#it makes even less sense for them to ‘allow’ theo to gain his own pack

[amethystskeleton]

Theo Raeken’s original mission in Beacon Hills, given to him by the Dread Doctors, had nothing to do with killing Scott, and was actually about getting Malia to kill her mother instead. In this essay I will-

[extrasteps]

Stacked Chapter 7

See previous photoset here.

Theo woke up with dread burning in his stomach. He just knew that taking that one amazing, perfect day with Liam was going to blow up in his face in a big way. He wasn’t allowed to be this happy - the universe wouldn’t allow it.

He got ready for the day with extreme reluctance, and Liam picked up on his mood immediately, wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

“It’ll be fine,” he soothed.

It wouldn’t, but he appreciated that Liam was trying.

They were meant to meet Scott and the others at Scott’s place in an hour, and Theo told him he’d meet him there. He wanted to slip into his house and steal some more clothes. Liam meant well, letting Theo borrow some of his, but Theo was wider in the shoulders than Liam, and his shirts were uncomfortably tight. He gathered that that was the point though, with the way Liam’s eyes often drifted to his shoulders, gaze turning dark with lust.

Theo somehow managed to leave Liam behind as he drove to his house, pausing in front of his door and taking a deep breath before opening it.

It was like he’d known this was going to happen.

He stepped through the front door, head tilted to the side, listening.

There was no one home, no heartbeats. His fake parents had probably bailed after he hadn’t come home again, figuring it was safe to do so. It was. He had no intention of hunting them down. His cover was well and truly blown now.

Just as he’d managed to fill a bag full of clothes, he felt it. The hum of electricity. They were coming. There was no point in running. There was nowhere he could go that they wouldn’t find him.

Closing his bedroom door behind him, he made his way into the lounge room where they were waiting.

“What do you want?” He demanded.

On the coffee table there were three dossiers and he moved forward, swaggering with a confidence he didn’t feel as he scooped them up, flipping through them.

Three teenagers. Three new chimeras. Three new graves.

“Find them,” they intoned. “Train them.”

And then with a crackle they were gone.

“Just a brief visit then,” he muttered, plucking out the three photos and examining them with a sigh. He wasn’t sure if this was a good sign or not. Was he under suspicion? Were they testing him?

He picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Looked like he had a few stops to make before he made it to Scott’s house.

***

Liam paced in Scott’s kitchen, wearing a track into the floor.

“Liam,” Mason said, sounding concerned.

“He’s coming,” Liam snapped, eyes fixed on the clock. Theo was almost half an hour late now. Stiles was already making snarky comments about how Theo had skipped town and the urge to throttle him was growing stronger by the second.

But it wasn’t because he was angry. It was because he was afraid.

What if it was true?

What if Theo really had left him?

He’d like to think that after the day they’d spent together yesterday that Theo could never do that, but how well did he know him really? Was their bond stronger than Theo’s fear? Liam wasn’t sure.

By the time an hour had passed, he was sitting on the couch between Mason and Scott, ignoring the conversation going on around him, staring down at his hands.

Before Theo had left earlier he’d used those same hands to cup his cheeks and kiss him, telling him he’d see him again soon. Surely that hadn’t been their last kiss. Surely fate wasn’t that cruel.

“Theo doing a bunk doesn’t change the facts,” Stiles was arguing, “these doctor guys are a serious threat. We have to do something.”

He’d come today despite his suspicion of Theo, which Liam appreciated, but he was also getting on his nerves, and he didn’t have many nerves to begin with. His IED was simmering in his chest, getting close to boiling point.

He looked at Mason. “I think I need to go,” he said quietly. “Mase-”

“Punching bag, got it,” Mason said, jumping to his feet. “Go out back. Me and Corey will bring it out.”

Ever since his diagnosis, Mason had been more than supportive. He had his boot filled with a large punching bag and gloves, kept it in there every single day despite the inconvenience, just so Liam would have something to hit that wasn’t a wall, or someone else’s face.

Liam stalked outside, ignoring the others calling after him. If he went back, he would do or say something he would regret.

Corey set up the bag on the nearest tree, and they left him to it, grunting as he took out his aggression on the bag, blood rushing in his ears, seeing red.

He punched the bag again and again and again, taking out all of his fear and frustration on it until his arms and shoulders were aching and he was panting for breath, his anger spent.

When he turned toward the house, exhausted and covered with sweat, his eyes fell upon Theo, sitting on the back step.

Theo looked concerned as he slowly rose to his feet.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Liam shivered. “You didn’t leave,” he said, voice flat. He didn’t have any emotion left in his body. He was wrung out.

“I had to make a few pit stops,” Theo said with a sigh, walking towards him. “I’m sorry I didn’t text you.”

Liam considered him. There was nothing about the way Theo was looking at him that suggested he was lying, and Liam didn’t know what to think.

“I’m used to being on my own,” Theo continued when it was clear that Liam wasn’t going to say anything. “Mason chewed me out when I got here, told me off for worrying you. And he was right. It was a shitty thing to do. I’m sorry, Liam.”

Slowly, Liam nodded. “Okay,” he said.

He walked past Theo into the house, stripping off his gloves. His knuckles were red and sore. He hadn’t had time to strap them before the need to hit something had overwhelmed him. But they would heal.

Liam came to a stop at the kitchen door, looking at the three strangers with suspicion.

“Theo’s extra pit stops, I assume,” he said to Scott, continuing inside.

“Yeah,” Scott sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. “The Dread Doctors are making more chimeras.”

Theo came to stand next to Liam, hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Liam, meet my new chimera pack. Corey, Josh and Tracy.”

He looked between the three of them, a twinge of fear breaking through the numbness. The Dread Doctors were making more chimeras. What did that mean for Theo?

***

Theo felt like a complete asshole. Liam had had an attack, and it was all his fault. How had he not even considered sending him a text? In his own defence, he hadn’t realised that it would take so long to convince the three new chimeras to come with him, and they’d all demanded explanations from him about what was happening to them, but now he had them more or less on board, accepting him, somewhat reluctantly, as their leader.

It wasn’t that he was any more thrilled than them by this state of affairs. Not even two weeks ago he would have been ecstatic to have his own pack, but now it meant nothing to him. The only thing that mattered was Liam, and hopefully somehow being able to gain his freedom.

Liam walked away to go and clean up a bit in Scott’s bathroom, leaving Theo standing in the lounge room with Scott’s pack and his three new pack members all staring at him.

“What now?” Theo asked, looking at Scott.

“I think we need help,” Scott said. “We need more information about the Dread Doctors.”

Theo sighed. “You need the author.”

“McCammon?” Scott asked, looking at him intently.

“That’s not his real name,” he said. “It’s Valack.”

“He’s the one who it’s dedicated to,” Stiles pointed out, holding out a copy of the book, showing the relevant page.

Theo nodded. “He wrote it under a pseudonym. The book makes you remember them. The Dread Doctors. That’s why he wrote it.”

“If you know so much,” Stiles said, a sneer on his face as he stalked closer, “then why don’t you tell us everything there is to know about them.”

“He already has,” Scott said, voice terse. “He told me everything he knew.”

Stiles scoffed. “Sure he did.”

“I trust him,” Scott said, finality in his tone. “Liam trusts him.”

Stiles glowered but didn’t respond. Theo couldn’t even blame him. He’d come here with the intention of infiltrating their pack and destroying it, making it anew with him as the alpha. That wasn’t his goal anymore, but Stiles had been right not to trust him, then at least.

Now, it’d be nice if he would give Theo the benefit of the doubt.

“Okay,” Scott said, turning and looking around. “We have questions, let’s figure out exactly what we need to know before we decide who is going where.”

“Alright,” Stiles said, speaking up again now, glaring at Theo. “First question, what do the Dread Doctors want?”

“They want to resurrect the Beast,” Theo told him. “For that, they need a genetic chimera.”

“Why didn’t they just use you?” Stiles asked, moving closer. “This all seems pretty convenient.”

“It didn’t work with me,” he said with a sigh. “Believe me, they tried.” For years, they’d experimented on him in every possible way while he was strapped to their gurney. He’d been pathetically grateful when the pain had finally stopped and they’d started using him in other ways instead. It had made sense to him. Hurt others so that they didn’t hurt him.

He knew better now.

“So they made more,” Scott hummed. “Why these three? What’s special about them?”

“It’s like Finch said the other day in class,” Theo explained. “Chimeras have more than one kind of DNA. Maybe it’s a transplant, a blood transfusion, whatever. I stole medical records for them a few months ago. They want young people, children and teenagers. They survive longer in their experiments, generally.”

“How old were you?” Liam asked quietly. He was standing at the door, rubbing a thumb over his red knuckles.

“When?” Theo turned towards him.

“The first time they experimented on you.”

His hand flew to his chest automatically, rubbing over the non-existent scar. “Eight,” he admitted.

“Next question,” Stiles interrupted, drawing Theo’s gaze. “What exactly is this beast?”

Theo shrugged. “Ask an Argent,” he said. “It’s something from their lore.”

Scott’s gaze dropped, his jaw clenching. Theo studied him, feeling a twinge of guilt. Of course Scott couldn’t ask Allison, she was gone.

But there was still her father. Although Theo wanted to stay far away from him. He had a feeling that the hunter was far more dangerous than any of Scott’s pack realised.

“Stiles and I will go to Eichen,” Lydia said, walking up to grasp Scott’s shoulder, squeezing it. “You should speak to Argent.”

“And Theo?” Stiles asked.

“He has his hands a bit full right now, don’t you think?” She asked gently, head tilting towards the new chimeras. Theo grimaced, following her gaze to where Corey, Tracy and Josh were all sitting on the couch, Mason hovering near them, looking uncertain.

Yeah, he had enough to deal with.

“I’ll stay with Theo and Mason and the others,” Liam said to Scott. “You guys go.”

Kira walked up and took Scott’s hand, leading him away, and Theo watched them go, feeling frustrated. Divide and conquer was a classic tactic. These idiots would have fallen right into his trap without so much as a blink. Why were they all so naive?

“Hey,” Liam said, nudging his shoulder. “Earth to Theo.”

He shook his head, pushing his frustration aside. They were paired up at least, and with Kira going with Scott to see Argent instead of to Eichen, the Dread Doctors wouldn’t be able to get to Valack.

“Don’t give him what he wants,” he said quietly to Lydia as she started to move past them.

She startled, looking at him. “What?”

“Valack. He’s dangerous. He’ll try to bargain with you, he’ll want something for his information. Don't give it to him.”

The intelligence shone in her eyes as she searched his face. “Why?”

“It’s in your best interest,” he said simply. “Valack’s known your family for a really long time. He used to work at Eichen.”

Her gaze sharpened further. “My grandmother,” she said, lips pressed tightly together.

Theo nodded. “Your grandmother. He’s a sick son of a bitch, and that’s coming from me. Don’t trust him. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Don’t worry,” Stiles said, his voice cold. “We won’t”

The implied message was clear. And we won’t trust you either.

But Lydia nodded, letting Stiles guide her out of the kitchen.

Liam stirred beside him. “The things you’ve done,” he asked, voice low. “How bad are we talking here?” He sounded nervous.

Theo looked at him, guilt making his borrowed heart twist in his chest. “It was them or me,” he said, voice level. “I chose me.”

“And now?” Liam asked.

“Freedom or death. It’s the same thing really,” Theo muttered, pushing past him and taking one of the free seats. Either he’d be free or he’d be dead. And he had to do everything in his power to ensure that he stayed alive.

The only thing he wouldn’t sacrifice was Liam.

He hoped he wouldn’t regret it.

***

Liam’s heart was troubled as he watched Theo.

Theo had opened up to him so much over the past week, but he was starting to realise that Theo didn’t really think he’d survive the Dread Doctors. There was a resignation to his gaze as he looked between the three chimeras and Mason. He didn’t have many answers for them, looking as lost as they were.

He wanted to help, he did, but he didn’t have much of an idea of what to do either. Most of the supernatural world still baffled him. Before Theo had come on the scene, he hadn’t even known that werewolves could be created on an operating table.

Let alone whatever these three were. According to the files Theo had shown him, Corey was a chameleon who could turn invisible, Josh was a raiju who could absorb and manipulate lightning, and Tracy was a kanima, a creepy lizard that could paralyse. All very powerful, and very scared.

“What’s going to happen to us?” Corey asked, looking at Theo after browsing through his own file. “They said to train us? For what?”

“Test your powers, see how strong you are,” Theo explained wearily. “They want to see if you’ll survive being the host.”

Josh scoffed, leaning back against the couch. “So what? We just wait around for them to find us? Fuck that.”

“No,” Liam agreed, stepping forward to stand in front of them. “Sticking your head in the sand won’t achieve anything. You need to fight.”

Corey visibly blanched. “I don’t know how to fight. I mean, look at me.”

“You’re stronger than you realise,” Liam assured him. “And I don’t mean that you need to run in all guns blazing. I just mean that you can’t give up. If we work together, we can defeat them.”

Tracy finally spoke up, looking at Liam with wide eyes. “How?”

And wasn’t that the million dollar question.

“We’ll figure it out. Together. Scott is a true alpha and our pack has faced down alpha packs, berserkers, hunters. We can beat a couple of scientists.”

The three of them look reassured, but Theo looked at him. His eyes said clearly that he wanted to believe Liam, but that he knew better.

“We’ve got this,” Mason said, speaking mostly to Corey, if Liam wasn’t mistaken. “Liam’s right. I know you’re all scared, but we’ll stick together and we’ll get through this.”

Corey smiled at Mason, and Liam looked away, biting back a smirk. He met Theo’s gaze, who waggled his eyebrows at him.

Liam felt relieved. The pack that they were building now was strong. They could do this.

They had to.

[ofheroesandvillains]

Green

Theo Raeken/Reader, some Liam too.

Words: 2239

Warnings: None

Summary: Theo had recently moved back to Beacon Hills, gaining a lot of female attention in the process. Including yours. When you see him and Malia together, you’re left wondering if your interactions have been more one-sided than you originally thought. Good thing Liam is there to show him what he’s missing out on…Part 1.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

When you first met Theo, you were both starting Pre-K and he was the quiet boy hiding behind his mother’s leg as wide eyes scanned his new classroom. Suffice it to say, he was not that same little boy anymore.

 Definitely not.

 He had grown up in all the best ways, and you couldn’t remember if you had ever actually seen a better looking boy in your life. Even all the guys in the TV shows you watched couldn’t match him for looks, and his sweet personality was the icing on the cake. He was polite, and flirty, and considerate…and boy did you like him.

 You were known for your popularity as captain of the school soccer team, but while you had that popularity, you didn’t do much with it. It was no secret that you were more mentally mature than most high school students. While your aversion to going out every Friday night and partying would have usually dubbed you a ‘loser’, your status and relatively decent looks had given you immunity. You were no Lydia Martin, but you wanted a good future for yourself and if that meant studying harder and sacrificing your non-existent social life, then so be it. You were an introvert anyway.

 Unfortunately, your focus during senior year would split without you even realising until it was too late.

 You didn’t know how it happened, but eventually Theo had managed to wriggle his way into your life, despite your early hesitation. He knew it would be hard, but he was persistent in a subtle way. A conversation here, a walk to class there, and somehow it had become a usual occurrence that you actually looked forward to.

 Eyes would follow you both in the hallways, wondering what you did to catch Theo Raeken’s attention so quickly, and wondering what he had to do to catch yours. It was no easy feat, as many a rejected suitor would tell. Most boys that tried asking you out were left disappointed, eventually it had been taken as a challenge. You never said ‘yes’ to anyone…except Theo apparently.

 So when you walked into the school gym one day after practice, a net full of soccer balls thrown over your shoulder ready for the storage room, you hadn’t expected to see a shirtless Theo looking so comfortable with Malia Tate of all people. Didn’t she already have a boyfriend? That twitchy kid, Miles? No, Stiles. Yeah, his name was Stiles.

 They both noticed you enter the room instantly, despite how quiet you thought you were. They were a little too close for your liking, but you didn’t let it show for long. Instead, you dumped the bag into the storage room, locked up, and didn’t spare them another glance as you left.

 The moment he saw the skepticism on your face, Theo cursed himself mentally and shifted away from Malia. Not that it mattered, you didn’t look his way again, and he didn’t like that. He didn’t need to be able to sense your emotions to know what you must have been thinking, and he didn’t want you thinking that. Despite the fact that he had a plan that took priority, Theo knew it would be difficult to avoid his attraction toward you. It stemmed back longer than you could possibly imagine, right back to the first time you spoke to him.

 You were kind to the asthmatic kid that the bullies would pick on, and it was a kindness that he never forgot…a kindness that left him seeking your attention and approval for years after, even if you never knew it.

 Now he had that chance. Not only were you as incredible as he remembered –once you came out of your shell- but he now had more going in his favour. He knew he was good looking, he could hear what people whispered about him in the hallways and he owned a mirror. But despite his appearance, he knew it wouldn’t be enough and he would always do whatever it took to take what he wanted…and he wanted you.

 He just didn’t know how much of a setback he faced, and yet again he found himself mentally cursing.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

“Liam!”

 The young beta peered around the door of his open locker with raised brows. “Yeah?”

 “Hey, I uh- I need you to do something for me.” Stiles’ voice had dropped to a whisper, and while he sounded serious, the senior had a jittery air about him that Liam knew came along with a bad idea. He internally groaned, dreading whatever Stiles was about to ask of him.

 “You know Y/N?”

 “Of course I know her, who doesn-“

 “Yeah, okay! Shhh…” He hushed the youngster quickly, brown eyes darting around the hallway in search of his latest enemy. When he was satisfied that Theo wasn’t there, he looked back to Liam.

 “That’s not the point. I mean…you’re friends with her, right? Know her pretty well?”

 Liam gave him a small shrug, his brows furrowing in confusion. He didn’t know that much about you, but he did spend more time around you after school than most seeing as you tutored him in biology. That didn’t mean that he was any less nervous around you than usual.

  Stiles stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide how to approach the subject in the best possible way. He sighed in defeat, knowing it wasn’t going to end well either way.

 “Look, I need you to uh…well…” He chuckled nervously, scratching his left eyebrow. Like a band-aid, just get it over with. “I need you to ask her out on a date.”

 Liam’s face was blank for a moment, while he tried to wrap his head around what Stiles was asking of him, then his eyes widened and he slammed his locker door shut with more force than necessary.

 “Are you insane?” He hissed quietly, latching onto Stiles’ forearm and dragging him down the hallway as he made his way to his next class.

 Stiles quickly scanned the hallway again before replying.

 “Hey, I know I’m asking a lot-“ Stiles flinched when the young beta whipped around to face him quickly.

 “A lot?! You don’t just ask out Y/N Y/L/N, Stiles! There isn’t a guy in this school who’s managed to get a date with her.” He reminded the senior, looking at Stiles like he had grown another head.

 “Yeah, no, I get that. Just hear me out, okay?” Stiles swatted the beta’s hand and Liam let go of his forearm. He hadn’t noticed how hard he had been gripping it. “Listen, I think we both know that there is something seriously wrong with Theo-“

 “Scott said that he-“

 “That doesn’t matter!” God, he had heard this over and over again. “Scott isn’t always right, okay?” His tone softened slightly.

 Liam assessed Stiles for a few seconds before nodding slowly. He knew that Scott wasn’t always right, but neither was Stiles…and he really didn’t want to have to deal with the humiliation that would come with rejection if he ever asked Y/N out. He could barely even talk to you normally, and he was only a sophomore. Y/N was a senior, a good-looking-captain-of-the-soccer-team senior!

 “Liam, I get that this is not really fair of me to ask, alright? I know what it feels like to -to…” He shook his head rapidly, trying to get rid of the memories from his own sophomore year when he pined for Lydia -sophomore year? You mean your whole life?

 “It doesn’t matter, just know that I wouldn’t be asking you to do something like this if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”

 Liam’s jaw clenched and he looked away from the pleading eyes that belonged to his friend.

 “Why?”

 “Why what?”

 “Why is it necessary?”

 “Because Theo-“

 “Stiles…” Liam groaned and shook his head in exasperation, turning to walk away as soon as the new kid’s name had left Stiles’ mouth. He understood that Stiles didn’t like Theo, but he was acting way too paranoid about this whole thing.

 Stiles’ shoulders slumped as the beta made his way down the empty hallway, but he knew he needed to make at least one last effort. Theo had shown an unnatural amount of attention toward you, and Stiles’ mistrust of the new wolf wouldn’t allow him to let an innocent girl get dragged into the craziness that was Beacon Hills’ supernatural community.

 He knew about Liam’s crush and yes, it was cruel to ask this of him, but he was the only one who genuinely cared about Y/N in the pack. The only one who actually knew her, and would go out of his way to help her.

 “Don’t you at least want to keep her safe?”

 Liam froze, his eyes clamping shut and fists rolling into balls. Damn it. Yes, he did want to keep you safe because yes, he cared about you. It wasn’t fair that Stiles had brought it up, because Liam hadn’t even thought about the senior girl being in danger, but maybe…just maybe you were in danger. And then what? If you got hurt and he had the power to stop it from happening by just doing Stiles this favour, he wouldn’t forgive himself.

 “Fine.”  

……………………………………………………………………………………………

 “H-hey, Y/N.”

 You shot Liam a kind smile, grabbing your chemistry textbook out of your locker in the process. “Hey! How are you, Liam?”

 The sophomore perked up when he noticed you were in a good mood and chuckled nervously. “I’m-I’m great, thanks…I was actually wondering, I mean, would you…I don’t know, maybe uh- you know, like to um-“

 “Liam?” You cut him off with a small amused smile. He looked up from the ground wide-eyed, his cheeks heating up after his floundering. He just knew that Mason was face palming at the display.

 “Y-yeah?”

 “Breathe.” He gave you a determined nod, but the hand gently resting on his shoulder was doing him no favours. He came to the conclusion that he hated Stiles.

 “Better?” You gave him a light laugh and he couldn’t help but join in. His chuckle died down to leave a small smile, his shoulders relaxing slightly under your fingers. Liam nodded in confirmation. “Okay, good…you were saying?”

 His tongue darted out to moisten his lips, but he seemed more determined this time.

 “I was wondering if you wanted to uh, to go on a date with me. Tomorrow…after school.” He added on awkwardly. The moment the words left his lips, he wanted to take them back. But the damage was already done, and he could only hope you took it easy on him.

 You assessed the boy for a quick moment. You knew he had been leading up to this the whole time, but you didn’t know what to say. Liam was cute, but he was also a kid compared to you…not to mention that a certain new senior had already caught your attention. But after how cozy Theo looked with Malia earlier, you were questioning if that was worth even thinking about anymore. You knew your conversation was fairly private, except for the boy you recognised as Liam’s best friend -Mason- who was leaning on a few lockers away from you, but the nearly empty hallway still had a few people curiously watching the exchange.

 You hadn’t agreed to a date in a long time. Years. Did you want to go on a date now? Not exactly. But the wide-eyed puppy dog look he was sending your way, combined with the soft spot you had for the sophomore answered for you.

 “Sure, why not?” You gave him a small smile and shrugged along with the rhetorical question. What was the harm in going on a date this one time?

 Liam froze for a moment, but was quick to snap out of it.

 “W-what?” His pale blue eyes darted over to his best friend in disbelief, and Mason himself had his lips parted and brows raised in a dumbstruck look. “You mean…you’re saying yes?” He looked at you in awe.

 You chuckled bashfully, he really did flatter you.

 “Yes, I am.” You shouldered her bag, knowing that you needed to get to class soon. “If you want, I can meet you at the front of the school after class and we can get going?”

 He was nodding before you even finished the sentence, his lips quirking up in disbelief. “Yeah, yeah…sure, that sounds great. I’ll definitely be there.”

 Y/N gave him one final smile before making her way to class, leaving the two sophomores in the hallway. Mason and Liam watched her go, the latter making his way to stand beside his best friend as if in a trance.

 “Did that just happen?” The werewolf finally broke the silence.

 “Yeah, man…I think it did.” Mason nodded, a small but proud smile on his lips.

 “Oh god…” Liam groaned in panic, making his best friend frown in concern.

 “What’s wrong?”

 “I have no idea where to take her!” His eyes shot over to Mason, hoping for any sort of suggestion.

 “Well where were you thinking about taking her?”

 “I don’t know! I didn’t think she’d actually say yes.”

 Mason snorted, but he supposed that was understandable.

 “Man, look at you! A date with Y/N Y/L/N…not bad, Dunbar, not bad at all.”

 Liam smirked to himself, yeah…it wasn’t too bad at all. Unless Theo found out…

 And find out, he did.