Maia cupped Isaac's face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, sighing. She didn't want to let him go, not when he was a part of her, a part of their pack. "I promise Isaac, this is the last time you'll have to be there. I'll come and pick you up after school tomorrow, treat you to a good meal and some new clothes. Does that sound alright," Maia asked softly, Isaac half-smiling and nodding at her. She kissed his forehead before releasing him, Derek holding the door open to let him pass. Maia went to her mate and kissed him passionately, smashing her lips to his in a bruising fashion.

"I'll see you in the morning."

He kissed the top of her head before following after Isaac, sliding into the car and pulling out of the driveway before the young Beta even had the chance to blink. Derek looked over at him and sighed, bringing his speed down to allow them time to talk.

"You're afraid to go home, aren't you," he asked quietly, Isaac turning to face him. When the boy nodded Derek felt his eyes change, looking down to see his claws tighten around the steering wheel. The surge of anger that some stupid… human had put true fear in his Beta- the closest thing Derek would probably ever have to a child- felt foreign, but they were bonded now through blood. "Well, you don't have to be afraid anymore Isaac. That vermin doesn't have the power to hurt you, but if he even tries it, I'll rip his throat out… with my teeth. And if its not me, it'll be Maia- and then I'll pity him. That hellcat's bite is worse than her bark will ever be…"

"You're lucky to have her."

Derek looked over at Isaac and smiled, baring more teeth than was probably necessary, "Don't even think about it, kid. Not only is she a good six years older than you, there's a lot more to Maia Hale than meets the eye. Besides, she's my wife- and I'll kill you." He smiled even wider when the Beta actually laughed, Isaac seeming almost at ease for the first time he had ever seen. "So, we mate for life like regular wolves, though," Isaac asked, curiously. Derek nodded and leaned back in his seat, intrigued. "Why, you have a mate in mind?"

"I don't know," Isaac replied honestly, thinking about the only person who had ever shown him kindness before tonight. "But, I know that she would love to be… free. Her name's Erica Townsend and she has epilepsy. The Bite could heal her, right? Make her…right?"

"It doesn't heal, it changes and it wouldn't make her right Isaac- it'd make her better. But I'd have to convince your mother first: Maia may resist having another female in the pack being that she is the Alpha female and as jealous as vindictive women can be. I'll suggest it to her and fight her case if I find her suitable… even though her word is pretty much law: after all, she's the one that chose you. I'm not stupid enough to challenge Maia over something she really, really wants," Derek said confidently, making it very clear to Isaac that despite him leading the pack, he took his mate's opinion very seriously.

The Camaro pulled up to a large brick home, Isaac exhaling heavily as he opened the door to get out. Derek grabbed his wrist and forced the Beta to stare into his eyes, the edict of the Alpha heavy in his voice, "Remember what I said, Isaac." The Beta nodded and walked to the door, looking back at Derek one more time before walking into the home that had been his hell since he was six years old. His father was asleep on the couch- which Isaac was thankful for, seeing as he was home much later than he was supposed to be. He climbed the stairs to his bedroom and began to pack a small suitcase before stopping with a smile, knowing that Maia and Derek would take care of him.

Derek sat in his car, staring at the only light on in the house and hoping that Isaac would just be alright or else things were going to get very messy very quickly.

It was going to be a long night…

Maia slept fitfully without Derek for the first time in months- after being back with him, she had gotten used to her mate's presence and the wolf inside of her sensed something wrong every time he left her side.

"Derek," she mumbled, kicking the blankets that had twisted around her legs away.

She laid in a pile of leaves, her head propped up on her head, smiling at the beautiful baby pressed against her. He was as naked as she was, pudgy and fat, his hands knotted in a lock of her hair. Maia stared into the blue-green eyes that held all of the innocence in the world, cooing at her son and touching the tip of his nose lovingly.

"I love you as if you were the moon itself," Maia whispered, taking one of her son's hand and pressing her lips to his palm. He let out a sound of pure contentment, the young mother laughing at the smile on her baby's face.

"I thought I'd find you out here."

Derek strode through the trees, naked as well and looking as perfect as he always had. His dark locks were wild and unkempt, his face peppered with stubble. Maia stared at his soft, light eyes and saw the happiness there, reaching out her hand and pulling him down beside her. "You made us wait," Maia said quietly, Derek bending down to kiss their son's head as he cradled him preciously in his hands.

"Sorry ma'am," he said before leaning forward to kiss her as well, his smile seeming permanently etched onto his face.

Maia looked at the son and husband she adored more than anything in the world, sighing contentedly. "This is exactly life I always dreamed we would live," she murmured, laying her head in Derek's lap and laying the baby on her chest. Her mate's fingers pulled through her hair, picking out the leaves and half-taming the locks. "What, you dreamed that we would leave the human world behind and run off into the woods, have a baby and live as wolves," Derek asked playfully, scratching the hair at the base of Maia's neck.

"No dummy: I dreamed that we would be happy."

"And I am happy baby. More happy than words could ever describe," he said, leaning down to kiss her. Maia closed her eyes and sighed again, knowing that she would be safe- and happy- as long as Derek held her in his arms.

"No, no, no-"

Derek was coming through the door as Maia cried out, hearing such pain in her voice that his wolf nearly lunged out of him and ran to hers. He went up to the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time and bursting into the bedroom. She was curled up on herself, her face buried in a pillow and her eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to stop the tears that flowed down her face. Derek's nose twitched and he started moving towards the bed, his eyes locked on her trembling form, "Mai?" When she didn't answer, he took off his jacket and shoes, sliding into the bed beside her and wrapping his arms around her. "Maia, what's wrong? Tell me what happened."

"I want to stop dreaming about him," she lamented, Derek's heart clenching up. "I want him to go away Derek. He's this amorphous little… leech, feeding on my pain and sucking the very life from me!"

Maia turned and threw her arms around her mate, rolling over on top of him and kissing him feverishly. Derek tried to fight her off, but she was too strong and he couldn't resist her, not like this- not when she need the comfort only he could give her. He unbuttoned his pants and pulled them halfway down before shredding Maia's underwear, looking at the forming bruises he left there. Derek buried himself within her, bucking up as she arched back, wrapping his arms around her and gasping quietly. Maia returned to him and moved her hips, struggling to find a rhythm to rid her of the emotions she had long sought to ignore. He wrapped his hands around her slender waist, shifting her slightly until he was stroking her into oblivion with every thrust, hearing the half-primal cries that were wrought with pain that was more emotional than what could physically ever be inflicted. He hadn't known that she still suffered so- it had been, after all, three years and he would have expected Maia of all people to just… get over it. Derek wanted to heal those still-raw wounds, to give her the one thing she had ever truly demanded of him. She climaxed shortly before Derek did, feeling the way he pulled her hips to his and filled her with his seed, Derek placing a shallow bite to her shoulder. They stayed entwined for several long moments, Maia holding her mate's head to her lace-clad breasts, the Alpha male hearing her heart race beneath his cheek.

He was quiet before moving to press a kiss to the center of her chest, his hands hot on her back, "I'm sorry Maia. I am so sorry."

"I know baby," she whispered, stroking his sweat-damp hair. "And I know that wasn't your fault that you weren't there, but Derek… you brought Kate into our lives. And because of you betrayal, our son- our innocent little baby- lost his life. I forgave you for fucking her, but I can't forgive you for what happened to him. It was the sins of the father that punished the son-"

"Shut up Maia."

Derek pulled out of her and stood, redressing and swiping at his face. "Isaac thinks that he's found us another to join the pack- her name's Erica. I'm going to go watch her now," he said, unable to meet her eyes. Maia didn't protest, turning her back on Derek, "And sometimes, I can't forgive you for what you did to me. I know you did it out of love but you should have killed me then, out of pity. You knew what you had to do, what should have been done… but when the time came, you were selfish.

"You've always been so goddamn selfish."

"And if it had been me," Derek bellowed, looking at her back marred with scratches. "Would you have been able to snap my neck just like that? Or would it have happened to you too, your heart keeping you from doing what you had to put me down- to put me out of my misery?"

Maia was quiet, pulling the blankets up to her neck, "I don't know Derek."

"That's right. And you'll never know, because you've never been put in that goddamn situation Maia! I hate you sometimes, I really do, but in here- in my heart- I can't help but love you! Its ingrained in me! Its in my nature to love you and for you to sit here and tell me that I should have killed you? I knew that I should have put you down when I saw you bleeding out on that kitchen floor, holding our son in your hands, but I couldn't Mai- I couldn't bear the thought of losing any more than I already had! And if that's selfish, fine: I'm selfish as fuck. But I won't let you sit here and rip us apart. I won't let you," Derek said, the truth spilling out from his lips. His chest heaved as he tried not to sob, feeling his unshed tears burn in his eyes. Maia heard his heart beating and knew that what he had said was not a lie, pressing her fist to his mouth.

He studied her back intently, waiting for her to respond even when he knew that she wouldn't, leaning against the footboard. Derek gave up after an hour and walked out, running down the stairs and out of the front door to the escape that was Beacon Hills.