Having closed up shop, we were in the car on our way to purchase more supplies when Number Five inquired, "Wanna tell me what this is all about? What are those numbers Lepard was telling you about?"
Exhausted, I turned to Lepard and requested, "Please use your telepathy to give him information about our little side business."
Number Five raised a brow, "Side business, eh?"
His expression soon morphed into a more focused one as Lepard telepathically brought him up to speed on our ball pythons, egg clutches, and such.
He muttered, "Ball pythons... Well, I'm not sure I've ever seen them, and sure, there are opportunities here, but baby, why in hell are *you* the one getting the genetic data in the first place?"
I replied, "Pack leader's decision. Besides, even though I'm not officially a vet, I'm still the only vet in this pack, and I've done a lot of research on snakes, so I'm up to date. Do you have a problem with that?"
Number Five grunted, "Maybe, maybe not, but we'll see in-house. I want to learn about them too, and I seem to have no access to your veterinary knowledge."
I could feel him rummaging in my mind. Fortunately, Reddington had implemented measures to prevent telepaths from taking shortcuts by robbing knowledge, which is why I had asked Lepard to bring him up to date, as I wasn't sure what I could tell them directly. The Salvatores, being curious, might get rough if they noticed I wasn't giving them everything.
The weather was acceptable, with only a little snow. As the shop began to loom ahead, I noticed it wasn't a huge mall, but a decent-sized shop where we would surely find what we needed.
To my surprise, as Lepard parked the car, Number Five was the first one out. As usual, he checked for dangers before opening my door and escorting me out. I guess some habits die hard, or perhaps he was simply feeling protective.
Anyway, we entered the shop, and I pulled out my shopping list, only to have it snatched away by Number Five. He read through it, grunting before handing it back. Our list started with fresh herbs, since Shadow hadn't given us everything, or perhaps we only had dried herbs.
I wanted fresh herbs for our filling, so we headed to the herb section. However, because my girls were with me, they surrounded me and blocked me from getting to the coriander, prompting Number Five to grunt, "Oh baby, I was so ready. It seems your girls are a little too wise."
They just smiled innocently. I grabbed several bunches of thyme and marjoram. They also had huge bunches of chervil, which would give just the right taste. In the veggie section, there was fresh fennel with fronds, so that went into the cart as well.
Damon 5 then said to me, "Come on, enough with the greens, let's move on," as I was still perusing the vegetables, in case I wanted to add anything else.
He walked beside me, talking in a low voice, pondering the menu that Lepard had given him.
He said, "I need to taste the girls to know what they need. I'm not sure who their protector is during this time; I know they have one, but whether it's Charles, Adam, the boys, or Mariella, I have no fucking clue. But at least I will get an idea of what they need once I taste them."
May looked at him and said, "Colin tested us and gave us a physical. We have medical records; there's no need to snack."
Number Five just smirked; he liked to use his teeth and assert his power over us females. I was unsure if the Salvatores would awaken one by one or if there would be some kind of group awakening at some point. But that wasn't important right now, as we walked to the bread section.
The girls went to check the sale items, as the bread was baked fresh daily, and yesterday's loaves were sold at a discount. If we were lucky, there might be a loaf or two available. We weren't short on money, but slightly drier bread was actually preferable for our purposes. I planned to use it in a pumpkin filling with lardon, duck fat, minced Wagyu, and nuts. The bread would help absorb the filling's considerable moisture.
Number Five was already contemplating how to tweak my filling, but May and even Leopard defended it, arguing that it was a collaborative idea, not just mine. However, Number Five remained adamant. He patiently explained that he had made many turkeys in his lifetime and knew his stuff.
Despite his reservations, he approved the bread for our use. He also selected a few loaves of rye bread, finding them suitable due to the existing seeds and nuts. This would reduce the need for additional nuts in my filling. Nuts contain oils that need to be absorbed, so this bread would result in less moisture but a richer flavor.
As we continued through the shop, my next item was cream. I was growing increasingly fed up. The girls, in a mood to irritate Damon, were acting like clones of my former self. Number Five, unfortunately, was a perfect target. Despite his patience, the girls seemed to have a knack for annoying him.
As he became more irritated, he attempted to provoke me, sensing my pack leader status as a mountain he couldn't conquer. I rolled my eyes as I selected yogurt. It was something I could eat with my morning smoothies, and this brand had minimal, if any, nasty additives.
"C'mon, baby, I'll take care of it. You don't have to eat that stuff," he said as I reached for a container.
"I want to. It's tasty, good for me, and soothes my tummy."
He replied in a low, seductive voice, "Oh, baby, I have something much better that soothes your tummy, fresh, hot right from the tap."
I said, "Bump, been there, not working. I am not Mariella, it made nausea worse, centrifuged, fresh, and yeah, it was Salvatore bump, so it is not working for me, yogurt, that I can add to my morning smoothie, get a little more protein and calories."
He fell silent, his attempt to gain attention unsuccessful. Meanwhile, May was irritating him by demanding chocolate pudding, despite knowing commercial brands weren't very healthy. I had explained this to her, but she, like me, was stubborn.
I walked calmly near the creams, beginning to search for what I needed. Despite our preservation efforts and careful preparations, milk and cream would be difficult to hoard for years. While we had frozen some, fresh cream from the store was now essential, at least until our farm became operational.
Even then, we might not get our milk and cream; according to Adam, it would take a year, perhaps even three. Furthermore, he couldn't guarantee a consistent supply, as Wagyu were primarily a meat breed, not a milk breed, so there might not always be extra milk available. Only time would tell.
Another uncertainty loomed: my reaction to Mariella when she reappeared. My mood fluctuated wildly as I considered both her actions and her suffering. I suppose a small fucking part of me was trying to find an excuse for her, or perhaps it was just my reason attempting to find a reason for me to refrain from tearing her to shreds upon seeing her. So much would depend on how she presented herself, but I couldn't promise much self-restraint.
Apparently, some part of my mind was accessible to telepaths, as Number Five suddenly appeared beside me, whispering, "Ooh, catfight! I like that; I like that a lot, baby. Remember, I'm not Number One, and he's not the pack leader, so you have your chance. If you need to vent..."
Surprised, I responded, "But you wanted to be with her, swore yourself to her. I heard you from my cage, many times. I'm having a hard time believing it wasn't real, especially since I'm a pretender and my skills worked just fine. So, if any Salvatore tries to convince me it was all just an act or coercion, guess again. You gotta own your blunders."
He was quiet, then said, "You're right, baby. I was with her. I did promise myself to her, but do you have any idea how fucking much it hurts to feel like she has nothing similar for me? It made me feel like a drone, or an ant, swearing to a queen who saw me only as a dick, nothing more. And when it came to sharing, she wasn't interested in talking; she just wanted pleasure. She used us, most of the time, even in the Azores. It was vampire heat, but mild, more lust than genuine connection. My guess is she saw something happening between you and Number One and came up with a plan to secure him. I'm not sure how well he's doing with her. But, baby, believe me, I'm not with her anymore, and if you need and want to beat her into a pulp, I can help you."
I smiled and replied, "Maybe a shop isn't the best place for big confessions, but you see, I've had others too. I haven't been alone. I needed love. It's funny that Mariella's first rule seems to be making everyone forget I'm a creature of love, and I need love, not just sex. Well, love and sex do go well together, but anyway, what I'm saying is, I guess I hope someday I could get even one Salvatore to remember this, no matter what Mariella does and her trick with white power, a big no-no with upstairs, it was never meant to be used like that."
Number Five responded, "I can't promise you, I really can't, especially now that I've seen just how far Mariella is willing to go. But I'll try. I'll try to be the one who remembers you're a creature of love. I hope I can give you the love you need, and maybe I can try to love again. I haven't told her anything about what I went through when I was in the Pope's ring because she's made fun of it, saying things like, 'Oh Damon, you must have seen so many popes' assholes as they wiped, or did they use their hands, or were there wipers?'" It made me feel, I don't know, less, I guess. And I can still feel the terror, the desperation of finding you, again being weak, and you may be paying the biggest price. It's been a trauma that's been gripping me for a long time, and I haven't shared it with anyone. The reason I haven't been near you that much is simple, baby: I'm just too weak to lose you again. Sure, I'm jealous when you're with others, but I can see your smile, sense your happiness, and that's important to me. Of course, it would be heaven for me to have you as mine, but if Mariella does something, making me lose you again, I'm not sure I can take it."
I was silent because this revelation was huge, even for me, and I simply didn't have a reply ready. Swallowing, I felt my palms getting moist. A part of me recognized Damon's deep need for me, but another part acknowledged Mariella's potential as a savior too.
What if I helped Damon begin to heal, only for her to sense it and heal him even better, ultimately taking him away? I realized I still struggled with the idea of losing Damon, in any version. I had to trust the process, and live one day, one crisis, at a time.
Finally, I found my voice. "She has definitely been an asshole to you. You know me; I've been through hell and back, so I understand what you're going through. We can try, but I have no idea what I'll do when Mariella emerges. Much will depend on her attitude and everything else, but for now..."
I grabbed Number Five, sinking my fingers into his hair, and kissed him like I meant it. I let it all out, allowing him to feel my need, my anxiety, my neurosis, all through that kiss. He kissed me back, gripping me tightly, as if he wanted to devour me, to melt me into him. In that moment, the entire shop faded away; there were only the two of us. We were showing each other what we were feeling, and it wasn't just rainbows and roses, but raw, uninhibited need, perhaps some lust, love, and trauma.
It was a messed-up, mixed-up hodgepodge of emotions that flooded between us. Our bond grew stronger by the second, like a golden highway marred with deep black smudges from both of us. We were trying to find a way to heal each other, as well as ourselves, and maybe we could accomplish something, who knows? I just let it all out.
Having kissed for what felt like an eternity, we finally broke apart, both of us gasping for breath. As if reading my mind, Number 5 sent Bryan Adams' "Heaven" through our telepathic link, further seducing me. He smiled slightly, then reached out with his strong hand, his long, deft fingers gently brushing a few stray strands of hair from my eyes.
"Come on, baby," he said, his voice husky and filled with a certain yearning. "Let's get this shopping done, and then you can show me those snakes. I want to see the big ones, and we can imagine them strangling Mariella."
I smiled, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Leopard, who had been standing nearby, now walked to my other side and took my hand. Even I could see he was feeling possessive, though he looked worn out. A good meal and a long nap would do him wonders, I mused, thinking of how best to help him, as he was essentially feline, a leopard shifter in human form.
So was I, though more jaguar than vampire, and perhaps that was part of the problem. Shaking off the thought, I leaned into my men. Some girls were walking nearby, now much calmer, and I knew that this was not the time to provoke anyone. We made our way to the registers, soon to be heading home.
God only knew what was going to happen next. What version of Salvatore would we wake up to, and what kind of drama would he bring? Would this life ever be easy? I had no idea. But for now, it was time to once again learn to live in the moment, to avoid planning too far ahead, perhaps just a few hours, and even then, keep my plans loose. Maybe we could all enjoy a sauna later in the evening, once Wulfe and the others got home. And what would happen then? Who knew?