Howls of Cursed Fate

꧁ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓔𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 ꧂

𝓬𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓲𝓶

The scent of food filled my dad's car, making my stomach growl.

We pulled into the driveway just before lunchtime, the bags of takeout warming my lap. Dad and I had picked up burgers and fries from the diner on the way home from Havenbrook.

The home seemed calm from the outside, but as soon as we stepped through the door, the usual chaos hit us.

The first thing I noticed was Lilly, sprawled out on the couch, clearly suffering from last night's aftermath. She looked up at me, exhausted, but probably more annoyed by the plastic princess crown on her head. The rainbow-colored lipstick smeared all over her mouth was definitely Emma's handiwork.

"Gideon!" Emma's voice rang out, high-pitched and full of energy. She bounced over, arms crossed with a pout. "You missed Saturday morning cartoons! Lilly had to take your place!"

Lilly groaned, lifting her head just enough to glare at me. "I did not sign up for this," she muttered, tugging at the crown. "I wanted a sleepover, and Savannah left."

I stifled a laugh, glancing over at Mom, who was already unpacking lunch from the boxes. "Well, you're rocking that crown," I teased.

Lilly shot me a look that said she was two seconds away from hurling the crown in my face, but she sighed and stayed put.

Before I could say more, my little brother Jake rushed over, holding up his Gameboy triumphantly. "Gideon, look! You fixed it, and it still works!" He waved the device with a grin. "You're the best brother ever! But don't miss cartoons again, okay?"

I chuckled, ruffling his blonde hair. "I'll try, but I had a pretty good reason."

Emma and Jake's eyes widened, curiosity instantly piqued. "What reason?"

I leaned down, lowering my voice as if sharing the world's biggest secret. "I was with my fated mate, Savannah. She needed company while she worked at the mall."

Both their jaws dropped. The idea of me finding my mate blew their minds.

"You found your mate?" Emma gasped.

Jake chimed in, "How did you know she's the one? Was it like in the legends?"

"Exactly like in the legends," I said, grinning. "She's the one."

They squealed, bouncing around as if I'd just announced my wedding.

Lilly, still on the couch, groaned again. "I want my brother to be this excited for me," she muttered.

"I can be your adopted brother if you need me," I shrugged with a smirk, then turned toward the kitchen.

Mom was already smiling, clearly having overheard everything. "I really thought you weren't serious," she said, wiping her hands on a towel. "So Savannah—your childhood friend—is fated to you?"

"Yeah, it's her." I nodded, leaning against the counter and explained everything about Savannah. How I lost her the moment I found the other half of my soul in her eyes, how I smelled her in the city, bought her clothes, and ended up looking like a stalker. I told her everything—except Savannah's drinking the other night.

I ended by showing them her childhood photos.

Mom looked at the few photos and gave me a sad smile. "I don't remember her, sorry."

"That's okay, we will remember her now." I brushed it off.

Then their understanding about my previous secrecy made me feel relieved. "We're friends, but she can have all the time in the world. I won't rush. Not just because she's younger," I added.