His arrow flew true into the chest of jungle cat. Quite a feat, considering the creature was rushing at their hunting perch in a large jungle tree. The large creature fell, taking its last breath not soon after its collapse.

"Very good, my boy!" Saul cheered, slapping Alvar on the back. "Your aim is steadier than any I've met. Not many can kill a jungle cat on their first shot."

"Thank you, sir," Alvar beamed. Never had his father spoken to him in this way. Even when he'd done things right or brought home a hunting kill to feed the family there hadn't been a praising word said. After six weeks of staying in Saul's estate, Alvar had found that Saul and his wife, Ysta, treated him more as family than anyone he'd known. He didn't dare admit to Saul the only reason he could accomplish such aim was because of his unparalleled senses. Senses he possessed from the thing that had driven him away from his past life.

"No more 'sir', Alvar, I'm Saul," Saul corrected him with a wink. "You know, my wife has been watching you... She says you are not like other humans."

Alvar stiffened and held his breath, waiting for what Saul would say next. 

Does he know what I am?  If he does, he will surely drive me away!

"You have faster reflexes and your senses are more acute than a normal human being."

"You flatter me," Alvar hurriedly said, he jumped from their spot in the tree to pretend as if he were inspecting his kill. 

"Your eyes turned red, son," Saul said simply. No fear inflected his tone.

Alvar's skin crawled and he closed his eyes to hide the shameful give-away of his affliction. He would shift into his beast form from the stress if he wasn't careful. 

Not this man whom has grown to treat me as his own. I can't abide anymore shame.

"You're Cursed," Saul stated gently, but his words cut to Alvar's heart. 

Alvar stifled an animal growl of pain. 

Never will be home. Never will be accepted.

"Alvar, look at me, son," Saul said.

Alvar couldn't. His eyes were red, his beast was so close to the surface he could practically sense his muscles vibrating with the beginning of a transformation.

"Alvar, you're a good lad who would never use it for evil," Saul's words were incredible to hear. "I think I can help you or at least my wife can."

"What?" Alvar opened his eyes and turned his gaze up at Saul. 

Is he suggesting that the curse can be removed?

"My wife is a sorceress," Saul began. "She is very knowledgable about magical ailments, yours is no different."

"A sorceress?" Alvar furrowed his brow. Sorceresses drew their power from the darkness of the world. Their power was sourced from pain, anger, hatred, and chaos. At least that is what he'd been told by his parents as a child. But his parents weren't perfect examples of human beings either... so he wasn't sure if their views on sorceresses were even true. "Does she know I'm a Cursed?"

"Yes," Saul admitted. "She's sensed it on you for awhile now, but didn't tell me until earlier today."

"I can't believe it," Alvar shook his head, trying not to hope that there was a chance he'd lose his Cursed blood.

"She can walk you through a spell, she told me about it, we need to source all of the Curse into an artifact of silver you wear," Saul began. "It will keep your Cursed form from manifesting itself."

"Are you sure that's even possible?" Alvar asked, afraid to hope.

"My wife is very talented, she is the reason I am so wealthy, her abilities are beyond many sorceresses," Saul continued, almost eager sounding now. He jumped down and put a hand on Alvar's shoulder. "If we can remove the Curse from you, you can be your own man. Have your own life. And Alvar, I want to name you my heir, but I can't have a Cursed as my heir, there are laws about that."

"By the gods," Alvar whispered under his breath, heart pumping like a drum. Could he really have a life with these people? They'd certainly proved themselves kinder than any he'd met. And wouldn't the freedom of being without the Curse be worth a try?

"I'll do it, Saul," Alvar announced and smiled to himself, his life was seemed filled with possibilities suddenly. 

Without the Curse he'd be able to finally belong. 

A thought that brought happy tears to his eyes. 

No more hopelessness. A loving family. A bright future. Never to look back on his painful past.

*

"Alvar, I must warn you, I'll need blood," Ysta said.

Alvar had been lead beneath the manor house into a candlelit room with many white chalk drawings on the walls. Sorceress symbols. Some of the drawings had blood smeared across them. Alvar couldn't help his spine tingling at the oddities kept in bottles and cages in this strange room. Eyeballs in a jar. Tongues in another. There were human parts too, not just animal parts.

Maybe this isn't a good idea, Alvar thought, if Ysta has known of my Curse for this long and not thrown me out I can live with them and not have to inherit anything.

"I will forge a silver collar for you, it will have gems embedded in it, rare magical gems, that will draw the Curse from you every time it tries to manifest itself, but first I need your blood, Alvar," Ysta ordered.

"My b-blood?" Alvar furrowed his brow. "Why do you need blood?"

"I have to pour some blood into the liquid silver, it will bind the object to you, it will do nothing for you unless your blood is part of it's creation," Ysta explained.

Alvar held out a hand. "I must warn you, that sometimes when I get hurt, I just--um--transform."

"It will only take a little prick on your finger," Ysta giggled. She approached him and took his hand in her own. She smiled upon the contact. "You have such power inside of you. I can feel it when I touch you."

Alvar practically blushed. Was she hitting on him? "Uh--thanks."

Ysta bent her head down and ran her tongue on his wrist.

"Whoa, hey! What are you doing?" Alvar tugged his hand away from her, but she kept her grip tight.

"Oh, my dear, don't worry, I'm just finding the place to draw the blood from," Ysta assured, her dark eyes looking up at his with a primal spark.

Ysta drew a needle from a bag she'd tied at her waist, she placed fire over the tip. "To sterilize," she said, then she punctured his wrist with a quick in-out motion. A blob of blood formed over the tiny wound. She squeezed his wrist until it was the size of a small berry, then used a syringe to collect it.

She was busy over her fire for awhile, adding the blood to the silver, then she started working on the crafting. It was taking a long time. Alvar waited until she was done. He tried not to think about how wrong everything felt about Ysta's actions. Saul came down into the magic room and Alvar couldn't help but feel as if he'd done something wrong by the man.

"Alvar, how goes it?" Saul asked.

"Ysta took some blood for the silver," Alvar said quickly.

"Wonderful." Saul patted him on the back reassuringly. "You'll love how it feels to have control over your own life again, son. I promise. Everything I have will be yours."

"I hope it works," Alvar murmured. They both watched Ysta as she worked until she finally finished her craft.

She approached them with a beautiful gem embedded silver collar and key.

"Are you ready?" Saul asked, a huge smile on his face.

Alvar considered the magical piece. "What if it doesn't work?"

"It will work," Ysta reinstated with a smug grin. "A simple trifle of a spell, really."

"Alright," Alvar said.

"You must put it on yourself," Ysta said, handing him the metal work. The piece was cold in his hands. So soon after being engulfed in flames.

Alvar brought the cold metal up to his neck and clicked it into place. "Nothing. Nothing happened," he muttered, disappointment washed over him. It would have been better if he'd never hoped...

"Wait," Saul quickly said, taking the key from Ysta and handing it to Alvar. "Lock it in. It must know itself to be bound to you."

Alvar turned the key in the small latch. Suddenly he felt it, a burning sensation. Something different than he'd ever felt in his life as he was immune to flames. "Huh? Argh! Oh, god, what is happening to me?"

To read the rest go to Amazon.