"Where is Clara?" I asked Maria when she was wrapping Samuel back up in his carrier blanket.
"With her grandparents," Maria answered. "John will get her sometime after training tomorrow."
"I'm sure she's having fun," I said when Maria wrapped the carrier blanket around her.
"For sure, Clara, loves her grandparents she's very close to them," replied Maria
"Awe, that is so special," I said as we walked down the hallway and out the door.
Then we made our way down the stairs.
Maria giggled and nodded in agreement with what I said, as I followed her down. Before too long we searched the second floor. And went down this large wide hallway. Now I not only saw men patrolling but I noticed there are wolves inside the mansion roaming around freely. I even saw a handful of pups. Some of them were playing with the younger teenage girls. We passed up down this huge neverending hallway.
"This hallway is so long," I randomly stated.
Maria laughed like crazy. "It's the residence rooms just a little further up it will open up into many different hallways and rooms."
I giggled, then eventually it did open up to many amazing hallways and rooms branching off in all directions. The rooms were game rooms, barrooms, living rooms, hang-out rooms, and more.
We mazed around a few and finally arrived at this one door. Maria opened it and I followed her in to hear tons of babbling babies, toddlers, and other small children playing. The nursery was large with tons of stuff for the little ones to play on. Like crawl tunnels, small slides, a ball pit, and much more to your imagination. Tons of slaves and maybe servants were here carrying for the little ones. Even a handful of teenage girls were here playing with them too. I even saw Cora was here playing with a few toddlers. However, today she seemed to look at me shyly. Samantha was here having a snack at the tiny kids table.
Maria lead me back to a more quiet room. It was filled with bassinets with twenty infants inside. There were five girls and the rest were boys. All the babies were sleeping. Maria pick a random bassinet and laid Samuel down. Inside the room were also ladies watching over the infants. Meanwhile, I couldn't help but outwardly smile at these sweet tiny infants, sleeping like darlings.
"He's a little rowdy today but hopefully once I leave, he'll take a nap. If not just walk him around or rock him. He loves windows if there are any problems just call or text me." Maria said to the ladies standing around the room.
"Not a problem," a servant replied. "Enjoy your time we will call if there are any concerns."
Afterward, we left the second-floor nursery and eventually made it back to the large neverending resident hallway.
"Cory gave me a tour around the first floor but he didn't show me the third or second floor. So I didn't know there was a second nursery." I randomly told Maria.
"Maybe he didn't want you going all baby fever on him," Maria teased.
"Maria!" I jokingly called her name. "How could you say that!"
As we just reached the stairs again, making our way down to the first floor. Maria laughed like a crazy lady. Which caused a few other ladies, walking up to stare at us oddly.
"Oh, come on, Sally!" Maria finally said. "You are like love eyeing those babies. You're having baby fever. You know the moon phase is coming."
I wanted to hit myself in the head right now! That explains why I am acting so weird and moody. This is why I am melting yet so irritable with Cory! Gosh, I'd hate to even inwardly admit this to myself but it is showing Cory does have a bond connection. Ugh! At the same time, I don't wanna believe it! I don't wanna fall for him and I won't! After all, I don't have to admit anything to what I am feeling. I mean not feeling, I say!
I brushed these thoughts away when we got off the stairs and went in our left direction. "Well, guess it explains my moodiness." I simply put it.
Maria asked with this curious look on her face. "Oh, and have you been experiencing anything unusual that you haven't before during your past heat cycles?"
"Nope, I just feel like I've been around way too many men lately." I denied it even to myself.
Maria cackled and said. "Get real, Sally! Bond connections change your heat cycles not being around too many men!"
"I told you I don't feel anything different," I lied terribly but didn't care.
But Maria wasn't buying it and asked. "Before Cory, how were your heat cycles?"
At first, I gave her a weird look and answered her strange question as we roamed down the Grand Hall. "Just moody but it never affected me. I'd only feel toasty and warm."
Maria said trying to reason with me."Ok, Sally. Deny it all that you want but I think you need to mentally prepare yourself for an extreme heat cycle during this moon phase. It won't feel like your other heat cycles."
Yet, I give her an even weirder expression. "What are you talking about?" I played dumb.
Maria was dumbfounded by how badly Sally was rejecting what she was feeling.
"Okay, Sally." Maria tried again using a different approach. "I want you to know what you're going through is normal. But denying the bond makes things worst."
Now I rolled my eyes as we when to this glass door to head outside but I stopped and faced her. "I'm not denying anything. I don't love him, Maria."
But Maria still tried by telling me. "Maybe not yet but emotionally I know you are feeling something because I've gone through this once too. I understand your feeling like your awkwardly craving him, wanting him, and needing him."
"Your wrong!" I snipped, "why would I feel anything? In fact, I am happier whenever he's gone!"
I then opened the door and walked outside.