Understanding the Wolf (Teen Wolf) (Patreon)

This 1,891 word bodyswap story features the characters of Liam and Nolan from Teen Wolf and was requested by Joseph over on the Discord server. Thanks for the idea, I hope I did it justice! Disclaimer, I only watched the first three seasons of this show so apologies if my characterisation is off at all!

While Nolan was no longer helping Gerard and Monroe hunt down the various mystical creatures in Beacon Hills, he truthfully still wasn’t completely comfortable with the fact he had to share the lacrosse field with a werewolf. Liam Dunbar could be a bit of a dick at the best of times and the knowledge that the other boy could rip him in two if he wanted didn’t exactly help put Nolan at ease either. Still, he was doing his best not to be too antagonistic towards the other and it seemed the other young man had come to the same conclusion, even if there was definitely some bad blood remaining that lingered thick in the air between them, like a pea soup fog.

Of course, their positions as co-captains of the lacrosse team meant that they had to learn to cooperate if their team was going to have any amount of success or locker room harmony. The coach was as crazy as ever and insisted that they train no matter what the circumstances were, which was what had led to the team training out on the field in the middle of a storm. Thunder raged above them like the drums at a hard rock concert and every thirty or so seconds the entire sky was illuminated by a magnificent flash of lightning. The rain was similarly unforgiving, drenching the lacrosse players through to their skin as they fought against the muddy terrain. It was hardly the safest environment for them to be training in, but the coach was relentless and insisted they continue even as the storm intensified.

With visibility something of a stretch for his human eyes given the terrible weather conditions, Nolan didn’t see that he was about to collide with Liam until the very last moment, and by then it was already too late. At the moment of impact there was a loud clap of thunder and a fork of lightning struck the ground near them, sending the entire team scrambling and knocking both Nolan and Liam to the ground, their bodies awkwardly tangled with each other. Both of the high school athletes had been knocked out cold and wouldn’t regain consciousness until they had been dragged back into the locker room by their teammates.

The first thing Nolan heard was his coach raging about how his co-captains had gone and gotten themselves killed and how he would possibly end up getting fired as a result. The next were the whispering voices of his teammates, who seemed to recognise that he was beginning to return to consciousness from his light stirring. Once he was finally able to pry his eyes open, Nolan looked up into the concerned faces of his teammates. He struggled to remember what had caused him to black out, but he knew enough to feel confused when one of them addressed him by the wrong name: “How’s your head, Liam?” That was… odd.

“I’m not--” His words died out at the sound of his voice - familiar, but not his own. Liam’s. Nolan’s heart began to race as he pushed himself up into a seated position and glanced down at the number on his jersey - Liam’s number. Oh no, oh no, oh no. As far as crazy events in Beacon Hills went, this rocketed right up to the top of the list as far as Nolan was concerned. Werewolves, sure. Kitsune, whatever. Body swapping, though? It was almost too much. He felt like he was about to pass out again, and the deepening concern on the faces of his teammates wasn’t doing much to subside his anxiety.

Doing his best to pull his rapidly increasing heart rate back under control, Nolan watched as, on the bench next to him, his own body began to rise and look around in confusion. They locked eyes and Nolan instantly recognised the cocktail of emotions held within those orbs - terror, bewilderment and dread. All the same feelings that were currently waging war within Nolan, although it seemed like there was something else there too. Something deeper and more primal. It’s his wolf. The revelation came at him like a freight train: I’m a werewolf now!

The co-captains held each other’s gaze for several long moments, prompting one of their teammates to ask why they were being so weird. The comment snapped both of them back to reality - sadly not a reality where they were themselves again - but Liam was quick to try and cover for them. “Just a bad bump out there,” he proclaimed, barely hiding a wince at the sound of Nolan’s voice speaking his words. “We’re fine… right?” He looked pointedly at Nolan, who gave a stiff nod in agreement. He understood what the other was doing. They wouldn’t be able to sort anything out with a crowd around them.

It took some time but eventually they were able to convince their teammates to disperse and after several uncomfortable minutes where they had to change out of their soaking lacrosse uniforms and back into dry casual clothes, all while in an unfamiliar body, they were eventually able to get a little of privacy in an empty school hallway. Once they were alone, any illusion of calm dropped right away and the two young men were able to visibly show how shaken they were by the switch-up, although that came at the expense of rattling off questions and demands all while the other continued to speak.

“Has anything like this ever happened to you before?” Nolan asked, nervously thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Is this some complicated plan to get back at me?” Liam demanded to know at exactly the same time, pointing an accusatory finger.

The two finally stood for a moment or two in silence, taking in the other’s words and their general body language. Liam relaxed, his too-slender shoulders slumping, while Nolan let out a little huff.

“I can think of at least ten evil schemes that would make more sense than body swapping with you,” the hunter-turned-werewolf growled, surprised by the unfamiliar stirring deep within his Liam-shaped body. It was a hungry and animalistic sensation and it both scared and fascinated him.

“Okay, point taken.” Liam wrapped his arms around himself and was taken off guard by just how slim he found his new frame to be. Truthfully though, the most troubling thing about their inexplicable exchange was the sudden absence of his wolf. Since being bitten he had become so familiar with it - so intertwined - that to have it taken from him provoked a severe feeling of hollowness, like a twin separated from its counterpart. In fact he actually felt jealous that his wolf was with Nolan of all people, although that jealousy was quickly masked by a rising concern. Living with a wolf inside of him was something Liam had taken time to learn and it took some serious strength of will to not just completely lose control of himself. Could he trust Nolan not to fall victim to those rabid urges that were surely already bubbling under the surface?

His concerns weren’t completely invalid, as indeed Nolan was quickly becoming familiar with the second presence that lived within Liam Dunbar’s body. It seemed perturbed to find that it no longer shared the space with the real Liam and that bristling displeasure was smothering. His breathing became labored and his chest felt incredibly tight, as if the wolf was twisting his insides into a crude knot. Despite doing his best to maintain some sense of order, Nolan was left weak at the knees and had to steady himself on the nearby lockers. Is this what they have to go through every day? A constant battle against the beast inside them? If so, Nolan was amazed. Liam must have had much more restraint than he’d ever dared to give the other credit for!

“Hey, man, pull it together,” Liam hissed, trying not to give away just how nervous he was. Him showing vulnerability would surely only make Nolan panic further and panicking was just about the last thing he needed to be doing. If he panicked, he ran the risk of wolfing out and not only tearing up the school but potentially doing damage to his own body, with Liam stuck in it! There was a terrifying irony to that and it really wasn’t something he wanted to come to fruition. It seemed as if the other was too lost within himself to actually hear Liam though, and that forced him to think fast. How was he supposed to calm the wolf when he was outside of his own body? He needed a way to make some sort of connection…

Choosing not to spend too much time second guessing himself, Liam took a leap he’d never previously believed he’d make. Grabbing the other - himself - by the scruff of his shirt, he stepped in and pressed their lips together. He’d never kissed another man before and it was definitely different from all of his previous kisses and given the circumstances it wasn’t totally terrible. It was rough and awkward, but the other’s body finally began to relax against him and even return the kiss with an eagerness that Liam expected was not from Nolan himself but rather the wolf within him sensing its bonded spirit making a physical connection. It was through unconventional methods, yes, but it was better than nothing, and the other’s calmer demeanor confirmed that he’d made the right choice, as strange as it was.

They remained in such a state for several seconds before finally being forced to part by their need for oxygen, leaving the pair panting for breath and their faces flushed. They held each other’s gaze for a moment before each breaking down into nervous laughter. Needless to say neither of them had anticipated kissing the other when they’d woken up that morning - but neither had they expected to be body swapped with their co-captain either! “That was… something,” Nolan gasped, wiping at the edges of his mouth.

“It worked though, didn’t it?” Liam retorted, smirking in a manner that was undeniably Liam Dunbar despite the mismatched face. Nolan paused for a moment to take stock of how he felt. The wolf inside of him seemed satiated for the moment at least and that was enough for him.

“I suppose you’re right,” he agreed with another gentle chuckle. “Disaster averted. I’ll try and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Truthfully though, Nolan supposed it wasn’t such a terrible way of calming the wolf down, even if it was rather untraditional. There was maybe a chance that he liked it too, although he’d never dare let Liam know as such!

“How about we try and work out what the hell’s going on before it happens again?” the other suggested, clapping Nolan on the shoulder. Neither young man could quite get used to the strange sensation of looking at themselves from an outsider’s perspective, and they hoped that they wouldn’t have to get used to it either. The sooner it was fixed, the better for everyone!

As they left the school behind to see the emissary of Liam’s pack, Nolan was struck by another bemusing thought: once this was all over, he was going to understand both Liam and werewolves in general a whole lot more.