In the ALPHA'S CLAWS

“Samael, that's his name”

Abby took one last look around and then sighed in resignation. She had no other choice but to enter the witch's cabin, and that's what she did. She entered that small wooden cabin slowly, as if reluctant to move forward but compelled to do so. She felt like she was walking into a trap. Witches were good at deceiving. Her father had repeated that over and over again, especially how difficult they were to catch, as they were very elusive beings.

Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was the fireplace, and she walked desperately towards it, extending her hands close to the fire. She was very cold and wished to stay by the fire, but when she saw the flames suddenly change color, she got scared and quickly moved away. A soft but dark laughter was heard behind her, so she quickly turned around to get a closer look at the white-haired old woman standing in front of her.

Why had Samael come to seek help from this woman? What was the witch hiding? And what if she had been sold to this witch? Countless thoughts crossed Abby's mind, but they were interrupted when the petite woman spoke.

"Your cup of tea is served, please follow me to the kitchen," said the old woman, laughing again. Abby didn't understand why she was laughing, but she couldn't help but feel frightened, as everything around her was gloomy and she felt threatened. She wouldn't let her guard down and would remain alert, even if the old woman seemed harmless.

Distrustful, the young girl began to walk behind the witch towards what appeared to be the kitchen. There was a small square table with an antique wooden surface and only two chairs on its edges.

"Take a seat," said the old woman. Abby noticed that the entire room was surrounded by silver dust, so she quickly averted her gaze towards the witch in search of answers.

"It's for our own good. He's not in his best state, and you can't trust a beast like that werewolf," she commented, waving her hand dismissively while laughing as if she had made a joke. Abby sighed, trying to calm herself, but the reality was that she couldn't believe how her day could become even stranger than it had ever been before, and to think that two nights ago she was in her room reading about forest creatures, and now she was about to drink tea with one of them. Just a few minutes of observing the witch were enough to realize that she was completely crazy, but what she really needed to find out as soon as possible was whether she was dangerous.

"It will get cold," said the witch, pointing to the cup of tea. Abby noticed that there were also a few cookies and bread that looked delicious. Her hungry stomach growled, but it would be madness to accept food from a witch, so she stopped her hand halfway and brought it back to her side, forcing herself not to give in to temptation.

"Come on, girl. I know you're hungry, and it would be complete folly if you were to die of hunger, it would truly be the last straw," she commented, laughing again like a madwoman. Her laughter seemed to reverberate through the walls. "I know you're scared, and it's justified that you are. Right now, you're nothing more than a weak and innocent girl with countless dangers around you," the witch commented, speaking seriously for the first time. This caught the attention of young Hamilton.

"But Abby, if there are strengths around you, it's because of you," the old woman said, taking a seat and then starting to drink from her cup.

"What do you mean by that? And how do you know my name?" asked Abby, confused. The old woman pointed to the empty chair and motioned with her hand for her to sit.

At this point, Abby's curiosity increased, so she finally gave in and sat across from the witch. She still wasn't ready to drink that cup of tea, let alone eat those cookies. She was going to resist, even though her desperate stomach was begging for food.

"I know many things about you. In fact, something tells me that I know more about you than you do," the old woman commented cautiously, biting her lips in an attempt to keep herself from talking too much, although she was never good at keeping secrets.

"Go on," said Abby, placing her arms on the table and slowly bringing her hand closer to the cookie. But she quickly gave up and diverted her gaze back to the old woman.

"My name is Lamya," the old woman said, introducing herself. Abby wondered if perhaps this old woman could tell her the name of the alpha, as something told her that this woman had much more information than she appeared to have.

Her father always used to say that if you catch a witch, you'll have the best tracker of all, as well as a good informant, which is why usually no creature of the forest was foolish enough to be her friend, making them lonely. Because she would tell you whatever you needed to know to save herself, and of course, she would sell out anyone for her own benefit.

The young girl tensed up as she remembered that lesson because maybe her family would come here for her, as they could use this witch to track her. Those thoughts started to overwhelm her, she wasn't sure if she should start running or perhaps stay and wait, but that was when the old woman gave her the answers to all her thoughts, as if she were reading her mind. And honestly, little Hamilton was already quite frightened.

"I'm not a threat to you, your power doesn't interest me. Not because I don't desire power, but because there are already many interested in possessing you, and it won't be me who takes you. That's more than obvious. I couldn't even fight the exiled alpha, let alone all the others. But destiny spoke to me and whispered your sad ending," she commented, looking in her direction, then she shifted her gaze to the side of the table, lost in her thoughts, while Abby's thoughts continued to overwhelm her, as the witch's answers were not accurate and only generated more doubts.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked as her legs began to tremble. "Tell me, witch, tell me what you know," she said desperately, standing up and slamming the table with one of her hands. That noise caught the attention of the old woman, who observed her with a sad and faded smile.

"My name is Lamya," she simply said, turning her attention back to the cup and taking a small sip from it.

Abby felt her heart start to race. Lately, everything seemed so unreal that she began to doubt if she was in a nightmare right now. Or perhaps she was submerged in a bad dream while lying in her uncomfortable yet warm bed. She thought maybe her eyes were closed and she was actually asleep in the Hamilton mansion. Although that life was even more torturous than what she was experiencing in the present.

She looked around and remembered everything she had lived through in just a few hours, and of course, she couldn't help but recall how she almost died in that river. Undoubtedly, her life was starting to become wilder and more dangerous, but she wouldn't run from it, she would face it. There was nowhere else to escape, no other way out but the truth.

She took her seat again, never taking her eyes off the witch. It seemed she couldn't force her to speak, so she had to consider another option or she wouldn't get the answers she was seeking. Abby took the cup and started to drink. At this point, she didn't care if it was poisoned. She was so confused that death would be a kind of escape.

Under the watchful gaze of the witch, she took a cookie and began to eat it almost desperately. She was so hungry that her body sought nourishment before knowledge, but her mind still hungered for answers. That's why she diverted her gaze to the witch and started to speak.

"Lamya, my name is Abby Hamilton, although I'm sure you already knew that," she said, trying to put a smile on her face but failing. The witch, on the other hand, smiled sweetly, noticing that Abby was finally joining her for tea. It seemed that the old woman felt so lonely here that maybe she was just seeking company to drink tea. At least that's what Abby believed, as for now, she didn't feel strange, so she assumed the cookies and the drink were not enchanted, just ordinary cookies and tea.

"Can you please tell me what you know about me?" the young girl asked kindly. The old woman smiled even wider, apparently her plan was working.

"I can't tell you what destiny whispered to me because it will affect your future. Trust me, I know what you'll say, you'll surely promise that it won't change anything, but even so, you will act differently from what you should do, and the prophecy won't be fulfilled. That's why I have to keep part of the secret the gods told me. But I can give you some answers to all those mysteries that have tormented you all your life," she commented, never losing her smile. The young girl nodded, affirming.

"Your name is Abby, but you're not a Hamilton as you believe," she confessed. That confused Abby so much that she furrowed her brow and observed her attentively.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, but the witch ignored her and continued speaking about another topic. The old woman knew she couldn't reveal all the information at once, so she left small hints scattered.

"His name is Samael," she said, once again catching the young girl's attention. She knew full well that the witch was now referring to the werewolf.

"In your eyes, he may be a threat, but if you want to survive the coming days, you must trust his instincts, for they will keep you safe. At least until the red moon," the old woman confessed, once again speaking too much, biting her lips to force herself to be silent.

"I don't understand," Abby said as her eyes began to close. She was truly exhausted, so tired that she was about to fall asleep right there at the table.

"You don't need to understand. Everything is in the hands of destiny. I know you've felt weak for a long time. But in reality, it was you who were strong. And finally, you will avenge all those who have harmed you, and you will finally meet the one person who will watch over your well-being," the old woman said with a smile, excited by this, as if she was somehow part of a divine plan.

"You mean the alpha?" Abby interrupted.

"Yes, but it's best that you rest. Don't be afraid, this will only help you," she commented one last time as Abby's eyes closed.

"Samael," were the last words whispered from her lips. That name now echoed in her head. Finally, her man with brown eyes and strong arms had a name, and his name was Samael.