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“Wha- ow ,” Stiles moves to clutch his pounding skull only to find that he can’t move. “What the hell,” he squints his eyes open to find himself completely unfamiliar with his surroundings.
Then again, Stiles doesn’t think anyone has recognized these surroundings in a very long time. There’s dust everywhere , the couch he’s half sitting on has a disgusting, torn cover that might have once been white. But time and neglect have turned it a sickly brown-gray. The walls look like they’re literally decaying right before his eyes. Paint chipping and wallpaper half torn with shreds on the floor.
But the fact of the matter is, regardless of where he is, he can’t move.
Which can only mean one thing.
Tracy.
What did he possibly do to piss the kanima off? Stiles tries to avoid her as much as possible outside of pack related things. There’s nothing he could’ve done.
Where did she take him? All of the windows are boarded up, so he can’t see outside. Not that he can see all that well inside either. All of the lights he can see are busted, his only source is the natural light through the slats on the windows. So it’s daytime, that much he knows. But what day is it? How long has he been gone for?
Every horror movie he’s ever watched would heavily suggest that he should not do this. But Stiles has to face this eventually. Might as well have it be on his own terms. “Hello!” Stiles yells, “Tracy, are you here?”
She can’t be far, right? Just because he’s paralyzed doesn’t mean she’d just leave. Unless she knows exactly how long her venom lasts for. Which isn’t a fun thought if he’s honest.
“Tracy!” Stiles huffs, cool, so she just left him here to die probably. “Tra-”
“ God , would you stop yelling?” Tracy appears around a corner, “it’s so fucking annoying.” The kanima crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the wall. “Do you need something, Your Highness?”
Your Highness? What? Stiles knows she’s not his biggest fan, but this is ridiculous. “Where am I, Tracy? What the hell is going on?” Okay, giving your kidnapper an attitude probably isn’t the best choice, but something’s gotta give. He needs answers.
“As if I’m going to tell you where you are,” she scoffs, shoving herself off the wall. Tracy stalks towards him, squatting in front of his knees, “but I guess I can’t see the harm in telling you why you’re here.”
Stiles bites away the sarcastic remark. He’s lucky enough that she didn’t get violent before. “Okay. Why am I here?” He asks, playing her little game.
“I want Theo,” she says plainly.
Stiles blinks. Then blinks twice. Was that supposed to be an explanation? Because it wasn’t. “What does that have to do with me?” He asks, carefully so he doesn’t sound rude. He’s so confused about the role he plays in this.
“ Everything !” Tracy roars, snake eyes blazing angrily. If Stiles had the mobility to flinch, he would have. She shoots to her feet facing away and scoffs, “Theo doesn’t even look at me when you’re around!”
This is a joke, right? It has to be. Stiles has seen with his own two eyes the way Theo looks at her. Because in what world would someone who looks like Theo give two shits about him with someone like Tracy in the room? It just doesn’t make sense. Does Stiles find their Alpha unnecessarily attractive and have the worst crush on him? Without a doubt. But that doesn’t mean Theo wants him like that.
No way.
“Is this a joke?” Stiles snickers, though he tries not to. “Last I checked, Theo wanted you. He never pushes you away when you try to get close.”
The kanima whips around, “oh, but he has. You just don’t see it. I’ve tried to make it very clear that I want him. Pathetically thrown myself at him. But all he wants is you ,” she seethes.
“Right,” Stiles quips, “sure.”
He never thought Tracy was the brightest crayon in the box, but he also didn’t think she was this stupid.
“He said so himself!” The kanima yells. “I asked him why I wasn’t good enough for him.” Tracy’s eyes tear up, “he said because I wasn’t you .”
Oh.
Oh.
“Theo said that?” Stiles breathes out.
Color him shocked.
“He’s in love with you, you asshole. You don’t have to be so smug about it.”
“Tracy, I-”
“Spare me your pity,” the kanima sniffles, shaking her arms out, “I don’t need it.”
“But-”
“Besides,” she chuckles with a shrug, “you won’t be around much longer to be a problem.”
“What?”
No. No, no. Surely this was just meant to scare him. Tracy isn’t fucked up enough to kill him. Right?
Right?
“Goodnight, Stiles,” Tracy smirks, rushing the short distance and knocking him out cold.
With her venom coursing through his system, there wasn’t even a chance to defend himself.
Stiles isn’t quite sure how long he’s been here for. Tracy has knocked him unconscious at least six times if his math is correct. And judging by how many different outfits he’s seen the kanima in, that he knows of, it’s been at least four days. Because he has no way of knowing how long he was here before he woke up the first time. Or if he’s slept more than one day after her punches. Not to mention how that many blows to the head could affect his brain.
Tracy has fed him twice. Two times in the minimum four days he’s been here. Which doesn’t make any sense to him. If the kanima wants Stiles dead so badly, starvation is a great way to achieve that. She also gives him a bed pan when he needs to go to the bathroom. Which isn’t often and has turned very dark in color due to dehydration. Tracy is surprisingly clinical about it, like undressing and redressing him is nothing of consequence to her.
She’s gone again. And with what little light is sneaking through the cracks, it’s somewhere in the early morning.
He misses Theo.
Stiles never thought he was allowed to do anything or ever voice his feelings to anyone but himself because of the visible heart eyes between Theo and Tracy. Or at least what he thought was obvious. But now, looking back on it, Stiles missed every time that Tracy tried to get close to their Alpha that Theo would come sit by him. Stiles assumed it was Theo not playing favorites. Giving attention to the human of his pack just as much as the others. Like he does with Mason.
But Theo was playing favorites!
And Stiles is his favorite.
How could he have been so stupid? Exactly how long could Stiles have been with Theo if he’d only paid better attention? A couple months? A year? The first time he walked into Theo’s house asking to be in his pack? Longer?
All that time, wasted on obliviousness and pining and Stiles could’ve had what he wanted.
Theo wants him.
If only he has a way out of here. But there’s not much Stiles can do just being human and with a constant tap of kanima venom in his veins.
Stiles’ finger twitches.
His eyes dart to his hand, daring the digit to move again. Tracy has been gone for a while. There’s a lot more daylight coming through the windows now. Maybe the venom is wearing off. Focus, and Stiles might just get out of this. Even as a human he stands a small chance. All he needs is a little luck.
What’s the scene from Kill Bill ? Wiggle your big toe. In Stiles’ case, his pointer finger, but the concept still stands.
Move. Your. Finger.
“Ha!” Stiles cheers in triumph, his finger lifting up and down from the couch at his command. “Come on, Stilinski, keep it u-”
The front door bursts open, Tracy hastily slamming it shut and locking it. Stiles doesn’t need to be able to smell chemosignals to know she’s nervous; terrified even. And the kanima is clutching her side, breath labored.
“Stupid,” Tracy mutters, “so stupid,” as she stumbles towards him grunting. She only makes it halfway before her legs give out and she crumbles against the wall. Tracy pulls her hand back showing it slick with blood. She winces as she presses it on the wound again.
“You’re hurt,” Stiles states.
Tracy snaps, “it’ll heal.”
“What happened?”
The kanima ignores him and growls, taking her hand off the wound again to inspect it.
“What happened?” Stiles repeats.
“Theo happened,” Tracy seethes, half lunging towards him before wincing again. “I thought I could try one last time. The pack was in the kitchen and I was alone with him in the living room.”
Stiles’ leg twitches, but the kanima is too busy telling him her story to notice. Good. Focus on yourself so that the rest of your venom can wear off. Her being wounded increases his chances of making it out of here.
“So I cuddled up to him,” Tracy huffs, “played it off like I was just scenting my pack, trying to help him feel better about still not being able to find you. And then I straddled his lap.” Stiles swallows the bile in his throat. “I kissed him. At first I thought he was going to kiss me back. His hands were on my waist and he groaned. But-” she stops, sounding choked up.
“But?” Stiles asks, pretending like he’s hanging onto every word she’s saying. But in reality, the longer she takes to tell her story, the more time her paralytic has to run its course. He can almost turn his head. Knowing Theo has been looking for him fuels his fight.
“He asked why I smelled like you,” Tracy snarls. “Apparently I didn’t clean your stink off of me well enough when I left last.”
Theo recognizes his scent. And is upset that he’s gone. Hopefully he and his father are raising hell to look for him.
“When I couldn’t give him a good enough answer, Theo sunk his claws into my sides and threw me off of him.” Tracy stands up gingerly and Stiles’ whole body tenses. He’s so close, she can’t scratch him now. “I ran like hell to get here. Time to finish the job. If he wants you so badly, he can find your corpse.”
Shit.
Tracy’s movements are sluggish and his limbs aren’t entirely his own just yet. All Stiles can do is throw himself off the couch and try to crawl away. A slug moves faster. Her hand fists the back of his flannel, throwing Stiles into the wall she was just slumped against.
He definitely felt that.
Numb hands brush the broken glass from his palms right as the front door is kicked in, sending it right off its hinges. Bits of wood splinters clatter on the floor followed by a vicious, loud roar. Both Stiles and Tracy recoil at the sound. The former from the mere volume, the latter out of fear.
Theo, with violently glowing red eyes, rushes into the house; Josh and Hayden behind him.
“Stiles,” the Alpha falls to his knees in front of him while his packmates subdue Tracy. “I’m gonna get you out of here in just a second, Angel,” Theo brushes hair off of Stiles’ forehead before kissing the exposed skin.
“Angel?” Stiles snorts despite himself. It’s cute and he definitely likes it, he just didn’t fully know what to expect if he ever saw Theo again.
“Yes,” Theo smiles softly, stroking his cheek, “ Angel . Would you prefer Baby and Sweetheart too? ‘Cause I can do that.” But then the Alpha notices the state of him. The multicolor bruises on his nose and face from Tracy punching him. The lethargy in Stiles’ limbs. The blood on his palms. Theo’s eyes burn red again, “you’re hurt, baby. She hurt you,” the words are more animalistic in nature, Theo’s anger rising.
“Theo, I’m-”
The Alpha gets up, “Josh, help him,” he commands, seeing Tracy isn’t going anywhere with the hold Hayden has on her hair.
Even from the back you can see the authority in Theo’s posture. His stance is sure as he stalks towards the kanima.
Josh is at his side in an instant, “I’m so sorry, Stiles.” The raiju gently grabs his hands and takes his pain, breathing life back into Stiles’ muscles and reducing the throbbing in his head. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Stiles whispers, eyes never leaving Theo. His palms don’t even sting anymore.
“Hayden,” Theo nods his head in their direction.
“But-” she looks unsure.
“Aww, don’t worry,” the Alpha coos, “Tracy’s not going anywhere.” His voice turns cold, “are you?” The kanima shakes her head no, so Hayden joins Stiles’ side, helping Josh get him to his aching feet. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“Theo, I’m sorry,” Tracy whimpers, curling her shoulders to appear small. “I- I don’t- I’m sorry. I love you and I-”
“You took him from me!” Theo shouts in a growl, “you hurt him!”
“He never tried to do anything,” the kanima babbles, “never acted like he wanted you. You deserve better-”
“I was happy just to have him around!”
Despite the scene, Stiles’ heart warms knowing that even if he’d never voiced his feelings, that him simply being in the pack was enough for the Alpha.
“I’m sorry,” Tracy cries. “I didn’t know what else to do. You don’t notice m-me. I’m sorry, p-please show mercy, Theo,” she begs.
“You might not want to watch this,” Hayden says under her breath, trying to turn Stiles away.
“No,” Stiles fights her hold, eyes locked on the scene. He won’t look away.
“Theo, please,” she sniffles, the Alpha all of two inches away now.
“No,” Theo snarls, claws sinking into the kanima’s throat. “You don’t deserve mercy,” he says, ripping out her jugular and tossing it aside. Theo’s in front of him before her body hits the floor. “Let’s get you home, Angel. Mason and Corey are making your favorite. Your dad should be there soon too.”
“I missed you so much,” Stiles admits, falling into the Alpha’s chest.
“I missed you too, Angel,” Theo cups his cheeks to kiss his forehead. “I missed you too.”
Stiles chokes up a bit, leaning in to properly kiss Theo for himself. Feeling safe for the first time in a long time simply by being in Theo’s arms.