Chapter 20: Twenty.
Sammy's eyes were closed, as she awaited the dizziness to settle. All she could focus on was staying upright, using the inside of her door for support.
It was then she jumped in fright, as two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against the familiarity that was, Daniel.
"Please, let me help you," he said softly against her ear.
"I just want to lie down, Daniel," Sammy whispered, not having the strength to argue, "Can we sort this out another time. I'm so tired."
"Shhh," he whispered back softly, moving to scoop her into his arms.
Sammy had no fight left, she allowed herself to be carried, cradled in Daniel's arms back to the couch. She couldn't even find the effort to be embarrassed by the snotty tissues dotted around the spot she had vacated.
Daniel gently laid her back down, and pulled the blanket over her, depositing a small kiss on her forehead, that though she was loathed to admit, made her feel cherished.
It was at that point Sammy realised, Daniel was naked.
Daniel was naked and leant over her, tucking her into a blanket with his crotch dangling in her face.
He jumped when she suddenly groaned. Daniel pulled back and crouched in front of Sammy's scrunched up face, his own a mirade of worry.
"What's wrong? What do you need? I mindlinked the pack doctor but he just said to make sure you got rest and plenty of fluids. Was he wrong? Are you in pain? Should we go to the hospital?" He rambled off in a panic, looking around for keys to Sammy's apartment so he could lock up.
Sammy stared at Daniel like he had lost his damn mind.
"No, we do not need to go to a hospital. But you, you need to put on clothes! Why do you always need to be naked?" She asked refusing to drop eye contact. "You never used to spend this much time naked, I'm sure of it!"
Daniel smirked, forcing Sammy to see that damn dimple, that damn dimple that she definitely did not love.
"Am I making you uncomfortable? Because you never used to be this uncomfortable when I was naked." He teased her, "In fact, as your neighbour just attested to, you rather enjoyed me being naked, Sammy."
"Stop it," she grumbled embarrassed, before beginning to cough.
Rather than answer him any further, she pulled up her blanket and closed her eyes.
Daniel watched her as she drifted off to sleep. Once her breathing had steadied, he began to tidy up.
He mindlinked Abigail asking her for a soup recipe. Before he scowled seeing that there was next to no food in the fridge. Sammy didn't even have any milk.
Then it dawned on him, she had been away, and probably hadn't had time to go grocery shopping yet.
So, his next port of call was to mindlink more of his pack and abuse his rank by ordering them to go shopping. Giving them a specific list of what to buy, and in what quantity.
Daniel next went to the bedroom, annoyed that the scent had gone somewhat stale in his mate's absence. He carried on though, sure he must have left clothes here somewhere.
He found nothing.
"Daniel, do not use the other pack members as errand boys!" Came Shane's command.
"But Sammy is sick, and needs food, and I can't just leave her." He whined back.
"No. They have their own responsibilities, come on now, don't be that guy." Shane responded.
"Fine, but I still want the food delivered." Daniel stated.
"Fine, but no other commands. Oh, and Abigail is on her way with some soup." Shane responded before cutting off the link.
Crap, now he really did need to find clothes.
-----
It was almost evening when Sammy woke up, and her head did feel a little clearer, though her throat was still throbbing. Blinking her eyes wearily she looked around, something was different.
And not just because her snowfall of tissue paper was missing.
It was a smell, and it smelled good, really good.
It made her stomach churn and rumble loudly, declaring to all its intention to cause harm unless it was sated.
Moving to sit up, Sammy heard movement behind her.
"Daniel?" She called vaguely aware of his presence from earlier.
"Hey, I'm here," he answered, appearing in front of her so quickly she could have sworn she had gotten whiplash. "What do you need?"
His eyes eagerly scanned her over, and despite her thick pyjamas she suddenly felt naked as he scrutinised every inch of her.
"What are you doing?" She asked, "You didn't have to tidy up, I would have done that."
"I'm looking after you, Sammy," he said with a smile, "That's my purpose, you're my mate, I need to make sure you are okay."
Sammy groaned at that word.
"That's not your responsibility, Daniel, I can take care of myself," she sighed, but before she could comment any further she noticed his state of dress. "Wait, is that my robe?" She asked with her own smirk appearing.
Daniel was poorly wrapped in her pink satin robe, the one with the sweet yellow lace trim. It revealed all of his muscular chest, allowing Sammy to see the light covering of dark hair he had, that led all the way down his defined abdomen, and disappeared where the robe was tied shut at his waist.
It barely reached his upper thigh and almost probably exposed more than it covered. It was the most feminine piece of clothing she owned, yet some how showed off Daniel's masculinity wonderfully.
But, it was obviously just her virus that was making her mouth dry at the sight of him. It was definitely not anything else.
And of course, the only reason she wanted to lick him was because she was hungry and feverish, making her quite clearly delusional.
Clearly no other explanation made any sense whatsoever.
"Sorry, my clothes shredded when I shifted earlier, so I had nothing to wear, and this is all that fitted of yours. Nothing of mine seems to be here still," he stated the last part failing to conceal his hurt.
Sammy suddenly felt guilty, and before she could stop herself she admitted something she normally wouldn't have.
"I've been staying on site at the trailer," she gulped, "Your leftover clothes are there, I normally sleep in them." She whispered, not able to leave Daniel feeling so rejected.
Suddenly her face reddened, and she felt extremely shy. She looked at her feet, swinging them awkwardly to the floor beneath herself, and in doing so she missed the way Daniel's face lit up at that knowledge.
His mate did still want him, she needed something of his to sleep, she craved him like he craved her.
Before he could celebrate however, his thoughts were interrupted by an angry growl coming from Sammy's stomach.
"You're hungry, I made soup. Well Abigail made soup, I just reheated it." Daniel spoke excitedly, moving back to the kitchen to get Sammy some.
He was back in a flash with a steaming bowl of chicken broth, squatting infront of her holding a spoonful of soup to her lips before she could utter a sound.
Sammy smiled awkwardly as Daniel waited to place the food in her mouth.
Pulling her face back, with a startled look and trying to hide her grimace.
"Daniel," she began, praying he wouldn't thrust the silverware in her mouth as soon as her lips parted, "Thank you for the soup, but I can feed myself."
Daniel frowned, "But, I thought the flu made your limbs achy. That's what Abigail said, that you would need plenty of rest, because your body would be sore," he argued with her.
Sammy smiled at his puzzled expression, "Sore, yes. Paralysed, no."
"Oh," Daniel stated, sounding somewhat disappointed.
"Please, leave me the dignity of feeding myself, Daniel." Sammy pleaded, placing a gentle touch to his arm.
She truly felt exposed enough, and with a man she didn't fully trust right now too.
Daniel's eyes shot to her hand on his arm, it was the first time she had reached out to him since Shane sent him away. In that moment he realised how powerless he was; Daniel couldn't refuse her anything.
As such, he sighed, handing Sammy the bowl, unable to mask his disappointment at being denied.
"Thank you," she reponded softly, before beginning to eat.
As she drained the last spoonful, she did truly feel better, and standing up she went to the sink to wash her bowl.
Just as Daniel came barreling out of the toilet.
"What are you doing?" He demanded.
Sammy smirked, rolling her eyes, "Playing chess with a matriarch elephant, obviously."
"What?" Daniel asked, reaching to take the dish cloth off of her.
"Sarcasm Daniel, I'm washing my bowl." Sammy sighed out, batting his hand away.
"Why?" He asked annoyed.
Sammy looked at him like he had two heads, "Erm because if I don't, it will begin to grow potentially harmful bacteria, thus making leaving it dirty an unhygienic thing to do?"
Daniel sighed, "No, I know why it needs cleaned, Sammy, I'm asking why are you the one cleaning it? Am I not taking sufficient care of you?"
Sammy's eyes went wide.
"You can't be serious? Daniel, I'm grateful of the help, which for the record you forced upon me with your scene outside. But, it's only washing a bowl, I am capable of taking care of that. Especially as I am feeling a bit better." She stated matter of factly.
"A bit better, as in not fully recovered," Daniel pointed out, "Will you just go sit back down and let me take care of you. Please." He asked trying to hide his annoyance.
Sammy frowned, "No. No, I will not. I am not a child to be babied, Daniel. I am an adult I have seen myself through plenty of bouts of the flu and I actually know what I need because of it." Sammy remarked back, having risen to the annoyance she heard in his tone, "And, what I need is some respect in my own home. So, if I want to wash the damn bowl I will wash the damn bowl, Daniel."
"Are you always going to be this difficult?" Daniel asked no longer hiding his frustration, as he clenched his fists.
Sammy tensed her jaw, she didn't appreciate Daniel's implication. She didn't appreciate having her choices removed, again.
It showed in the anger that could be felt radiating off of her.
"Have you always been this thick skulled? When did I agree to an always, Daniel?" Sammy asked squaring her shoulders against him. "Do not presume anything about my future, that is not your right, and it is definitely not your choice to make."
Daniel's wolf was growling lowly at her words, not liking her tone, nor her dismissal of who they were to one another. His own jaw was tense as he reined in the beast's desire to mark her there and then; purely out of his need for control.
"And, though I am grateful for the care you have taken of me, I didn't ask for it, and you certainly didn't ask if you could. You made the decision for me while I was too weak to object, and now have the gall to object to my choice to clean a fucking bowl!" Sammy was breathing heavily at this point.
"I'm sorry, I was trying to help you," Daniel stated through gritted teeth, desperately trying to descalate the situation between his angry mate and his angry wolf.
Briefly he wondered if he was allowed to sedate her. She was so much more amenable while she slept, and she did tranq him yesterday... He threw that idea out straight away, his mate wanted to be able to choose.
Sammy sighed, her dizziness resurfacing as she gripped the countertop beside her. She pushed passed Daniel before he could reach to steady her without a word, and made her way to the couch.
When she sat there, with her head in her hands, she was shocked to find something cold and wet pressed against the exposed part of her cheek.
Looking up she saw too green eyes in a face full of fur staring mournfully back at her. She wondered how she didn't recognise those eyes when she first saw them.
"Thats cheating, Daniel. Turning into my favourite animal, so I won't stay mad at you is... well, it's diabolical." She smiled, reaching up to scratch his ears.
Daniel whined, pushing his head into her lap.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, it wasn't fair. I know you are just trying to help." She apologized.
Daniel raised his head to lick her cheek, smiling inside as her nose wrinkled.
"I think I'm going to shower and head to bed properly, Daniel. Thank you for everything," she stated, affectionately cupping his face all too briefly.
Daniel watched the bathroom door while she showered, and when she came out and headed to bed, he made a decision he hoped his manhood would live to tell the tale about.
He crept into the room quietly, effortlessly leapt onto the bed and lay down beside her, resting his head on his front paws and sleeping till morning.
*Author's Note: 2022 Lambing is complete. 32 lambs. 11 boys, 21 girls. 🐑🐑🐑*