"Theo?"
"Liam."
The two stared at each other for a moment, the younger werewolf's brows furrowing in confusion.
"You look like shit"
"Good to see you too, Liam." Theo chuckled, tensing as Liam approached the side of the car cautiously, taking each step gently one at a time.
"What are you doing?"
The younger boy froze.
"I just don't want to scare you off."
"You think you could scare off the 'big bad chimera'?"
"No. But you're not that anymore, are you."
Liam crossed his arms, "where have you been? Thought you skipped town."
"I didn't" Theo gave a half-hearted smirk, "could've found me if you tried. The kid did" he nodded his head in the direction of the Mccall house.
Liam took a closer look at him, brows furrowed; the skin below the older boy's eyes was mottled in various purple tones, cheeks sunken, eyes lacking their usual spark.
"Doesn't look like where you're staying has been doing you any wonders."
"You're rolling in compliments today, aren't you?" Theo grumbled, turning away from him.
"Why haven't you answered any of my texts? Any of anyone's texts? We've been trying to reach you for the past month-"
"Lost my phone...didn't know." He was at least telling the truth for one of those things.
"Well, couldn't you get a new one?"
"Dont really have a choice in the matter." Theo huffed again, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "Haven't gotten in any trouble since I last saw you, I'm guessing?"
"No-I-well you wouldn't know, would you?" Liam's hands balled into fists at his side, "thought you had a sixth sense when it came to me."
"Guess you didn't need my help then, if it wasn't ringing..."
"Well you wouldn't know, since you didn't have your phone-"
"I didn't need my phone most of the other times either-"
"You still could've found us-"
"Didn't feel like it. Had a few things to do-"
The younger boy gave a frustrated groan.
"At least let us know how to reach you. Like an address? Or something?"
"And have one of you show up in the middle of the night? No thanks."
"Theo!"
"Liam!" Theo's lips thinned into a flat line.
"I'd prefer not to get murdered in my sleep, thank you."
"You think any of us would?! After everything? I don't know why-" Liam's voice trailed off as the air grew cold around Theo, a hard plate of metal pressing against his back.Tara stood in Liam's place, smirking at him, hand reaching out. Theo flinched back, hands tightly gripping the window pane, the glass cracking under pressure.
Liam stopped talking as soon as the chimera flinched back, his eyes glazed and breaths coming out harsher.
"Theo?" He reached out a hand, yanking it back when the other boy scrambled backwards into the passenger seat, chest heaving, hands held out in front of him protectively.
Tara stalked closer, reaching into the metal box, her hands barely grazing his arm before he moved back, his back hitting the other side of the metal drawer.
"Please. Don't." Liam paused at Theo's tone. He looked around, unsure what to do, before pulling at the door handle, opening it up and climbing inside. "Hey Theo." His voice was softer now as he reached forward to grasp Theo's wrist gently.
Tara was touching him gently?
Theo squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for his ribs to turn into a hollow cavern until a different voice broke through
"Theo? C'mon man-"
Theo opened his eyes to see Liam looking at him, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Where'd you go?"
"Thought I was somewhere else." He blinked his eyes hard, before noticing the other boy's hand on his arm. The chimera shrugged him off and straightened up.
"What are you doing in my car?"
"Bad dream?" Liam ignored him, head tilting slightly, brows furrowed.
"Something like that." Theo drew his hand over his face, "I've got to get some sleep. I'll see you around."
"Will I?"
"What?"
"See you? Or are you gonna pull a disappearing act again?" Liam's voice was steady but his smile strained, "and since this..whatever...I don't know if it's best to leave you alone. In fact, I'll drive you home-"
"No!" Liam startled, his hand drawing away from where he was reaching for the keys.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm older than you-"
"That's a stupid excuse!-"
"Liam-"
"Theo!-I'm driving-"
"No! You're not allowed to touch my truck!"
"And you think you can drive-"
"I've driven after being shot, Liam, a little hallucination isn't going to-"
"That sounds like an exact reason why you shouldn't be driving, Th-"
They stopped talking, glaring at each other until Liam broke.
"Fine!" He jumped out of the car before stomping over to the passenger side, yanking the door open, Theo catching himself before he fell back onto the younger boy.
"Move over then, you're driving me home" Liam shoved him over to the driver's seat, slamming the door behind him as he got in.
A chuckle burst from Theo's lips.
"What?"
"You're awfully demanding."
"Consider this payback for not answering my texts. Now let's go-I have to be at home-"
"What were you doing out at 3am anyways?"
"Night stroll" Liam grumbled, struggling with the seat belt, "this belt is stupid" he snarled as he got tangled up.
Theo sighed and
"Thanks."
The car was silent until they were almost at Liam's.
"How are Mason and Corey?" Theo found himself asking.
"They're good. It's been...you know. Things are weird." Liam kept his gaze out the window, "Mason's been reading, a lot. Corey's been..well, he's been..."
Theo nodded, "and Nolan?"
Liam's face twisted, "Don't really talk to him...but he seems ok. I think Gabe's death kind of...messed him up a little more."
"Didn't think that was possible."
"Well, it is."
Theo hummed, and stopped in front of Liam's house.
"Here."
Liam didn't move.
"You gonna get out or waste my gas?"
"I-did you save Alec?"
Theo shut his car off again with a sigh, "not by choice."
"Is it ever your choice when you do that?"
Theo gave him a look, before turning his attention back to the road.
"How long has he been a werewolf?"
"From what Scott said: little over a week?"
"And he's-"
"My responsibility."
"Hmm, sounds familiar."
Liam pressed his lips into a thin line before practically throwing himself out of the car, slamming the door behind him and stumbling  towards his door. Theo didn't bother to watch him as he sped off.
—
Claws dug into his spine, Tracy's lips barely brushing his.
"How does it feel, Theo?" She smirked, pressing them deeper, bright, red blood bubbling up into his mouth, spilling from his lips, specks appearing onto hers. She clicked her tongue, before moving her mouth to the corner of his lips, pressing lightly. He stared at her, eyes wide in surprise and terror as she pulled away.
"Oh Theo, it's only just begun" she unhooked one hand from his back and stroked a clawed finger gently over his cheek, leaving a trail of silvery blood in its wake.
"We've got so much in store for you"
He woke up, sweating bullets and breathing harshly. He'd fallen asleep on a seatbelt buckle, the edge digging into his back.
—
Theo didn't hear from anyone for the next week, although he did start wandering around the town in his full shift, first checking on Liam, then surprisingly Alec and then Mason and then Corey. He even checked in on Brett and Lori but was quick to run when the tall werewolf growled at him.
Alec caught him once and gave him a tilted look, eyes narrowed, before his nostrils flared. He perked up after that, hand reaching out as he moved closer. Theo scrambled towards the woods, ignoring the boys calls as he disappeared into the tree line.
—
He woke to see Josh sitting in the front seat, blood gushing from his neck and eyes glazed over. The boy's hand shot out to grasp him by the throat, bright red lips grinning around his sharp teeth as Theo clawed at his hands. Red grew around the other Chimera's fingers, claws digging harder into his skin.
"Josh!" He choked out
"Twice. Theo."
Blood spilled from theo's lips as Josh's claws dug deeper.
"Same way, too. Almost like you had a vendetta against me. Although, I can't remember what I did to you."
Theo couldn't speak as Josh squeezed harder.
"You just took out anyone in your way, didn't you? Brought me back only to rip my throat out again. I experienced hell before you were even put in the ground."
Theo saw black spots as his body tried and failed to heal around the fingers shoved into his neck.
"I had plans, Theo. Tracy had plans. Tara had plans."
Theo was choking, lungs feeling far too full to breathe.
"But no, you just had to get your freedom. At what cost?"
Theo dropped his hand, vision mostly dark now, the rush of blood loud in his ears, nearly drowning out Josh's words.
"No need to worry, Theo. You've got it. Now you have to face the consequences of gaining it."
The boy squeezed and ripped Theo's throat out, a triumphant grin on his face, blood catching on his chin.
"See you soon, Theo."
Josh leaned forward to run a finger across his chin, leaving a smudge of blood in its wake.
"Got something on ya."
Theo's vision blacked out and he bolted up gasping, his throat tight, before he leaned out the window and emptied his stomach of the meager food he'd scavenged the day before.
—
Tara, Tracy, and Josh took turns showing up, with the occasional appearance of Gabe.
Every morning, he'd wake up, more tired than the night before. He'd find himself drifting, only to find hands lodged in his spine, back, or chest, jolting him awake each time.
Wandering around in his wolf form seemed to help chase the nightmares away, even if Alec caught him nearly every time.
The kid appeared around every corner, grinning and tossing the little rock Theo had given him from hand to hand. Sometimes he'd even smack Liam in the head if he was around. He kind of reminded Theo of a little otter with its favorite rock.
—
Theo was woken up by a presence at his window. He nearly jumped when he saw Alec standing outside, arms full of gas station snacks and a slice of pizza hanging from his mouth.
"Go away."
"But I've got a question-"
"What?"
Alec held up a chocolate bar, "can these kill us? I mean I'm not a dog, but can we eat chocolate? Like as humans? Or can we only eat chocolate as humans but not in our shift? If someone can full shift does that mean they can't eat chocolate? Since it's bad for dogs? Are wolves allergic to chocolate?-"
Theo pulled his pillow over his head and groaned.
"Alec, shut up and go home-"
"I would, but my arms are getting tired from carrying these snacks, and you've got a nice car to sit in-"
"I'll run you over-"
"-And I could use someone to help me finish these or else Melissa will have my ass-"
"Alec-"
"-and I quite enjoy my ass, you know? Anyway, am I gonna be let in? It's cold-"
"You're a werewolf-"
"-and I'm freezing Theo what would Liam say if I DIED if you left me out here-"
"FINE. FINE. Not like I was sleeping or anything"
Alwc made a happy noise before the door was opened and he stumbled in, throwing the armful off t food at the older boy, before shutting the door behind him.
"It's cold in here too."
"No shit, kid."
Alec looked at the older boy, wrapped tightly in a blanket and glaring at him, his nose red.
"You look like an angry puppy-"
"I'm older than you-"
"Now, back to my chocolate question..." Alec started again as Theo groaned and buried his head in his blankets.