ALPHA'S WITCH (Midnight Oath)

When I arrived at the mountain house, my anger melted away instantly.

The magical place I remembered from my childhood... but it had aged over the years.

The key was still in the same place: under the flowerpot in front of the window. I pushed open the heavy wooden door with trembling hands. The silence of years crashed down on me.

"Grandma," I called out to the empty house. "You really left me an old, dusty mountain cabin. How did you expect me to celebrate Christmas here?"

It looked daunting, but I had to start somewhere. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

I swept and wiped for hours. My hands ached, and my back was killing me. But the house was slowly beginning to remember itself.

By the time I finished, the sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains. I remembered I needed to bring in the kitchen supplies.

It took three trips to bring everything inside. As I set down the last box, my phone rang. Maya.

"Eva! Oh God, you finally picked up! Are you okay?"

I flopped onto the old velvet couch. "I'm still standing. Haven't collapsed yet."

But she was worried. "Don't put on an act. How are you really?"

I was about to put on my mask. Then I thought about my loneliness and everything I had been through this week. I chose to be honest.

"Ugh, fine... This place is a madhouse, Maya. The people here have genuinely lost their minds. They refused to sell me food. I had to drive to a town an hour away."

"What? Eva, that's insane! If they're treating you like that, why are you still there?"

"I made a promise to my grandmother," I said, my voice softening. "I'm spending Christmas here."

There was a brief silence. Maya didn't want to upset me, but she was worried about me being there.

"Eva... you gave her a beautiful funeral. Don't you think you've done enough? You can come home. You can even come to me. You don't have to torture yourself in those freezing mountains."

I closed my eyes. My grandmother's wise, loving gaze came to mind. In that moment, everything made sense.

"She wanted to spend her last Christmas here. Especially here, with me. I made her a promise, Maya. It will be good for both of us. I'll rest for a few weeks, then I'll come back."

"Alright," Maya said helplessly. "But Eva, please don't forget your vitamins. You hate the cold. I'm worried you're going to get sick."

I laughed. "If you keep talking like this, I'll freeze stiff on this couch. I need to get firewood. I need to light the fireplace."

"Okay, okay! I'll let you have your alone time, but show signs of life every now and then."

"Deal. Talk later, Maya."

I hung up quickly.

I put my coat on and went outside. The sun had nearly disappeared. The woodshed was about twenty meters from the house.

I opened its creaky door and grabbed an armful of firewood. I loaded my arms so full I could barely see in front of me.

I started walking toward the house. My ash-blonde hair was whipping in the wind. Since I couldn't see ahead, I turned my head sideways as I walked.

And then I saw it.

At first I thought it was an illusion. But it was there.

At the entrance to the forest path... about ten meters away... stood a massive wolf.

A wolf? It was far too large for a wolf. It was literally the size of a bear. Its reddish-brown fur gleamed in the fading daylight. But what truly froze me were those eyes.

Burning amber eyes. So different from any wild animal. Intelligent. Aware. Staring straight into my eyes with a piercing gaze.

I flinched at the image that suddenly flared to life in my mind. These were the eyes I had seen in my dreams since childhood. Those familiar, warm, longing eyes. As the years passed and I grew older, those dreams had transformed into darker, more passionate fantasies. A muscular, attractive man.

Now, how could a wolf have those eyes? God, I thought my brain was playing tricks on me.

When I stepped back in fear, my foot slipped on the ice.

The firewood in my arms scattered onto the snow with a crash. I fell flat on my back. My breath was knocked out of me.

I pulled myself together. When I turned my head in that direction, it was gone.

I rubbed my eyes. I looked again. The path was completely empty. There were only trees, snow, and silence.

"What is happening..." I whispered, trembling.

I couldn't stay out there any longer. I jumped to my feet, grabbed a long piece of firewood to protect myself, and frantically scanned my surroundings. Nothing. No tracks, no shadow, no movement.

Did I imagine it? Is this PTSD? Or am I losing my mind?

I quickly gathered the scattered firewood, glancing over my shoulder every second. Then I ran for the house.

The moment I stepped inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it.

I lit the fireplace with shaking hands. Once the fire finally caught, I calmed down a little in its warmth. Sometimes people who have experienced psychological trauma can have hallucinations. Maybe that was what had just happened.

I hadn't had coffee in days. As a caffeine addict, I hadn't even thought about it during the grieving process. I went to the kitchen and made a strong, dark cup of coffee. I sat down on the floor in front of the fire and began to sip it in the silence.

Then the wolf came back to my mind.

"Even if it was real... it's just a wolf. A very large wolf. Perfectly normal for the mountains... right?"

I had experienced quite enough action for one day. I just wanted to rest. But the universe chose to surprise me again.

Suddenly, there was a clicking sound at the door.

I nearly spilled my coffee in fright. Who would be knocking on my door at this hour? On top of a mountain? In the middle of nowhere?

The worst-case scenarios immediately began spinning through my mind. The townspeople? Or had that giant wolf learned to knock?

I rose to my feet, heart pounding. I went to the window and looked outside through the frosted glass.

On the veranda stood a young woman about my age. Her curly red hair was braided in two plaits, she had freckles on her cheeks, and her face wore a warm, reassuring smile.

Cautiously, I opened the door a crack.

"Yes... how can I help you?"

Her smile widened. "Hi! I'm Eleanor!"

I just stared for a moment. Then she laughed. "Oh, sorry! You don't remember me. I'm Elly!"

I frowned. My brain was running slowly from exhaustion. Then a memory materialized before my eyes. A girl with mud all over her face, laughing, gap-toothed, hair a mess. We used to play together as children.

"Elly?!" I exclaimed in shock. "I can't believe it! Mud-pie Elly?!"

"That's me!" she squealed with delight.

I threw the door wide open and hugged her.

"Welcome back!" she said, her eyes shining. "I heard you'd returned to town. I figured you might be missing a few things your first night, so I came to see you right away. I thought I might be able to help."

This was genuinely the best thing that had happened to me today. A familiar face. A face that still cared for me.

"Come in!" I said. "It's absolutely freezing out there."

She smiled and stepped right inside. She walked toward the warm glow of the fire, rubbing her hands together. Then she looked at me with a tender expression in her eyes.

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

I was so excited. "Me neither. I'm so glad to see you right now."

In this cursed little town, I had finally found something that would let me breathe a little...