Mae was absent from the school the following day. Something Derek discovered when she didn't come out after the final bell rang. Derek was waiting for Mae in the school parking lot in hopes to talk more about what had occurred. When she didn't emerge, he got worried.

When Stiles and Scott came out of the school, Derek went over to them. He didn't particularly want to as them if they saw Mae that day but he needed to know.

"Well if it isn't the trespasser wolf." Stiles said to Derek sarcastically upon approach.

Derek didn't acknowledge Stiles' words and asked, "You see Mae today?"

Stiles didn't answer Derek's question and instead turned to Scott, "See. I told you there was something up between him and that Mae girl."

Derek was growing impatient, "Just answer the question Stiles."

Scott looked between Stiles and Derek judging a potential time for input.

Stiles adjusted his backpack as he answered, "No Derek, I haven't. I was going to ask her to hang out with us after school today but no go. What's your deal with her anyway?"

There was no need for Derek to stick around since he had the answer he was looking for and turned to leave.

Stiles raised his arm and gestured after Derek, "And there he goes again without answering anything. Seriously, what is his deal with that girl?"

Scott shrugged then took off after Derek. If he wasn't going to answer Stiles then maybe Derek would answer Scott.

"Okay then! I guess I'll just meet you at the Jeep?" Stiles called after Scott who just answered with a brief acknowledging wave over his head. Stiles rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh and got into his Jeep and waited.

"Derek, wait up!" Scott called after Derek which made him slow reluctantly. "What's going on? You wouldn't be holding back if there wasn't something going on."

Derek did not want to admit that Scott was right. So, he remained silent.

"What's going on?" Scott asked again. Derek's lack of reply was just more reason for Scott to think that there really was something big going on.

There was way too much to tell and Derek didn't really want Scott to know the whole story anyway. "It's complicated." Was Derek's reply.

"But important?" Scott inquired with an affirming nod from Derek. After receiving the nod from Derek, Scott replied with "Okay. How can I help?"

—

After giving as little details as possible, Derek still managed to get Scott to help him convince Stiles to do as he asked.

Stiles had Mae's assignments in hand when he walked up the steps to her house. After knocking a few times he was starting to grow impatient. Stiles was just about to quit waiting when the door slowing opened and finally showed it was Mae who opened it. "Cello girl!" Stiles said with enthusiasm, "You're alive!"

Mae looked like she wanted to punch Stiles right in the face. "Spazz boy. What are you doing here?" Mae turned around a little to make sure no one was standing behind her before turning her attention back to Stiles who was waving around a text book and papers.

"I got your homework since you missed school today. Not a very good way to start out I have got to say. This being your second day and all. Can I come in?" Stiles tried to make it through the door but Mae stopped him.

"Now's not a good time. But thanks." Mae replied then tried to reach for her assignments but Stiles pulled them away. "Five minutes, come on. I promised the teacher that I'd explain the assignments to you."

Stiles tried to get in again but was again stopped by Mae. "Spazz boy, not going to say it again, now's not a good time." A voice from inside the house called out for Mae which made her turn around all the way, revealing some wet red blotches on the back of her shirt.

"Jeeze Mae, are you bleeding?" Stiles asked as he reached out to touch the spots but she swatted at his hand. "Tye dye gone wrong." Mae swiped the assignments from his hands and closed the door without a word. Leaving a flabbergasted Stiles in her wake.

Mae set the school work down on the end table near the door then went back into the living room. Ty, her parents, and Damon's daughter were sitting down where Damon was standing in the middle of the room. Stiles had interrupted her punishment and now it was time to continue. Whenever Damon punished a member of the pack he always made it a 'family affair'. Anyone who tried to stop it got it even worse.

"Let me see." Damon said to Mae who went over to him to let him inspect her back. "You've always been a fast healer. Even against wounds inflicted by an Alpha." He commented before bringing out his claws and striking them across her back again. This time with more force than before, just to make his point that even though she was a fast healer that didn't mean it was going to hurt any less.

Mae wanted to cry out in pain but refused to. She wouldn't give Damon the satisfaction. This was her punishment for breaking his rules of associating with a beta from another pack without permission. Ty told Damon because he had to. If he didn't then they would both get worse than what Mae was getting now.

—–

Stiles drove his Jeep down the road to meet up with Scott and Derek. "Well?" Derek asked after Stiles got out.

"She was home." Stiles replied simply.

"And?" Scott inquired, to which Stiles replied, "And I really don't think those red blotches on her shirt were Tye Dye gone wrong."

Neither Derek nor Scott understood the reference which made Stiles explain everything. Once Stiles was done with all that Derek wanted to burst into that house and get Mae out of there. He was stopped by Stiles and Scott before he even made it to his car.

"What exactly is your plan Derek? To go in there and tear down anyone who's in your way, put Mae over your shoulder and carry her out like a caveman? Not very smooth. We don't even know what the situation is, not really." Stiles said to try to convince Derek to think before acting which wasn't usually something he had to do. Or really something anyone ever had to do, he realized when he thought about it when it came to Derek.

Derek didn't have an answer which just infuriated him even more. "I never should have let her go back there. She told me her alpha would teach her a lesson." Derek finally spoke.

The mention of an alpha caught both Scott and Derek by surprise. "Mae's a werewolf?" They asked in unison.

Derek looked at them with a slightly raised brow, "You're telling me neither of you noticed that? The true alpha and his boy wonder?"

Scott had never met Mae and Stiles hadn't spent enough time with her to notice, which made Stiles reply with, "No need for the snark Derek. In case you haven't noticed we are trying to help here. Even though you kinda have a point..."

Derek knew Stiles was right but hated being in a position to not be able to do anything right away. If he went over there now it'd just make things worse and he knew it. "Do you have any suggestions?" Derek asked as he looked at Scott and Stiles.

Stiles just scoffed, "Uh yeah. Time to call in the cavalry."

—-

The cavalry, otherwise known as Lydia was the next to show up at Mae's house after being bribed with one thing or another. This time it was Ty who had answered the door. "Can I help you?"

Lydia smiled charmingly, "I'm sure you can. I'm here to pick up Mae. We made plans yesterday and missing school or not she is not getting out of this."

Ty looked Lydia over who tilted her head to the side and said, "Well, are you going to get her or am I?"

Ty thought for a moment before saying, "Wait here."

Lydia sighed and turned around as she waited. It was a few minutes before someone came outside and closed the door behind them.

"Who are you?" Mae asked quietly so the others inside wouldn't hear.

Lydia turned around to answer then froze with wide eyes as she looked at Mae. "You're….you're supposed to be dead."

Mae looked at Lydia like she was crazy, "And you're messed up." Mae was about to head inside again before she was stopped by Lydia who grabbed her arm. Mae winced a bit because it was still sore from Damon's punishment.

Lydia noticed this but spoke anyway, in hushed tones, "Derek sent me."

That was all Mae needed to hear. She nodded and said, "Okay. I need five minutes."

Lydia told Mae she'd meet her at the car and Mae headed inside. Lydia couldn't shake the feeling that, that girl should have already been dead.

Mae went back inside the house and spoke to Damon. "If I don't go then people are going to know something's up. I already missed my second day of school. Do we really need social services or whatever knocking on our door to see what's up? You can't bite everyone Damon."

Damon growled at Mae before replying, "Even with your punishment you still have that mouth of yours?"

Mae looked away with her glare. Half expecting to be struck again.

"Go." Damon ordered, "But when you return we will continue with your punishment."

Mae didn't look at Damon as she turned around to leave. She grabbed her backpack and winced again as she pulled it over her shoulder. Mae was about to get out the door when Ty walked over to her.

"Mae…" He started but it was returned with Mae's glowing eyes.

"Stay away from me Ty. I mean it." was her growled reply.

Ty tried to explain why he had to tell Damon, that it was better he had, but Mae wasn't going to listen to any of it and hurried out the door to get into Lydia's car. Mae got into the passenger side as Lydia looked at her like she was a puzzle that needed to be figured out.

"How are you alive?" Lydia asked her.

Mae looked at Lydia and replied sarcastically yet truthfully, "I was reborn."

Lydia seemed to accept this reason somehow on some level anyway and just shrugged before turning on the ignition and driving to Derek's loft.

—-

Mae followed Lydia into Derek's loft and saw that Derek wasn't the only one there but Stiles, and some other guy that she didn't know. "Okay I got her here, now where's my reward?" Lydia asked.

Derek sighed and handed over an envelope to Lydia who took it with a prideful look on her face.

"You have just made my credit limit very happy." She said to Derek as she took the envelope from his hand and headed out the door. As she walked away she commented, "You're going to have to tell me how she's not dead. I'm not really buying the whole reborn thing."

Derek groaned inwardly as Stiles and the other guy looked at each other in confusion. Stiles was about to open his mouth to ask but Derek instantly said, "Don't." That shut Stiles up for the moment. Stiled was going to make time to ask his questions later, he'd make sure there was time.

Mae still didn't know why that Lydia chick who seemed to be obsessed with death had brought her to see Derek. While Mae did trust him, that was only going to get him so far. "Derek? What's this about?"

Derek looked her over, "How are you?" he asked in a hushed, worried tone.

Mae got defensive, "I'm fine." she replied firmly, while trying to sound honest even though she doubted she could get away with lying.

Stiles scoffed, "Liar. Tye dye gone wrong my ass."

Mae growled in Stiles' direction then Derek turned her attention to him.

"Are you alright?" He asked again. His eyes telling her that he wasn't going to let her evade the question again.

Mae put her hands in her back pockets of her jeans, "I'm still a little sore but I'm a fast healer. I told you Damon punishes his betas for breaking his rules." Mae was glad she didn't get hooked up to the electricity like Ty had been once.

She kept that thought to herself as the wolf she didn't know came over and spoke, "There's a difference between punishment and abuse."

Mae snapped back, "Yeah? What do you know?" Mae challenged with her yellow eyes which made the wolf she didn't know respond with showing her his red ones. That was unexpected to say the very least. Her eyes turned back to normal as she looked him over, "Who are you?"

He replied, "I'm Scott." then smiled a friendly smile.

Stiles leaned in and said in a very prideful tone, "He's a true alpha."

Mae scoffed, "That's bull. The odds of that happening are one in a million or something." Mae looked at Derek who had an expression on his face that told her it was a truth. "Dude…just when I thought I had heard of everything." Mae was starting to think she was getting the idea of what she was really doing there, "Oh my god. You're trying to get me to join his pack aren't you?" She shot towards Derek accusingly.

"Would that be so bad?" He replied. "You would be a lot safer in his pack than yours."

Mae threw up her hands as she said "I can't believe this. I'm out of here before I get in even more trouble than I'm already in." Mae headed for the door too quickly and almost lost her footing from the pain that shot through her. She may be a faster than normal healer but they were still wounds inflicted by an alpha.

Derek caught her before she fell and picked her up in his arms. "You aren't going anywhere."

Mae took a breath of reluctant defeat as Derek set her down on the couch. "Please Mae, just listen." Derek practically pleaded.

Mae was being her defiant little self but replied with, "Fine." through mildly gritted teeth.

Derek looked relieved for a moment then sat on the arm of the couch as Scott tried to make his case and convince Mae to leave her pack.

—-

About an hour later and a back and forth debate between Mae and Derek, Scott, and Stiles later they were pretty much right where they were when they started out. Mae wasn't going to leave her pack not because she liked it with them in the least but because of her parents and Ty. They were way more loyal to Damon than she so they'd never leave. Mae wasn't going to leave without them.

After she said this for what felt like the millionth time Stiles threw his hands up in the air and asked in general, "Why are we putting so much effort into this. I mean she obviously doesn't want our help."

Scott looked at Stiles, "You mean besides the fact that it's the right thing to do? Because Derek asked us."

Stiles turned to Derek, "Why is she so important to you anyway? She literally just got into town but there's obviously more to this. Spill it already."

Derek didn't say anything and just looked at Mae who said, "Not a word Derek. If Damon finds out…"

Stiles then came out with something snarky like, "What? Is she your teenage love child or something?" This made Mae and Derek both glare at Stiles at the same time and simultaneously reply with, "No!"

Stiles held up his hands and leaned back into his seat. He was on the verge of giving up.

Scott looked at Derek and Stiles, "Could I talk to Mae alone for a minute?"

Stiles sighed and got up, Derek followed suit after Mae practically shoved him off the arm of the couch. Once they were out of immediate ear shot, Scott leaned forward a bit. "Mae, look. I don't know you, I get that. I also know that I don't have the right to ask you to consider this pack change but I'm going to. If not for you then for Derek. He obviously cares about you, like a lot. If the feeling is mutual then just consider it at least, alright? I may be on the newer side to the whole running of a pack thing but what your alpha is doing to you is not right. Okay?"

Mae listened to Scott and thought it over. "I will…think about it. No promises, no guarantees, nada. Got it?" she mainly said it to get Scott off her case but then she realized at least a part of her was serious with her words.

Scott nodded, "I'll take that." and felt glad that he made a little progress with her.

Mae carefully crossed her arms, "All right then."

—

While Scott was talking to Mae, Stiles was going to ask his question to Derek that he had been cut off from doing so earlier, "What did Lydia mean by how is she not dead?"

Derek didn't look at Stiles nor did he answer.

"Are you seriously going to keep every important detail about this girl to yourself?" Stiles asked in a frustrated 'unbelievable' tone.

Derek knew Peter told Stiles about Paige, so if Derek did tell Stiles that was a whole chapter that he wouldn't have repeat. He knew Stiles wouldn't let it go and would go digging to find out. That was most likely going to cause more harm than good so, Derek made the decision to tell him. Even though Mae would be ticked at him for doing so. "Mae is…Paige's reincarnation, doppelganger, whatever the freaking term is."

Stiles looked shocked to hear Derek give an explanation and it took him a second to put two and two together. When Stiles did make the connection, he looked even more shocked, "Paige? Whoa! Hold up, you mean…Paige, Paige? Your Paige?"

Derek just nodded in reply and gave a brief explanation as to what Deaton told him, "Deaton said because Paige died at the Nemeton, she was reborn as a reward for her sacrifice."

Stiles had a look of 'holy crap' look on his face as he looked over at Mae, "No wonder you're acting so adamant about this." Things were starting to make more sense to Stiles now.

Derek looked at Stiles with a 'you think?' look on his face.

Stiles felt like a jerk now but asked, "If Scott doesn't convince her to switch packs, then what?"

Derek honestly didn't know how to answer that without starting a pack war that they did not need on their hands.

—

Derek didn't want Mae going back to that house but she didn't have a choice. It would be worse for her if she waited.

"Can't you tell them you're sleeping over at a friends house?" Stiles suggested lamely.

That gave Scott an idea, "That could actually become the truth. I could invite everyone over to my house to stay the night. It'd give you the chance to meet everyone and give Stiles the chance to get everyone to watch Star Wars."

Stiles had a 'yes!' look on his face but Mae wasn't too sure. "I don't think that's a good idea. Damon was ticked enough by me talking to Derek. I can just imagine what he'd do if he found out that I was sleeping over at an alpha's house with their pack." She replied.

Stiles retorted with, "You could always leave that part out. Not everyone who's going to be there is a wolf. There's a kitsune, a coyote, human, banshee…I think that covers it."

Mae blinked her eyes a couple times as she absorbed this information, "Okay..I don't know if that's going to make things better or worse." especially since she didn't know kitsunes existed outside of that Naruto show or whatever it was called and she thought banshees were just folklore. Then again she was a reincarnate werewolf so anything was possible.

Stiles sighed and Scott suggested, "Just try it. If anything it'd give you more time to heal and just hang out." Scott was honestly starting to feel like he was talking to a brick wall but he wasn't going to give up.

Mae pondered for a moment, "Fine, I'll try." On that note Mae pulled out her cell phone to call home. Calling instead of going back there was safer on her end but it was going to cost her when she went back. This was something Mae knew and yet did it anyway.

Derek was glad to hear that she was willing to try to get permission but would feel even better once she was away from her pack for good. Derek lost Paige once, he wasn't going to lose her again. No matter what form she may be in.

(End Chapter 5)