ALPHA'S WITCH (Midnight Oath)

That evening, the crackling of the fireplace filled the silence between us.

"I still can't believe you're here," Elly said softly.

I pulled my grandmother's old crocheted blanket tighter around my shoulders and let out a long breath. The weight I had been carrying since the funeral suddenly felt like something I could share. I had to stay strong against the townspeople all day. But here, with Elly, I could finally let my guard down.

"I'm barely holding on, Elly," I whispered. My voice trembled. "I keep telling myself I'm fine. That I can do this. That I'm keeping her memory alive. But the truth is... I'm scared. She was the only person I had. Now she's gone, and I'm in this place where everyone looks at me like I'm cursed. Like I'm carrying death with me wherever I go."

Elly moved closer and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "You're not cursed, Eva. You're brave. You came back here knowing exactly what kind of welcome you would get. That takes real courage."

I laughed bitterly and wiped my tears. "Courage or stupidity? I'm not sure which."

"Courage," she insisted. "Definitely courage."

A deep laugh burst out of me. "You know what? I think I'm genuinely losing my mind."

"Why?"

"Ever since childhood, I've been dreaming of a man with eyes like flames. And just now, I compared a wolf's eyes to his."

Elly's expression changed instantly. "What do you mean?"

I took a sip of my coffee. "Right before you arrived, I was getting firewood from the woodshed. And I swear, Elly... I saw something. A wolf. But not a normal wolf. This thing was enormous. The size of a bear. Reddish-brown fur. And those eyes..."

I paused, remembering that gaze. "Its eyes were just like the man in my dreams. Glowing. Amber-colored. It just stood there, looking at me. Then it vanished."

The moment the words left my mouth, Elly's face went pale. She set down her glass with trembling hands and reached for me. She grabbed the hem of my sweater and pulled it aside, exposing my collarbone and upper chest. She touched my skin gently, as if searching for something beneath it.

"Hey! What are you doing, Elly?" I cried out, pulling back.

Her shoulders dropped with a relieved look. She let go of my sweater and sat back on her heels. "Sorry. I apologize," she said quickly. "I just... needed to check something."

I was frozen. "Check what exactly?"

She bit her lip. "Do you have a fever? High fever can cause hallucinations. I was checking your temperature."

I laughed. "Elly, I'm a nurse. I would know if I had a fever high enough to cause hallucinations. Also, wouldn't checking my forehead be more effective than looking at my chest?"

She smiled. "You're right. Of course. That was silly of me." She looked away.

But I saw it clearly now. The lingering fear in her eyes. The tension in her shoulders. She was afraid of something. And it was connected to what I had just told her.

Then she turned to me with forced cheerfulness. "Hey! Let's play a game. How about scary story time? I'll start."

I shook my head. "Seriously? Aren't we a bit too old for that?"

"Come on," she insisted. "It'll be fun. Besides, you're in a creepy mountain cabin in the middle of winter. Perfect setting."

I sighed dramatically and sank deeper into the couch. "Fine. But if I have nightmares, I'm blaming you."

Elly's expression turned serious. "They say that long ago, blood-drinking demons lived in this valley. Not metaphorical demons. Real ones. They hypnotized people. Enslaved them. Tortured and killed them for sport. The demons built their kingdom on human suffering."

Despite my sarcasm, the story caught my attention. "Go on."

"The witches were an ancient bloodline with sacred magic. But they could not defeat the demons alone. So they created something new. Something powerful enough to protect both themselves and humanity. They merged three ancient forces: the power of a demon, the body of a wolf, and a witch who gave herself willingly to complete the transformation."

I could not help myself. "Let me guess. Like every story like this, there's a foolish girl who sacrifices herself for some man."

Elly shot me a look that clearly said shut up. But I just shrugged.

"What? Why is there always a woman throwing herself into danger to keep some man or Frankenstein creature alive? That's basically sexism."

Elly rolled her eyes but kept going. "The Börü lineage was born. The wolf clan. Every wolf was bound to a witch woman. They were connected by both a curse and a love powerful enough to transcend death. Together, they overthrew the demons. Humanity was saved. The witches became the mates of the wolves. The wolves became the protectors of all."

She paused. Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "But then... the woman of one of the wolves betrayed him."

Now she had my full attention. "Really? I wasn't expecting a Lilith to come out of this story. What did they do? Shun her? Burn her at the stake? They definitely punished her. How progressive for enlightened supernatural beings."

"Eva, please," Elly said seriously. "The wolf's woman fell in love with a human man. But she was deceived. The man she loved was a hunter. She betrayed her own kind for him. She broke the ancient magic that bound the witches and wolves together. The midnight seal. The one that gave the wolves their immortal forms and their ability to shift. It shattered. The wolves became trapped in their immortal wolf bodies. Unable to die. Unable to truly live. The witches were scorned by humanity because of this betrayal."

"And the man she loved? The hunter? What did he do?"

Elly's voice grew darker. "The hunter... after getting what he wanted, he and his hunter lineage began systematically destroying the witch bloodline. They slaughtered them. Hunted them down one by one. They also killed the ordinary people who supported the witches and wolves. Their goal was never love. It was only power."

A chill that had nothing to do with the cold crept through me. An inexplicable sorrow settled over my heart. Something in this story was wounding me in a way I could not understand.

I looked at Elly. "You didn't tell me this story just for fun, did you?"

She swallowed hard and nodded.

"Rose's daughter," I said slowly as the pieces fell into place. "That's why they call me Rose's daughter with such hatred. Because of some ridiculous old legend?"

Elly reached out and took my hand. "Eva, listen to me. People can be shallow, narrow-minded, and cruel. But legends... don't always lie. Promise me one thing. If you ever see anything that could prove this story is real, you'll come to me and ask for help."

I studied her face. She was smiling, but beneath it I could see genuine fear and worry.

"Alright. I promise. But tell me one thing. Where do you fit into this story?"

"I'm a guardian," she said simply. "My family has always been guardians. We protect the ancient bloodlines. Both the wolves and the witches. We believe in the balance. The peace. The harmony they bring. We remember their sacrifice."

I wanted to dismiss all of it as small town superstition. But looking at Elly's sincere face, I noticed something important. She believed it. Completely. And whether the legend was real or not, I trusted her.

"I'm glad you're here, Elly. Even if you're a little crazy, it's wonderful to have you beside me."

The tension on her face dissolved into laughter. "Same goes for you, Eva Rose!"

An hour later, Elly's rear lights disappeared down the mountain road. I was alone again with the crackling fire and my tangled thoughts.

I poured a glass of my grandmother's homemade wine. I had discovered the stash in the pantry while cleaning. I took my glass and settled into the velvet armchair by the fireplace.

I closed my eyes and let the memories wash over me. My grandmother always had a Turkish song she used to sing. She would hum it while hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree. While her worn hands braided my hair. Her voice was always filled with love and longing.

I never knew what the words meant. But I had learned the sounds. The melody. It was hauntingly beautiful. Sorrowful and passionate at the same time.

Now, with the wine warming my blood and the firelight casting dancing shadows on the walls, I found myself humming those same words.

"Yar elinden ölüm, olacak benim sonum. Sonu yok bu, Aşk-ı kıyamet..."

Death by the hand of my beloved shall be my end. This love has no end. A love of apocalyptic ruin.

My voice faded into the quiet crackling of the fire. The wine weighed down my limbs and my eyelids. I did not even try to move to the bedroom. The velvet armchair was comfortable. The fire was warm. I was exhausted.

I fell asleep.

But outside, hidden in the pitch black of the winter night, a pair of amber eyes watched the house.

Eyes that carried centuries of pain. Centuries of longing. And perhaps even love.

The wolf had heard every word of that song.

And deep within his cursed form, something ancient and powerful stirred.

The midnight seal had begun to wake...