Samuel and I went upstairs and walked into the kitchen. Adam was making dinner, and it smelled delicious. My stomach was growling, and I realized I was famished. Samuel heard my belly and laughed, directed me upstairs to the kitchen to sit at a small table, and went to talk to Adam in a low voice. For some reason, he could speak in a way that I couldn't really hear a word; I suspected he was using a pack bond or some kind of ability.
Samuel went over to Adam and said, " Feed Mimi correctly; she's starving, and her tummy just gurgled; see if you can get her some more clothes; she's chronically underheated, and it's affecting everything again. She's too underweight to maintain her body temperature, so we'll need some clothes before we can put any weight on that girl. She weighs 31.5 kilos at the moment." he paused briefly, trying to keep his explanation not too medical.
"I don't know if a hot bath would help, but you probably have a few more lessons of your own to share. Things to teach. I know this is only her second day, but learning a few things from the beginning is good. I put the restraints on for the blood draw; full-on panic was almost setting in. So she doesn't tolerate restraints terribly well. Also, the X-ray machine is something that scares the hell out of her. I think the terrible memories of that full-body radiation came through." Adam was listening intently while keeping his body language relaxed.
"She's a sexual virgin, as you guessed, and I don't see any signs of sexual maturity yet, so no need to fear the heat right away. She let me do an internal examination, and I took samples. Blood counts. Well, I don't really know what they should be, but what's impressive is how few white blood cells she has. Now, I can't tell if that puts her at risk of infection or not. Her healing rate is amazing. It's about five times faster than ours, so it takes a lot of energy. She's a super version of a regular werewolf, and I won't even start guessing how that will play out in the long run." Adam frowned slightly. She would be a handful.
"Her body may not need white blood cells because it can regenerate so quickly that pathogens don't get a foothold. At some point, it might be wise to see if we can get a defense system for her so that that regenerative capacity doesn't have to be relatively so high."
Adam thought about Samuel's words for a moment. The werewolf heals quickly and is almost indestructible. Silver is one weakness. But if Mimi's healing ability was five times greater, that was a ferocious caloric expenditure. No wonder Mimi was so damn skinny. Mimi was unique, and they would have challenges ahead of them, both with Mimi's physical well-being and her mental recovery.
Adam was still thinking about Mimi's nightmares and how they could be helped. Mimi's body would need rest and sorely, but Mimi might not sleep precisely because of the nightmares.
Adam nodded and said: "I'll see if I can get her into the bath. I don't know if she'll dare go with me to the spa; a sauna might be better, but I want to keep an eye on her all the time now so she doesn't faint or accidentally fall asleep in the bath. Mimi has her own problems and fears, but she needs her rest. We should probably give her something to help her sleep at night."
Samuel thought momentarily and said: "The only medicines that work for her are injections. How do you get her injections? I will look at it. Preliminary testing shows that at least some animal tranquilizers work. Still, as they are not in tablet form and I don't know how her body absorbs food, for example, the pharmacokinetics of the drugs in her system are always a question mark."
Adam nodded and said: " Leave that to me. Just find a sedative or a general anesthetic that doesn't require much and a small needle. I'll try something tonight. I have one idea in mind, and I'll see if it helps."
Samuel said: " All right, I'll give it to you tonight. I'll go check the results and see if you can get the lady some food and warmth. Try to get her mind off it so she's not always thinking about her situation. Think about what's going to happen next. Her cortisol level was elevated. Well, that's to be expected, but it's a sign of stress, and we'll see if it's a viable indicator for Mimi then."
Samuel then turned and headed back downstairs.
Adam approached me and said: "Could you come with me to the spa after the meal for a sauna and a bath? To warm up a bit, you, miss, are underheated, and for some reason, I suspect you don't want to put on any more clothes. Do you suffer from seeing a naked man, or is it too difficult? If so, then go and take a bath in your own bathtub and then go straight to bed to warm yourself, even if only to read. You are still too underweight, i.e., your body cannot maintain your body temperature. And then it affects a little bit of everything."
Oh, I didn't expect this, great.
I said, "I have no problem with naked men. You know I'm a virgin. I've never even kissed anybody. I don't assault you, and I'm from Finland, so nudity for me is maybe not the same problem as it might be for an American. I may be a little admiring, but you, Adam Hauptmann, are perfectly safe with me."
Adam smiled sincerely and said: "It's a deal: a bath and a hot sauna and a chat over food, then you'll be exhausted, and then you can sleep off your exhaustion."
Maybe, I thought to myself, but I remembered the nightmares and knew it would be a while before I could sleep properly without nightmares. I didn't dare say anything about it. We'll see how it turns out. Adam started piling food in front of me, and I ate steadily. It seemed like the food was just sinking in, and I would never be full.
Then I noticed how much Adam was really eating—a lot. Even though I was eating too, the amount of food sinking into Adam was enormous. There were at least 6 or 8 thick, greasy steaks—a mountain of mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni, and some meat sauce in ridiculous quantities.
Adam noticed my expression and said, "Learn your lesson, little girl. This is how we big boys eat. Your metabolism and energy expenditure is even proportionally higher than mine, so this is just a sample meal of what you can and will have to eat one day. Don't be surprised. We don't get fat even if we eat what we eat. We consume absolutely everything, and you especially consume everything and then some. "
I bravely ate my share of everything Adam put in front of me, and eventually, I really started to feel full. At least my stomach was clearly bloated from all the food, I felt like another starving child from a developing country, skeletal by the way, but with a pot belly.
Adam had put on a sauna from one of the control centers, and it was ready by the time we'd eaten.
I told Adam, "Actually, I could do with a dessert sometime. Have you ever tasted a bun? I'll see if I have the supplies, and I can bake. It's been a while since I've baked. Maybe then I could make doughnuts and meat pies, too."
Adam said, "We'll see about that at some point; there's no rush for you to go and have a Great British Bake Off."
I started thinking about all the things I could bake one day. For some reason, it just seemed like a nice thing to do. Adam took me into one bedroom and got a pink robe from the closet. I had one in my room, but I gladly accepted this one.
"Go change and throw them in the laundry chute, then come into the living room, and we'll go to the sauna. Don't worry; there are shower gels in there, too."
I went into my own bedroom to undress and put on my bathrobe. It was wonderfully thick, almost luxurious. I enjoyed it very much, and it was a lovely pale pink. I realized Adam must have bought these at some point, even though he didn't know where I was, and probably everyone thought I was dead.
But he had promised me a room and kept that, even though there was no hope of saving me. I knew I was unique—the only one who survived that experiment. I remember the chubby one talking about the other two subjects being dead, and I was the only one who survived.
It just made me wonder who knew about that project, and if I was being hunted. Are there guys out there looking for me, target omega, ready to deliver me back into the hands of the fucking fat man?
I went into the living room, and Adam was there in his bathrobe, too; his bathrobe was green, a beautiful forest green. It just accentuated Adam's gorgeousness. I wondered to myself what wouldn't accentuate it. We went in through the door that was on the other side from the kitchen and down the stairs to the basement. This was not the same hallway as the medbay.
We walked a short distance, and Adam opened a large, heavy wooden door, behind which was the spa. This was a big one. The underfloor heating was on, and there was a luxury everywhere you looked. The floor tiles were a light brown, there was a large Jacuzzi that probably held 6-8 people, three individual paw tubs, and behind the glass door was a large swimming pool, probably some kind of professional pool because it was so big. I could swim, but I wasn't sure how well I could swim.
My whole body's function and ability were so damn new. Everything felt new, and while at times it was very gratifying and exciting, at other times it was exhausting because nothing was the same. This was only my second day in Chicago, my first full day, and I felt like somehow I was still so agitated and spinning, and it would be a while before I could really settle down.
The sauna was big, there was a stove in the middle, and it was easy to get to, and I didn't have to jump on one of the sauna benches, which are always too high for me. No, the stairs were low and led easily to the benches, which were spacious, and there were cushions to lean on. This sauna was made to be enjoyed. I took off my robe and found that Adam had done the same. Adam was perfect in every way. Well, let's just say he was well-built in every way.
My body was not in very good shape; every bone was visible and felt, and my skin was pale, still scarred from the procedure, including a scar on my side from the silver bullet.
Adam said, " You'll probably heal completely as you get better; those marks and scars will fade, and as you can see, I don't have any of the scars I once had; it's just our healing ability is so amazing."
I nodded and was silent.
I tried not to stare, but as I had never seen one this big, Adam smiled and said, "You know, I'm no exception; this level of outfit is pretty much standard for werewolves then. I'm just thinking about your future, little girl. Just get ready."
I went red, as red as red can go. Oh my God. That one's flirting with me, and quite directly at that. I couldn't get a word in edgewise and concentrated on drawing myself a bath. Adam was suddenly behind me, adjusting the water much hotter. I could feel his hard, hot body behind my back, his body heat; he was literally a hot guy.
"Mimi, remember your temperature should be 40 degrees Celsius, that water should be at least that warm. And preferably a little hotter, and then don't soak in that bath too long, or you'll cool off, skeleton." His voice was next to my ear.
I could feel Adam's body heat. He was hot. I got the bath down and got in the water. At first, it felt like being boiled alive again, but you get used to it. This tub had an unobstructed view of the shower room where Adam was washing himself. Oh, what a sight to see, and I was looking on unobstructed; there was no shyness or awkwardness.
I lay in the bath for probably half an hour; Adam washed and then went swimming in the pool. I admired how he moved beautifully; even his swimming had a beastly touch. I got out of the bath and went into the shower to wash my hair and myself. Then, it was my turn to be in the sauna.
I climbed up on the slats, got into an excellent position, and took a sauna— it was actually quite nice. The steam was warming and relaxing, and the sauna didn't get too hot straight away, so I didn't have to go outside to cool down. I usually didn't take too hard of steam, but now I felt like getting myself really warm; it was like my body had really kicked into gear, and maybe it was warming up properly, so I took steam and enjoyed it.
Adam came into the sauna. "It's getting pretty hot in here. It's kind of scorching, but it's good."
He said and sat down near me. I threw on more steam, and the sauna had to be boiling.
Adam started: " We werewolves touch a lot, as you may have noticed on the ship. I am the Alpha, the leading male, and my instincts tell me to nurture, protect, and guard you. So I touch; that's something you have to learn because it's so innate to wolves that no one can control that instinct, and that instinct might be there for you too if you want to get close, get under my arm, get stroked. Don't be afraid. We are always ready. I noticed last night that you didn't sleep at all. You're having terrible nightmares, and I can help you. We're going to do it tonight, and this is not a negotiation. We sleep together—you and me. I don't mean sex, just sleep. I'm gonna take you all the way in and hold you in my arms until you fall asleep. We'll see if being close to each other helps. Do you understand? You clearly need security; that's the impression I've gotten, and I'm that security now."
I nodded. It was true that I hadn't slept more than a moment in my exhaustion when the nightmares took over again. I knew that once I got it into my head that I was completely safe and nothing bad was going to happen, the nightmares might ease. This was only my second day here in Chicago, and I had been under Adam's protection for less than a week. Considering everything I had been through, I tried to be kind to myself and give it time.
Adam came closer again and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. Then, he coldly grabbed the bucket of water and beat the stove himself. He held me close to him, and somehow, I felt that this comforted Adam, too, and it was very important for him to hold me in his arms.
Somehow, he watched me closely there on the boat, too, nurturing, commanding, and restraining me. We must have been in the sauna for an hour. We talked about everything, but I casually started to list all the things I could bake, and Adam was surprised that I was now excited about cooking. Of course, he agreed to eat everything.
Adam said, " There's no rush. You can bake at some point, but let's take it one day at a time and see what we can do. You still have a lot of adjusting to do, and your wolf's instincts aren't even fully awakened yet, so take your time; there's time."
Then Samuel entered the sauna, and Adam wasn't lying. No, Samuel was just as fit and just as well equipped; every muscle was showing, and he was a joy to watch. I went into the second bath, and Samuel and Adam went swimming together. The water was just right and lovely. I relaxed in the tub and enjoyed myself. It was perfect, and even though I was so bony that I always hurt somewhere without padding, it didn't matter.
Eventually, the men came out of the pool, showered, and told me to get out of the tub for another shower and then get dressed and have dinner. We left the spa, and I went to my bedroom to put on my nightgown when Adam came in without knocking and sat me down at the dressing table and started brushing my hair, blow-drying it, and finally braiding it into a French braid.
Then he directed me to the kitchen, where Samuel's light little dinner was certainly no small matter. Again, I devoured the food so much that my stomach began to swell, but I had yet to beat either man at this sport.
Then Adam said, "Now let's go to bed."
It was only 9:00 at night, but Adam didn't listen to any protests. We then went to my bedroom, and I went to my bed. Adam came over to the other side and went to lie bare-chested, wearing nothing but his boxers. He pulled me right into him so that my head rested on his chest, and I listened to his steady heartbeat until I fell asleep. I felt the sting in my arm and stiffened, but it was over quickly, and Adam held me tight and secure against him. I fell asleep again before the drug could even take full effect. I was safe, and now I could sleep while Adam kept the terrible memories and nightmares at bay.