I could tell I needed to give my voice a rest; after not speaking for so long, Dr. Lex was right about my voice getting tired, and I could feel the strain as my voice turned more gravelly. I used the walker to move quickly and headed to the kitchen. I added water to the kettle before placing it on the stove.
I grabbed two bags of tea from one of the cabinets and a white mug and set them on the counter. James came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me, and whispered, "I could have made you some tea, Love." I shrugged my shoulders and turned toward him. I smiled and said, "I'm not completely helpless."
I opened the bags of tea, and the smell of licorice flooded my nasal cavities. I added them to the mug and waited for the kettle to whistle. James hovered nearby as I sat on a stool in the kitchen. He asked, "Is your throat bothering you?" I nodded to answer his question. I was hoping that the tea would help lessen the irritation.
I was still worried about what James had told me, but I was comforted by his confidence. The kettle's whistle drew me out of my thoughts, so I went to get the water. James was too fast because he had retrieved the kettle before my foot touched the ground. He poured it into my mug and asked, "Do you want honey or sugar?"
I nodded and croaked, "Honey, please." He retrieved it and a spoon before handing it to me so I could control the amount added. I waited several minutes for the tea bags to steep, then pressed them against the side with the spoon. I added the honey and stirred it slowly. I'd have to wait a little bit for it to cool down because it was definitely too hot for me to drink currently.
I got off the stool and retrieved my whiteboard and dry-erase marker from the compartment under my walker's seat. I wrote, "576 werewolves. I didn't know that my father knew so many." James nodded, "From the intel that Sylas received, it seems like members are coming from multiple packs."
He sighed, "Your true mate is in Montrose, Michigan." He left rapidly and returned with the atlas from our bedroom. He looked over the states again, then said, "If I had to draw a line, I would say that the members are coming from Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and any state East of those."
I erased the board with my hand. "Why would my dad go through all this effort and recruit so much help to get me back if he sold me in the first place? I don't understand." James shrugged. I'm not sure either, but there is a bigger plan at play here. This is calculated and not just a last-ditch prevention of us completing our blood bond."
I nodded and blew on the tea before sipping a small amount into my mouth. It was still too hot, and I would have to let it cool some more. I wiped the board once more and wrote, "Any other ideas once our blood bond is completed for how we can deal with Sylas?" I felt terrible that I had stopped contributing solutions to our future dilemma.
James smiled slyly, "Sylas is getting all of this intel from a vampire named Viviana. She has a small clan of seven members. Each is a descendant of one of the seven first vampires, and each is a master of their unique inherited trait." I looked at him, highly confused. He responded, "Sorry, I've learned a lot recently; let me start at the beginning."
He cleared his throat, "You have witnessed mine and Sylas' ability to control our blood." I nodded and attempted to sip my tea again; this time, it was more tolerable, and I held it in my mouth, adjusting to the temperature, before attempting to swallow. He continued, "Sylas and I are descendants of a vampire named Wrath."
I nodded and sipped some more. James added, "When Wrath turned humans, or any vampire that Wrath had turned, created a progeny they held this ability locked within them, and so on and so forth. It can only be learned if your sire teaches it to you. That's why not every vampire that you meet will have one."
I continued to drink the tea. The warm beverage and honey rapidly alleviated the discomfort in my throat, and I was relieved. He said, "There were seven first vampires, and each had their own unique ability. Viviana can see into the future, which was Pride's trait. She leads six other members, each with one of the specialized traits from the first vampires."
I cleared my throat and said, "Okay?" James replied, "If I can train hard enough and become more in tune with my ability, I can challenge the current member with the same trait as me." He paused, "If I can successfully beat him in a one-on-one battle, then I can take his spot." He smiled, "Not to brag, but I'm already close to Sylas' level, and he's had more than a century to develop his skill."
I replied, "Oh!" Shocked, I hadn't realized that he was already so advanced or that he had been training so hard while I was in the hospital. I took another sip of tea and let him continue. He said, "I want to challenge him just before you give birth and make a deal with them for their protection over you and our daughter." I smiled at his chivalry and devotion to our unconceived child and I.
Then I frowned, "What if you lost the challenge?" He chuckled, "I don't plan on failing, and I'll have another nineish months to train, but if I failed, I would imagine that they would take our daughter after you died during childbirth, but that's better than Sylas, right?" I teared up at the thought of my daughter losing both of her parents. It just wasn't fair; she deserved better.
James cupped my face and wiped a tear from my cheek. He smiled again, "Don't worry, Love, I'm going to take care of everything." I inhaled deeply and returned his smile, "You're right, James; I'm sorry I worry so much sometimes." I set my empty mug down, and he embraced me in his strong arms. I felt at peace and melted into him.
He whispered, "It's nothing to worry about for now. Let's get off this subject for now." He released me and asked, "Is there anything you want to do before we go to bed?" There were plenty of things that I wanted to do, but it was difficult in my current state. I shrugged my shoulders, "You choose."
He pondered for a moment, "How about I run you a bath and read to you while you relax and soak in the clawfoot tub?" I nodded. It was a decent idea. He stood and went to the bathroom, and I could hear the water running. I used the walker to go over to the library in the sitting room to look at the plethora of books.
I gazed upon the books to see if any of the titles stood out to me. I wasn't one to judge a book by its cover, but in this instance, I wanted something more on the lighter side. One title stood out: The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. The title itself seemed happy enough. I pulled it from the shelf and tucked it into the compartment below the seat of my walker.
I pushed it to the bathroom where James was waiting, sitting on the side of the tub with his hand in the water, checking the temperature. He looked at me and smiled, "Did you find something that piqued your interest?" I nodded and removed the book from the basket. He looked at it and said, "I haven't read this one before; it will be a new experience for us both.
I removed my clothes and left them in a pile near the tub. I stepped in and eased the rest of my body into the hot water. It was perfect, just the way I liked it; it was so steamy that it was almost uncomfortable. I closed my eyes and embraced the water's temperature. James turned the cover of the book that I had chosen. I made a good choice as far as wanting a lighthearted novel.
I loved it when James read to me. It was like his voice carried me away into the story, and he did such a good job reflecting his voice in the right moments; I really got carried away. He read the first two chapters before my water turned tepid, so he placed the book down and wrapped me in a towel after I pulled the drain plug.
He had already gathered some clean clothes for me, and I gladly took them after I dried off. He smiled and said, "Let's get to bed; I'll read to you until you fall asleep." I nodded and held the book as he carried me in one arm dragging my walker behind him. He placed me gently on the bed and locked the door before joining me.