2. ALPHA AREN

In the midst of steep and icy mountains lies the city of Arcanán, anchored beyond where human eyes have ever ventured. Its remote and practically unknown existence is shrouded in obscurity to the world. Only supernatural beings are privy to its location. Surrounded by towering walls atop inaccessible cliffs, it stands as one of the safest and most impregnable of all known places. Only those who are invited may visit, and no one, not even by chance, can pass through the enormous gates that safeguard it.

Rumours persist that for centuries, the so-called Greater Archons have dwelt there since they were banished from the celestial city and compelled to live as halves of the souls of werewolves.

Whether this is true remains unknown, but what is universally acknowledged is the existence of this city and its strange pack of werewolves known as the Arcano. It is led by the most fearsome and ruthless Alpha to have ever lived, a reason in itself why no one dares to approach the place. He is called the Cursed Alpha because he has never been able to transform into a human, or at least no one has witnessed such a transformation. He maintains his imposing wolf figure, commanding respect and fear from all.

In a room that at first glance appears to belong to the king of this place, given the elegance and wealth with which it is furnished, there lies an enormous bed where a man rests in deep slumber. The door bursts open violently, admitting another who enters, shouting in annoyance.

"Aren, you must stop vanishing like this! I'm your beta and brother, not the Alpha of the pack! I can't be handling everything! Where did you go this time? Why do you disappear every full moon?" The burly man who had burst into the room was now heading for a corner, clearly intending to find someone in the makeshift bed on the floor, which bore the unmistakable signs of an animal's presence. However, he turned swiftly, sensing something behind him.

Startled, he watched as the blankets on the bed stirred, until a strong and imposing man sat up in it. His hair was blond, his eyes grey, which turned golden as he listened to his beta and brother Enril.

"Enril, stop bellowing so early; I'm exhausted from the long journey," he said with a thunderous voice.

"You're human, Aren!" exclaimed Enril, his eyes wide as he approached the bed with slow steps, his face etched with an immense expression of surprise and disbelief.

"I know. I've been able to transform into a human for quite some time," responded Aren nonchalantly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Enril asked as he arrived at his side, bombarding him with a flurry of questions. "When did it happen? Did you find her? Did you find your Luna?"

Aren stood up without answering, completely naked. He walked to the bathroom with slow and weary steps, while his brother Enril followed him, still staring as if he couldn't believe his eyes, waiting for an answer that never came.

"Has something happened within the pack for you to rouse me so early?" Aren asked instead; after all, he was the Alpha.

"The usual: the elders demanding to see you."

Enril, his brother and beta, responded with resignation, aware that Aren would not divulge anything. He knew his brother well; Aren would not speak of what happened until he decided it was time. Nevertheless, he was overjoyed that Aren had finally managed to become human. He watched him step into the cold shower and begin to bathe, so he continued speaking from the doorway.

"There's nothing amiss in the pack. You know how it is; the elders are insistent on holding the ceremony to find you a mate. Your Luna."

"That won't be necessary; I've found my mate," stated Alpha Aren firmly. "Can't you see? I am human."

"Why don't you bring her here?" Enril asked, curiosity piqued.

Aren glanced at him for a moment before replying, "She's a baby."

"A baby? How do you know she's your mate then?" his brother asked incredulously.

"I can smell all her scents, and she can smell mine," Aren confessed.

"That's impossible! You're supposed to wait until she turns sixteen," Enril reminded him seriously. "Aren, tell me right now what you've been doing to become human without involving me."

"I've done nothing; it just happened!" Aren roared in fury, then added upon seeing his brother's baffled expression. "I know what you've just said is true, but I could smell them from the moment she was conceived in her mother's womb."

"Really?" Enril was astonished, knowing Aren never lied to him. "When did this happen? Who is she?"

"I can't tell you who she is yet," Aren replied and turned away.

Aren adored his brother Enril and trusted him implicitly. However, he would not risk his little Luna. He needed to watch over her and protect her from a distance. He had waited too long to lose her now. When it came to her, he would trust no one but himself.

"Alright, don't tell me then," said Enril, seeing his silence. "Is that why you can now turn into a human?"

Aren looked at him gratefully for not pressing further. "Yes, the very moment I first smelt her scent just after she was born, it happened. I became human."

Enril, truly astonished by what his brother was telling him, asked, "Really? Are you pulling my leg?" He couldn't believe it was that easy to break the curse.

Aren, knowing what he was thinking because he had thought the same when it all happened, replied, "I don't know... I assumed it would be something more complicated than that. But it happened just as I told you."

"Just by smelling her, you say you turned into a human? Astonishing and unexpected," Enril conceded.

"I felt the same way, but it happened just as I'm telling you. I did nothing more than smell her and—poof!—I was a huge human. And don't ask me why it happened like that because I don't know myself."

"Why not do it in front of everyone? Turn into a human and we'll sort out all this mess with the elders."

"Because the time hasn't come for them to know yet; I could put her in danger, you fool!" Aren growled furiously.

He bared his threatening fangs and advanced angrily towards him. Did Enril not understand the part about not endangering his little Luna and not telling anyone? Enril stepped back, raising his hands while saying,

"Hey, I meant no harm! Calm down; you're acting like Oto. Have you been able to talk to each other?"

"No."

"Well, surely one of these days it will happen. True, I didn't think it through thoroughly. You must protect your Luna so that the enemies don't discover and kill her. And what will you do about the elders and their ceremony?"

On reflection, Aren replied, "I'll do it."

"You'll go through with the ceremony?"

"Yes."

Now Enril was truly at a loss. His brother had become an enigma to him ever since that event. It was he who led the pack and had to deal with all the problems and schemes of the elders. For years they had been asking Aren to let them perform the ceremony to find his Luna, and he had always refused. Now that he had found her, he agreed to let the ceremony take place. Who could understand him?

"Aren, didn't you just tell me you found your other half? Why would you let them go through with that ceremony?" Enril asked, puzzled.

Aren looked at him gravely. "That's exactly why I will do it. With my Luna by my side, they won't be able to find me a mate within the pack, and that will keep them at bay while my Luna grows."

Enril was astounded and exclaimed, "Well, brother, you're very clever. This way they won't be able to keep pressing you for now. I like the idea."

"And it will also make them think that my other half is out there somewhere, which is very dangerous," Aren remembered. "And that's where I'll need your help to protect her."

"My help?"

"Yes, I don't want them to discover who she is," he paused, then added, "I want you to use your power on me."

"I won't do such a thing!" Enril stepped back, frightened, looking at Aren who was watching him intently. The thought of hurting his older brother terrified him; he was the only family he had, and he didn't know what he'd do without him. No matter if he was a grumpy wolf that nobody could stand, he was his beloved brother, and he didn't want to lose him.

"Why not?" Aren asked seriously.

"Brother, it's been many years since I've practised or used my powers, not since Mum died. I might erase your entire memory. You already have enough difficulty with your condition."

"What do you suggest then?"

"Use your power."

"My power? What power? I don't possess any."

"Yes, I know you've always refused to do it and that you don't remember you have it. But you have a great power, and with it, you can ensure they can't read your mind or do anything against your will, let alone find your Luna or any other."

Aren fell silent, looking at his brother who nodded affirmatively. He has vague memories of what he is being told but isn't sure he can manage it alone, which is why he asks.

"Will you help me develop this power? No one in the pack must know."

"Alright, we'll practice together. I have all of Mum's books. We'll do it in our secret hideout," Enril replied, unsure if it was the right thing to do. But on the other hand, he believed that if his older brother could develop the immense power inherited from their parents, perhaps he could break the curse and become fully human again, not split into a bitter wolf and a boy who remembers nothing. So they will take the risk to see what happens.

"Good, go fetch those books. We'll start today. I can't let them find out where she is. And tell them yes, I agree to the ceremony as soon as I'm ready."

"That's a good idea; it'll get them off our backs. Everything would be easier if you showed yourself as human—that's a clear sign you've found her."

"I've already told you no; doing that would put her in great danger!"