Board Thread:False Info and Speculative Discussion/@comment-24782789-20140621151955/@comment-4091815-20140621183413

Since we've only seen one - we only have a limited understanding. As far as we can tell, you need to be an alpha, when you die, dead less than three months, preserved in Wolfsbane and touched by the light of a full moon along with the blood of an alpha (possibly the one that killed you or from the same bloodline).

But again, we've only seen one so none of it's not set in canon.

Derek helped "heal" his uncle which drained him but not fully, since he retained the Alpha spot.