Raurlin stirs in his sleep as Naomi offers a small flurry of kisses across his cheeks. She meant it as a sign of his forgiveness. Raurlin slowly cracks an eye open and his eyes are a glowing red. Naomi frowns at him as she pushes herself back onto her side of the bed.

"Your eyes, Raur."

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Good morning doll."

"You didn't scare me. Is it because today's the awakening?"

"I guess so. What time is it?"

"Just after seven. I ran you a bath. I thought you might want an early start to the day."

Raurlin smiles lazily at Naomi as she steps out from the shared bed.

"Thank you doll."

"Oh and Raur you'll never guess..."

"It's snowing?"

Naomi rolls her eyes at Raurlin and she smiles then walks into the bathroom and Raurlin shortly follows after her.

Jackson sits up in the bed and reaches out across the sheets. He rubs his eyes and then slowly opens then to find Sarah standing by the balcony looking out the window.

He hopes out of the bed and walks to where she is standing. Her skin is covered in goosebumps. Jackson wraps his arms around her and Sarah settles into his chest.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm watching the snowfall but..."

"But what, Sarah?"

"I only see blood where it lands."

The four settle into the breakfast table and the young wolves are there to join them. There's an air of extreme excitement and Raurlin finds it contagious. He grins at Naomi as she scoops a mouthful of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

Mikain is sitting at the edge of the table and Sandy is back beside him. She looks exhausted and Naomi steals glances at her as she rubs her belly. Sarah catches Naomi looking at Sandy and she raises an eyebrow to her best friend who merely shakes her head. Mikain stands up and raises a glass. He looks surprisingly tired. The table falls to silence.

"Today is the day," is all he says and there is cheering and banging on the table. Naomi grins and soaks it in. She already feels a certain nostalgia to the place and her surroundings. She places a hand over Raurlin's and she can tell that his heart is racing. The wolves at the table eyes turn to a dim yellow and Mikain's change to a bright golden yellow. Long claws much like Raurlin's extend from his fingers but they're not as long. Raurlin's red gleaming eyes pool a deep gold and they match Mikains just briefly before returning to the gleaming red.

Jackson raises an eyebrow and turns to Mikain who is sitting back down. The look doesn't go unnoticed and Mikain simply nods his head once. He settles into his chair and clasps onto Sandy's hand. Sandy's eyes are a golden glow and she looks down the table with a proud smile. For a moment Naomi can almost see her imagining her little one at the table, banging on with the cutlery.

                                                                                              ❄

Naomi thanks Benedict for the afternoon training session. The other wolves are clearing the mats and punching bags and Naomi immediately jumps into assistance. They carry the training things into a small room inside and then start carrying out a few chairs. From the same room Benedict carries out a large bowl and a large knife. The younger wolves begin gathering outside with nervous chatter. Raurlin is not among them. Naomi walks upstairs and their bedroom door is open.

Raurlin is sitting down in one of the chairs with a picture in his hand. He is looking at it and quiet tears are falling down his cheeks. He wipes at them as Naomi sits down in front of him and she leans forward slightly. Raurlin hands her the picture and she examines it closely. It's a picture of his father, his adoptive father.

"Tormund?"

"Yeah. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him today. Can't get him out of my mind."

There's silence.

"It makes sense, Raur. He is your father and today you're doing something so monumental it only makes sense that you would want your father here."

"I don't know if I'd want him here...he was a hard man."

There's a commotion outside and Naomi hands Raurlin the picture. She walks outside and shuts the door behind her. Downstairs the younger wolves are starting together and the sun is slowly starting to set. She knows that Raurlin needs to get ready and meet the others. She spots Jackson downstairs with Mikain and she trots downstairs. She stands at a distance, waiting for them to finish talking. Mikain walks out the front door and once he is out of sight Naomi starts speaking.

"Raurlin is upstairs. He's a bit low, he's staring at a picture of Tormund...you knew him right? Tormund?"

Jackson nods and responds "leave him to me, why don't you go get ready with Sarah?"

Naomi nods and she and Jackson walk in silence upstairs. Naomi walks into the room where Sarah is and she shuts the door. Jackson knocks on Raurlin's door and then pushes the door open. Raurlin is still sitting in the chair still.

"Raur, you need to get ready, it's almost time."

Raurlin remains motionless and Jackson stands beside him and drops a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Raur, remember when we were kids?"

Raurlin chuckles and Jackson continues.

"He wanted this. He knew you were never at peace with who you are because there was a piece of your truth missing. You have it now. It's time to act now. Get up, brother, there's work to be done."

Raurlin forces himself up and Jackson pulls him into a tight hug.

"What can I do to help?"

Raurlin is quiet a moment then states "if I'm going to do this I want to be true to me."

Jackson nods with a grin.

Naomi pulls the large coat over her shoulders and Sarah clasps her hand. They are standing side by side and they are holding hands. Jackson managed to get through to Raurlin and they are downstairs preparing. Sarah's red locks are cascading all over her shoulders and are a bright contrast to the dark coloured coat she is wearing.

It's dark and snowing and the cold is bitter. The front door is open and the pack is gathering outside. Naomi and Sarah walk down the stairs and out the front door. They walk round the house and are taken aback. Mikain is standing in front of the large dish that Benedict had carried. He is shirtless and there's a scar across his chest.

In front of him Dezra is standing wearing a large green coat. Sandy is sitting in a wooden chair beside him and she is covered in a large blanket. Beside him to his left Benedict is standing holding a large torch in his hand and that is lit and to his right Armon is standing the same. The entire pack is surrounding them and as far as Naomi can see there are people and flickering lights all through the forest.

In front of Mikain the young wolves are standing in a line. They are all shirtless. Raurlin is standing at the back of the line and he is also shirtless. His lips are a shade of blue and just by looking at him Naomi can feel how cold he is. She tugs her coat closed. Instinctively Raurlin looks up and scans the crowd until he spots Naomi.

Naomi is taken aback by him. His hair is shaved on both sides and on his right side he has tattoos. The rest of his hair is braided on the top of his head and he has a smear of blue paint from his right eye down to his chest. He grins at Naomi and winks at her. There's a low murmur that spreads through the forest and it grows louder and louder.

Dezra raises her arms as the cheering gets louder and the scattered clouds seem to pull apart from the sky and the full moon is visible. The cheering thunders around them and Naomi grins. She looks to Sarah who seems to be lost in her own world. Jackson trots downstairs and he too has shaved both sides of his head. He too has tattoos along the side of his skull and a smear of blue paint across the right side of his face. He has a thick coat on and he stands beside Sarah.

Mikain holds a hand up and the entire pack falls to immediate silence and it sends shivers down Naomi's spine. Dezra lifts the large knife from the bowl and she turns to the young wolves. The low murmuring grows again but it doesn't get as loud as the cheering from before. Dezra steps to the side and the first young wolf steps forward to the large bowl.

"State your name," Dezra says loudly and clearly.

"Kellam '' the young wolf responds quickly and there's laughter throughout the forest. Dezra smiles at him.

"Do you Kellam, swear your sole allegiance and your life to this pack and this Alpha?"

"I do."

"Step forth and make your oath binding by blood."

The young wolf steps forward and Dezra makes a cut in his hand and his blood treacles into the large bowl. There's a burst of cheering that dies down as the next young wolf steps forward. The young wolves form a line in front of Mikain and they all drop to their knees.

Raurlin steps forward and Jackson steps just behind Sarah and Naomi and he wraps his arms around the both of them. Naomi feels an overwhelming amount of pride and she watches on to what is folding out before her.

"Raurlin, son of Maddox, we welcome you home," Dezra says and there is loud cheering. "Because you are part vampire and part wolf we do not expect you to renounce your king but only accept our pack as your own. Do you accept?"

"I do."

"Step forward and make your oath in blood."

Raurlin steps forward and cuts into his palm. He squeezes his hand over the large bowl and his blood pours into it. He squeezes a fist and the cut heals instantly. His eyes are a gleaming red and the golden halo seems to be pulsating. He steps beside the row of kneeling wolves. Dezra steps beside the bowl and she lifts her hands. The wind around them gushes through the trees and it's cold. She shuts her eyes and faces the sky, the full moon glowing down on her face.

She drops her hands to the bowl and there's a sudden surge of flames that die down almost instantly. She steps in front of Mikain and lifts the knife to his chest. The noise around them comes to an anticipating silence.

"Our Alpha Mikain by blood rite we accept you as our Alpha but do you accept these young wolves as a part of your pack?"

"I do."

"Make it known by blood oath."

Mikain steps forward and Dezra cuts into his chest over his, over the same scar, he drops his hand into the bowl and smears the blood across the cut on his chest and there is loud cheering and shouting. Mikain shuts his eyes and the full moon is directly above him. Naomi can feel the change in the air. She looks for Raurlin and his claws are extended painfully. All around them the wolves' eyes start to change colour. Naomi's breathing quickens.

Mikain opens his eyes and they're a bright gleaming gold all of a sudden he throws his head back and roars loudly. Naomi covers her ears and shuts her eyes and Sarah does the same. The roar stops suddenly and there's silence. Naomi cracks an eye open and then she's wide eyed as takes in what's happening in front of her. Mikain has fangs protruding from his face and side burns peering from his face. His claws are extended too.

The young wolves are keeled over in pain and the bones in their bodies are breaking. Some are shouting in pain and their eyes are a dull yellow. Naomi rushes forward to find Raurlin breathing heavily on one knee. She drops beside him and wraps an arm around him.

"Raur?"

Raurlin shuts his eyes and he swallows down and leans against Naomi. In an instant all he can hear is Naomi's heartbeat and she smells incredible. Naomi eases Raurlin up to his feet and Mikain steps forward and places an arm under his. Raurlin's eyes gently ease open and they are the same gold as Mikain and Naomi is stunned. She turns to look for Jackson who is instantly by his side. Jackson leans in and tells Raurlin to shut his eyes. Mikain and Jackson carry him inside quickly.

Dezra helps Sandy to her feet and she ushers her inside. Dezra calls for Sarah and they settle Sandy down onto a couch in the lounge. Sarah turns and lifts a hand to the fireplace and the flames burst up. In the kitchen Raurlin is sitting at the table. His body feels weak and all he's experiencing is a searing pain. Naomi sits in front of him and holds onto his hands.

Raurlin slowly opens his eyes and the colour has returned. Mikain sighs a sigh of relief and then he falls silent but the sigh doesn't go unnoticed. Raurlin settles into the chair and the pain slowly dissolves from his body and the colour returns to his face. He smiles at Naomi who is watching him with a look of deep concern. Mikain chuckles and he clamps onto Raurlin's shoulder.

"You did good, old man, the worst is over."