Chapter Text
Hunters really have a way of screwing things up. Following Brett’s announcement that hunters were coming, the pack scrambled to get ahead of them as best they could. Unfortunately, they weren’t as quick as they wanted to be and another pack that was allied with them was attacked. The Hales and Isaac went to help out while Nolan, Kira, and Malia went to help to Brett. Corey got the logic behind the move but it spread them out too thin.
It also didn’t help that they were spread out even in town. Most of the pack that was left behind was at the hospital which was rumored to be hit the hardest. The police station was also a target but they weren’t as concerned. It was protected by armed officers and a hellhound. Even the hunters couldn’t be stupid enough to think it was the weaker target. But apparently…. They could be that freaking stupid. Because as Stiles pulled to a stop a short distance away from the police station, they found a much larger group waiting for them than previously expected.
“Suddenly, I’m really regretting that we didn’t bring the face ripper,” Stiles murmured as he, Theo, Corey, and Hayden observed the larger than expected group with wide eyes.
“What do we do?” Corey murmured, almost against his own will. He was fine when he believed that it was a handful of hunters. But this was more than a handful. And if his ears weren’t deceiving him, there were plenty more on the way.
“Stiles, what do we do?” Theo whispered, looking to the slightly older teen. But the FBI agent shook his head. “What?”
“You come up with the plan.”
“But that’s…”
“Dude, we both know how your brain works. If anyone is going to figure out how to get us out of this situation without any casualties, it’s you,” Stiles said, giving him a pointed look at the casualties part. Theo gave a half-hearted smile at that. “Right now, I’m thinking about my dad. And I’m distracted. But you always know how to turn the background noise off. I can’t. You got this. And we trust you. Eh, Corey and I trust you.”
“Right,” Theo nodded, taking a deep breath. He then closed his eyes clearly listening to what was happening around them.
Corey tried to reach out with his senses but unlike the other chimera, he was limited. Theo was truly an anomaly. His senses went beyond what the average chimera could do. Sometimes he heard things even the other werewolves in their pack couldn’t pick up. Judging by the frustrated look on Hayden’s face, that was the case at the moment. Finally, Theo opened his eyes. A worried frown tilted his lips.
“They’re calling for more backup. They already made a move on the precinct before we even got here. Some officers are hurt but not too badly. Jordan managed to fry a couple of the hunters. They’re understandably not pleased,” Theo reported, dryly.
“My dad?”
“The Sheriff is fine. He’s barking orders inside and sounds more annoyed than anything else. And yeah, your sister is safe too, Hayden.” She blinked, surprised that Theo would mention her sister before settling back into the poorly veiled disgust she normally wore around Theo. Corey tried not to roll his eyes.
“So what’s the plan?” Stiles asked, also seemingly restraining himself from acting on Hayden’s continued negativity towards Theo.
“You and Corey go help your dad with the injured. Corey can go invisible if the hunters think you’re easy targets. Hayden, get in touch with Lydia or Mason. They’re the two most likely to actually be paying attention to their phones. I’m not even sure my brothers have their phones to be honest. After that, meet up with Stiles and Corey. Hopefully, our backup arrives before theirs does.”
“And what will you be doing during all this,” Hayden asked, arching an eyebrow.
Theo smirked, pulling his shirt over his head in the process, prompting Hayden to turn around with a loud squeal of disgust. “What I do best, my dear. Be the distraction.”
“You are damned distracting,” Corey winked, enjoying the flush that spread from Theo’s cheeks down his chest. His best friend rolled his eyes before throwing the discarded shirt at Corey and yanking his pants down.
Corey and Stiles turned around to give him the idea of privacy. They shared a knowing look about Hayden who was standing with her hands clamped over her eyes as if to ward off even a glimpse at naked Theo. Corey snorted. She was so ridiculous.
A sharp bark alerted them that Theo was gone and in his place was the large black wolf that represented his other side. Corey faced him with a grin as the wolf pushed Theo’s discarded clothes forward with a snuff. The chameleon picked up the clothes and scrubbed a hand over Theo’s head.
“Be careful. I know they don’t know about you but they’re armed and on edge. Don’t get hurt. I’m not going to be the one to explain that to the face ripper and Liam. Not to mention your parents and Scott. So don’t die, asshole.”
Theo snuffled, rubbing his cheek against Corey’s hand before taking off. Corey tried to keep track of him for as long as he could but soon he was gone. He swallowed the urge to follow his friend and instead trusted that he could take care of himself.
“Since when could he do that?” Hayden’s voice dragged him back to the moment.
“You knew he could full shift. He did it when we were a pack like all the time. He said it was the only way he felt safe enough to sleep. Which, valid, because the Dread Doctors were all sorts of weird and wrong. ”
“Wait, you knew?!” Stiles asked, dramatically gasping. Corey rolled his eyes while arching an eyebrow. Stiles shook his head.. “Damn chimera solidarity.”
“It’s not that. It’s just… his wolf looks different,” Hayden huffed, gesturing in the direction Theo ran off in. “He just didn’t look the same.”
Corey’s brow furrowed as he thought about what Hayden was saying. He was more familiar with the wolf side of Theo than other members of the pack, save for Malia. And now that he was actually thinking about it, there were some differences in the wolf from the chimera pack and now. An idea formed in the back of his mind. A thought that he just couldn’t fully form. Not yet anyway. At the moment, they had more pressing concerns. He would have to think about all that later. For now, they had a plan.
They had to stick to Theo’s plan and hope that they made it out of this alive. But as Corey and Stiles hustled into the station, the chimera caught Hayden going in an entirely different direction and paying no mind to her phone. He bit his lip, hesitating on whether he should say something. He didn’t think she would be so dumb as to ignore Theo’s plan just to be spiteful. But he was learning that Hayden was really dumb in a lot of ways lately. He shook his head as Stiles called his name. He really just had to hope that she wasn’t that hateful.
An hour later, Corey was realizing that yes, Hayden could actually be that hateful. Because the backup hunters had definitely arrived and there was no sign of their backup at all. So either things were far more dire at the hospital or… Hayden never made the phone call. He seriously hoped that wasn’t the case. But he was also a realist.
“They’re talking about making a move soon,” Theo murmured from where he was pressed against a wall closest to a window. Corey really hated him being that close to where the guys with guns could easily shoot but he claimed it was better for him to hear everything. “Where the hell is our backup? Even Alec could’ve been spared at this point.”
“I’m so telling him you said that,” Corey teased with a levity he didn’t feel. He saw Theo’s eyes roll in the darkness but more importantly, he was less tense and moving further into the room. “But seriously, where are they? Hayden, what did Lydia say when you spoke to her?”
“I don’t know,” Hayden shrugged, sitting on a desk without a care in the world. “I didn’t talk to her.”
“She didn’t answer? What about Mason?”
“I didn’t speak to him either. I didn’t call.”
“What?! Why not?!”
“I had to check on my sister,” Hayden retorted, glaring at Theo.
“Corey was doing that!” Theo hissed.
“Corey, the same person who has happily sicced your and I quote ‘face ripping’ little brother on me without a care numerous times in the past few weeks? Yeah, like I was going to trust him.”
“Yeah, I was going to set Alec loose on you. Not your sister. It’s not her fault, she helped raise a royal bitch,” Corey snapped back. Theo sighed.
“That is not even remotely the point right now. Look, Hayden, you don’t have to like me. Or even be civil towards me. But this is different,” Theo explained, gesturing around the room. “If you want to be in this pack, then you need to be able to work with us. All of us. If Stiles and Corey trust me to run point, then you need to accept it or come up with a better plan. Now we’re stuck here with a shit ton of hunters and absolutely no backup. Your decision to spite me could end up costing people their lives. That’s on you. Not me.”
Corey smiled a little despite the circumstances. A few months ago, Theo would’ve taken this personally. He would’ve blamed himself. But he was finally starting to get past that self-doubt and guilt. It was a good look on him.
“Core, can you reach Mason now?”
“I wish. I checked a few minutes ago. They must be using some kind of jammer. There’s no cell service and they cut the phone lines. We’re cut off from the outside. Oh, if only someone had sent a message earlier!”
“Corey,” Theo said sharply, but there was a thready note to his voice that Corey didn’t like. He had been around too many of Theo’s panic attacks to not be able to tell when one was building. As much as he wanted to continue to bait Hayden, Theo was more important.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Corey shook his head, forcing himself to focus on his best friend. “Can you use your connection thing with Liam to get him here?”
Theo frowned. “Trust me, I’ve been trying. I don’t know how this thing works on a good day and when I’m stressed I can’t… and I’m trying but….”
“Hey,” Corey said, turning invisible to make it across the room to his best friend. “It’s going to be okay. We’ve been in worse shit than this before, right? We made it then. We’ll make it now.”
“Yeah?” Theo asked, hazel eyes searching his. Corey mustered a bright smile and placed the older chimera’s hand over his heart.
“Yes. We’re going to be okay.”
Theo nodded, closing his eyes and letting the steady heartbeat under his fingers ground him. Corey stood there prepared to give him all the time that he needed. None of the other officers gathered in the room protested and pointedly ignored the two boys giving them the illusion of privacy. An illusion that was promptly shattered.
“Why don’t we just howl?” Hayden’s voice brought them both of the moment.
“Howl?” Theo murmured, arching an eyebrow. “You do realize that’s only going to escalate things further, don’t you? Right now, they don’t know exactly where we are in the building. But if we howl, then they do. Of course, once their backup gets here and they storm the building that’s a wrap. But I’m going to not think about that right now.”
“Good boy,” Corey interjected.
“Try and rub my stomach again and I will break your hand, Corey,” Theo threatened, but the smile on his face totally ruined that. “There has to be a way to get a signal through.”
“I’ll go get Stiles. He probably learned something in the week he was at the Academy that could help,” Corey volunteered.
Theo agreed, muttering not so quietly about how Stiles really did attend the Academy for a week before he left to hunt Derek down and came back to full agent status. Though he complained the most, Theo was the first one to recommend using Stiles’ full agent status in the hunt for Monroe. So his best friend was an adorable hypocrite. Corey loved him anyway.
He had just reached the stairwell when a sharp and distinct howl ripped through the air. Instinct made him look towards Theo even though he knew the chimera would never. But there was one idiot in the room who would.
“Hayden, what the actual fuck was that?!” Theo growled, stepping closer to the girl. His eyes were glowing blue and for the first time in a long time, Corey was reminded just how dangerous Theo could be. Good luck, Hayden.
“Chill, now the others will know they’re needed. You’re welcome,” Hayden said, rolling her eyes.
Theo growled again, it was a low and dangerous sound. Corey fought the instinct to flee. The officers gathered in the room were similarly fighting the fight or flight instinct.
“I’ve tried,” Theo started, his voice barely a whisper but all the more menacing for it. “I’ve tried to make it work with you. But I get it now. The others were right. You really are a stupid…” Theo trailed off with his head cocked to the side.
It was only because he was watching Theo so carefully that Corey caught the moment his eyes widened in surprise. He muttered a curse before ordering everyone to get down. It said a lot about the interactions between the pack and the local police that no one questioned Theo’s sudden orders. Instead, they all hit the ground.
Well, they all did except Hayden. She was apparently too busy scoffing to hear multiple safeties being clicked off outside. Theo groaned and tackled her to the ground just as a hail of bullets rained down on the once quiet station.
Corey hunched further behind his protective cover hoping that it would be enough. He tried to keep track of where everyone was but Theo and Hayden were too far away for him to try and check on them. He yearned to do something but werechameleon didn’t exactly scream secret badass. Fortunately, hellhound did.
He dared to peek around the corner when he heard more gunshots coming from the station. It was then that he saw Jordan in full hellhound mode charging towards the hunters. That would hold them off for a little while. He scrambled to his feet, eager to get back and in the room and check on his friend.
He passed by a few officers who while hurt didn’t seem to be in critical condition. Given their lives, Corey was content with taking that as a win. He started to make a comment to Theo along those lines when he realized that the older chimera hasn’t said anything since his warning about the hunters. That was not like him at all.
“Theo?”
When he didn’t get a response, Corey slowly walked over to where Theo was still lying sprawled across Hayden. Then suddenly he was twitching. The relief Corey felt at even that slightest of movements was short lived as he realized it was just Hayden, literally shoving Theo away from her.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” she snarked, climbing to her feet.
Corey rolled his eyes, preparing to say something cutting and rude that would make Theo disappointed in him when he took a good look at her. “Hayden, you’re bleeding! A lot!”
Her own eyes widened as she looked down at her shirt that was stained with blood. Too much blood. He might not like her but that didn’t mean he wanted her to die. Corey was skidding across the distance between them. She was still staring shakily at her body when Corey reached her.
“It’s… it’s not mine,” she whispered. Her gaze lifted to meet Corey before flickering over to Theo, who still hadn’t moved. “It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt. It’s not mine. I’m okay.”
Corey tuned out Hayden’s rambling and crashed to his knees beside Theo. “No,” Corey cried. “No, no, no this is not happening. You were supposed to be okay!”
“Sorry,” Theo choked out, causing Corey to jump. He looked into Theo’s pale face that was etched in pain. “You okay?”
“Yeah, dummy,” Corey answered tearfully. “I didn’t get shot. I’m going to help you turn over, okay? I think all the damage is on your back.”
“Okay,” Theo gave a slight nod. Corey braced himself and helped Theo to turn onto his stomach. Even though they moved slowly, he could feel it took a lot out of the other chimera.
“Oh god,” Corey moaned as the full extent of the damage that was Theo was revealed. He counted at least three bullet wounds, one dangerously close to his spine, and judging by the lack of blood on his front, the bullets were still in there. “Fuck.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Theo, I swear to god. If you don’t stop trying to make me feel better by cracking dumb jokes, I’m going to hurt you myself.”
“I’m an atheist.”
“You’re an asshole.” Corey countered though he couldn’t hide the fondness in his voice.
His hands fluttered uselessly over Theo’s back. He knew what he had to do but he also knew it was going to hurt like hell. But the longer they left the bullets in there, the longer the artificial poison would burn through Theo’s body. Even Corey could smell it. It was worse than actual wolfsbane. He needed to get the bullets out but he felt paralyzed.
“Ah, shit, kid,” Noah’s voice snapped him out of his dazed trance. The sheriff knelt down on Theo’s other side. He leaned down to whisper something into Theo’s ear that had him relaxing a little more. Then his blue eyes were focused on Corey. “What do we need?”
“A lighter, water, rubbing alcohol, some bandages and something for Theo to bite down on,” Corey rattled off, feeling slightly better now that someone else was there. “I got the nine herbs on me.”
“Gotta love Melissa and Chris. They’re prepared for everything,” Noah muttered before rising to get the needed items.
He hadn’t even made it up before several deputies were there handing them what they needed. One of the deputies was Hayden’s sister. She was looking at the wounded chimera with a mix of emotions playing across her face. Corey ignored it in favor of getting to work helping Theo.
By the time they were ready to dig the bullets out, Stiles was back in the room. He was sitting with Theo’s face pressed against his thigh, running a soothing hand through his hair. Theo was awake, barely, and as much as his red-rimmed yet open gaze was keeping Corey from panicking, he wished Theo could just pass out. This next part was going to be rough.
That turned out to be an understatement. It took both Jordan and Corey holding him down to keep Theo from thrashing away from Noah, who to his credit made quick work of removing the bullets. Though his cries were muffled thanks to the belt between his teeth, Corey heard enough to break his heart. Finally, Noah was done. He spread the burnt ash of the nine herbs into the wounds and bandaged them so they could heal.
But after a few minutes, it was becoming clear that they weren’t healing. And Theo’s raspy breathing was slowing down.
“Theo, you have to heal,” Corey pleaded. His wounds were too severe for them to try and lift him up. Also, the small matter of the hunters still lurking outside. They backed down for now but Corey doubter they were just going to let them whisk their injured friend to the hospital. The hospital that was still likely under siege. “You have to heal.”
“Trying…” Theo gasped. “Hurts… hurts so…” he trailed off as a choked off scream escaped his lips seemingly against his will.
“I know,” Corey murmured, holding Theo’s hand tightly. He knew he couldn’t take the pain. Whatever genetic cocktail made him a chimera left out that handy ability. He couldn’t help Theo manage the pain. He couldn’t help Theo do the one damn thing he needed to do in order to stand a chance at making it through this. “Please.”
He could hear Theo’s heart weakening. The hand clasped tightly between his was clammy with barely any pressure against his. Corey closed his eyes and prayed to any and all deities that whatever that made them chimeras could help him save his friend. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn’t notice the burning in his hand until it became too much.
“What?” Corey murmured, opening his eyes to see thick black lines traveling from Theo to him. But it wasn’t just the pain (so much pain) it was the fear and the acceptance and the panic. No wonder Theo threw up after taking Gabe’s pain. This was intense. But at least Theo wasn’t dying, unlike Gabe. Theo wasn’t dying, damnit. He wasn’t….
Somewhere in the distance, a banshee screamed. Stiles, Noah, and Corey all tensed before looking down at the prone chimera. Despite the brief respite of pain, he was still not healing and growing weaker. Lydia’s scream confirmed what Corey didn’t want to think about. Didn’t even want to consider. And even with the confirmation, he wasn’t going to put it out there. Theo was going to be okay. He had to be.
Twin howls echoed Lydia’s scream and Corey recognized them down to his bones. It was Scott and Liam. They got the message. They knew they were needed. They would help. They would fix this.
“They’re coming,” Corey whispered against Theo’s hand. The pain was overwhelming but if there was even a chance that it could help, Corey wasn’t about to let go. “You just have to hold on because they’re coming.”
He let out a shaky exhale when he realized that Theo was no longer gripping his hand at all. Corey had to strain to hear his heartbeat and his breaths were shallow and reedy. It wasn’t enough. Even though he could finally take Theo’s pain, it wasn’t enough. Theo was still going to die. He heard Stiles let out a sob and knew that was it. Theo was going to die if he didn’t find a way to heal just enough to hold on. But if the pain that he was feeling was any indicator of what Theo was experiencing, Corey understood why he couldn’t focus. Corey was losing track himself. That’s the only he had for why it took him so long to notice Hayden creeping closer.
“What do you want? To get a better look? Make sure he’s dead once and for all?!” Stiles snapped in her direction. “No, don’t you dare touch him!”
Corey looked up to see Hayden reaching towards Theo with a shaky hand. His eyes trailed up to her face and he wasn’t at all surprised to see the tears there. Her eyes were wide with surprise and something else. Something he knew all too well.
“It won’t work unless you care,” Corey pointed out, not in a challenge but more of acknowledgment. Hayden gave a jerky nod.
“He saved my life,” she muttered in response but her eyes were only on Theo. “He… you weren’t supposed to do that, you idiot. You never do what anyone expects you to do, do you?” Hayden gave a teary laugh, finally placing her hand on Theo’s arm. “I guess it’s my turn now.”
Corey knew he was supposed to be surprised by the black lines that appeared on her arms but he wasn’t. He knew she felt it too. The same spark that both pushed and pulled him away from Theo when he first came back. Hayden felt it too and it seemed she wasn’t fighting it anymore. About damn time…
“Weird,” Theo’s hoarse voice brought their attention back to him.
Corey looked down to see Theo’s eyes were cracked open. The pained hazel orbs were roaming between his two former chimera pack mates. A slight smirk tilted his bloodstained lips.
“Tell me about it,” Hayden smiled in return. “Is it any better?”
“Yeah,” Theo said, clearly lying. Hayden rolled her eyes and held on tighter.
Corey didn’t know how long he sat there taking as much of Theo’s pain as he could but he noticed with some relief that some of the more drastic wounds were starting to look better. He was dimly aware of the others talking about getting an ambulance but it was all background noise. His world had dimmed down to just him, Theo and Hayden.
“It’s okay, Corey. You can let go now.”
He didn’t know who was talking but he knew there hands on him. Hands trying to move him away from Theo. He was the only one keeping him alive. No, not the only one. There was Hayden. Where was Hayden? He opened his eyes, not sure when they closed, to see the former chimera standing a short distance away. Did she quit? She didn’t think it was…
“Corey, it’s okay. They got him now. He wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself too.”
Corey blinked, looking down to see that there were significantly more people there than he remembered. People that were currently taking Theo’s pain. He felt the hands moving him again but he didn’t fight. Instead, he let who he now realized was Stiles guide him away from his best friend.
From there, things moved quickly but to Corey, it was like he was watching through a filter. Scott and Liam scooped Theo up as carefully as they could and bundled him in a waiting ambulance. Chris was tending to a frantic looking Alec while Noah, Parrish, and the other deputies finished rounding up the rest of the hunters.
The world finally righted itself as he found himself staring into a familiar pair of brown eyes. Corey felt himself break as he launched himself into Mason’s embrace only feeling safe when his boyfriend’s arms tightly wound around him in response.
“You’re okay,” Mason crooned, rubbing Corey’s back gently. “I got you. It’s okay.”
“He was dying,” Corey cried, burying his face on Mason’s shoulder. “He was dying and it almost wasn’t enough. He almost….”
“It’s okay. He’s not dead. And his mom and Liam’s dad are going to fix him up. You know Melissa. She won’t let him die.”
Corey laughed around a sob and nodded. Melissa was just as stubborn as her sons, adopted and biological. There was no way that Melissa was going to let Theo go. She would fight death (and probably win) to save her son. Dr. Geyer also adored Theo, not just because he was pretty much married to his son but because Theo helped launch the successful supernatural wing at the hospital. Mason was right, Theo was going to be okay. There was no way he was going to be anything other than that.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Corey murmured. “I love you, Mase. So much.”
“I love you too,” Mason answered, pulling away slightly to meet his gaze. He offered him a wide smile. “You want to wait at the hospital?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I can be that far away from him right now.”
“I get it. I would be losing my mind if this was Liam. You don’t have to explain.”
Not for the first time, Corey was struck by how lucky he was to have Mason in his life. His boyfriend was the best.
“Parrish, why don’t you take everyone to the hospital?” The sheriff said, prompting the two boys to separate entirely. Jordan looked like he was going to protest and offer to stay. Noah smiled softly. “You’re exhausted. And I know if Lydia screamed it’s because she had a death vision and you probably did too. So go wait at the hospital. I know you want to.”
“You’re right,” Jordan said, sheepishly. He turned towards the others. “You can hitch a ride with me, if you want.”
“Yeah, thanks, Jordan,” Chris sighed, wearily. He had an arm around a silent and shaken Alec. Theo was really going to have to quit it with the near death experiences before his brother ended up with a complex…. A bigger one than he already had.
“Of course. I have room for all of you. Even you, Hayden… if you’re coming that is.”
Corey looked up to see that the girl was hunched over, her face pale and pinched with pain and emotions. He knew the feeling. Theo was always intense. Corey wasn’t surprised that a dying Theo felt like being sucked into the right side of a hurricane. Add in that Hayden hadn’t been particularly nice to Theo and yet he almost died saving her life… yeah, Corey got that she was feeling a little lost.
That’s why he didn’t hesitate to reach his free hand towards her, linking their fingers together. She met his gaze with teary eyes. He nodded. She gave him a wan smile. And that was that. Alec gave a token protest before backing down and allowing his father to steer him towards the Jeep that Jordan was using.
Corey sat sandwiched between Mason and Hayden and despite everything he felt safe. He felt content. Theo would be okay. There was no doubt in his mind. And he had a feeling that things would settle down with Hayden after this. And so Corey settled his weight further into Mason and closed eyes, finally feeling safe enough to let go.
Three years ago, Hayden Romero died. But it was okay because she also came back. A narcissistic sociopathic bastard brought her back in his mad quest to take over the McCall pack for glory. He was thankfully stopped and trapped in the prison he deserved. Or so she believed for three damn years. Now she realized that she was wrong. She was wrong about a lot of things. There was nothing narcissistic or sociopathic about Theo. He was giving and so selfless. And he didn’t want the pack for glory. He wanted to belong. She misjudged him from the very beginning and it was that misjudgment that kept her on the outs from her own pack for a month.
When she returned to Beacon Hills, she naively thought that things would still be the same. That she could pick up with Liam where they left off. But the war against the hunters changed them. It brought them together. It brought Theo into the fold and pushed Hayden out entirely. She didn’t fit in the role she had before and she didn’t know how to cope with that. So she lashed out and attacked the one she perceived as a threat. She really was an idiot.
Hayden sat tucked away in her own corner of the hospital waiting room the pack had commandeered watching the people she realized she never really knew to begin with. With news of Theo being in the hospital, the others were on their way back. They were all successful in fending off the various attacks and now it was time to regroup and wait to see if one of their own would survive the night.
Lydia was curled up on an equally exhausted looking Jordan’s lap. Neither of them were sleeping. Hayden caught them both looking towards the door of the room as if they could summon someone with their minds. And maybe they could. She had no idea what death omens we’re capable of. Corey was snuggled into Mason’s embrace until finally the chimera pushed him towards the obviously agitated Liam. Her ex was pacing with an increasingly more frantic energy. Mason approached him slowly but soon had him backed into a corner, arms wrapped around one another. She looked away then as she could smell the salt from Liam’s tears.
She didn’t know much about Chris Argent but she knew that the man was tough and stoic. None of that was evident in that moment as he held the youngest of his adopted sons in his arms. Scott was a steady presence on his other side. Stiles was posted against the wall next to Scott. One hand rested on the alpha’s shoulder while the other held his phone. Hayden could make out the tinny voices of Isaac and Malia with occasional interjections from Derek. Apparently, they couldn’t wait until they got home for updates and were both demanding constant updates on Theo’s condition, how Scott was holding up and in general how everything was unfolding in real time. Stiles didn’t appear nearly as put out about it as he pretended to be.
“You okay?” Corey asked, settling down by her side. She tensed, sitting up straight from her previously slouched position.
“I’m not the one that got shot,” Hayden retorted, for the sake of arguing not because she genuinely felt hostile.
“No, but you are the one who took the pain from the one that got shot. I know I feel like a freight train slammed into me and Theo is my best friend so I’m used to his dramatic maelstrom of emotion. I can’t imagine how you feel when you hated him up until an hour ago.”
“I didn’t hate….” Hayden rolled her eyes at his pointed look. “I really don’t hate him. I was jealous. And insecure. Theo was just an easy target to focus those feelings on. Because you’re all right. I didn’t fit in the pack before and I definitely didn’t fit when I got back. And I knew that and it hurt so much.” She sighed. “I don’t hate him. He… confuses me.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn’t know what it was but I both wanted to be around him and to push him far away. I didn’t get it at first because I’ve never been in a pack.”
Hayden’s eyes widened as she thought about what Corey was saying. The spark she felt towards Theo was similar to what she sometimes felt with Scott, though it was stronger with the latter because he bit her. But now that she thought about it, it was there fluttering for attention in her heart.
“Pack… it’s a bond.”
“Theo was only our alpha because he said it. But there was always a spark, a connection because he brought us back. But back then he was entirely too damaged to even remotely understand what a pack meant. But now… it’s not enough to overwrite what you have with Scott but it’s there. It’s like this buzz and this extra sense that tells you the idiot is in danger.”
Hayden giggled. “The chimera pack lives again.”
“The significantly less murdery and evil chimera pack,” Corey corrected. “It was a thing. Theo was going to sacrifice himself for the pack. Technically, he did actually. Almost died. Yeah.”
Hayden heard the sadness in his tone. She felt it too. Now that she was paying attention to the feeling, she could also feel Corey. Scott would always be the alpha to her wolf. But on a deeper level, she was pack with Theo and Corey. She spent too long trying to run away from it. But that was done. She was going to embrace it for whatever it was worth.
“He does that a lot, doesn’t he? Almost die?”
“Yeah,” Corey murmured. “He’s kind of an idiot that way.”
Hayden didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around the sad chimera beside her. “He’s going to be okay. We can both feel it. He’s still hanging on.”
“I know.”
She rested her head against his and just breathed. She lost track of how long they were all sitting there. But when she finally looked up because she heard Melissa approaching, she noticed there were significantly more pack members present. The sheriff made it along with all of the Hales and Isaac. Whatever they were all doing before she walked in the room was forgotten as they all sat up straight.
“Mom?” Scott’s quiet voice broke the silence. “Is he…?”
Melissa took a shaky breath before nodding. “He’s okay. It was close. So damn close but he’s okay. He’s going to be okay.”
A wave of relief went over the room. Liam sagged into Mason’s waiting arms. Isaac similarly found himself with an armful of alpha. Chris and Alec were embracing the equally emotional Melissa. A few days ago, the amount of love these people had for Theo was confusing to Hayden. She didn’t understand what they saw in him. Didn’t understand how they could care. But after taking his pain. After seeing the parts of him that he didn’t show, she understood. She thought how much they loved him was strange but she knew it wasn’t even a fraction of what he felt for them. Theo loved them all so much. It was all-consuming. She only hoped that one day he would let himself believe that he deserved it in return.
She smiled, rising to her feet to join the happy pack. One way or another, she was here now. She understood what her role was. Even if she wasn’t a member of the McCall Pack after this night, she would always have her connection with Theo and Corey. She was going to honor that and be the friend she should’ve been from the beginning. She was going to work as hard as Theo to prove that she was worth taking a second chance on.
“Isn’t he supposed to be awake by now? Your dad said he would be but he’s not. Are you sure your dad knows what he’s talking about?”
“He’s a world-renowned physician! I’m going to take your comments as a reflection of your concern for Theo and not as you casting aspersions on my father’s good name!”
“Who the hell taught you the word aspersions?”
A dry chuckle distracted Liam from the fact that he was about to rearrange Alec’s face and he didn’t even care that the brat’s father and brother (aka his Alpha) were there. He did however care about the tired, but pain-free hazel eyes blinking slowly in his direction. Liam lifted the hand that had been loosely wrapped around his up to his lips. The grip tightened slightly and a small smile formed on Theo’s lips.
“Hey there, handsome,” Liam murmured, smiling in return. “You with us this time?”
“This time?” Theo repeated, brow furrowed.
“You woke up for a little while before but that’s when the meds were still working. So you didn’t make a lot of sense,” Chris answered, from his spot at the foot of the bed. “It pays to have a parent on the medical team. They give you the good stuff.”
“Also helps that most of the nursing staff and a few doctors have a crush on him,” Melissa added, breezing into the room with Alec on her heels. Liam did a double take. He didn’t even know the younger wolf left the room. Then again, if it wasn’t Theo then Liam really didn’t care much in that moment. He was awake and he was here.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Theo, you wake up in a hospital room and your first question is about everyone else?” Scott asked, fondly exasperated.
Theo rolled his eyes. “Well, obviously I’m not okay because I’m in a hospital room! But I don’t know about everyone else…. Wait, Hayden! Is she… did she get hurt? Where is…?”
“I’m here,” Hayden said, moving from her corner of the room to stand by the chimera’s bedside. Theo’s eyes roamed all over as if checking for hidden bullets. Hayden submitted to the silent checkup with quiet bemusement. Liam raised an eyebrow. “Not a scratch on me. It’s okay.”
Theo nodded, settling back against the pillows Scott was fluffing up behind him. Liam watched with a grin as Alec stepped over to their side, also hovering and try to make their brother comfortable when he already clearly was. It was another reminder that under the constant sass they threw at one another, Theo, Alec and Scott truly did love one another.
“How long was I out this time?”
“Two days,” Melissa answered, rubbing his blanket covered leg. “Expect to be here at least another three to five. It took Lori three days to shake it off and she has full werewolf healing and wasn’t shot five times.”
“Speaking of,” Chris started, arms crossed over his chest. “What exactly happened at the police station?”
Theo’s eyes flickered between Corey and Hayden as if he was searching for some kind of answer. Hayden averted her gaze while Corey gave a helpless shrug. Theo bit his lip before looking back to his parents.
“You all didn’t debrief?”
“Theo, you’ve been unconscious in the hospital for two days,” Melissa chided. “When did you think anyone was going to debrief?”
“Valid,” he nodded. “Well… it’s just that there were more hunters than we anticipated and we got overwhelmed.”
Liam narrowed his eyes. Theo’s heart was steady but there was something else that he wasn’t saying. Though Theo gave up his manipulative ways, he wasn’t above breaking them out every now and then. Especially if he thought he was protecting someone.
“Why didn’t you call for backup?” Liam asked, ignoring the faint feeling of betrayal for pushing the issue. “We could’ve spared Alec.”
“Totally called that,” Theo muttered before looking back to Hayden and Corey.
At some point, Corey moved so he was standing beside Hayden. She looked contemplative while Corey looked sympathetic. Not for the first time, Liam was wondering what was going on there. The two had been weirdly attached at the hip since the police station and no one seemed to understand why. Well, Stiles seemed to know but he also wasn’t sharing. He was simply standing in the corner, offering silent support and seemingly looking for… something.
“I’m sorry,” Theo finally answered. “Things happened so fast and I couldn’t think straight. I messed up and I’m really sorry.”
“Let’s try that again but without the lies,” Chris countered. Theo’s eyes widened. “Yes, I know you’re lying. You, my kid? The kid who has a backup plan for his eight backup plans was suddenly overwhelmed and couldn’t think fast enough?”
Theo raked a hand through his hair looking frustrated. Once again, he looked to Corey and Hayden. Liam really wanted to know what was up with that. Whatever it was started at the police station and Liam was willing to do whatever it took to…
“It was me,” Hayden blurted out. “It was my fault. Theo told me to call Mason or Lydia and I didn’t because I didn’t trust him. Then I howled even though Theo told me not to. I screwed up and Theo saved me anyway.” She gave Theo a small smile when he tried to protest. “All of this is my fault.
I have acted like a total psycho since I’ve been back and I’m… words can’t actually express how humiliated and sorry I am. I don’t deserve your forgiveness yet but I’m going to ask for it anyway, Theo. And I’m going to earn it. I promise.”
Theo’s already wide eyes grew impossibly larger as he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. Hayden then turned to the rest of the pack.
“I owe you all an apology too. Lydia was right. I wasn’t pack before. I was Liam’s girlfriend and that was it. I didn’t even try. And I’m sorry. I would like to genuinely try this time and get to know you all.”
“Is this… is this because of the thing I have with Corey? Do you feel it too?”
“You knew about that?!” Corey asked incredulously. “You never brought it up.”
“Of course I knew,” Theo replied, looking offended at the implication he wouldn’t know. “I told Scott about it. I didn’t want anyone thinking I was trying to take over the pack or anything like that.”
“And what did Scott have to say about that?” Liam asked, despite knowing exactly what their beloved alpha had to say about that.
“He said that was the dumbest thing he heard all week and he had just finished a conversation with Alec. So you know… feelings were hurt.”
“Sounds about right.”
“I’m not dumb!” Alec protested with obviously feigned outrage.
“Of course you’re not, kiddo,” Chris said, easily slinging an arm around Alec’s shoulders. “You just learn differently than your brothers.”
“Exactly!” Alec paused, craning his neck to glare at his father. “Wait! That wasn’t a compliment!”
What was sure to be an even longer banter session between the family was cut off by Hayden laughing. His ex looked fond and amused by the siblings interacting. And most of it was directed to Theo. That was something that was going to take some getting used to. Hayden went from hating Theo for breathing to suddenly caring about him. Definitely going to take some getting used to.
“Hayden, we gave you a second chance before and it almost got Theo killed,” Liam said plainly.
“I get that,” Hayden nodded, sounding genuinely remorseful. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me or wanting me around. I don’t have to be in the pack. I could be like an ally or something.”
“No, that’s not going to work,” Alec surprisingly countered. “The last time this pack didn’t trust someone and called them an ally instead of pack, the idiot almost died several times, still makes it a habit to try every now and then and ended up pretty much marrying our second alpha. We’re running out of alphas here. So I say welcome to the damn pack. Don’t fuck it up.”
Theo snorted, reaching for Alec. “You’re not bad, kid. You know that?”
“Not bad?” Alec scoffed, squeezing Theo’s hand in return. “I’m the best brother you have!”
“That’s true.”
“Wait… screw you guys!”
And as round three of the ridiculousness that is Alec, Theo and Scott being in the same round broke out again, Liam made a silent promise. He would trust Hayden this time but it was the last time. She wouldn’t get a third chance to hurt Theo. If the chimera had so much as a papercut because of something she did, she would pay. It was that simple.
His eyes met Chris’ and then Stiles and he saw the same steely determination there. Yeah, she had this one last chance. And that was it.
Hayden, thankfully, never needed a third.