The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 71: The Friend I Needed

Meredith.

The hum of the car filled the silence. I kept my eyes on the window, but I wasn’t seeing much. The trees blurred past like meaningless brushstrokes.

Even the sunlight, soft and golden across the hills, felt dull against the storm in my chest.

I was still angry.

Not the kind of fury that burned out quickly—but the deep, quiet kind. The one that lingered and weighed the mind. The kind that made you forget the beauty in the world.

At the driver’s seat, Dennis rolled the windows down. A rush of air surged into the car, clean and brisk. It slapped gently against my face, tossing a few strands of hair across my cheek.

Oddly enough, it helped. A little.

Several minutes passed. Then, from the driver’s seat, Dennis spoke.

"Can you tell me why you’re angry?"

I didn’t respond. Not because I didn’t want to—but because I didn’t trust what would come out if I opened my mouth. Still, Dennis didn’t push. When I glanced at him, he was smiling faintly. Patiently.

"Is it my brother again?"

I turned to him fully this time, surprised. My eyebrows rose. "Are you sure Draven is really your brother?"

Dennis laughed, a short and light sound. "Why do you ask?"

"You are too different," I said, studying his face. "In character. In temperament." I paused, then squinted slightly. "Except for the face. You both look alike—annoyingly so."

He nodded slowly, clearly amused. "Now I get why you hate me."

"I don’t hate you," I muttered under my breath. "Just the fact that you share the same blood."

That earned a hearty laugh. "Still the same thing."

He turned his attention back to the road, still grinning.

I found myself watching the way his hands rested on the steering wheel—confident, steady. The car responded to every shift and motion. It was fascinating, really. I had never thought about how driving worked before. Now, I was curious.

"Tell me something," Dennis asked casually. "What did my brother do this time? Did he accuse you of something again?"

My eyes flicked away from him immediately. Shame crept into my chest, coiling tight and hot.

I couldn’t tell him. How could I explain the reason I fought with Draven was because he found out about my secret self-harm?

Dennis caught my hesitation. "You can’t tell me?" he asked softly.

I nodded.

There was a pause. Then, a smirk curved his lips. "Let’s trade," he said suddenly.

I blinked. "Trade?"

"I have an offer." He raised a brow. "I will teach you how to drive. And in return, you tell me why you and Draven fought."

I stared at him like he had offered me a throne. "You will teach me how to drive?"

He nodded, briefly taking his attention off the road. "It’s not difficult. I promise. You will pick it up fast."

The idea startled me. But then something shifted inside. I wanted to learn. To be useful. To do something for myself.

Still, was it worth revealing the reason behind the fight?

"I will think about it," I said carefully, not wanting to lose the opportunity just in case.

"Fair enough. Whenever you’re ready," Dennis said with a small chuckle.

We drove in silence after that, but it wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. After about an hour, the car slowed and turned into a parking space.

As the engine died, I glanced around. "Where are we?"

Dennis got out of the car. "Come on. Let’s get ice cream."

Ice cream?

Inside the shop, the air was cool and sweet. Stainless pans of colourful scoops lined the freezer display, bright under the soft lights. I stood still, overwhelmed by the choices.

"What do you want?" Dennis asked.

"I don’t know," I admitted.

He smiled and took my hand. "Come."

We stopped at the counter, where a young woman greeted us politely.

"She’s new here," Dennis told her. "Can she try your top flavours before she decides?"

The woman nodded. I noticed she was probably one of the few humans who wasn’t wary of us.

Dennis turned to me. "Are you allergic to anything?"

I shook my head.

Four small wooden spoons were handed to me, each holding a different flavour. I tried them one by one—and I liked all of them.

"I want all," I said to Dennis without hesitation.

Dennis grinned. "She will have all four. Two cones."

"Here or to-go?" the woman asked.

He looked at me, leaving the decision to me.

"Can we stay for a while?" I pleaded.

"Of course." He agreed and went ahead to pay for the ice cream with the harsh he took from his pants pocket

Minutes later, we sat by the window. The cones were big—rolled with four colours, melting gently under the shop’s warm lights. Dennis had pulled my chair out for me. He was different.

I licked the ice cream slowly. The taste was soft, creamy, and sweet. A faint memory stirred—of when I was a child, back when I was loved. Safe.

I hadn’t eaten any ice cream since all hell broke loose on my head.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

"Hey." Dennis leaned forward. "You alright?"

I sniffed. "Yes. Thank you. For this."

He frowned. "Don’t thank me. And don’t cry either. You will make me feel bad. And I’m bad at comforting people."

I gave him a watery smile. He said he was bad at comforting people, yet he found me in my anger, brought me out to the town and bought me ice cream.

Dennis was just the friend I needed.

Dennis didn’t say much after that. Just sat across from me and let me eat quietly.

By the time we left the shop, I felt something shift inside. A soft peace.

"Let’s take a walk at the city park before we head back," Dennis said

I nodded. I didn’t want to go back yet.

We walked in silence. I watched families laughing. Humans and werewolves alike. For once, I didn’t feel like I was pretending to be okay because I was.

At some point after Dennis left me alone, he came back with bottled water and a bucket of fried chicken. He left them beside me and walked off to sit nearby—close enough to watch me, far enough to give me space.

And somehow, that meant more than words.

I was calm now, and my anger for Draven had vanished. And now, I regretted speaking to rudely to him.

By the time we returned to the estate, the sun had dipped low. Evening shadows clung to the walls.

As we turned into the drive, I saw him. Draven.

He stood at the entrance with an unreadable expression on his face.

My heart skipped

"Seems like my brother is waiting for us," Dennis muttered, switching off the engine.

"Did we ask him to wait out there?" I scoffed, hiding my nervousness.

Dennis smirked. "No. But you might want to get out."

I didn’t move.

Dennis leaned back. "Even if you stay here till midnight, he will still be there. You might as well go out and face him. And maybe, reconcile your differences."

My fingers tightened on my lap. I wasn’t ready to face Draven yet.

What was I going to tell him?

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