32. Have You Ever Loved A Woman?

It took time and effort for me to get my stomach healing. I guess him scrubbing my skin raw plus very rough stabbing and mauling right about took a lot out of my healing ability. I knew that I did bring it on myself as I have no sense in my head, but I just had to go and rub it in Damon's face, to really show him how I kiss other men.

I had heard little snippets here and there plus my being a pretender helps me spot the lies so I had my strong suspicions about what this wedding would be and my weight being so low, not so good for me, but would have a few things that I could do. I was just not going to be the victim here and not act when it came to it. It was time to start to pack to see it too.

I was still in my nest watching movies and recovering when the satin silk Salvatore said in my mind, " Where are you baby, the wedding is the day after tomorrow, I'll probably be with Mariella for the first day but don't even think I've forgotten you. Let me know your location and I'll come check on you to make sure you're okay. The good teacher makes sure that his pupil is okay."

I had just had my stomach recovered just enough that I was suffering again to eat reasonably. Number four had drained into my veins every single time for about 15 minutes and he was always as irritated as nothing stuck with me and I had so much wrong with my blood. He had fed me, but my metabolism was what it was. I was not eating ten liters' worth, not at all. When it came to number one, I did not want him near me, as there was still an edge in his voice. I weighed only 41 kilos, so I should gain a few more kilos.

But this was a different edge than our previous weddings, so it was again one thing telling me a lot of things. For instance, in our previous versions, there had been always a warning, and presentation of his power, meaning he usually killed a few humans just to show me how it is done, but not this time. Only stabbing, teaching, and now he was fishing for more reasons to let it out again, to make me be in pain.

I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'm watching movies and still recovering. Not yet fully fit. I'll be fine for the wedding. Thanks for asking. Number four has fed me and drained always something into me."

The voice that replied was again a little sharper, "I didn't ask baby, how are you? I asked where you were."

I said, being nice or maybe I just didn't want another stabbing for a while, " I'm on the sixth floor at the end of the west side hallway. The red door on the right side."

Damon said velvety softly, " That's how a good girl knows how to behave. I'm on my way. Don't run away."

I wasn't going anywhere. My nest was perfect for recovery and my bed was a luxurious water gel bed, so it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud, or lying on a cloud. I had one of my own made quilts over me. I was looking at the police academy series, chuckling at this humor for a while.

I had gotten perfect pillows just for me, not to the other side of the bed, and this was more or less just my bed. I had a bowl full of fruit pieces as I had gone nighttime in the kitchen and fetched ice-cold fruits and berries for myself, trying to keep some kind of shape up.

After a moment, the door opened, and Damon stepped inside. He bore the threat of danger and was now in a mood that I didn't annoy him at all. This was not now my place to give him any sentences. That's usually Mariella's job.

She likes to annoy. When someone is really pissed off and trying to control themselves, then Mariella has to get annoyed. Damon looked around the room. This was another one of my pastel-coloured plush rooms and there were nothing but fucking expensive and rare carpets on the floor.

I had collected them for ages and then wondered why I couldn't use them. That's what they were originally made for. These were just right in this room for their colors. They were wonderful under the feet, really nice. I had also designer curtains, and antiques too in the window and this bedframe was pretty damn old. 

Damon seemed to see it all, and he looked at the rugs on the floor and thought for a moment, then raised his head and said, " Why do you have fucking expensive and fancy rugs on the floor, you could hang these on the wall. Do you have more of these somewhere?"

I said. " They're just rugs, well someone may think they're nice and expensive but they were originally made for use. I have a lot of rugs on my floors that someone might think are valuable and pay good money for them, but as I said, they are just rugs and objects of use to me. I have hides and animal skins put up on the wall. No need to hang rugs anymore. I have plenty of tapestries as well."

Damon came and sat down on my bed next to me, looked me straight in the eye, and said softly. "I appreciate rugs, antique rugs especially, and you don't put them on the floors. I guess those curtains aren't in everyday curtains and this bed frame. Fine, I will report this to the magic houses and they can start going through every house and every warehouse. Now you be a good girl and tell me where these rugs are."

I answered his question. Again, he was serious, and I wanted to heal, not get another stabbing. " My main warehouse is in Moldova, and then there are smaller warehouses in India, Qatar, and Bhutan. Tapestries are a little bit everywhere, I have hung quite a lot of them a little bit here and there, curtains are antique but just right color."

Damon said, "Oh, your safe-havens. Well, don't worry. Soon those rugs will be in the pack rooms, on the walls, adorning many of the homes we share. And baby, this time there will be no prenup when we get married, so we will own everything together, every single item."

I said nothing and pulled my quilt better around me. He looked at it, yanked it, took it in his hands, and said, "Oh, one of your own minor projects, fine, I like this one. This is now mine."

My quilt disappeared from his hands and I do not know where he sent it and I was not going to ask. He took my fruit bowl, ate quite many pieces from there, and then teleported it somewhere. When it had been one thing that might let me get my weight a little up, even a kilo or so, but no.

He removed the blanket from me; I had a nightgown on me, not too long, and let his hand wander along my stomach, clearly looking for sore spots to press or manipulate with energy. He was very good at finding them and causing pain. 

I tried not to flinch, but moaned whenever it hurt a little more. He seemed to dig in, at every point for so long before I moaned. I was not getting upset as I felt him in my mind. He was waiting for me to get angry so he could act. Nope, not this time. 

He looked at me for a long time and said, " Let's see how well you will be healed for our wedding, baby. That's still far from okay, that stomach of yours, but we'll see. I can always come and check on it here every few hours. Though, oh, a better idea. I'll come next to you and we'll watch a movie together. Now, be a good girl and give me a few pillows. You have way too many. Oh, this is a good bed to lie on, like a cloud. You just have to have these perfections."

I nodded and got into a better position. I gave him a few pillows. With his massage, he had almost made my stomach still sore, as it had been when I woke up. I just hoped it would recover in peace. I pulled my blanket over me, trying to protect myself. He took the remote and started to select movies. He was not in the mood for the police academy.

But no, we were watching a movie, and my husband had a restless hand, not aroused. It was probing and pressing on my stomach almost all the time that my stomach was perpetually sore all the time and the more I was hurting, the happier and more relaxed Salvatore was next to me. He had made this blanket, so it covered us both.

He also broke my ribs, a few at the time, waiting for me to react, but I held myself under control. I had no idea what shape I would be at the wedding but I knew that it was unlikely that they would be flank weddings, or wedding nights, again not sure as there were several Salvatores and I was not sure if Damon would let Mariella out of his sights at all, or let her be with Adam and Charles.

For 24 hours he was there, torturing me more or less all the time and then he said, " Think baby, just one more day. I have to go and see how Mariella is doing."

I kept my expression neutral. Trying not get to too pissed off. My whole torso was so extremely sore. My ribs were not fully healed as my healing had not been up to par and for 24 hours it had tried to heal every single injury that horseshit salvatore had done to me. It was pretty obvious to me that Mariella had dug this side out properly and now he had too much fun to stop. 

I nodded and thought I didn't need to eat anything right away, because I can't, and I'm not even hungry. I stayed to watch some more movies and went to the toilet, but nothing didn't come out. It was just my whole torso was on fire; I was in pain all around.

When Charles came over a few hours later, I told him, and he felt my stomach and my ribs very carefully. He was less happy with my state, but pretty powerless to do anything. He offered to give me painkillers, but I said no, not wanting horseshit Salvatore to get a whiff. 

He said, "It'll heal in time, Salvatore has just bruised your stomach muscles badly, and then the stabbing, so your healing ability is not the best and you're pretty damn slim again, now I am not sure if you are even 40 kilos but with that stomach, you probably can't eat. Your ribs are still a little unstable, but don't move too much. They will get stronger, again, take time."

I nodded and said, " And less than 24 hours to the wedding. Oh, it's going well."

Charles patted me on the arm and said, "Mariella had a bit of a bash-up, too. I put her to bed for 24 hours and she was still pretty damn sore. Damon sure can handle it, I see." 

Then Charles left and said, "I could get you something to drink if you want?"

I said, a little pissed off, "No, I've got some in the fridge. I'll just let Salvatore see if my poor stomach needs that much grinding. And I do know that Damon is right in this moment making sure that Mariella is pain-free, fully healed, and in good shape for the wedding. I have my own suspicions of a few things, and you will see them then."

Charles said, "I mean bump and feeding liquid. You need, honey calories and a lot of them."

I shook my head, and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

I tried to eat but no, I just could not eat almost anything, and my drinking, well, I sipped ice cold coke, some coffee, and not much else. Not so much as I should have, but maybe later. Men were busy preparing for the wedding and I wanted to try to get even a little better. I hoped that Damon's love for Mariella would take over and there would not be stabbing wedding nights or flank weddings. I was pretty sure that it would be true, as Mariella had to have the perfect wedding and try to make me look bad in the process.