The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

As Wulfe and Magnum escorted Mimi out of the kitchen, Mariella rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. She was exhausted from all the drama surrounding Mimi. Mimi was refusing to get better, and Mariella was frustrated.

She was upset that Mimi was weak and needed constant care from the pack. Mariella couldn't help but feel jealous and angry because Mimi had been involved with other Salvatores. She was upset because she had seen how happy Mimi was every morning, whether it was waking up on top of Salvatores or engaging in wild fucking all night long with those who should have been devoted to Mariella.

Mimi had taken everything away from her, and Mariella was not just mourning the loss, but also feeling envious. She wanted things to go back to the way they were in the past. After the infection, she was the one who should have been cared for and received all the attention from the Salvatores. But this time, it wasn't happening, and Mariella couldn't handle it.

She sat in the kitchen, eating her meal, satisfied that Mimi had been escorted out. At least now she might have a chance to seduce a few of the Salvatores. She glanced at number two sitting next to her and pressed her body against him.

She asked, "Damon, do you love me? I know you all love Mimi, and there's nothing I can do about that. But do you love me?"

The number two looked at her, his expression as cold as ever, and his voice filled with darkness. Mariella couldn't believe his response.

"Now, darlin', think carefully if you really want me to answer that. I won't lie; I'll be honest."

Mariella opened her mouth, but a sharp gaze from number one made her snap it shut, and she remained silent. That answer would mean that he didn't love her. But then again, she was a creature of lust, so maybe there was a more suitable angle.

She leaned against him again, allowing her hand to touch his chest, and she whispered, "I'm not really a creature of love, but of lust. So let me rephrase: do you lust after me? Do you want to ravish me, make me beg for release, make me moan and writhe beneath you?"

Number two arched his eyebrow and a slight smirk appeared on his face as he spoke. "Hmm, you're quite the seductive creature. I know you can beg, that's for sure. I have a reputation for my skills in the bedroom. I can make you beg and squirm, too."

Mariella smirked in response, confident in her abilities to manipulate the Salvatores. Oh, how she planned to take advantage of the situation. Poor Mimi was in for a rude awakening, even if the Salvatores weren't as enamored with her as the number one was.

Mariella happily focused on her meal, a delicious dish of chicken in butter sauce and mashed potatoes. She didn't have to indulge in fatty beef like Mimi did, and she enjoyed a more varied diet. It was just another thing that made her happy, along with the fact that she was in good shape, thanks to Damon. Unlike Mimi, she wasn't skinny and weak.

As Mariella pondered, she realized that there were many good things in her life that were better for her than for Mimi. She knew she was acting like a jealous hag, but she didn't care at the moment. She was being selfish, a combination of stress, impending vampire heat, and other factors influencing her behavior. But she knew that reality would eventually catch up with her and remind her of the harsh truths of life and her new way of living.

As she focused on her meal, she looked at the light yellow plate and the delicate knife and fork in her hands. They were not too shabby, but if Mimi had chosen them, she would have to change them. However, if Damon had chosen them, her subtle manipulation would backfire. She needed to figure out who made the choice.

Before she could ask or think out loud, number ten spoke coldly, "These were chosen and bought by Charles and Adam. Feel free to share your opinion on them."

Charles and Adam looked at Mariella sharply. She smiled politely, realizing it wasn't wise to upset them. She didn't need half of the pack hating her. She was aware that most pack members were on Mimi's side, seeing her as the victim and Mariella as the villain. Perhaps she would have a chance to redeem herself at some point, but for now, she needed to ensure that Mimi didn't gain any more favor or sympathy. 

Mariella contemplated how she could coax Mimi into speaking and embarrass her, proving to everyone that she was no longer weak. She couldn't stop these thoughts from consuming her.

Damon let out a tired sigh, but Mariella didn't notice. Damon focused on his meal, exhausted by Mariella's impending vampire heat, which made everything more challenging. The entire pack was aware of it, knowing that Mariella would be difficult.

However, Damon desperately tried to give Mimi as much time as possible to recover. She was still weak, and Damon regretted his cold behavior towards her when she had fallen and injured herself. But he was also jealous. There was no reason for his jealousy, as he had been involved with Mariella for a long time, engaging in passionate and rough encounters.

He was upset that others had helped Mimi recover and get back into shape, while he had been too intense for her to handle. By the time Mimi was ready for satisfying sex, he was already involved with Mariella and allowed others to take care of Mimi.

However, jealousy continued to burn inside him. He couldn't resist Mariella's demands, even though she had been dictating their actions for the past few days, insisting that they wake Mimi up and have breakfast together, just to prevent her from spending time with the Salvatores or having too much fun.

Damon was disappointed in himself and the whole situation. Once again, it felt like things had spiraled out of control, and it was too late for him to intervene. He wanted to raise his hands in surrender or leave for the Azores and let Mimi recover on her own. But his jealousy fueled his determination to ensure that Wulfe and Magnum wouldn't be with Mimi.

As Mariella began to emit the scent of vampire heat, it was the perfect distraction. It would keep Wulfe and Magnum occupied for at least a month, giving Mimi enough time to stand on her own and reducing the risk of Wulfe joining her on a road trip or any other plans she had. 

Damon was enjoying his meal, a delicious meat pie made by Mimi. However, a twinge of unease crept over him. They had been getting along so well, but now everything seemed to be falling apart. He felt like he had ruined everything, and their relationship was once again taking a hit. But what could he do about it right now? Nothing. He had to move on and salvage what he could.

So, he found himself appeasing Mariella, doing what she wanted and being with her. Her jealousy only fueled the fire. Damon was too tired to think of any other way. He knew that eventually, he would have to face the consequences of his actions, but not right now. For now, he needed to focus on helping Mimi recover so they could enjoy their time together.

Maybe they could even go on a fantastic vampire road trip to the Azores. Someday, he would have to face Mimi again and see what remained of their relationship. Perhaps there would be nothing but ashes, but like the Phoenix, their love might rise from the ashes and survive. Damon just didn't have the energy to think about how or why or what it would take.

Pack life could be wonderful at times, but there were also moments like these when everything went wrong. And what could he do about it? Not much, really. Did he even want to try? Why did it have to be so difficult? Maybe it was all about balance. The good times would be as good as possible, while these difficult times would linger in his mind, causing displeasure for various reasons.

Damon had mentioned to others that Mariella was experiencing vampire heat, which might explain her outburst. This was one reason why no one had reacted strongly to her behavior. Vampire heat would be beneficial for the pack, even though it meant Mimi would be separated from them. However, Damon had come to understand Mimi better and suspected that she might actually want some time alone. After all, she had grown accustomed to it over the years.

In time, after the holidays and everything else, pack life would return to normal. Damon tried to convince himself of these facts. He was suppressing his conscience and doubts, reassuring himself that this setback was necessary for their relationship. As pack leader, he had to believe that this was the only way forward. 

Life was what it was, and damn, he couldn't deny the stress that this had been for him too. The most upsetting thing was that they had no idea where the hell this infection had come from, and they were unsure when they would find out. Maybe they could ensure that it wouldn't happen again next time.

However, he wasn't in the mood to launch a full-on medical study of everything. Conducting microbiological sweeps would take time, and even then, the results might be inconclusive at best.

What Damon didn't realize was that deep down, he had a suspicion about the true cause of this infection. His subconscious mind blocked it, as he didn't want to confront the possibility that Mariella could be the reason. There was a clinical part of him that held this suspicion, but it never fully surfaced.

Instead, it left him with a restless feeling, as if something wasn't quite right, yet he couldn't pinpoint it. Eventually, when the truth was revealed, it would have a profound impact on everyone. They would have to face the facts, take responsibility, and see how this revelation would affect the entire pack. 

The future would bring its own set of variations, and the truth behind the infection would be revealed sooner rather than later. This revelation would have a profound impact, altering everything, yet also leaving things unchanged. It was one of those situations that initially caused Damon to bury his head in the sand before confronting it. Despite the pack's growth in size, implementing significant changes was not an easy task. The new dynamics with the Salvatore hive only added to the complexity for many pack members.

What irritated Mariella even more was the fact that she seemed to be the only one upset by this. The wolves saw it as a positive development, appreciating that Mimi had her own Salvatores and that not everyone idolized Mariella or tried to emulate number one.

Each individual in the pack had their own identity. This made Mariella feel like a villain, consumed by jealousy, although she couldn't control her behavior while experiencing vampire heat. Once the heat subsided, things would be different, but for now, she remained as impossible as ever.

The breeding season had come to an end, a notorious time for their pack, making everything unnecessarily complicated and challenging. Life wasn't easily molded to their desires, and surprises colored their path forward, both in the present and the future. Time would hopefully aid them on their journey, as there were always lessons to be learned by Damon, Mariella, and the rest of the pack. Being immortals didn't guarantee an easy or effortless life, not by a long shot. It was just one small facet of their existence.