The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I was exploring the cub room, where I now had two litters. Just two days ago, I had given birth to my second litter. My four companions and several other members of the pack were there, but not Mariella or Damon, as they were close to giving birth as well. I wasn't angry or expecting them to be there.

The only thing that amused me slightly was Adam. He always found some excuse to visit and spend time with me. Wulfe, I could tell he was jealous. After Adam's visits, I would spend a few hours holding his hand and tolerating probing my mind. He hadn't learned about our rage release technique and felt sorry for needing Mariella to unload. I reassured him I was fine and harbored no ill will.

I didn't expect anyone to follow any specific expectations. Everyone was free to unload as they needed, and that was perfectly okay. I had been closely monitored since Bran's attack, even during my labor. I wasn't able to move much from the bed, as telepaths scanned my mind and my babies' minds to ensure no damage was caused by that device.

No one asked about my rage, and that's exactly how I wanted it—no unnecessary questions. Even my labor was somewhat of a spectacle. My den had been painted with light violet walls adorned with living lust vines. Soft mats and rugs covered the floor, and the cabinet was filled with supplies, formula, bottles, and even a drug cabinet.

I had a cannula in my spine, and doctors Colin and Number Four monitored my contractions. Numbers Two, Three, Magnum, and Wulfe initially cared for the cubs before they were moved to the official cub room. They had certain tasks, but they tried to give me peace and ensure the birth went as smoothly as possible.

It was all about compromise. During the middle of my labor, I tried to make everyone relax.

I repeatedly said, "I don't need Damon here. It's his decision to be wherever he needs to be with."

Number Two responded, "My love, I know you're putting on a brave face, but you can admit it."

I sighed and replied, "Damon, I told Number One long ago that his choices are his burden to bear, not mine. This is my reality. I know he made it clear who is next in line if he doesn't make it, but make no mistake, if I see fit, I will overrule each and every one of you."

Number four asked, "And why? What motivates you?"

I was unsure why I blurted it out in the middle of labor, with more than half of the pack present. Perhaps I was searching for someone who could understand, or maybe I was warning them.

I spoke with a weary voice. "I am an incredibly powerful alpha. Damon really needs to step up his game with me if he wants to have any control over me. You see, I envision myself as a snowball rolling down a hill. My power and influence grow with each roll, effortlessly overpowering all of you. I've been rolling for quite some time now. If I had a decent alpha male, this snowball wouldn't have had a chance to roll anywhere. But he doesn't seem to care, maybe because he's lazy and sees my strength as a good thing."

Wulfe, the one who understood me, crouched in front of me after handing a huge white tiger to Adam for treatment.

He said, "But that's not really what you desire, is it?"

I nodded. Number three asked softly, "Then what is it?"

I replied, "I yearn for someone strong enough to be an immovable obstacle. When the snowball hits, it stops and doesn't roll any further. Damon has been that at times, but then the obstacle gets removed and the piece keeps rolling, leading us back to where we started. I know it takes many to stop me, and this is a difficult time. I don't want half of the pack always prepared to confront me. I want to be kept under control, not because I abuse my power, but because..."

Charles finished my sentence. "Because it doesn't provide a sense of safety. Once again, you're the strongest."

I nodded. Numbers two and four exchanged irritated glances, and I tried to figure out why. Was it because of the hive or something else? But then I realized, a slight warmth in the pit of my belly told me it was my babies.

Those tiny embryos had made themselves known. I sent my love to them, and Wulfe, being particularly perceptive, looked at me curiously.

I told him, "Come on, let me show you."

Numbers two and four were also on my mind as I sent my love to my babies. They responded, and then Salvatores reciprocated.

Wulfe, who was teary-eyed, said in a thick voice, "Oh my god, Unicorn, I can sense them. They know me now... love... like yours."

Number two looked at the floor and blinked rapidly. It was one of those moments that connected us as a family, as a pack. I wasn't sad that Damon wasn't here; it was his choice. I had my guys, my family here. What else could I need?

As I was reminiscing and feeling our bond, a sharp stinging sensation woke me from my daydream. I cursed at myself and reluctantly admitted that I needed a drink from the kitchen. It had helped in the past.

I once again had a urinary tract infection (UTI), and as I had experienced before, drinking something like lemon juice usually did the trick. I didn't want to tell anyone; it was just one of those things that tend to happen after giving birth. It was my dirty little secret.

First, I went to my self-care cabinet and rummaged around. Ah, there it was, my infrared thermometer. I needed to check if I had a fever. Usually, if it registered a high temperature, it meant trouble.

Although my fever wasn't that high, the pain and discomfort were making me a little irritated. Plus, now I had someone with me almost all the time. I frowned as I read the number on the screen: 105.6°F.

Fuck, I had a slight fever. I just hoped no Salvatores would be too close. But then again, with Mariella and the Wolves being so close, or maybe being in labor, I might get lucky. One can always hope.

I walked into the bathroom first, biting my lip as I peed. The stinging turned into a burning sensation, like pissing razor blades. I emptied my bladder and carefully wiped myself. I had to think about my plan of action. 

I walked into the kitchen and found it empty, which was good. I headed to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Sprite with a hint of lemon. If it had just been lemon, I would have had to add something to make it more interesting. I noticed a few smoothies on my tray and took the one that smelled the most like lemon.

I placed it in my spot and then grabbed three lemons and two limes. I took out my electronic juicer from one of the cabinets and set it up.

Just as I finished juicing the limes, Mariella asked in a puzzled voice, "What are you doing? Do you have a craving or something?"

I replied, "Nothing too miraculous, just making a lemon-lime drink. Sometimes you need a little kick."

Mariella sat down and said, "I know Damon wasn't there for your labor, but believe me, he wanted to be. He's just been busy helping others and they need him."

I raised my hand and interrupted her, saying, "I've said this many times before. His choices are his burden to bear. I don't need you to make excuses for him. I understand jealousy and possessiveness, even though those aren't excellent traits. Just be honest and don't make him into someone he's not. I had my own support system, and you have no idea how the Salvatores are. They're such unique individuals, and frankly, I have a hard time choosing who to take. Number two is almost more my Damon, but number four is the one who did that amazing thing for me at the mall. Number three has a great sense of humor that makes me laugh until I can't breathe. Number five calls himself a psycho, but he's actually a skilled telepath and Wulfe's best student."

Mariella was silent for a moment and then said, "I... you really have taken them into your life. I've been such an idiot, missing out on opportunities. Oh, how I wish number three could make me laugh until I can't breathe."

I responded, "He's the one who came up with names for my species, my hybrids. We have things like the snow laguar, which is a combination of a snow leopard, jaguar, and leopard. Or the sand lion, which is a mix of a sandcat and a lion. He insists on being the one to give names to these species. We've also had therapy sessions together, which is fun because the cubs are bigger and more active. It makes Wulfe giggle when they tickle him. Magnum, on the other hand, thinks that my cubs have naughty ideas. He's a bit sensitive down below, and now I have three tanks of his bump as..."

Mariella was silent. I grabbed some lemons and used my electric juicer to extract as much juice as possible. Then, I put the rinds in my chopper and turned them into mush, which is useful for cooking. I took a spoonful of the mush and mixed it with the juice.

As I brought my final drink to the table and sat down, I silently cursed as I realized I had to go to the bathroom again. The pain was as intense as ever, and I had a new thought to hide my frustration. I cursed like a drunken sailor lost at sea when I finally finished. Of course, there were spots of blood, which made me roll my eyes. I cleaned myself up before returning to the kitchen.

Mariella had made some coffee and was bringing the pot to the table. She looked at me sharply but didn't say anything yet. I finished my drink and almost finished my coffee when, once again, I had to go.

I went to the bathroom and silently cursed as it took some time to empty my bladder completely. It wasn't concentrated urine, just normal, but there were flecks of blood in it. I racked my brain, trying to remember if I had any antibiotics nearby. I recalled Colin had made a flushing fluid for my bladder a long time ago when I had some bug.

Could my teeth do the same for me? Well, they would probably work for Salvatores, but they were my biological half, so maybe it would help me too. Asking for help didn't even cross my mind. I was the alpha female, strong and capable.

When I returned to the kitchen, Damon was sitting in his place, looking at me sternly. I felt fine, but he had a thermometer in his hands, and it beeped.

He looked at the reading, sighed, and said, "UTI, really baby? Do you know that there are many doctors in this pack, and a pregnant female nearing birth should not have a UTI? And you should not have kept your mouth shut. You have a fever, not too high yet, but it's there. Come on, let's go. Not to the medbay, I know your issues. We'll go to the bedroom, and I know what this is."

Mariella spoke up, saying, "You should have said something. If not Damon, then someone else. But he's taking care of it now."

I replied, "No biggie, I have them from time to time."

Damon's expression grew even more sour, and he said, "Funny, none of them are in your records. But this one will be, and missy, you can be sure that everyone will know, and you'll be under scrutiny for the rest of your pregnancies."

As I was on the verge of rolling my eyes, he snapped at me, "Please refrain from rolling your eyes, missy. It's not a pleasant sight, I understand, but damn it, you're putting your health at risk!"

He firmly grabbed my arm and teleported us to my bedroom, where Colin, Wulfe, Number Two, and Four were already waiting with angry expressions. Sensing their anger, I remained silent.

Damon instructed me, "Lie down, let's examine your blood and see what it reveals. Afterward, it's time for sleep so we can analyze and cleanse."

He sank his fangs into my neck, while some of them held my wrists. Darkness enveloped me like velvet as the sedative from Damon's concoction seeped into my veins through their fangs. I went limp in their grasp before I could even form a single thought in my mind. 

Damon sighed as he lifted Mimi into his arms and teleported into the medbay. It was time to update this stubborn creature's medical records. He was stumped when Mariella informed him that Mimi might have a UTI. Mimi had confessed to having them in the past, and he had to restrain himself, but now they knew.

There was a team of Salvatores and others to tend to her, so Damon let them care for her while Mariella needed him to look at a few things with their cubs. Damon didn't notice Mariella's clinginess and possessiveness once again.

She wanted Damon to herself, but she would face the consequences of that in time. No excuse of being hormonal would suffice anymore. She would learn in the future.

Once again, that damn promise hit him like a freight train. It felt like a shackle, not a promise of love forever. It had already cost him so much, and the toll just kept getting bigger and bigger.