"Isn't this like illegal?" Mason asked, eyeing the door.

"Probably, but my dad hasn't caught me yet," shrugged Stiles, plopping down in the Sheriff's chair.

Theo rolled his eyes as he leaned back against a file cabinet, crossing his arms over his chest. This was not how he pictured these guys organizing themselves. Just the senior leadership, with an extra head that dragged him along. Yet he wasn't the least bit surprised that this discombobulated mess of hormones was so dysfunctional. Who would have thought the pushover puppy and werewolf Hulk were the sensible parts of these meetings?

"Have you guys found anything since Thursday?"

"Did you, while you ran around scaring normal people?" Stiles countered, looking at Theo.

"I didn't see any of you out there," Theo snorted, pushing off the cabinet, arms dropping to his sides as he stepped forward.

"Some people are smart enough to not-"

"Boys, focus," Lydia sighed, sitting on a corner of the desk. "We've gone through the few neighborhoods around that section with a fine-tooth comb, right?"

Mason nodded, flopping onto the brown couch, as close as possible to Theo. "At least twice over."

He recrossed his arms, a low grumble in his throat as he pressed his back to the file cabinet again. This whole thing was ridiculous. It was noon. They should be out searching with their ears to the ground, not huddled up in an office. Was this all that they had been doing? No wonder they found nothing the last two days. At least he had been out and about. Coyotes were the best trackers, strong noses and the ability to move without a trace. He should have found something…

"Let's go through the non-residential areas then. Look up warehouses, industrial plants, or abandoned construction sites in the area," Lydia said, shifting to watch the screen as Stiles typed.

Theo dropped an arm from his chest. "There's a small lot of warehouse storage, like three abandoned construction sites, one them being a gigantic hole in the ground, and an old, condemned factory."

Stiles peeked over the monitor, eyeing him distrustfully, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Theo blinked twice, glancing to Lydia and Mason, raising an eyebrow, unsure of what had caused such a shift in focus.

"What?" He asked, his nail beds itching as he looked back at Stiles.

"Why do you know that off the top of your head?"

"The Doctors considered setting up in the factory before they found the sewer network since the non-res areas don't get patrolled as often," he said with a half-shrug.

"Speaking of sewers, did anyone check them?" Mason asked, glancing at the pair behind the desk.

"No, we will need to do that today too," grumbled Stiles as he sat back, rubbing at his eyes.

Theo tilted his head, watching Stiles as he checked his phone. Dark bags clung to his face, no matter how hard he rubbed at them, and his eyes skipped across the room, half-dazed and half-spastic. He looked like shit. Admittedly, he wasn't the only one. Without Liam around to drag him back to his house, Theo didn't have access to a shower, unless he could sneak into the school's locker room, or a bed other than the back of his truck.

"No way we cover all this in one day as a unit," Lydia shook her head, pursing her lips at the screen.

"Splitting up would be faster. Works in Scooby-Doo, right?" Mason smiled tentatively, looking between the others.

A wave of excitement swept through the room from Mason, light smell that tingled in Theo's nose. Hope was still so foreign to him. It always took him a second to figure out what it was.

"No one in the Scooby Gang is a serial killer though," Stiles grumped, looking straight at Theo. "We stick together. Can't have anyone screwing with evidence or getting lost."

"What's with the accusations, huh? It's not like I'm the one that suggested it."

"But you'd be the one to benefit from it. So no. End of discussion."

"Stiles, you're not being reasonable here!" Mason stood, once again standing between Theo and Stiles.

Lydia groaned, tutting at both him and Stiles. He wouldn't blame her if she screamed and kicked him out. Arguing over him was getting them nowhere and wasted time. They would be better off if he stopped coming to these. Stiles would be less exhausted, more focused on finding Liam if he wasn't worried if Theo was up to something. Mason would understand, even if his wolf and coyote wouldn't. It was all about saving Liam. And Scott. They came first.

"We're splitting into three groups. Stiles, you take Theo and either Corey or Isaac. I'll take Mason and Malia. Parrish will take whoever you don't and your dad."

"What do you mean WORK WITH HIM?! He tried to kill me and succeeded with Scott!"

"It's the only choice that maintains everyone's sanity. Work with him so you have your eyes on him at all times and work out your damn issues where I don't have to listen to you."

"But-"

"No buts." Lydia whipped towards him, holding out a single finger. "You're working with Theo. End of discussion. Now move," she said, all but shoving Stiles out of the chair, ignoring his protests.

As much as Theo respected Scott, he had a healthy measure of fear related to the banshee. She had every member of the pack wrapped around her pinky, without some of them even realizing it. One look and most of the pack scrambled to listen to her. Not even Stiles had that. If she wanted, Lydia could scream out their eardrums and throw every one of them out a window without breaking a sweat. Her control was nothing short of impressive, always had been.

"You're being such a drama queen," Lydia said, several quick succession mouse-clicks punctuating her words.

"Queen? Try emperor. He's embodying Kuzco," Mason chuckled.

The printer roared to life next to Theo, shooting out sheet after sheet, which Lydia marched over and picked up. She handed him and Mason each a copy before returning to the desk and putting the rest into her purse.

"Everyone take a sheet, meet up with your partners in the designated areas. Check-in every half hour while you're out. Check-out when you leave. Remember, these guys are dangerous, be on your toes and don't engage them. Understood?" She looked between each of them, waiting for their brief nods before smiling and nodding. "Good. I'll see you boys later then."

A thin silence spread as Theo looked over the page. It outlined his zone in blue with a bolded note for Stiles to remember they were working together. He sighed, shaking his head. Together was a stretch for almost anyone in the pack with him. Almost. Liam and Mason put up with his attitude well enough. Probably a by-product of not grating on every inch of his self-control or assuming that he would not murder them at the first opportunity.

Stiles walked away from the desk, hands linked behind his head as he sighed, heavily debating who would join them. Not that it really should have been much of a choice. Theo knew firsthand how great Corey was at reconnaissance and sneaking around, but Isaac was one hell of a fighter, according to Argent when they both came back a year ago.

"Mason, tell your boyfriend he's with Parrish and my dad. You," Stiles pointed to Theo, "get your ass moving."

"After you, emperor," Theo waved his hand towards the door, half-heartedly bowing.

"You're not my favorite person today," grumbled Stiles as he huffed past him.

"Let's be real, I'm not your favorite person any day."

Theo chuckled as he followed Stiles out of the building, turning to his truck on instinct before realizing he had.

"Am I meeting you there or are we riding together?" He asked, half-turning back.

"Meet there. I want to be as mobile as possible, just in case."

Nodding, he turned back to the truck. It made sense, honestly. The more mobile they all were, the better they could respond to any and every lead they got. Just because it made sense didn't keep Stiles' choice from stinging, though. No matter what he did, nothing would overwrite what he had done. Not that he would behave any differently in Stiles' position. Trusting someone went against both of their natures, and he already betrayed him and his friends once.

Theo opened the door of his truck, climbing in with ease, turning it on in the same motion. He bit the inside of his cheek, screwing his eyes shut as he gripped the steering wheel. His wolf was spinning in circles again, whining, wanting to make right with the others, wanting a pack. Even the damn coyote was moping in its own way, bristling and snapping at him.

People don't give trust more than once. He had been lucky that Liam and Mason really even bothered to try trusting him a second time. Stiles tried a second as much as he could, and then Theo turned around and stabbed the entire pack in the back. Third time would never happen, not with someone smart like Stiles.

He hissed as he opened his eyes and threw the gearshift into reverse.

An hour of near silent walking, with him burning holes in Theo's back, had him about ready to scream. He had a lot of patience. Strategizing required it. Anyone could think up the greatest con of all time, the one where they got all the power, and the girl was still in love with them, the fairytale ending. He used to think he was the guy who could pull it off, maybe sans the love interest. There was never time for that, no reason to want it. What could loving someone give him that power couldn't?

"Do you even feel guilty? Like at all?" Stiles asked, tripping yet again over the slick forest floor.

"I don't have time to feel guilty," Theo huffed, walking a little faster, trying to hide how he flinched.

He didn't need another lecture on his past behavior or how untrustworthy he was. By now he had heard every variation of those two topics, mostly from Stiles. Liam gave him a fair few those first months back, along with more bloody noses than he had cared to count. All they did was fight from the moment they met, when all he knew about Liam was that a shit-ton of raw power existed behind the puppy face. He still had no explanation for why he played Ghost Rider bait, but neither did Liam about why he agreed to fight with him in the elevator.

"What does that even mean? How the hell can you be too busy to feel something?" Stiles mumbled behind him, trying to disguise his breathing.

It was as easy as breathing for him. Feelings were secondary. If it was useless in survival situations, then he didn't care. If it made him vulnerable, he shunned it. Allowing himself to feel did nothing but put him in danger of being deemed a failure. He had been their perfect weapon for eight years, survived longer than anyone else, longer than them! Survival was all that mattered before. Living another day, siding with the winning team which he usually made sure was his team, was all that he cared about. The coyote in him had reveled in the thrill, smothering his wolf's howls for something more.

He pushed forward, stumbling into a jog, periodically scenting the air. If the hunters he mauled were still alive and active within their group, he could easily pick up their scent. That was the fundamental reason he was there, besides being another pair of claws protecting the human who preferred him in the ground.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" Isaac called out as Theo passed him.

Slowing to a stop, he looked over his shoulder. The extent of his knowledge about Isaac was minimal. No reason to research someone who wasn't around and hadn't been for a couple years by that point. He regretted that now. Isaac was even more of a closed book than he was. Intrigued as that made him, he respected the evident need for privacy.

"You really care or just asking so Stiles doesn't skin you too?"

"Neither. He never scared me."

"Then why?"

Isaac shrugged, "Leaving people unsupervised in this town gets people dead. Figured you'd be intent on staying alive till we got Scott and Liam back." Isaac tutted as he shook his head. "Guess not. Too bad, though."

"I respectfully suggest you shut up before I acquaint you with my claws," Theo growled, side-glaring at Isaac.

He had had enough of people jabbing at his credibility or reminding him how much of a liability they still thought he was. Just done with it. If Isaac wanted to judge him, then he could drop back and talk with Stiles about it.

"Well, aren't you just a fun little lollipop triple dipped in psycho," Isaac said, biting back a hint of laughter.

Theo's growl deepened, growing loud enough to rumble through the trees. He could feel his claws and fangs itching to come out as his animals bristled, eager to let off the steam they'd been holding back all morning. At least Isaac had the decency to look stunned and the good sense to keep his mouth shut as Theo bargained his animals into submission, promising them a run later. Satisfied enough, they retreated, allowing Theo to force back the prickling in his hands and gums, sheathing his claws and fangs.

"Pretty in control for an omega psychopath," Isaac said, an impressed quirk to his lips as he smiled.

"Trying not to be anymore," he snorted, walking off again.

"We all try to do that."

"We?" Theo couldn't stop the shock from rippling across his face as he stopped and turned back to him.

"Had a brush with power hungry tendencies. Call it a reaction a shitty ass teenager-hood." Isaac twirled his hand nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders and started walking.

He passed Theo, giving him a knowing half-smirk. His eyes lingered on Isaac's smug expression, feet rooted to the ground. A smile tugged at his lips as he forced his legs to move, following the wolf. Never in his wildest thoughts did he ever consider that Scott and Stiles had previous experience with someone remotely like him.

"What-" Theo broke off his own sentence, clearing his throat, hoping to hide how small he had just sounded. "What changed?"

"Found people that made me want to, that I felt safe enough to do it around." Isaac chuckled quietly, more of a series of huffs as he smiled and wiped at his eyes. "You know about Allison?"

"The Argent girl Scott was in love with?"

"Yeah. She, uh… She and Scott were my big reasons. She used to say Scott was 'pumpkin spice and everything nice'."

"That's a tooth-achingly accurate description," Theo chuckled, smiling as the waves of happiness rolled off Isaac. It smelled so light and damn near infectious, even though the salty tang of sadness lingered with it.

"Isn't it?" Isaac smiled. "No matter what he stayed all puppy dog smiles and heart eyes at the world. I didn't understand how, especially after she…" Isaac exhaled heavily, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Now I do, more or less."

Theo didn't have words as he watched Isaac out of the corner of his eyes. This was someone who said they had craved power, had had to survive in a crappy situation, and here he was showing genuine emotions openly, showing that change was possible…

"ISAAC! RAEKEN!" Stiles shouted, still somewhat behind them.

Both stopped in their tracks and turned, glancing at one another before racing back to Stiles. How were they both such idiots? He forgot about the second most important part of this outing, protect the human. Of course the hunters would have set up some kind of trap, and of course he would have fallen in it, and par for the damn course he would end up getting blamed. He deserved to be blamed for his own actions, not other people's!

He skidded to a stop just beside Stiles, scanning over him quickly as he turned, catching scents of panic and anger, but nothing besides Stiles and the woods themselves.

"What happened?" He asked, stepping towards Stiles, watching the sparse trees.

"Retreat. Stiles, for fuck's sake, I said retreat! They're more than you're equipped for," Derek's panicked voice rang out from the phone Theo hadn't noticed that Stiles was holding.

"Okay, Der, I hear you. Geez. You think I'm dumb enough to ignore you?"

"Do you want an honest answer or the one I'm mandated to give by being your boyfriend?"

"Ouch, that hurts, Sourwolf. It really does," Stiles feigned hurt as his eyebrows scrunched at the man who wasn't there. "We're heading back now. I promise- Derek, I swear. We- Isaac talk to him. Tell him we're leaving." Stiles held the phone out to the wolf, shaking his head with a fond, exasperated smile on his face.

Isaac took it with a sigh, walking a few steps away as Derek continued to bellow into the phone. Theo shook his head, his animals surging forward again, both bristling and snarling at the thought of leaving before finishing the job. They had to find them. They had to do everything possible to find them.

"What do you mean we're leaving?" Theo asked. "We haven't checked the whole section yet. We can't leave them behi-"

"I mean we're leaving. Derek and Argent found intel on who these hunters are, and they're bad news. Like bad bad news, worse than Monroe."

"What do you mean worse than her? She turned the whole fucking town against us and nearly killed multiple people in the pack."

"Gee, a lot like someone else I know." Stiles rolled his eyes, entire body practically following the expression. "Jibing aside, we need to go. Now."

Theo snarled, eyes blazing golden as he grabbed Stiles' shirt and backed him into a tree before he had a chance to react. He only had so much control, and it was nearly gone, barely enough to keep him from physically ripping into Stiles.

"What do you mean worse than Monroe?" He growled, fangs slurring his words.

"Take your hands off me, Theo," Stiles grunted, trying to loosen his grip.

"Tell me." Theo's grip cinched tighter, claws ripping through the fabric as he pushed Stiles more firmly into the tree.

"I didn't ask for details. Why would I waste time asking when I trust the people giving me the description and we're supposed to be leaving.?" Stiles wheezed out the last part as Theo pressed harder into his chest, yet another growl seeping from him.

"Let him go," Isaac said calmly, putting a hand flat on Theo's shoulder.

He glanced at him, snarling, unwilling to wrangle his animals. The coyote was crying for blood, yearning for revenge against the people who were supposedly worse than the most heartless person he'd ever met. The wolf lashed out at anything, too angry to see straight. Liam was in trouble, life or death trouble, and he was useless.