Damien, was once the reverend Alpha of the Moonclaw Pack, but he became cursed by dark magic, and on every full moon, the curse turns him into a monstrous beast. The curse, was cast on him by a power-hungry witch, Morgana, who desired to weaken the werewolves, a key to furthering her dark ambitions. As a result of the curse, Damien's pack begins not only fearing him but also distrust him. Miraclously, a healer with the name Elara on a journey arrives in Willow Creek, and on hearing about the cursed alpha determines to break the curse at all cost. Elara had a mysterious past and also blessed with ancient knowledge of magic. On her journey to breaking the curse, she discovers it's connection deeply rooted to her own family's dark history. But together with Damien, she journeyed with a resolved spirit to not only uncover the roots of the curse, but also break it. She was not without dangerous enemies like Lucien, a rogue Alpha who vowed to make her mission unproductive. In the face of intensified battle between Morgana and an ancient spirit known as the Shade, Elara is required to selflessly make a sacrifice which is heartbreaking just to save Damien and the whole pack. On the defeat of Morgana, the shadow of her dark plans still lingered in the pack due to fear. The effect of the curse still haunted Damien but just a trace of it, and the revelation of Elara been connected to the dark magic a hard pill to swallow but love conquers all.
Chapter 1 The beginning
Moonclaw Shadows The air surrounding the forest was thick with a heavy scent of undiluted pine and remains of earth as Elara stood staring and perceiving the darkness cooking ahead of her. She left behind her, her quiet village, the village Willow Creek and the humble occupants in their Modester homes. None of the inhabitants of Willow Creek were aware of the trouble and danger prowling close to them. She made sure to tighten her grip on her old cloak, as she was already shivering from the chill of the night. "This must be it," she said to herself in a whisper.
She had travelled from a far distance to the forest, because of the stories she heard about the cursed alpha. The tales had painted him as a monster instead of the victim that he truly was. But she decided not to pay attention to the stories, as her mission was to break the curse. A tiny but harsh voice broke through her thoughts, shocking her out of her thoughts. "You are aware that you shouldn't be here, Elara." Elara turned sharply to see a very young villager, a small boy not older than twelve, standing a few metres away. His eyes were evident with fear as he stared nervously towards the direction of the forest. "I'm never afraid, boy" Elara replied him with a steady voice. "I am here because I need to find the cursed alpha, the alpha of the Moonclaw Pack." The boy's countenance weakened immediately. "The alph...alpha? You're seriously looking for Damien? Have you lost your senses?" Elara smiled softly, reassuring him of her safety. "No, I'm not mad but determined. He needs my help, and here am l to help him out." The boy, stepping back, shook his head in disappointment. "You don't even know the details of what you're saying. The cursed alpha happens to be someone you can't just talk to. He'll definitely-" "Rip me mercilessly apart?" Elara completed gently for him. "I've heard the stories a thousand times. But I believe there's more to his human nature than the claimed monster." Hesitating for a moment, and with uncertainty in the boy's eyes, he tried discouraging her even more. "I heard he was once a great leader, that was before the curse. But....now... now he has entirely something else, something you wouldn't want to associate yourself with." "But definitely something that can still be saved," Elara pointed out. "But if I may ask, have you ever seen him before?" The boy shook his head. "Not at all, but I've heard much about him. The way he howls at night, usually filled with much pain and anger. Sometimes, if you listen very well, you can bet you heard him crying." Elara's heart sank at the thought of him crying. "Then, as much as I know there's still a glimmer of hope," she said softly. "Thank you for warning me to take precautions, but I have helped him out." Staring at her with admiration, the boy still feared she might run into danger. "If you have really made up your mind of going into the forest, please, be careful. The pack inside the forest doesn't take it kindly to any stranger." Elara watched the boy as he turned and ran back to the village, disappearing into the thick night, but Elara continued her journey with resolve into the forest. As she stepped into the thick forest of the shadows of Moonclaw territory, whispers of the night surrounded her. The whispers of wind through the trees, the distant howls of wolves did not discourage her, as she pressed on. Even with the path ahead treacherous, Elara still made up her mind and moved with purpose. Even with the warnings about how dangerous the feral wolves could be, she still moved ahead, driven by her mission of breaking the curse and setting Damian free. The branches of the trees blocked the moonlight from guiding her as the forest grew denser, but she was determined to see her mission to the end. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound other than the one made by her feet. She froze immediately, her senses at alert on its peak. The hairs on her body stood as she cautiously scanned the area to determine the source of the noise. "Who's there, come out now!" she called out boldly, her voice firm despite being nervous and unease. A huge figure stepped out from behind a tree that Elara was facing. Elara's breath immediately caught in her throat. His broad shoulders, glowing amber eyes, a wild mane of dark hair, all stood out in contrast to her small statue, intimidating her resolve. "Are you not aware that you're trespassing," the man growled angrily. "This is the great Moonclaw territory." Elara observed him for a moment before speaking with her shoulders high, refusing intimidation. "I'm only here to see Damien." The man narrowed his eyes, and he took a few steps closer, he continued. "The great alpha of Moonclaw doesn't have time to meet with strangers. Especially the foolish ones that entered our territory uninvited." "I'm not just your regular stranger," Elara shot back fearlessly. "I know about the Alpha's curse." The man froze on hearing that, his expression changing from intense anger to surprise. "How did you get..." "Does that really matter?" Elara replied. "I can help him recover, and that's all that matters." The man hesitated for some minutes, obviously searching her resolve for a sign of deceit. Finally, he found his voice again, this time softened. "No one has the ability to help him. He's lost forever." Elara shook her head in disagreement. "No one is truly lost forever. Most importantly, not when they have someone everly willing to fight for them." While still conversing and before the man interrogating her could respond, a deep howl echoed in the heavily dense forest, startling Elara. The man's bearing changed immediately as he took more steps towards her, and his expression darkened. "You need not stay but leave. Right now!" he warned with a sense of urgency. Elara stubbornly stood her ground. "Not until I meet Damien." Another howl came again, but this time closer. The man's expression softened but with something more like fear, but he masked it quickly. "You seem not to understand," he said in a low voice. "If you insist on staying, you'll definitely die." Elara met his gaze fearlessly. "Then, let it be so. I have no intentions of leaving without trying." The man sighed in defeat after gazing at her for a long time, and seeing that she had no intentions of backing down. "You're really stubborn, I'll give you that without a second thought," he muttered in defeat. "But never mention that I didn't warn you." As Elara made an effort to respond, she noticed the man's eyes darting towards the deeper part of the darkness, following his gaze, her heart pounded heavily as a huge figure emerged from the trees. The emerged shadow had a form which was hard to distinguish from the darkness surrounding it. The beast had black fur, very enormous and eyes burning with unnatural fire. Elara's breath ceased on realising the beast is the cursed alpha himself. The man interrogating her tensed immediately, bowing his head in submission. "The Great Alpha," he revered.