Everything was exactly how I had left it. The air. The smell. Beacon Hills had not changed a lick. But I had. Who I was. What I would do. What I knew.

Like that Derek Hale was alive and kicking right in the place I swore I would never return to.

And that meant the Derek Hale I kept imagining had been real and not in my head, which ultimately meant he had a lot of fucking explaining to do.

I swung my hips from side to side., feeling the music flow through my veins with intensity. The alcohol wasn't helping my sanity, but I felt free for once, from all of my demons. No having to put on a face. No having to be evil, top-dog Alpha. Just a girl in a club, trying to dance her problems away, and having a damn good time doing it.

I was having so much fun in fact that when the man behind me moved close enough to touch me, I leaned into him instead of away and let his hands create a trail over my body. Let his lips press against the skin of my neck.

The warmth I blamed on the club. The breathing I blamed on the dancing. The shiver was I turned to see the man who was making me feel all kinds of sensations, his grey eyes created a shockwave through me that was nothing compared to what happened when he kissed me.

It was electricity. In my bones. In my blood. All from his lips. But it was familiar. Something about it was familiar. And I was calling out his name before I could question my mental state, "Derek?"

I told myself it was just the alcohol. I told myself it was just grief. But it was him, and it wasn't the last time he paid me a visit. Always making me doubt myself, my sanity. But he was real, so now it was my turn to return the favor.

"We should go to Derek." The teenager told his friend eyeing me as they spoke. I picked at my nails boringly waiting for them to finish their conspicuous meeting as if I couldn't hear every word they said to each other.

It was kind of annoying, and I was restraining myself from skinning them both, but they knew Derek. They knew where he was, and I needed them for that.

"Why do we need to go to him?" The sarcastic boy whined back irritatingly.

"Because he knows a hell of a lot more about werewolves than you and I do combined." He dropped his voice to a whisper as if that would keep me from hearing. "Face it. We need his help. I don't know what to do with her."

I jumped in at this. "You don't have to do anything with her. She is a grown woman who just saved both of your ungrateful asses."

Granted, there had been something different. A slithery, slimy, green lizard monster after the two tweens. I had growled it away; simple as that. Nothing more. Just a simple show of power, and it ran off with its tail between its legs. I really hadn't wanted to save the twerps, but here I was. And here they were. Trying to decide whether they should take me to their leader.

The one named Stiles' mouth had fallen agape, and he began to stutter. "We're—we're definitely grate—grateful. I mean—you—you're—you saved us and—this—this guy," he motioned to himself, "This guy...is totally grateful. Totally. Totally grateful."

I watched him the entire time, amused, my arms crossed over my chest.

He was...cute.

"Totally." I teased with a smirk nodding my head. He visibly gulped.

I turned to Scott next. "You're grateful too I'm guessing?"

He gulped, the same as his friend, when my eyes shone their primal red but nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah I am."

I smiled at him. "Wonderful. Lucky for you, I'm curious about this Derek character you speak of, so let's go meet him." I chirped, clapping my hands together and moving towards the blue jeep.

I hopped straight into the back waiting for the two. They stood in front of the vehicle perplexed, staring at me through the windshield.

I smiled, waving at them. "You coming?"

They quickly composed themselves and without answering, shuffled into the front seat and sped off.