The first week had flown by in record time. The four had fallen into a comfortable routine. They would have breakfast together and Jackson would spend the morning with the Alpha learning as much as possible, Raurlin trained with the young wolves and often spared with Naomi. Sarah would spend the morning working through spells with Dezra.

They had lunch together and often spent the afternoon regrouped planning the way forward once they returned home. There was no definitive plan but they all knew it was a reality they would be faced with soon.

Sarah and Jackson had fallen into a comfortable routine that only they knew about. With each day they grew closer and closer. Naomi and Raurlin had also fallen into a routine but often Naomi found herself increasingly annoyed with her aeturnum.

Raurlin had started showing signs of extreme jealousy during their sparring sessions. If another wolf even so much as looked at Naomi he damn near growled at them. Naomi chalked it up to the drastic change in emotion that comes with awakening his wolf side.

Today is Monday. Raurlin is two days away from undergoing the awakening. The air is different, there is an almost tangible tension around the breakfast table. Naomi pokes at her scrambled eggs with her fork, her stomach in knots.

"You going to eat this, doll?"

"Have at it."

Naomi slides her plate to Raurlin and watches on for a few moments as she shovels food into his mouth. Naomi stands up and walks outside and Raurlin hasn't even noticed that she's left.

She does some stretches and starts a slow jog around the perimeter. Sarah and Jackson were not at the breakfast table and Naomi assumed they were doing something together. She runs along the perimeter of the nature reserve.

The air is crisp and cold and Naomi's nose feels wet with the change in season. Armon told her that they often had snow in the winter and it was only a matter of time before the snow fell.

Naomi's jogging slows to a walk as she hears almost shouting in the distance. She walks closer into the forest and eases gently around a bend. Sarah is standing in front of a large pine tree. She kicks the tree muttering "stupid tree" on a loop.

"Sarah? What the hell are you doing?"

"Naomi! You scared me! What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm out on a run. Why are you attacking the tree?"

Sarah huffs and crosses her arms. She slumps against the tree and slides down until she's sitting. Naomi sits down in front of her.

"Look, I just needed to get away from everyone for a bit. The air has just become so tense I can't stand being around everyone like that."

"I know right. And it's so annoying because it's like Raurlin is so oblivious to the change and even the change in his behaviour."

"Him and Jackson both."

"Jackson's also behaving like an asshole?"

"No things are actually really good but it's almost as if he's oblivious to everything that I'm trying to tell him. It's so annoying."

Naomi pushes herself up and dusts the mud off her hands. Sarah holds her hands out and Naomi pulls her to her feet.

"I was trying to work on a small defensive spell. Done right I should be able to at least put a dent in the tree but I feel like my magick is blocked up."

"You're emotional right now, that's probably why. Hey I have an idea why don't you do some sparring with me today? It'll be a great way to work out that excess anger."

Behind them a twig snaps and they both turn. Brody is glaring at them from a distance. He has a large amount of facial protruding and his eyes are a dull yellow. His nails are extended in claws, smaller than Raurlin's. He stomps to where the two are standing. Naomi takes a step in front of Sarah and clenches her hands into fists. Her breathing quickens as panic settles into her being. She looks quickly around them and deduces they're too far away from anyone for her to call for help.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sarah demands.

"You two shouldn't be here."

"I'm sorry" Naomi stammers "we'll just head back in."

She grasps tightly onto Sarah's hand and pulls her in the direction of the house. Brody steps in front of them and he takes a menacing step towards them.

"You shouldn't be here! You're not wolves! Your little vampire boyfriend thinks he can come change everything!" Brody snarls and circles the girls. Sarah and Naomi walk backwards keeping Brody in their sight. Brody continues.

"If I get rid of his bride I get rid of him." His breathing is heavy, almost as if he's struggling to breathe. Beads of perspiration form on his forehead and his loose vest visibly dampens. There seems to be a discolouration just beneath the skin of his neck. It's black and looks like it's moving. He takes a step forward.

"Brody please'' Naomi begs "you don't have to do this. We can talk this out." He takes another step forward and Sarah and Naomi are backed against the trunk of a tree. Before either of them can register Brody lunges forward and grasps Naomi tightly around the throat, his claws digging into her skin. Naomi struggles to get out of his grasp that tightens.

Sarah grabs at his hand shouting for him to let go. They both struggle at his hands and in a sudden movement Sarah slams an open palm onto his chest that propels him backwards through a tree. His body lands limp and the tree lands just beside him with a loud thud that echoes through the woods.

Sarah and Naomi turn to run and Naomi instantly collides against Raurlins chest. It doesn't register that it's Raurlin and she punches him squarely across the jaw. It's a hard and painful punch and Raurlin is briefly stunned. He wraps his arms around Naomi. "It's me, Naomi, it's me." Naomi settles into Raurlin's arms as tears stream down her cheeks. Jackson holds onto Sarah who pushes herself out of his embrace.

Sarah's face is pale and her eyes are wide. She's shaking visibly and the trembles run right into her hands. Jackson can taste her magick and fear on his tongue and his fangs drop from his mouth. His eyes glow an intense red and he turns to face Raurlin who's eyes match the same. Raurlin is trying to steady his breathing.

"I...I think I ...killed him. I killed him, Jax, killed him. He's dead, he's just...he's..."

"Breathe Sarah, hey look at me."

Jackson holds onto either side of Sarah's face and forces her gaze to his.

"He's not dead," Raurlin declares "I can hear his breathing from here. But he is about to be."

There's a bustling in the trees behind them and Jackson pushes Sarah behind him, bearing his fangs. It's Armon clad in a tracksuit and sweaty from a run. He pulls his earphones out his ears and a deep frown settles on his face.

"What's happened here?"

Armon treads carefully to where the four are standing. He looks at the scene before him. Naomi is sobbing in Raurlin's arms and her neck is bleeding profusely. He looks past them at Brody's limp body lying on the ground. His breathing quickens and he holds his hands up to show he means no harm.

"Please let me get Mikain. Before you do anything, please let me get Mikain."

Armon immediately takes off, not giving Jackson or Raurlin an opportunity to respond. Raurlin eases Naomi into a sitting position and she tries to steady her sobs but they shake right through her body. Raurlin drops on his knees in front of Naomi and closely examines her neck. There are three large scratches along her neck in its entirety and Raurlin is instantly enraged. He stands up and walks to where Brody is lying.

"Raurlin" Jackson shouts "Raurlin! Naomi first. She's bleeding."

Raurlin tears his eyes off Brody and he struggles to swallow down his anger. He crouches in front of Naomi and wipes the tears off her face. She looks up at Raurlin and he is completely heart broken. She has a look of complete fear on her face and her heart is racing. She's shaking too. She lifts a hand to her neck and Raurlin catches it and shakes his head.

"Don't Naomi. Hey look at me, I need you to breathe okay. Hey look at me, focus on my breathing. Deep breath in...deep breath out...good girl. You're going to be okay. You remember that my blood can heal you? I'm going to feed you my blood okay? Nod if you can understand, Noami, nod your head. Good girl."

Raurlin claws into his wrist and he holds it up to Naomi's lips. They're cold once they touch his skin. There's a brief silence and Sarah holds out for Jackson. Jackson pulls Sarah into his arms and she mutters "I think I'm going to faint." Jackson eases her onto the ground and tells her "it's the adrenaline and the magick. You just need to sit for a minute. You're okay, I'm right here with you."

There's a noise in the forest around them and Sarah's eyes dart to the noise. The colour slowly returning to her face. "It's okay, it's just Mikain. Just focus on me, Sarah, focus on me."

Mikain, Armon and Benedict walk through the forest and hesitantly approach the four. Raurlin's rage is tangible to Mikain and he finds himself surprised to be battling back his wolf form. Benedict walks quickly to where Brody is lying and places on both his wrists large heavy handcuffs that have a thick chain. Mikain turns his attention to Raurlin and Jackson and he instructs "get the girls out of here."

Raurlin scoops Naomi into his arms and she lays against his chest weak and in shock. Jackson helps Sarah to her feet and the four walk back to the main house where Sandy is setting up a makeshift medical station on the large table with Dez. It's clear that Dez has been crying. Jackson lowers Sarah down in one of the chairs and Dez places a glass in front of her telling Sarah to sip slowly telling her it will help with the shock. Jackson pulls a chair back and Raurlin settles down cradling Naomi against him.

Sandy approaches him gently and places a hand on his arm. "Raurlin I can help her. I need to examine the wounds. Please." Raurlin slowly eases open his hands and Naomi is crying softly. The scratches on her neck should have stopped bleeding. "She should be healed already" Raurlin mutters a panic settling within him. Sandy sits Naomi upright and closely examines the scratches. She puts a disinfectant on cotton swabs and wipes away at the blood. The bleeding has ceased but the scratches are still prominent.

"Sometimes a wolf attack takes longer to heal for vampires."

"She's not a vampire Sandy. If anything happens to...I'll kill him."

"Easy Raur," Jackson cautions.

Sandy wraps a bandage around Naomi's neck. She hands Naomi a glass too and Naomi sips on it slowly. She feels herself settle and all at once she's exhausted. She lays her head against Raurlin's chest. Dez is quiet and she looks ashamed. Naomi lifts her head and looks from Dez to Sarah. "He wasn't himself," she says through a hoarse voice. "I think he's being influenced in some way. You need to check his neck."

With that Raurlin lifts Naomi up and carries her upstairs to their room. He settles her onto the bed and sits down beside her. Naomi shuts her eyes, exhaustion pulls her to a deep sleep. Raurlin watches as she breathes deeply. He rubs the hair out her face and then gently rubs the bandage. In the room beside them Sarah is frantically flipping through her grimoire. Jackson shuts the door.

"Sarah you don't need to do this now..."

"Yes I do Jackson. I kept telling you something wasn't right. You should have listened!"

Jackson sits down on the bed beside Sarah and tries to pull Sarah into a hug. Sarah pushes him away.

"Don't touch me. You don't understand someone almost killed my best friend today. Where were you? Where was Raurlin?" Sarah settles on a page in her grimoire and she examines it closely. She chews on her top lip to the point of biting right into her skin. She feels tears pool in her eyes and they drop onto the page.

"Hey...come here." Jackson pulls Sarah into a hug and she lets him. She sobs into his shoulder. Jackson holds her until her crying subsides. There is a part of him that wants to tear Brody to shreds, limb by limb, but another part rationalizes if it is magick he isn't acting of his own accord.

"How did you get him to stop?"

Sarah props her head up and she wipes at her eyes. "I don't...know. I guess I just knew what to do. It wasn't even a spell or anything but I just knew."

"That's incredible. You know the way I see it, someone tried to kill your best friend but you saved her life Sarah. You did good."

The afternoon sun settles and Armon pulls the curtains in Mikains office closed. Brody is sitting in one of the chairs with the heavy cuffs on his wrists. He looks weak and sickly and he's sobbing. Raurlin is standing in the furthest corner of the room with his arms crossed and Jackson is standing in front of the door.

"I swear it wasn't me Mik, you know me! I would never do anything like this...please I swear it please you have to believe me."

Brody looks at Sarah with a pleading look. Sarah swallows hard, her mouth sandpaper dry. She holds her grimoire open in one hand and she is glaring at Brody. On closer inspection of his neck she and Dez deduced that there was in fact foul play of the magick kind. Her grimoire spoke of a form of blood magick...black magick that spread like a disease causing destruction in its wake. There was no doubt in her mind that the spell was cast by the third witch.

She looks at Mikain and Mikain nods once. Sarah holds her free hand open and Raurlin walks to her. Using a small pocket knife he cuts a small cut on her palm. Brody's sobbing grows louder and he begins to whimper, begging for his life. Sarah holds her cut hand out at him and her eyes roll to the back of her head as she begins reciting the incantation from her grimoire.

Brody convulses as she continues to read louder and with stronger conviction. Brody cries out loudly and doubles over in the chair. The blackness under his skin seems to move like worms through his cheeks and he leans over the side of the chair and wretches. The blackness spurts out his mouth, nose and eyes and gathers like thick smoke on the ground, hovering. Sarah inhales sharply and turns to the smoke, her hand still out stretched.

She continues speaking and the smoke gathers and it seems to twitch and shake before it rises up and almost instantaneously dissolves into nothing. Blood treacle's from Sarah's ears and eyes. She shuts her eyes tightly and as she does Brody collapses into the couch. Sarah's legs sway and she falls but Jackson is swift in catching her. She steadies against him and opens her eyes. Her eyes are bloodshot and red.

"The spell is complete. I will require Dezra's assistance in performing one on a larger scale so we can see just how many people are infected. His actions were not of his own accord but I consider this a direct attack on us all and you should all assume the same. Dezra and I will be ready after dinner. Mikain I trust you will make the necessary arrangements."

A shiver runs through Jackson and briefly it's as if he sees Idonea in Sarah. He decides this action is the monumental thing that will settle Sarah into her magick and the capacity thereof. He turns to Raurlin who looks just as stunned. Upstairs in Raurlin and Naomi's room Naomi stirs in her sleep. Sandy gently walks into the room and perches on the bedside next to Naomi.

Naomi frowns and cracks an eye open. She feels as if her skin is on fire. She shoves the blankets off her and Sandy presses the back of her hand on Naomi's forehead. Sandy frowns and pulls her phone out. She dials Mikain's number and just as he answers Raurlin is walking through the door.

"Sandy...what's going on?"

"I'm not sure Raurlin, she's burning up."

Naomi sits up quickly with a sudden wave of nausea in her belly. She leans over the side of the bed and Raurlin is beside her rubbing her back in small circles. She stiffens and then cries out in pain. She starts pulling the bandages off her neck. Sandy and Raurlin watch on in confused silence. Naomi drops the bandage on the floor and turns to Raurlin before crying out in pain again. Raurlin closely examines the scratches and there's black smoke rising off the wounds as if they're on fire. The scratches seem to disappear into Naomi's neck until they're gone altogether.

Raurlin turns to Sandy with a look of urgency on his face. "Sandy...can a human turn from a scratch?"