The room held its breath.
The runes flared brighter under Auren's feet, veins of silver searing the marble with light. The three moons above poured their beams through the glass ceiling, converging over his body in a column of pale luminescence. He felt the weight of it all pressing down on him, the eyes of his family, the ancient power of the rite, the inevitability of truth.
Then it struck.
A sudden heat bloomed low in his abdomen, just above his private area, so sharp and alien that he staggered forward. His knees buckled, his hand flying to his stomach. It felt like something inside him was tearing open, an invisible gate forced ajar. The pain sharpened into fire. His body curled instinctively, crouching within the circle, breaths ragged.
Gasps echoed from the edges of the chamber, his siblings shifting uneasily, but their voices were drowned in the roaring pulse inside him.
The Thread. Auren could see within his minds eyes, a huge red thread connected with a blue thread. Somehow he knew who they were, Creation and Chaos, the creator of the Therion race. Then Auren saw a Black Fenrir encircling with a Dark Blue dragon and they merged into one, the main form was a Fenrir with dragon scales on its legs and some areas of its fur.
The creature stirred in his soul like a serpent uncoiling, thrumming with a pulse that matched his frantic heartbeat. Each beat sent another wave of heat radiating outward, pouring molten warmth into his abdomen, lacing through his chest, clawing up into his throat until he could barely breathe. Then when Auren felt that he would pass out, the creature opened its mouth and breathed out a dark blue flame that entered his body and soul.
Auren groaned louder, the sound low and broken, sweat prickling along his temple. His fingers dug into the glowing marble as if he could anchor himself against the storm building inside. The heat within him surged like a bomb opened within him. The visions vanished from his eyes,
And then....he smelled it.
A sweetness, faint at first, curling through the chamber like incense smoke. It was subtle yet undeniable, cloying yet intoxicating. Auren's eyes widened as realization cut through the haze of pain. The scent was his. The scent came in small waves then it transformed into suffocating ocean waves of his very own scent.
The sound of his siblings shifting grew sharper. Their suppressed breaths, startled murmurs, the scramble as they each covered their noses. He could not look up to see their faces, disbelief burned hotter than the heat consuming his body.
[Is this what being reclaimed means? To be reclaimed by the Threads that created us? What about the Thread of Pursuit inside me?]
As though summoned by his thoughts, The Thread of Pursuit pulsed within him, it was much stronger than the previous feeling. It did not resist the Rite rather, it fueled it, pressing harder against the fragile walls of his being, forcing the truth into the open. Auren's groan turned to a gasp, his body trembling as the essence locked within his bloodline surged to the surface.
The sweetness thickened, saturating the air to a point where his family has to leave. Only his mother and Vorren remained.
Time stretched. What felt like hours were only minutes, yet within those minutes he was remade. The pain ebbed by degrees, replaced by an unfamiliar openness in his core, a vulnerable ache that was not injury but revelation.
The light of the runes dimmed. The circle settled, its thrumming falling silent. The presence of the Threads vanished and even his Thread of Pursuit fell into its dormant state once more. Auren slumped forward, chest heaving, his palms slick against the marble. The air clung to his skin, heavy with the scent he had unwittingly released. Slowly, unsteadily, he raised his head.
The faces around him confirmed what he already knew.
Seraphina's eyes glistened, not with surprise but a deep, aching recognition and joy. Vorren's jaw was tight, his posture rigid, as if he felt the weight of his own past in Auren's unveiling. Yet his eyes shone brightly.
Auren swallowed hard, the last of the heat settling like embers in his core. His throat ached, his mind reeled, but the truth was undeniable.
He was now a reclaimed omega.
His father and brothers came back with water, towels and soft clothing for Auren to change into. For a long moment, no one spoke. The only sound was Auren's ragged breathing and the faint hum of the residual runes. His body trembled, though whether from exhaustion or something deeper, he could not tell.
Finally, Seraphina broke the silence.
"You've reclaimed your essence," she said softly, her voice steady despite the sheen of emotion in her eyes. "You are now a reclaimed omega, Auren."
The word hung in the chamber like a final verdict.
Auren's gaze flicked up briefly, catching Fenvaros watching him like a hawk ready to solve any issues that might arise within his son. Seraphina's tender smile as she wrapped the towel around him, then Vorren's fulfilled silence as he wet a towel, wiping his sweat away.
His other siblings seemed ready to speak, but he could not bear to hear their voices yet. It felt like if they spoke, Auren would feel the gravity of the change more than he would like to admit. Instead, he pushed himself shakily to his feet. The scent still clung to him, sweet and undeniable, but he forced his spine straight, his chin high.
"I…" His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard. "I've reclaimed."
The words felt like both surrender and defiance.
Fenvaros inclined his head once, a gesture so small yet carrying the weight of acknowledgement. The patriarch did not waste words, he knew his son was in a fragile moment. Seraphina stepped into his arms watching her son with joy and love, her son was now an adult.
Rai'en looked away first, muttering under his breath about losing a bet. Caelith smirked wider, victorious in his prediction of time. Raelith crossed his arms, his eyes soft with the kind of pride only an older brother could muster. Vorren said nothing, though his hand flexed at his side as if restraining himself from reaching out.
Seraphina pulled Auren softly into her hands, her hand brushed his shoulder gently. "You are no less than you were an hour ago. Remember that you are now more."
Her warmth nearly undid him. He bit his lip hard, forcing the rising tide of emotion back down.
Auren smiled and when he took a step forward, his knees buckled underneath him. Vorren quickly supported him. He knew this feeling most, like an ignition took place inside you and every single touch or word evoked emotions never easily evoked before.
The walk to Auren's room was quiet and when Vorren settled him in the bathtub, he was about to walk away when Auren called out,
"Vorren,"
"Yes, little wolf?" Vorren looked back but stood where he was.
"Did you feel this...vulnerable? Like any of our brothers could use their scent on me and I would collapse like a puppet with no strings?"
Vorren sighed in understanding and sat on top of the countertop. "Little wolf, It's just a feeling. None of them could ever do that. Ever."
Auren nodded but held himself closer, the reclaiming rite went too deep into his soul leaving him feeling vulnerable.
"Let me tell you my story, little wolf. When I was born, Raelith and Caelith had already undergone their reclaiming rite. They had theirs before the public gaze, in front of the nobles and even some other sovereigns. That was the tradition then, that why they are that tough."
Auren looked up, curiosity overwhelming his nerves, "Really?"
Vorren chuckled lightly, "Yes, Raelith is our Fenrir clan's first born he had to be witnessed. Caelith can be considered his twin because he was born a year later. I was born 16 years later but our brothers still looked the same as I grew up. In school I learnt about our species as Therions and how we age and it assured me that even as I grew older, our brothers will always be there."
Auren turned his body to face Vorren since the bathtub was empty.
"When was brother Rai'en born?"
"Hmm," Vorren paused in thought, "When I was 15 years old. His birth was a surprise really. He came out early but increasingly healthy, his red hair stood out amongst us. When my reclaiming rite came, they made it public because my physique said I would be an alpha.
What our parents didn't know was that I knew I was an Omega but I was in denial. I didn't want to birth children and be a wife. So I kept the information from them."
Auren was now puzzled, "How?"
Vorren laughed a bit, " I used Raleigh's scary rumoto my advantage and threatened the school physican who diagnosed me. I then used Caelith's commections to transfer him to the Seydra Dominion since it's the one place our parents will never look."
"Then the rite happened and I awakened as an Omega. I panicked and my scent caused a frenzy among the alphas present. It was Raelith and Caelith who caught like mad men for me. They shielded me even as father rushed me to a sealed underground chamber. In my awakening I saw my essence, it was a beautiful wolf with many colors. Red, black, blue and it merged with me."
Auren tried to picture being in that vulnerable state and having people trying to attack you, the scents, the noise and the aura would be too much. He was suddenly glad that his rite was private, that he was okay.
Vorren smiled, "Welcome to the world of Omegas Auren. Our scent is a vulnerability but also a powerful weapon. It's what got me this far on some occasions."
Vorren left Auren in the bathroom with a silent good night. Auren looked at the ceiling before smiling lightly,
"I am still me."