Chapter Text
"What do we do with them? Kill them?"
A voice just outside of their giant cage - which resembles a fighting ring - asks. The only dim light provided swings hazardly above them. They huddle together for some semblence of comfort and warmth.
Lydia, Stiles, Derek, Malia and Scott are curled up closest to where the Hunters could be heard. Liam, Corey, Mason, and begrudgingly Theo were curled up furthest from them.
"The boss has Intel that at least 2 of them are full-shifters. She wants to use them as guard dogs and labour pullers. She plans to keep the others here for leverage."
The entire pack tenses, Malia and Derek glance at each other. Their little huddle curling further around them in a sort of protective circle. The puppy pack simply tense further but dont make a move.
"Alright beasts"
One of the Hunters addresses them, a disgusted glint in his eye and hostility souring his scent.
"Here's how this is going to work, we dont trust you not to lie to us about who here can full-shift. You might not even know, so we're gonna douse all of you with it. Those who turn four legged and furry will be taken for test, those who don't, well count yourselves lucky"
He barely finished his sentence before a blue mist was descending from the ceiling, the effect was almost instantaneous. Malia was the first to fold, screams tearing their way through her throat as the chemical forced her to shift.
Scott and Stiles reached for her, whispering reassurances. Derek grit his teeth as he held off as long as he could, Lydia gripping his arm as tears make their way into her eyes.
The puppy pack simply watch on in horror, not paying attention when Theo's claws rake down the cement.
Derek starts screaming seconds before he folds over and black fur starts appearing.
A choked sob forces its say through Theo's throat, earning the attention of the Puppy Pack, who although confused immediately move to help him through it.
Although it may have only been minutes, it felt like hours until two wolves, a large Black one and a smaller Black one, and a coyote lay panting from phantom pains.
"Theo?" Scott asks, confusion written all over his face, and soon spreading to the rest of the pack.
"Since when could he full shift? And wouldn't he be like a mix? like Coyote AND Wolf" Stiles questioned as he gently rests a hand over Derek and Malia's fur.
They're startled when a voice speaks up, glee and interest coating her voice.
"Oh this is wonderful. A Wolf, a Cayote. And well well well, a little mutt as well"
She drawls, a sickly sweet voice, scraping their ear drums. She waves a hand and Hunters immobilize the remaining pack members as three more enter the cage, slipping ropes around their necks and dragging them from the cage.
Derek snarls and growls, snapping at any hand that comes close to him, Malia growls and leans back, trying to put resistance. Theo continues panting as he's dragged, a seemingly far away look glossing his eyes.
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Derek is put on an examination table to the far back corner, Malia dragged to one not too far beside his, Theo is dropped onto one directily opposite Derek, giving Darek full view of anything done to the chimera, though still unmoving.
"Is the Mutt okay? He hasn't moved" Derek growls lowly in his chest at their continued use of the nickname, although Theo hated to admit it, he was still apart of their Puppy Pack.
The woman comes over, grabs a scalpel and drives it through Theos paw, making him yelp and jump up.
Derek immediately starts snarling and barking at them again, one of the hunters forcing a muzzle on him. Theo whines in pain and slowly lies back down. "He's fine".
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The pack sits in silence as they listen for any sounds from their missing Packmates. A sudden yelp and a following string of snarls makes them all jump.
"Who was that?" Lydia whispers, nails digging into Stiles arms in an attempt to keep herself from shaking.
"...I think it was Theo and Derek" Liam responds, hands running through his hair. Corey and Mason cling to each other, flinching at any noise they hear.
"Why did he hide from us? I'm sure Malia and Derek would have taken him with them on their forest runs" Stiles says, ignoring the slight pain emitting from where Lydia is gripping him.
"I didn't get a great look before they dragged him out but, he was smaller than Derek and skinnier than Malia, he probably felt safer in his human form" Scott responds, banging his head against the bars. They fall into silence again.
Jumping when the door to the room is opened again, dragging in a muzzled and snarling Derek, a growling and wide eyed Malia, and a whimpering and limping Theo behind them.
"Behave, that chemical prevents you from shifting back for a few hours. We'll come back after the mutt heals and we have you're work stations set up."
As soon as they are left alone again, Scott makes a beeline to remove Derek's muzzle. Liam, Corey and Mason rush forward to Theo, gently taking his bleeding paw in their hands and examining it.
Malia turns and curls up close to Lydia. Derek walks over to where Theo is laying between Corey and Liam, and gently nudges his paw in silent question.
When Theo doesn't move, he takes that as acceptance. Licking the blood away from the wound and fur surrounding it.
"What's he doing?" Mason asks, curiosity overtaking him.
"He's helping him, and asserting a silent hierarchy while they're stuck like this" Scott says, a gentle tone and soft eyes giving way to a small smile
"Derek's the oldest and has experience as an Alpha, Malia is older falling in line soon after. Since Theo is the youngest and accepted the help he's the lowest. Plus he's technically still a pup so he'd really be there anyway" Scott finishes, soft teasing overcoming his tone, earning an annoyed huff from the chimera.
"Wow, there's so much that you guys can just get from actions and body language." Derek ignores them as he nudges the underside of Theo's jaw, urging him to sit up. Running his tongue down Theo's scruff, and back.
"Whats he doing now?" Corey asks, following his boyfriend's lead, Scott chuckles as an amused huff leaves Maila.
"Mostly just abusing his power and humiliating him now. He's taking the whole puppy status to the max. Grooming is usually something you only get when you're a small puppy, or an injured older puppy" He nodded his head toward the very unamused Theo and Derek who is having way too much fun
"But Theo is hardly injured enough for it and it's mostly being done in a joking way" Their joking and reluctant laughter is interrupted by the door opening again, the Woman with the sickly smile coming forward
"You look healed enough. Alright, assignments. Wolf, you'll be assigned as a Guard. Cayote, you're being assigned to the tracking team, helping us track down others. And Mutt, you're being assigned to the labour unit, you'll be pulling sleds and cargo containers."
She walks away before any of them even have a chance to bare their teeth, hunters coming in with equipment in their hands.
One drags Derek out, fitting the snarling wolf with a prong collar and a reinforced chain leash. Another drags Malia out, slipping a muzzle over her snout, a shock collar around her neck and a harness around her ribs. They fit Theo with much of the same. Except his harness is bulky and wraps further around his chest and back.
They glance back as they're dragged away from their pack, saddened looks overtaking their aggression.
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"Move it Mutt!"
"Faster you useless Mutt!"
"Pull harder! You're such a useless Mutt!"
Each insult accentuated by a whip to his hind quarters. Each hit when he was too slow, slowly weakening his resolve.
His chest hurt from pulling heavy loads, his haunches hurt and bled from the whips, and with every pain filled whip, and hostility laced insult, his dignity and resolve fell further.
By the time he was being led back to their pack cage he felt like dropping and never getting up, or crying until he passed out, both sounded pretty good.
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Even if his hearing wasn't enhanced, he'd have no trouble hearing the whip cracks and the following string of insults from where he knew Theo was being held.
He tried running after him once but "You move before we tell you to, and you're entire pack wont get food for a week" quickly persuaded him not to.
He cant help but feel he got off easy compared to Theo and Malia.
But he reminded himself it allowed him to keep his strength to continue protecting them.
When he was lead back to their packmates he was almost trotting, in a hurry to get back to his pack.
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They're alerted of their furry packmates coming back hours later by the loud screeching door opening.
Derek came trotting in, unharmed but glaring at anything that moved. Malia followed behind, twitching every now and then from constant shocks. Theo came in last, blood dripping down his hind quarters and fur rubbed raw near the seams of the harness.
As soon as the door closes, Derek and Malia crowed Theo, sniffing and cleaning the blood away from his fur, as Scott moves forward to begin removing their gear.
"What did they do?" Liam gasps, slowly moving to help Scott take off the gear.
"What didn't they do. Whipped him, shocked her, probably threatened Derek." Stiles says, vitriol lacing his tone and a glare so threatening even were's would flinch.
"They can't do that again. Theo won't last a week with treatment like this, Malia will have brain damage by the end of the day, and Derek will go feral if he's forced to just stand there."
No one said anything as they piled around each other, enjoying the limited time they could spend together