Maia sat in what had been her old bedroom with one of her legs folded beneath her and the other tucked under her chin, watching Derek sleep. She'd been up all night, her fist to her mouth and her eyes narrowed, unsure of how to feel about her husband and the tenuous relationship they shared. Simply put, as people- as humans- they couldn't stand each other, but their wolves, the very truth of who and what they were, literally couldn't live without each other. It was more than just emotions or memories: it was basic animal biology and physiology that made it so that Maia couldn't escape him. She couldn't fight the fact that as his mate, wherever Derek would go, she would go- she would follow him until the ends of the earth if need be.

With a sigh, she picked herself up and went to get dressed, going to satisfy her curiosity.

The shiny black Challenger pulled into a parking spot and Maia stepped out, looking up at Beacon Hills High, smiling wryly.

"High school," she breathed, pulling her sunglasses off. "What a bitch."

Everyone stared at the obviously older woman, the mouths of young boys falling open at her buxom figure and long, dark legs, Maia smiling to herself quietly. She stalked through the halls of the high school, following the scent of her prey right to his locker.

Maia slammed the locker shut and Scott jumped, the Alpha female smiling at him widely.

"Scott. We meet again."

Derek snapped out of his sleep, looking around the room before sniffing the air and growling as he threw the blankets off of himself. Her scent was faint and he knew that she had left the house to undoubtedly stir up unwanted attention, "Bitch."

The young Omega was pinned against his locker, Maia glaring at him as the hall cleared out slowly.

"I know you know more than I do- Derek's keeping secrets from me and I need to know everything that's happened," she said, Scott swallowing painfully. "Isn't that something you should discuss with your husband," he retorted smartly, Maia grabbing him around the neck and smashing his head back into the locker. Her eyes glowed red as she showed off her fangs, putting the pressure on, "You do not want to fuck with me right now Scott McCall because I am a much more dangerous creature than Derek could ever hope to be."

They both turned to the sound of a new heartbeat, Scott looking at his beautiful girlfriend. He tried to tell her to run wordlessly, jerking his head before Maia smiled, releasing her prey. "I take it she's yours. After all, her skin reeks of you-"

"Don't you even think about hurting her," Scott threatened, the Alpha before him challenging his very nature.

"Or what? You think you could stop me from killing her- I'd like to see you try."

Scott glared at her, Maia only smirking in reply as he threw his book bag over his shoulder and turned towards the school entrance. "Good boy," she said, walking him to her Challenger and speeding out of the parking lot with Scott in her clutches.

They went to the hospital and Scott led her to an observation room, the two staring at an unconscious, relatively attractive girl with strawberry-blonde hair. Maia looked at him inquisitively, knowing that this had to be the one named Lydia but not knowing why she was important- she was, after all, still human.

"What are you to Derek," Maia asked quietly, Scott's eyes flashing quietly. "Something he can't have. I keep refusing to join his pack because all it will do is make him stronger and if that happens, he's going to hurt someone- he's going to kill someone. And with the hunters around, it puts us all in danger. My girlfriend Allison is Kate Argent's niece-"

"You're dating a hunter's daughter?"

Scott looked at the Alpha and nodded, the woman folding her arms over her chest, "Derek was right about you being a hardheaded little fuck. You know, he cheated on me once- with Kate and I made him pay for it. Kate was hell on her own, and your girlfriend has parents and the whole backing of the League. You're stupid."

"I can't help the fact that I love her," Scott replied harshly, staring at Maia. "She's not like them."

"And she's not like us! Look Scott, Derek is your pack mate, your brother whether you like it or not. The same blood runs through your veins- Hale blood- and we are a family. I know what its like to be alone and fighting a hunter: I lost my child because of it," Maia said in a flurry of emotion before catching herself, the blue eyes before her showing unfathomable anguish. Her hand pressed against her stomach and she sighed, biting down on her bottom lip. Scott and Maia stood there for a long time, the young wolf waiting for her to speak. "Derek and I never talked about it, but, uh, after we left Washington, Kate followed us. It had always been her game to fuck with us, knowing Derek's secret and using me for leverage… He went out to go and get me some bubble gum ice cream for my cravings- I used to love that shit; Derek wasn't gone five minutes before Kate swooped in. She'd always been obsessed with him, even when we were in high school and she absolutely despised me for having the one thing she never would: his baby. Kate… cut him out of me and he… he was too young to be saved. To save me, Derek bit me and I became what you see before you- even though at the time, I didn't want it."

Scott looked at her again, his eyes searching her face, "You didn't want the bite either?"

"I had just lost my baby: I didn't want to live but I'm here for a reason and that reason is to protect my own. You may not be my child Scott McCall, but we are of the same blood," Maia said, reaching out with her hand and dragging a razor sharp nail down his cheek. "This can be a curse… or this can be a gift."

"Its what you make of it," Scott murmured in comprehension, Maia nodding.

She then sighed and looked at Lydia, pressing her hand to the glass. "When Kate burned down Hale House, she broke the code of not killing the innocent: the hunters practically gave her to Derek and Peter- not even her brother tried to stop them. Peter killed her and turned on Allison… it was up to my friends to stop him when Derek was injured. And then, before I could cure myself by killing Peter, Derek came out of nowhere and ripped out his throat- said it was for Laura.

"But I know it was for him."

Maia chuckled humorlessly and shook her head, "Of course it was. He always wanted to be Alpha, but since Laura was older, it was rightfully hers- the only reason I'm an Alpha is because Derek walked away from our pack."

"He has issues with responsibility," Scott muttered almost hatefully.

"Tell me about it: I married him."

She then turned and walked out of the hospital, needing a breath of fresh air. When Maia opened her eyes, Scott was standing beside her, but she had no time to pay attention to the young werewolf, not when she had an angry Alpha on her hands.

Derek's car was parked beside her own, her husband leaning against the hood of his Camaro with his impressive arms folded over his chest.

"Shit."

His heavy brows were furrowed and his eyes locked with hers, Derek standing and walking towards her slowly. "Are you fucking insane woman," he asked coldly, glaring at Maia. "Taking this little shit by force from a school with witnesses?" She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her keys out of her pocket, "Come on Scott, I'll drive you back." Derek had no intentions of letting Maia out of his sight again and grabbed her upper arm, his former Beta growling as he lashed out at Derek's wrist. "Take your hands off of her. Now," Scott said, his eyes glowing a deep, acidic yellow. Derek ignored him and turned on his wife, "Take him back to the school- I'll follow you there. And after you drop him off, we're going to have a nice little chat Maia." She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, moving to open the door of her Challenger. "Don't you think you're being just a tad bit controlling honey," Maia asked in a scathing tone, sliding behind the steering wheel. Derek caught the door and smirked at her, making sure to scratch the paint as he dragged his nails along the black finish, "Of course not baby. Its only because I love you."

He slammed the door and Maia snarled, rolling down the window, "Fuck off Derek!"

The Challenger sped out of the hospital parking lot, Derek smirking after the feisty female he had mated himself to when he hadn't really understood what he was getting himself into. And sometimes he regretted it, but other times- times like these when she was raging and restraining her wolf the best she could- really brought out the primal side of him.