As I prepared breakfast, our buffet was in full swing, offering a variety of options including buns with fillings ranging from bacon to steak. The toddlers had already enjoyed their morning porridge, thinned with milk, and were now eating their breakfast, which consisted of fruits, small meat pieces, and chicken nuggets with cheese.
On my tray, I piled up a few thickly buttered buns, warmed in the grill for a slight crispiness. I then added a generous portion of thinly sliced Wagyu, crispy bacon, salad leaves, and cucumber. My next plate contained leftovers from yesterday: meat and organ terrine, meatballs, and small eggy pies filled with lardons and meat. On another plate, I had Wagyu steaks and a separate bowl of chilled fruit cubes, lightly frosted with sugar and citrus juice.
Finally, with my tray loaded, I carried my food to my place at the end of the table. Charles's place was empty as he had left for work before eight, and six other spots were open. Numbers two and four were eating downstairs, while Wulfe, five, nine, and ten were also working.
Adam, Lepard, and Demon were scheduled to do chores in my flower shop, including delivering a few orders and going to the market for supplies. The girls and I anticipated a busy day ahead, as it was cleaning and bedding change day, followed by a spa day in the evening since it was Friday.
We had special days planned for specific weekdays, arranged in advance. If Mr. Dickweed ever got his act together, he'd have to accept the schedule, as it was decided by the majority, not just him. We had our own established way of doing things, and any changes would be significant for him.
According to Mariella, he was still tired and cranky, as the days in the ER took a lot out of him. Now, it seemed, it was time for some stomach flu and influenza to persist, even though it was spring, early summer. The infections would likely ease up during the summer, but being where we were, it was colder, meaning infections lasted longer. Still, it would be good for him to keep busy; maybe he might get something out of this after all.
I was focused on eating and simultaneously listing in my mind what I should do today. I hadn't yet had time to change the curtains, so it might be a good time to do that. The girls would be with toddlers today and would have outside play, which usually tired them out, so nap time would be in order then.
For dinner, I was planning elk and Wagyu. Soon, we could fire up the outside fire pit and put some whole carcasses there, as we still had some left. Our exotic meat for today was shark, which could be considered fish as well.
I was planning on preparing it three ways: as a pie, as a steak, and as a stew, so we could get an idea of what worked and what needed some refining. I had plenty of wagyu and was planning on smoking or grilling some monumental pieces again for myself, sometimes making them into pulled beef and then having them with béchamel, béarnaise, or hollandaise. We also had fresh asparagus, as it had grown well, and the girls would pick them up soon.
In my greenhouse, I had peas growing, and there were already pods. I was just waiting for them to fill up a bit before having fresh garden sweet peas. I didn't like them cooked; raw was best. We also had our berries and fruits, but it was just spring, and things were flowering, not yet producing that much. However, we still had some preserved, and we could get more from shops and the market if needed.
Number Three, already eating, said to me, "My love, I was thinking of hanging those curtains today. Thanks for the idea. We'll see what goes where. I'm not sure if you get to choose your bedroom first, but let's see once we have time for that little project. Climbing isn't suitable for you, my love. I just don't want to watch you fall and hurt yourself, no matter how fast you heal. It might trigger your multiple enzymes or too many spleens, besides, no taking unnecessary risks."
I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to respond, but furrowed my brow as Sadie fussed, having not finished her meal. Soon, the fussing escalated into crying.
I got up, took her in my arms, and shushed, "Shh, what's the matter? Having tummy troubles or teething again? Well, let's see if an ice-cold lolly would help. Yeah, shhh, don't cry, Mommy is here."
They were still teething, so they were sometimes irritated as they chewed, and those erupting teeth were painful, so this wasn't new to me. I noticed her diaper was full. Fine, that needed to be changed at some point.
May, who had likely already eaten, came to me, noticing it too. "I can change her, Mommy. You go back to eat your meal," she said, taking Sadie in her arms, shushing and singing softly as she walked back to the nursery to change her diaper.
Mr. Dickweed had been cutting meat quite a lot lately, and he had delivered his orders personally to our wing, so I wasn't sure why. Did he want to spy on us? Was he collecting courage to offer a real apology? Or was that just wishful thinking on my part?
Anyway, I had seen him over the week several times, and sometimes he lingered, chatting with the guys before leaving, catching glimpses of my five who were busy as usual. I went back to eating and focused on that, sure that my little plan of hanging curtains had caught Number Three, as well as a few other Salvatores, and they were oh so eager to see what kind of curtains I had found.
This was my home, and I was making decisions. But there was always a "but." I wanted to choose, to feel happy, but no. I had to share, to tolerate, yet again, a horde of husbands ready and willing to assist, whether I wanted them to or not.
Their protectiveness was new to me, and it had taken a long time to accept that I was being protected. It was good, even, to be cherished and to be a wife. However, my alpha side wasn't always thrilled, which sometimes made me restless. So, I cooked up a plan to get at least some of the Salvatores occupied, just like I was now.
Almost eaten, I addressed numbers eight and six, who were discussing curtains with number three. "I have a large pile of curtains in the hamster storage. They're longer and wider, so I hate to shrink them. But I think they'd be perfect downstairs. How about you use them to perk Mariella up a bit? Show her how the Salvatores decorate; she could choose rugs. I was thinking we could switch to lighter rugs soon; no need for these long-tufted ones now that summer is coming."
Number three replied, "Good idea. Mariella is usually so confused, but she's always nice and obedient when we give her orders. She obeys. Sure, show us the curtains. I agree; no need to shrink them all, especially with those large windows downstairs."
I kept my expression neutral, and oh, I was good at this.
Knowing it was too good to be true, I added, "I was thinking we could fire up the pit this weekend, maybe smoke huge steaks or prime ribs on the grill, and then put a whole bison on the pit to cook up."
Number eight nodded and said, "We'll get it done. I can get the meat for smoking, and it needs time. Good idea; it's the start of our grilling season."
I was simply giving them projects to keep them busy and out of my way as I put up my curtains. It was even easier now, as several were working or going into the city to do chores. Perfect. The girls would care for the kids, and I'd have time to be with them, too.
Life was pretty damn nice – not perfect, not yet, maybe someday, but it was getting there, for sure. If only Mr. Goddamn Dickweed would grow a brain in his thick skull, we'd have a perfect life, or at least a family, not a divided pack, but an actual family.
I was idly considering recipes and how to add a twist to dinner. I like to keep things interesting, but with these exotic meats and their unique flavors, I needed to be careful not to make them taste too strange. I also had to consider their suitability for me. Could I enhance their suitability, perhaps by adding fat or cooking them in specific ways?
Much of it was biology, just a question of muscle tissue building blocks, amino acids, and their ratios. My system needed certain ones more than others, while others needed to be kept at a moderate level, as they might hinder the absorption of others or bind in the wrong ways.
I had learned a lot about my physiology, as Salvatores explained almost daily what was suitable and what wasn't. But sometimes, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to certain things. I just needed to accept them and not get irritated or frustrated, as my willpower could otherwise influence my physiology and make things worse.
"Mimi, my love, what exotic meat is for dinner?" Number Three asked.
I sighed and replied, "Well, for lean meat, we have elk, and I have some large Wagyu steaks. But for exotics, I was thinking maybe whale or walrus, or perhaps seafood. I have shark steaks and about 200 kilograms of mixed fish mince in the freezer. I got it from a fishing trawler; they mince all the non-essential fish into this one product and sell it wherever they can. I took quite a load for us."
He hummed and said, "Not seafood yet. I have a few ideas for the mince, but not as exotic. Whale could be an option, or walrus. I need to see them and taste them to see if you can have them. But elk is yummy. It's dry and lean, but we can add to it. There are more tender parts of it, and also fattier parts."
As I finished clearing the table, he was already pondering his recipes. Making food certainly took a lot of time, but it was such a fun and creative activity. I decided to make dessert for dinner, something a little more fancy: tiny minicakes with champagne mousse, fresh strawberries, peach and white wine jelly, and a passionfruit glaze. I called them "seduction cakes" in my mind – they were just perfect. I planned to send a few to Mariella if the boys were having dinner downstairs.
I knew how to cook, and I enjoyed it. Sure, I might get bored someday, but there were plenty of eager cooks around. I was even planning to create a test kitchen with the girls so we could try all kinds of recipes and get feedback from the Salvatores. I wasn't trying to impress them, but to get better at cooking.
They might have long faces if I came up with a brand new idea, but then again, they were a bit like thieves, often taking my ideas and putting their own twist on them. But I didn't mind; I wasn't that competitive. They weren't me, not at all.
A few hours later, I was in the hamster storage with several Salvatores, handing them boxes full of summery curtains meant for the large windows. I had warned Mariella about the decoration team coming over, and she was ready. She also had a vision for certain rooms and was going to try to persuade the Salvatores to put the curtains where she wanted.
It was good for her to try to be a wife, not just in bed, but in everyday life. Negotiating or directing a horde of eager husbands in various tasks was fun. It had to be done with skill, but it was doable, and it was pretty damn perfect, too.
As Number Four entered, even though he was on downstairs duty, I found myself pondering. Something nagged at me.
I asked. "Damon, Sadie didn't finish her breakfast this morning and has loose stools. May mentioned she wasn't hungry as usual, and Darien refused to eat during snack time; his stool was also loose. I know teething can affect their appetites, but was the meat perhaps too strong for them? Should we try something gentler, like chicken, for a few days to see if it helps?"
He considered this for a moment and nodded. "Fine, let's do that. If anything else comes up, ask Number One. He's been dealing with kids' illnesses in the ER for a few weeks now, so he might have some insight if this continues."
I nodded in agreement. Number Four then informed me, "It's just me and number Two took a few driving gigs, so we'll be gone for three days, adding to our buffer."
I nodded again, understanding that Number One would be the best resource if the babies were unwell. I hoped it was just another phase of teething troubles, as they had been through some intense teething periods already, with cranky, sleepless nights and refusal to feed. Perhaps more teeth were erupting, or the meat had been a bit too much for them. Maybe they were allergic to something… I hoped not. Despite my worry, I continued to give the men boxes and sorted through them for a few hours, the nagging concern in my mind growing stronger: what if this was something more serious than teething?