Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Theo stared at the ice-cold water. The rotten wood of the bridge familiar to his hands. He stared and stared and waited for her. “Theeeoooo”, there she was, a shell of a person, her hair plastered to her forehead, her skin pale and marred with dirt and dried blood, and her chest torn apart, the ribs broken showing an empty void where her heart should be.

 “ You don’t need it anymore Theo, you have nothing, no one, why are you holding on? Let go, Theo, give me my heart back, give it back!”  

Her words only solidified a decision Theo had already made. He did have nothing. Living in his beat-up truck, cast aside by the pack. He was alone and he was tired. Tired of waking up in the middle of the night, his no Tara’s heart pounding in his chest he was tired of remembering every time Tara tore her heart out of his chest in hell, remembering every time the dread doctors tore into him, experimenting, torturing him until he was nothing but a puppet on a string that they used for their dirty work, he hated himself for what he had become, hated the memory of tearing people apart with his claws, for killing his sister, for being who he is. He hated it. He was tired. Tara was right he did not have anything to live for.

 Theo Raeken’s time was up and he was ready to leave it all behind. He climbed onto the railing still staring at the freezing water and the image of his dead sister taunting him begging him for her heart back. He stared at the water, he didn’t cry, he didn’t want to remember. This was his way out, this was what he deserved, Tara needed her heart back and so he took a deep breath, his last breath before he stepped off the railing.

Water filled his lungs and he let it in. He looked up at the sunlight filtering through the surface of the water with blurry vision as his lungs starved for oxygen. He felt calmer than he had in years.

Hello Tara

Hello Theo, welcome home

He closed his eyes. Theo Raeken was dead.

Chapter Text

LIAM’S POV

Liam sat up with a start, his heart was pounding in his chest. He had a feeling, something was wrong. He scrambled to his feet as the feeling intensified to the point where he couldn’t breathe. Following his instincts, he put on his shoes and climbed out his window not bothering with the front door. Panic filled him as his mind conjured up the worst scenarios as to what was wrong. 

He was running through the woods when he smelt a familiar scent. Theo? He ran faster and ended up at the bridge. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks, his insides felt like ice. He panicked and ran down to where Theo’s lifeless body was floating in the freezing water. He waded into the water not noticing the cold and only focused on the fact that he couldn’t hear his heartbeat. He pulled them out of the water and onto the bridge before starting CPR glad mason had dragged him to that seminar saying that they lived in beacon hills they needed to know the basics of saving a life.

Theo wasn’t responding to the CPR and Liam got angry. Theo, you are not dying on me, don’t you fucking dare die on me and pumped his chest harder not too worried about breaking ribs cause Theo would heal. Suddenly Theo’s eyes flew open and he started coughing up water. Liam had never felt so relieved in his entire life.

“Are you okay? Theo look at me.”

He stopped coughing up water but wouldn’t look at Liam. He seemed disoriented. Liam growled “ Theo” and his eyes snapped to Liam and he pushed the beta off of him before standing up on shaky legs but trying not to let it show. 

“Stop yelling Liam I’m right here and even if I wasn’t supernatural hearing remember?” 

“Unbelievable you almost died and you’re still cocky as ever. You would be dead if I hadn’t found you, you realize that? You weren’t breathing!”

“Aww, Dunbar can’t live without me, can you?”

Liam snarled at him, ”you weren’t fucking breathing what is wrong with you!”

Theo refused to show how those words affected him. 

“Careful Dunbar you almost sound like you care” he bit out before turning and walking away leaving a confused and angry Liam behind.

Theo stalked away from Liam, tapping the familiar beat he’d done when he was nervous since he was a kid. 

Young Theo was about to play his first soccer game and he was nervous. Tara, who was holding his hand bent down and whispered “don’t be nervous, you'll do great Theo'' she said with a comforting smile then she softly sang the lullaby that used to put him to sleep. He looked at her with wide eyes before softly tapping the beat out against her palm cause he didn’t talk much as a kid.

  You failed Theo. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block her out. Such a simple task and you failed and you know what failure means “punishment,” he says, the words slipping past his lips automatically and he panics as his mind takes him back to the lab and the punishments. 

It hurt. He was hurt. Every inch of his body hurt. His dead sister’s heart beating fast in his chest taunting him. The needle pierced the skin of his neck he tried to resist but he was so tired. As soon as the liquid was injected into him, he stopped moving. The pain stopped briefly and he relished in it knowing this was just the calm before the storm. 

His body seized as felt the effects of the poison injected into him to make him more compliant while the doctors cut into him. It stiffened every muscle in his body and the pain was horrible. He couldn’t do anything but lie cuffed to the table staring at the ceiling as the dread doctors cut into his flesh and peeled his skin back. Failure. Failure, failure. 

Liam was angry but underneath that he was worried. Worried about Theo. He couldn’t stop seeing him floating on the surface of the water, pale, his lips tinged blue. As he watched Theo walk away he got angry and followed. But the closer he got to him the more Liam could smell fear. 

He walked up to where Theo sat in his truck and saw him, staring straight ahead, face pale, eyes wide and panicked, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. 

“Theo?” He knocks on the window and there's no response so he tries again. This time the sudden noise causes Theo to flinch but Liam thinks he imagined it as his face smooths out instantly into the mask he’s so used to seeing on Theo's face.

“What do you want, Dunbar? Missed me already?”  he said,  a cocky smirk on his face. But there was something off about it. It was forced. His eyes were slightly wide and the scent of fear still lingered.

“We need to talk Theo.” 

“About what? The massive crush you seem to have on me?” Liam choked and sputtered and it gave Theo enough time to pull himself together. “Well as much as I would love to stay and gossip I have places to be and people to kill, see you around Dunbar.”

Chapter Text

Theo was sitting in his truck, and he was unsure, he’d never felt that, and that was making him more unsure, every emotion felt new and overwhelming but he just pushed it down. 

He could feel exhaustion creeping in and he sighed as the day’s events caught up to him. He hadn’t slept in days, avoiding the nightmares sure to plague him, but he couldn’t resist anymore so ignoring the chill in the air and the hunger he felt he pulled his thin frayed blanket around him and closed his eyes.

He was woken up just as Tara ripped her heart out of his chest and he looked startled until he noticed the deputy who had knocked on his window, waking him up. He groaned and said he was going but the deputy refused to let him and instead dragged him to the sheriff’s station.

Noah had had a long day. Just as he was about to leave a deputy walked into his office “what do you want Anderson?”  

“sir for months now this kid has been parking his truck around the preserve”

“What was he doing?”

“Sleeping”

“Sleeping?” 

“Yes sir. “

The sheriff sighed and followed Anderson out of his office. “Theo?” He exclaimed startling the boy who was leaning against the wall half asleep. He refused to meet the sheriff's eyes.

“Anderson thank you for bringing this to my attention, Theo follow me.” Theo sighed and followed the sheriff into his office.

“How long have you been living in your truck?” Theo didn’t answer, he just kept staring at the ground. 

“Theo.”

 He looked up. Sheriff noticed how exhausted he was. ”Answer the question son.” 

Theo flinched at the term but answered, afraid of upsetting the man who was part of the pack that had the power to send him to hell.

“9 months”, he mumbled. Noah’s face paled.

“9 months?! And you didn’t tell anyone?” This seemed to anger the chimera. 

“Who would I tell exactly? And why should they care? Y'all are the goody goody McCall pack and I’m the chimera of death who tried to rip your pack apart. “So if it’s alright with you sheriff I’m leaving and tell your deputies to stop waking me up”, he said before storming off.

Noah scrubbed his face with his hands, unsure what to do before deciding to tell Liam, the acting alpha of Beacon Hills since Scott was away. 

Sheriff:

Need to speak to you, come by the station in the morning  before school. 

Liam Dunbar: 

Okay 

Chapter Text

Liam couldn’t sleep. The incident at the bridge kept him awake. On top of that, a vague message from the sheriff asking him to meet him before school at the station was not helping. 

He tossed and turned before sighing and deciding to distract himself by completing his homework which would probably put him to sleep anyways. 

He was midst math equation when he registered it was morning already and that he had to meet the sheriff. He got ready in record time and was out the door in 10 minutes.

Liam was ushered directly into the sheriff’s office when he arrived at the station. Sitting at his desk the sheriff looked relieved to see Liam. 

“Hey, sheriff, what's up?”

“Liam, when was the last time you spoke to Theo?”

 Liam immediately thought of the bridge. “I spoke to him yesterday,”he said, not mentioning the rest, figuring that it was best to keep that between him and Theo for now. 

“Well, last night a deputy brought him in.”

Liam’s mind immediately went to the worst case, Theo had killed someone again, but immediately regretted it when he thought of how broken the chimera looked the previous day, he had changed, Liam knew that. 

“Why?” He asked before his mind could come up with other scenarios. 

“He was parked in the middle of the preserve,asleep in his truck.”

Liam didn’t understand so the sheriff spelt it out.

“He’s been living in his truck for months.”

 Liam froze, his mind screeching to a halt before racing. How could he have not known? Theo had saved his life a bunch of times and helped with whatever threat beacon hills faced and yet he didn’t even know where he fucking lived. 

“Liam?” 

“I’ll handle it, sheriff, thanks for telling me.”

Noah gave him a small smile and Liam left the station, mind cluttered. 

Liam couldn’t concentrate in school the entire day much to the pack’s concern. By the time the last bell rang Liam was itching to find Theo so he ran out of school and got into his car driving around in search of Theo’s truck.

Liam had driven around most of Beacon Hills in search of the familiar black truck when he finally found it tucked away on a back road. At first glance, it looked empty but as he got closer he saw Theo asleep in the backseat, a thin blanket barely covering him. This angered the young beta. He knocked on the window startling the sleeping chimera who jumped.

 Theo groaned upon seeing Liam who looked angry, he was way too tired for this. 

“What do you want Liam,” he said, his tone even.

Why didn’t you tell somebody?! 

“Tell somebody what?” The chimera said, confused.

Liam growled, “why didn’t you say anything about the fact that you’re living in your fucking truck?”  

“Because it’s not important?”

“It’s not important” Liam said incredulously 

“No, Liam, it’s not,” Theo said sounding tired, “what’s important is the safety of beacon hills and me living in my truck doesn’t compromise that, so can you leave me alone, I just want to get some fucking sleep without someone waking me up.”

“No” 

“No?” Theo said, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m not gonna let you keep living in your truck”

“And how exactly are you gonna stop me?”

“I um...I uh will-uh” Liam stuttered out, not having thought things through 

“Exactly, you can't, so leave me alone Liam,” he said, then rolled up the window and turned away. Liam stared at Theo’s still form for a few moments before getting in his car and driving home. 

– 

When Liam entered his house he was met with the smell of cinnamon he followed it to find his mom in the kitchen baking. He watched his mother move around the kitchen flour on her apron, her hair in a messy bun as she whipped up a batch of her amazing cinnamon cookies. 

A wave of sadness washed over him as he realized that Theo didn’t have this, he didn’t have a home to feel safe in, someone to help him and to bake him warm cookies and before he knew it he was crying.

“Liam, what’s wrong?” his mom asked concerned as she hurried over to him and wrapped him in a hug and as he smelt her familiar scent it made him cry harder.

She held him tight before asking what was wrong again. He hiccupped and whispered- “it's not fair.”

“What isn’t?” His mom asked, concerned. And so Liam told her. Told her about the chimera not having a home and how in pain he seemed. Liam’s parents knew about the supernatural after Liam broke down and explained everything once the war ended. Jenna knew little about Theo, just that he used to be an enemy before he turned into an unlikely ally and she had even met him a few times.  Upon hearing of his homelessness, she was appalled. 

“We can’t let him keep living in his truck, he can stay with us.” She said her motherly instincts immediately kicking in at the thought of that teenage boy living in his truck. 

Liam looked at his mom surprised before getting excited.

“That’s a great idea, thanks, mom!”

 Jenna smiled at him and felt proud of the person her son had become. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go get him.” Liam nodded and bounded out to his car before driving back to the place he had found Theo.

Theo was leaning against the truck, pale, holding a cup of coffee, chugging it like his life depended on it. As soon as he saw Liam he stiffened and carefully put on his blank mask. 

“What now little wolf?”

“You’re coming home with me” Liam said, ignoring the nickname even though it annoyed him. Theo froze. He hadn’t expected that. “Um, what?” 

“You’re coming home with me. I spoke to my mom and we have a guest room which you can stay in.”

Theo eyed the beta warily. 

“And why would you do that for me?”

“Cause you’re my friend?” Unfortunately for Liam, it came out more like a question. Theo narrowed his eyes at him.

“I just don’t want you to keep living in your truck, Theo.” 

“And why do you care?” Theo asked, his voice even. 

Even though Liam understood that in Theo’s position, even he wouldn’t trust himself, he still got annoyed. 

“Because I do! I just do so will you stop being an asshole and come home with me.”

“Sounds like a proposition to me Dunbar”

Liam sputtered as Theo laughed. 

“I'll come with you”

Liam fell silent. Then smiled so brightly. And even though theo knew he should have said no, he didn’t deserve Liam’s hospitality, he was glad he accepted the offer just for that goddamn smile. 

He wouldn’t admit it, but he’d do anything for that smile. 

Chapter Text

Liam’s house felt warm and homely, the smell of cinnamon and sweetness lingered in the air. It felt like a home, with the sticky notes on the fridge, the photo frames of a smiling family around the room and Theo felt like an intruder.

Jenna frowned at the boy standing in the doorway, he looked exhausted and he looked around the house like a fish out of water.  She couldn’t resist, her motherly instincts screaming at her to do something about the obviously hurt boy.

She walked over and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug and he stiffened but she hugged him anyway, her heart breaking, wondering how long it had been since someone had simply held him.

When she pulled away he wouldn’t meet her eyes but she knew he was simply too emotional right now. So instead she turned to her son and said, “Liam why don’t you show Theo to his room?” 

Liam nodded and pulled Theo up the stairs to the guest room. Jenna watched the boys go and she resolved to show Theo exactly how much he belonged.

Theo was sitting on the bed in the guest room of Liam’s house. He didn’t know how to feel, how to act, this whole situation was new to him. He was snapped out of his musings when Jenna( she insisted he call her that) called him down for dinner. He walked down slowly, fighting the urge to turn around and bolt back to the room and escape out the window. He stopped at the base of the stairs and watched as Liam and his parents sat around the dining table laden with food talking and laughing. He had never felt more out of place in his entire life. He was about to turn around and leave but Jenna spotted him and gave him a warm smile and he couldn’t stand to disappoint her so he walked to the table pulled out the chair next to Liam and put on his charming persona.

Theo charmed and joked as he conversed with the family and he pretended that he fit in, that for once he belonged somewhere, that he wasn’t the former chimera of death who was now just a murderer and a manipulator. 

But there was always this voice in the back of his mind reminding him that he was a horrible person, that didn’t deserve kindness, he would always be the darkness in a sea of light. As dinner went on he became quieter and quieter as the voice in his screamed louder and louder but the thing that pushed him over the edge was the eerie voice of his sister echoed in his mind. He stood abruptly and mumbled an excuse before escaping upstairs to the guest room.

 He sat on the bed panting heavily trying to calm himself down. He had barely eaten,  food was hard for him to keep down cause the anxiety made him want to throw up. He taps his fingers to the familiar rhythm until his heart calms down. Regret and embarrassment fill him as he thinks about how he left dinner. 

A soft knock on the door startles him. He walks slowly to the door and opens it, he’s surprised to see Jenna instead of Liam.

“May I come in?”

He nods (he’s never been sure of mothers, his own didn’t behave the way scott and stiles’ used to.  

Jenna enters and sits down at the edge of the bed. She looked at him expectantly and so he sat on the bed himself leaving space between them. Neither of them says anything, Theo, too afraid to speak when not prompted. For a while, the silence filled the room. Finally, Jenna sighed and looked at Theo. He didn’t say anything and just kept staring straight ahead. 

“I know a lot about you, Theo.” Theo stiffened. 

“From what I’ve heard you’re supposed to be a monster. But I don’t see that, I see a boy trying hard to atone for his mistakes, a boy who was manipulated from a young age.  I know you blame yourself. I know you think you don’t deserve this but I just want you to know that I’m not going to judge you based on what I’ve heard. I hope you can move on and forgive yourself one day cause I know for a fact my son has and though he can be dense sometimes, he is right about you. I know he is.” And with that, she exits the room leaving Theo there mulling over her words. 

After a lot of thinking he slowly lies down relishing the feel of an actual bed, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept in an actual bed so he fell into a deep sleep, which was a mistake. 

He woke up crying, broken sobs escaping his throat, thankfully he didn’t scream and wake the entire house up. The truck was uncomfortable enough that he never properly slept, allowing him to wake up before the nightmares started. He knew he couldn’t fall back asleep. He climbs out of the bed before opening the window and climbing up onto the roof. He sat hugging his knees staring at the stars. The fresh air cleared his head a bit. He sat there staring at the sky till it lightened and he watched the sunrise, painting the sky in vivid colours. 

He doesn’t belong in the peaceful moment as the sun slowly rises and paints the sky in vivid hues, he feels like an intruder. The moment is too beautiful for someone like him, someone twisted and broken, to enjoy. But he watches the sunrise nonetheless if nothing but to remind himself that this is more than he deserves and because peace is hard to come by for the chimera of death.

Chapter Text

Theo climbed back in through the window before anyone woke up and decided to make breakfast for the Geyers as a thank you for letting him stay with them. He tried to be as quiet as he could while he made pancakes and coffee before drinking 2 cups himself and eating a slice of toast, unable to stomach more than that.

He sat sipping his third cup of coffee when Jenna comes downstairs bleary-eyed and heads to the coffee pot and stops and stares when she finds it full. She turns around and sees Theo and her eyes seem filled with confusion.

“There are pancakes on the counter," he whispers. She still looks confused but turns around and grabs a plate just as Liam and David come down.

“Good morning” Liam said with a sleepy smile before sitting down next to Theo and wolfing down his pancakes(pun intended lol) before letting out an exaggerated moan. “These are absolutely heaven mom!” 

“Well don’t thank me, honey,Theo made them.” Liam looked surprised before turning to Theo, “you can cook?” 

“No, I magicked them into existence,” Theo said dryly 

“haha very funny.”

“Aren’t you eating Theo?” Jenna asked, interrupting the staring contest Liam and Theo were having. 

“I um, already ate.”

 Jenna frowned but dismissed it and turned to ask David something and Theo took it as an opening to escape upstairs to the guest room. He wasn’t ready to call it his room.

***********************************

Jenna decided that it would be best for Theo to complete high school which turned into an awkward situation of explaining that he was dead on paper. A few hours and a call to the sheriff solved that problem and Theo was officially back in beacon hills high starting Monday. Something he had mixed feelings about but he didn't want to argue with the woman currently housing him ( and the fact that she was a mother,he was scared of mothers)

He couldn’t just let them pay for everything though so he decided to get a job that would be considerably easier now that his living situation was better. After much searching, he found a part-time job at a small bookstore which was pretty cool for him. He loved books even though no one who saw him would think it.

He was a real dork at heart. (his sister’s heart?)

***************************

Monday rolled around too quick for Theo’s liking as he climbed back in through the window after another morning of watching the sunrise. He made breakfast and drank his coffee till Liam got up and dressed for school before driving them both there. 

Dread curled in his stomach as he pulled into the parking lot to see Mason and Corey hanging out near the entrance, no doubt waiting for Liam. Liam jumped out of the truck and bounded over to his friends causing Theo to shake his head as a small smile appeared on his face due to Liam’s puppy-like behavior.

He got out of the truck and walked towards the entrance but was stopped by Liam before he could enter.

“What is he doing here?” mason said his tone accusatory

“Attending school” was Liam’s answer

"Why? Got bored of killing people?” Mason said scathingly.

Theo kept his mask in place and accepted it, he deserved that. He just gave Liam a quick nod and headed into the school ignoring Tara whispering his name in that sing-song voice that gave him chills and the voices of Mason and Liam arguing.

The rest of the day went the same way he avoided Liam and the puppy pack as they were called, kept to himself, and headed for his shift at the bookstore after school, clearing shelves, helping customers, and reading in his free time.

It became a routine, he would make breakfast drive him and Liam to school, avoid everyone, head to work then go back to the  Geyer residence, finish homework, and spend hours tossing and turning before falling asleep only to wake up in a cold sweat barely managing to swallow his screams and heading up to the roof to watch the sunrise and start the routine all over again.

It wasn’t healthy, he wasn't eating, he was barely sleeping, he was constantly working and it was taking a toll on him. The bags under his eyes were a permanent purple against his pale face and his sparse clothing was too big on his thin body. He looked at himself in the mirror and scoffed. The chimera of death, he thought with a self-deprecating smile, now looking like a strong wind could blow him over. He ignored his appearance before making breakfast and once again opted just for coffee as he watched the residents of the house laugh and joke and deep down knew he didn’t deserve to be a part of this moment or their lives for that matter. He was wasting away into nothingness, drifting farther and farther from reality.

Chapter Text

LIAM’S POV

There was something wrong with Theo. He was too pale, too thin, he looked tired constantly and would often stare off into space or at a particular spot as if he could see something the rest of them couldn’t. Liam didn’t fail to notice the strong scent of terror and anguish that permeated from Theo’s room nor the fact that he was always somehow up and dressed and had prepared breakfast before the rest of them woke up. But every time he tried to speak to him, someone from the pack interfered, telling him to leave the murderer to his demise, sometimes even to his face. And at home Theo was barely there, a ghost. 

Slowly, he was losing his calm at the snide comments and threatening looks the pack gave Theo and his condition. 

He finally snapped when Mason commented how Liam should sleep with one eye open since he literally invited a murder to stay with him and he watched Theo flinch before his mask fell into place but it was enough for Liam to lose the control he had a tentative grip on. 

His claws extended and he dug them into his palms and felt the blood drip as he growled through a mouthful of fangs. The sun, the moon, the truth. He chanted over and over again but in vain he couldn’t calm down.  Until Theo whispered his name.  That’s it, just his name whispered, meant for only his ears. 

He took a deep breath, inhaling the warm scent of pine and coffee of Theo and his claws retracted leaving him breathless. He spun around to thank the chimera but he had disappeared leaving a disappointed Liam behind.

“Hey, Liam, I’m sorry I meant it as a joke I didn’t mean to upset you” mason apologized.

“It’s okay mason I get it but Theo’s changed. He's no longer a bad person, he’s saved my life multiple times and y'all just keep attacking him. I'm not asking you to forgive him, just leave him alone.”

“I know I’m sorry we will leave him alone” Corey spoke up.

Liam nodded before heading to the parking lot hoping Theo had waited for him cause he really didn’t want to have to walk. He was disappointed to not see the familiar blue truck in the parking lot but not wanting to ask Mason for a ride he started the trek home.

THEO’S POV

He wasn’t sure when it happened. Somewhere during the time when he was screaming himself awake in the back of his truck or hallucinating his dead sister or feeling the phantom pain of scalpels cutting into his skin, he started holding on to the one thing that grounded him. Anchored him. Baby blue eyes. 

Now as he was constantly reminded that he didn’t deserve the hospitality and compassion of a certain blue-eyed beta, the same eyes that anchored him also filled him with this indescribable emotion. It hurt soo fucking much but in the best way when he’d see Liam smile and joke around with his family or get frustrated over homework, he felt his (Tara’s) heart beat wildly and he didn’t know what it meant.

The sting of the pack’s rejection was nothing compared to the realization that they were right. He was a horrible irredeemable monster and that wouldn’t change and Liam was making a mistake in trusting and helping him.

Chapter Text

The sun beat down on Liam as he walked home from school but he ignored it, too caught up in his thoughts. He had gotten angry earlier. Like really angry. His IED started acting up and he was sure that it would lead to a rage episode and nothing was calming him down until Theo had stopped him, anchored him, he realized and a strangled sound left his throat.

Oh my god. 

Theo had anchored him.

 His voice, his scent had anchored Liam. Without realizing it, over the course of the chimera living with him, Theo had become Liam’s anchor. Liam was fucked.

Liam ran home after that epiphany. He slammed the door to his house open and raced upstairs to find Theo sprawled across his bed in the guest room. He lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at Liam who was panting in the doorway.

“You’re my anchor” Liam blurted out in between pants. Theo looked startled. 

“What?”

“You are my anchor. Earlier I thought for sure I was about to explode but you calmed me down. No one has been able to do that, not since Hayden. I don’t even know how it happened, I mean I barely see you, even though I live with you, why is that by the way-”

“You’re my anchor too.” Theo interrupted. 

Liam’s rant cut off, he gaped at Theo, eyes wide. 

“Wait, so we're each other's anchors?” 

“It would seem so," Theo replied dryly. 

“Okay then,” Liam said, nodding. 

Then he strode to the bed and punched Theo.

“What the fuck Liam you broke my nose, that’s four times now!”

“That was for leaving me at school” Liam said smugly before turning around and leaving. Theo smiled and shook his head at Liam’s smug look before setting his nose and wiping off the blood.

A little while later

“Hey, Theo?” Liam said sweetly, almost too sweetly Theo thought suspiciously

“What do you want, little wolf?”

“Could you help me with my bio homework? Pleaseeee”

“No”

“Pretty please, i'll do anything”

“Anything?” Theo asked, a playful smirk on his face.

“Okay, maybe not anything but please I suck at biology and if I fail the class I cant play lacrosse.” Liam said with the puppy dog eyes that Theo just couldn’t resist.

“Fine” he said, resigned, getting up and following Liam to his room hoping it wouldn’t take too long.

3 hours later.

“Come on Liam we just went over this!”

“Um pythagoras Theorem”

“That-that’s not even biology!” Theo said, exasperated. “I’m done I can’t help you anymore.”

“Okay okay I’m sorry please”

“Fine one last question

What is the powerhouse of the cell”

“Triple-A batteries?”

“Jesus fucking christ what’s wrong with you?” 

“You're an atheist, Liam said with a shit-eating grin”

“And you’re failing bio,” Theo said, getting up and heading for the door.

“Ah wait no Theo come back pleaseee,” Liam said before running to the door and stopping Theo from leaving

“Let me leave Liam” Theo said exasperated 

“No” 

“Liam,” Theo said stepping closer until they were almost touching“Let me leave,” he whispered roughly in Liam’s ear

Liam shivered, “no” he said again somewhat shakily

Theo growled and stepped closer until they were flush against each other

Liam’s eyes flickered down to Theo’s lips and he immediately snapped his gaze back to his eyes and caught the predatory look in Theo’s eyes.

He leaned forward until their lips were brushing- 

“Boys dinner!” Jenna yelled from downstairs

They jumped apart, startled.

Liam moved out of the way and they silently went down to dinner not meeting the others' gaze.

They didn’t talk about it, not for weeks. They avoided each other only talking when they absolutely had to because they lived together. And Theo was okay with that. Because he didn’t know what it was. It was a moment. But he was confused. He didn’t know how he felt so avoiding it seemed like a good idea. Until he realized the effect of not being around his anchor as much had on him, and specifically his nightmares.

He was in the morgue and Tara's voice echoed around him. He didn’t try to run away or stop what was about to happen until he heard the clicks that signaled the arrival of the dread doctors. He panicked. He ran to the doors and opened them only to be in the operating theater with Tara staring straight at him. 

Theo why are you running? You know what’s gonna happen, she said, a sickly sweet smile on her pale face.

He was strapped to the operating table. The dread doctors surrounded him as they slowly cut into his chest to retrieve his heart. Tara stood at the side watching. 

You don’t have to stop-

He was back in the morgue.

You don’t have to stop-

Tara was there.

You don’t have to stop-

Her hands were cold in his chest

Failure.

He was in the operating theater.

Failure.

They cut it out.

He was in the morgue. But something was different. He heard a voice. It wasn’t Tara's voice. It was a voice he never wanted to hear ever again.

He woke up screaming.

Chapter Text

Liam woke up to screams and the scent of terror wafting from Theo’s room, he stumbled out of bed and ran to Theo’s room to find him sitting up, eyes glowing and his claws in his chest. 

“Theo, Theo hey look at me you’re okay”

“Liam?”

“Yeah it’s me, you’re okay”  

Theo sighed and grimaced at the drying blood on his shirt. 

“Does that happen often?” Liam asked inquisitively.

Theo scoffed Liam looked at him confused and worse, concerned

This angered Theo, Liam shouldn’t be concerned about him, he shouldn’t care about whether he sleeps at night or where he sleeps.

“Why do you care Liam?”

“I-” 

“Why did you ask me to stay here? Why does it matter to you?”

Liam got agitated. 

“I-I- I don’t know, I just do okay? Every time I look at your stupidly pretty face and your stupidly pretty laugh and the way you get excited about Marvel movies or bicker with me and I just don’t know if I want to kiss you or punch you! You drive me fucking crazy Theo and I don’t know what to do about it.”

Liam finished his rant and looked away not wanting to see Theo’s face and the rejection he was sure would come.

“Kiss me”

“What?” 

“Kiss me” Theo repeats. 

Liam gaped at him and Theo sighed in annoyance before crashing his lips against Liam’s 

Making him gasp before he deepened the kiss. 

They pulled away a while later and it was silent for a minute before Theo stood up and walked to the window before stopping. “Are you coming?”

“What- where are you going?” he said as Theo climbed out and up to the roof, Liam close behind. Theo pulled Liam next to him, “what are we doing up here?”

“Shh just watch” and so Liam did. He sat with Theo watching the sunrise paint the sky and Theo sighed because it was more beautiful than the last one, maybe because of the blue-eyed beta watching it with him.

“So are we gonna talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about, you said you liked me and we kissed.”

“I did not say I liked you”

“You said you liked my stupidly pretty face and my stupidly pretty voice and that you wanted to kiss me.” Theo said with a smirk

“Okay but I didn’t explicitly say I liked you and I also said I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kiss you or punch you”

“Whatever you say, Liam,” Theo said with a small smile

It was silent for a while as both boys watched the rapidly lightning sky

“But are we gonna talk about this?”

Theo sighed, exasperated. “Okay, Liam, what do you want to talk about?”

“Are we like a thing now?”

“I don’t know Liam, do you want to be a “thing” with the guy who manipulated you to kill your alpha, the one who tore your pack apart?” Theo said calmly

“You’re not that person anymore”

“I’m sure stiles and malia would disagree” Theo said dryly

“Then we don’t tell them, we don’t tell anyone and we’ll keep this-”he said as he leaned over and kissed Theo- “a secret.”

“So do you want to be a thing?”

“Yeah-,” Theo said leaning into Liam- “I do”. 

They stayed like that watching the sky in the early light of dawn.

Chapter Text

Things became normal, well as normal as they could be in beacon hills. They would go to school, then Liam would come home and wait for Theo to come home from work and then Theo would force Liam to do his homework with his help which always led to a heated makeout session. It was normal, something Theo hadn’t had in a long time or ever. For the first time in years, he felt hope, hope that things would work out for him. 

of course it wouldn’t last he thought bitterly to himself as Liam informed him that the older pack would be in town for thanksgiving at Scott’s. Theo just nodded, ignoring the tiny bit of fear at the thought of the older pack. He couldn’t risk them fixing the sword and sending him back there.

He had the strong urge to flee Beacon Hills or at least hide until they left but one look from Liam had his resolve crumbling so he pushed his fear aside and smiled at him but that fear came back in the form of nightmares worse than usual causing him to wake up screaming. Waking everyone in the house although Jenna and David didn’t push him or ask any questions even though they seemed incredibly concerned.

***********************

“Come on Theo it’ll be fun”

Theo scoffed, “yeah I’m not coming, Liam”

“Please I'll need a ride,” Liam said with a pout

“Ask mason”

“Mason and Corey will come together and I don’t want to third wheel”

“Fine I'll drop you there and pick you up but I’m not coming in”

Liam leaned in to kiss Theo as a way of convincing him but Theo stepped away, “you should get dressed Liam, you don’t want to walk in there smelling like me otherwise this” -he gestured to the two of them- “will no longer be a secret.”

“So what are you gonna do for thanksgiving” Liam said changing tactics

“I don’t know probably anything I’ve never had a Thanksgiving, I suppose you can’t miss what you’ve never had”

“You’ve never had a thanksgiving?!” Liam said, gaping at him

“My upbringing wasn’t the most conventional” Theo said dryly

“No, I know but not even before?”

“My parents both worked two jobs to cover my medical bills; they didn’t have time to celebrate things like thanksgiving or birthdays,” Theo said, omitting the fact that they simply didn’t care enough to celebrate. Not with him anyway. 

Liam just stood there staring at him

“You okay little wolf?”

“You’re coming”

“No, I’m not”

“You don’t have a choice”

“Yes I do and I’m not coming Liam they are your pack and they definitely don’t want me there. Now go get ready” 

Liam frowned before nodding and heading to the bathroom.

Liam tried to kiss Theo again when they were leaving and Theo pushed him away exasperated, “Scent, Liam, remember?”

“But you live with me and you’re driving me there I’m gonna smell like you anyways.”

“It’ll be stronger if we make out a slight scent is easily explained away by saying that I dropped you off cause you’re parents are out of town for thanksgiving.”

“You really have thought this through”

“I’m a liar, it’s what I do”

Liam punched him in the arm.

As they turned onto Scotts street Liam once again tried to convince Theo

“ Please, come for me?” Theo didn’t look at Liam knowing he’d give in to Liam’s puppy dog eyes.

“No, now get out,” he said as he pulled up in Scott’s driveway. “No,” Liam said stubbornly.

Theo raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going in if you don’t come with” 

“well then I guess you’re not going,”Theo retorted and they sat with their arms crossed staring each other down.

Suddenly the door opened and Scott stepped out, Theo immediately tensed

“Liam get out,” he hissed but Liam just narrowed his eyes. Scott knocked on the window causing Liam to jump which Theo would have found funny if he wasn’t desperately trying to flee. 

“Are you coming? Oh, Theo I didn’t know you were still around,” Scott said surprised.

Theo gave him a tight smile, “just here to drop Liam off” he said tersely.

Liam stumbled out of the truck and smirked at Theo before saying “Nope actually, Theo’s coming too.”

“No, I’m not," Theo said, shooting a glare at Liam, “text me when you want me to pick you up” he said before driving off. Liam frowned and turned to Scott giving him a quick hug and then heading inside leaving Scott confused in the driveway.

*****

Liam couldn’t concentrate the entire time, his thoughts, as always, on Theo. However, his brooding didn’t go unnoticed by Scott who had been watching Liam curiously since the conversation in the driveway. Since when does Theo give Liam rides? And why does Liam smell like Theo?

“Hey, Liam you okay?”

“What? Oh yeah yeah I’m fine”

“Are you sure? You seem a bit...off?”

“Oh um no i'm good”

“So you’re not upset about Theo?”

Liam tensed

“Hey guys, what are we talking about?” stiles interrupted cheerfully

“Liam’s upset about Theo”

Liam glared at Scott as Stiles expression twisted into a look of disgust

“Why is he upset about that dick, did he do something? I swear to god we should have put him back in the ground where he belongs maybe we could get the sword fixed and i'll put him back myself”

“I'll help” Malia chimed in.

Liam growled at stiles through a mouthful of fangs, upset at his anchor being threatened.

He dug his claws into his palm and growled again.

“Hey hey, Liam calm down repeat after me the sun the moon the truth” Scott said but Liam wouldn’t calm down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mason pull out his phone and fire off a text and five minutes later the door flew open and in walked Theo, his hair a mess, dressed in sweatpants and a loose shirt, looking like he just rolled out of bed.

“Hey, little wolf, I heard you’re feeling a bit murderous," he said with a smirk, “now as much as I would enjoy watching you attack stiles, you really don’t want to do that," he said. Liam started calming down upon Theo’s arrival and his claws and fangs retracted before he grinned and shook his head at Theo. 

“The fuck was that?!”

Chapter Text

Liam stared at the ground unable to look the pack in the eyes. 

“Well, that’s my cue to leave," Theo said, turning around to head for the door before giving Liam one last look to check if he was okay and Liam looked at him with pleading eyes and Theo nodded, tilting his head to the door before walking out. 

“Hey Scott I think I’m gonna take off, sorry for everything,” he said then ran out after Theo. 

They drove in silence as Theo kept looking at Liam to check on him and as soon as they were far enough away he pulled over onto a secluded side road.  “Are you okay?”

Liam didn't answer him, he just silently got out and Theo went to follow but instead, Liam opened Theo’s door and straddled his lap before pulling him into a searing kiss. 

Theo gasped into the kiss and Liam used this as an invitation to slide his tongue into his mouth and Theo moaned. Liam slides his hand under Theo’s shirt before pulling it off of him and throwing it somewhere in the backseat of the truck. Liam slowly rolls their hips together and Theo moans .

“ fuck Liam, don’t stop,” he said, his voice hoarse, Liam emboldened by Theo slowly unzips Theo's jeans and slides a hand in, palming his hard cock through his boxers. Theo bucks into him moaning. “Liam,” he groans.

“what do you want baby, say it for me,” he whispers, 

“I want you to fucking touch me,” he hisses out. Liam grins and slowly lowers Theo's boxers and takes his hard cock in his hand before pumping it, Theo bucking wildly as he fucks into Liam’s hand. Liam groans as it causes Theo to grind up against him and so Theo pulls Liam’s cock out and pumps it at the same pace. They both moan as they feel themselves getting closer and closer chasing their release. Liam squeezes experimentally causing Theo to come in his hand with a loud groan and seeing Theo all fucked out beneath him has Liam following soon after. 

They exchange lazy kisses before cleaning up and driving back home before falling into bed. Theo was about to close his eyes when Liam climbed onto his chest and lay there he was sure Liam could hear his elevated heartbeat. 

“Wha-what are you doing?”

“Shh sleep.” Liam said wrapping his arms around Theo and slowly falling asleep and so Theo slept and somehow it was peaceful for the first time in a long time he slept the entire night.

**************

Things in Beacon Hills didn’t stay quiet for long as people around town started dropping randomly, eyes wide open staring at something only they could see, unblinking. So of course the McCall pack was on it, the older members still in town for Thanksgiving, decided to call a pack meeting to which Theo was invited for his expertise, growing up with the dread doctors. 

Because they were meeting the pack Theo and Liam had to stay away from each other much to the latter’s chagrin cause he knew Theo was anxious around the pack and just wanted to comfort him or at least distract but he knew it was for the best so when Theo told Liam to ask mason and Corey to pick him up he just pouted but did as he was told.

As soon as Theo entered the clinic it went silent and he had the overwhelming urge to flee but he forced himself to walk into the clinic, mask in place and leaned against the wall closest to the door for a quick escape if necessary. He could feel Liam’s eyes on him but ignored it and observed the pack. 

“Okay so,” Scott began, “the victims all seem to have one thing in common, they seem to all be guilty of some crimes however most of them are reformed. Other than that there are no connections and no explanation.”

“Actually, there is an explanation” Stiles interrupted, “so Deaton and I were going through the bestiary and the coma seems to be magically induced.”

“Magically induced,” Malia said incredulously

“Yes magically induced do I have to explain to y’all again that our lives aren't normal and that y’all have claws and fangs and fur that magically appear and disappear and-”

“Okay okay, stiles we get it,” Scott said, a small smile on his face.

“Magic is real.” All eyes in the room snapped towards Theo who seemed calm under all the attention although Liam knew that he was anything but.

“What?” Mason said breaking the silence.

“Magic exists,” Theo says with a shrug. “Y’all have met a Darach apart from that there are magic users”

“Like witches?”

“Yeah, but what we are dealing with seems to be a sorceress which is a witch who has undergone something traumatic and tapped into dark magic which is used to inflict strife and aid in revenge.” 

Everyone was looking at Theo mouth agape.

“What?” he says defensively.

“Nothing- it’s just, how do you know all this?” Mason asks.

“I grew up with the dread doctors I’ve encountered all sorts of things,” he neglected to mention that he’s been attacked by them too, “however, I’ve never met a sorceress in person” he said thoughtfully.

At the reminder of Theo’s past, the atmosphere in the room turned frigid and Malia looked murderous but to be fair Malia always looked murderous.

“Okay, so how do we catch a sorceress?” Scott asked.

“Well,” Deaton said, “the best way would be to trap her in mountain ash. But to do that you will have to lure her in.”

“Okay, I'll do it.”Theo shrugged. 

“Do what?” Liam said eyes narrowed on Theo

“What do you think?” he said, trademark smirk in place,

“I’ll be the bait.”

Chapter Text

“There is no way I’m letting you do that” Liam growled.

Theo simply raised an eyebrow in response.

“It makes sense,” Stiles said “He’ll finally be good for something.”

Theo winced and unfortunately, Liam noticed and before he could get mad and wolf out Theo dragged him out of the clinic. “We’ll be right back”, he said, pulling Liam into the trees till they were far enough away to not be heard. As soon as they stopped Liam whirled on him and growled ”You’re delusional if you think I’m letting you do this.” 

“It makes sense for me to do it, Liam, stiles is right I’m expendable.”

“You are not expendable.” 

“Yes, I am.”

Theo saw the punch coming and made no move to stop it, clutching at his broken nose before wiping the blood away.

“Are you done?”

“No,” Liam growled then slammed his lips against Theo’s in a kiss that was anything but sweet. panting, they pulled away at the sound of footsteps and Liam panicked.

“Liam punch me again”

“What?”

“Just do it”

Liam shrugged before slamming his fist into Theo’s nose again with a sickening crunch just as the pack entered the clearing they were in.

“You good?” Scott asked Liam, ignoring Theo as he set his broken nose.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine, what's the plan?”

“Tomorrow Theo will go into the preserve at night and lure her to the bridge so we can trap her”.

Theo’s jaw clenched at the mention of Taras bridge but he nodded tersely. Liam looked mad but didn't argue. 

“Cool okay” 

The pack said their goodbyes. 

“Liam, could I talk to you for a second?” Mason asked quietly.

“Uh sure mase,” he said, confused.

“We’ll be outside the clinic”, Corey said with a small smile before he and Theo walked back. It was silent at first before Mason began

“I know”

Liam’s heart skipped a beat then sped up

“What-what do you know?”, he stuttered out, playing dumb

Mason gave Liam an exasperated look.

“I know about you and Theo”

Lima panicked, “I’m sorry mase. I swear I was gonna tell you but I wasn't sure how you would react, I mean you hate him just being friends with me. I didn't know how you'd feel about him being my boyfriend, I’m sorry it just happened, okay we kissed and maybe a little more but nothing else happened I swear.” he blurted out in one breath.

Mason gaped at him.

“Boyfriend? What the fuck?!”

Liam looked confused, “yeah- what did you mean?”

“I meant about y’all being each other’s anchors not about you two… “ he trailed off at a loss for words.

“Fuck, um, pretend I didn’t say anything?”

“Mase?” He said when his best friend didn't say anything for a while.

“Maybe a little more?” He said, finally sounding a little strangled.

Liam blushed.

********

Theo's conversation with Corey wasn't going any better. It had started awkward, both of them silent till Theo took a deep steadying breath and turned to Corey. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Corey looked surprised.

“I'm sorry for everything.  I was power-hungry and stupid and a bad person. (I still am a bad person, he thought) but I’m trying to be better and you deserve an apology for what I put you through.”

“I know,” Corey whispered. “I already forgave you”. It was Theo’s turn to be surprised. “I think I forgave you a while ago. I spent some time with the dread doctors too. I get the fear. I remember blacking up and waking up feeling different, unsure if I was still me.”

Theo gulped. “They never put me under”, he said softly.

“What?” Corey looked a little horrified.

“I was their protege, the first chimera. What better way to teach me than to operate on myself? So I assisted them as they operated.” Theo said, hating the vulnerable feeling but still feeling lighter somehow.

“I’m sorry”, Corey said, eyes wide and filled with tears.

“I suppose it was my price to pay for choosing them.”

It was silent again as Corey wiped at his tears. 

“Liam has had an impact on you”, Corey said, finally Theo looked confused. “You've changed and you’re apologising to me just proves it.”

“Well, what can I say? Liams persuasive. He refused to give up on me, “Theo said with a small smile. “I suppose if he kissed me like that I would want to change too,” Corey said with a smirk.

Theo choked “What?”  He said, sounding strangled.

“They sent me to ensure y'all didn’t kill each other. Imagine my surprise when I found y’all with your tongues down each other’s throats.”

Chapter Text

Theo was saved from answering as Liam strode purposefully out of the woods before dragging Theo’s lips to his own. Theo, flustered, did what any sane person would do, he punched him. “Ow, what was that for?”

“What was that ” Theo responded 

“Mason knows now so I was happy about not having to hide it anymore, now I’m more pissed off”

“More pissed off?”

“Yes more pissed off, you’re fucking being the martyr again”

Theo just sighed

Liam unable to resist leaned forward and whispered in Theo's ear, “Don’t worry I'll punish you for that later”, his voice full of promise and Theo shivered.

Corey choked and Thiam were reminded that they were very much not alone and they turned to the amused Mason and disturbed Corey with sheepish smiles, Liam belatedly realising that Corey could hear him making him blush harder.

“Soo wanna grab lunch?”

“You know I thought you’d be more upset,” Theo said after they had settled at a table at the diner.

“I was” " Mason said, “initially, but Liam is right you have changed only a fool would not see that and considering y’all are each other’s anchors it just makes it better I mean you both  bring out the best in each other I’m only upset that you didn’t tell me sooner,” he said glaring at Liam

“I’m sorry I really didn’t know how you would react”

“I’ll let it go. for now.” Mason said threateningly “but I’m just amazed you managed to keep it a secret for so long”

Liam let out an indignant whine

“Liam, you literally blurted it out to me”

“He did what?”

So Mason recounted what happened and Theo sighed before turning to Liam “You really are terrible at keeping secrets”

Liam put his head on the table, “I know” he groaned causing all of them to snicker.

When they got home that night to an empty house Liam just smiled, a smile that honestly terrified and excited Theo. “Go wait for me upstairs,” Liam said in a low voice “naked”, he added and Theo excited, headed upstairs to follow Liam’s instructions.

He lay on the bed, his clothes discarded, already hard and dripping as he waited for Liam. The door opened and Liam walked in before stopping at the foot of the bed as he raked his eyes over Theo’s naked form, a hungry glint in his eyes which caused Theo to flush. “I promised you that I’d punish you later,” Liam said in a gravelly voice and Theo moaned at the implications of that. Liam pulled his shirt off and threw it somewhere not really caring about where it landed before he straddled Theo, still in his jeans providing almost maddening friction as he held Theo’s hands above his head and ground their hips together.

Liam Theo moaned as he continued to tease Theo, licking and biting down Theo’s chest until he leaned down and licked a stripe up Theos cock causing the latter to buck but Liam simply used one arm to hold him down, Theo other still holding his hands above his head. “Don’t move” Liam growled. Theo nodded and tried to stay still as Liam teased him licking softly, not nearly enough until Theo was a moaning writhing mess. “Liam please I need you” Theo groaned out, his voice sounding completely wrecked. 

Liam flipped him over and leaned down, whispering in Theos ear. “Are you sure you want this?” Liam asked 

“Fuck yes,” Theo said and Liam groaned before standing up and shucking his jeans and boxers before grabbing the bottle of lube he had in his nightstand. He popped the cap on the bottle and drizzled a generous amount on his fingers before slowly inserting one causing Theo to whine and rut into the bed, he continued teasing the chimera, slowly pushing in and pulling out one finger until Theo was a writhing mess

“Liam,” he panted out “stop fucking teasing”

Liam simply chuckled before adding another finger and scissoring Theo open. Theo was whining and crying out as Liam added a third finger before pulling them out altogether leaving Theo panting hard almost at the edge of an orgasm.

“Liam” Theo said his voice full of need 

“Yes?”

“Fuck me”

Liam growled before lubing himself up and slowly pushing himself into the chimera inch by inch. They both groaned as Liam pulled out before pulling out and flipping Theo before pushing back in. He set a bruising pace as they both moaned wildly, Liam kissing and sucking at Theo’s neck as they chased their high. Just as Theo was about to come Liam pulled out. Theo whined loudly before looking at Liam with pleading eyes

Liam just smiled, “This is supposed to be a punishment, isn’t it?”

Theo groaned 

“Come on Theo, beg for it”

Theo glared at him

Liam shrugged, “Well then I guess you won’t mind if I” - Liam said before taking hold of his hard cock and slowly pumping it. Theo let out a strangled whine before giving in.

“Fuck please Liam please fuck me” Theo whimpered

“Fuck,” Liam said before climbing back onto Theo and thrusting into him, over and over again.

“You’re so tight,” Liam hissed out as he thrust into Theo’s heat and Theo whined 

Liam was close so he reached between them and slowly started stroking Theo’s cock and without warning, Theo came hard causing Liam to tip over the edge soon after.

They lay there after cleaning up just holding each other. “Liam?”

 “Yeah?” 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything and thank you for helping me for caring when no one else has in a long time and I know that it’s going to take time for me to understand that people care so thank you for being there for me.”

“You don’t need to thank me Theo, you saved me too, not just from the ghost riders and hunters but from myself and I- I think I’m in love with you.”

Theo exhaled, the words bringing tears to his eyes. “I haven’t loved someone in a long time, Liam, and I don’t even know if I remember how to love but Liam...I’d die for you.”

Liam smiled a blinding smile that made Theo’s heart stutter before the former pulled him in for a kiss and they fell asleep like that in each other’s arms, as Liam repeated the words in his head knowing what Theo meant.

 I’d die for you(I love you too).

Chapter Text

It went as well as Liam thought it would. It had started out fine as Theo walked through the preserve as soon as dusk fell. He walked slowly to Tara's bridge ensuring to make his presence known by being as loud as possible but when he got to the bridge he found the sorceress standing there as if waiting for him.

“Theo raeken”, she hissed

“In the flesh”, he said flashing her a smile

She looked around knowingly, “This is a momentous place you’ve picked Theo.”

He didn’t react at all keeping his face impassive 

“It’s interesting that you pick the place where your sister took her final breath. Because of you.”

He flinched but didn’t say anything.

 “It’s sort of poetic that your sister died here and that you almost did too, it's too bad that beta saved you, the very one that’s hiding behind the bush there,” she said pointing to the bush Liam was hiding behind, Theo panicked.

She smiled at him,” oh you don’t have to pretend, I know all about the mountain ash trap and the McCall pack trying to remain hidden and failing miserably” she laughed as Theo failed to hide his shock. 

“You can come out you know my beef isn’t with you it's with him,” she said gesturing to Theo who was cataloguing the best escape route for him and the pack.

Slowly Scott left his hiding spot and moved towards the witch cautiously. “We aren’t here to hurt you, we just want to talk.” She snarled,” I am not here to talk, I’m here to provide justice and make him pay for his crimes.”

Theo realised that the sorceress wouldn’t hurt the pack, she was here for him so he could distract her while they escaped.“Been there done that, wrote the country song” Theo said with a boyish grin and Scott narrowed his eyes at him as if he knew what the chimera was doing.

The flippant comment seemed to anger the sorceress and she narrowed her eyes at Theo and he found himself unable to move, she had paralysed him just by narrowing her eyes, she was seriously more powerful than he had anticipated. Scott stepped forward as if sensing Theo's panic but before he could do anything (what could he really do?) the witch lunged for Theo, whispering something in his ear and Liam watched in horror as Theo crumpled. The sorceress turned with a triumphant smile, before vanishing into thin air, leaving behind the faint smell of sage and something pungent. 

Liam who had been paralysed with concern for his boyfriend snapped into action and ran over to Theo's prone body pulling the chimera into his lap. Theo “Hey wake up” he whispered somewhat desperately. “He’s in a coma, like the rest of them,” Stiles said, stating the obvious, Liam wasn’t even sure when the rest of the pack had gathered around them. 

“He should never have done this, I told him not to do it but he had to be the martyr and sacrifice himself out of a twisted need to get your acceptance,” Liam said half angry half in pain as his boyfriend lay unconscious in his arms, eyes wide and unblinking as they seemed to see something the rest of them couldn’t.

Stiles scoffed, he shouldn’t bother Liam who was already on edge without his anchor growled as he tried to stop himself from shifting.

 “You don’t know anything you don’t understand him or what he’s been through, how he tried to kill himself and would have succeeded if I hadn’t been there and how he lived in his truck for months with no one to hear him scream himself awake at night haunted by hell, something we put him through”, Liam was sobbing at this point as he hugged Theo closer to his chest, the best part is he choked out between sobs “he’s trying to be accepted for me cause you’re my pack and he wants to get along with y’all even when you treat him like shit.” Liam finished his throat raw and chest heaving, Mason who watched Liam slowly lose his cool slowly stepped forward and helped Liam pick up Theo and along with Corey, they left for the clinic leaving the older members startled and slightly guilty as they stood in silence before following the younger members of the pack. 

As Liam walked to the clinic with Theo in his arms his heart clenched painfully knowing that Theo would never let Liam carry him like this, he’d make some comment about how Liam’s clumsy ass would drop him. Liam closed his eyes and prayed to whatever god he could think of that Deaton would be able to help.

Deaton was not able to help and he left Liam in a worse mood as he made some cryptic comment which roughly translated to I don’t know how to help you but I can sound mysterious while telling you I don’t know shit.  

Liam was frustrated and panicked all he wanted was for Theo to open his eyes and give him one of his breathtaking grins that honestly made Liam swoon. He was worried about what Theo could be going through for justice. Liam inwardly snarled Theo had paid for his crimes, the price higher than the crime itself as he still suffered every day. God, if that didn’t piss Liam off so the first chance he got, he took Theo’s limp body home and was met with an extremely concerned Jenna to whom Liam explained the entire situation briefly before heading up and laying down in Theo’s bed next to him, holding his hand and staring at the ceiling. Worried about his boyfriend. Hadn’t he been through enough? Why was the world constantly finding ways to fuck with him?  And Liam simply curled into Theo's warm body and gazed at him through hooded eyes. The four words once again echoing in his head.

I’d die for you. But now as Liam looked at Theo lying unconscious he thought I need you to live for me.

Chapter Text

It had been two days. 

Two days of an anxious Liam refusing to do anything but sit by Theo. After two days of researching, Mason, Corey and Stiles stumbled upon information. Excited mason fired off a quick text to the pack to meet them at Liam’s house.

The pack was waiting in Liam’s living room anxiously for them to arrive and Liam finally had left Theo’s side and was sitting in a corner bouncing his leg anxiously. When mason burst in, he jumped to his feet.

“What did you find?” He asked.

Behind Mason, Corey, Stiles and Deaton entered.

“If we can find out the spell she used on Theo, we can reverse engineer it and have Deaton perform the spell on the others”

“And how exactly do we get the spell?”

 “Scott will have to go into Theo’s mind and not only repair it but get the spell as well cause Theo heard it when she used it on him,”  Mason said slowly.

“You want Scott to enter his mind?” Liam asked dubiously.

“Yes. At this point, it may be our only option”.

Liam grimaced. Theo wouldn't like that but if what Mason was saying was true then they might not have another option and he trusted Mason if he says this is it then this is it.

Liam wasn’t stupid, contrary to what people believed. He was far more perceptive and understanding than most people thought and he knew that Theo would not want anyone digging around in his mind, least of all Scott, an alpha he had tried to kill but Liam was desperately hanging on to his last shred of control and he needed Theo so he agreed.

However, he couldn't stop his thoughts from spiraling as he watched them set Theo’s body up so that Scott could easily pierce the skin of his neck. 

Theo would hate this and he would hate him for agreeing. He trusted Liam to watch his back and here Liam was allowing someone to invade his privacy while he was incapacitated but then the more rational part of his brain whispered,” At least he would be conscious and able to be mad at you…” and Liam’s mind was made up.

He swallowed the dread curling in his stomach even as he watched Scott look nervous although he was trying to conceal it albeit not well. This was it. Scott was going to enter Theo’s mind, his boyfriend Theo. fuck.

Scott was nervous, entering someone’s mind was always scary and left him feeling guilty especially since he didn’t have Theo’s permission but here Scott was with his claws poised above the chimera’s neck to enter his mind. The same guy who tried to kill him. Fuck.

He took a deep steadying breath and received a reassuring grin from Malia(who wasn’t the happiest about this situation but was trying to be supportive.) and he tried to relax and seem perfectly in control before sinking his claws into the back of Theo’s neck.

He was met with darkness it was all around him, suffocating him, stifling him. Desperation clawed up his throat as he fought through the emotions threatening to overpower him.

Voices echoed around him some desperate please some menacing and some sinister Scott felt fear claw at his throat as they screamed and raged around him

You worthless piece of shit

-

You can’t take pain if you don’t care

-

Why can’t you be more like your sister?

-

Theo raeken. Failure.

-

Each voice with its accompanying memory leaving Scott dizzy as he watched them one by one, memory after memory blurring together, Theo’s voice crying for help, a sing-song voice echoing his name, screaming voices, gunfire, bottles shattering, and low growls.

Feelings too. Helplessness, fear, pain, longing, sadness and worse the feelings of hands-on his body, of voices whispering in his ear.

Scott fell, brought to his knees by Theo’s mind. All of it felt like it was tearing into him, breaking him. The voices got louder and louder overwhelming him

Theeeooo

-

Worthless mutt

-

You should just die and save us the money

-

I know what you are

-

Monster

Monster

Monster

And above all Theo’s helpless screams.

Scott was rocking back and forth covering his ears, this was too much, he need to get out he needed this to end as the smells finally hit him and he was crying, sobbing hoping to get out desperate for it all to end.

The tension in the room was palpable as everyone watched Scott enter Theo’s mind.

Stiles was anxiously twisting his fingers, Malia was quietly snarling and Liam was a mess. He was pacing and flicking his claws out repeatedly until suddenly Scott whimpered and he dug his claws into the flesh of his palms. That’s when the screaming started.

Fat droplets of water rolled down Scott’s cheek from under his tightly screwed-shut eyes as he screamed and whimpered and Malia growled about to lunge at the two and separate them but she was held back by Derek, of all people, something Liam didn’t notice, his entire body frozen and watching the scene unfold.

As time went on Scott only got worse his breathing was laboured and he was whimpering crying and whispering something to himself that Liam couldn’t hear even with werewolf hearing

“Why isn’t this working what’s happening?” Lydia asks trying to remain calm.

Deaton frowned, “I’m not too sure but it could be that Theo’s memories might be overwhelming Scott.”

“What? How do we stop it?”

“We can't Scott needs to make the conscious decision to retract his claws from Theo’s neck”

Scott's whimpers got louder then and everyone started panicking before Lydia stepped forward and put her hands on either side of Scott's face

“Lydia? What are you doing?”

“When I was trapped Peter yelled my name to bring me back and it worked since we had a connection, I’m a banshee, my scream and my position in the pack should enable me to do the same.”

“But a banshee scream so close to him it would kill him!” Malia protested.

“Not if I tone it down, I’ve been practising.”

“But we don’t know for sure if it’d work” 

“It’s our only option do y’all have any other ideas?”

When everyone stayed silent Lydia nodded and turned back to a still distressed Scott and opened her mouth, the scream that came out, however, sent a chill down everyone’s spine, it was eery and not at all like the usual scream they were used to hearing and for one painful moment, everyone waited believing it hadn’t worked when suddenly Scott ripped his hands out of the chimera’s neck with a gasp and fell to his knees crying and gasping for breath.

“Scott?”

Chapter Text

Mellissa ran over to her son to comfort him but Scott continued staring blankly, tears streaming down his face as she held him. 

Eventually, his crying slowed and his breathing evened out and Malia carefully whispered, “Scott you okay?”, everyone waited with bated breath until Scott whispered a soft,” Yeah”

“What happened in there?” Argent asked

Scott glanced over to a slumped Theo who seemed to have passed out after everything and had Liam curled around him protectively. 

“I got the spell,” Scott said, seemingly avoiding the question and proceeded to recite it to Deaton and Malia shot a glare at Stiles when he opened his mouth to press further. 

“Shouldn't he have woken up?” Mason spoke up from next to his best friend

“He's been through a lot. His body needs time to recuperate. He should wake up by tomorrow,” Deaton said before excusing himself to do some research.

Tension was high as Scott stared at the chimera lost in thought so Mellissa stepped forward and put her hand on her son's shoulder not expecting the violent reaction she received as he ripped away from her.

“Sorry” was all he offered instead of an explanation

“All right I think everyone should head home and get some rest there’s nothing we can do right now, Liam , may Scott and I stay to ensure he recovers okay?” Melissa said and Liam nodded robotically as he picked theo up and cradled him to his chest before heading to the his room.

Once everyone had left Melissa turned to Scott and sat down beside careful not to touch him in case of startling him again.

“Scott,” she whispered, her voice soft and imploring

“We made a mistake mom”

Melissa pursed her lips but stayed silent

“We were wrong and someone else paid the price for it and god we fucked up,” Scott said his voice desperate and anguished

“Scott look at me,” Scott didn't.

“Look at me Scott” and he relented turning to face melissa 

“You're a good person, Scott, you’ve never let me down, you've never given me any reason to think that you aren't. You do what's right and you try to help everyone. Your eyes wouldn't be red right now if you didn't. You're a true alpha and that means something, it means that you're a good person, it means that you're pure-hearted and that won't ever change. If you fuck up you fix it, you always have to do what you think is right Scott, trust your judgement because it's what led you here with an amazing pack. Everyone makes mistakes, don't let one mistake define you, instead make up for it the way you have before.” Scott pulled Melissa in for a hug and she held him as he cried into her shoulder whispering soothing words to the distraught alpha.

Eventually, Scott's sobs quieted down and he fell asleep. Melissa laid him down on the couch and covered him with a blanket before sitting in the chair next to him and watching over him before falling asleep herself.

Liam was staring at Theo. He had heard the conversation between Scott and his mom (he hadn't meant to but sometimes his hearing was a bitch) and usually hearing his alpha soo distraught would make him panic but he was too emotionally drained to do anything but watch over the sleeping chimera, carefully brushing his fingers through Theo’s tangled up hair. Thoughts plagued him one after the other overwhelming him till he was quietly sobbing into Theo’s hair. “Please be okay, please be okay” he mumbled into his “Please be okay. I love you.” And he lay there sobbing and whispering as his words slurred and he eventually fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Liam stared at a still unconscious Theo with a heavy heart. Deaton had come by earlier and given him something to “aid with his healing process” and it had definitely helped cause Theo seemed to be in much better shape than he was before, now all they had to do was wait. 

Liam hadn't seen Scott all morning either and when he asked Melissa she just said that he was doing some research.  Liam found that weird but quickly dismissed that in favour of stressing over his boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Scott had been up for hours unable to sleep much, plagued with guilt and confusion, so he headed over to his best friend's house, who was awake and engrossed in some Wikipedia article. 

“Hey, Scotty, did you know that there are people who think they're dead? And like they stop eating and sleeping cause they think they're dead? It's called walking corpse syndrome or cotard's syndrome.”

“Stiles, it's 5 in the morning. What are you even doing?”

“Well, I was doing a research paper on corpses and so naturally I wondered if anyone had found one that was moving, so I googled it and came across a bunch of articles about zombies, which made me wonder if they were real cause weirder things have happened and so I found an article about this woman who thought she was a zombie and that's where I came across the walking dead syndrome article and- wait did you say it was 5?” Stiles rushed in one breath before checking the time. “Holy shit it is 5 what are you doing here?”

And Scott who was previously trying not to laugh at his best friend sobered up immediately. “I don't know. I just can't sleep,I can't think straight Stiles.”

Stiles opened his mouth to retort- “no don't make a straight joke.”

Stiles shut his mouth with an audible clack

“I don't know what to do,” Scott said as he slumped onto the bed 

“Does this have anything to do with what you saw in Theo’s mind? Cause I can tell you what we saw Scott, you were shaking, screaming and crying. It was terrifying. I was terrified. “

“So was he.”

“What?” Stiles asked, confused.

“I felt a lot while I was there. There were too many emotions, too many memories, it was suffocating. But out of all of them, the emotions that stood out the most were fear and pain.”

“I almost didn't get the spell. I almost didn't get out of there stiles. It was as if his mind was self-destructing, memories overlapping, so many voices, so many emotions. Honestly, I'm not even sure I recall half of what I saw and I hope I never do because what I saw- what I saw was downright traumatic.”

“Look stiles I know you can't forgive theo and I know it's a lot to ask but when theo wakes up will you help me talk to him? You have experience with these things”

“Interrogating suspects? Stiles asked with a hard look on his face”

“No,” Scott replied,

 “Dealing with things you’d rather forget.”

Chapter Text

Theo hurt. 

He couldn't even pinpoint where the hurt was coming from. He couldn't remember a thing, his mind felt foggy and his body wouldn't cooperate. 

He hears voices. Liam's voice, whispering something in his ear but he couldn't decipher what. 

He drifted.

_______

When he woke up again he seemed to have regained some control over his body and cracked his eye open slightly and immediately winced at the pain that spiked through his head.  He looked around, disoriented until his eyes landed on a sleeping Liam slumped over in a chair near the bed he was on. Wait bed? What was he doing in a bed? What happened?

Just then Liam stirred and sleepily blinked his eyes open, a sight theo couldn't help but coo at.

Liam startled at the sound and leapt to his feet when he saw a conscious Theo staring at him with a dopey smile on his face.

“Theo?” Liam asked, voice breaking slightly from the multitude of emotions that were crashing through him.

“Uh yeah? Did you hit your head or something? You're acting weird?

“I'm acting weird, I'm acting weird?!” Liam repeats incredulously 

“Well yeah,” Theo said with a shrug and a wince at the soreness of his body speaking of which- what the fuck?

“I'm not the one who just woke up out of a magically induced coma dipshit”

Theo was about to give a snarky retort when Liam’s words sunk in.

“Magically induced coma? What?” 

“Do you not remember anything? We went to catch the sorceress but she was insanely powerful, one blink, some magic mumbo jumbo and you were out. It was terrifying, do you seriously not remember anything?”

Theo didn't reply.

Liam glanced at him and saw that he had gone ghostly white.

“Theo? Theo hey you okay?”

Theo slowly raised his arm and put it behind his neck. Where wounds were healing. Wounds caused by claws dipping into his psyche. Theo was scared.

“Who?” Theo whispered 

“What?” Liam asked confused

“Who did it?” 

“Oh uh that, listen Theo it was the only way Scott-”

“It was Scott?” Theo asked his voice low and dangerous 

“Yes but-“

Theo didn't wait for an explanation he pulled himself up on shaky feet ignoring the pain ricocheting throughout his entire body, he was used to it after all, and walked purposefully down to where he knew Scott was sitting with stiles, he could smell the Adderall and anxiety that stiles seem to always have.

Liam followed Theo frantically trying to explain but there was no getting through to theo he stomped into the living room and immediately stilled, meeting eyes with Scott.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath while theo and Scott stared at each other. 

Scott broke the silence first. “Listen theo-”

“You had no right,” theo said

 “But-” Stiles interjected

“No right to do that.” he growled out once again 

“Theo there was no other way to help you”

“More like the others,” malia scoffed.

Liam growled.

Tensions rose high and Melissa stepped in. 

“Theo just woke up from a magically induced coma he needs his rest you all can argue another time,” Melissa said. 

“But-” 

“No arguments,” she said sternly before ushering Theo back up to bed.

For the next few days, Theo was forced to rest. Jenna had him on house arrest till he healed and he was not going to argue with Jenna, that woman was a force to be reckoned with. Theo was happy avoiding Scott and the (much-needed) conversation they needed to have but he knew he couldn't avoid it for long and that Scott and Stiles would eventually show up to talk.

Theo was right. 

Almost 3 days later, Theo was finally left on his own while the Geyer's and Liam went to work and school. (Liam after much threatening because he refused to leave Theo's side). Theo was glad to be alone and he had just settled onto the couch to watch some random TV show to pass the time when he heard footsteps and immediately placed them as Scott and Stiles. There went his peaceful morning.

Scott raised his fist to knock on the door when it swung open startling him slightly. “Uh, theo hi are you busy?” Scott stuttered out nervously, Stile’s remaining uncharacteristically quiet by his side.

“Yes,” theo said dryly not wanting to have this conversation.

“Well, too bad” Stiles snapped, pushing past Theo and Theo thought that the time it took Stiles to say something was surely a record.

He sighed and grudgingly followed Scott and Stiles into the living room and sat heavily and stared at the other two.

“So..” Scott started awkwardly as theo continued staring at him silently, watching him squirm.

“We should talk about what I saw,” Scott says. 

Theo opens his mouth to respond but Scott cuts him off,

“Before you say anything I want to apologise, we- I fucked up. I let my preconceived notions and only half of the story blind me and made my judgment on you unfairly. 

After all, we learnt of the dread doctors, their chimera’s and you, after everything you did we were quick to condemn you and that was wrong of us, of me.

What I saw in your mind, it- it made me realise that we viewed you as the enemy while forgetting you were also a victim all along.

Now I'm not saying that this undoes every bad thing you’ve done but I think it's time we forgave you and I hope that you can forgive us for what we've done to you. 

Chapter Text

Theo was stumped. Out of everything he’d expected (panicked and stressed over) he hadn't expected this. An apology? 

“Listen, Scott, I don't want your pity or whatever this is, I've accepted the fact that no matter what your pack will never accept me and the fact that I've changed no need to ruin that with your true alpha complex.”

Scott frowned, “Theo this is more than that. What I saw-

“What exactly did you see?” Theo asked seeming scared.

“ I don’t remember most of it, it was too overwhelming, I saw the experiments, the mind control, your parent’s abuse and…”

The look on Scott’s face said it all, he had seen and theo wanted the ground to swallow him up. (no he didn’t that was worse).

“What’s going on” Stiles interrupted, 

“Nothing” both Theo and Scott said. 

“Theo, what I wanted to say was, that you had no choice for any of that, you were young and you were robbed.”

Theo swallowed back bile at Scott’s intentional choice of words. 

“We never should have done what we did. You were a child, you deserved better then and you deserve better now”

Theo was at a loss for words, this entire conversation was too much and his tentative grip on his emotions was slipping. 

Scott noticed and asked Stiles to make them tea, to which Stiles grumbled about being a housewife but did anyway.

Theo knew what was coming.

“We can get him arrested”

Theo had not known what was coming. 

“What?”

“We can get him arrested”

“With what proof,” Theo asked out of some morbid curiosity. 

“We can figure it out”

“He’s dead Scott, it’s fine”

“ I want to help you somehow,” Scott said earnestly and Theo could not help but let some emotion slip through in his voice. 

“I’m fine” he was very clearly not, Scott went to argue but Stiles came back with tea. 

“There’s another reason we came today,” Scott said instead. “Deaton knows how to defeat the sorceress, there’s a pack meeting to discuss it”

—-

Theo stood awkwardly in the corner of the room as the pack milled about getting food and talking to each other, waiting for Deaton to show up. 

The talk earlier had rattled him and now being in a room full of people that did not trust him and had the power to send him back to literal hell , had him on edge. So when Liam screamed, Theo jumped, claws and fangs extending as he searched for the threat. Only to find none. Liam had screamed at Corey taking a slice of his pizza. Theo wanted to smack himself for acting strange. 

“Theo, you okay?” Scott asked. That was another thing, Scott had been extremely nice to Theo, and it was stressing him out even more, he was unsure to trust this niceness. He was sure it was out of some sort of pity. Theo did not want pity. 

“I’m fine,” Theo said and went back to silently brooding in the corner, the only difference being Liam joining him in his corner, silently supporting him. 

Deaton showed up just as everyone finished eating, with a pensive look on his face. 

The pack, previously all smiles and happy chatter became serious instantly, like a switch had been flipped. They gathered around the table and waited for Deaton’s information. 

“From what I have gathered, it seems that, since the sorceress is using magic considered dark or ‘of satan’s blood’, we must use a herb known as tulsi or holy basil. It’s popular for its healing properties and from what I understood, it will counteract the evil nature of her magic by cutting its source, her need for revenge. The herb will also render her powerless for good when she ingests it. 

“So we have two things to figure out’’ stiles says, “where to get some of this holy basil and how to give it to her”

“I can answer the first part,” Theo says from his place in the corner. Liam turns to him in question. 

“The doctors had a storage locker in the sewer, they kept all sorts of things there, I’m sure there will be tulsi there.”

“Okay so we go to the sewers,” Stiles said with a grimace, “Theo, I assume you can lead us to this storage locker?”

“No,” Liam and Scott said at the same time. 

‘Yes, I can” Theo said, glaring at the other two. 

“You are not going back down there,” Scott says. 

“ I am the only one who knows how to get there, and before you argue I can’t just give you directions, there is more to those sewers than just tunnels. They’re designed to confuse you, to make you get lost.”

 Liam and Scott looked extremely frustrated at this but couldn’t argue. 

“What are we waiting for, Let’s go!” Stiles says. 

“Wait, all of us?” Theo says he’s not sure how much of his home he wants them to see. (it will always be his home, that’s where he was made who he is, an odd amalgamation of parts and pain)

“Yes all of us, except the adults, of course, they have to go to work.  But the rest of us should stick to each other, we don’t know where the sorceress is and her consistency in only attacking people who have committed crimes.”

Just like that, it was decided. 

—

Theo was having a shit day. He knew that. And it was about to get a lot worse. He sighed internally, such was his life, he thought as he led the pack into the sewers. 

As he stepped into what had been his home, his senses adjusted immediately, sniffing out any potential dangers as he walked tensely towards the part of the sewers that no one had seen. The part he didn’t want them to see.  

When they reached the doorway of an unknown part of the sewers, the pack couldn’t help but look around curiously. Theo knew they would, he also knew that the smell of the sewers was too strong for them to focus their nose so they wouldn’t smell his things. 

He was wrong. 

Liam was attuned to Theo’s scent. It was a constant for him, so when he smelt a version of it coming from somewhere in the room, he followed his nose until he came across a cage. It wasn’t big, barely enough to fit a person. There was a collar chained to the wall that lay open, a muzzle for a human, one for an animal, and a blanket covered in blood, in fact, even the ground was dark with blood.

The worst part was,

It all smelt like Theo. 

Chapter Text

Liam wanted to throw up.
“Theo,” he whispered in a strangled voice. The pack heard him and gathered around him, the supernaturals immediately sensing what Liam already had.  They surveyed the scene with barely concealed horror. It made Theo pause and look at it again. It didn't seem out of the ordinary to him, but he knew that these kids, they didn't see it the way he did and now it was all on display for them. 

Theo was pale as the others turned to look at him. Corey seemed the least shocked (he had expected nothing better). 

“Was this- I-” Liam tried to express but he couldn’t form words, his heart was beating rapidly, his scent coloured with distress and it was making Theo's head hurt. He didn't want Liam to be in pain because of him. He chose this. 

“Was this where you lived?” Scott asked finally, voicing what Liam was trying, and failing to do. His scent was another that added to the suffocating cloud of horror and sadness. Theo didn't understand it. 

“Between surgeries, yeah” Theo answered honestly, he didn't elaborate further, already feeling too vulnerable. 

“Why is there so much blood?” Lydia asked. 

Theo hesitated to answer that one. 

“Theo” Liam whispered pleadingly and his resolve crumbled. he knew Liam couldn't stand not knowing and so he indulged. 

“They had to stop my healing while they operated and it wouldn’t turn back on by the time they were done and dumped me back here, hence the blood” he said, his voice remained even as if that was the most normal sentence to utter, and to him, it was. 

“So you’d just wake up in a cage bleeding out from a fucking surgical wound?!” Liam growled, distress turning to anger that made Theo's inner animal howl. He wanted to soothe the young beta, but he didn't know how, he didn't understand the anger.  

“He wouldn’t ‘wake up’ from anything,” Corey said, sounding almost angry? Theo was more confused, where was all this anger coming from? then his words registered, more like the meaning of those words registered.

“ Corey ” Theo said as a warning but it came out as more of a plea. He was feeling too raw, too vulnerable and he didn't want the pack to know. He couldn't explain why he felt so desperate to hide it when he told Corey so easily, But that was different, Corey understood Theo a little, he spent time here too, the others wouldn't get it. 

“They never put him under” Corey finished and Theo shut his eyes as the pack let out various sounds of surprise and pain. Theo just wanted this all to stop. It was getting a bit too much for him, too much of him had been put under examination today. So he ignored the distressed pack and walked over to the wall that had a small lever to open the storage. He opened it and walked inside confidently heading to the back wall where the doctors stored their herbs. 

But today wasn’t Theo’s day, and nothing was letting him forget that. The stupid pack, he shouldn’t have allowed them down here in the first place. They kept snooping around.  It was Stiles this time, who strayed from the rest of them, looking around the locker. The locker housed more than just supplies, it also housed experiments. 

“Holy shit” At Stiles’ exclamation, the entire pack ran to him. Theo followed and dreaded what he had found. There was a lot of Theo down here. Literally. 

“These are-” stiles chokes “-organs”

“They have labels” Lydia states astutely. 

“I suggest none of you wander off and snoop on your own, anything in this place could be lethal, so just wait outside and let me get the stuff,” Theo said, desperately trying to get them away from the rows of jars, and more importantly, the entire section dedicated to him. His timing was off. 

Did he happen to mention that it was one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong? Because it really wasn't his day

Scott had wandered away from the rest of them, either following his instinct or to satisfy some sort of curiosity and Theo noticed the wandering alpha puppy a bit too late. he had already reached his section.  In an attempt for damage control, he walked over and tried to steer Scott away but he didn't budge. His eyes were scanning the labels one by one. 

T. Raeken- 11

Liver (1) 

It went on and on like that, filling out an entire floor-to-ceiling section, a morbid museum of organs. His organs. It was too much. He could feel the phantom scalpels, the gloves the straps. Being down here, being torn open for the entire pack to scrutinise his life. The endless cycle of operate, mission, torture, learn. He chose it and they all knew that. 

His heart rate increased for just one second. One single tick, one tick too many. Liam was at his side in a second. 

“Theo?” he whispered.
“I'm okay,” Theo whispered back, his voice catching in his throat. 

Liam had seen, he knew the extent to which Theo’s body wasn’t his. He didn't want him to see because that's what it always came to his body was never his own. Theo was spiralling. 

“Hey Theo it’s okay, it’s okay” But Theo couldn't hear him over the onslaught of memories.

They were cutting him open

He was bleeding out

He tried to scream, but he choked on his blood

They were injecting something, 

It burned,

He stared at the ceiling of the dark sewers and as his eyes fluttered, he wondered if it would be the last time they would shut. 

LIAM’S POV

Theo wasn’t moving, he’d frozen, eyes wide and unseeing and it reminded him awfully of the curse. “Theo?” he tried to gently coax him, but there was no response. 

The others were still looking around curiously and Liam got angry. “ They caused this ” his mind said. Even though he rationally knew it wasn’t true, if they hadn’t wandered around they wouldn't have triggered Theo. Liam growled causing the others to turn to him, “ get out ” he snarled while trying to keep his shift under control. 

"Liam what?" Scott asked, like a confused puppy.

“Get out and let him be, he was already on edge, he didn’t need to be reminded of his fucked up life so just- Get out.”Liam’s anger fizzled out by the end of his rant and he slumped into Theo who didn't react. 

“He’s right,” Lydia said, surprising Liam. But Lydia had spoken, so the rest of the pack filtered out of the storage locker, leaving Liam alone with his checked-out boyfriend. Lydia lingered before she left and Liam looked at her. 

“Kiss him”

“What?” 

“When Stiles was panicking, nothing could snap him out of it, so I kissed him. Of course, he was a little more conscious, but it worked and I think it’s worth a try, so kiss him.” and with that, she left. 

Liam should’ve known Lydia knew, she was highly perceptive and almost definitely a genius. Disregarding the new development for the time being, Liam focused his attention on his comatose boyfriend. He considered Lydia’s words and decided that if she deemed it worth a try then it was, so he leaned forward carefully, allowing the chimera to process that it was Liam approaching., Liam knew that even like this, Theo’s senses would be on high alert for threats and that he’d smell Liam, and hopefully not rup his throat out. 

Well, no time to second guess, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Theo’s. He kissed him with intent, pouring as much love and affection into it and letting it filter into his chemosignals so it would, hopefully, snap him out of it. 

It worked, kind of. Instead of zoned out Theo, he now had fully conscious Theo sobbing in his arms. 

“Theo? You with me?”

“yeah ,” Theo said, straightening up and composing himself. 

“You don't have to pretend you’re okay”

Theo’s expression fractures at that for a second before it smooths out. “We have a job to be done, feelings can come after we’ve succeeded”

The way he said it, seemed robotic, and in a way it was, it’s what Theo had been taught to do. Mission first, feel later, except the later never came. Even though Liam hated it, Theo was right, they did have a mission to complete.  So they got to their feet and Liam followed Theo to the extensive collection of herbs. Theo didn’t hesitate to look at each jar’s label the way Liam was, he walked over and picked the right jar immediately. It made Liam pause for a second, realising how naturally the choice came to him. The thought filled him with indescribable sadness. 

Here among the organs in jars, the deathly herbs, the cages and horrors, 

Theo was home.