The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I was standing near the wolves, engaged in a conversation about games and who was good at them. Personally, I was not skilled, and Pokemon was a game that often frustrated me. Mimosa and Shadow were decent players themselves, but they admitted that certain gyms in a few games were terribly difficult. I mentioned how some men played by the book, meticulously selecting the best specimen based on stats and such. However, I found this approach boring and not my style.

As I continued talking, I mentioned my plans to teach the cubs about plants and flowers.

Shadow warned, "Incoming! Number one is coming, and he is not happy."

I rolled my eyes, releasing a bit more of my pheromones. Mimosa smiled, and a smug grin appeared on my face.

Just then, Damon approached us with his silky voice, asking, "What are you all talking about, baby?"

Mimosa replied, "Not much, just discussing which Pokemon version is the most challenging and which gym is the worst."

Damon frowned, confused. Jax, who was nearby, started chattering away to Damon, pulling him along to meet the others and learn how to play Pokemon.

Once again, I rolled my eyes at Mimosa's dry sense of humor, acknowledging her accurate remark.

She said, "Damn, Mimi, I have to hand it to you. You've raised those cubs perfectly. They protect you."

I replied, "It's not intentional. I never planned for them to save me, but our bond is strong. Besides, they love talking about Pokemon games and all that stuff."

Mimosa insisted, "Don't deny it, you must have done something."

I smiled and explained, "Pheromones, Mimosa. Pheromones are my weapon and defense. Damon is particularly susceptible to them. I simply released a few special ones to catch the cubs' attention. And as you know, they do protect me. Clever little ones."

Mimosa shook her head in disbelief. 

As we were talking, I noticed Mariella interacting with Mimosa's cubs. She was leading a bunch of them towards Damon, wrapping herself around him to get his attention. However, it didn't go as planned.

Damon grabbed her neck and pushed her against the wall. He hissed something in her ear, causing her to pale. Mariella responded quietly, and finally, Damon released her. She crumbled to the floor, and it took some time before Taylor came to help her up.

I just shook my head. Damon may try to assert his dominance, but it doesn't bother me at all. After all, I am simply teaching my cubs and having conversations with pack members. I'm not doing anything wrong here. I knew there was nothing he could use against me to attack or control me. Nope.

Eventually, Damon walked over to us and asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Mimosa replied, "Just girl stuff, nothing for you."

Her tone was perfect, so Damon moved closer, forcing Mimosa to back off. He began asserting his dominance over her, pressing himself against her and making sure she didn't show any attitude. Even a simple eye roll from Shadow got him worked up, and he had his next targets ready.

I calmly moved away, and after 15 minutes, Mindy approached me.

"Mommy, I think something is wrong with me," she said.

I looked at her and asked, "Why do you think that?"

Mindy replied, "My tail... tails?"

I picked her up and examined her tail. It was splitting, with two distinct tips that were sensitive and moving. Colin came over as I shared my confusion with him, and he also inspected Mindy's tails.

"My tails... I'm a freak," Mindy said.

I reassured her, saying, "You're not a freak, sweetheart. You're my very own Pokémon. Your tails are evolving, just like Vulpix's. But I don't think you can breathe fire. You're just a very special one."

Mandy came closer as well, and she had even more separate tails, three in total. Colin found this fascinating. Mariella and Taylor also came to see, and Mariella was amazed by my cubs' multiple tails.

Internally, I rolled my eyes. I had managed to create the most special creatures in the entire universe, but oh well, it is what it is. There wasn't much I could do about it.

I was standing next to Charles, feeling his arm around me while Damon was talking with the cubs. He was in the middle of them, and they were teaching him about the art of playing Pokemon and what to look for.

They were also pointing out how poorly I was playing, as I was choosing the cutest or the Pokemon I wanted instead of the most powerful ones. The other Salvatores were also talking to the cubs. I overheard Jax telling numbers ten and nine about my lesson on making babies, and Charles smirked as he listened.

He said to me, "Someday, my love, honey, I will ravish you, hard and fast, and make you scream like no other."

I dryly replied, "Get in line, Wulfe, Magnum, Three, and Two have already told me what they're going to do once the babies are elsewhere."

Charles's heated voice made me blush again. "I'm not going to wait that long, honey. You can be sure of that. Soon, you'll be beneath me, moaning, begging, and gasping as I rail you in all of your holes."

Adam looked at me and winked, too. Fine, it seemed like I was going to have some fun in the future, and it was promising. But then again, the questions of when, how, and how long remained unanswered.

I knew exactly how to behave, not being too bold but also not being timid. I was walking a fine line. I noticed Damon watching me several times, but I didn't go overboard or give him a reason to pursue me, not yet.

I had too much to enjoy watching the cubs play and chase after fake growls and hisses. It was adorable to see how young they still were, and even though they grew rapidly, they were still quite young. This time was fleeting, and I had to fully embrace and enjoy it.

We were in a large space with a high ceiling arching above us. As we had planned, it was soon time for the highlight of the day. Cartoon boxes were already drawn from the ceiling, telling our story, the cubs' story. Soon, it would be time for Wulfe and the Salvatores to add their daily contribution to our cartoon, our story.

The cubs loved this moment. The Salvatores had also brought Mariella's cubs, and they were getting along well with the others. Of course, they were a little overwhelmed at first, but children adapt quickly.

As I stood in the midst of the lively chatter, I noticed that the space had been carpeted to ensure the cubs wouldn't slip and injure themselves. It was a pleasant green carpet, reminiscent of grass, making it a joy to walk on. The large windows were adorned with light yellow curtains, made of a gauzy material that allowed the twilight of summer nights to be visible. However, the cubs were too engrossed in their fun to pay attention to the outside view. 

Then came the time for us to write our story. The cubs directed their attention towards the ceiling, where Wulfe and several others focused intently. Golden strands shot from their fingers, reaching and forming new pictures on the ceiling.

Mindy and Mandy with their tails, along with other cubs like Mariella and Damon, as well as myself and Charles kissing. Wulfe always had a mischievous side to him. Damon, on the other hand, observed silently, perhaps contemplating if he wanted to be part of the writers or not. 

After marveling at the pictures we had created, it was time to return to our respective wings, our homes. We would all walk together, saying goodnight to each cub as we reached their places.

I was always the last one, bidding everyone farewell. It was part of their education, learning to say goodbye and move on. I whistled sharply, capturing the attention of all the cubs, regardless of who their mother was. As the alpha female, they recognized my status and listened attentively.

I announced, "Alright, it's time to head home once again, guys. You know the routine, let's go!"

Leading the way, I set off, with Charles and Adam starting a song. We walked along our usual route, singing as we went, starting with "Auld Lang Syne," a song the cubs were familiar with, and then moving on to "Amazing Grace." We had other songs too. 

The first ones to leave our group were Mimosa's brood. We paused to exchange one last nod, and they went on their way to do whatever they had planned. The rest of us continued, with Damon now walking beside me, holding my hand. He had wrapped our hands together, pressing our scars against each other.

He said, "We are the alpha couple of the pack, so we do this together. As I mentioned before, things will change, and I will go with you. Mariella will come too, so keep that in mind."

I rolled my eyes, but agreed. Let them come along. Damon and I continued singing, as it was an important part of our routine, a farewell of sorts. Although it wasn't originally my idea, Charles had suggested it, and I didn't mention that to Damon, knowing how significant it was to the cubs. 

We strolled, sang, and bid farewell to each litter when it was time for them to go home, so to speak. Everything went smoothly, and I had no problem with it. Damon was quiet, he did sing, but he didn't comment or talk about anything.

Eventually, we arrived at our wing. Our muted rainbow colors welcomed us, along with soft carpets. The hungry flock of cubs eagerly rushed into the dining room for their last snacks. After that, it would be time for the movie. Tonight, we were watching The Lion King.

I wasn't sure how Wulfe or Mariella would react to it, but we would be feeding the little ones as it started, so maybe, just maybe, I would miss the unpleasant parts, so to speak.

Damon said aloud, "Baby, the movie doesn't start until we're all here, so you can't skip it."

I rolled my eyes and thought, "Fine, then."

Damon said to me, "We're here to help with the little ones too, so we can feed them quickly and start the movie night in earnest."

I sighed and rolled my eyes again. Mariella said to me, "You've really perfected the art of eye rolls, I must say. But Damon is right. If we have to watch it, so do you. Besides, feeding the babies is wonderful. We're using protection, so there's no danger of bugs getting to your cubs."

Damon softly added, "Our cubs. They're mine too."

This caused a fleeting flicker of irritation to flash across Mariella's face, but the sharp gaze in Damon's eyes made her back off and remain silent. I didn't comment, but I made sure the cubs were eating their snacks as I went to feed my own small cubs.

It wouldn't be long before I had another litter, and soon the next litter would join us, making things even more exciting and maybe even more stressful. But it would be fine. My plans, our plans, were solid. We had gotten the hang of this whole teaching thing, so we could handle a bigger crowd as well. 

What would Damon's little invention bring to us? It was impossible to predict. Much would depend on whether the Salvatores would cooperate or stubbornly refuse to ask for help and try to change everything. In a perfect world, Damon would surely recognize my weaknesses, help me improve, and listen to reason when it came to other matters. But then again, maybe this world wasn't so perfect after all.

Well, it would be what it would be. No matter how much I twisted and turned it in my mind, it wouldn't change anything. Only time would tell and show us the outcome. Maybe, just maybe, Damon would go back to Mariella and we could continue as we were. But change was so damn hard for me, and I knew I had to muscle through it.

As I fed my smaller cubs and placed them into their stations, I murmured to them all the time, lost in my own thoughts. I didn't even notice Damon standing next to me, mirroring my actions. His soft voice crooned to our little ones, and his gentle kisses on their muzzles elicited a few hisses.

He said to me, "Baby, next time, I'll be there. And this time, none of them will hiss at me."

I replied, "My veins haven't been checked yet, so I'm not sure if it will be a natural birth or an operation. It might not entirely be your choice what happens."

Damon nodded and said softly, "I do love you, you know that. I haven't been very good at showing it, but baby, let me try again."

I reassured him, "I don't doubt your love for me, not one bit. But it's a matter of priorities, promises, and choices. You have to live with yours, just as I have to live with mine. I don't want to be the one always denying you, but..."

Damon nodded understandingly and said, "Mariella, I understand. If she has any problems, it's more than likely that I..."

He trailed off, shaking his head, and looked at me, asking, "What should I do, Mimi baby? You tell me what I have to do, and I'll do it, no matter what happens to Mariella."

I hesitated, torn between wanting to seize this opportunity and make him stay with me, no matter what. However, I knew deep down that I couldn't change who I was, just like those before me.

So, I mustered the courage to say, "I don't want you to hate me, so I won't hold you back, no matter how much you may want it right now. But if there ever comes a time when you should be with Mariella, and I force you to stay with me, you would grow to despise me. I don't want that. It was difficult, and I won't do it again."

Damon nodded, continuing to interact with the cubs. I could tell he was disappointed and felt rejected. I allowed him to sense just how much this decision pained me as well. Perhaps this newfound honesty would be the best way forward. Maybe if he truly understood my feelings for him, it would persuade him to stay. There was no reason for me to hide them anymore.

This was the new me, someone who let everything out. Now, it was just a matter of facing the consequences that this honesty, being the best policy, would bring into my life.