Page 1 of Cursed
a little history…
When the world was new, the Gods and Goddesses agreed upon a set of sacred rules—The Caelumri Accords. The Accords allowed the deities to create their own beings, but no deity could interfere with the free will of those creations.
For the first few decades after creating a new race, the Gods and Goddesses were free to interact with their creations—just long enough for those new beings to pass down knowledge of their divine origins. After that, the deities could have no further direct contact with their children.
But the Gods and Goddesses are a fickle bunch. They onlymostlyfollow their own rules.
Freya, Goddess of the Moon, was among the most prolific of creators. Her children—part human, part animal—are known asshifters. A fusion of two separate entities, shifters are bound by a single shared soul. Freya formed only the most powerful predatory combinations: wolves, panthers, tigers, lions, bears, and on very rare occasions…dragons.
Shifters can take the form of either their human or animal side. Though they inhabit one soul, the human and animal spirits are distinct and ever-present, constantly communicating regardless of which form is dominant. When in human form, the animal remains aware and alert, able to speak mind-to-mind with its human half. The bond between the two is unbreakable.
Shifters are born human. When a female shifter is pregnant, she cannot shift into her animal form until after the baby is born. For shifter children, their animal typically presents itself around age sixteen, with the first physical shift happening around eighteen years old.
Freya has blessed her children with long lives, hundreds of years, in most cases, and shifters are almost indestructible. Silver to the heart or beheading are usually the only ways to kill a shifter. Otherwise, they heal quickly, often without scarring.
Shifters tend to stay with their own kind. Wolf shifters don’t mingle with other types of shifters, like bears or lions. All shifters avoid humans and other supernatural beings—witches, vampires, fairies, Nephilim, etc. And no one dares go near a dragon shifter.
Shifter communities are called Packs. Like most supernatural groups, they follow a hierarchical structure. Wolf shifters, in particular, have established an expansive kingdom that spans the globe. The Wolf Shifter Kingdom, currently ruled by Alpha King Kaelen Drakemoor, consists of twenty Packs, each led by its own Alpha, the most powerful of the pack members.
Because of their predatory nature, shifters are inherently violent. To manage this, the wolf shifters abide by theWolf Shifter Code—a set of laws governing crimes and punishments, like banishments or executions, as well as the organizational structure of the Pack. The Shifter Code allows Packs to either elect their Alphas or battle for the title and right to lead the Pack.
Freya, ever the meddler, hasn’t remained entirely hands-off. She bestows special powers to the most powerful among them, the Alphas. Typically born from two powerful shifters, Alphas are given the extra power to help protect their Packs. Alpha Powers are designed for battle and are generally telekinetic, but they can take other forms, such as the ability to affect the weather.
Influence is another gift that can manifest in any powerful shifter, not just Alphas. By infusing their voice with Influence, powerful shifters can compel others to speak the truth or obey their commands.
Occasionally, Freya loves a child so much that she will bless this child with her Goddess Powers. The Goddess Powers can be anything, but they will always manifest into a power the child will need sometime during its long life. These shifters are known as Goddess-blessed. Their animals carry the mark of this blessing in the shape of a crescent moon and a star.
Freya also meddles in love. When two shifters are destined to be perfect partners, she binds them together with a Mate Bond. When these partners find each other, the Bond flares to life, forming a temporary connection.
Each Mate still has free will—they may choose to accept or reject the Bond. If accepted, they live happily together for the rest of their long lives. If rejected, Freya punishes them, but only briefly. The two shifters experience the searing pain of the Bond shattering. If she feels generous, she will choose another partner for each of them, or maybe not.
Rarer still are Fated Mates—a pairing so profound that the Fates themselves ensure the Mates find each other in every lifetime. Fated Mates maintain their ability to choose. If they accept the Bond, their souls will remain bound across all future lives. If rejected, they will never find another Mate in that lifetime and must wait until the next incarnation for another chance.
Fated Mates love deeply. But this kind of love comes at a price: one cannot survive without the another. If one Mate dies, the other soon follows. Still, for most, the reward is worth the risk.
Freya loves her children as fiercely as any mother. And though she should no longer interfere, she misses being part of their lives. Every once in a while, she breaks the rules to whisper guidance, deliver blessings…or even shift the path of Fate.
chapter one
Aylin flicks her ears back, catching the sounds of the Rogue Wolf thrashing through the trees behind her. His deep, guttural growls echo through the otherwise silent woods.
The Rogue has been chasing her through the dense forest for at least twenty minutes. Her paws pound the snow-covered ground; her breath streams in sharp white bursts through the freezing air. Even covered in thick fur, she feels the cold seeping in.
With the heavy snowfall the last two days, Aylin hasn’t had much luck hunting for food, and her stamina is waning. She’ll have to turn and fight him soon.
She’s been traipsing around in these never-ending woods for weeks. Her once silky, white fur is now brown and matted with mud. She reeks of every smelly, rancid thing she could find in the forest to mask her wolf scent.
Aylin’s human half, Nori, suddenly shouts in her mind, “LOG!”
“Damn, Nori. I see it. Sometimes, it’s a pain having you constantly in my head.” Gracefully, Aylin jumps over the log, though her back paw slips on the landing. She stumbles but recovers quickly.
“Sorry, just trying to help.” Hoping to encourage Aylin, Nori adds, “You’re doing great!”
Aylin resumes her pace with a huff. She is doing great avoiding the trees, but the damn underbrush of tangled roots and frozen bushes is slowing her down. She’s grateful the snow let up this evening, and the clouds have separated enough to let in the moonlight.
The Rogue’s foul stench intensifies; he must be gaining on her. Rogues are driven into a frenzy the moment they smell a she-wolf. Now that he has her scent, Aylin knows he will never stop hunting her.
Startled, Aylin gasps with a mixture of worry and relief. “I see a Pack boundary in the distance!”
