Naomi crosses her legs on her bed with the document from the record-keepers in front of her. Raurlin is sitting beside her staring down at his document too. Naomi chews down on her bottom lip. Their bedroom feels small and claustrophobic. Naomi tries to ignore it. She slips the first page over and on the second is a table of contents outlining the intended conversations and the timeline. The proposal is for a month. Naomi runs a finger under each point in the table.

The birth of the Queen

The death of her parents

Life in the wind

The Queen's Aunt

The big move

The witch convergence

The Aeturnum

The wolf pack convergence

The birth of a hybrid

The death of the Queen

The new home

The Feast of the New Moon

Naomi sucks in a deep breath. She glances at Raurlin who is glaring down at his papers, hands gripping onto each side of the sheets tightly. His breathing is deep and intentional. His anger is palpable. Naomi drops her papers and stands up off the bed. She walks to her cupboard and pulls the doors open. Raurlin remains immersed in his reading. Naomi fishes out a large handbag and a pair of knee-length boots. She walks back to the bed and drops the bag down. Raurlin looks up from his papers then drops them onto the bed altogether.

"My Queen?"

Naomi smiles at him, at his words. "I just need to get out, Raur. It's just feeling claustrophobic in here."

Raurlin turns to face her. "Is it because of me? I know I'm angry but I can go downstairs."

Naomi shakes her head, bending over to pull her boots on. "It's not you, Raur. Today has just been a lengthy one and I need some fresh air. I think a walk will do me a world of good. And you know you don't need to worry about me." Naomi looks at him over her shoulder with a wink and he smiles.

"Yes I know. I just don't like the idea of you being out there by yourself. Let me come with you?"

Naomi shakes her head. "I will be fine, I promise. I'll take my phone with me and I'll text you as soon as I know where I end up. Probably just a coffee shop. And I'll call you when I'm ready, you can pick me up."

Raurlin stretches across the bed and kisses her cheek. "Okay. But please keep me updated."

"Of course." Naomi stands up and slips the papers into her bag. "I will text you soon." Naomi smiles at Raurlin. The golden glow around his pupils is shining richly. "I will be fine. I promise."

Raurlin nods his head and Naomi can feel his eyes on her as she walks out of the bedroom. The house is in complete silence but for the beating of hearts, some steady and others rushed. Naomi walks briskly down the stairs. She makes a stop in the kitchen, lifting her cup that is still filled with blood. She secures the lid and takes a sip from the straw. The liquid cools down her throat. Naomi licks her lips, her eyes falling closed momentarily. She can feel the rush of it as it runs through her. Her body demands more. Naomi turns and walks out of the kitchen. She opens the front door and steps into the cold outside air. It is a welcome feeling.

A knock on Raurlin's door draws his attention. He looks up as Jackson pokes his head inside. Raurlin frowns. "What is it?"

Jackson slips into the room and shuts the door behind him. He folds his arms over his chest. "Ever since Axel mingled with the local law enforcement I've been keeping tabs."

Raurlin nods his head, still frowning. "Yes, like we discussed. Did something happen? Is it Axel?"

Jackson sighs deeply. "I just got word about a body that was found on the border. There has been chatter about who has jurisdiction but it looks like it's landing here."

"A body? What has that got to do with us? We're not getting involved in human business."

"That's just it, Raur. They obviously think they're dealing with some deranged killer but the body was mutilated."

Raurlin sits up straight. "Mutilated? Jax please get to the point. Was it fangs? Was it one of ours? A bite?"

Jackson shakes his head. "No, but the eyes were carved out and teeth carved out from the gums. It could be some madman amongst the humans but it just doesn't feel right, Raur."

"Eyes and gums...it feels familiar but I can't pinpoint why."

"Why would someone go for the eyes and gums? We have different eyes, different teeth. I don't know what it means but I'm telling you Raur, I just can't shake this feeling."

"Feeling?" Raurlin echoes.

"Yes. we shouldn't ignore this."

Raurlin stands up with a deep inhale. He walks to the windows and flicks one open. "Let me think. We don't want to expose ourselves with this but if it is some kind of attack against us we need to keep it clear of the locals."

"Actually," Jackson interjects hesitantly, "I've got an idea. Maybe the locals will be willing to work with some detectives?"

Raurlin faces Jackson raising an eyebrow. "You want us to play dress up?"

"How else do we get a foot in without exposing ourselves?"

"Very well. Go down and meet with the chief, make it so that it was his idea. That he reached out to us for help. I want a paper trail but one in our control."

Jackson nods once, lowering his head. He reaches for the door handle.

"Jax," Raurlin calls out, "this stays between us. We need to eliminate..." Raurlin sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes.

"I understand."

Jackson slips out of the room quietly and Raurlin cracks the door behind him, listening as he makes his way quickly out of the house. Raurlin shuts his door. He walks back to his windows, pushing them all open. He stands against the wind, gasping for air. His mind immediately went to his aeturnum. The guilt at the mere thought is like bile in his throat. He feels restless. Raurlin tugs his top over his head. His blood is running hot.

He alone knows intimately how Naomi is deteriorating mentally. The night terrors and the hallucinations. Sleep walking. It shouldn't be possible that she could make it out of their room and somehow make it back, still in the dream-like state but on occasion Raurlin has found her standing over him, clothes torn and covered in ash. He has kept it hidden. Aside from Jackson. The secret that they have shared since leaving the wolves remains an unspoken concern, a growing concern, but now this.

A body on the border. How far could she have travelled? She is a vampire now. Mostly. It is possible that she could have...Raurlin swallows down hard. On the other hand, Axel is also a suitable suspect. The Illness could drive him to some form of madness. He is much older than Naomi. Stronger too. And he lives on his own. Raurlin's heart beats faster in his chest. He walks to his cupboard and tugs out his traditional coat. Raurlin drapes it over his arm and walks out of his bedroom and downstairs.

"Raur," Sarah calls out from the top of the stairs.

Raurlin turns to face her and her face is twisted with concern. "Jax and Naomi both aren't home. And now you're leaving."

Raurlin smiles slightly. "Naomi insisted on going for a walk, and said she needed air. I sent Jax to keep an eye on her and I am going out for a run."

Sarah eyes him dubiously. "A shirtless run that requires your coat?"

"It is the kind of run that does not require clothes but on the shift back I am anticipating some cold sensations."

Sarah purses her lips. "I see. Forgive me. Enjoy your run."

Raurlin nods his head and walks out of the door, shutting it behind him. He walks around the house to the side, alongside the kitchen door. He tugs off his pants, leaving them in a pool at his feet. He folds his coat down on top of his pants. Raurlin lowers to his haunches. He presses his palms flat against the snow watching as claws extend from his nails. A sharp and hot searing pain radiates from his abdomen. He hunches over with a gasp as the pain grows across his body, pushing into his back, forcing his bones to move.

Raurlin falls to his side with a groan, fangs falling from his gums painfully, dropping blood onto his tongue. He tries to bite down against the pain but it pushes into his face, his cheeks, his nose. His vision begins to turn hazy, his eyes pulsating. He knows they are golden but the throbbing becomes sharp and his vision blotches in and out. He watches in what feels like flashes as the bones in his arms begin to snap, the bones in his fingers shove against the skin of his hand.

Raurlin writhes against the snow, his body dripping with sweat.