Wolfblood

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Page count: 10

Wednesday soon arrived and with it came the full moon. The weather had plagued them with a rainstorm, confining them both indoors, allowing Hermione to observe Derek on the day of the full moon and his behaviour astounded her.

She knew how agitated and easy to provoke magical werewolves were, how their behaviour changed and their senses became more susceptible, how they preferred raw meat and they were either really energetic or lethargic.

But Derek? He was completely fine, as if it were just another normal day. She'd never seen someone so calm and she'd spent the majority of the day just watching him, amazed by the control he had over himself. He wasn't temperamental, tired or full of energy, his appetite didn't increase and he'd pulled a face when she'd had her bacon a little undercooked that morning for breakfast. She'd never seen anything like it.

In fact, she was the moody one! She'd been easily agitated all day, snapping at Derek for something as silly as him turning pages in a book too loud or the sound his fork had made on the plate when he was eating lunch, even his breathing had triggered her. She hadn't been able to stop herself from thumping him on the arm when he'd tried to kiss her and the smell of his minty toothpaste had invaded her nose. And bless the werewolf, he never took it to heart; he wasn't frightened of her, or annoyed by her constant mutters and growls of irritation, or when she threw cushions at him and closed doors with more force than necessary. Rather, it was the exact opposite. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Don't even think about it," Hermione warned, her eyes narrowed dangerously on him and she held her box of chocolates to her chest protectively when he reached out to pluck one from the tray.

Amusement flittered through his eyes and he sat back, holding his hands up in surrender. She eyed him carefully as she popped another chocolate into her mouth and he chuckled. She huffed at him, picked up the cushion from beside her and she whacked him with it before settling it on her knee.

His mouth twitched at the corners and he shifted on the couch until his body was twisted slightly, his back pressed against the armrest so he could better face her. She sat at the opposite end of the couch, her legs pulled up and tucked beneath her, a cushion in her lap and her box of chocolates sat on top.

"I don't understand it, why the hell am I more affected than you are? I'm not even a bloody werewolf!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was born a werewolf; I learned to control myself from a young age. I can still feel the pull of the moon and I've still got my instincts and urges, I just know how to contain them."

"But you're not even the slightest bit moody like I thought you'd be. I've never seen you so calm, and that's only annoying me further," she scowled and aggressively popped another chocolate into her mouth. He snorted at her. "I mean, I've always been a bit moodier around the full moon but I've never been this bad before. Do you think it's the baby? Is it possible that I'm affected because it's using me as an outlet?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Oh, fat lot of good you are," she grouched before lifting her box of chocolates, picking up the cushion from her lap and whacking him with it again, returning it to her lap. He smirked at her. "You're supposed to have the knowledge I don't, my expertise is magical creatures, not the supernatural, that's where you come in to know the things I don't."

"I'm just as in the dark as you are," he told her. "Sorry to say, I've never gotten another woman pregnant, and I've never witnessed a pregnancy with either the parent or child being a werewolf. When my mom was pregnant with Cora I was three-years-old, I was too young to understand what was happening or to remember anything from that time. We're both figuring this out together and we'll know for next time."