Capítulo 162: 2. Who'll Stop The Rain?
As I finally pulled into the yard of my house, exhaustion washed over me, and all I wanted was a refreshing shower, a satisfying meal, and a good drink before heading to the base. My house had a white exterior with black window sills and boards in the corners, giving it a distinct Austrian charm rather than a typical Bolivian look.
Despite the weather, Nina and Tina appeared unfazed, always looking fresh. However, the heat bothered me, and I couldn't help but grumble under my breath as I stepped out of the cool car into the hot, humid air of Bolivia. The intense heat hit my face, causing my clothes to cling to my skin. Although the distance to the door wasn't long, the yard was sunny, making the heat unbearable.
I walked up to the door, opened it, and disarmed the alarm system. As I pressed the buttons, the cool sensation of the metal beneath my fingertips offered some relief. I let the girls inside, where it was blessedly cool. They headed to the kitchen to get something to drink before leaving for the base. Meanwhile, I ascended the stairs.
This was a spacious house with four floors, including the basement. There were plenty of rooms here, and although it would require some renovation to be perfect, it was already more than perfect for me. The stairs were wide but creaked under my weight. They weren't made of marble, but somehow, the house's own character convinced me to buy it.
Dark staircases lined the way, and despite the signs of wear and tear, I enjoyed the mood and atmosphere of this house. It felt relaxed and safe. I reached the second floor, turned right, walked down the long corridor, and finally opened the grand double doors, stepping into my room. The walls were painted white, and the dark mahogany rugs added a touch of softness. The golden satin bedspread brought a sense of luxury to the room.
I tossed my collection onto the bed and went to my wardrobe, selecting a clean shirt, jeans, and underwear to put on. It was the perfect time to take a shower and then grab a bite to eat. I had prepared a delicious meal for myself, including plenty of wagyu beef, a refreshing Coke, some caffeine, and absolutely nothing rubbish. The portions were generous. Soon, I would indulge in my meal before heading back to the base to assume my role as a leader.
My days were as busy as ever, and I didn't mind. These past few weeks had grounded me, kept me occupied, and allowed me to adjust to the power within me without anyone monitoring my every thought or attempting to control me. It had been a journey of self-discovery and learning to embrace my new state of being.
Damon had successfully assembled his pack in just ten days. The purpose of their vampire heat was to suppress and control the vampire side of the females. Damon had also taken the time to teach Mariella about the dangers of messing with humans, and he had no regrets. They had mutually eliminated those humans who posed a threat, meaning who Mariella fucked with. Damon believed in teaching without mercy.
It took them about three weeks to gather everything together after killing Annaliese, and their pack was now larger than ever. Along with the Salvatores, wolves, Wulfe, and Magnum, Elena and Katherine were also included in the pack, without much choice. Although Elena was already a vampire, they were now a part of it. However, they had moved to live somewhere else. Dresden, Constantine, Colin, and Alaric were also part of the pack, but not all of them lived with them.
Damon had not yet gotten Murdock and Dexter, as they had gone on missions after Annaliese and were not part of the vampire heat. However, he planned to bring them in, as well as Tim and Taylor. Adam had informed Damon that in his pack, back in the day, there had been 31 people, not all of whom lived with him. This had made the pack strong, and Damon had gained some ideas from his time in the hive about what it would be like when his pack was large enough. And, of course, he needed a certain alpha female to complete the pack.
Damon turned to Mariella and said, "Darlin', I think it's time to bring that certain female into our pack, and maybe we can also bring those two in. How about we get back to work?"
Mariella, in a good mood and unaffected by the lessons, agreed. She knew what to expect next time.
"Sure, but do we have any idea where she is in the world?" Her voice was calm and soft.
Damon replied, "We'll contact Tim and Taylor and go to the base. We get them into the pack right away. They will know where she is, and then we can go from there."
Mariella nodded, ready for action. She understood the importance of Damon making the initial contact with Mimi, without anyone else present. They had their plan in motion. She was once again trying to get Mimi and Damon together for real.
Damon stood in front of the building, a white structure with black trimmings. There were three cars in the yard, one of which had a still-warm engine. Damon, intrigued, got inside, using his magic to open the door. It was time to meet the baby and bring her into the pack, and also to find out what the whole situation with the NSA was about.
"Special Agent, my ass. That should be me," Damon thought to himself rather irritated.
He had used his magic to open the front door, so it had been silent, and stepped in. He didn't have much time to take a few steps when a tall blonde bombshell emerged from the kitchen. She was wearing a spaghetti-strapped top and tiny shorts. Damon's gaze traveled from her toes to her ample bosom, DD or maybe E cups at least, all-natural, wide childbearing hips, and bubble butt, finally resting on her sweet innocent face. In his mind, Damon undressed her, envisioning her perfect, soft, pillow-like breasts and reactive nipples. He imagined her sighing, shuddering, and becoming a pleading mess under his touch.
Damon addressed the girl, saying, "Come on, sweetheart, tell me your name. My name is Damon, just so you know who to scream for when I show you what I can do with one hand."
His voice was soft and condescending, assuming she was nothing more than a bimbo. As Damon took a few steps closer, intending to touch her breasts, she swiftly acted. Before Damon could realize it, she swept his legs from under him. The sting of a taser hit him in the neck, rendering him unable to move. The girl efficiently secured him with zip ties, binding his hands behind his back. She effortlessly lifted him to sit on a chair and pointed a nasty-looking Glock at him.
In a low voice, she warned him, "Keep your trap shut, and maybe, just maybe, you will live, idiot."
Another girl walked out of the kitchen. She was almost as tall as the first one and walked with the grace of a shifter. She had black hair; she was less curvy, maybe C cup. Damon noticed that the blonde bombshell was also a shifter. He had underestimated them. He was irritated to himself not keeping his wits.
Meanwhile, I was coming out of the shower when Nina informed me we had an intruder. He had picked the lock and just walked in, attempting to seduce Nina, clearly thinking he was God's gift to women. Only one person came to mind, so I sent Damon's picture to Nina through our mind link.
She confirmed, "Yep, that's him, right down to the white stripe in his hair."
I instructed Nina, "My ex-husband. I don't know what possessed him to barge in without announcing himself, but please restrain him until I get there. Don't let him know that you spoke to me or that you know who he is."
I rolled my eyes and put on my jeans and a spaghetti-strapped shirt, leaving my midriff bare. I let my wet hair hang down my back, providing some relief from the heat. This was not what I had been expecting. This sort of behavior was unfamiliar to number one, but it was him. He was normally pretty reserved, not seducing strangers the first time he met them.
This is going to be fun. I brought my plant collection bag so I wouldn't have to come back up here and could get back to base as soon as I heard Salvatore. I was racking my brain, hoping that this wasn't another crisis within the pack that I needed to solve.
Damon was trying to break the zip ties, but they wouldn't give in. He was trussed like a goddamn turkey.
The tall blonde one sarcastically asked, "What's the matter? Don't you like our magic resetting silver alloy zip ties? They keep guys like you nicely contained. Mimi will be right down. She can decide what to do with you."
The other girl turned to the blonde and said, "Nina, should we leave soon and go back to base?"
The blonde nodded and replied, "Sure, Tina. As soon as Mimi gives the okay, she can deal with that one."
Damon was about to say something when movement from the top of the floor caught his attention. Mimi was coming down the stairs. She was wearing faded blue jeans that hugged her body. Her tiny waist was bare, but she had a tan. Her spaghetti-strapped top, light pink and short, revealed the outline of her nipples. She walked up to him, looking at him, raising her brow, and crossing her arms.
She was a magnificent apparition, weighing at least 60 kilos, and Damon couldn't fathom how she had achieved that. Just three weeks ago, she had been a little over 40 kilos. It had always been difficult for her to gain weight, especially since she had been trudging through the jungles for weeks. Yet, she was in such great shape.
Damon pleaded with Mimi as she approached, "Please, baby, could you tell these two that I'm one of the good ones?"
Tina scoffed as she heard Damon's nickname for Mimi. His voice was desperate, as the zip ties were digging into his wrists and the contempt from the two girls grated on his nerves. He wasn't used to being in this state.
I looked at Damon and said, "Well, according to Nina, you're a chauvinistic bastard and an easy mark, but not really a threat to me. It might be helpful to give a little forewarning next time you come here."
My voice was calm, a little bored even, but I kept my amusement hidden.
I nodded to Nina, signaling her to release Damon. She unlocked the fast lock on the zip ties, which were reusable and not meant to be used once and thrown away. Damon rubbed his wrists but didn't say anything yet. Nina put the zip ties back in her travel pack. I could see that Damon, standing up, was ready and still didn't fully trust the two girls. His violet eyes revealed his magic on the surface, as he felt threatened. Good for him. There was no need to be so smug every single second.
I walked into the kitchen and grabbed one of my hearty meals. After turning on the oven, I placed my meal inside to warm up. The oven was fast, so it wouldn't take long. Damon followed me, leaning against the wall as he observed my actions. It was clear that he was impressed with my fitness, but curious about how I had achieved it. Irritation welled up within me as my protector instincts kicked in, informing me of Damon's neglected state. He hadn't taken care of himself like I had.
I glanced at Damon and snapped, "You're consuming too much fiber, too many carbs, not enough caffeine, and not getting sufficient rest. So no reward for you, babyboy."
He managed to look sheepish, walked over to the table to get a closer look at my food, and finally sat down.
He asked, "What are you doing here? And what's this whole thing about you being a special agent with the NSA that Wulfe and Alaric have no idea about? When did this happen?"
I replied while grabbing several bottles of ice-cold Coke from the fridge, "During your last vampire heat, before Annaliese. It's a quid pro quo situation. I have to undertake these idiotic missions because they help us with nasty facilities, not that it matters. But I'm not fond of this awful weather or trudging through jungles for weeks. So they made me the leader of a brand new division of the NSA, so I am called Special Agent Springcove. It's new to me as well. I am not really used to being a federal agent."
Damon reached for one bottle, grabbed my reserved glass, poured himself some Coke, and drank it like he was dying of thirst. He downed three glasses before pausing momentarily. I took one of my crystal glasses, but he stood up, returned it to the cupboard, and handed me a regular glass instead. He guided me to my seat and went to the oven to retrieve my meal. He took two plates from the rack and divided my meal in half so that he could have some, too. I rolled my eyes.
Damon said to me, "Well, we're free now. Let's see what's next on our schedule. And Missy, I know I've eaten poorly, but I'll do better. There's no need to glare at me like that. We're not using crystal glasses because they can leach lead into your drink, and that's not good for you."
Tina appeared at the door and announced, "We're ready to head to the base now." I nodded, noticing that they had their bags with them, and they soon left.
After closing the door, I was already eating when Damon dug into his portion.
He soon remarked, "No wonder if you're in that shape. This food is perfect. I mean, it's just what you need. Who are those two professionals? I don't recall them."
I replied, "My organization has over 3 million people, so I suspect you don't know everyone. Tina and Nina are my rescues. They are actually working for the NSA solely now. My rescues, I collect them. When it comes to my motivation to eat, I need to be in shape. Work is swamped, and this mission doesn't help things. After I've eaten, I'm heading to the base. So, what brings you here? It hasn't even been a month. Did something happen or what? Do you have the next crisis for me to be solved?"
Damon said, "Nope. Vampire heat was a little over a week, about ten days, meant to cool down female vampire sides. I taught Mariella for a week what happens if she messes with humans, and we went on a little field trip on top of it. She did what you had to do with your phone, too. We want you in our pack. Our pack is big. Elena, Katherine, wizards, Alaric, Wulfe. We need you. We took Tim and Taylor. When we went to ask where you were, we are still missing Murdock and Dexter. But then our pack is pretty nice. Being part of the hive taught me that it is good to have many people in. Besides, we're ready to work. What are you looking for in the jungles?"
I raised my brow. Really, the pack was that big already. I could not fathom what it would bring into everyday life.
I explained to him, "Plants. We're searching for certain plants. As you know, the supernatural has gained high places, and we have big allies like Beauclaire and such. So, the NSA wants to keep them safe. Now, certain plants can be used in certain drugs, and our mission is either to get rid of certain plants from the jungle, take one specimen with us to be preserved in a controlled state, or collect certain plants so we can synthesize a drug and try to find an antidote to it. We also need to study if they have the potential to be used as bioweapons, it is not hard to put certain plants to be part of a bomb and blow them up, poisoning certain types of fae or others and, if so, what we can do to prevent or heal them. Help is needed. There are division testing and studying plants that we have got. What makes this hard is that guys like Sark have had time to send their teams in jungles for decades and we have no idea what they have found already, so we are getting ready just in case."
Damon was quiet and said, "You need us. That doesn't sound like something you should do by yourself. Those plants can be bad for you too. Our fangs might be able to help. Besides, I'm pretty damn genius. I would suspect that Wulfe and Magnum are also less than happy about this. Now, about your leadership position in this new division..."
I interrupted, "No need to overprotect me, but there is work for you too. It's not that simple to identify plants. One reason why I'm on this mission is that my status as a botanist is crucial for finding the right specimens. Let's discuss more at the base. You can call the others too. Just have them bring a few cars, preferably strong SUVs or jeeps, as the roads around here aren't in the best condition."
He nodded and remarked, "I'm not being overly protective, but perhaps you could provide us with information on how to locate those plants. A spell or something similar could make the search faster and safer. It seems like you're not particularly fond of trudging through jungles."
I grunted in agreement and replied, "I have a lot of work that needs to be done, so if you're really in the mood for work, there's plenty of it."
He nodded and then walked over to my fridge to assess the amount of preserved meals I had. I had enough food for two weeks, and an additional two weeks' worth stored in my freezer.
I said to him, "I have enough meals to last a month. This may not be the best house, but it will do, since I still have other places to go. However, I'm not sure if I can go tomorrow if it continues to rain. The roads are getting rough, even for my car."
He returned to his seat and started eating.
He said, "A few salvatores can take the food elsewhere. I'll get Max and his crew to renovate this place. In the meantime, I suspect we'll be spending a lot of time at the base or in the field, so we won't need all this."
After finishing my meal, I went to make more coffee. I had found the perfect instant coffee that was rich in caffeine, which was perfect for me. It was also easy to make. I gave a few granules to Damon to taste as he stood next to me, inspecting things.
I told him, "One way to ensure your caffeine intake is to keep fresh, hot coffee available at all times. You'll end up drinking it just by passing by, and it helps."
He said, "Let me taste these so I can see if they're any good."
I handed them to him.
He chewed on them and said, "Nice. We can definitely use these for adding to our coffee and baking. They're just perfect."
He carefully read the package and sent it somewhere. Well, I had plenty of packets reserved, so I continued making my coffee. After filling up eight thermoses with coffee, I was ready to go. I could drink them when I got to the base, so there was no need to make coffee right away.
I had a million things to organize, especially now that more people were on board. I grabbed my collection bag, slung it over my shoulder, and noticed that the yard was filled with cars. Pack members were milling around, waiting for us to come out so they could drive up to the base and get things done. They had no idea where it was, except for Magnum and Wulfe.
I stepped outside and noticed Wulfe and Magnum walking towards me, ready to give me a hug. It seemed like they both needed to be around me. I embraced both of them, feeling their scent as they hugged me back. Alaric was also there, which was unusual since he rarely left the States. Charles and Adam joined us as well.
Damon spoke up, saying, "Alright, Mimi goes first and we'll follow. The roads might be challenging, so maybe you should let me drive, darlin'."
Damon's words were meant for Mariella, and he spoke with a dominant tone that made her obey. Wulfe and Magnum, along with Adam and Charles, walked towards my car. This was going to be interesting.
As I opened my trunk to put my plants in, Shadow approached me and said, "Let me take care of them. I can feel them. Don't put them in there; the vibrations stress them."
I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything.
Instead, I handed her my bag and warned her, "Be careful. There are nasty plants that can hurt you, too."
She just waved her hand as she walked towards the car with Mimosa, who was driving car number ten.
I headed towards my own car, but Magnum snatched the keys from my hand and said, "We know the way, Hummingbird. Be a good girl and sit down. No need to road rage this time."
Adam and Charles went to the front seats, leaving me in the backseat with Wulfe. I sat down and fastened my seatbelt. The car started, and Magnum proved to be an excellent driver, not as prone to road rage as me. However, this was still a challenging drive for him.
Wulfe sat as close to me as possible and asked, "Special Agent, I bet there will be more special agents in the NSA soon. What is this plant collection mission all about?"
I explained to him the same thing I had told Damon. However, Wulfe, being protective, didn't listen. Instead, he delved into my mind, eager to uncover every gory detail about the plants and my recent encounter with the scientist. He mercilessly shared these details with the rest of the pack, making sure everyone was aware of the dangers I would face on this mission.
We didn't talk much during the drive. Everyone was still processing what I was about to do and how dangerous it was for me. I guessed they were coming up with many reasons why I shouldn't undertake this mission, especially with only Tina and Nina as my backups. Once we reached the base, I would assign each of them their own missions. We were swamped, and each mission was serious. Then we would see if they still had time to worry about me so much.
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