A/N: The First chapter is just going to be little snippets of Conor's involvement with the pack through the years. The rest of the chapter wont be like this. Kinda like the Prologue. It's not meant to go into too much detail, but I promise the next chapters will be better. Reading this chapter though is necessary to understand the rest of the book. Have fun reading!
For most people, being in the spotlight is a dream; a dream that some would do anything for. Those who have been in the spotlight though, they can tell you about the shadow it casts, how it stretches on forever, an endless pit of darkness and misery. Conor, well, he didn't really need a spotlight, a little flashlight would do. He just wanted people to notice him, to appreciate him and love him. Guess it was a little too much to ask for, because when it finally does happen, when that stage light burns so bright on him center stage, he's not expecting how dark his shadow truly is.
The first time it happens, the first time Conor starts to notice things acting weird in Beacon Hills, he's on a run, just jogging through the woods like any other lonely fourteen year old. He spends most of his time on his own, so he's taken up a lot of hobbies to keep himself occupied. A lot of them aren't exactly one hundred percent legal, so running was the most innocent thing he could do at the time.
He was just passing the creek when he smelled it, it was a very pungent odor, like a year old tuna fish sandwich. The smell itself isn't all that bad, but the sight, the sight is what had him reeling back and scrambling for his phone.
It's a body.
Half of a body.
He was dialing 911 before he was even aware of it, putting his phone up to his ear as he continued to look on in horror of the severed legs in front of him.
The second time it happens, he's on a run again. Running through town now, since he's been avoiding the Preserve like the plague ever since he found the lower half of Laura Hale's body. He's been seeing a counselor three times a week, which should be good, should make him feel better for getting some help. His parents though, they're not even around, they're off on some exotic trip to Aruba or Bora Bora, they don't even know he's seeing a Psychologist.
He really should pay his therapist more.
When he hears the scream, his blood runs cold, turning down the street he sees as something big, black, and terrifying crashes through the window of the video store, takes one look at him, and deems him unimportant, running in the opposite direction.
Which really, it shouldn't hurt. Because that thing, whatever it is, is a monster. It should make him feel better that a monster doesn't want him.
It doesn't.
It makes him feel worse, like he's not important. Just another face in the crowd, not a shimmering diamond in the sea, but one of the rocks in the cave.
Snapping out it, he turns and continues jogging down the street in the opposite direction, blasting Britney Spears, and if he runs a little faster than before, well that's no one's business but his.
He really should pay his therapist more.
Conor should really know better than to be using a fake ID to get into the Jungle, but he's bored and desperate for some type of attention. The security guard takes one look at him when he shows his ID, gives him an unimpressed look, but lets him in anyways. Conor immediately made a beeline for the bar.
Sitting on one of the stools at the counter he casually slips the bartender a twenty, sending a flirtatious wink. "Scotch on the rocks, and keep 'em comin'."
He looks around at all the other patrons of the gay bar, teenagers grinding on the dance floor surrounded by men of varying ages, many of them staring hungrily at him.
It makes him feel wanted.
Sipping his drink the bartender just put down, he watches as these two guys walk in from the back, sending each other looks of surprise that make Conor laugh where he sits at the bar. He laughs even harder when some of the drag queens start running their hands up the pale scrawny one's arms.
He watches them with a predatory smirk as they come over to the bar and promptly get turned down by the other bartender, the hot one. So being the generous guy he was, he bought the cute tan one, with a an adorably crooked jaw, a scotch for himself to enjoy. Raising his glass in acknowledgment, Conor can't help but smile back at him when his face forms the cutest smile ever.
He should've known doing something nice would get him into trouble.
He's just glad he's not one of the paralyzed one's on the ground, but he does have a nasty bruise from where some tall, dark, and very hot guy had thrown him out of the way of some giant lizard thing.
He shouldn't even be surprised.
This was Beacon Hills.
Conor thought all this crazy stuff was finally over, he really did, he thought that the giant lizard thing was crazy. Boy was he wrong.
Finishing buttoning the buttons on his nice shirt, he walked in through the doors of the school. Scanning the rows for somewhere to sit. He saw a couple of people from his English class mingling with the upper class-men, and a pang of want shocked through him. He wanted to be apart of that, to have friends to talk to, but everyone just saw him as the spoiled rich boy with daddy issues and mental problems.
Making his way down the middle row, he took a seat in the front row, sighing as he sat down. He looked off to the right and another pang of want ran through him at the sight of two boys being intimate. He wanted that too, had tried it a few times, but people just ended up using him in the end. Whether it be for his money, or his body.
He never should've stopped seeing his therapist.
When the note rang out through the room, a sharp shrill noise, and the cord ripped out of it's placement, slashing the music teachers throat wide open and spraying the front row in blood. Conor kinda freaked out a little.
He was running down the hall, trying to find a bathroom to wash his face off in, what he came across was not a bathroom however.
It was an open classroom.
With a werewolf inside.
Who also happened to be the cute boy from The Jungle.
How was this his life?
Demonic Ninjas.
Demonic.
Ninjas.
That's currently what he's staring at. He had been making out with an older man not minutes before, before the man who's lips were just on his turned to the DJ and flipped the table, causing everyone to freeze. To be honest Conor just found that even more attractive, and maybe he could even stay.
That all went out the window when everyone started scrambling to get out, teens rushing out the door. He watched them in amusement, which quickly turned to horrified fascination as Demonic Ninjas appeared out of nowhere.
Which brings us back to where we left off.
The guy he was making out with, who's name he learned was Derek. Pushed Conor behind him and started fighting the ninjas, which should've been terrifying but just made Conor think he was even more hot.
He desperately needed attention.
As they continued to fight, the guy with the crooked jaw, who's name is Scott, (Conor thinks it's a little odd he keeps running into him but thinks better than to mention it), pushes the new girl Kira behind him in a protective manor. Eyes glowing red, which again, woah. Cause that's an upgrade from the yellow he had a month prior.
Pretty soon the sun starts coming up and they all watch as they disappear.
They disappeared.
The demonic ninjas vanished into smoke.
"Nope." Conor says, walking to the door past all the bewildered expressions. "Nuh-uh, not my problem." He continues on out the door, never once looking back.
He should've gone back.
Conor wasn't expecting this one to happen, he really wasn't. He was trying to be better, trying to do his best to make himself proud. He had no real parents to make proud, they just didn't care.
He was leaving school after a late night study session at the library when he got the text about a rager being thrown at someone's house, along with an address. He wasn't going to go, he really wasn't.
Mason said otherwise.
"Get in." Garrett said, Mason opening the back door for him to hop in.
Starting to sweat nervously, not used to the attention. He stammered. "I was actually going to go home-"
"Nope. You're going to a party with us, because someone as hot as you should not be wondering the streets alone at night. Someone could damage that pretty little face. Plus Liam will be there." Mason said cheekily, scooting over for Conor to hop in.
Blushing a deep scarlet, Conor just hopped into the back with a quiet thanks.
The ride there was very silent, with the occasional song request from Garrett and Mason as Violet controlled the radio. Conor just stared out the window for most of it, thinking.
He didn't care that Liam was at the party.
He didn't.
But he did.
He cared more about Liam than he thought possible, and he barely knew him anymore. Once upon a time it was Liam and him against the world, they'd been through so much. Then Liam moved, left him behind without a trace, and he was forever known as the loner.
Everyone left him eventually.
Everyone Abandoned him.
His friends.
His parents.
Liam
Mason lightly shook his shoulder, telling him they were pulling into the parking space. Conor quickly hopped out as soon as the car was in park, he watched as tons of cars filled the driveway and a sea of teens got out and rang the door. He moved along to the door as Mason and Garett caught up to him.
Lydia Martin opened the door, looking a little put off to see them. "Is this the party?" Garett asked, voice wavering from the glare Lydia sent them all.
Through grit teeth she managed to squeeze out one word. "Absolutely." Which had the sea swarming past her into the warmth of the lake house.
Conor lost Mason within the first hour, sighing to himself he decided to just take a walk around the premises. Getting lost in his own thoughts he barely registered the sound of leaves crunching under his foot as he made his way deeper into the forest. He looked up at the sky, still lost in thought when he heard a growl.
"Hello?" He asked, whirling around, heart hammering in his chest as he looked at a pair of glowing yellow eyes. "Scott?" He asked cautiously, raising his hands in a show of peace. His breath caught in his throat as he remembered one vital detail.
Scott's eyes were red.
Fuck.
"Stay calm." He murmured to himself as he slowly backed away from the unfamiliar werewolf in front of him.
He quickly changed paced as the werewolf through themselves at him, he started running towards the house as fast as he could, but he barely made it a dozen steps when he was tackled from behind. He flipped over and tried shoving the body off him, but the body was either his size or bigger (Which wasn't saying much) because they barely even budged.
He stared into the eyes above him, memories of a much simpler time flooding through his mind as he studied the face. This face was familiar, it was one he knew, one he dreamed of, one he loved. It was different right now, in his wolf shape, but he'd recognize that face anywhere.
"Liam?" He asked incredulously, still staring into the twin golden orbs.
They stared at each other, and Conor watched in fascination as Liam's seemed to melt back into his normal ones. The young werewolf still pinning him to the ground melted away to the person he loved, there was so much concern in those eyes, so much fear. Amazed, he ran his fingers along Liam's jaw, before cupping his cheek. He leaned up a little, Liam meeting him half way. They rested their foreheads together, eyes locked on one another. Conor eyes fluttering closed and brought his head forward, there lips grazed each other just barely before-
"Liam!" Scott shouted, sending the once calm boy into a fit of panic.
Liam immediately shifted again, accidentally scratching Conor's arm with his claws. Wincing, Conor grabbed his arm in pain and watched in fear as Liam looked down at his hands where a trail of blood was still on his claws. His eyes briefly flickered back to blue before he was racing off into the woods. Scott taking off after him, after making sure Conor was okay first. Conor watched as the two boys raced off, feeling the pang of want rush through him once more.
Liam left him.
He was alone.
Again.
It had been months. Months since that fateful day in the woods. Months since his last interaction with Liam. Months since the almost kiss.
He was sick of it, sick of waiting for Liam to come talk to him, so if he wouldn't come to him. Conor would make sure his presence was known.
Conor didn't expect it to be at Sinema.
Conor had a full plan of how he was gonna corner Liam in the library earlier that day and poor his heart out, but Liam was no where to be found. So in his state of despair he stumbled into the club, wielding a new fake ID, and made his way to the bar. He never reached it though.
Long arms encircled his waste and dragged him to the back of the club. He pushed his back to a sturdy chest behind him when lips immediately found a spot on his neck to start sucking. He didn't hear the pleased growl of the man as he moaned in pleasure, or the answering growl from across the club. He was in pure bliss, pure and hot bliss and he didn't care.
"I'm Brett." The tall boy whispered into his ear, making Conor shiver and the tall boy chuckle.
He was about to return the favor of introduction, but suddenly Brett was pulled from his body and thrown back. Turning in surprised outrage, Conor was about to throw down when he realized who it was.
Blinking in confusion at the werewolf in front of him, he asked dumbfounded. "Liam?" He was quickly pushed again the wall, being pinned once more but the teen boy in front of him.
"Mine." He growled, eyes glowing and fangs popping out.
Liam lightly grazed his fangs over his exposed jugular, enlisting another pleased moan from Conor. Liam, the little shit, just grinned and moved down, biting a little hard, sucking a deep bruise into his neck to mark what was his.
They should really talk about this whole objectifying thing soon.
But there was a dude with glowing black eyes and spikes on his arm currently fighting Brett, which they seemed to have missed in their little extravagant adventure of lust.
Liam composed himself a lot quicker than Conor thought possible, joining the fight with Brett (who was also apparently a werewolf, apparently Conor was a magnet for the weird) and kicking some serious ass. They were soon joined by Scott and Kira, the latter taking off her belt, he expected her pants to fall down.
That apparently wasn't the purpose of the belt.
No, the purpose was for the belt was to turn into a fucking sword. Which, cool, but so not the point. Conor was pretty much in a trance as they all fought against this thing. Brett was down but the others were still fighting, which, again, so cool.
That's when things actually started getting weird.
They managed to knock their opponent out, and were moving him when a blade attached to a chain appeared out of nowhere, impaling the bad guy thingy and killing it. Conor followed the chain when it started retracting and saw who it belonged to.
He wish he hadn't.
The weapon belonged to a group of sciencey robots, they seemed out of tune with reality, constantly blurring and making weird noises. Conor heard Scott talking but he just continued to stare at them, when suddenly, they were right in front of him.
Injecting a liquid into his neck, immediately he collapsed. His vision blurred and soon his world was flipped upside down as the robo-scientists lifted him up and carried him away. The last thing he heard before he completely succumbed to the darkness were the howls of outrage coming from Liam.
Conor woke up strapped to a table, staring at a grubby ceiling. He could feel something inside of him, and when he looked down the table he saw the monstrous people working on him like doctors. They had his entire front open like those people getting autopsies on crime shows, there was an eerie blue glow covering all of his bones and organs.
Conor screamed.
Not really his best plan considering most of his organs were on full display to the patrons of the room, which was traumatizing of itself. He screamed and screamed but it was as if these doctor wannabes had heard the screams before and were now use to them.
"His condition looks...promising." The Surgeon stated in his metallic voice, they all continued to work on him.
Conor was getting more agitated by the minute. "What the actual hell is wrong with you?" He fumed, trying to break out of his restraints, but it was like moving through water.
The one female looking one merely stopped moving, and stared at him. "His condition is...undetermined. More work may be necessary."
"Excuse me?"
The other two looked at the third, before the Geneticist continued. "Perhaps he could be of some...other uses."
"Hello? Human pincushion currently talking."
They all ignored him, sowing him up. "Spare parts?...Or maybe a last resort?" The Pathologist stated, causing the other two to buzz their agreement.
"You can't keep him here forever." Someone spoke up from the back, a normal, human sounding voice. A voice that was oddly familiar.
"Theo?" Conor asked, straining his neck to the side to try an get a glimpse of the upper classmen. "Theo run! Go get help!"
The hot teenager approached the table, chuckling darkly and looking down at the young test subject. "Oh Conor, so innocent, so pure. The Doctors will fix that." He explained, eyes darkening with every word.
Conor should've stayed home.
"You-you can't keep me here forever. Liam will find me-" Conor was abruptly cut off as Theo let out a loud bark of a laugh, cementing the fact he was truly evil in Conor's mind.
"Little Liam, well probably not so little to you. Considering he's taller, besides the point. He's currently losing faith in his abilities, in his Alpha. I really doubt he's sparing you a second thought right now, he has so much on his plate. Why would he be worried about a failure like you? An unwanted, unneeded, needy little bitch that's only good for one thing." Theo's words hurt more than the needle currently stitching him back up, tears gathered in Conor's eyes and streamed down his face as Theo finished.
The leaned down, his lips brushing his ear as he said those awful words. "A good fuck."
"System shall be...in stasis. Constant. Unchanging. For the time being." The Surgeon decided for the group, Theo looked angrily at them but said no more. With Conor out of the way it might actually be easier for Theo to manipulate Liam.
"Like the Nazi?" Theo questioned, glancing over at the still humanoid form of the once Alpha Lowenmench in the stasis pod.
"Hauptmann."
"Der Soldat."
"Garrett Douglas."
"Enjoy your new roomie." Theo spat, leaving the the room as The Dread Doctors once again injected Conor in the neck with a syringe, put a breathing mask on him and dumped his body into the open stasis pod next to the other occupied one.
As the feeling of some type of liquid surrounded him, and the drugs started to take affect as he used the oxygen mask to breathe, Conor watched as Theo hesitated by the door. He turned around and gave Conor an almost regretful look, before closing the door as Conor sunk into unconsciousness.
Being in stasis was weird, it was like you were awake, but also asleep. Aware of everything going on around you, but unable to do anything. Conor had heard (even if it was somewhat distorted by the liquid surrounding him and the glass he was in) a lot in his time there. Most of it was sciency words that the Doctors used, but most of it he understood.
"The book worked, and now they're going to see Valek. They're going tonight."
Theo
"To Eichen...To Eichen..."
The nuthouse?
"Please don't hurt me."
Someone new. A young man around my age.
"Your condition worsens."
He's going to die.
"Her condition improves."
Who's her?
"Hayden...Hayden..."
Creepy
Some days, he got entire conversations, when the fog around his mind was clearer, and the voices were louder.
"I need more time... Are you listening to me? I said I need more time." Theo said, his voice echoing around the stasis tube Conor was in.
The Surgeon, in his staticy voice, simply stated. "Perigee Syzygy.
The Geneticist: "The Supermoon. We'll know at the Perigee Syzygy." The Geneticist explained to the distraught Chimera.
"What about Hayden? What about Conor?" Theo asked desperately, his voice closer to Conor than it was before.
"Hayden...Failure. Subject X...status is inconsequential." The Surgeon said, making Conor's already cold body colder. At least he got a cool nickname.
"No. No. No. Not to me." Theo said, his eyes were locked on Conor's figure. His hair was flowing slowly in the pod, his limbs were limp, his face covered by an oxygen mask. It honestly scared Theo how much concern he had for the prone figure.
"Failure compromises the experiment pool...as for the boy...we have no use for him anymore. Success, but unneeded." The Surgeon buzzed, not giving Theo a second glance.
"I kept Scott out of your way. I did everything you wanted. Now I need her alive. He needs to be freed." Theo seethed, right in front of Conor's prison.
"Inconsequential."
"You promised me a pack." Theo's hand was resting on the glass, he was looking at one of the only wrongs he ever regretted. Conor didn't deserve this.
"We promised you nothing."
"I need her alive!" Theo shouted, whipping around to stare at the Doctors. The room ran silent as they all looked at the boy, slowly backing away towards the door.
"Only until the Perigee Syzygy."
"And Conor?"
...
"The boy stays."
That was the last thing Conor heard for a long time.
There was silence in the lab, The Dread Doctors were dead. That much he knew, he had heard the struggle and the abrupt stopping of the static noise. He knew they were finally dead, and he was sure that the others were going to come looking for him. Hoped, at least. He hoped someone would come free him.
The sound of breaking glass and water being released brought him out of his daze, he heard the squelching of feet as they walked across the room towards him. He opened his eyes a sliver, and through the haze and water he managed to make out glowing red eyes.
"He will do nicely." A voice stated, he had a thick German accent and as his vision focused he could tell by the way his skin was healing that he was very handsome.
Before Conor had a second to think about what he meant by that, the Alpha broke the glass protecting Conor with his fist. Causing all the water to rush out of the tube, dragging Conor out with it. He expected to hit the floor, but the strange man caught him. He helped Conor gather his footing, and gently took the oxygen mask off of him.
Conor breathed in the now fresh air and blinked, once, twice, and his vision finally focused completely. The man towered above him, completely naked, eyes still glowing red. His once grayish skin was now completely healed, and he was hot.
"What's your name boy?" The man asked, his German accent flickering between that and an American accent.
Conor, still struggling to catch his bearings, told him. "C-Conor."
"I'm Garrett Douglas, and I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of fun." The man said, and with that, he took Conor forcible and dragged him over to the table. Strapping him down.
"W-what are you doing?!" Conor screamed, Douglas merely chuckled and placed a washcloth in his mouth.
Douglas took out some supplies from the cabinet, laying down some bottles full of liquid. He had fangs, claws, and other animal parts layed out in front of each bottle on the table, and he was studying each one, like he was seeing which one would suit Conor the best. Finally he turned around, after mixing a few liquids together, and held up the syringe while walking over to the boy.
"Don't worry, I've seen The Dread Doctors do this countless times." He smiled, before plunging the needle right into Conor's heart.
He felt his whole body start to change, his teeth elongated into fangs, piercing the gag. His nails quickly grew into claws, his skin started to ripple as scaled appeared on some parts of his body, 5 tiny pointed horns grew along the top of his forehead. He felt his back open up and a pairs of wings and a tail grew straight up, before his back closed and they fell down to where they should be. That wasn't even the worst of it though, no, it was so much worse.
Conor was on fire.
The fire burned him alive, and he healed himself in milliseconds, over and over again. As long as the flames were burning, he felt that constant pain.
As the flames consumed his whole body, melting the restraints, he spit the gag out and turned to the Nazi, lunging at him. Garrett only needed to flash his red eyes and growl, and had Conor showing his own Golden eyes while cowering on the ground in front of him.
"You are absolutely beautiful." Hauptmann growled, grabbing the new Chimera's chin and turning his face to look him in the eyes, careful of the ever present flames.
Garrett turned, and walked towards the door, Conor quickly scrambling after him like an obedient little puppy. The former Nazi opened the door, turned to look at his new "beta", and led them into the night.
