Chương 51: 11. Where Is The Love?
The morning sun gently streamed through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the room and coaxing me awake. Despite my fatigue, a lingering sense of security enveloped me. Fragmented memories of waking up floated in my mind - Damon's murmurs, his insistence on me drinking something.
Slowly, it dawned on me that we had been taken in by a group of males who had made our nest their own. Time seemed to blur, making it difficult to gauge how long we had been nested. But as I pieced together more recollections, I realized that the damn telepath had once again manipulated my thoughts, erasing the painful memories of our loss. It felt like a dream, detached and easily released from my mind, unlike the usual haunting memories that would consume me.
Feeling surprisingly good, I rose from bed and made my way to the bathroom, noticing that I was wearing Damon's old tee shirt. I wasn't in perfect shape, but I had gained some weight, weighing well over 55 kilos - a positive sign.
It seemed that my mind had undergone a significant reorganization, with other memories, like the accident, fading away under the telepaths' influence. Perhaps being surrounded by so many powerful telepaths in our pack had its perks; they didn't ask for permission, they simply acted. And I had plenty of shit in my mind to share, so I was content.
I noticed that my emotional wells had been emptied, quite darn much and I could not suppress a twinge of irritation when I knew how much one particular husband had gotten a boost from them, but me being a power battery it is my destiny to provide for my pack.
Slowly, I realized that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't my destiny to carry all this burden alone. Maybe there was a reason for the presence of eleven powerful telepaths in our pack. As I exited the bathroom, I noticed Damon entering with a tray brimming with food, coffee, and drinks.
He smirked, his eyes gleaming, and said, "Well, come and eat. Then you can take a shower, and we can discuss the samples and the losses suffered by other packs. I want to be involved in the study, and you can't possibly argue that it would be a bad thing."
I sighed, surrendering to his pampering as he placed the tray on my lap. Breakfast in bed was one of Damon's ultimate ways of spoiling me. And there it was again, a single, magnificent blood-red rose, its scent filling the air. He grinned crookedly, his smirk betraying his confidence.
He said, "Even if my scent can't permeate the air, babe, don't think that I'm completely gone." Oh, how in the world did he manage to tap into that part of him?
The part that was supposed to be in so little pieces inside him, but since number four had gotten it out and permanently, well maybe others would too. My Damon.
Life was full of surprises, each one feeling like a touch of magic. I didn't over-analyze; instead, I focused on the simple pleasure of eating. It brought me so much joy. As I lay in bed, he came over and playfully started feeding me. His dominant presence kept me in line, so I allowed him to continue.
After he had fed me a bit, I couldn't help but share my concerns with him.
"It's not that I don't trust you," I said, my voice filled with sadness, "but those packs, they don't know you. It would break their hearts to lose a cub. Did you know they don't even give them names until they're six months old? That's when they have a chance at survival. Colin and I had to work hard to earn their trust. They don't want other packs to know, at least not yet. I have no idea if we've obtained any samples."
He looked at me, contemplating my words and searching for a way to get involved in this study. But there was something else I needed to share with him, something where he could be both a donor and a doctor. I gazed into his piercing ice-blue eyes, my voice clear and determined.
"But I have another project," I confessed. "I've been collecting stool samples from cubs and adults of all ages. I want to see if there are harmful bacteria and viruses lurking within. I've been doing this for the past ten years, without Colin's involvement. I haven't had much time to delve into it, but you could be both a donor and a doctor. I value your opinion on certain strains I have in my gut. Do I need to do something about them? Now that I have the time, I've been considering reexamining a few samples to further my project."
Damon remained silent, his gaze locked on me.
Finally, he spoke with a firmness in his voice. "And how, my baby, do you plan to examine those stool samples? Are you going to be reckless and just put them under a microscope, possibly infecting yourself? You can't be that careless."
I reassured him, "No microscope. I have several analyzers specifically designed for this purpose. I'll mostly use them, and of course, the samples will be frozen to eliminate any possibility of contamination."
He let out a deep sigh.
His expression was stern as he spoke. "Freezing doesn't guarantee safety. Some bacteria can withstand extreme cold and even form spores. You won't be handling those samples; it will be me and the other salvatores. We'll set up energy shields and find a secure room to ensure that even if the samples are frozen, they can still be infectious. We'll make sure the space is sterile. And, of course, I will test your stool as well. You've tested it before. Could you please share those results with me? After all, I am your doctor."
His voice left no room for argument, and I knew I had to obey.
I continued eating as he fed me, the taste of the food mingling with the tension in the air.
At one point, I finally gave in and said, "Fine, I do have several results. There were some variations as I tried to determine if a certain strain was consistently present in my gut or if it was just passing through. Colin had warned me about protecting my gut, as I seemed to have quite a collection of nasty germs in there, and he didn't want to wipe them out with antibiotics for various reasons."
Damon grunted, deep in thought. After a moment, he responded, "I suppose one reason would be the lack of suitable antibiotics, and he wouldn't want them to become resistant to the ones he did have. Am I correct?"
I nodded, swallowing another bite of food. "And another reason being that he doesn't want them to evolve into even more dangerous strains. If he tried to wipe them out, some of them might mutate into entirely different strains, which wouldn't be good."
Damon continued to feed me, his presence in my mind almost tangible. I could feel him searching through my memories, browsing through my mental library for information on infections and bacteria. It was a powerful intrusion, but I didn't resist. I didn't want to risk getting a headache, so I allowed him access to whatever he needed.
He placed a whole big tray of food in front of me; the aroma wafting up and enticing my senses.
Irritated, he muttered, "This would go faster if you could provide me with something. I don't have time to look up all your experiences right now."
I responded, "Speaking of books, my alpha shifter book came to me while you were asleep. She wanted us to nest together, to help you and others. Mariella saw her too."
Damon glanced at me and declared, "One day, that book will fall in love with me, and it will become our book, not just yours."
I smiled, knowing he was still sifting through my thoughts. I offered him a few books and a wealth of information, both new and old, which took him some time to grasp. As I rose from the bed, he furrowed his brow, organizing the information in his mind.
He instructed me, "Go on, take a shower, and then I'll dress you up. After that, you can give me the reports on those samples, and we'll also acquire the analyzers."
Standing up, I noticed he remained in bed, his mind busy sending information to Mariella and the other Salvatores. The shower was invigorating, though I had limited time to cleanse myself because of my vigilant protector's presence. No cool shower for me, at least not for now.
I hadn't even considered what to do or how the pack would react, but I was eager to see where this path would lead. Perhaps my sample collection and analyzers would capture the pack's attention, allowing me to pursue my own endeavors. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy, longing to frolic and roam outside in my feline form.
After stepping out of the steamy shower, I wrapped my long, blood-red hair in a soft towel, using it as a turban to cover my head. I quickly slipped into my own personalized bathrobe, proudly displaying my name. As I entered the room, I noticed Damon had once again chosen my outfit for the day.
Glancing at my wardrobe, I realized that most of my carefully selected clothes were missing. Perhaps Damon had moved them to our spacious dressing room, where all of us, both males and females, stored our garments. I didn't dwell on it any longer. Damon had occasionally expressed his disapproval of my fashion choices, and he smirked arrogantly as I pondered the situation. He motioned towards the chair, showing that I should sit.
Taking the towel from my hair, Damon gently dried the strands, his fingers grazing my special locks of black and blonde. He then proceeded to brush my hair, admiring his work through the mirror.
In a lazy tone, he began to speak, "Well, as our lives transition between the old and the new, I decided it was time for us to bring something fresh into our pack. Our magic houses and our older children have mentioned how little they have in terms of clothing, considering the number of people living there. So, I donated a significant portion of our clothes to other realms. They were overjoyed with the donation. This, of course, means that we now have room to buy new clothes, and my dear, you soon see that I will personally select complete wardrobes for you."
He fell silent, and I struggled to maintain a neutral expression, suppressing any overwhelming emotions or anger. He had simply given away most of my clothes, and if I interpreted his words correctly, he would be the one choosing and purchasing my new attire, not me.
He continued, "And of course, we can't forget about the shoes. They were thrilled to receive some elegant pumps and other stylish footwear."
I remained silent, realizing that during the holidays, I would have to take it upon myself to buy new shoes and clothes for myself.
He looked at me intently through the mirror, his eyes scanning my face, and then said nonchalantly, his voice laced with anticipation, "I have then made a few adjustments to your cash cards and whatnot, so you might think about just how many pairs of shoes you will buy. Of course, I will be the one who will buy you shoes, whatever you choose or yearn for, baby. Don't doubt it. There are a lot of good online shops for me to choose from for you. And we have also given away our clothes, so you get to buy us all new clothes. This is a new time for us, baby. Don't just think that this is about you. No, we all are involved in this. I can't wait to see Mariella's face when I get to her and tell her I gave up her precious string dresses."
I remained silent, feeling his skilled fingers gently manipulating my hair into a complicated hairdo. The scent of his passionfruit wafted through the air, mingling with the faint smell of hairspray. His focus was unwavering as he carefully showcased my black strand of hair, which marked me as an alpha vampiress, as well as my blonde one, marking me as an alpha shifter.
After he had finished with my hair, he said to me, his voice filled with authority, "Fine, dress up. Come into the kitchen then. You can eat some more and then you will bring those reports with you to the kitchen, right? After breakfast, you will tell us where those samples are, as well as the analyzers, so we can get to work. I can tell you that Mariella was less pleased with this, as she knows just how bad bacteria can be in your guts, especially during childbirth when most infections occur. Am I making myself clear?"
I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Yeah, you are. I will have those reports as soon as I have dressed, and I will give them to you in the kitchen. You can go through them yourself, deciding if you want to try antibiotics or something, or just know what bomb I have inside me, literally."
He nodded in acknowledgment and left the room, his footsteps fading away. I guessed he would go next to Mariella to break the news about giving up our clothes and shoes.
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