Crazy Little Thing Called Love
1348 Words
Edith had recently heard that Seth wouldn’t lay a finger on her without permission. Or perhaps she was just assuming he was trying to prove his good intentions—to fix things between them. She could sense his sincerity as he kissed her forehead.
Since there was no conflict between them at that moment, either explanation sounded reasonable. Throughout her pregnancy, Edith was determined to maintain a positive atmosphere. She was sick to death of their constant bickering.
Then, out of nowhere, she remembered the black wolf she had encountered in the woods. The sheer size of it… The damn thing was built just like Seth. A regular wolf couldn’t have been that massive.
“Seth, that black wolf I saw before... did it look like you?” Edith asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Yes,” Seth replied simply.
“Did you recognise him?”
“No.”
Edith frowned. “Do wolves… you know… prey on humans?”
Seth let out a sudden, hearty laugh, covering his mouth as if trying to stifle it.
“Oh, piss off,” Edith scowled, convinced her question wasn’t that stupid.
“I’m sorry,” Seth said between chuckles. “I didn’t mean to take the piss. It’s just—it’s bloody hilarious! Werewolves hunting people? That only happens in fiction, love. We don’t eat humans. Our prey is still animals. That said, there have been cases where werewolves attack people. It happens when they lose touch with their human side—usually because they’ve spent too much time in their wolf form.”
Edith tilted her head. “Wait, how does that work? I thought you could shift whenever you like?”
“You’re not wrong. But when a werewolf is separated from their pack for too long, they can either go feral or lose their sense of self. It’s worse if they’re completely isolated from humans.”
“Does shifting hurt?”
“The first time? Yeah, it’s agony. But after a while, you get used to it.”
Edith stayed quiet for a moment, processing it all. The werewolves she’d seen in films were just dramatic nonsense. They’d thrown in all that extra suspense purely to make it entertaining.
“So… that black wolf. Was he trying to kill me?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Seth admitted. “But I saw him lunging at you, so I stopped him. He wasn’t from my pack, which means I couldn’t read his mind.”
Edith shuddered. Bloody hell. If it weren’t for Seth, she could’ve ended up as a mutilated corpse found by some poor sod on a morning jog. She owed him her life.
But instead of dwelling on that terrifying thought, her mind latched onto something else.
“You guys can read minds?”
Seth smirked. “It’s called a mind-link. But it only works within the same pack. Outside of that? No dice. You seem pretty fascinated by werewolf business all of a sudden.”
Edith cursed under her breath. She’d walked right into that. She had no intention of feeding Seth’s ego, so she did what she did best—played it cool.
“No, not really,” she lied. Then, in an attempt to change the subject, she said, “By the way, I agreed to stay here when your parents offered. Do they even know we don’t get along?”
Seth shrugged. “No idea.”
“How did you explain things to them?”
“That you’re my girlfriend and that I shagged you on purpose.”
Edith’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “For f**k’s sake, are you insane? How the hell could you just say that?”
Seth looked far too pleased with himself.
“It’s not that different from falling in love,” he said, completely unfazed by her outburst. “Werewolves go absolutely mental when they imprint. And I don’t do half-measures—I’m all in. So, I told them you imprinted on me. Triplets in one go! A werewolf pack will always honour an imprint mate.”
Edith scoffed. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Seth’s voice dropped an octave. “It means I want to be near you. And I want you to be mine.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, I’m not interested,” Edith shot back. “Let me make one thing clear: the only reason I have any kind of relationship with you is because of this baby. That’s it. No feelings. No romance.”
Seth’s smirk widened. “Then what was the kiss about, eh?”
Oh, bollocks.
Edith felt heat rush to her face. There was no talking her way out of this one. If she tried to brush it off as nothing, she’d sound like a bloody i***t.
“Whatever,” she muttered. “We’re not talking about it again. I’m going to bed.”
She stomped over to the wardrobe, only to realise… she had no clothes. Brilliant. She yanked the door open and stared at the contents—only Seth’s clothes, all of them far too big for her.
Glancing over, she saw Seth closing the window. Should she ask? Or would that just open her up to more of his teasing?
Her hesitation must’ve been obvious because Seth turned to look at her, brows raised.
“What is it, Edith?”
“I need something to wear,” she mumbled. “Mind lending me a shirt? I’ll wash it and give it back tomorrow.”
Seth walked past her, pulling a T-shirt and shorts from his wardrobe. He handed them over with an annoyingly fond smile.
“I really like you like this, Edith.”
Edith’s eyes widened. What the hell was that supposed to mean? She glanced down at herself. She looked the same as she had all day, just… a little crumpled.
Whatever. She wasn’t going to overthink it.
She made her way to the bathroom, but when she tried the handle, it wouldn’t budge.
“What the f**k’s wrong with the door, Seth?”
“It’s probably broken again.”
“…Again?”
Seth had the audacity to grin. “Yep.”
“You taking the piss?”
“You always assume the worst of me,” he said with a mock-wounded expression. “It’s just an old door. I rarely use it, so it breaks a lot.”
“Where the hell am I supposed to get changed, then? Which toilet do you use?”
“The one in the next room.”
Edith huffed and made for the door—only to freeze mid-step.
“That room’s locked,” Seth added casually. “Only my parents have the key. And they’re in France.”
Edith groaned. “And what do you do when you need the toilet?”
“I shift into a wolf and go outside.”
“Oh, piss off, Seth.” She clenched her jaw. “Fine. Will you get out for a minute so I can change?”
Seth raised a brow. “You do realise I’ve already seen you stark naked, yeah?”
Edith wanted to strangle him. But before she could retaliate, a sharp pang shot through her stomach.
“Ow…”
Seth was at her side instantly. “What’s wrong?”
She clutched her belly. “I dunno… it hurts.”
Seth scooped her up and carried her to the bed. “Sit down. Breathe.”
“Is what Dr Ashley said true? About you talking to the baby?”
Seth hesitated. “Wanna try? Can I touch your belly?”
Edith nodded.
Seth rested a hand over her stomach and, after a moment, said softly, “Hey, baby Julian. I’m your dad. Getting stronger, yeah?”
Edith blinked. “Julian?”
Seth put a finger to his lips. “Shh. We’ll talk names later. Right now, be nice to your mum, yeah? She needs rest.”
Edith rolled her eyes. “Seth, he—stop.”
“Really?”
And just like that, she knew she was doomed.
- Writer
