Chapitre 52: 12.Ain't it Funny.
After delivering a thick folder of results on my intestinal flora, I provided the location of my analyzers and the whereabouts of my samples. Mariella, Mimosa, and Shadow also contributed their samples in human form. To my surprise, they informed me that we had relocated to Bolivia.
Excused from further responsibilities, I stepped outside, adorned in a satin shirt of bright pink, a silk skirt, and lace panties - an ensemble salvatore had gifted me, although rarely worn. As I pondered over the limited funds, he would leave me during a potential holiday. I realized any purchases would likely be restricted to clothing for males, especially for him. Overheard conversations between Mimosa, Shadow, and others confirmed this.
Yearning for freedom, I transformed into a jaguar and sprinted into the nearby forest. Our Bolivian residence boasted a genuine jungle as its backyard, providing me with an abundance of trees to climb and prey to pursue. Initially, I took my time exploring the surroundings, immersing myself in the scents and sights.
I marked my territory, leaving behind my distinct scent, not concerning myself with the possibility of the pack's males claiming it as their own. For now, my focus was solely on enjoying the blissful life I had acquired. I ran, leaped, and even swam in the serene river, its crystal-clear waters offering a perfect haven.
The river had been meticulously cleared of any potential hazards, such as insects and snakes, ensuring my safety. It teemed with fish, which I skillfully caught and relished as delightful treats. While one particular species was not native to this region, they had been introduced into the wild and thrived, making them an ideal choice for my meals. By eliminating these invasive creatures, I unintentionally created a space for the natural species to flourish.
Pack did not talk to me in a few days, and I had found cave for myself. It was huge. There were again a few chambers and a few of them were very underground, so they were cool. Those chambers would be my food stash. They were almost fridge temperature, and I had found the perfect place to hunt and collect my prey. Then one chamber was again above ground, and one of its sides was exposed, so the sun shone in there almost all day, keeping this one chamber perfect and warm. I had several chambers then between in these, hot and cold.
I had marked my cave pretty early on, as this was mine, not anyone else's. This was as perfect a cave as it could be. It was far from the house, pretty deep into jungle and it was well hidden. I had not intentionally marked my territory nearby, not wanting to lead any pack members to my cave.
I used my powers, my chaos, my willpower, and my alpha power again to hide it even more, by putting little scent marks, my pheromones that said, "Nothing here, turn around, leave" I kept them subtle, not wanting to overdo it, only influence those who come near enough if there was danger for example, Demon or Lepard running nearby, to stumble into my cave.
Damon and the rest of the group were fully engrossed in studying the samples. The sound of shuffling papers and the faint hum of equipment filled the air. Mariella, determined to expand her business in the health field, had engaged in deep conversations with witches about the arteries she had observed and the cases Mimi had shared with her. Her eyes, sparkling like emeralds, lit up the room as she animatedly spoke.
Damon, captivated by her passion, felt an unparalleled love for her. At that moment, his life felt incredibly perfect. Being a scientist, his expertise gave him a sense of purpose, just like the satisfaction he derived from his fucking and dominating encounters with mostly Mariella.
However, his longing to help others remained, and he solemnly vowed to himself that he would obtain the samples from the lost cubs and extend his aid to the packs, even if it shattered his heart. Mimi could be stubborn. She was a brilliant surgeon, but then again, he had the mind of a genius and he might help to unravel the mystery of those infections. Mimi, being a very strong alpha female, did not make this any easier.
He also recognized Mimi's resilience, surpassing his own when it came to dealing with patients and lost causes. She could face the worst of the cases and he had witnessed that as he had delved into her mind in that nest and fading those horrors from her mind. He had found so many cases, that she could not help but she had still pressed on.
Yet, beneath her tough exterior, he glimpsed her hidden sensitivity, witnessed when she tearfully sought solace in his arms, releasing all her emotions. Mimi fought hard to transform, and he, an impatient man, struggled to comprehend the magnitude of her battle and the loneliness she endured just because she was unique, one of a kind and she would always be that way.
While he endeavored to be there for her, he couldn't promise anything. The only promise he could make was to Mariella–to be by her side for eternity, never abandoning her. He sincerely regretted that he couldn't make the same commitment to Mimi, but perhaps Charles or Adam, the Salvatore boys, or someone else could.
Damon, being wise and experienced, understood that the future held countless possibilities, although he couldn't discern them. The sheer number of potential outcomes obscured his vision of what lay ahead.
Damon was acutely aware that the world is an unsafe place, where happiness can vanish in an instant and everything can come crashing down. He understood that there are always people who seek to harm and destroy instead of heal. It was the harsh reality of how the world operates.
The pain he felt was palpable when he witnessed Mimi's fleeting moments of joy, always followed by some unfortunate event. It seemed as if the universe conspired against her, denying her true happiness. But Damon couldn't predict the future. He couldn't see far enough ahead to guarantee that someday, whether it be in a year or thousands of years, Mimi would find the happiness she truly deserved.
All he could do was attempt to bring her some semblance of joy, some form of love. However, he knew deep down that it was agonizing. As he had observed Mimi during breakfast, he couldn't help but notice the absence of her vibrant energy, her chakras hidden, and the scar that once connected him with Mimi as her vampire husband was no longer present on her palm.
There was a void within her, no flank organ. Even though it had been a way of controlling her, he had done it out of love. He had wanted to keep her safe and help her when she needed it, despite if she wanted to be helped. It had been his decision to help. But he had ripped that away from her, too. She was no longer getting the pleasure or safety of his pheromones and the intimacy they once shared.
But buried within him, there remained a part of him that emotionally loved Mimi. He had unearthed that part while preparing breakfast for her, hoping to show her that it still existed, even if only in fragmented pieces. He genuinely tried, but he couldn't be certain if it would make a difference or if his impatience would once again break Mimi's heart.
As he focused on reviewing reports about Mimi's flora, his concern grew. The sheer number of malicious strains was overwhelming, and finding a way to eradicate them permanently would require significant time and effort. It would undoubtedly be grueling for Mimi, as the antibiotics or any other treatment would also harm the beneficial strains.
Perhaps preserving the good bacteria and transplanting them back into her system could be an option, but it was crucial to determine the source of these bacteria. Was it worth attempting to eliminate them if they could easily return from prey or contaminated food? Would they have to live in a controlled environment, isolated from these strains? Or was it a matter of learning, preparing, and minimizing the damage to their intestines?
Additionally, the waste management system would need to be overhauled to ensure that their excrement was properly disposed of or processed, preventing the bacteria present in those samples from causing any further infections.
As Damon read reports from other pack members' samples, he could not be any more concerned too, and then there were nasty strains in each of their guts. Not one sample had been clean. So they were at risk of getting a really nasty infection if they got injury to their gut and this gave Damon little more incentive to try to eat as he should, so Mariella would not have to operate his guts. Of course, they had no idea how prone they were to these strains. He just knew that these were dangerous germs. But then again, could Mimi's spleen or her thymus be one answer? Was there some immunity?
And then during birthing, how to keep mothers from getting infections, who were most prone to get them, Damon sighed in his mind knowing very well that was usually Mariella. Was it always the Caesar section or was there some way? Damon ran his hands through his hair as he sighed, frustrated. So many questions, so many maybes, and nothing concrete to be used yet.
It would be a long process to get this thing anywhere ready and these samples, were as infective as they could be, so it was not so healthy for them to work with them in long periods in one go. So it would be time soon to put this project again on hold. And gather all the information and start to come up with a plan. Report after another came through and there were a huge number of samples, as Mimi had told him, all the time new samples were delivered.
Damon was certain that maybe someday they would do something, but they needed more information. One thing would be to do a minor infection test. This meant that they would give tissue samples and, as those tissue samples would be exposed to certain strains, they would see how infective it was. And what that strain, that infection did to those tissues, what kind of damage. And then when they would have this infectious tissue, maybe they could start to test dental substances or antibiotics on these.
One way would be to involve good Sarks in this study, but first, they need to see that none of these samples would put them in danger. But they were scientists. Those good sarks liked to study. To get them to do certain types of tests, this could be just the right minor project for them.
That is, if they were free. As Alaric and Magnum, Wulfe, and others had taken Sarks more in the field, teaching them to shoot and using them on missions, it might be that they were busy. But it was one option in Damon's mind. Of course, he wanted to be kept in the loop and it would be very strict what Sarks would get their hands on, mostly samples from other packs, not so much from Damon's pack.
I was happy to be outside. My cave was just perfect and as I am a skilled hunter, it was not too hard for me to get a few prey for myself and transport them into the cooler part of the cavern. I made quite a selection of various game animals, from small rabbits to huge deer and everything that you find in the jungles of Bolivia.
Apes and monkeys were also so fun to catch, I could change my shape into something smaller that they did not see as a threat and I could use my teeth in my feline forms as well, well, one little bite with my poisonous teeth and animal was dead, it was not so satisfying as to kill them by biting and doing it slower but then again, when I gazed my piles of prey I was pretty damn happy.
I was not always in my animal form. There were moments when I transformed into a human, wielding a long, sharp knife. I had learned the basics of preserving the game, extracting intestines, and other necessary tasks to make my prey last longer. Sometimes, the intestines weren't appetizing, so I either buried them or tossed them off a cliff, where other eager animals gathered to feast.
During this time, I didn't think about the pack or my role as an alpha female. This was my personal time, and I felt deserving of it. Despite being nested with the pack, my affection wasn't overwhelming. Instead, I felt restless, and my feline instincts yearned for the thrill of the hunt. I assumed the pack would eventually examine the samples I left behind. Being a pack driven by sheer lust and sex, they would likely end up in bed together, allowing me to continue with my own activities. Perhaps, by the time they decided to approach me, I would be in the mood for some pack involvement or whatever else came my way. But for now, this cavern was mine, my nest, and I wasn't inclined to share it. I was having too much fun.
Damon and Mariella also studied the samples. Damon had shown data to Mariella too. It was evident that there were several harmful strains in Mimi's and Mariella's intestines, but less so in Mimosa's and Shadow's samples. The Salvatores had their own set of bugs, but boys like Adam and Charles seemed to have fewer of these harmful strains, and they couldn't determine the reason behind it. Other shifter samples also showed various strains.
After two days of studying, Number Two spoke up. "This is a long-term project. We need to find a way to control these bugs. The worst ones are highly contagious, so developing a dental substance for them is currently out of reach. However, we might be able to tackle the milder strains."
Damon agreed. "Alright, let's put this project on hold for now. Somewhere down the line, let's involve the good sarks if they're available. But for now, we need to take a break."
They secured the samples and analyze each report carefully before deciding on any further actions. Of course, this decision left Number One feeling frustrated, as well as Mariella. She had a savior instinct, but there wasn't much she could do to save the situation. So, they found solace in each other's arms, using sex to ease their frustrations and feelings of powerlessness.
They hadn't reached out to the good sarks yet, as they were still engrossed in studying the reports. Some Salvatores moved into the kitchen to cook, while the wolves found companionship for their wild escapades.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone