The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

The dryads directed me to the shower to wash, and oh boy, did they scrub me! After all, we had quite a passionate and intense time together, so it's no surprise that the scent was hard to get rid of. But I didn't mind.

The scent of sex, passion, and lust seeping into my pores was a reminder of the incredible experience. They scrubbed me multiple times before leading me to a bathtub that smelled strongly of booze.

I found it amusing that they had to bring out the big guns to get me cleaned. I couldn't help but wonder how difficult it would be to get Damon cleaned. At least I had left my marks all over him, and his bites stung in the most satisfying way.

The dryads continued to scrub and wash me, moving me from the tub to the shower and back again, until they were satisfied and the scent of sex was replaced with the sweet aroma of strawberries and Damon's passionfruit. My pheromones were now closed. I guess they did not need anyplace else to be sanctified.

After my thorough cleaning, they gave me a bathrobe and led me to our bridal suite. I was alone in the room, and my bag was placed at the foot of one of the beds. It was a bit strange to have separate beds, but it didn't bother me. We could make do with a narrower bed if needed.

I wondered what the second day had in store for us and decided to go with the flow. Hopefully, it would be less hectic and mysterious than the first day.

I preferred having some idea of what to expect, as surprises and sudden changes weren't my strong suit. I craved stability amidst the chaos of my life, but unfortunately, choices were rarely mine to make.

As I stood in the room, unsure of what to wear, Damon's voice echoed in my mind, his tone dry and matter-of-fact.

He said, "Clothes, baby. Not a formal gown, but something fitting for a queen. Save the gown for the evening. Dress fancy, but don't overdo it. The black dress will be perfect for the evening. Keep your hair open, and there's a hairband on top of the dresser if you want to wear it, although you'll have your crown."

I replied, "Fine. Care to share what this day is all about?"

But he remained silent. Well, if he didn't want to share, there was no reason for me to get upset. It was time to be flexible and queen-like, and simply embrace whatever was expected of me during this time. 

It appeared that Wulfe was also absent, but he was still needed. I wondered what this day would bring. Would we fight or make peace? Perhaps sanctify the next space or strengthen the bond between us. It was frustrating not knowing, but I swallowed my irritation.

I got dressed, brushed my hair, and put on a hairband. My hair cascaded down to my waist like a flowing fountain of blood, but it looked good. There was no need to style it in intricate twists and braids. I had perfect hair, so why not show it off?

I was ready, so I opened the door to step outside. There stood a male vampire, ready to escort me. He handed me my crown, which I placed on my head. I also wore high heels, which clicked as we made our way to yet another grand space. The throne had changed once again.

My seat was separate from Damon's, and Wulfe's seat was on my right side. On the other side of Damon's throne, there were two sofas, one seating three and the other seating two. It seemed that there would be others here, but I did not know who. Salvatores? Elders?

I walked over to my throne, sat down, and noticed that Damon was missing. There was an altar nearby, and I wasn't sure what kind of magical ceremony awaited us today.

Then, the sound of a gong filled the air and Damon appeared. He was wearing the exact same clothes he had worn at our first vampire wedding, complete with his crown. He walked to the altar, and soon Wulfe emerged, wearing a deep violet robe, with a hood that covered his face. Everyone was ready.

Wulfe spoke, "Now our king takes his brides and concubines, so his house is diverse and strong."

Oh, so I wouldn't be the only wife. I maintained a neutral expression, but it felt as if a hammer had struck my heart. Charles noticed and nodded slightly, understanding my feelings.

No matter the bond forged by lust and magic between me and Damon, or even me and Wulfe, my bond with Charles remained strong. I could feel his love, as well as his disappointment with Damon. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize who his first bride would be. 

The gong sounded once more, and the door swung open. Mariella entered, wearing a stunning red dress that resembled fresh blood. Her hair was adorned with multiple jewels, and she wore a delicate tiara.

Magnum accompanied her, dressed in a violet velvet jacket, trousers, and a heavy golden belt. He had embraced his vampire side for this occasion. He escorted Mariella to Damon, who nodded in acknowledgment.

Wulfe spoke, "The bride has been brought to you. Will you take her as your wife? As your mate, in your house, and in your bed?"

Damon nodded and replied, "I accept the offer. I take her as my mate, as my wife, in my house, and in my bed, through our new hive."

To my surprise, I could sense Mariella's irritation. Her vision of being a mere lover had been shattered; now she was a wife with obligations and chores.

Wulfe took a ceremonial dagger and turned to Damon. "Will you accept Thomas Magnum as her guardian? To watch over her, control her, when you are absent or otherwise engaged."

Damon nodded. Magnum maintained a neutral expression, but Mariella's irritation grew stronger.

Wulfe nodded and proceeded to take Mariella's left hand, cutting a wound in her palm. He then took Magnum's right hand, making a matching cut, and the two hands were joined. Damon pulled up his sleeve slightly, and Wulfe slit Damon's wrist open.

Damon's blood mixed with Mariella's and Magnum's as he dripped it onto the joined hands of Magnum and Mariella. Mariella winced, but Magnum remained calm. I could feel her pain as if it were my own.

Wulfe declared, "The bond has been sealed in the King's blood. You may go."

Magnum led Mariella on a walk around the guests. Mimosa and Adam followed suit, and I could see from Mimosa's narrowed eyes and pursed lips that she now understood the purpose of this ceremony, and she was not pleased. The same words were repeated, and Adam became Mimosa's guardian as Damon sealed the deal with his blood.

Next was Shadow, accompanied by Charles. Surprisingly, I did not feel irritated. It was wickedly entertaining to witness the irritation flash across the faces of these three gullible females who had once believed they would escape unharmed and live a carefree life.

I had to control my expression as I overheard Mariella saying to Magnum, "Did you know that I'm a tight virgin? The wedding night will be..."

Magnum calmly retorted, with an amused voice, "Maybe bloody, intense, and something you won't easily forget, princess. Now, you've been given a lesson here. I hope you learn it, like hell."

Mariella didn't respond. And then, the pièce de résistance. Next, Demon and Lepard brought Elena and Katherine as Damon's royal concubines. Both had no choice but to go with the flow, but Katherine's squinted eyes, fisted hand, and tense posture, along with Lepard's smug calmness and Elena's almost desperate reluctance, showed their powerlessness. Even Demon's larger frame effortlessly held Elena in place.

As Wulfe wounded Katherine, I could hear her cursing in our hive.

I told her through our hive bond, "Welcome to the family. It's good to have you. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be wives."

Katherine hissed in my mind, "Hell no! God, this arrogant bastard conned me into this position, to be a royal concubine, fuck."

Damon smiled gently as he poured his blood into their wounds. The boys would be the guardians of the concubines, so they wouldn't have free range to have sex with whomever they wanted. Damon would approve or deny.

It was upsetting for me that this wasn't just about us, about me, and that I would be the only one for him. Our bond was strong, but as our blood was combined, the bond between others would probably be strong too. But I had no idea how things were.

After the ceremony was done, I remained seated on my throne. Now, Wulfe came to sit next to me, and with a slight gesture of his thin, pale hand emerging from his violet heavy robes, I could see vampires approaching the throne.

They were bringing gifts to me, not Damon, but for me. Blood, jewelry, and Wulfe watched very carefully to ensure that no one brought anything that could hurt me.

Damon was strolling alongside Mariella, clasping her hand. They were engaged in a passionate kiss, while Damon appeared relaxed and wore a smile.

Suddenly, Wulfe spoke to me in my mind, saying, "I apologize, my unicorn, for subjecting you to that sight. But things will improve. Just look at what you have been given."

I responded, "Are you trying to annoy Damon a little? He wants to spend time with Mariella, but I have a small something that might bother him."

Wulfe glanced at me, tilting his head as he removed his hood, and replied in a soft voice, "Oh please, unicorn, show me."

I told Wulfe, "You know, she accepts you. What she may want from Damon is for him to seduce her, not because he is the world's greatest lover, but because she wants to use him as a boy toy."

Wulfe frowned and asked, "And who might this be? Ruby, or someone else from the fleas?"

I smiled, called my vampire alpha book onto my lap, and Wulfe took a deep breath, clearly amazed. His pale hand hesitantly touched the hard black cover of my book as he closed his eyes. Soon, golden decorations adorned the book's cover. He knew his way of seducing, too. I see.

Wulfe exclaimed, "Wow, this is something else. It's such a beautiful book, perfect."

My book opened, revealing the words, "Thank you, old one. Even though you may look like a brat, I can sense your age. Just be aware that the creature beside you is quite a neurotic mess."

Wulfe smiled, and I rolled my eyes, saying, "Yeah, it talks like me. I gave it my blood the first time I got it. I am not the neurotic mess here."

Wulfe reassured me, "But you are my unicorn. Don't worry, the time of passion is approaching, and then I can finally show you a few things, since you are quite flexible. Oh, there are so many places in wild nature to be sanctified. It is not hard for me to carve, say, a flower pole from the fallen tree with my magic."

I blushed, recalling the inventive nature of our wedding night, and I wondered what kind of wedding night Mariella and the others would have. Of course, him being a telepath, a little spying on my sex life in my mind and I might have told him about flower poles too.

I said to Wulfe, "Just think about putting your finger there, and it will be there."

He smiled gently and replied, "I know how these books work. But first..."

He closed the book, pricked the tip of his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the cover. This caught Mariella's attention, and I saw her whisper something to Damon, who pivoted his head in our direction.

His gaze focused on the book in my lap, now stained with Wulfe's dripping blood. Blood seeped soon into the book, and decorations changed slightly as Wulfe became the guardian of my book too. Damon exchanged curt words with Mariella before making his way towards us.

"My queen, do you have something to share with your king?" he inquired haughtily.

I replied, "I was just showing my guardian the vampire alpha book, as he is the one keeping me safe. It is important for him to be familiar with my books, and besides, the book wanted to meet him."

Damon nodded, took a seat on the throne beside me, and remarked, "Perhaps it also wants to meet me."

I maintained a neutral expression, attempting to come up with a diplomatic response, but Wulfe beat me to it.

He said, "As the king of lust, this book would want to test your skills in that area."

Damon scoffed and replied, "Fine, I don't have time to seduce the damn book right now. We'll see about that later. It's good that it allows you to touch it."

My book opened, revealing a message for Damon.

I allowed him to read it himself. "I am not inclined to share my power and knowledge with someone who does not understand true love. It saddens me to realize that my holder was right about you all along. I don't need your services, so don't bother trying to win me over with your touch, looks, or power. Just as my holder is a creature of love, so shall I be. Go be with the one you desire and let my holder be with the one who loves her with all their heart and soul. He is my guardian now, too."

Damon's expression remained neutral as he stood and walked towards Mariella, not even bothering to glance at us.

Oh, the fun we had with my book. Wulfe wanted it to reveal different things, especially about my vampire alpha power - how it could be cleansed and whether he could create a potion or concoction to aid in the cleansing process.

They had a lengthy conversation, during which I observed my book, writing various recipes that Wulfe either committed to memory or recorded in a small notebook.

It was a true reflection of my life - those who wanted to be with me and those who desired my power. Perhaps there was some love, but compared to the powerful love I felt emanating from Damon and Mariella, it paled in comparison. However, my true love, the one I held in my heart, was even stronger.

Wulfe sensed it and remarked, "That is one incredible superpower, my unicorn. We shall harness it as soon as I perfect those potions, cleanse your alpha powers, and ignite the flames of passion. Oh, my love, you will feel the depth of my devotion to you."

I now consider the upcoming media circus wedding as a necessary evil. I knew I would be heavily medicated, so I would have to read about our wedding in magazines later on. It was funny, in a sarcastic way. My life had always been so ridiculously amusing.

There I was, sitting with a huge amount of gifts at my feet and surrounding tables, like a queen, while my king loved someone else and didn't hesitate to show it. I let my emotions for Wulfe show on my face.

It wasn't in my nature to be neutral and just accept it silently. This new version of me refused to be the one sabotaging her own happiness, denying others while waiting for Damon to love me. 

Of course, when I saw Damon, Mariella, and Charles, I couldn't hide my disdain. And when Wulfe, Murdock, Dexter, or Colin, who had come to sit near us, talked to me and complimented me, I smiled and joked.

It wasn't a big surprise, but my vampire alpha book accepted Colin with no problem. He even got some amusing suggestions when he told the book that his nickname was Anaconda. Again, this was all because of my attitude. I refused to be the one who denied others while waiting for Damon to love me. 

Our little group had several Salvatores, like number two and number four, who came to meet my book. The book allowed them to try to seduce it, and then it complimented their skills and their love for me.

It told them the story of the woman who lost her love and went into a coma. This, of course, caught their attention, and they started coming up with protocols to ensure that I always had love in my life. 

I told number two, "I have some issues again about medical procedures. It brings up all of my issues with them."

Number two reassured me, saying, "My love, my life, it's just you. There's nothing to worry about. We will help you. Let's see what we can do during the heat. We've got you. Even number one has once again shown his true colors, and I apologize for that. You were right, but we've got you."

I could feel their love for me, and I shared just a hint of my pure love with them, which made them gasp.

Number four cursed, saying, "Shit, baby, a little warning next time. Oh, I have to isolate this. Oh my god, what power. You truly are a creature of love. I've never felt anything like this."

My wrist throbbed with pain, so I glanced down at it.

To my surprise, little hearts adorned it, each displaying the names "Wulfe, Murdock, Dexter, Colin," along with the numbers two and four.

Wulfe remarked, "Funny how it seems to work on your love. Well, I don't mind. Let's see when Damon learns his lesson."

We continued our conversation, analyzing the situation and observing how Damon only had eyes for Mariella, ignoring everyone else. If it were possible, I knew he would want to bear scars with Mariella too, but Wulfe assured me that his magic prevented it.

Damon belonged to me, just as I belonged to him. There was no official bond between them, no scars to mark their connection. Only a guardian bond existed between Mariella and Magnum, but it was weak, as Damon considered Magnum to be his enemy.

Damon had not yet fully mastered my blood manipulation ability, causing his emotions to seep into his blood when he sealed the bond. This time, it felt empowering to possess knowledge, instead of stumbling blindly in the dark.

Let's see what our third day holds in store for us. Will it be another day devoted to Mariella, or something entirely different?