Howls of Cursed Fate

꧁ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮 ꧂

𝓡𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓬𝓸𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼

The night at the arcade turned into something special. My whole pack made sure Savannah was never alone, and the carefree energy with flashing neon lights became our playground.

Savannah laughed with us as we bounced from game to game, trying out everything from air hockey to classic pinball.

Lilly, Shelly and Kira stuck close by her, chatting and laughing loudly enough to make sure people noticed the easy connection between us. Asher, Caden and Theo joined in, keeping things light and fun, making sure Savannah felt included. And Ethan with Ryan and Marcus took care of the drinks while I was trying to come up with an actual plan on how to end Timberly's gossips. We made sure to keep Savannah surrounded by friends, showing anyone watching that she wasn't isolated or desperate like Timberly had spread.

Savannah gave me a sideways glance from time to time with a mischievous grin while winning against my friends and I wondered who was supposed to feel included that night, me or her.

Showing the Havenbrook kids how much we love Savannah, my pack moved to another game and Shelly and Kira dragged her playfully with them. I wasn't sure if they really meant their fellowship but I did and I was here for her. Of course, she found me in a spare time and warned me that she would be next to Theo more, so people wouldn't doubt the rumor. With a smile, the only thing I took from her claim was: she said that only to me. Me. She seemed to be scared how I would see their 'happy couple' theater.

I watched her from the bar as the hours went on, her smile becoming more genuine with every minute that passed. She wasn't just faking anything—she was having fun surrounded by more people than usual.

That rumor machine Timberly, was there of course, lingering in the corners of the arcade with her clique, watching us closely. I could feel her eyes on us the entire time—I didn't have to rely on my werewolf senses—, but I ignored it, focusing on making sure Savannah had a good night.

— ⋆ ✯ ✵ ✯ ⋆ —

Savannah and I found ourselves at one of the old-school basketball games, the kind where you throw the small rubber balls into hoops as fast as you can. She grinned up at me, her eyes sparkling with this deep competitive light.

"Think you can beat me?" she teased, grabbing one of the balls and tossing it through the hoop effortlessly.

I chuckled, picking up a ball of my own. "Questioning my skills? You're on."

We went back and forth, shooting baskets, our competitive energy drawing the attention of a few bystanders. Savannah's laugh filled the air, and like most of the time with me, she seemed genuinely happy—whatever her worries were I dampened them simultaneously with the game music in the background.

After a few minutes, our game came to the last two seconds but with a tie between us. Without thinking I took my last ball and threw it through the hoop. Except I intentionally hit her side, making the game machine start blinking lights at her. A winner.

She beamed at me, her cheeks flushed from the excitement. "Oh, Deon! You let me win," she said, bumping my shoulder playfully.

I smirked, shaking my head. "Barely. It was accidental."

Savannah rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't fade. "I've seen you. I've seen the fire in your eyes doing that."

"Nope." I said and stuck my tongue out at her and got rewarded by a light hug. My hand just brushed lightly against the gems on her hoodie, trying to think about her creative style rather than her scent.