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Physical pain: an unpleasant sensory experience that signals potential or actual tissue damage. Subjective but yet vital, biological warning system that can be sharp, dull, burning or aching, linked to injuries, illness or disease. Pain is both a physical and an emotional experience. 

Psychological state and past experiences can influence how an individual perceives and responds to it.

Pain was nothing new for the chimera, after years of being cut open again and again, experimented on and used as a lab rat by the doctors, pain did little to nothing to him. It's fucked up to even think about it, but he was used to it, pain had been his ‘normal’ for quiet a while, so finding himself strapped to a metal fence while being tortured for information was just a normal Tuesday for Theo. 

The hunters on the other hand, were starting to get annoyed at him. They had beaten him and cut him. They had him drenched in water while waves of electricity ran through the coywolf’s body, and all the chimera did was laugh.

“Is that the best you can do? Because I'm not impressed.” Theo laughed, cruel and cold as he tilted his head back against the fence.

“Why don’t you just drop the fake facade and start talking, Raeken?” Schrader walked up to the chimera, playing with a knife, one that was already stained with Theo's blood. 

Fake facade. How wrong the man was. Funny how the hunters think they know everything, but don't know the chimera's upbringing. The pain and suffering that came with being a man made supernatural creature. Theo laughed again, looking at the man as he was the stupidest person he has ever known.

“I’m an imitation, everything is fake about me—” 

The knife came down on his skin, below the zipper scar on his chest. Blood came out of it but he did not scream, he kept his eyes on the hunter, a smirk on his lips. 

“Enough. This approach is not working.” And there she was, Monroe. The head of the hunter cult came into the basement they had Theo in.

Theo raised his head to meet her gaze. Cold and dark eyes, there was no light beneath them. He simply smirked, refusing to bow down to any of them–especially her. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked, amusement lacing his tone.

She faked a laugh, it was barely audible, but with supernatural hearing, he managed to catch it. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Then kill me,” he replied, his shoulders attempting to shrug despite the restraints holding his arms back against the electric fence.

“Don’t tempt me,” she retorted. Killing him would be easy, too easy. Monroe had considered herself smart, conniving even. Letting Theo die wouldn't exactly be a ‘smart’ move. She preferred to send a message. “You were in your truck alone, that’s a bit pathetic, don’t ya think?”

Theo laughed.

“Was just playing chicken with the trains.” That wasn’t a complete lie, Theo was in fact, parked across the train tracks with his phone on in hand, contemplating calling Scott before the hunters surrounded him. 

She frowned but didn’t ask questions. She didn’t really care, her mind lingered elsewhere. Stepping closer, her shoes tapped against the concrete floor with every step. Monroe took the button from Shrader’s hand and glanced at Theo once more, waiting for a reaction, but it never came.

“I’m honestly getting bored.” Theo sighed. Of all the places he could be right now, he didn’t imagine he’d be with these idiots, wasting his time and apparently wasting theirs too. “I don’t have the information you want, I don’t have a pack. So, kill me or get on with it.”

“Considering your current situation, I wouldn’t be making requests,” Monroe joked, her fingers teasing the dial of the button, turning the electricity up further. The hum of the running current pulsated in Theo’s ears, similar to that of a mosquito buzzing in his ear. He tensed his fists, testing the give of the fence behind him. The restraints dug into his wrists as he shifted his position slightly, in hopes of taking the pressure off his wrists. Theo groaned, unamused by the cyclical nature of the recent torture session. Water, electricity, followed by knife wounds that only added to the array of scars that littered Theo’s chest and arms. These hunters could use some new material. 

“This again?” Theo asked, his head beginning to ache, partially because of the hunters and Monroe’s continued stupidity. He stared upwards at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. They were so predictable. Yes, he got caught, which wasn’t ideal, but what he didn’t expect was to be captured by the dumbest hunters in Beacon Hills, perhaps even the entire world. “It didn’t work the five other times you tried it, but sure by all means, maybe this time will be different.” Stupidity was trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.

Monroe put the button down, snapping her finger at Shrader to hand the knife over. Shrader scowled at Theo, skulking his way over to Monroe who stood in the corner, before he happily handed it over to her. Monroe whispered something to Shrader, in an attempted side-bar, superhearing aside. Shrader nodded in agreement, before whispering something back to Monroe. 

Theo didn’t care to listen, it was inconsequential. Instead, he looked around the room, before checking over his shoulder at his tied wrists, pondering his next move. Impatience aside, there were far better things to be doing than being trapped here. He needed to find a way out and sooner than later, unless he wanted to die of boredom, which was entirely possible. Shrader exited the room, the metal door clanging behind him, followed by the sound of a lock sliding in place.

 “Anything else you want to try?” Theo coaxed, a smile twitching at his lips. Monroe approached him again, her steps slow and measured as a sadistic smile grew on her lips. Like that was going to intimidate or scare him.

“You think you’re so smart, chimera. Smarter than anyone else, but you have a weakness just like everyone else.” She paused in front of him as she pulled a small vial from one of her pockets. Theo watched with a look of disinterest as Monroe coated the knife in a familiar purple liquid. He knows the wolfsbane won’t do anything to him, other than leave behind a faint burning sensation under his skin. The Dread Doctors made sure it was one of the many things he’s immune to. Monroe sets the tip of the knife just off to the side of the zipper scar. She cut down the length of his sternum, digging the knife in further every so often. It burns, like he knew it would, but he still doesn’t grant her a reaction. Theo’s features are almost apathetic as he glances down at his bleeding chest. 

“Is that the best that you’ve got?” He tilted his head to the side as he looked back up at her. Monroe pulled the knife back and pressed it against his cheek, smearing his own blood there.

“Maybe this is why those doctor friends of yours abandoned you.” Theo can smell the anger on Monroe as it raised. “Because everything you do, turns into a failure.” She flicks the knife, cutting open his cheek.

“You are a failure, chimera.”

“Tell me something I don't know.” The chimera rolled his eyes, the comment stinging less than has previously stung to him before. Maybe because it was her who said it.

She did not appreciate it.

The knife came down on his skin again, between his clavicles down to his sternum. The chimera bit his lip, taking a deep breath, just surprised about how quickly she moved to hurt him. The realization made him laugh.

“And you say we are monsters…” The anger on her face gave him the push he needed to finish his statement. “You are worse than us. And you will die like you deserve.”

Just then, Schrader came back into the room, maybe he was just surprised that Monroe couldn’t make him scream either. He didn’t have much time to duel on that as waves of electricity started to run through his body. Monroe’s face was full of rage as she kept increasing the voltage. 

But to her surprise, Theo smirked. He took it, he just needed a little more. When the smell of melted plastic reached his senses he pulled his arms hard to the front, snapping the straps. Golden eyes and dangerous sharp fangs and claws on display. 

The chimera jumped on Schrader, slashing at his chest while growling in his face. A part of him, a dark side of himself, wanted to kill the hunter, but he didn’t have a chance to consider his options as the sound of a gun going off reached his hearing followed by a sharp pain on his side. 

The chimera turned and growled loud and menacing to Monroe, but he was smarter, better. He chose to survive. The chimera ran up the stairs, body slamming into the door, breaking it and using it to cover himself from the bullets going his way. 

He didn’t stop running, getting into the preserve, only when he couldn’t hear them anymore, the coywolf shifted, fur growing along his skin as he started to run on all fours, his paws digging into the ground as he ran away. He needed a place to heal.

Theo’s back pressed against the wall, catching his breath while simultaneously listening in, trying to find a heartbeat. He could hear several of them, scattered around him, which made it more difficult to pin point which direction would be the safest route out of here.

He didn’t have a choice. After his escape, he knew going back there or getting caught again would be nothing short of a death sentence, one he would like to avoid. He didn’t have the best life, but that didn’t mean he wanted to die.

Theo took a deep and silent breath, releasing the air by using the paced breathing technique. Slowing down his heart rate and regaining his thoughts, only able to think clearer when calmer.

He pushed off the wall and turned the corner, keeping his head down while remaining alert, not wanting to be spotted.  But unfortunately, luck was never on his side. He audibly groaned, seeing a hunter stand across from him with a pistol in her hand. 

“I do not wanna hit a girl,” he said. 

“Then don’t,” she replied. 

Her gun was loaded and the trigger was back, he knew she could shoot him at any moment. 

“Put the gun down then.”

“Or what?”

Theo rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood for silly games like this, it was far from amusing at this point. He was tired, rightfully so. A slight tremor ran over his body. His body was still trying to stitch itself back together, the wounds turning from a raw red to a pale pink, as the wolfsbane left a tingle on his skin. The strain wouldn’t kill him, but it slowed him down enough that he felt like he was moving underwater. The bullet, still making itself known, was lodged somewhere in his ribcage. He could feel it shift slightly, a mockery of his situation. Part of him felt all of this was deserved, he had taunted the hunters, he played their game. He let himself get caught, with no one to save him. No one probably knew he was missing either. He was on his own, which shouldn’t have been as startling as it felt right now. He was used to being alone, making paces with the occasional person. 

Theo isolated his senses, slowing down his mind again. He shoved the growing pain in his body down, pushing it away so that he could focus on what to do. He had to get past this hunter, who continued to stare at him down the barrel of the pistol. He simply watched her, analysing her stance. Harking back to what he was good at — isolating the weakness of his enemy. The coyote in his mind took the front seat, parsing through the blur of the environment, searching for the escape route. It found a solution, and Theo’s eyes flashed gold once. Shifting again would have recruited more energy, and something about feeling his own body — not the Doctor’s creation — made Theo feel more at home. Theo tightened his fists, his nails digging into his palm slightly. 

“Try me” Theo mocked, arrogance blooming. He surged forward, and heard the bullet release as he dove, the bullet hitting a tree behind him, splintering the wood. He grabbed the wrist of the hunter, and threw the pistol over his shoulder, out of her reach. The hunter’s fist connected with his cheek, and the pressure in his head returned, his vision darkening at the edges. Theo spat, before he unsnicked his claws, searching for any extra energy he could muster. The hunter scrambled forward, reaching towards the pistol. Theo grabbed her leg, his claws digging into her flesh as he dragged her backwards, a growl rumbling in his chest as his coyote stirred in his mind.  

The hunter kicked back at him causing him to tear his claws through her skin. She screamed and he knew he had to shut her up before the others came to investigate. Theo grabbed her again, pulling her closer to him despite her kicking and clawing to get away from him.

“Let go of me, you disgusting monster!” The hunter yelled as she kicked at him again, catching him in the chest. His breath wheezed out of him and he was forced to release her. She scrambled forward, grabbing the pistol and aimed it at his head. The wolf in him howled for her blood, but the survival instincts of the coyote knew that would only cause more trouble. 

“Do that again and I'll put a bullet between your eyes.” Theo rolled his eyes at her threat. He saw the way her hands were trembling, the blood from her leg forming a puddle underneath her. Theo easily slipped back into the role of a predator, letting more of the wolf come forward. His eyes tracked her movement, waiting for an opening. When he saw it, he lunged at her and nearly knocked the pistol out of her hand. The hunter managed to fire off another shot as he did and the sound of the gun going off near his head left a ringing in his ears. 

Fuck.

It disoriented him for a moment, long enough for the hunter to slam the butt of the gun into his temple. His vision swam and for a moment he was left seeing double. He shook it off before he grabbed her wrist and squeezed it until he felt the joints protest. The hunter released the weapon with a yelp of pain. Theo grabbed her face with his free hand. He pulled her face forward until their noses were nearly touching. With an easy flick of his wrist, he threw her head back and slammed it into the ground. He watched her eyes roll back as she was knocked unconscious. 

“I told you I didn't want to hit a girl.” He grumbled before standing up. 

The chimera took a deep breath, he couldn’t let himself feel yet, acknowledging the pain would only make him slower and that could be fatal right now, the hunters were still too close for his comfort. 

“Come on, Theo. You can do it, you can do it.” After a couple of deep breaths, the chimera started running again. He could feel his lungs burning and the bullet moving as he ran. It was uncomfortable and it slowed him down but he didn’t stop running. 

He was deeper into the preserve than he thought, he had to bury in the back of his mind his need to howl, to let however that could hear him know he was there and he needed help. But he couldn’t, he couldn't put another shape shifter in danger— even if the pack doesn’t believe him. And he sure as hell won’t put the stubborn true alpha's beta in danger. 

He knew that from the lot it would be Liam the one to try and aid him. No, that was not happening. That’s what Monroe wanted, a member of the pack. It was both an advantage and a curse to be only an ally, and one that had a very high pain tolerance.

He ran, his only focus was avoiding the stench of gunpowder and wolfsbane that covered the hunters. 

He almost cried in relief as he ran into the vet clinic. He didn’t care if Deaton creeped him out, right now he needed the damn bullet out of his body. 

“Deaton!” He burst into the clinic, quickly walking into the back, looking for the vet. “I need your help! I— Liam?”

“The fuck happened to you?” The beta quickly stood up, walking towards the chimera. 

“Hunters… Monroe. It’s not that bad but I have a bullet somewhere in my ribs.” Liam scoffed. Not so bad? The chimera looked like hell. Cuts over his chest and abdomen, a cut in his cheek. He was covered in blood and shaking. There were bruises everywhere. 

“A bullet?” Deaton quickly approached them, helping Liam support the chimera as they moved towards the exam table. 

“Yeah, Monroe wasn't too happy with my lack of submission I guess.”

Liam stared with a mixture of concern and worry written plain over his face. Maybe it was because Theo referred to a gunshot as ‘not so bad’ or maybe it was because he wasn’t sure he’d see the chimera in such condition. 

“Does it hurt?” 

Theo side eyed Liam, wondering what even possessed him to ask such a question. “No. It feels peachy,” Theo remarked.

Liam rolled his eyes. “At least you haven’t lost your arrogance,” he replied.

“That’s probably what kept me alive.” 

Liam wasn’t sure how to reply to that without asking several questions. Right now the main focus was getting the bullet out which meant letting Deaton focus. “Liam, hand me the— yes, thank you.” 

Liam passed Deaton a scalpel, knowing that’s what he’d need to cut open the chimera before him. He didn’t want to watch but he also couldn’t look away, the blade slicing through Theo’s skin and being separated. It looked like a crack within the earth. Theo however seemed calm.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

Theo’s simplistic response told Liam all he needed to know. Theo was playing it off, trying to hide the pain and emotions he felt, Liam could tell. 

He leaned forward and grabbed Theo’s hand, gently but firmly. Silently telling Theo that he’s here for him, that Theo is safe now. He saw Theo’s brows slowly relax, knowing he didn’t need to be so on edge and tense.

Theo glanced at Liam as Deaton searched for the missing bullet, lodged just deep enough under his ribs. Theo grimaced slightly, biting down on his tongue to quell the pain. 

It felt like Deaton was digging around his body for five minutes, and Theo was getting more and more impatient, not liking the restriction of being doted upon with a scalpel in him. It reminded him too much of the Dread Doctors, and he wasn’t too keen about remembering what led him astray there either. He could probably have fished out the bullet himself, if he didn’t have a headache and felt like he was near-death. 

“A little to the left,” Theo remarked suddenly in the quiet room. Deaton paused his search for the bullet for a moment, before pulling back the flesh beneath the wound — now slightly to the left of where he was before — and finally spotted the offending piece of metal. Liam looked at Theo, confusion still present on his face. 

“What the fuck?” Liam asked softly, his grip on Theo’s hand tightening slightly. Black lines ghosted up Liam’s wrist, as he subconsciously began taking Theo’s pain. Theo would probably tell him to stop if he noticed but instead Theo simply looked at him, raising his eyebrows slightly. Liam thought about how Theo would know exactly where the bullet was located, before he realized this wasn’t really that surprising for Theo. Theo spent enough time with the Dread Doctors that he probably knew everything about his body and then some.

Deaton dislodged the bullet, and it clanged against the metal medical table. He flushed the wound to get rid of any remaining after effects in case there were any before Deaton stepped away from his patient to open the drawers of the clinic for more medical supplies, not that he needed much since the werewolves— and the chimeras, were able to heal themselves in time. He grabbed a bit of gauze in case it was needed to help the several wounds heal and pulled out a water bottle from the minifridge in the nearby corridor. 

“I’m fine,” Theo repeated as Deaton placed the tray in front of him. “Thanks,” he added, his eyes glancing over the bloody bullet on the medical table next to him. Liam handed him the bottle of water, before Theo reluctantly opened it. 

“Whatever ‘Nurse Dunbar’” he joked. Liam’s brow furrowed and his bottom lip pulled down in what could almost be called a pout. 

“Shut up and drink.” He griped as he folded his arms over his chest, cementing that pouty look. Theo chose not to say anything, instead sipping from the bottle. The liquid was cooling as it eased away some of the burning in his chest. He knew that it wouldn’t really get rid of the burning from the wolfsbane, but it still felt nice on his parched throat. Deaton and Liam both stared at him, he could sense the urge in both of them to ask what had happened. Theo really wasn’t in the mood to have that conversation, so while he thought of a way to escape from them he kept the opening of the bottle in his mouth. He watched the beta open his mouth to ask something, anything and he tipped his head back, pretending to drink the water. Deaton seemed to get the message rather quickly as he made himself scarce in the small operating room.

“Theo…” Liam started but the chimera shut him down with a shake of his head. He huffed out a breath as he grabbed the gauze off of the metal tray.

“I don’t need that.” But the werewolf ignored him and tended to the slowly healing wounds. Liam worked quietly, something that Theo wasn’t used to when it came to the angry beta. Once he was done, he stepped back and looked over his work. Theo had to admit that he was impressed by the other. It was a feeling he was slowly growing used to and he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it. 

“Look, I know you don’t want to talk about whatever you just escaped from.” Theo arches a brow at him, clearly unamused with where this is headed. “But if it has to do with Monroe, then we need to know.”

We.

The word hangs between them. The pack needs to know, not Liam. 

Liam doesn’t care. 

“Your pack doesn't need to know everything, Dunbar. It's not like you all would care much, it’s me after all.” The words tasted like a mouthful of ashes, acrid and metallic. 

He doesn’t look at Liam as he said the words, he shouldn’t even care, he knows where he stands with the pack. Close enough to be used, away enough to not be a threat. 

Oh, but he should have looked at Liam.

The words felt like a punch in the gut to the beta. It's not like you all would care much. Liam frowned, his eyes trying to meet the chimera's eyes, but he wouldn’t look at him. He didn’t like it, at all. The avoidance, as if Theo was retreating to his shell, like he was months ago when the beta opened the ground and freed him from the chimera’s own hell.

“Nope, we aren’t doing this. You aren’t going to pretend that we— that I don’t care about you. If I didn’t care I would have let you get taken by the ghost riders, I would have sent you back, but I didn’t. Because I care, you big idiot. I just took your pain, because I care. So stop being a dick and tell me what happened so we— as the pack, you and me, can do something about it!” Liam didn’t need to do it, but just for good measure the beta smacked him in the back of the head, getting a quiet growl in return and an eye roll from Theo. 

“Liam—”

“Nope, shut up. I'm calling the pack, I don't care if you get pissy.” The chimera didn’t have time to protest, the beta was already getting his phone from his pocket. “Don’t move, Theo. I mean it.” 

The chimera grumbled but nodded. Waiting quietly as the beta calls a pack meeting at the clinic. Theo didn’t hear any of it, his mind still hung up on Liam's words. ‘I just took your pain because I care’. He didn’t expect it, but it was not something that bothered him, it set a warm sensation in his chest that he found rather comforting. 

But it was gone as soon as the pack got into the clinic. Liam stayed beside Theo as the pack gathered on the back of the clinic. No one said a word but the grim look in everyone’s faces was rather unsettling. They all wanted this to end, for Monroe to be stopped.

“Okay, spill it, big guy.”

Theo rolled his eyes at Stiles' obvious sarcasm but he told them. He told them about how the hunters found him, how they shot him too many times to keep himself conscious. He told them how he woke up, healed and tied to a metal fence, he told them about the electricity, the cuts, the wolfsbane. He told them everything because they need it to hear it. And he told them that even with everything they did, he did not told anything about the pack. 

They believed him. Because Theo was a lot of things but he wasn’t stupid. He needs the pack to survive so he wouldn’t rat them out. Those were Stiles' words after he finished talking. But the reaction he didn’t expect was Liam’s. 

The beta had clenched his fist so tightly that his claws had embedded in his palms, blood pooling between his fingertips before he stormed out of the clinic. Theo didn’t think twice before following the beta out, only stopping to grab the shirt Mason was offering him. As soon as the shirt passed his head he was hit with Liam’s scent. The shirt was obviously his.

“Why didn’t you howl?” 

Liam's words pulled his attention away from the scent— Liam’s scent, on the shirt. With a frown the chimera walked till he was right in front of the beta. “Because I wasn’t going to put you or the others at risk. It was too dangerous.”

“You aren’t a lone wolf anymore, idiot!”

“Liam! I was not going to put any of you in danger! I could handle it!”

“You looked like death, Theo Raeken!” Liam’s words hit him harder than he thought. He didn’t think of how he looked when he appeared in front of the beta, with cuts all over his upper body, bloody and with a bullet in his ribs. 

It was a lot, for anyone to see and even if he physically can handle it, it doesn’t mean he should be able to. Too much pain, too much torture. It was his normal but it’s not normal. 

“Liam—”

“Theo, I need a minute. Please?” The chimera nodded as he saw the open vulnerable look in Liam’s face.

“Okay…” Theo got back inside the clinic as the others were planning how to take down Monroe, it needed to be done. 

As soon as Liam's heartbeat picked up he should have gone outside. He should have been with the beta, fuck letting him be alone. But he was still healing and he was too slow, the first gunshot went off, followed by Liam's angry growl. Another gunshot and a pained whine. He ran, but not fast enough. 

When he made it outside, followed close by Scott, Liam wasn’t there anymore. 

Theo’s heart throbbed in his chest. He looked around, almost giving himself whiplash from the speed. “What the—” Mason paused, standing by Theo’s side. “Where did he go?”

Theo panted. Fighting to think straight while his body was still healing. “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know…” Stiles chimed in. He could see the bead of sweat roll down Theo’s forehead, the vein slightly poking through. “Theo, can you get his scent?”

The chimera bent down, now in a crouched position. His fingers pressed against the cement ground, scraping along it. “No.” Theo’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “But I got someone else’s.” 

——————

Liam’s unconscious body dropped against the floor, rolling slightly as Monroe entered the room. She clicked her tongue and the other hunters stepped back, giving her the space to walk around him. 

“We’ll see how much Theo Raeken likes this.” Her tone was far from amused, more like nails on a chalkboard. 

“Where do you want him?”

“Put him on display, I have a few ideas in mind.”

It felt like someone had taken an ice pick to Liam’s eyeballs as his body was dragged across the room by his ankles.The room smelled of dust, dampness, and maybe a little blood, but Liam’s senses were all muddled up as his body desperately tried to remember what had happened. Liam was too weak to struggle against the person holding him, simply letting himself be dragged. His arms were roughly chained behind him as he lay faced down on the ground. There was a knee on his back, putting enough pressure that if Liam were more conscious, he would have screamed. He was then brought to his feet, before his ankles were chained to the fence behind him, followed by a second chain holding his wrists.

Liam’s eyelids felt heavy, as the chains holding him to the fence clanged as he squirmed. He wasn’t fully conscious yet. Anxiety and stress bubbled in his stomach and he groaned. He groaned, his eyes still closed as he tried to calm himself down. Tried to go over in his head what had happened, how much time had he lost being unconscious, and more importantly, how was he going to get out of here and back to the pack. To the pack and Theo. The pack included Theo.

He didn’t remember much from earlier, just that he and Theo had disagreed, and Liam had called the pack to start the hunt for Monroe. Taking a moment to breathe, as he was coming back to consciousness, he jerked in his restraints, only to suddenly feel like his shoulder had been ripped out of its socket. Right. They shot him. Twice. A soft groan rumbled in his chest before he got the literal rude awakening of the voice he hated so much. 

He opened his eyes, before looking away from the figure approaching him. A gloved hand grabbed his face, squeezing his cheeks slightly. Mon-fucking-roe. 

“Liam, nice of you to finally join us” Monroe stated, a smile punctuating the words. Liam, finding a single ounce of energy pulled on the restraints again despite the pain in his shoulder, instantly regretting the return of pain. He grimaced, biting down on his lip to quell the pain radiating from his shoulder. Monroe, being the psychobitch she was, took joy in causing Liam any form of pain whether directly or indirectly, so Monroe cracked a small smile. 

“That looks like it hurts,” Monroe said, feigning concern. Liam wanted to punch her in her stupid face so badly. 

“Fuck you,” Liam replied. “They’re coming for you, you know.” 

“What makes you so sure they are?” Monroe prodded, stepping away to turn to her table of torture implements that Liam had yet to notice. 

——————

Theo slammed the door to the animal clinic, the glass of the window shaking with the force of impact on the hinges. He should have been there. He was too slow. Liam’s gone because of him. Scott turned to him, and Theo would have normally feigned apology, but he was currently too pissed off with the whole situation. 

“Find anything?” Scott asked, his eyes hopeful. 

“No, I lost the scent,” Theo replied dejectedly. In the corner, Stiles rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath that Theo didn’t care to listen to. 

“Stiles!” Scott interjected. 

“Scotty, come on. He’s useless,” Stiles snarked, raising his hands as if to say duh. Theo ignored him, instead leaning against the dark brick wall of the clinic, distancing himself from everyone else. He could feel the eyes on him, and caught a glimpse of Deaton lurking in the darkened hallway leading away from the room. 

Scott, in an attempt to mediate the tension between Stiles and Theo, got up from the stool he’d been sitting on and walked over to Stiles. 

“We need him,” Scott said softly, putting a hand on Stiles’s shoulder. 

“He’s the one that let Liam walk out of here,” Stiles replied. Theo’s lip twitched in search of some comeback to that. He had a bone to pick with everyone in the room, but Stiles in particular, who had been on his ass for long enough. Scott at least respected him, but Stiles remained suspicious of Theo at every turn. 

“You’re the ones that let Monroe get away in the first place,” Theo retorted.  

“You don’t actually care about Liam,” Stiles added, venom dripping from his lips. “You just think being nice to him gets you back in our good books.” That was a lie. He cared about Liam. A lot. 

“If I dont actually care about him, then why the fuck would I be risking being sent back to Hell by spending time with you all? You all hate me. I at least know that.”

“I literally just said because you’re trying to get back in our good graces.” The ‘duh’ was clearly implied. Theo ground his teeth together, his coyote howling in his mind for the human’s blood. The last thing he needed to do was to tear the human’s throat out. Especially when Scott was standing right there. If he wanted a one way ticket back to hell, back to Tara ripping her heart from his chest, that was a sure fire way. He wasn’t going to try and delude himself into thinking that they had gotten rid of the sword, that it was gone and he was safe. 

“Guys..” Scott started but was quickly cut off.

“Are you stupid?” Theo asked as he pushed himself off of the wall, walking closer to Stiles. “Genuinely, are you stupid? You walk around here acting like you’re the smartest person and everyone has to bow down to whatever feeling you get from someone.” Stiles made an indignant noise.

“Excuse me?!” Stiles’ voice cracked at the end, his hands balled up in fists as he stalked towards the chimera. Scott stood between the two of them, a hand on each of their chests as he tried to keep some sort of distance between them before it came to blows between them. It was a fight that Stiles wouldn’t win.

“I don’t want or need to be in your good graces. I don’t care about any of you.” Scott looked over at him, a worried line between his eyebrows. “But don’t you ever dare accuse me of not caring about Liam.” The line of tension grew between Scott’s shoulders.

“What? Don’t want me to tell him that you’ve been using him this entire time? That you don’t actually care about him. News flash moron, he already knows!” Theo knocked the alpha’s hand off of his chest. He needed to walk away before he did something that he truly regretted. Before the coyote part of him won out and he torn Stiles apart

“Fuck you.” He spit at Stiles. “I don’t give a shit what you think and I’m not going to waste precious time standing here arguing with you.” Theo turned and walked away, ignoring the disappointed and pitying looks from the rest of the McCall pack. He was halfway back to his truck when he heard Mason yelling for him.

“Theo!” He shook his head, refusing to turn around and lose any more time. The longer they took to find Liam meant the longer that he was left to Monroe’s sick torture. Which when it was him was fine, no one really cared, but he won’t let the beta go through the same thing. Mason made a noise of frustration and he could hear as he ran faster to catch up to him. Theo unlocked his truck, planning to go back to where he had lost the scent. He’d figure out how to pick it up again, figure out how to save Liam. 

God, he can’t lose Liam.  

The door was stopped from closing when Mason grabbed it and held it open, putting himself in the way of it. He sounded winded as he half-heartedly glared at the chimera. There was another scent close by and he could only assume that Corey was nearby. The other chimera was never far from his boyfriend and this time was no exception. 

“What?” His tone was short, clipped almost.

“I’m going with you.” Theo gave him an unamused look.

“No, I don’t need you slowing me down.” Theo didn’t expect Mason to fight back, he figured he'd be insulted and leave just like the rest of the McCall pack would have. Instead, he watched Mason roll his eyes and level him with an equal unamused look.

“I wasn’t asking, Theo.” He heard the passenger door open but when he looked over, no one was there.

“Fine. You and your invisible boyfriend can come with.” Mason breathed a sigh of relief. “But if you start slowing me down, I’ll leave you behind. Liam’s best friend or not.” Mason nodded his agreement before he ran around to get into the truck. Theo started his truck, blowing out a heavy breath through his nose. The other two climbed into the truck, Mason sitting in the front and Corey, who was now visible, in the back. It felt wrong for someone else to be there.

That was Liam’s spot.

There were still faint shoe marks on the dash from the last time he gave the beta a ride home and Theo had snapped at him to get his foot off of it. The radio crackled with static when it should have been playing Liam’s god awful music. His heart – Tara’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. 

Theo would have given anything to have Liam back. In his truck, in his life. He wanted – no, needed to find him.

Anything.

Even if that meant giving himself up to Monroe and suffering through her torture. Theo would have traded his life for the angry beta. 

“Theo, you are growling.” The chimera was pulled out of his thoughts by the human beside him. He was so angry that he had started growling low in his throat and he didn't even notice. 

“Where are we going?” 

“To where I lost her scent.” He didn't need to say her name for them to know who he meant. Monroe, the sociopath cult leader.  

The couple stayed silent as Theo drove, they knew better than to trigger the chimera. It was enough for them seeing the usually nonchalant and infuriatingly in control chimera being now two seconds from ripping someone’s head off. The coywolf's eyes were flashing gold back and forth, his knuckles looked white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel and low growls were escaping his throat. 

It was a rather tense drive, but they were not expecting that the chimera would  rather suddenly hit the brakes harshly as a loud howl had been heard. 

Liam’s howl.

Theo opened the door of the truck and threw himself out of the truck, falling on his knees in the middle of the road, his chest felt tight and his breathing was going so fast it was as if he had run a marathon. But it was when a loud and menacing growl left his throat that Mason started to panic, he knew what that meant. It was Liam. 

The human— despite his boyfriend’s protests, jumped out of the truck, walking quickly towards the chimera. Mason kneeled in front of the coywolf and reached for his shoulders, gripping tightly.

“You had your minute to panic, you had your moment to feel your fear. Now I need you to get your ass in control and into that damn truck again so we can find Liam. Can you do that?” Theo’s eyes focused on the human, nodding just as he heard Scott howling back. 

“I’m going to kill her for touching Liam.” 

“Then you need to get up so we can get to him,” Mason replied. He didn’t care if Theo stuck by his words, not right now and not with Liam’s life at risk.

Monroe’s life was the least of his concerns. Of any of their concerns really. 

Theo gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles began turning white. All he could think about were the different ways to torture her, make her pay and end her miserable pathetic life. 

But none of that mattered until Liam was safe. As long as she had him, she held the cards and the power, Theo knew that. After years of being a weapon, he knew how to play the game, he practically owned it. 

“Theo,” Mason’s softer voice spoke. “Do you think he’s okay?”

Theo shrugged. “For her sake, he better be.” 

That did little to ease Mason’s worries and anxiety. The last thing he wanted was to see Liam hurt, injured or worse. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those images, the blood and wounds, they weren’t real. 

“He’s strong, you know that.” Theo stated. Although kindness wasn’t always his strong suit, he could smell how scared Mason was, his chemo-signals were bouncing off the walls. “He won’t give up.”

Mason nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. He already knew this but hearing it come from someone else was just enough to keep him comfortable, at least until they found him. 

Theo couldn’t shake the sound of Liam’s howl. No matter what he did, even when he increased the music's volume, he couldn’t unhear it. It sent shivers down his spine, the thoughts of what he’s going through sent Theo into overdrive. His foot pressing harder against the pedal, not planning to slow down. 

The truck engine groaned and shuddered as Theo pushed it to its limit. The dial on the speedometer crossed into the red zone and continued inching upwards until Theo was pushing well past the speed limit. It was like the wheels of the truck were hovering over the road with limited traction. One small move, one oversteer or understeer could send them hurtling into the treeline. A death wish. Theo’s coywolf senses meant that he could handle making the minor corrections at high speed to keep the truck from flipping over. With how tense Theo was currently, he might have sent the truck barreling down a ditch because Liam might — hopefully — howl again so that Theo had something to go on. 

Theo sharply turned the wheel, arriving at the location where he’d lost the scent earlier: an open clearing with several paths leading away from it in several directions. He climbed out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind him. Mason and Corey looked at each other for a moment, before following Theo, several paces behind him as Theo paced back and forth in front of the truck. Mason looked at Corey who stared back at him, before Corey gently shoved Mason forward.  

Mason spoke up, “What’re you thinking, Theo?” 

“I lost the scent, so I need to find it,” Theo explained, turning on his heel. They didn’t need not know about the ways he had planned to torture Monroe when he found her, but the longer he spent thinking about it, the crueler the action became. 

“How?” Corey asked, his voice shaky. 

“By looking for signs,” Theo said flatly. Theo was straining to parse through the multiple scents in search of Monroe’s. Or Liam’s. It was like they both had disappeared, masked by other naturally occurring scents, which could mean several things. Monroe had probably intentionally covered her and Liam’s scent, making identifying the scent more complicated. Stiles had already called him useless, not that Theo cared what Stiles thought, but he wasn’t a failure, and he’d prove it by finding Liam (and most likely killing Monroe) before Scott and Stiles found them. 

Liam’s howl replayed in Theo’s mind. Liam couldn’t have been that far away. Theo crouched letting himself shift back into his wolf form to hopefully be able to track Liam’s howl better if he howled again, and so that he wouldn’t be asked annoying questions by the chameleon and his boyfriend. They might not slow him down, but he wasn’t going to be subjected to questions at every corner, much less when things eventually got messy. The shift ached, his body not fully healed from his own torture session, still trying to piece itself together, but the quietude of fully relying on his animals balanced out the dull ache in his bones. Mason and Corey stared at the now black wolf ahead of them before a strained, half-attempted howl echoed. Pain. No, not pain. Agony. With how the howl ended, Liam most likely passed out. Theo knew they’d hurt him whether he was conscious or not, but Monroe being the sadistic bitch she was would likely wait till Liam was conscious to continue. Which gave Theo time to find Liam. Theo looked back at Mason and Corey, their eyes wide in response to the second howl. He blinked at them, a growl growing in his throat, before he nipped at the air, snapping his teeth and broke out into a run. 

His paws thudded against the ground as he ran in the direction of the howl, years of torture and training aiding him in honing in on the sound. His body still ached, even after the shift, but now that his attention was focused on something else and the pain fades to the back of his mind. Mason and Corey chased after him for a while, but it ended up being for naught. They fell too far behind him, his four legs faster than their two and Theo made good on his promise, he left them behind. 

Theo didn’t know how long he ran for or what direction he went in. But as the compound he escaped from came into view, he knew it didn’t matter. He slowed from a run as he slinked around the edges of it, taking note of how many more hunters there were now. 

There has to be a weak spot. He thinks to himself as he circles around the complex again. It takes another lap around before he spots it. A bored looking hunter leaned against the wall, checking the time on his watch. The hunter sighed before reaching into the chest pocket of his flannel and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. The lighter failed to strike once, twice, three times before the hunter pushed himself away from the wall. He grumbled to himself as he walked away, leaving an open spot for Theo to sneak into. The chimera took the opportunity and ran over there, finding a crack that was barely big enough for him to squeeze through. The concrete clung to his fur, pulling at it as he wiggled through it. He breathed a sigh of relief before shaking out his fur. Theo sniffed the air and easily caught the beta’s scent. Monroe must have figured they would be safe enough in here for her to drop whatever had been masking it. He was much more careful as he followed the scent. It was easier to hide in the shadows in his wolf form than it would have been if he had been human. He paused before a door, scenting the air again.

Liam.

Theo glanced around, checking that no one was in the hall before cautiously approaching the door. It was cracked open and that should have had alarm bells ringing in the chimera’s head, but he was still too focused on getting to Liam. He pushed it open with his snout and slipped inside. The hall stretched out in front of him, the shadows hiding which way it leads. Theo cautiously snuck down the hallway, followed the bends and twists of it until he found the room that smelt the most like Liam. He didn’t stop, didn’t think as he pushed the door open. 

He almost whines, the pitiful sound stuck in the coywolf’s throat as he took in the sight of Liam. The image far too cruel for the beta to be the protagonist of it. Liam was in the middle of the room, his hands tied to a beam in the ceiling, his feet barely touching the ground. The wolf was shirtless, just as he had been, wires attached to the beta’s abdomen, just below his hip, wires that were connected to a car battery— of course it was, Monroe seems to like playing with electricity. 

But that wasn’t all, there was blood, and Theo saw red. 

Liam’s brow and lip were split open, a dark bruise forming in one of his cheeks. Liam’s body was clearly fighting too much pain to be able to trigger his own healing. He almost growls. How dared they hurt the beta? The coywolf wanted to claw and maim and rip to shreds every damn hunter who dared to lay a finger on Liam. Long gone was rational and always prepared Theo, in his place was only the instinct, the feral animal who wanted to hurt and make bleed anyone who hurt his person. 

That was his mistake, turning away caution and putting anger first. 

He thought the room was empty when no one jumped at the  big black wolf that came inside, so he made a bee line to Liam. The whine still wanting to leave his throat and he was barely containing it but then he heard it, the change in Liam’s heartbeat. The beta slowly moved, groaning quietly as he lifted his head. Liam felt as if he has him ran over by an orde of Berserkers. His eyes slowly getting used to the light, he thought he saw…. no, please no. 

“Theo?” The coywolf quickly walked the rest of the way, nudging Liam’s legs. “No… No, no, no, Theo! You shouldn’t be here!” 

A clapping sound came from the direction of the door, Theo didn’t even need to turn back to know who it was. He shouldn’t have come here alone.

“So you do have a weakness after all, mutt.”

Theo growled, his fangs protruding from his mouth. Glowing eyes did little to scare her away, she knew exactly what she was doing. 

“Theo…” Liam whispered, so softly that only the coywolf heard him. “Please leave, run.”

Theo shook his head, fur moving with him. He wasn’t going to leave Liam, not in the state he’d was in and not while this bitch stood above him. 

“Leave him alone!” Liam yelled, flailing uselessly in his chains. He was too weak to break free, too weak to fight back. Liam’s healing wasn’t activating, his body barely keeping up. “Please.” 

“Oh, he begs?” Monroe smiled, raising a brow in the beta’s direction. “How sweet. Theo, would you beg for Liam’s life? Or is this a one sided arrangement?”

Theo snarled and growled at her. He had to shift back but he was stronger in his wolf form. He couldn’t negotiate like this, he couldn’t talk or truly understand what she wanted. 

Shifting back was always painful, even though he made it look easy. He could feel his joints popping back into place, his body growing colder as the fur was stripped away and his fangs slipping away. Under normal circumstances this would have exhausted him, but not with Liam’s life on the line, he made it look effortless.

“You wanna talk? Let’s talk.” 

As much as Theo wanted to engage with Monroe in a conversation, they needed to get the hell outta there, and fast, so Theo planted himself between Liam and Monroe, his stern expression falling as he turned to glance at Liam over his shoulder. Liam’s eyes were teary, his chest heaving as he tried to and failed to take a deep breath in, a soft whine stalling in his throat. The chains were digging further into his wrists as he tried to adjust his position, to put less stress on his limbs before the inevitable next shock of electricity ran its course through him. Theo’s stomach dropped, wishing he could touch Liam, to take his pain and compartmentalize it for him. 

Liam’s body shook and the chains rattled. Constant torture was exhausting, not to mention the emotional pain of being held captive. Taking pain from someone in immense pain risked hurting himself in the process, but Theo didn’t care. Not now anyway. Not with Liam. He could easily store the pain away at the back of his mind, like he had done previously, like any other day or memory. 

Theo inhaled sharply, his muscles in his arms tightening as he reached behind him towards Liam, not wanting to take his eyes off Monroe, who was simply twirling the knife from earlier in her hand, the blade still dripping blood onto the cement floor below. She sat on a chair, bathed in a yellow hue from a light hanging from a pipe on the ceiling.   

Theo’s hand ghosted over Liam’s abdomen, desperately searching for purchase on some part of Liam that wasn’t mangled, wounded, or highly sensitive from the stress of the electrical current he’d been exposed to. Theo took a breath, letting the coyote in his mind attempt to problem-solve in favor of the wolf that simply wanted to grab Liam and run. 

Monroe deserved to die, and Theo wasn’t going to let her get away this time. The coyote sensed a shift in the air, and in his mind, yipped on alert as the electrical charge from the car battery surged, and Theo yanked his hand back from Liam. Liam twitched in response, his voice cracked with a soft please Theo. 

Each time Liam said his name, or well, tried to, it felt like a little piece of Theo broke. Tension built in his chest, tightness that mirrored Liam’s. Liam’s eyes fluttered, and Theo momentarily drew his focus away from Monroe and onto Liam’s heartbeat. The slow cadence was worrisome, and Theo wondered if Liam could hear Theo's heartbeat matching the same, slowed, tense pace. 

“Not so confident now, huh?” Monroe coaxed with a smile as she sidestepped over a small pool of blood on the floor. Liam’s blood most likely. Theo needed to think. Surely Mason and Corey would eventually make their way to the compound, and with Corey’s invisibility they could sneak in and out. Liam would likely need to be carried with how weak he was. 

“Confident enough to still want to kill you,” Theo said sharply, his hand tightening into a fist. 

“How sweet. You’ve gone soft, Raeken.” Monroe continued, talking down to him like he was a child. She slowly moved towards him, stepping out of the light that previously illuminated her. Monroe goaded, “Really going to kill me in front of him? Trying to be the hero, huh?” Monroe added, gesturing with the knife in her hand. 

Theo squinted at her, his lip twitching. No, he didn’t need to be a hero. He was not bound by the need to be perceived as good. Far from it. He was just Theo, and what mattered most was what Liam thought. The few hunters here and there that he killed while escaping the clutches of Monroe and during the hunt for Liam were simply collateral in this nightmare that Theo desperately wanted to end.

“Fuck you,” Theo cursed. The sound of Liam’s heartbeat ticking in his ear finally set him off when it nearly became inaudible.

He hesitated, a mistake he knew he would look back on and regret if he made it out of here alive, torn between attacking the woman and figuring out how to get the werewolf down. Monroe used it to her advantage, lunging forward and slicing the knife across his chest. Theo hissed as he took a step back and bumped into Liam. He felt the beta sway behind him but he didn’t make a sound. 

The worry ratcheted up in his body, but he needs to focus – needs to get them out of here. Theo kept himself between Monroe and Liam, reaching back to try and draw the beta’s pain away. He wouldn’t let himself think about what could happen if the werewolf’s healing didn’t start working as he pressed a hand against his back. Warm skin wasn’t what he felt as he touched him. No, it was cold, sticky blood. Theo swallowed down the whine of his wolf as he started pulling the pain. He had to grit his teeth as the first wave of it hit him, his own body still not fully healed from his time with the huntress.

“Still trying to be the hero.” She taunted as she took a step forward. Theo bared his teeth at her, growling in warning. Monroe laughed, completely unphased by it.

“Do you really think he would do the same thing for you?” Electricity wound its way down his arm, settling into his stomach. “Do you really think you matter to him? After everything you did to him, to his pack?” She swiped at him again, forcing Theo to move away from Liam. The pain was instantly gone, but the werewolf’s heartbeat was still barely audible. 

He needed to take more, needed to help him more but he couldn’t do anything with Monroe stopping him. She lunged for him again, clearly telegraphing her movement. He stepped out of the way before grabbing her wrist, squeezing it until she dropped the knife. Alarm bells should have been ringing in his head, but he didn’t think about how easily he had just disarmed her. 

Theo shoved her into the wall and turned his attention back to the beta. He found the least damaged amount of skin and pressed both hands to it, draining away too much pain at once. His vision blurred, his bones ached, and his muscles spasmed with the bolts of electricity. Liam’s heartbeat started to pick up, relief overwhelming the agony. He shifted closer to the wires before moving on hand to disconnect them. The pain was more manageable now, easier to compartmentalize as he looked over the beta’s slowly healing body. He breathed a sigh of relief as Liam’s eyes fluttered open.

“Theo!” But the warning came too late. 

When the chimera turned his back to the beta, Monroe’s knife was back on her hand and piercing Theo’s skin, through his abdomen. The knife pushed through skin and fat but barely reached muscle. Theo didn’t even flinched, pushing the pain he was feeling to the far corner of his mind. He smirked as he caught the hunter’s scent.

Fear.

The hunter was scared— no, she was terrified, the chimera could smell it. Monroe was never one to get too close unless they were restrained and weakened. She often left it to her goonies to subdue them, tie them and pump them full of wolfbane, leaving them too weak to fight back, only then she approached them. She would threatened them and torture them, yes. but only when they were too out of it to free themselves from her. She was a coward, disguised as a leader. She was nothing more than a scared human, if the circumstances were different, Theo might have considered letting her go, feeling the McCall’s pack good spirit. But not today, not under this circumstances. She hurt Liam. 

The chimera gripped Monroe’s wrists, keeping her in place as he took a step forward, the knife getting deeper into his skin, piercing the muscle underneath. He could feel the sharp tip of the knife piercing his liver, but he didn’t waver. The smirk never left his lips as his other hand moved up, fingers that ended in sharp claws wrapped around Monroe’s throat. The chimera could feel her pulse, going so fast he thought her heart could implode. 

“Liam, don’t look.” The chimera’s voice was barely a whisper, too quiet for Monroe to hear him but enough for the beta to hear him with his heightened hearing. Theo didn’t wait for a response, his hand on the hunter’s neck shifting, his claws gripping her throat, breaking her skin. “You shouldn't have touched him.”

Her eyes widened in realization just as the chimera closed his hand on her throat, gripping and ripping the skin and muscle, pulling the cartilage with red stained fingers. Monroe made a gurgling sound as the chimera let go of her, letting her fall to ground in a pool of her own blood.

Liam gasped at the sight. Theo’s bloody hands, the thick blood dripping from his claws. The husky breaths Theo took after he saw what he had just done, the haunted look in his eyes when he turned around.

“I’m sorry,” he said, but it wasn’t true. Theo wasn’t sorry and they both knew it, he’d do it again if it meant protecting Liam, it was obvious. “Are you okay?”

Liam didn’t know what to say, he slowly nodded his head. “I wanna go home,” he finally said, looking at Theo with glassy eyes. “Please?”

Theo nodded, taking note of Liam’s hoarse voice and approaching him. He wiped the blood off his hands and into his pants, not wanting to grab Liam with bloody hands. “Come on,” Theo ushered.

In one swift move, Theo was able to scoop Liam into his arms and begin carrying him towards the door. As he reached for the handle he stepped back, seeing Corey and Mason on the other side. “You’re late.”

“You ran off,” Corey bit back. “We aren’t as fast as you— what happened?”

“Next question,” Theo replied. They didn’t have time to talk about Monroe meeting her fate or how weak Liam was, they had to focus on getting out and getting to Deaton’s. “We need to leave.” 

Theo pushed past Mason and Corey, who were left staring at each other wondering exactly what they’d missed. Corey momentarily thought about entering the room, but was dragged away by Mason who was chasing after Theo’s fast retreat in the direction of his truck Liam’s arms were around Theo’s neck, looking up at him as he nuzzled closer, searching for warmth as his body came into contact with the cool air of the outdoors. His healing was already slow with how much stress his body had been under, and the slight breeze simply made Liam feel worse, like he was still hooked up to a running electrical current. Each of the nerves on his body were charged, and Theo did his best to comfort Liam as he walked. Liam whined softly, and Theo simply held him tighter. The adrenaline previously running through Liam ran dry, and Theo swayed a little as he walked, his own body crashing from the onslaught of his own adrenaline running dry. Theo took a moment to lean against a tree, still holding Liam in his arms before looking back in the direction they’d come from to see Mason and Corey not too far behind, looking very concerned. Had they seen what Theo had done? Or was it simply Liam’s current state? Theo pushed off the tree he was leaning against, continuing the trek back to the truck. Liam’s eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay awake as Theo softly assured him it was over. They’d eventually have to talk about what happened, what Theo had done, and Theo knew he’d have to face Scott and Stiles all over again, but right now, the only thing that mattered was Liam’s safety. 

“Almost there,” Theo said softly. “First the clinic, and then home.” 

Liam squirmed slightly in Theo’s hold, his lip trembling slightly. 

“Not the clinic. Just want you.” Liam mumbled, his voice barely audible if it weren’t for Theo’s supernatural hearing. Theo could hear the tremor in Liam’s voice, despite the fact he tried to hide it.

“I need to make sure she didn’t do anything permanent,” Theo reasoned, his mind still focusing on the fact that Monroe had taken Liam in the first place to hurt him. The truck appeared between two large trees, and Theo unlocked the  passenger side door, placing Liam in the seat and buckling his seatbelt as Mason and Corey climbed in the back. 

Theo reached under the passenger seat, pulling out a green blanket and placing it around Liam’s shoulders before climbing in the driver’s seat and turning the ignition. The truck engine stuttered, and Theo cursed momentarily before the engine turned over and the truck came to life. Theo drove in the direction of the clinic, a hand kept securely under the blanket, his fingers intertwined with Liam’s. Liam’s eyes were closed, his breathing slow, and Theo ever so slightly began to take Liam’s pain, thin black veins traveling from Liam’s hand to his. 

The drive back to the clinic was quiet, minus the whispering he could hear from Mason and Corey in the back seat. He swore the two of them forgot about the supernatural hearing more often than not, but it still brought a strange sense of comfort to him. Static was still coming through the radio and it wasn’t until they were half way back to the Beacon Hills that the noise finally seemed to get on Liam’s nerves.

“Give me your phone.” Theo glanced at the werewolf from the corner of his eyes.

“Why?” He asked as he steadied the wheel with his knee and reached into his pocket for the requested item.

“Because I’m going to pull my eardrums out if we keep listening to static. And because I know you won’t put on anything good.” Liam held his free hand out, refusing to give up the small contact they had with the other one. With a soft sigh, Theo handed the device over. Soft music played from the speakers and the chimera felt the last little bit of the tension ease from his muscles. He watched the beta close his eyes again as he leaned back into the seat again. Almost everything was exactly as it was supposed to be, they just needed to get Liam checked out. It was long after that, Theo heard the beta’s heart beat and breathing even out as he fell asleep. He bit back the smile that threatened to overtake his lips as he stroked his thumb across the back of Liam’s hand. 

Liam was safe and that’s all that mattered.

The rest of the drive to the clinic passed by without any issues. Theo parked his truck closer than normal, not wanting Liam to overextend something and hurt himself more. It put him closer to the other cars, but he still made sure to park as far away from the blue jeep as he could. Mason and Corey got out of the car, mumbling something about telling Deaton about what had happened. Theo turned the truck off before he reached over and brushed Liam’s hair out of his face.

“Come on, Little Wolf.” His voice was softer than he had meant for it to sound, but he couldn’t help it when Liam leaned into his touch. It made him think of the zoo, of wiping the blood and dirt off of the beta’s face. His heart clenched in his chest at the whine that left the beta as he took his hands away. He made a soft, soothing noise in the back of his throat as he reached into the back of the truck. It took a few moments for him to find the strap of the bag that he was looking for and he pulled it out from underneath the seat. A part of him hoped that Liam was still too out of it to notice, but the bigger part of him knew that he was too perceptive for it to get past him. He pulled out the first shirt he came across, hoping that it was clean. Theo couldn’t really remember the last time that he had had the chance to do laundry, but it’ll have to do. He pulled out some jeans and got quickly dressed, shoes weren’t his current priority. It took a little more convincing, but he did manage to get Liam out of the truck and into the clinic. The McCall pack was still in there and a gasp of horror had rippled through the room at the sight of Liam. He’d pushed past them, getting the beta sat down on the open chair. He’d gone to take a step back, but Liam had grabbed his hand and given him a pitiful look. Theo sighed as he stepped back just enough for Deaton to be able to check him out while still keeping a hold of the beta’s hand. Soft whines and whimpers left the beta as Deaton poked and prodded at his wounds. The vet had stayed quiet, but there had been a furrow in his brow as he examined each wound.

“There’s wolfsbane in some of these that we need to burn out.” He looked up at Theo. “You’ll need to hold him down.” 

“No, nope, not a chance!” It takes every ounce of his control not to roll his eyes as Stiles’ voice fills the small room. He watches Scott reach out to grab his best friend’s arm, whispering something in his ear that he doesn’t care to try and hear.

“No! Liam’s here, safe and sound. So you can leave.” Stiles motions to the door like he’s some kind of feral stray. The exhaustion of everything that has happened has worn down enough of his patience that Theo doesn’t try and keep himself in check.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He shot a glare at the older human. “I’m staying here with Liam, whether you like it or not.” A muscle jumped in Stiles’ jaw as they glared at each other.

“No one wants you here.” The human gritted out between clenched teeth.

“I want him here.” All eyes turned to Liam, staring at the tortured beta.

“Liam…” Scott started, but a low snarl from his own beta cut him off.

“I don’t care that you guys don’t like Theo.” He paused to take a shuddering breath.

“Don’t like is understatement.” Stiles grumbled under his breath before a look of surprise crossed his features as a warning growl came from Liam. His eyes flickered between blue and gold, the wolfsbane still too high in his system for the shift to happen.

“I like him.” Liam looked back at Theo, an earnest and genuine look in his eyes. “I like you.”

Theo felt his chest turn warm at Liam’s expression, at the way he was looking at the chimera. Liam’s eyes were always so expressive, he couldn’t hide how he felt in those sky blue eyes. The chimera moved his free hand, his fingers running through Liam’s hair in a surprisingly soft gesture. 

“I like you too.” His voice was barely above a whisper but it was enough for Liam, who leaned towards the chimera’s touch. 

“Oh, hell no. Liam! He’s the bad guy! We don’t mix with the bad guys!” Stiles was not having it, he didn’t seem to understand why he was the only one not agreeing with it. Not even Scott have said anything about it. Instead, the alpha tried and failr to keep the squirming human away from his beta. “Listen to me, young man. You will—” 

A loud growl left Liam’s throat as soon as Stiles tried to pull Theo away from him. He didn’t manage to shift but he didn’t need to, the sound that he made was menacing enough to make the human let out a scared yelp. It was quite fun for Theo to see how Stiles’ eyes comically widened after Liam’s growl. It was well deserved if they asked him. 

“I don’t care about your opinion, Stiles. Theo’s not leaving, he saved me, he kept me safe. Now, can you let him help while I get fucking wolfbane burned off my damn skin?” Liam’s firm voice overlaped at the end with a growl, he was in pain and tired and he only wanted to go home with Theo and sleep for three days and Stiles was not helping with his goal. 

“But—”

“But nothing. Zip it, Stiles. Liam needs to be healed and needs rest, he is not a child, he knows what he’s doing.” Lydia’s firm voice surprised more than one, but she didn’t acknowledge any of the looks as she grabbed the human’s arm and pulled him away from the chimera. 

“Can we proceed now?” Deaton had a more than exasperated expression on his face as he lighted up the torch.

Liam’s stomach dropped at the sight, even though he knew it was necessary in order for him to heal, it didn’t make it any easier of a task. 

He instinctively reached for Theo’s hand and held it, automatically squeezing it in anticipation for the pain that was about to come. 

Deaton brought the lighter closer, hovering it above Liam’s skin and then just going for it, he couldn’t waste anymore time. 

Liam screamed immediately. The flame burned through his skin, igniting it and burning out the poison. Theo squeezed his hand back while simultaneously taking his pain, trying to ease the burn as it came.

It worked. It still hurt like hell, but with Theo’s help, it made the situation slightly more bearable— just slightly. 

“You’re doing good,” Theo whispered. Knowing that despite the burner, Liam could hear him. “It’s almost over.”

Liam’s breathing hitched as Deaton finally pulled away, turning the flame off before inspecting Liam’s wound. The wolfsbane was burnt out and the beta’s healing had begun, slowly but surely, he could see it starting to heal.

“You’ll be okay,” he stated. 

Liam let out a loud and tired sigh. With drowsy and pleading eyes he looked to Theo, “can you please take me home?”

Theo didn’t argue, he couldn’t imagine how exhausted he must be, even Theo was tired and ready for bed. “Of course,” he said.

Liam sat upright and turned to face the chimera, stepping down off the bench and almost stumbling over, thankfully Theo had been ready and was able to help stabilise him.

“I got you.” 

Liam nodded, leaning closer into Theo as Theo led Liam towards the truck. Through the closed animal clinic door, Theo could faintly hear Stiles continuing to argue with Scott about Theo. Theo didn’t need Stiles to like him, in fact, he didn’t give a shit if Stiles hated him. What he didn’t like, was when someone assumed he didn’t care about Liam or that Liam couldn’t handle himself. Sure, the beta needed help on full moons, but Theo didn’t mind the occasional beating from Liam because it was Liam throwing the punches. Theo stared momentarily at the tree bark illuminated by the headlights of the truck. He hadn’t realized Liam was looking at him, his feet itching to turn around and chew out Stiles for being a dumbass. 

“Forget about Stiles,” Liam began, snaking his hand around Theo’s as it hovered over the gear shift. Unpromptedly, Theo placed his phone in Liam’s lap, indirectly asking him to play some more music as he drove. Theo began tapping his fingers along with the music emanating from his not-so-great speaker, before he mindlessly began mouthing the words as he relaxed. He got Liam back. He dealt with the McCall pack, and all was going to be alright. 

Liam shuffled next to him, a small laugh escaping his lips — another signal to Theo that Liam was on the mend and hopefully soon to be back to his normal self. 

“What?” Theo asked. 

“You like the music, don’t you?” Liam coaxed. 

“Nope,” Theo lied, smiling. 

“Yes you do, you were mouthing the lyrics,” Liam said, poking Theo in the ribs. 

“No I wasn’t,” Theo laughed. Liam crossed his arms, fake pouting at Theo. 

“Fine,” Theo placated, “maybe I like this song a little.” Liam smiled, content that he’d managed to bring some normalcy back to the tension within the truck, even if it wasn’t intended.

Despite gaining a little energy back after the clinic, when Theo pulled into the driveway at Liam’s house, Liam was half-asleep before Theo nudged him.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed. You need to heal,” Theo whispered. Theo guided Liam through the dark house, choosing not to turn on any bright lights to avoid giving Liam a headache. He turned on the small lamp on Liam’s nightstand, bathing Liam’s room in a soft, comforting yellow hue. Theo pulled back the covers as Liam climbed in bed. Liam grabbed Theo’s wrist, pulling him into bed next to him. 

“You need sleep too,” Liam reasoned, “so stay.” Theo stared at the beta, confusion written on his features. 

“I have my own place to stay.” He tried to argue, but Liam either didn’t hear him or had actively chosen to ignore what he said. There was some shuffling around before the werewolf found a comfortable spot that didn’t irritate the still healing wounds. Theo didn’t know how he felt about it, how he felt about Liam curling around him with his head resting on his chest. It was almost like he was listening to the beating of his heart. 

But that couldn’t be right. He thought to himself.

“The backseat of your truck isn’t a place to sleep.” Liam mumbled. Theo’s heart clenched in his chest. He had really hoped that the beta hadn’t noticed, but just like with everything else, he was perceptive when Theo least wanted it. He sighed softly before he wrapped an arm around him, holding him closer.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep.” Theo thought the compromise would have appeased the beta, but he was wrong.

“I won’t sleep then.” He couldn’t keep back the noise of frustration that left him.

“Liam, you need to sleep so you can heal properly.”

“And you need to sleep somewhere that isn’t the cramped backseat of your truck.” The beta argued back. Theo sighed as he started to gently run his fingers up and down his spine. 

“Fine.” Liam peered up at him, hope in his blue eyes. 

“You’ll stay?” The chimera blew out a soft breath. He couldn’t really deny Liam anything, especially not when he was looking at him like that.

“I’ll stay.” He finally agreed. The beta smiled at him and he couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips.

“Good.” Liam leaned up, his eyes darting down to look at Theo’s lips. He can feel his heart racing in his chest, but he doesn’t stop it. No, he leaned into it. Leaned into Liam as their lips met in a painfully soft kiss. It’s everything and nothing like he had imagined. Liam’s lips were slightly chapped and he briefly pulled back to lick his lips. The tip of his tongue brushed against Theo’s lips before he leaned in and kissed him again. Theo let himself get lost in kissing Liam. He brought a hand up, cupping the beta’s jaw in his hand and pulled him back in when he tried to move away. He felt as he smiled before they were kissing again. Liam pushed himself up a bit more, hissing as he felt one of the cuts pull open. 

“Shit…” Theo mumbled before he pulled away from the kiss. “We should probably wait until you’re healed up.” A distinct pout pulled at Liam’s lips before they parted to argue. The chimera was quick to quickly kiss him again, not letting himself get pulled into it again.

“Just for now, okay?” Theo quickly cut him off before the werewolf could come up with any kind of argument. “For now, you need to rest.” 

“Fine.” Liam shifted back down, making himself comfortable against the chimera’s chest. He glanced up at him again, watching him for a moment.

“But when I’m healed again, we are doing that again. A lot more.” Theo smiled softly at him.

“Yeah, Little Wolf, whatever you want.”