After Derek saw the girl again who resembled Paige so greatly he tried to follow the van. Unfortunately, by the time his mind processed that was what he should do, the van driving her was long gone. Derek went back to his loft and tried to make sense of it all. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He wondered this as he paced back and forth. It didn't make any sense, not in the least.

Derek knew that if he kept this up for much longer he'd drive himself crazy. It was time to ask for assistance. No, he was not going to ask Stiles who the girl was. That was not an option. Not yet anyway. No, he had another idea in mind; Deaton. If anyone knew what was going on it'd be him. Perhaps he had gotten poisoned somehow that was making him hallucinate? If that was the case then there was no time to lose. Derek grabbed his coat and drove to the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic.

-

Deaton was out front when Derek entered. "This is unexpected Derek. What can I do for you?"

Derek got as close as he could due to the ash barrier before saying, "I need you to run every test possible or whatever it is that you do. I…I think I'm seeing things." It was clear Derek was reluctant to admit it

Deaton looked intrigued by Derek's statement and opened the barrier so Derek could go in back. "Well then," Deaton began, "Let's see what the problem is."

Without a word Derek headed straight for the back to figure out what the hell was going on.

Deaton ran all the tests he knew of to check for toxins that could cause hallucinations and all came back negative. When the final test came back so, Derek threw his coat across the room and clenched his fists. "You missed something! You had to have missed something." Derek sat down in a chair and leaned forward with his hands together as he continued to try to make sense of things.

Deaton leaned against the table across from Derek and said, "Why don't you tell me exactly what's going on? What have you been seeing Derek?"

Derek rubbed his hands together slowly before answering, "Paige. I've been seeing Paige. I know it's impossible, she's dead. But I heard her music…I saw her face…I'm going crazy."

Derek doesn't look at Deaton as he speaks and therefore doesn't see the expression on Deaton's face. It's not one of concern but of understanding. "It would have saved a lot of time if you had told me this sooner Derek." Deaton's words caught Derek's attention. Deaton continued with his explanation. "What you have just told me is quite possible. Sacrifices that were made to the Nemeton are reborn as a….thank you for their sacrifice. That being said Derek, you are not crazy."

Derek stands up after hearing Deaton's words and asks, "Are you telling me that Paige isn't dead? You're the one who's crazy if that's what you're telling me. She died in my arms dammit!"

Deaton tries to find the right words to make Derek understand completely, "I'm not saying that Derek. Paige is dead but her essence was reborn. In simpler terms, she was reincarnated Derek. The girl you are seeing is most likely the reincarnation of Paige."

Derek shook his head in disbelief, "No, it can't be. Paige was a human. This girl was a werewolf. I know that for certain."

Deaton looked amused which agitated Derek, "What's that look for?" Derek asked and Deaton simply replied, "I'm surprised you haven't put it together yourself Derek. Paige died from a wolf bite didn't she? So wouldn't it make sense for her reincarnation to be born as what Paige wasn't capable of becoming? To finish the cycle?"

Derek was having a hard time wrapping his mind around all of this. "So it's Paige but also not her?"

Deaton nodded in reply.

"Will she remember me? Does she remember anything about Paige?" Derek asked, needing to know.

Deaton moved away from the table as he spoke, "Now that Derek I can't answer. It's something you're going to have to find out on your own." And that was something Derek fully intended on doing.

—–

Derek headed straight for Stiles' house after leaving the animal clinic. Seems there was no way to avoid getting him involved now. Stiles was the only person that Derek knew of who had contact with the girl.

Without word nor warning Derek burst into Stiles' room which nearly gave the video game playing teenager a heart attack. "Derek, what the hell?" Stiles said in shocked annoyance as he tossed his game controller on the bed.

Derek got right up in Stiles' face and said, "The girl you were talking to this morning, who is she?"

Stiles looked confused, "What girl?"

Derek's voice rose, "The one with the cello!"

Stiles made the connection now, "You mean Mae? She just moved here."

Derek's voice was quick with his next question, "Where?"

Stiles was so confused by all the questions that it took him a moment to answer and his answer was stammered, "The old BB, the one that's been closed down for awhile."

Derek knew exactly which one Stiles was talking about. Now with the information he needed he quickly left the Stilinski house and drove out to the old B&B.

Stiles was left in his room asking, "What the fuck was that about?" He was half tempted to go back to his video game but pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Scott instead.

—-

Derek knew he'd have to tread lightly for more reasons than one. He knew this girl was a werewolf which meant that she was most likely part of a pack. Especially if she had just moved there and was enrolled in school. That was not the behavior of an omega.

Derek stayed in his car parked down the road a bit, looking at the B&B in his rear view mirror. His window was down to get a better sound of the music that was coming from one of the rooms on the second floor. It was the same music he heard earlier; a song that he would never forget.

For the first time in a long time, Derek didn't have a plan. What was he going to do? Go right up to the front door and ask to speak to the cello playing girl who looked exactly like his dead teenage girlfriend? Yeah, no. That was not a good idea. Derek would just have to wait it out and see what happened. If anything he now at least knew where she lived.

Derek was about to start the car and drive off when he realized the music stopped. Not long after that, the girl came out of the front door. Derek's eyes locked on her. Even with her dark eyeliner and black lipstick, it was Paige. It couldn't be a coincidence that this girl knew the song Paige was playing the day they met when he was a teenager. There had to be more Paige to this girl than just her looks. Derek was trying very hard to come up with a plan, an excuse to get out of the car and go over to talk to her. And yet no ideas were coming to his mind. No movement was coming from his body. Derek just sat there in his car and looked at the girl in his rear view mirror.

The act that jolted Derek out of his daze was the girl tying her hair up in a pony tail then taking off towards a path in the back that led to the hiking trails in the woods. Not about to lose sight of her a second…a third time Derek got out of his car and waited to give her a little heard start before catching her scent and following her into the woods.

—–

The events that happened after school to Mae were going on repeat in her head when she tried to practice. It got to be so distracting, in spite of her usual laser like focus. Because of this, she had to get out of the house. Mae told Ty, to tell Damon (their alpha) that she was going out for a run in case he asked. Ty could tell that there was something on her mind so he let her go without any grief. Something that Mae was grateful for.

As soon as Mae was outside she breathed in the fresh air and let out a breath of relief. At least being outside wasn't turning against her like her cello playing apparently had. After getting her hair tied up so it wouldn't be in the way as she ran, she took off into the woods on one of the paths she discovered soon after moving in.

Mae felt so free whenever she ran and this time was no different. She wasn't afraid to let herself go and push herself to her max in regards to her speed and agility. Mae would jump over fallen logs, push herself off trees for more distance and other fun stuff like that. At one point she missed a root and ended up tripping and tumbling a bit. Instead of this dragging her down in made her lie on her back and laugh. Oh she needed that laugh.

When her laughter subsided she heard footsteps approaching. Mae got to her feet and sniffed the air. She caught the scent of another werewolf that was not from her pack but it was oddly familiar to her regardless. Ignoring the last part she said to herself, "Shit." And took off running again. Not for fun this time, this time it was in hopes of losing whatever werewolf was following her in case they were looking for trouble.

Mae thought she'd lost the wolf a couple times but he always ended up finding her. Eventually Mae gave up and decided to face whoever it was. This cat and mouse game was getting old real quick. She came upon a clearing and stopped running so she could turn around and see whoever it was.

The footsteps of the wolf slowed and eventually came to a stop. Mae's eyes turned yellow for a moment before saying, "I know you're following me! Might as well show yourself!" She called out which resulted in a tall, really handsome guy step out from behind a tree. There was a pang of familiarity as she looked at him and the way he looked at her was unnerving.

The guy (Derek) looked at her like he had just seen a ghost and yet looked like he wanted to hug her or something. It was weirdly sweet but also a bit freaky. Mae crossed her arms and rolled her shoulders a little. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I know you or something?"

The guy got closer but Mae stayed right where she was. "That's what I'm trying to figure out." He replied. When he spoke, Mae felt like….well…like she had been waiting her whole life to hear that sound and now she had.

End Chapter 3