Wolfen Premise

There are two types of lycans living unknown among us . . .

true lycans magically shifting between the shimmering worlds of wolf and man. And their darker brethren . . . the 'a moitie mort'.

Translation: the 'half dead'. Werewolves cursed to transform no further than the hideous half man/half wolf creature whose violent nature and viciousness have been immortalized in centuries of blood-curdling folk tales first told huddled 'round village campfires, then later scribed to books and film. Maddened by their condition some 'a moitie mort' seek freedom from their curse, finally allowing them to transform to their fully wolf form again.

But you see, the curse cannot be lifted . . . exactly. Only exchanged. In a ritual substitution as evil as their nature, they transfer their curse to their first-born male. Freeing themselves, yet dooming the child to continue that hellish existence in their place. An act no mother would ever willingly be party to. And so is forced.

But a further penalty was levied on the 'a moitie mort'. Procreation for them is possible only during the full moon . . . the time when the beast rages most fiercely. And during their lifetime only a sole legendary femal is capable of survivng their alpha lusts during mating.A female, whose only hope for rescue from an eternity of suffering, is for the 'a moitie mort' stalking her to be challenged by his antithesis, a true Wolfen.

Walking undetected among humans, the true Wolfen secretly guard humankind from the 'a moitie mort'.

Because the trail of bloodied bodies through the centuries marking the 'a moitie mort's' failed attempts to end their curse is the one feared constant, the single most damning link between two vastly different types of lycans.

But one that risks exposure of both lycan worlds.

"Human suspicion is enough to bring torches and spears.

Why give them proof?"

Vulfgaar, 860 BC

Werewolf History 

Two shadowy forms of Wolfen beings exist unknown among us--one good, one evil--the division created in the misty beginings of Wolfen history. The result of that division has carried down unchanged through the centuries.

Werewolves were initially created by the gods to be the secret protectors of man, during times of earliest wars of Claymore and Broadsword, man against man. Their protection continued through times of hardship, their honor bred into the heartiest Chieftans. But one Wolfen pack, overcome by greed for monetary gain and political power betrayed the clans to the Crown while in their Wolfen form.

To ensure they could never again fool their human charges they were forever denied the to ability to achieve the full form of their wild wolf brothers, cursed to change no further than a half-man/half-beast creature of nightmares. They were aptly renamed 'a moitie mort': The Half-dead.

Yet for continued service to him, this evil god provided these cursed creatures with unusual powers. His promise of escape from their self-inflected hell gave him control over the pack. By offering their first born son in a Rite of Substitution, they could transfer their curse to the infant. It freed the elder to achieve his full wolf form again, but condemned the child to become the very vile thing his sire escaped.

But no True Wolfen female would allow such a fate to befall her child, fighting to the death before submitting to mating.

Desperate to produce a male heir the 'a moitie mort' turned to human females in an effort to escape their hell. The god had promised a human female strong enough to survive the 'a moitie mort' lusts; he just slyly failed to warn how very few existed during the centuries.The evil god laughed, further strengthening his hold over the pack by toying with their building frustration and desperation, reveling in the increasing bloodied results of their failures. You see, procreation for the 'a moitie mort' is possible solely during the three nights of the full moon, the time when the beast rages the fiercest.

Tales of the "half-dead's" violent attempts to mate were first fearfully whispered into the drifting smoke of campfires as villagers huddled around them for warmth and safety. The  oral legends continued down through history to be later reviled in written form, then finally film.

Unfortunately, because of the True Weres adherence to secrecy, by that time all Werewolves had been branded with the "half-dead's" violent, bloodthirsty attributes. Even those who worked in secret to destroy the 'a moitie mort' and protect humanity. For every kill the 'a moitie mort' makes the chance of exposure and destruction of both Wolfen species is heightened.

In these modern times it has become the duty of the True Weres to quickly find and destroy any rogue 'a moitie mort'; his kill hopefully able to be disguised as a random act of violence. But occasionally a half-dead becomes so maddened in his search for freedom, he leaves a gore strewn wake of multiple kills in his path. Only a True Were Enforcer can destroy one such as him. This becomes especially difficult when human police become involved first, believing they are dealing with a serial killer. The True Were's work is hampered by human investigators where any stranger becomes a suspect; especially one who knows far more about the kills than he should.

Fortunately, it's a rare case that gets to multiple kills. And true evil is never left without a counter measure to negate it. For every human female who comes to the attention of the half-dead, legend has provided that a True Were is alerted to stand as her protector. Often accidental, sometimes unwilling to take on the assignment of a human female unaware her very life is at stake, their clashes lead to some interestng situations.

But willing or not, centuries of Were protection bred into the very fibers of his being, he can do no other than stand as her shield. And you can't help but fall a little in love with that type of hero. Sometimes head over heels. If things get particularly dangerous, having to reveal his ability to change forms can introduce an entirely new set of obstacles to overcome. But love means accepting the whole person--even the animal hidden inside.

Especially if it's the protection, love and loyalty of the Wolf.

So welcome to Runere McLain's Wolfen series; where the Beast tames the Beauty.