Mason giggled staring at his phone. Liam's voice grabbed his attention through the laptop they were chatting over, amused by Mason's distraction.

"Tell me how you maintain a 4.0 while being glued to your phone? Please. Because I can use some pointers."

Mason set his phone down to prove Liam wrong. "I am not glued to my phone, don't be overdramatic. I know how to set limits." His statement was quickly shattered as he grabbed his phone back when a notification buzzed.

Liam huffed. "You were saying?"

"Shut up. It's just Corey about some coursework I'm helping him with." Mason smiled down as he texted back a reply with pictures attached of the notes he took from their shared class. Done with his phone, he reattempted to show how he was not glued to his phone by pocketing it in his sweatpants. Out of sight, out of mind.

"You don't seem like a guy who just broke up his boyfriend."

"I told you Corey and I are good. It's really good to see him here doing well — making new friends, soaking up the experience, free from his toxic parents. He and I… we just grew apart. But we still care about each other, just not in the same way. I guess leaving home made us realize things about ourselves."

"So then you're really cool with Corey?" After seeing Mason nod, Liam continued, "That's good to hear. I was sad to hear about the break up."

Mason snorted. "Sure you were."

"What? I was! I want you to be happy."

"Look I know you two have gotten along better since high school but you never did completely take to him. Remember during that pack movie night when Stiles joked about me and Corey being one step away from marriage since we were going away to college together? And then you threw that bowl of popcorn."

"It fell!" Liam defended himself for what felt like the 20th time about that night.

"Across the living room?"

Mason changed the subject to save his friend from further denial. He knew Liam will never own up to it. "Anyone new in your love life?

"No, not since you asked me the other day."

"I figured you could've met someone on your morning jog or coffee run. I mean, you are in New York City - the dating pool has to be overflowing especially for you."

"Especially for me?" Liam repeated, with a tone of teasing.

"Oh, shut up. You have a mirror."

Liam beamed at the compliment. "Well, I can say the same for you. If you're over Corey like you say, then why aren't you dating any of the…," Liam paused mid sentence to scroll around on his side of the screen. "…45,000 students available to you. Holy shit."

Mason swore Liam looked panicked. A lot like that night when he definitely threw that popcorn bowl. "Easy there, Mr Numbers. They say only ten percent of the population is gay."

"That's still 4,500! And half of that is 2,250!"

It sounded pretty crazy when Liam put it like that. That big of a dating pool and Mason hadn't found anyone he was interested in after he and Corey broke up months ago. And not for a lack of hot guys on campus. Mason could throw a stone in any direction and hit a hot guy. But his heart, or much of anything else, wasn't in it. His younger self would find him unrecognizable now.

"Those 2,250 can wait until I pass finals. And even then, the men of UCLA will have to wait until I come back from visiting you in New York." Mason was counting down the days.

"So you're not dating… or even seeing anyone casually?"

"Nope."

"I thought maybe that's why you haven't been around to talk to." This had been their first video call in for over a week.

Mason scoffed. "No. It's just been hard. Harder than I thought it'd be. And not because I'm on my phone too much. Allegedly! High school felt like a breeze compared to my workload now."

"Even with the almost dying every other week?"

"Even with that. I can't believe I think I miss our murderous little town."

"Funny enough I've been missing back home too. It may have been crazy but I always had you to get through it with."

Mason quietly agreed. "At least I am all yours for the entire summer, dude."

"Summer seems like a million weeks away," Liam whined, slumping in his chair. Mason felt that frustration. He's been in a state because he hasn't seen his best friend in so long. "You are going to love it here, Mase." There were so many things Liam wanted to show Mason that video calls didn't do justice.

"Maybe my visit will be a lot sooner than that. What if I told you I found a spell where we could go home, or wherever, any time we wanted?

"I would say there's a reason college is kicking your ass if you have time to research something like that. Then I would say I hope you're hungry because we're gonna have the best pizza you've ever tasted."

The ritual was quite an undertaking. He needed an anchor to his destination, which would be Liam. And the ingredients for the spell were hard to come by. Which is why he was saving it for an emergency. Like if a pack member needed help out of a dangerous situation. But a joyride to the city that never sleeps felt just as important at that moment.

"Here goes nothing." Mason stood in front of the drawn sigils forming a circle on his carpet, he hoped would scrub out easily, ready to chant the words for the incantation.

"Wait. Have you tried this before?"

"No."

"Has Deaton?"

"No."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Possibly."

"I thought college would've made us smarter. Oh well." But Liam didn't deter Mason, however nervous he was about this as he watched from his screen. He trusted Mason without a doubt. Plus he was just as desperate for a visit.

Blue swirling light replaced the sigil circle, big enough for Mason to step through. But there was no way to look through the other side.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Cool it. I'm about to stick my hand in a portal for the first time. Some trepidation is expected.

"Be careful."

Mason took a deep breath to steel his nerves before he reached around inside the portal with one hand and tugged it back after finding something to grab. "Hey! It's your coat! Must be your closet."

Liam swiveled in his chair to look behind himself. He saw the same coat hanging on a rack — with a lack of Mason's hand gripping it. "That's weird. Hey, Mase, I don't think—" Liam didn't get the chance to finish. The scream coming from his laptop snapped Liam's head back to the screen. "Mason? Mason!"

He could only watch as Mason tugged on his arm that had clutched the coat sleeve. Half his arm was stuck in the portal. His remaining body was being sucked in and every effort, from digging his heels in the carpet to grabbing onto nearby furniture failed to keep him from falling into the portal.

Going through the portal left Mason feeling a bit disoriented. Not to mention a little painful due to crashing into a wall — or a door, Mason wasn't sure of which in the dark space he found himself in. Neither were a compromise if it meant seeing more of Liam. And of course, the main reason was just to test out if teleportation worked for pack purposes, Mason told himself. Repeatedly. He hoped if he said enough times he'd believe it.

Once Mason figured out how to exit the small, dark space, which he discovered was a closet, he found himself in Liam's room. But the unintended location was Liam's room in their hometown of Beacon Hills, not New York.

The room brought back memories of the last night they had spent together before heading off to college. They had spent a week-long binge glued to each other soaking up as much time they could get together before they would be on opposite coasts of the country. Revisiting old haunts in town, gaming marathons in each other rooms, gorging on pizza that Liam now considered pathetic in comparison. Corey had been understanding since he and Mason would be together in college anyway. And their parents had known how attached at the hips Mason and Liam were and allowed them their time together.

Looking back in the closet, the portal was gone — and with it, access to all of Mason's supplies to try to conjure another portal. It was an impulsive decision on his part not to test somewhere local. But he'd been excited to see Liam — to see if his experiment worked, Mason corrected himself.

Well, Mason tried to look at this as a win. It worked… to a degree. Just some bugs to work out. He counted himself lucky that he kept his phone glued to himself. Healthy, no. But his attachment came in handy.

After pulling his phone out of his pocket, he texted Liam to let him know the trial run didn't work as expected but his text failed to go through when he tried. And calling yielded the same failure. Somehow, his phone was out of service. And there was no WiFi signal in the house to connect to. Unease began to rise within Mason.

Liam's parents were in the loop of their son being a werewolf, so a little thing like suddenly appearing in a closet wouldn't be too much of a surprise to hit them with. Mason hoped at least. And then that was when Mason was about to go into full blown panic. Outside of Liam's room, the house looked like it had been vacant for a long time, which made as little sense as Mason's out of service phone. Dust filled the stale air. He tried calling out for Liam's parents but as he expected no one answered in the house.

He was still in his hometown, Mason reassured himself. Dropping by Deaton's clinic for a supply run and assistance would be a piece of cake. He didn't look forward to explaining to the vet (and mentor) that he'd been dabbling in powerful magic without proper guidance.

Mason roamed the streets in his slippers. Borrowing a pair of sneakers came to mind, but the only person close to Mason's shoe size was Liam's mom and he didn't think the pumps left behind would be better than his slippers.

Despite the lights he could see in the neighboring homes he passed by, no one answered their doors when he went in search of a phone — and maybe answers to what happened to the Dunbars' home. A couple of homes outright shouted at him to get off their property. Mason remembered the neighborhood being much more friendly back during his and Liam's school fundraising and trick or treating days as kids. Mason knew he looked a little weird roaming the streets at night in fuzzy slippers, but he didn't think it warranted him such rudeness.

A patrol car pulled over and two men dressed in black militia-type uniforms instead of the normal tan deputy wear halted Mason.

"Out pretty late after curfew. We're going to need to see an ID," Mason was instructed.

It was only a little after 8 since Mason last looked at his phone. "Seems kinda early for a curfew." He let out a nervous laugh.

"Do we need to ask again?"

Mason hadn't exactly thought of bringing his wallet with him on his journey. "I don't exactly have one on me. I live here though. Not in this neighborhood but not too far away. My name is Mason Hewitt." And then Mason gave them his address in town hoping it was enough.

He anxiously waited for them to verify his information, all the while confused by the curfew implemented in his hometown. No one, not his parents or Deaton or anyone, told him about this change. It felt almost crazy to think it, but Mason was beginning to feel like he was in some type of bizarro version of Beacon Hills. The date was the same. But the absence of Liam's parents, his phone, and now this…

"Mason Hewitt you said?" One of them chuckled then showed his partner the results from his tablet. "Wanna try that again? Says here you're dead."

Mason's eyes widened in horror. Shown to him was his smiling face with the status of deceased marked over his information.

"Th-that has to be a mistake! Clearly I'm alive!"

"I don't know… You look pretty dead to me. No reason to bring in a dead man."

"What're you up to?" The man's partner asked.

"I haven't had dinner yet. And I'm starving for fresh meat." A devilish grin appeared on the man followed by an extra set of teeth emerging in his mouth.

"Man, the alpha is gonna wise up if you keep eating the people we're supposed to bring in."

"Alpha? You mean Scott? Scott McCall, right? I'm part of his pack." Scott is the true alpha and widely respected by the supernatural beings in Beacon Hills. Mason prayed that respect extended to wendigos.

"There's only one alpha and it ain't Scott McCall - whoever the hell that is."

Mason's heart rate quickened. The only thing he can think of to deter them is that he's all bones, no meat.

But the wendigo liked what it saw enough to pounce on Mason, while the other man turned his back and waited for the wendigo to finish his meal.

Mason crashed hard to the ground. He tried crawling away which only proved to amuse the wendigo holding onto his legs to keep Mason from getting away. He reached out for anything to help him when kicking had no effect against the creature's superior strength. But there was nothing in range.

So he called out — cried out — on the off chance that someone would be kind enough —brave enough, to help him. Sadly the response was the same as when he went door to door, only this time people turned off the lights in their homes, ignoring the human being attacked.

Mason's pleas for help morphed into screams of pain when the flesh of his leg was torn into by sharp, jagged teeth.

"Quit playing with your food and hurry up already." As the other creature stood waiting.

"It tastes better when they're scared. Now, keep quiet and I'll let you gnaw the bone when I'm done, wolf boy."

Mason had assumed they were both wendigos. He couldn't find a way to hurt the wendigo but he had a surefire defense against a werewolf.

He reached for his phone and used an app that acted as an ultrasonic emitter. Developed by Lydia, bless her. It was not effective against the wendigo like Mason knew it wouldn't be, but it sent the werewolf to his knees in an instant, clutching at his ears to block the piercing noise.

The wendigo was distracted over his partner, questioning what the hell was wrong with him, and then Mason made his move to free his uninjured leg from the wendigo's loosened grip and kicked with as much force as he could muster. The wendigo's nose gushed out blood. And Mason followed with another kick at its head.

The werewolf bared its fangs at Mason but made no attempt to attack, instead it crawled away trying to gain distance away from the sound.

They were both hurt but the wendigo was starting to recover. Mason sprinted away to escape before he was overpowered again.

The car still had the keys in the ignition and Mason made his escape by stealing their car. He slammed his foot on the pedal and got the hell out of there.

The werewolf howled out, its voice traveling out in the dead, empty streets. Answering howls followed right after, signaling for reinforcements to come help. Mason sped the stolen car to Deaton's clinic as fast as the vehicle will allow, praying the mountain ash barrier built in the building will keep him safe while he found a way home.

Blue orbs illuminated the darkness in the rearview mirror, pursuing Mason's escape. The good thing about this apparent curfew meant Mason could hold his high speed without worrying about other cars on the road. It allowed him to maintain a safe distance away from the source of those blue orbs on his tail.

The clinic was finally in sight. After coming to a screeching halt, Mason wasted no time jumping out of the car to enter the safety of the clinic. He ran, more like hobbled, his way inside — ignoring the pain of his gnawed leg. And how soaked his slipper was with blood running down his leg from his open wound.

Mason collapsed once he made it inside the safety of Deaton's clinic and locked the door behind him to activate the mountain ash barrier built into the clinic. Of course, with Mason's luck, he noticed quickly that the inner sanctum of the clinic was ransacked and missing the vet. Any hopes of gathering the necessary items to travel back home were dashed. That must have been why the clinic's doors were unlocked when Mason had entered after the normal business hours.

And with the increased growling filling the night's air just outside those doors, Mason knew he was out of options but to sit in the operation room and bleed out.

Another howl pierced through the night's air. Different from the rest — stronger. It stopped the other growls and quiet prevailed for Mason to hear the sound of the front door opening.

Red eyes moved toward him, their inhuman glow was all Mason could make out in the darkened clinic. And not even the adrenaline coursing through him is enough to get him out of another scrap. Despite knowing his end was inevitable, Mason still stood and backed away to the furthest wall from the red eyes approaching.

"Mason?" Out of the shadows into the pale moonlight illuminating a small pocket of the room, was his best friend's face full of a range of emotions — the most obvious one: confusion.

"Liam?" Mason didn't question anything at that moment. Not the overgrown beard on Liam's face or the fact that he had alpha red eyes. Knowing his best friend was there to save him was too strong — his panic and adrenaline levels dropped in place of overwhelming relief. And suddenly, without the fear and adrenaline, the bone deep exhaustion from his escape and blood loss caused Mason to sway on the spot. His vision blurred until he collapsed. Liam's fast reflexes allowed him to catch Mason in his arms mid fall. He cradled Mason's limp form with care, staring down in disbelief. The tear dropping down on Mason's cheek doesn't jostle him awake, nor does the brush on his cheek by the rough pad of Liam's thumb.

Mason woke up on a couch already dreading being conscious. His head was swimming and a strange dream was plaguing his mind. Then a dull throb from his leg drew his eyes to see the limb was neatly wrapped with gauze. He cursed internally realizing he hadn't just awakened from a strange dream after all.

A quick scan of his surroundings showed he was in the Beacon Hills Mayor's office. He remembered the office from a past school trip and how he and Liam had joked as kids about what they would do if one of them became the mayor. The room where they dreamt of outlawing weekend homework was a far cry from where Mason was in now.

The Mayor's office now looked like a modified war room. Strategic maps and operation details were on a board near the desk in the center, and there were crates of various supplies occupying the corners of the room.

Mason tested his leg, carefully placing it on the floor. There was some pain — not fully healed, yet it wasn't the gaping wound it once was. It was manageable with some careful movement. He slowly hopped around inspecting the room.

The first thing Mason went to was the door. It was locked by an electronic panel. There was another door, beyond it, a shower could be heard running. With no way out and no present danger, he inspected the documents sprawled on the desk.

There was a memo about the items from Deaton's clinic being taken and destroyed as commanded. Then there was a list that caught his eye. It had the names of people who Mason knew lived in town. Ones that had joined Monroe's group. Many had converted next to their crossed out name. The names that weren't crossed out were from Scott's pack.

Mason heard the running water came to a stop and Mason went back to the couch before whoever in the bathroom emerged.

Shortly after, Liam walked in unaware of his guest's awakening, while he used a towel to dry his damp hair. It's been a while since Mason saw Liam shirtless, last time being in high school and noticed the forest of damp curly hair covering the expanse of his bare chest, it trailed down to where Mason's eyes saw the trail disappear under the low slung sweatpants around his defined v-line.

If Mason was more focused then he would realize it's the first time since he woke up that he isn't acutely aware of his leg's injury.

Liam paused in motion, taking notice of the sped up heartbeat and the scent slowly filling the room. He stared at Mason and abandoned the towel to the floor.

With the towel tossed aside, Mason saw how Liam shaved most of his beard. Looking more like the Liam he'd seen just before entering the portal. But Mason could tell this wasn't the same Liam. There was a weariness there that his Liam doesn't have, making him look older than he should.

"It's alright. You're safe here, Mason," Liam breathed out his name with reverence. He moved to sit close to Mason. Liam awkwardly wrapped his arms around Mason like he was scared touching the human would shatter the fantasy of his best friend returning back to life.

This was new, their hugs always came easy to them even long ago when Mason felt his feelings shift for his friend and worked hard to shift them back to more platonic ones. But after Mason melted into the hug and Liam allowed himself to accept this wasn't a dream, it was like all their hugs — a warm comfort they could always depend on. Except unlike their normal hugs, once they parted Liam cupped a hand over Mason's cheek with such a tenderness that Mason couldn't deny how it made his heart stutter. Mason was left speechless. All the questions Mason had about this world and this Liam were shoved in a corner having the werewolf crowd his space and on the verge of tears.

"You're safe," Liam repeated like he couldn't believe the words out of his mouth. "I thought I lost you," Liam dropped his hand to cover Mason's. "I can't believe you're here. How are you here?"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Liam called out in annoyance that he was busy. But the door opened anyway.

Liam rolled his eyes, followed by sniffing his wet nose and a quick wipe of his eyes. "What's the point of knocking if you don't listen when I say I'm busy?"

"Soundproof room, remember?"

Mason's breath hitched in shock at seeing Theo, who did not look much different, if at all. And behind Theo was Gabe, who kept his eyes to the floor.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Mason said with an accusatory tone.

Theo huffed a laugh. "He's definitely the real deal. Nice to see you too." Strangely enough, Theo sounded sincere. But then again, Theo could teach a master class in deception. "I heard… but I couldn't believe it."

"As you can see, I have something important to tend to right now."

"I understand, but we have other important matters to address. We have the confirmed whereabouts of…", Theo glanced at Mason before continuing. "The problem."

It's clear as day that Mason's being purposely kept in the dark.

Theo snapped his fingers, prompting Gabe to procure a tablet to hand to Liam. Liam stood with an annoyed huff, he wouldn't be left alone with Mason until he was updated. He grabbed a nearby long sleeve henley to wear, then snatched the tablet and looked over the information.

Mason looked over at Gabe who went back behind Theo. The hunter shrank in on himself in Liam's presence, his eyes went back to the floor.

"Good work."

"Permission to proceed with plans?" Theo asked.

"Hold off until I'm ready to join. I want to see this through personally," Liam addressed to Theo.

"Liam, we need to move fast before we lose them again."

"I gave you my order. Nothing is more important right now. Now leave us."

Gabe hurried out of the room, never having uttered a sound the whole time. Mason caught glimpse of a healed over scar on the back of Gabe's neck before the hunter left. Theo exited obediently after saying, "It really is good to see you again, Mason."

As soon as the door closed, Mason didn't let his concerns sit in a corner this time. "Theo? And Gabe? Maybe there was no accident why I'm here — to free you from his influence. And what the hell is this problem ?" Mason asked but had a good idea from what he's read.

"It's nothing to concern yourself about, Mase."

"Didn't sound like nothing to me. Li… I know you. You would never do all this on your own." Mason waved an arm to emphasize the room. It looked like a detailed military operation. "You can't see it right now but Theo's done something to you. He is doing something to you. None of this is who you are." Mason grabbed Liam's hand to bring him back to sit at his side, hoping to get through to him like he always had been able to.

"I'm not the same Liam you remember." Liam took hold of Mason's hand in both of his and placed them in his lap. "I know you want somebody to point a finger at. But Theo isn't to blame."

"Why the hell not? Think about it. The last time you lost yourself, he was behind it. Remember nearly killing Scott? He was manipulating you then, and he's doing it now."

"Theo knows what would ever happen if he tried to cross me. Everyone in this town knows to follow my rules."

"And is one of your rules to let wendigos have humans for a late night snack? Because I was here for all of ten minutes before this happened." Mason showed off his bandaged leg. "And it didn't sound like the first time this has happened around here."

"I'm sorry that happened and they'll be dealt with, but trust me, it's better now."

"It's not. You've lost your way. You're working with wendigos, a psycho hunter, and a shifty chimera. I'd like to hear what Scott has to say about what you're doing because I know he wouldn't approve. Where is he?"

"It doesn't matter now. I'm the alpha and I'm more of one than Scott ever was." His eyes transitioned to the startling red that Mason can't get used to seeing on his best friend. Not in this way.

"Liam… How are you an alpha? And why won't you tell me where Scott is?" Dread had filled Mason's heart thinking of how his best friend became an alpha in this world.

"I didn't kill him if that's what you're thinking."

Mason sighed a breath of relief. "You've got to tell me what happened here."

"Wanna see what happens when Scott's in charge? What the true alpha does?"

Liam's arm rose with his claws reaching out to Mason's neck. Mason flinched back and grabbed the werewolf's arm midair. "What are you doing?"

"I want to show you what happened. May I?"

Mason nodded. He knew this wasn't the same Liam from his world, but was sure that no harm would come from him.

"I don't know anything! I swear! I don't know what happened at Scott's house!" Gabe scrambled on the locker room floor after being thrown by Liam who came to school in search of the hunter.

"Did you know who was there? Did you know Mason was in there?" Liam growled out, his fiery anger winning over his battle to stay in control of the wolf inside. His teeth and fingernails sharpened into fangs and claws.

"No, I didn't know anything! I don't know anything!" Gabe screamed out in pain when his head was slammed against the mirror in the locker room. Liam knew Gabe would say anything to get him to stop. But there was stopping.

"Maybe you haven't noticed lately, but I'm having trouble controlling my anger. When things happen to my friends, I just can't seem to help it."

"Liam, wait, please…" The smell of copper and salt lingering in the air from Gabe's blood and tears made Liam want to spill more from Gabe. Liam needed him to suffer.

"I just get so angry!"

"Stop, Liam, please…" Another desperate plea went ignored by the werewolf.

"You think I'm going to kill you? You think we're all killers? Maybe we should be."

Somewhere in the distance, Liam could hear Theo talking about what to do if he goes through with killing Gabe. Liam imagined how disappointed his alpha would be in him. Scott wanted to pass on the responsibility of protecting Beacon Hills to Liam in his absence. But that plan… It involved having Mason by his side whenever he thought about it.

And now because of Gabe, Liam was alone. Without his best friend. Without his anchor. The one person he could trust with any secret. Who looked at him with elation after revealing he was a werewolf. Who never treated him differently after being diagnosed with IED.

"I don't care." Liam didn't know if he was responding to Theo's obvious attempt at reverse psychology or the inner war waging within to be the person Scott wanted him to be.

A few cracks splintered the mirror further as Liam applied more pressure to Gabe's skull.

"I don't care either. But at least let me help. I'm the one with experience here. If we kill him, we'll have to find the witnesses and kill them, too. Which means we're gonna need shovels, some plastic bags, maybe a chainsaw…"

"You made your point."

Theo thought he finally got through as Liam relented from Gabe but then the werewolf took Gabe by the throat, choking him. He wanted to look into Gabe's eyes as the life drained away from his best friend's murderer. The same way he had watched the life drain from Mason's bullet ridden body when he got to the hospital. Liam hadn't needed to siphon the pain to make Mason more comfortable. Mason had stuttered out how he couldn't feel anything, his glassy eyes staring at Liam's wet ones and his hands holding onto Liam's with the little strength he had left.

The memory caused Liam to grip tighter and his claws sunk into the back of Gabe's neck. By accident, he found himself in Gabe's memories. It was the night of Mason's death. He saw Gabe loading the automatic rifle. He could feel the sick pride Gabe had when aiming the gun at the window of Scott's living room.

Liam wasn't there in Mason's final moments and now all he could do was watch without effecting a change. He wasn't there to act as a shield — to protect Mason. If he had been there, with his fast reflexes maybe Mason could have stood a chance.

He would make sure Gabe could never hurt anyone else again. Liam detached himself from Gabe's neck and stepped back from the hunter, satisfied with the outcome.

"Jesus, Liam. I didn't expect you to — I was just bluffing. Shit…What the hell did you do to him?" Theo stood shocked by what he witnessed. Gabe was still alive but something wasn't right. Theo stepped in front of the human and waved a hand in front of Gabe's unfocused eyes, his body swaying in some zombie like state.

"At least now you don't have to worry about helping me get rid of a body," Liam said, showing no remorse over what happened. In fact, he felt an odd sense of calm wash over him. Calm enough that he finally shifted back. Looked at the mirror to see his fragmented reflection sporting different colored eyes. He knew what needed to be done.

In the waiting room of the hospital, Scott sat waiting for his mother to wake up from her surgery. She was considered to make a full recovery. He felt a shift when Liam returned. Scott flashed his red alpha eyes at Liam to discover new similarly colored ones flashing back at him.

"So it's true. You're an alpha."

Liam glanced at Theo, leaning against the hospital wall. He was the only one who could've told Scott what happened. "Yeah, I am. Just like you." Through sheer willpower Liam surpassed his beta status and made it happen.

"No, not like me."

"I didn't kill anyone. I didn't do anything wrong."

"There are lines we don't cross. What you did was wrong. I know you wanted Gabe to pay, I do too, but you can't take away someone's free will. T hink about Gabe's parents. You did the same thing to them like he did to Mason's parents. You took away their son."

"Am I supposed to feel sympathy for them? If they had done a better job raising that asshole, he wouldn't have shot up your house."

"Should I say the same about yours? What makes you any better?"

Liam pressed his lips in a thin line.

"You tried to kill me. Remember? But I forgave you. I meant it when I said you're my brother. Don't continue down this path."

"And what would you have done, Scott? If your mom hadn't survived, how would those morals of yours hold up? Oh right, you are the true alpha! Incapable of ever doing wrong! Heart of gold! Fuck you! You were supposed to be the alpha! You were there! Why didn't you save him? Why?"

Scott didn't say a word. Instead, he squeezed Liam in a tight hug. And Liam let him. He let the dam break and cried on Scott's shoulder. Scott had tried giving Mason the bite but Mason's body didn't take to it like Lydia. They didn't know why and assumed it had something to do with what the Dread Doctors had done to him, making him immune to the bite.

"No!" Liam shoved himself out of Scott's embrace. "You wanted me to be the alpha. You wanted me to step up. Your way isn't working! How many people have you lost because you couldn't do what needed to be done? Well, I'm done losing. I'm an alpha now! I can do what you couldn't. I'll bring peace to this town… by any means necessary."

"Where are you going, Liam?" Scott wanted desperately to save his beta — his former beta. But he was powerless to stop, it was up to Liam to choose his own path.

Theo pushed off the wall and joined Liam's leave out of the hospital. "You look like you've got a plan."

"I do." Liam had seen the hunter's operations and their base when he was inside Gabe's head. He planned on bringing the war to the hunters' doorstep. And he wouldn't be alone.

Liam used his new alpha roar to call out all supernaturals to him. Anyone left that was tired of hiding in the shadows waiting to be picked off. They gathered to Liam and together they would end the war started by Monroe and her followers.

Liam planned on proving the hunters right by becoming the monster they think his kind are and giving them something to truly be afraid of.

The rest of Liam's memory were glimpses that showed how Beacon Hills came to be in its current state. Liam and his newfound pack had destroyed the Anuk-ite, and after that threat gone so was Liam's relationship with Scott with Liam's next step to save the town. The hunters who managed to flee Beacon Hills with their lives were considered lucky to avoid the fates of the ones Liam's pack hunted down and captured. Monroe and the rest of her squad became his to control and enforce his rule over Beacon Hills, alongside the supernaturals in Liam's pack.

But Liam's run of Beacon Hills didn't go unopposed. The problem that Theo was talking about was Scott, and what's left of the McCall pack. They were fighting back, despite their small numbers, to free the town from Liam's influence.

But they were fighting a losing battle. And with Liam's next attack, their defeat was assured.

"You see now? I had to take control. I had to save this town from itself. For too long I thought if we did enough good and showed our humanity, people wouldn't think we were monsters. But we were in a war against close minded bigots. And you became another casualty of that war. After that I knew… I knew I had to do anything in my power to stop it."

Mason slapped Liam across the face. He knew Liam barely felt the slap but at least the werewolf hung his head in shame. At least something got through to him.

Mason had stood by Liam's side through so much without judgment. This however was too far over the line. He couldn't fathom Liam's actions and he was angry hearing the lack of remorse in Liam's voice. His Liam always had the decency to feel sorry when he lost control in the past, like when he was first diagnosed with IED. And he would apologize and make amends and work to be better. But this Liam…

Mason walked away despite the discomfort caused by standing on his injured leg. It hurt more to be around Liam right now.

"You can't say something like that! Nothing justifies turning our home into some kind of fascist state. I know it was hard losing everyone. Brett and Lori and Satomi's pack but—"

"It wasn't their deaths. It was yours ." Liam's voice was low but raw with emotion. He took a deep ragged breath. "Their losses were tragic. But your death… it ripped me open and laid everything inside to bare. You never knew how much you meant to me — I never knew. Until you were gone."

Mason looked back at Liam. Once he did, he couldn't look away from Liam, though it pained Mason to find out what his best friend had done, who he had become. He'd never seen Liam look at him so openly, with such heartbreak. And it was hard to look away.

"Liam…"

He sat back down next to Liam, close, and took Liam's hand to put it on his neck, holding it there where the puncture of Liam's claws had already fully healed. Liam's eyes flickered from Mason's eyes to his lips. Mason's Adam's apple bobbed and his cheeks heated at the intention in Liam's eyes. The werewolf leaned in.

Mason had to remind himself that this wasn't his Liam. This wasn't the same boy he had once wished would feel the same for him. Mason had come to accept their friendship as the only way their relationship could ever be. But that didn't completely erase the temptation to give in.

"I — I want you to see my memories this time."

Liam cleared his throat, embarrassment tinting his cheeks pink at misreading situation. "Oh. Right."

Mason showed Liam what happened if he didn't retaliate and hold an entire town under his thumb. Beacon Hills had come to accept them in Mason's universe. It's still considered a kept secret of the town but the ones who knew tolerated them. Of course, not everyone can change or are just unwilling to. Monroe and the other hunters kept going after supernaturals in other parts of the world. But thanks to Scott, Liam, and the growing associates of his pack, the hunters were on the run and diminishing in numbers. The McCall pack spent their time rescuing supernaturals and giving them a safe space to belong in Beacon Hills. And somehow still manage to continue their education and live as normal of a life as they'll have.

Liam saw Mason and the other Liam maintained their tight bond despite being on opposite sides of the country. It made his chest swell with happiness seeing a version of Mason happy and thriving and safe. But he also realized that this Mason before him wasn't his Mason resurrected.

Mason wiped the tear spilling from Liam's eye when their connection ended. Seeing the sadness spill from Liam made Mason question whether showing him an unattainable future was more cruel than helpful. It must have felt like he was rubbing in what Liam lost.

"I guess you were sent here for a reason. You were always right." Liam surprised Mason with a warm smile.

Mason was relieved that his memories had a positive impact. "Don't you ever forget it," he said, punching Liam's arm in jest.

"I could never forget anything about you," Liam said in that raw honesty that made Mason's stomach flip. "For what it's worth, I swear all I ever wanted was to bring peace."

"I know."

Liam sniffed his wet nose. He grabbed a radio close by and spoke into it. "Theo."

"Yeah, Liam?" Theo's answering voice came through the radio.

Liam gave Mason a look, leaving Theo waiting for a response. "I'm calling off the attack. I want you to call in all of our people. And release everyone in detention. This war is over."

"Right away." Theo hadn't questioned the order to pull back. If Mason knew anything about Theo, the chimera probably predicted this would happen because of Mason's arrival.

"You are doing the right thing," Mason encouraged.

Liam nodded. He bit his lip before he spoke. "I guess you have to get back to your world."

Getting home will be tricky. He needed to find Deaton. And then hope the vet had a copy of the spellbook Mason used to get here since he didn't memorize the steps from the incantation. He really wished he had scanned the book with a copy saved on his phone when he had the chance. But in his defense, the book was encyclopedia-level thick and that would've taken too long to scan cover to cover.

Plus, even if he did find Deaton, the book, and the materials, Mason had no way of knowing if it would take him to his world. Coming here had been an accident after all.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make this right. And make you proud."

"It'll take time but I know you can do this."

"I've got the time. For them and for you."

Mason furrowed his brow, unclear by what Liam meant.

Liam continued, "You and I can make a life here. Together. You can't tell me you don't feel the same. I saw that you and the other me weren't together in your memories. And I could feel that you had feelings for me… for him that you tried to ignore. You wouldn't have to ignore them here. Maybe you were sent to me for more than one reason. You can have a place here with me. If you want."

It was a tempting offer. Though this world had its share of healing to do, a long dormant wish of being with his best friend could come true here. But it wouldn't feel right deserting his friends and family, putting them through the same loss as this world's versions had to endure.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can."

"I never thought I'd lose you… twice."

"Will me leaving change anything? I mean if I don't stay, will you…?" The last time this Liam lost Mason… it did not go well.

"Nothing's going to change — not my promise to clean up my mess. You don't have to worry about me. I'll be at peace knowing you're still out there. Safe. Alive. Still losing to me at every video game we play." They both shared a laugh.

Mason knew this world's Liam would make things right. His Liam had his share of mistakes but always found his way. This one would too.

The air in the room thickened and Mason felt a familiar energy swirl in the room. A static sound crackled followed by the appearance of a portal.

"Mason! If you can hear me, jump through! Hurry! It won't stay open for long!" Liam's disembodied voice called out just beyond the portal. Once again he was being saved by Liam at the last minute.

It hurt Mason to leave this Liam behind, knowing this would be his last chance to see any version of Mason again. Mason looked into those blue eyes he's known for half of his life and doesn't hesitate to kiss him. He put everything into it. And as their lips connected, Mason knew it wasn't just for this Liam's sake. It was for Mason as well. The yearning that has been buried so deep within Mason that he fooled himself into thinking it wasn't there anymore, he embraced it and poured every ounce of it into the kiss.

"Thank you," Liam said breathless, thankful in more ways than one. Their foreheads touched and they stayed that way for a brief moment. Before they parted, Mason slipped his phone into Liam's hand. Full of memories of the two of them. He hoped it would offer the werewolf some additional comfort.

Liam squeezed Mason tightly in an embrace after he safely made it through the portal. As tightly as the other Liam did. Mason couldn't help but think wistfully about what he left behind and how Liam would never be able to return his feelings like the other Liam. On the bright side, Mason wouldn't have to deal with the whole power trip thing like with the other Liam.

Mason looked around in curiosity after separating from the hug. All around them were trees. Looking up, he noticed the skyscrapers in the distance above the treeline. "We're in… New York?"

"In Central Park," Liam confirmed. "Deaton said the energy of a strong spiritual nexus was needed to bring you back from wherever you were. And since there's no Nemeton in range, Central Park was the next best option."

"Dude, Central Park has an energy equal to a nemeton? Nice. Makes sense in a weird way that it could exist without drawing attention. I mean, who would notice anything strange in a city like this. I bet if I did some research into the history of Central Park I could find a ton of crazy that goes on here —"

"Mason, let's get you back to my place before you geek out."

Mason agreed and the two walked off only to have Liam stop them as soon as he heard Mason suck in a breath.

"You're hurt." His eyes lasered to the injured leg Mason was trying to divert weight off of.

"It's nothing really."

But Liam wasn't buying it and manhandled his injured friend onto his back, piggyback style, despite Mason's protest. While they trekked to the park's exit, Mason filled Liam in on where he was and the alternate version of his friend. Leaving out one tiny detail about the kiss.

"Wow. I — or is it he ? He really took the protecting the town thing too seriously. I can't believe he — I was capable of that…"

"Me too. But I don't think it was completely him. I think the same way Monroe changed because of Anuk-ite, so did he. It magnified his fear."

"Maybe. But she never stopped her crusade after we stopped the Anuk-ite. Like, something has to be inside to be magnified if that's the reason. It's a little scary to think I could be capable of that. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. I hope I wouldn't change on a tyrant-dictator level, but I could see myself never being the same again. My world would be a lot less whole without you in it." Liam gripped Mason's thighs a little tighter to his sides.

Suddenly, Mason felt that maybe his Liam and other Liam weren't too different after all. And that perhaps there was a chance. He didn't want to be like the other Liam and have the question of what if plaguing him.

"There was one other thing I didn't mention… Maybe we can talk about it over dinner? You can take me to that pizza place you keep raving about."

"You sure you don't want to rest and wait until later?"

"Better now than never."