ng of the fireplace fille

ieve you're here,"

. The weight I'd been carrying since the funeral suddenly felt like something I could share. I had

can do this, that I'm honoring her memory. But the truth is I'm scared. She was all I had. And now she

're not cursed, Eva. You're brave. You came back here knowing e

at my eyes. "Courage or stu

insisted. "Defi

osing my mind." I shook my head. "Since childhood I've been dreaming

shifted instantly.

But not a normal wolf. This thing was massive, bear-sized. Reddish-brown fur. And those eyes." I paused, still feeling the weight of

up with trembling hands, moved toward me quickly, grabbed the edge of

doing, Elly?" I y

he let go of my sweater and sat back. "I'm sorry," s

what ex

r? High fevers can cause hallucinati

if I was running a fever high enough to cause hallucinations. And wouldn't

right. Of course. Th

r eyes. The tension in her shoulders. She was scared of

heerfulness. "Hey. Let's play a gam

eriously? Aren't we

esides, you're in a creepy mountain cabin

the couch. "Fine. But if I hav

emons lived. Not metaphorical demons. Real ones. They hypnotized people, enslaved them, tor

sm, she had my a

omething new, something powerful enough to protect both themselves and humanity. They combined three elements:

very story like this, there's always some f

always a woman throwing herself into danger to keep a man

nd to him. Connected by both a curse and a love so powerful it transcended death. Together, they overthrew the

g. "But then, one of the wolv

ut of this story. What did they do, ostracize her? Burn her at the

. She broke the ancient magic that bound the witches and wolves together, the midnight seal, the seal that gave the wolves their immortal forms and their ability to shift.

nter? What

destroying the witch lineage. They slaughtered them. Hunted them down one by one. They also massacred th

. An inexplicable sadness settled over my heart. Something

his story just for fu

llowed a

icking into place. "That's why they call me tha

hallow, narrow-minded, cruel. But legends don't always lie. Promise me something. If you e

ce. Genuine fear

ell me one thing. Where do

We protect the ancient bloodlines, both wolf and witch. We believe in the

ry and not enough sense. But looking at Elly's sincere face, I understood something important

Elly," I said. "Even if

nto laughter. "Same

down the mountain road. I was alone again wit

e in the cellar and poured myself a glass. I settled int

While her weathered hands braided my hair. Her voice was always full of love and longing. I never knew what the words

fire casting dancing shadows on the walls,

ak benim sonum. Sonu yo

loved's hand w

nd, this love

e it or throw i

rns for you, i

er ends. It canno

wn my limbs and my eyelids. I didn't even try to make it to the bedroom.

ll a

ight, a pair of amber eyes watched the house. Eyes that hel

eard every wor

ed form, something ancie

seal had begu