The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I woke up once again, wrapped in Damon's arms. It was a wonderful feeling to wake up and realize that I, Mimi Salvatore, loved my name and was sleeping beside my husband.

He was truly fulfilling his promise by sticking with me like a stubborn burdock. If it wasn't him, it was Charles, Adam, and Wulfe. Those three, along with Damon's permission, were allowed to use their alpha power on me if necessary.

But I never had any time to myself. There was always someone with me. Even during showers, my loving husband acted as my personal washer, although I didn't always feel that horny, I still enjoyed it.

My mind was constantly preoccupied with issues in the pack, particularly in preparing the perfect cub-raising room and getting ready for our first litter.

It was amusing to go to the kitchen and see Mariella exhausted and used by Wulfe or some of the other Salvatores, as Wulfe had taught them new ways to use her. It was all part of her education.

According to Wulfe, Mariella needed to learn to be used, as she had been too focused on her own desires. This was all part of our new life in the pack, where females were kept under control and the pack was preparing for breeding.

Of course, it didn't mean that we behaved perfectly. Elena and Katherine kept running away whenever danger approached, and Mariella made the mistake of trying to defend them. As a result, she had to spend some time in the medbay to improve her blood levels.

As for me, I didn't rely on feeding through my veins as much, but internally, my husband, my protector, had created the perfect bump for me. And he was more than eager to give it to me. I only had one week left while the other females had ten days, but I hadn't told Damon anything yet.

I had managed to keep it a secret, but I was worried about how I would find peace in my den to give birth. I hoped that as the other females progressed, they would require more care and attention, which would distract Damon.

One could always hope, right? Wulfe's voice buzzed in my mind, carefully scanning for my hidden thoughts. He wanted Damon to succeed, so he told him where to find and how to recognize them.

So, from time to time, I would experience sharp bouts of headaches as Salvatore destroyed them. It was really nice to lie next to Damon, even though my belly and sides were full as ever, so I wasn't too close to hear his heart. But he would still embrace me, and sleep next to me.

And we usually had quite passionate times in the evenings. However, I didn't have as much stamina as usual, so it would only last a few hours before I became too tired. But he would still sleep with me. As we drifted off to sleep, he would usually intertwine our hands, keeping us connected as always.

I would often wake up before him, feeling his presence in my soul. This connection felt so perfect, and my tattoo grew more detailed each day. At first, it was just a heart with Damon's name, but then it gained color and fancier fonts, along with various decorations.

I couldn't help but gaze at his perfect face. He looked so young. And in this moment, I could feel our love and our future cubs. However, a part of me still maintained some distance, not fully trusting that this could last forever.

I had learned bitter lessons in the past, and this one stuck with me after our first breeding season. Maybe his need to be close to me was only temporary, just for breeding season.

But seeing him drooling, feeling my dried drool on my own cheek, made me smile. We were so similar, both carrying the weight of our pasts. I pushed away any thoughts that tried to dampen my happiness, focusing on enjoying this moment.

I had managed to find a few hours to work, with Wulfe sitting on the sofa, keeping an eye on me, and Adam and Charles bringing me food, coffee, and drinkable versions of everything, just like when Damon had been busy.

Unfortunately, I didn't make much progress. I simply followed what Old Anders had set for the accounts and donations. He had also made some adjustments to certain stocks, but I didn't really understand what he did, so I left them as they were.

However, I did have some work to do with the forests. I needed to conduct surveys to identify any pest problems and report on the flora and fauna. I had arranged for the fallen trees to be chopped into large chunks by workmen and delivered to specific warehouses for drying.

I had even looked up wood turning and resin on the internet, planning to use them as materials, but only once I wasn't pregnant anymore.

Once again, we needed surveys and suggestions for the forests. Additionally, we could use a few trunks in our feline rooms, so we had the necessary materials. To avoid inconveniencing everyone, I had taken these forests out of our flea stocks and transferred them to my personal assets.

However, I hadn't yet had the chance to explore the many buildings, businesses, and land that we owned. Alaric and Charles had been occupied, and I had refrained from speaking up. Within my organization, I had a few ideas for specific buildings, but I would need someone to assess them.

As I contemplated my work, I failed to notice when Damon woke up.

He said to me, "Oh baby, it's great to see you thinking about all these things while lying next to your telepathic other half. I'm all caught up now. Let's get to work today."

I replied, "No need, Damon. I handle my organization. It's not difficult."

Damon responded, "It's not just yours anymore, it's ours. You may be the one behind it, but this is a new version now. After breakfast, or even during it, I'll send information to the Salvatores, Alaric, and Magnum, and your ideas will get things done. As for the financial management, I'm a genius. With ten Salvatores, it'll be fun. So, we'll take care of those accounts. Your plans for wood turning won't happen under my watch. Good idea to use those trunks in the feline rooms, though. We can create different layouts and build cubs in better areas outside. Alaric will handle the buildings and businesses. Let's see if we can use some of them as clinics for victims or halfway houses, just like you planned."

I sighed and said, "You know, sometimes it's frustrating how you override or take over my ideas, but fine. I haven't even acquired wood-turning equipment yet, but as you recall, there are possibilities with resin, too."

Damon replied, "We have plenty of guys, even wizards, who enjoy doing handwork. It's great that you give ideas. I'll make sure to pass them on. Then let's see if we can get new tables in our houses, baby."

I glanced at him and asked, "What?"

He responded calmly, "Make sure you share those surveys and reports from the forests as soon as you receive them. They belong to me as well."

His voice had a firm tone, but I rolled my eyes and replied, "Of course, my love. However, the documents may contain professional jargon that you, not being a biologist or botanist, might not understand. But you can certainly read them."

He smirked and playfully said, "Oh baby, I enjoy absorbing your knowledge. It's fun." He kissed me and added, "We have a busy day ahead, so I'll shower first, then you, and then we'll have breakfast."

He got up, gently untangled himself from me, and walked naked towards the shower. I watched him, reminiscing about our first night together, which seemed like ages ago. Given the nature of my life, I had to remain prepared for anything. I couldn't let my guard down and get lost in daydreams.

As I stretched, allowing the sheet to fall off me, the door opened, and Number Ten entered.

He paused at the door, looked at me, and said, "Good morning, baby. You still look stunning, even while pregnant. I'm not sure I can control myself if you don't cover up with that sheet."

Feeling lazy, I smiled at him. I may not have been in the mood to be so modest, but just as Mariella walked in, she glanced at me, smiled, and swiftly covered me.

She said, "I must say, Mimi, it's no wonder you know how to seduce Damon. Even I, a pregnant woman, find it hard to resist you. But Number Ten is here for a medical matter. He's checking if you're close to lactating and will administer a remedy. It's Colin and Salvatore's joint creation, which should work for you too."

Damon emerged from the shower, smiling at Mariella, and said, "Ah, it's ready. Excellent, you can give it to her. You know how eager she is to lactate. Now, darling, how much time do you have left?"

Mariella replied, "According to Colin, it's 9-10 days, maybe even less."

Damon nodded, looked at me with a hint of tension, and said, "You're progressing faster than them. I'd say you have less than a week left. So, you'll continue to be monitored, no secret birthing."

I remained silent, sensing the impending lactation in my breasts. However, Number Ten approached and injected something into my arm, at the same time, making a spell causing my muscles to bind and temporarily immobilizing me in bed. It made my heart race, as I still had some anxiety about injections and medical procedures. 

However, I wanted to show Damon that I had some trust in him, so I asked, "Do you have any idea if my powers can be removed if they leak into milk?"

Damon furrowed his brow and tersely replied, "No lactation. That will ensure it. Why do you ask?"

I explained, "I have a freezer full of my breastmilk with my powers in it, in Moldova and Bhutan. I lactated for a long time and quite profusely. At one point, I even considered using it in cooking, but I'm not sure if my powers are still present in the milk. It wouldn't be suitable for babies or cubs, as it would have too much power."

Damon responded, "Thank you. We will check those milks and figure out what to do. As the alpha female, you produce the best milk, so we might be able to dilute it or mix it with formula. You always surprise us, keeping us busy."

Mariella remained silent but moved closer to Damon, who had already dressed himself. Soon, she was in his arms.

Damon looked at me and said, "Go shower, get dressed, and join us for breakfast. Let's see what this day has in store for us."

I kept my expression neutral. This was perfect. I would have some time to myself while they dealt with my power-filled milk and the flea situation. All it took was a few bursts of certain happiness pheromones to naturally attract Mariella to Damon, not for sex, but to be comforted and cared for.

My pheromones gave Damon a sense of happiness and contentment, with Mariella by his side. Number Ten was preoccupied with ideas for my power-filled milk, the situation was as I wanted, which I manipulated on purpose.

As a strong alpha female, a few nights of cuddling were not enough to tame me or suppress my need for solitude. I was quite ruthless when it came to pursuing what I wanted.

As they left, I entered the shower and took my time, savoring the moment. I needed some time alone and wasn't sure which flea assets would be resolved and which would still be my responsibility.

I hadn't even mentioned to Damon the new requests to review our warehouse lists and determine what needed to be used and what could be discarded.

And as there was a ton of stuff, from guns and explosives to furnishings, looted items, medical devices, and raw materials, Old Anders had managed these warehouses. He kept lists, and if he noticed something was needed, he could point them to a certain warehouse.

However, they were filled to the brim. I would have to see if we had personnel available for a little overhaul, moving stuff from place A to place B. Being a leader was a never-ending job, and it seemed that once I finished some tasks, I soon had another list of ten items in my hands. But at least I would be busy, with no need to just sit and look pretty.

Finally, as I got out of the shower and got dressed, I barely had time to put my robe back in the bathroom when Wulfe walked in. He made me sit down as he skillfully fixed my hair.

He said to me, "Now, my unicorn, after breakfast, we'll go to our office. Adam, Charles, Alaric, and Magnum are ready too, and we'll get to see those inventory lists and who handles what."

I replied sarcastically, "It seems Big Brother is watching me. No need to suffocate me."

Wulfe grunted and said, "That's not going to work on me. Your pheromones may be able to keep Salvatore's pack away, but not us. Oh, you have no idea how ready everyone is. It's good to have something to tinker with from time to time."

I sighed. My life wasn't as simple as I sometimes wanted it to be. It was nice to have some problems to solve, but there were others just as eager to solve them. So, as a pregnant alpha female, I didn't have to fix everything or stress myself out. I was being looked after, and this was new to me—not to Mariella or the wolves, but to me. It was something I hadn't gotten used to yet.

But it was time for me to start learning this new life of mine. No more just being the leader, I had my guys taking things out of my hands. And maybe one thing I needed to work on was my lack of trust.

"Stop, my unicorn. Stop knotting your mind. Move on and focus on your cubs. It's less than a week away, and then you'll be plenty busy before you even realize it." Wulfe's voice in my mind was stern enough to stop me in my tracks.

Instead, I focused on thinking about whether I needed a few more cartoon DVDs. One of the ones I had gotten was an old French animation series called "Once Upon a Time.. Life." It was an anatomy lesson for children.

I planned to watch that one, along with Pokémon, Disney classics like Donald Duck, and action-packed favorites like The Avengers, Spider-Man, and He-Man. I kept my mind on the impending arrival of my parenthood, not dwelling on matters of the heart or work.

It was time to start another day of being cared for, monitored, and pampered, too. Maybe, just maybe, the trust would come in time, and this burning need to have my cubs in my secret den would fade away.