Aldus paused and I took the opportunity to ask: "Why such a fuss about Mateo being human? Couldn't they have more kids? Or pick another Alpha after the current one retires?"

Aldus waved his index finger in the air. "It does not work that way. Being an Alpha is something they carry in their genes, and it usually goes from father to son and it's a tradition that the firstborn is the heir. Controlling a pack of werewolves is not a matter of negotiations or physical power, it is something Alpha carries in his blood and Luna gets it when Alpha marks her. It is the ability to make pack members obey them and it's unheard of that someone who comes from non-royalty has that ability. There can be many werewolves with a strong presence, but when facing the real Alpha, everyone will kneel." ​​

"Power to rule is something both Alpha and Luna have?", I asked.

Aldus nodded and then he bobbed his head to tell me that it's not exactly the case. "Alpha has it, while Luna shows potential. Alpha is born in the house of the current leader, and the pack is watching him as his powers grow in time. As for Luna, there are stories of female werewolves that others would obey but it's not on the level of an Alpha. When Alpha marks his Luna, he takes a piece of her as his Alpha genes get into her system. I told you that marking strengthens the bond between mates, but it also enhances and sometimes changes their powers. Luna is the Queen, and her subjects look at her with awe and they wish to protect her. Before being marked by the Alpha, future Lunas are dominant females in the pack and one of them would become Alpha's bride in case the Alpha didn't find his mate. The bond between mates is strong with or without marking and if Alpha was forced to be with someone else instead of his mate, he would probably lose his mind as his beast goes feral."

I found the story fascinating and I thought there might be a problem. "What if the Alpha marries one of the Luna candidates and marks her, and after that, he finds his mate?"

"Alpha who does not find his mate would marry late because without a mate he would not find a woman to be worthy of him. Alpha would accept one of the candidates only in order to produce an heir because customs and the pack expect him to have one, and even after the ceremony of marking, there would be no deep feelings between them. But in the case that after the marriage he finds his mate, Alpha's beast would treat any non-mate as an impostor. He would unmark his wife and go with his mate or risk losing his sanity.", Aldus explained.

My mouth formed an 'O' shape and Aldus noticed.

"Is that shocking?"

"That sounds like a divorce, but more extreme."

"Something like that." Aldus chuckled, amused that I am trying to put everything in the perspective of human society.

"What about the ex-Luna who was discarded? Will she accept the process or…?", my voice trailed as I expected Aldus to fill in the gaps.

"She would not have a choice. However, werewolves are prideful creatures and that applies to males and females. Not only the unmarked one, but any potential Luna is aware that she might get a seat at the top, and each of them will see their competition as unworthy. In the case of Damiano, several of them hoped to ascend the throne and they fought among each other. But when he found his mate, who was not a dominant female on top of not being a werewolf, those women joined forces to instigate others against the human-Luna. Isabella was a kind woman who never caused trouble. She loved Damiano and their son and she wished nothing more than to enjoy with her family."

I noticed a hint of sadness in Aldus's eyes. "You knew her."

"Yes, I did."

I thought about Aldus's words and summarized: "Alpha and Luna are something like a power-couple, yet in the story of Damiano, it turned out that his Luna was a plain jane, and their son didn't do better."

"Correct.", Aldus confirmed and continued his story.

"When rumors started spreading how Alpha's firstborn, Mateo, is human, some demanded that boy and his mother get kicked out of the pack, but Damiano didn't want to hear about it. He loved his family, and no one was able to oppose him. Mateo grew up as a human, and Damiano kept others at bay with a story that the boy's powers are dormant and will awake in his teens. When Mateo entered his teens and had no abilities beyond an average human, the other faction got bolder, and… they killed Luna. After that, it was a mess. I believe that Damiano protected his son, probably sent him away, but the pain of losing a mate was too much. He went feral and started killing his own. The pack fell apart, leaving the ones who were still loyal to the Alpha as rogues."

I exhaled a shaky breath at the sad story that had a tragic end. I didn't need to hear from Aldus more details to know that Damiano is dead. Probably killed by his own people or maybe someone like Aldus… or Aldus himself.

It must be tough to be the king of werewolves, or king of any creatures, I thought. Some will want to get ahold of that power, while others will try to tell rulers how to lead their life. Despicable.

"Aldus, you mentioned that Damiano went feral after losing his mate. But she was human, and she would die before him, right?"

Aldus confirmed. "She WAS a human with a shorter lifespan, but the mark of an Alpha injects the Luna with his DNA that will change her. Isabella didn't become a werewolf, but her body was stronger and her lifespan extended." I opened my mouth to speak and Aldus quickly said: "And before you ask me if she got any other powers, I don't know because immortals don't advertise their powers. It's for our safety."

I stifled a laugh because I was about to ask him about her powers. Am I that easy to read?

"I thought that you are friends. Don't you think that it would benefit if you shared what each of you can do?"

"Serina, if there is one thing I want you to always have on your mind, that would be this: there is no such thing as eternal friends or enemies. Things change and creatures act in order to reach their goals. Always, always be suspicious about someone's motives because you could have a friend for a hundred years, only to find out that he will backstab you when your guard is down. Secrets will keep us safe until someone finds out about them. Do you understand?"

I responded with a nod and I didn't miss the mix of emotions that swirled in Aldus's eyes which made me wonder who betrayed him. Aldus told me more than once that him reviving me as an immortal who has a healing power (and crazy-acting cells) is a super-secret that should never be leaked because it would bring danger to both of us and maybe to everyone else.

I decided to return to the original topic and lighten up the heavy mood.

"You said that the ones who were still loyal to the Alpha became rogues. Do they have special standing?"

Aldus shook his head and his expression told me that I'm way off the mark. "Rogues have no leader. That means no loyalty, no guidance, no accountability. Many of them lose themselves to their beast and turn feral."

My heart ached for some unknown reason, like when I watch a drama on the TV, and I cry over imaginary characters. I know that I should not be emotionally impacted, but I can't help it. "What happened to the pack after their Alpha was gone?"

"The pack had several powerful individuals. Neither of them had traits of an Alpha, but they were strong enough to gather a following and create packs of their own. As for the rogues who refused to join those weak packs, some of them work for me as security."

I was surprised by this. "They accepted you as their leader?"

"No. They accepted me as their employer, someone who gives them shelter, and a purpose in life. They are hoping that their prince is alive and that he will return and take over as Alpha."

"You said that Mateo disappeared when he was in his teens, and if I understood the story correctly, he should be about my age."

I saw Aldus nodding in confirmation. "Humans and werewolves age at about the same rate until they reach their late teens at what point werewolves start slowing down. The more powerful they are, the slower they age. A werewolf that looks about twenty-five years old can easily be in his fifties or older. But in human years, the boy should be around your age."

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