After a long and extensive feeding, groping, and checking me out process, I was finally able to revert to my human form from my red wolf state. Several salvatores had also managed to coax Mariella back to her human form from her serval form, despite her hissing and swatting, as she too had been part of their studies. Meanwhile, the children continued to run around, playing and engaging in all sorts of activities.
As I was about to sit down in my chair, Number Ten approached me. "Baby, I need to check which flowers I can use for my arrangements, and I can give you your assignments," he said. "You mentioned there are other options besides Excelsior line roses."
I nodded, took a breath, and decided against sitting down just yet. "Come on, let's head to the flower room," I replied. "I can give you a few options and see what needs to be done."
Mariella chimed in, "Oh, I'm coming too! I want to see just how many flowers you have, and besides, it's wonderful to see you make arrangements."
Number One, having just finished braiding Sadie's hair with spells and numerous hairbands, as well as energy, a process that made it difficult for her to undo, grunted. He cleverly distracted her by commenting on the other children playing, and Sadie, eager to show off her skills to the adults, went along with it.
"Sure," I said to Mariella, "we still have time. I'm full after being fed, so I can look at those orders. I just hope they don't take up my whole weekend," I muttered under my breath.
As I walked out of the living room, I headed towards my flower room, which was located on the cellar floor. I opted for the elevator, not being in the mood for stair exercises. We all packed in, and Wulfe, now free as well, joined us. He always wanted to spend as much time with me as possible, so my flower room became one of his favorite places, at least when I was there.
Upon exiting the elevator onto the cellar floor, I walked briskly toward a golden door. This was one of Wulfe's little jokes; he had used his magic to make it golden. Frankly, I wasn't sure if it was actual gold, but it certainly looked flashy, adorned with engraved floral patterns and a few words in the vampire language. My name was there, and if I read correctly, my status as Queen of Vampires, or Queen of the Night. I wasn't sure how Damon would take this.
As Damon saw the door, a muscle in his jaw twitched, and I could feel his magic flaring. Soon, strands of his magic wound out from his fingers, and a few more words appeared on my door, adding his name and his status as my husband. Wulfe simply smiled, and Mariella chirped in praise as she witnessed Damon using his magic.
I opened the door and stepped into the coolness of my flower room. The moist, cool air, filled with an amazing array of scents from roses, orchids, and who knows what else, greeted me as I flicked on the lights.
My flower room was large, lined on both sides with tall shelves reaching to the ceiling, packed with flowers. In the back of the room stood a large table, and behind it was a shelf holding my vases and jars, ready for creating arrangements. Ribbons and embellishments were also kept there. On the opposite side, across from my desk, was my cooler, which contained my ready-made stems, possible bouquets, and bunches I had already created.
Despite the lack of a window, the room was nicely lit. Mariella muttered as she walked around, checking the roses, their colors, and smelling the air. Damon, however, was quiet, while Number Ten impatiently walked next to me as I made my way to my worktable. He placed a pile of papers, orders for me, onto the table and showed me what he had been asked to do.
I read his order: "Simple, elegant, as big as possible, featuring scent, round, gently bright. Color theme: white, pale orange, light pink, peach, apricot, and blue. No grasses and no eucalyptus. Scented flowers, nothing flashy in color. A calming, gentle bouquet. Budget: $50."
"Now," I said to him, "let me show you. Fifty dollars is not a big budget, and since the client wants a lot, we need to be creative."
I walked over to my cooler and selected four different roses. Each was peach or light orange, but their prices varied, and I wanted to demonstrate a few tricks.
"Now," I asked, "which of these would you prefer to use, and how many?"
I held the stems in my hand. The flowers were roughly the same size, but their prices differed significantly, ranging from $0.66 for the cheapest to $2.25 for the most expensive. This difference, was due to stem length and where they were grown.
Despite my efforts to secure a good deal, Charles and number two and five hadn't budged. These three had meticulously studied and priced every plant in the shop, including the cost of my labor. Each of us had our own hourly wage, so as we logged our hours, Charles knew precisely what to pay.
Number Ten, his face thoughtful, smelled all the roses. He finally chose one, priced at $1.12 per stem.
"I would use ten of these," he said, "and then add greenery, perhaps carnations, mums, or baby's breath."
"See," I replied, selecting the cheapest rose, "the flowers are pretty much the same size, but it's the stem length that dictates the price. We don't need long-stemmed ones here. This one," I showed him, "has only a 40 cm stem. It's classified as lower-grade, meaning it's not ideal for weddings or similar events. However, it has a beautiful scent, and with a bit of arrangement, it looks quite impressive. What you chose would cost over ten dollars. Now, remember, we also have to account for taxes, which are always about 15 percent of the total value. And your work, of course, is also a part of the cost."
He glared at me but remained silent. Mariella chimed in, "Oh, please, more! Teach us more. This is fun, isn't it, Damon?"
Number one grunted, "Actually, it is, but show us what you mean."
"So, if you add taxes, which are about seven dollars, and the roses, which cost eleven dollars and twenty cents, you'll have left to use a little over thirty dollars," I explained. "Normally, greenery costs about eight dollars, but since the client wants the arrangement as large as possible and requires more scent, we have an opportunity to make this something fabulous. I'm not going to do it for you; I'm creating my version, and then you can make yours."
He nodded.
I walked along the shelves, selecting greenery, those inexpensive roses, freesias, alstroemerias, a few delphiniums, and finally, sweet peas.
Mariella asked, "What's your idea here?"
I replied, "To make it as large as possible, but to avoid drowning it in cheap greenery or boring, common flowers like mums."
Just then, Number One walked up to me.
"Let me try this," he said. "Could you give me as much as I can use, and I'll attempt to make something out of it?"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine by me," I said. "I have plenty of space and my own orders."
I then turned to Number Ten. "Use about fifty percent of the budget on scent," I advised. "If asked, 15 percent on greenery, fifteen percent on taxes, and the rest on fillers, like these alstroemerias. Rest is for work. Now, my hourly wage is just under 20 dollars, but time starts when you start picking and choosing, so it pays to remember that as well. Fillers are the best way to get this look grand. They're only forty-four cents per stem. So, with this calculation, you can spend twenty-five dollars on scent. That gives you these roses, which are only sixty-six cents per stem. Fifteen of them is only ten dollars. Now, for the sweet peas, this whole bunch is five dollars, and they're wonderful. Add two-dollar stems of delphinium and a lily, and you'll have plenty of scent. For fillers, use alstroemerias and astrantias. This is a three-dollar bunch, and you can separate them into individual stems. Then, you can use things like blue thistle, or even foxgloves for added height and drama – we have orange ones here," I showed him.
Number One watched eagerly as I placed enough flowers on the table for him. I then picked up one of the roses.
"Now, this is the trick to making your roses look and smell amazing," I said.
I plucked off the outer leaves and the bottom cover leaves, then gently teased the flower into opening further, bending the outer petals open and turning the rose upside down, rolling it between my hands by the stem. I showed him the end result.
Number One raised his eyebrows, seeing how much bigger the rose now looked.
Number Ten had been quiet, but he finally spoke, "Yeah, neat trick. It's good to know these tricks so I can make my arrangement then."
Number One then came forward to make his version, as I had laid out all the flowers on the table for him to use.
I took the first paper from the table and began to read. "Fuck," I muttered, realizing it was a massive arrangement with numerous demands that would take considerable time. Glancing through the rest, I saw no simple options; they were all high-class items. Fine, I had some time, so I might as well start gathering my supplies and preparing them for tomorrow, as my nights were already reserved.
It was the weekend, which meant five of them – Adam, Charles, Demon, Wulfe, and Lepard – were with me, and oh boy, there was no gentleness to be found. I hadn't noticed Damon spying on my thoughts, and he jealously flashed.
Mariella went to him, stroking his arm to calm and center him, as she had taught him. This helped him control his intense flashes of jealousy, allowing him to formulate a plan rather than just react.
I began by selecting my roses, needing a whole rainbow of them. Some had to be large, a few spray roses, and others multicolored. There were even a few dyed roses, which I also had.
Mariella approached me, having calmed Damon down. "So, Mimi, what are you doing? Oh, those are wild-colored roses," she said, pointing to one of the dyed ones.
"They're dyed," I explained, "but since one of my orders wants flashy, these will do. I'm just collecting my roses for tomorrow because my nights are full."
Mariella coyly replied, "I know about you having those five. Any chance of me getting some of them? I mean, Wulfe is a beast in bed, and if I add Charles to that... I'm in the mood for danger." She bit her lip.
I was a bit perplexed. While I didn't own any of them, it was up to them if they wanted to be with her.
"You'll have to ask them," I said. "I'm not their owner; they make up their own minds."
Mariella hummed. "It's just like Damon doing taxes; he needs many salvatores to ensure we have all the benefits, and I guess he wants to delve into yours at some point. So, I'm sort of looking for action too."
I shrugged. "Ask Wulfe. He's here for the weekend, but I'm not sure if he's interested in you."
She walked over to Wulfe and spoke to him in a low voice. I paid no attention, continuing to pick and choose what I needed. Preparing the arrangements was one of the most tedious tasks, and it was much easier to work when your stems were already prepared.
I piled everything onto my table, ensuring there was enough room for Damon to create his own arrangements as well. Typically, any extra items sold quite quickly, and the girls were eager to take pictures for our website, which also boosted sales.
If I had more time, I might have made a few bouquets here and there, but at this particular moment, my time was constantly in demand. Being a mother of ten certainly makes life that way. However, it was all good; I wasn't alone and had help.
I then took from my pile of buckets, filled them with water and plant food, and set them down in a row on the floor. Next, I'd open one type of plant at a time, removing any extra leaves or debris. After cleaning them, I'd place them all into a bucket before moving on to the next.
Damon, passing by, mentioned, "I can help you with these tomorrow if you need. It looks like fun, and since you've prepped them..."
I snorted and replied, "No need, as these were specifically requested. However, if you'd like, you could prepare some ready-made bouquets; there's always a demand for those. I also have something for Mariella, if you're free."
Mariella, along with number ten, looked at me and then at everything I had laid out.
She glanced at Damon, who nodded, and then she said, "It seems I am free. Where do you need me?"
I responded, "Wulfe, you too. Once we're finished here, I need to show you both something I found again. It's particularly suitable for you two. Sort through it and decide what's needed."
Damon grunted and calmly asked, "And what have you found now, baby?"
I explained, "Mineral specimens, all in cases with labels. There's a huge amount of them, including samples of meteors, special amethysts, and some exotic combinations. Some of these are likely very expensive to sell, but I have no idea if they're useful in magic. I just happened to find them the day before yesterday while sorting through one of those rooms here, and there seem to be at least ten huge boxes full."
Wulfe calmly stated, "Fine, we will deal with them. First, let's ascertain if there are any 'nasties,' and if there's something only I can handle, then we can sort them out further. We'll also see if there's anything to sell, though it might be that most of them remain with us. From what I can gather from your memory, samples like these can be tricky to sell. Of course, I'm being paranoid here, meaning I know precisely how they could be used against us, so selling them is a bit iffy from my perspective."
Damon nodded and responded, "You decide. It's good to be paranoid because, after this, everything will flood into the real world. Whatever we sell or have sold is done, and I don't want to release any potential weapons that the Sarks or someone else might acquire. Baby, do you have any idea if Sark knows how to weaponize something like that?" His tone had become sharper and more professional.
My answer was, "Well, I can't be sure, but it's wise to assume so. He's the one who came up with the entire concept of keeping all metals liquid at room temperature, so surely he must have studied metals extensively. Nowadays, we don't study his actions as much as we try to eliminate as many of his kind as possible. Their knowledge isn't uniform, so it pays to kill as many as possible worldwide, stopping the flow of information to them all, which also makes Sark's life a living hell. I was in talks with the NSA, as they had a few angles on Sark, concerning certain chemicals, as well as witness accounts and regulatory violations that provided some leeway for the CDC. But then this happened, and I have no idea where that endeavor will be once this is all over."
Damon nodded and said, "Good to know. The Sarks are a formidable enemy, but it always pays to remember they aren't the only ones. There are surely others."
I simply nodded, sensing Wulfe getting ready to delve into my mind, trying to uncover some hidden darkness. Oh, I had plenty left; I had just become very good at keeping it secret. I recalled the first time I had cubs, and the aftermath involving Damien and Sark; that year is still etched in my mind, though it's buried in a deep, secret place, much like most of the shitstorm that occurred during the seven years of my divorce when Wulfe and I truly became a couple.
"Come on, my unicorn," Wulfe's voice whispered in my mind. "I've got that idea, and you can be sure I will find them. And I will take them away."
He, a vampire wizard of over 2500 years, partially a shifter, my soulmate, my other half, my anchor, was telling me that he wasn't going to let this one go.
His holy job, as he saw it, was to cleanse my mind, protect me from my past, make me feel loved, and try to shield me from suffering. He viewed me as a unicorn – not literally, but as a rare, beautiful, powerful creature who had been abused, and he wanted to heal me. It was truly amazing that someone so old and wise would see me, a killer, freak, and weirdo, as worthy of his devotion.
I was originally only lab made werewolf whose genes were a bit too flexible, making me evolve into the chimeric shifter vampire that I am now. I recalled quite a few shitheads from my past, meaning scientists, doctors, and God knows who, who called me a test-tube mistake, or nature's biggest error, etc., not all of them were taken by me.
But then again, I was also married to ten identical-looking but distinct vampire wizards, some over a millennium old. Charles, one of my husbands, was as old as them. He had always been a werewolf but was now also a shifter, a vampire, and a wizard. Adam was old, too, perhaps not a millennium, but still ancient. My pack had literally, physically evolved with me; no one was like they had been originally, and I could not help but think that was all because of me, as it was.
As I was in my flower room, cleaning and preparing stems one by one, this time focusing on huge peonies and ranunculus, random ideas swirled in my mind. I considered a few new types of wire wrapping.
Coincidentally, fleas, or perhaps Mimosa, had found all my ring and pendant bottoms – silver, gold, and platinum. These were spelled, so I could handle them safely. I had also discovered a huge collection of pre-faceted stones, ready to be set into rings and jewelry.
Damon and Wulfe, of course, sensed these thoughts.
Damon exclaimed, "Oh, thanks, babe! I can do those. It will be pretty damn fun, and then we can see if we need to sell them at higher prices. They're expensive, so more money, hmm. I could actually start a new account for babies and children's education, and we could direct that money there."
He was growing into his roles as pack leader, father, and alpha male, shaped by his experience and time.
Mariella offered, "I can help you tomorrow too. I mean, I can be your cleaner. Just give me the flowers and tell me what to do. I can do that; I just love the energies here, after I've taken care of those minerals, of course."
Wulfe interjected, "It will take time, and you will be busy because you'll be using your energy manipulation quite a lot. I'll need different things then, so be prepared."
Mariella nodded, eager to work. Since we had a lot of food prepped for weekend cooking, it was not the first priority, leaving us free to pursue other activities.
Our life was undeniably strange at times, and the future remained a complete mystery. Yet, a clear image flashed in my mind: Damon acting as Sadie's father, gently advising her to control her anger and even doing her hair. While my temperamental daughter might eventually test his patience, this was family life, and becoming a parent would undoubtedly benefit Damon.
Wulfe then turned to Mariella and said, "Did you know SUMAC, the special nurse, visited us? She checked on the babies and toddlers and left behind many books containing not-so-good news. Apparently, they will grow and develop much faster than human children. This means we must be prepared for anything, and it's possible that by the end of this, these oldest ones will be teenagers, and not easy ones at that."
Mariella managed a small smile and replied, "Indeed, it won't be easy. However, this is something entirely new for all of us. I'm sure I'll be cursing at some point when my babies truly find their footing. They're already trying to stand, but still… they are so incredibly fun to watch. Now, watching all our toddlers playing side-by-side, engaging in pretend play, experiencing those tantrums – it's perfect." Her voice was almost dreamily calm.
I remained silent, as Wulfe was on the verge of bursting into laughter. He knew firsthand how challenging it was to manage my five, who were constantly everywhere. But surely, Mariella and Damon would soon learn this little fact too.