let him take the lead. When he hits the kitchen, the guys all explode with cheers and shouts, wishing him a happy birthday.

Bryce stops me for a second, "thanks for being his friend....even if you have other motives."

I shake my head, "my only real motive is making sure he's ok. He's my defense partner anyways."

Bryce looks unconvinced still but doesn't push it. I follow him into the kitchen and see Theo in a group of guys talking about the Krakens and how excited they are to have a team close by. Bryce floats over to Brenden, who's cracking open a beer. He's staying sober cause he has late-night plans with Megan.

"Theo!!!!!! I made you a birthday cake, man," shouts Brenden pointing to a half-assed chocolate cake.

The guys pile on Theo as he groans out, and Brenden grabs the cake.

It's actually Eric who suggests we sing "happy birthday." As Theo fights to get away from the group, he laughs and says, "Dude, it's happening. 30 seconds of pain for years of team building."

Theo stops struggling at that point, and we torture him a bit with our singing.

We move into the living room to watch the game, the Stars vs. the Avalanche. None of us are big fans of either team, but hockey is hockey, so we make the most of it.

I sense Theo starting to let his guard down as the night goes on, but some of the guys are drinking a bit more than they should be.

Bryce and I are making small talk when it happens. Joe Kendell is trying to show off as he carries in a plate of nachos and trips. The nachos and his drink go flying all over Theo and me.

"Oh fuck, man. I'm sorry," slurs Joe trying to help us clean up.

Theo's panicking again, and I don't know why. It clearly wasn't on purpose, but he's up quickly. "I'll be back," he says in a shaking voice.

Bryce is up helping to clean the mess, and I'm covered in cheese, so I stand up and head to the bathroom. I can hear Theo talking to himself, and it's not great.

"You stupid fucking idiot. Why would you wear it tonight? You haven't worn it in months," whispers to himself. "Fuck, he's gonna be so mad."

"Who's he talking about?" I wonder to myself. I don't knock and just open the door.

Theo jumps, and it's clear he's crying. "Get out. Danny." He snaps and turns away. The Kraken shirt is in the sink getting washed.

"What's wrong. It's just cheese," I say and pull off my button-up shirt.

"It's....not....just...Cheese," he says in an angry tone. "He's gonna be mad when he finds out I ruined this Shirt. It was expensive. I have to get it cleaned."

His eyes are full of tears, and he's breathing really hard. I think he's having a panic attack about something.

I reach out and just rub his back, trying to calm him down. "Theo. Your Uncle won't be mad about that.....don't worry."

He jerks away from me, still crying, "not him....my Dad. He's gonna be mad at me. He....always....gets....mad....and....I.....fucked....uuuuuppppp."

"Fuck...." I say out loud, and then without even thinking, I pull him into a hug. Even with his Dad in jail, he's still terrified of the man. "He can't hurt you, Theo. I promise. You're Dad can't get you out here."

He pulls back and just looks up at me. Tears rolling off his cheeks. "You....you don't know what he's like. He'll find a way."

"You'll be safe. I promise," I say quietly and listen to his heartbeat calm down.

"How do you know?" He says in a dismissive voice.

"Cause I won't let him. I'll protect you," I say in a matter-of-fact tone. It's cocky, but it's true.

Theo studies my face for a second. Then like he's taking a risk, he smiles and kisses me.

When he breaks away, I can see he's scared, but I just smile and whisper, "I'm happy you made the first move." Then, as he processes what I said, I return the kiss.

For me, this is the moment I've been waiting for...I have him shirtless in my arms. He kisses me back with a lot more aggression than I would've expected from Theo, but I like it. I feel...complete, and I don't really understand it.

When we finally break apart to breathe, he gives me a weak smile, "I guess that just happened."

I nod, "I liked it a lot. You.....uh wanna head out. I can take you home. And we can talk. Our shirts give us a great excuse."

He smiles at me before answering, "only if we go back to your place. I don't want to go home just yet."

Damn, this boy moves fast. "Uh yeah. My parents are gone this weekend. Let's go."

Theo grabbed his jacket before he ran to the bathroom, so he pulls it on and blushes at me, watching him. I open the door and lead us out.

The guys are distracted by the game, and the mess is mostly cleaned up. Brenden can get the rest. "I'm gonna head home. Can't get the nacho cheese out, and I smell bad." I say to the group.

Bryce looks up at Theo, "you wanna leave too?"

Theo nods, but I answer, "I'll take him. Seeing as you have "plans.""

The guys all make "ooooooooo" sounds and nudge Bryce, who looks embarrassed now. "Ok. I told Dad I wasn't coming home, so if he asks, I'm here, ok?"

Theo nods, "Your secret's safe with me."

"And yours is safe with me, baby cousin," says Bryce with a wink.

I have a lot of questions, but that can happen later.

I lead Theo to my car and unlock it for him. I check that the coast is clear before I lean in to kiss him. He laughs through it and returns the kiss.

We break up, and I start my car. "You sure you want to come to my place? No pressure!"

"Danny. I've wanted this since I met you, basically. Yes. Take me to your place," says Theo with a laugh, and he pulls out his phone, probably texting Bryce.

I head down the road.

I don't know what to expect, but I think Theo Bennet is about to rock my world.