The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Mariella stretched herself, finally awake after a long and painful infection. Damon had been the one to take care of her, and it had taken him three weeks to nurse her back to health. She was still feeling a bit weak, but it wasn't as bad as some of the other females who were still recovering.

Damon had left to check on something strange that had been bothering him. Mariella couldn't quite remember what it was, but it had affected Damon, making him distant and regretful. Unfortunately, their plans for breeding and having babies had been put on hold due to the infection. There would be no more lessons, meet and greets, or movie nights.

However, Mariella tried to see the silver lining and thought that maybe it was a good time to take a long holiday in the Azores. She missed those vacations, even though she mostly spent time with Damon and not the others. It was still a holiday, and in the past, it had always been a time for a break after an infection.

She fantasized about having ten Damons to take care of her and fulfill her desires. It was just her reaction to the infection, or at least that's what she told herself. It had been a while since their last holiday in the Azores, and Damon had spent time with Mimi and the others.

Yes, the Azores would be perfect. Maybe after that, it would be time for the vampire heat again. Mariella intentionally excluded Mimi from her plans, feeling a sense of threat from her. She couldn't control the thoughts that crossed her mind.

Damon walked back into the bedroom where Mariella was waiting for him. He felt empty, knowing that half of his hive had separated from him. They were no longer under his control, and he suspected that Mimi was the reason.

However, he didn't allow himself to dwell on that thought. He looked at Mariella, who was lying on the bed, having just showered and dressed herself.

Her hair was damp, clinging to her body, and her face was bare of makeup, giving her a youthful, innocent appearance. However, he could still see a slight frown on her face, a sign of her jealousy and possessiveness. Perhaps she was thinking about their holiday in the Azores. Even though Damon was a telepath, he didn't need his abilities to guess her thoughts.

"Five Salvatores have broken away from the group. They're still around, but I can no longer control them. They're on their own," he said softly.

Mariella was taken aback and asked, "Why? How? What does this mean? Where does this leave me? Have I lost them?"

Damon approached her, his voice calm and almost cold. "You never really had them, numbers two, three, four, nine, and ten. My guess is that Mimi was the catalyst. Maybe we should go and investigate."

Mariella lamented, "I've lost them. They don't love me."

Damon took a few steps and slapped her across the face, sharply barking, "Get over it! You never had them. How many times have you been told that it has to be mutual? They don't love you, just as you don't love them!"

Mariella was shocked by Damon's reaction. He pulled her up to stand and made her sit by the dresser, focusing on fixing her hair. Mariella's thoughts were scattered. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened and what it would mean for her. Why? How?

It was all Mimi's fault, or at least that's what she believed. No, it was time to go to the Azores, and then she would win them back. She didn't even stop to consider if she truly wanted them. Her not having them only made her desire them more. It was just another lesson for her to learn. 

After Damon had finished styling her hair and applying her makeup, they were ready to go investigate and listen to the reason why they had broken off and see what could be done.

Mariella wore a peach-colored button-down satin blouse and a cotton skirt, while Damon opted for a t-shirt and jeans. They walked to the kitchen together, with Mariella heading to the fridge to get some food and Damon going to make coffee.

Mariella's face scrunched up as she noticed the lack of choices on her shelf. On the other hand, Mimi's shelf was almost overflowing with delicious creations. Once again, everyone seemed to be worshiping Mimi, and Mariella couldn't understand why.

She voiced her thoughts, saying, "They have made plenty of food for her, but not much for me. I wonder if..."

Damon interrupted her, snapping, "Don't mess with her food. There's a reason for it. We just have to wait and listen. There's food for you, so stop being a brat and take your meals."

Mariella rolled her eyes, grabbed her food, and let Damon choose his. She knew he was in a snappy mood, so she behaved accordingly, not wanting to face any punishment.

Mariella went to her usual spot and arranged her plates in a circle, where the magic would soon warm the food to the perfect temperature. Tim, Taylor, Dresden, and Constantine entered the kitchen just as they were about to start eating.

They looked haggard and didn't talk much as they went to the fridge to get their own meals. Mariella noticed that the two wizards seemed anemic, indicating that vampires had fed on them.

Concerned, she looked at Damon, who waited for everyone to settle down before asking, "Why do you all look like shit? And you two," he pointed his fork at the wizards, "why are you anemic? How did you let them get to you?"

Dresden grunted and glanced at Constantine, who was uncharacteristically quiet and tired.

Tim said, "The Salvatores needed fresh blood, so they've been feeding on us."

Mariella furrowed her brow and asked, "But the blood room is full. What's going on?"

At that very moment, the sound of tired footsteps echoed through the kitchen. Mariella lifted her gaze to see numbers two, three, and four shuffling into the room. They appeared pale, skinnier than usual, and had dark stubble on their faces—a rare sight since they were typically quite hairless. This showed that they were under a lot of stress.

Damon raised his brow, observing as the three of them walked towards the fridge and began piling up food, particularly items with a vinegary taste. This meant they were replenishing themselves.

Damon asked, "Is there a problem? You three look terrible, loading up on food, and breaking away from the group."

Number two grunted, while four continued to search for more vinegary items. Three responded, "Yeah, there's a problem, but not for you. We broke away because we had to. She needed us."

Mariella furrowed her brow and asked, "Mimi? Right? Where is she? I want to hear from her. Why did she do this?"

Number two replied, "She's sick, the sickest of all. She's been sick all along, but she refused to let anyone know. She pushed through, gave her powers, and now things aren't going well for her. So we'll be occupied for who knows how long."

Damon fell silent, realizing that she wasn't someone who got sick easily.

He said, "How did she get sick? She's not usually prone to illness."

Three explained, "If you think about it, Elena and Katherine also got sick. None of them are magical or energy creatures, so this bug affected Mimi, too. But no one suspected it. She didn't tell Wulfe, Magnum, or Colin. She made everything happen, gave you her powers, raised the cubs, ensured everything was taken care of, and then she collapsed once we were free."

Mariella remained silent, understanding the situation.

She asked, "What can we do? You have her back, right?"

Number two replied, "One of us gives her antibiotics and fever reducers, another makes sure she doesn't lose her straps, and if there are three of us available, one tries to boost her power. But right now, there are only ten and nine caring for her, so they focused on sustaining her rather than giving her too much of a boost. We need to eat quickly."

Damon nodded and inquired, "What about Wulfe? Magnum? Colin?"

Number two explained, "Wulfe is in that room. We've placed an energy shield around him because this bug can affect him, too. Colin is taking care of the others, and Magnum is all over the place—he's been cooking and assisting others. No one wants to upset Wulfe; he's very unstable."

Mariella was uncertain about what she or Damon could do in this situation. Wulfe was extremely protective of Mimi, and considering her poor condition, he might react strongly if they were to simply take control without caution. This was all so new to Mariella.

Five of the Salvatores had split off because of Mimi, leaving her with half of the Salvatores to herself. Or did she even have that?

Damon was deep in thought and finally spoke up, saying, "Alright, it appears that I am needed since Mimi is in such a terrible state. I will handle that, but as for Wulfe, darling, he is your responsibility. You have to find a way to keep him calm. I have no idea how many of us it will take to help Mimi recover."

Number three muttered, "Next time, we need to establish a new protocol so, that she doesn't do this to herself again, damn it. She knew she was sick for weeks but kept going."

Number one nodded in agreement, acknowledging that they would have to remember this for the future, even if there was the slightest sign of infection. If she had told someone from the beginning, maybe things would be easier, but what's done is done. There's no use playing the "what if" game now.

Damon looked at Mariella and spoke sternly, "Now, darling, this is not the time for jealousy or manipulation of any kind. If I even suspect that you have planned something, I won't hesitate to sedate you until Mimi is well. Understand?"

Mariella was surprised by Damon's assertiveness, but she knew he meant every word he said, so she had to behave this time. They ate their meals, and Damon purposefully consumed vinegar-rich foods, loading up on them with his teeth. Mariella remained quiet.

Damon then said, "You need to focus on Wulfe. Use your power as a protector to help him relax. There's no need for him to be on edge. I have no idea what state Mimi is in or how long this will take. We don't even know what her ultimate condition will be."

Mariella, now composed, replied, "How do we prevent this from happening in the future? We need to come up with a plan. She has her powers, so she can hide her condition. Can we override them?"

Number two looked at her, furrowed their brow, and said, "I'm not entirely sure, but there might be a way to temporarily disable her powers so the truth can be revealed."

Number one grunted and suggested, "Find a way. Utilize the other Salvatores and see if Wulfe can contribute as well. We don't want anything too harsh for her, but it needs to be effective."

It was soon time to go see Mimi and start helping her. Number One was feeling a whirlwind of emotions and wasn't sure which one was the strongest.

Was it the feeling of letting her down by choosing Mariella over her? Or was it the heart-wrenching worry that made him shake? Perhaps it was the jealousy that burned in his soul like wildfire when he smelled her strawberry scent on the Salvatores. Or maybe it was the confusion about the future, now that everything had changed.

Half of his hive had broken off, and he had no idea what it would mean for the future. There was also the feeling of being less of a pack leader because he hadn't given instructions to check on Mimi.

He glanced at his tattoo, a constant reminder of his shortcomings and failure. But what was the use of blaming himself and not taking action? It was time for him to embrace the change, stop blaming himself, and take action.

He was the best helper for her, and he was determined to give it his all. Being her biological half meant he could be more efficient in helping her than he had been with Mariella.

The need to go and help Mimi felt almost like an obsession, even though he hadn't smelled her. He could already feel the first signs of a headache behind his eyes, and his fangs were reacting.

Mariella said, "I will come too. I have to taste her blood as well. I'm a savior, so I can put the formula in the machine or give it to you, depending on what my radar tells me. But she is our alpha female. She has given everything, and it's time for us to help her."

Damon nodded. He was ready, and this time, Mariella and her needs were secondary. He was learning and changing. Mimi was becoming increasingly important to him, and she was once again his priority, as she should be.

Maybe someday they would have time to have babies and enjoy watching them grow and learn as a family. But for now, in one bedroom, his wife was sick and weak. She needed him as much as he needed her. He needed to be there for her, to heal and help her, and to love her. She was a creature of love, and love was something she needed.