The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I gazed at my pack, realizing that it belonged to both Damon and me. After all, I was the alpha female. We had just returned from a chilly night outdoors, and the lynxes were now taken care of.

Number four glanced at me and suggested, "Since you're a zoo vet, it would be great if you shared your knowledge about rare subspecies with us."

Sitting in my favorite chair, Wulfe beside me in his own seat as per Damon's request, I replied with confidence, "You should educate yourself as a vet. I'm not a library that spoon-feeds information."

Mariella smiled, while number four pursed his lips. Number one sat next to Mariella, remaining silent. Enjoying the warmth from the roaring fire in my grand fireplace, I appreciated the placement of my chair. I had draped a knitted quilt over it to hide the worn, poison-green velvet. Upholstering a chair was always a gamble, and I didn't want to ruin the perfection of my seat.

As Colin began discussing where to find the desired knowledge with number four, I noticed how comfortably warm I was. Damon and Mariella cuddled together like two peas in a pod, while Wulfe chatted with Alaric, Magnum, and the boys. It was the perfect moment. Rising from my chair, I made my way to the kitchen. Despite the Salvatores rummaging around, I had plenty of cabinets, and I had reserved my large mugs for moments like these. Opening one of the cupboards where I kept my baking supplies, I grabbed my stepladder and climbed up to the higher shelf. Retrieving the packet of cocoa, I intended to crown the day with a delicious treat. As I descended, someone swiftly snatched the packet from my grasp, catching me off guard.

Number four, he read it, and then sank his fangs into my neck, draining my blood. I rolled my eyes, but poor thing seemed to be blood hungry as he guzzled 35 liters.

And then he said, keeping his grip on me, "Go sit, baby. I'll bring our cocoa soon enough. Let's see if that chair seats two when number one is busy."

I was a little confused, but he was so familiar that I couldn't help but smile. I walked back to my chair, noticing it had been moved. Number one acted innocent, but there was a slight smirk in his eyes. I moved my chair back to its original position without saying anything. I pressed a button on the armrest, and the leg support came out. I let my legs straighten and leaned back, waiting for my cocoa. I wasn't going to share my chair.

Mariella looked at me and said, "I bet, Mimi, that chair is excellent to sit on, especially since you love it so much. But you see, when you're married to Damon, you share everything. I mean everything."

I lazily replied, "I have my pheromones and whatnot to ensure some peace and quiet for myself if I want to."

Damon smiled and said, "You see, baby, when you have ten Salvatores and those four as husbands, I bet your pheromones can't contain all of us. You'll slip up at some point. Besides, why would you want your own time? You're a woman in love."

I sarcastically replied, "I might be in love, but I'm not brainless. I have my own things to do and I'm not going to be your lapcat or arm candy all day long."

Mariella got an idea and telepathically said to Damon, "Now, my love, you were planning to have the wedding after the New Year, right? How about we give the press a few gentle reminders about the American Sweetheart? I have connections, my witches can make it happen. And then, as we go Christmas shopping, we drop a few hints, and soon America's Sweetheart is once again on everyone's lips. And what a wedding it will be."

Damon couldn't help but smile widely. Oh, Mariella could be wicked. Another thing, make sure Mimi doesn't go back to work anytime soon. And the wedding... oh, those pictures, articles. Perfect. And Mimi's expression when she finds out. Damon sent this to Wulfe, who nodded slightly. Magnum grinned, and even Colin seemed happy. Mimi sat in her chair, all smug and blissfully unaware of what the pack had planned for her future. 

As Number Four brought me a steaming mug of hot cocoa, Mariella exclaimed, "Oh, yummy! Can we have some, too?"

Numbers Five and Seven got up and went to the kitchen to make some for the others. I sipped on my rich, chocolaty drink adorned with whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles. Just as I had taken a few sips, Number Four grabbed my mug, placed it on the table, and then picked me up, settling me in his lap in my chair. He handed me my mug again, and as I sipped, he sipped at the same time, creating a romantic moment that made Mariella and the others sigh.

Elena and Katherine were amused, knowing my usual sassiness and that this public display was out of character for me. But, it seemed like I had no choice but to go with the flow. These were good times, after all.

I handed my mug back to Number Four and said, "You can sip it yourself. It's a bit difficult to try and drink at the same time."

He smiled, focused, and handed me my own straw while keeping his own. So, we drank our cocoa together.

He whispered in my ear, "You can be sure, baby, that we won't end up in a medical facility. Only a perfect Christmas and New Year. What happens after that is anyone's guess."

As Damons brought a tray full of steaming mugs of hot cocoa for the others to enjoy, I noticed that my huge mug had been taken and distributed around. Well, they are meant to be used; I thought.

Number Seven brought me a new mug as our previous one was almost empty and said, "You still have some left, so you can finish it. It's good for you."

And so, we continued to sip from the next hot, steaming mug with our straws, Number Four and I. Meanwhile, Mariella found herself in the lap of not on number one, but on number two, and she seemed a bit wary. Number Two had a volatile temper, and his jealousy was evident. But that was fine by me. It is what it is.

Number Four softly whispered in my ear, "Have you slept at all?"

Trying to distract him, I replied, "Well, last night, I wasn't exactly sleeping with Number One..."

He interrupted me, saying, "Okay, but seriously, baby, have you slept at all?"

I shook my head. I didn't really need to sleep. I had slept enough when I was sick, so staying awake was not a problem. I noticed Charles looking at me intently, his gaze sharp and focused.

Charles nodded slightly to number four, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I was perfectly fine. There was no need for anyone to fuss over me. If I felt spry enough later, I might consider going to the gym. Exercise always helped me release my pent-up rage, and boy, did I have a lot of it. Not to mention the reserves of messed-up thoughts and emotions.

Number four then asked me, "Tell me, what did you see when you had those VENOMS? What kind of nightmares or visions?"

I let out a sigh and replied, "They weren't nightmares, but rather visions that Stefan had planted in my mind. The whole VENOMS situation was part of Horatio's plan. He intended to trap Wulfe as well. Horatio was the one who initially set the sorceress free."

Number one gave me a sharp look, and the entire room seemed to buzz with tension.

He demanded, "Show me, baby. I need to know how Stefan managed to gain telepathic abilities and what kind of nonsense shit he filled your mind with."

Reluctantly, I responded, "It's nothing pleasant, and I hate to spoil this cozy atmosphere with my own troubles. Forget it, I'm fine. I know they're not what I initially believed, so I'll deal with them."

Wulfe, sounding rather impatient, warned me, "Unicorn, this is your last chance. Show them."

I sighed, realizing I had no choice. We had been enjoying a perfectly semi-romantic time in the pack, sipping cocoa, and now my drama, my shit had to intrude.

"How about we deal with this later? It's not a pleasant topic and will definitely ruin the mood," I suggested.

But Wulfe was insistent, saying, "Never mind the mood, show us."

Reluctantly, I agreed to reveal the visions. I knew this could have consequences for the future, but I sighed and curled up closer to number four, placing my mug on the table. I needed to anchor myself to his steady heartbeat so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed. Closing my eyes, I allowed the scene to unfold.

"I was lying in bed, struggling to think clearly. It felt as though I had been drugged. My hands were restrained next to my body, and my breasts ached. My lower belly felt uncomfortably full, although it was easier to breathe now. I managed to open my crusted eyes just enough to see that I was in one of our pack houses,"

I recounted, shuddering against number four's comforting touch as he stroked me and urged me to continue.

Mariella chimed in, expressing her concern, "What an awful feeling. I wonder what it's all about?"

I let my vision, or rather the implanted scenario that I had believed to be a glimpse from the future, unfold further.

'The door opened, and Damon walked in, wearing a cold smile.'

"Good morning, baby," he said. "How is my pregnant breeding machine? I've made it clear that if you don't love me or follow my rules, I have other plans for you. You pathetic addict. But now, I've turned you into something useful. My very own personal breeding machine. I've been breeding you for a week now, and your gestation period is four weeks. I'll continue to breed you every day, for as long as I want. We can fit 1k-4k embryos in one womb. It's funny, isn't it? Your internal anatomy has been rearranged, just like when Angelus used that jelly, except I used my bump to fill your wombs, expanding them and pushing everything up into your chest. You have plenty of room for the embryos to grow."

'He walked over to a cupboard, ready to take my daily meds. I would suck them from oral syringes, unable to resist.'

Suddenly, I opened my eyes, holding on to number four, trying to ground myself. It was not real; it was not real. I repeated the mantra in my mind. Trying to push it away.

Wulfe spoke up, saying, "That's enough. I don't want to hear or see the rest of that. Let's move on. I now have a clear understanding of what I'm looking for. I found that signature. His telepathy is artificial, most likely somekind of implant. It leaves a distinct impression. You'll be fine, my unicorn."

As I regained my composure, I noticed Mariella sitting on number one's lap. Not because she wanted to, but because number one had grabbed her like a drowning person clinging to a lifesaver. He was furious, and Mariella was trying to calm him down.

Wulfe said, "Now, here's the plan. Adam and Charles, the two of you will take this young lady and help her get some sleep. Lepard, I need you. I'll keep an eye on her until she falls asleep, and then we'll get to work. Mariella, your job is to calm down the Salvatores. We need them to cooperate, so they need to be clear-headed and calm."

It was almost amusing how Wulfe had suddenly taken charge, but I was still shaken up and couldn't fully appreciate the situation. The VENOMS had numbed my emotions, so it hadn't been as bad, but now, oh my god. It had been awful. Charles came towards me, picked me up in his arms, and Adam walked alongside him as they carried me to the bedroom I had chosen. Tomorrow, we would move to Halifax and hopefully leave all this behind us. It was time to go to bed.

Charles gently helped me into bed and handed me a clean nightgown.

He noticed the mess of my half-used clothes scattered around the room and sarcastically remarked, "Looks like your love for chaos is still going strong. But now, put this on, and let's get some sleep."

I replied, "It's not even 11 pm yet, it's a little early."

Adam, who was sitting next to me, began collecting my clothes and said, "When you're dealing with MNDS, there's no such thing as too early. You need security, rest, and maybe some telepathic help to clear your mind."

I shrugged, knowing that I had slept a lot during my recovery and didn't feel an urgent need for more sleep. However, I also knew that these two would show me mercy. Maybe they would see that I was doing okay. I finished putting on my nightgown as they cleared away all my clothes.

The men went to the bathroom and then joined me in bed, with Charles wearing only boxers and wrapping his strong arm around me. I could feel Adam behind me, his breath tickling my hair, protecting me. I leaned my head against Charles's chest, closed my eyes, and felt safe. Maybe a good night's sleep was exactly what I needed. This was where I wanted to be – safe, loved, and held.