Mads
I planned everything. Everything should be perfect. Glorious. Heroic. Fantastic.
It would be the best birthday party ever. Of course, because I organized it. With my terrific genius and incredibly good looks! The celebration could only be huge!
And it had to.
This birthday party was for a wonderful werewolf. For weeks, I planned and organized this festival. I had written the invitations, I decorated the old barn on the edge of the village, which I was fortunately allowed to use, and I was trying my hand at cooking.
Levi looked over my shoulder skeptically. "Are you sure it should be smoking like this?"
"It doesn't smoke!"
"Uh... Yes." He pointed to the gray smoke whose existence I tried to ignore. I didn't want to admit to being a terrible cook. I was hoping for a miracle! After all, it was for a special person! If I really wished it, everything would taste heavenly, right?
"What's that supposed to be?", asked Levi, kissing my hair.
Smiling, I pointed to the misshapen lump of coal in the pan. "Braised zucchini with onions, and brussels sprouts. And with baked bread, and sour cream with herbs. Delicious!"
"Baked bread?" Levi turned pale now. "How nice."
I rolled my eyes. "I bought the bread. Over there is the sour cream. I made it earlier."
Levi went to the ceramic bowl I had borrowed from his mother, took a spoon, and tasted the sour cream. He immediately grimaced. "Perfect! Salt with some sour cream, and some herbs!"
Sighing, I looked at the coal in my pan. Levi's mom had offered to do the cooking. Levi had also offered it. Even his little sister did so! But I wanted to do everything myself. Was that too much? Sighing, I took the pan from the stove and extinguished the fire that heated the stove. I sat down next to Levi at the table in his parent's kitchen and let my adorable head hang.
"Damn", I snorted.
"Heads up. You tried. That's what matters. Let me cook, yes? You've already taken care of all the other things. It's going to be a great celebration!" Levi kissed me fleetingly, which I could not enjoy because of sheer misfortune. He took over the kitchen. His parents and Smilla visited our neighbors so that we could prepare everything in peace. Luckily for me.
On my last attempt to cook, Smilla ran through the house after a few minutes and shouted: "It's burning! Fire! We're all going to die!" She exaggerated, of course. Only one pan caught fire...
Eigthteenth birthdays are special. And this one was very important to me. Apart from my own. We celebrated it big. With many guests and a big cake. Levi's sister gifted me a painted picture, his parents gave me new brushes, and Levi?
Levi promised me the very best birthday present. And that's what I got. Smiling, I remembered the night of my birthday. My soft bed and Levi's well-built body. I remembered the heat! It was perfect! And he was incredibly creative!
It was perfect until his father banged on my door and demanded that we not make such a noise. Everyone else wanted to sleep. We were probably a bit loud... Well, okay. I was loud.
But now it was time for the next birthday party.
The guests arrived around the evening. The alpha and his wife. The Beta couple. Noah, his girlfriend, and his brothers. Levi's parents together with his little sister, and his best friend. The food was placed on a small table, my homemade garlands decorated the walls, and candles lit up the old barn. There was fruit juice and sparkling wine. We sang and played silly games. We turned night into day.
And at the end, before the guests went home, we toasted the well-being of the birthday girl.
"Happy Birthday, Emmie!", I shouted and we let the glasses clink together.
I hoped to see Emmie again one day. Until then, I would celebrate each of her birthdays loudly and with a lot of joy.
