The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My heart raced, pumping adrenaline through my veins like a wild horse. My whole body felt jittery with disbelief. It couldn't be real. I must have been drugged, hallucinating these vivid images. Two familiar men stood by the bed, men I thought I would never see again.

Jake reached out and touched me, his smile tinged with sadness. "My love, I'm here, but time is limited. I'm here to help you, to get you out of here. This is real, believe me."

I was speechless. Rob pulled me to my feet, embracing my naked body. A mixture of scent and desire.

"Oh, my love, I've longed to do this for so long," he whispered.

I was in shock, disoriented, and exposed. Adrenaline syringes lay on the table. Jake rummaged through the wardrobe, searching for clothes, while Rob gently guided me towards the shower. As the water cascaded down, Rob made sure it was hot before leading me underneath. He lathered shampoo into my hair, his touch gentle yet effective. Jake, the sponge in hand, began to cleanse my body, his touch filled with longing. They scrubbed away any remnants of scent and desire, leaving me clean. They helped me out of the shower, wrapping a bathrobe around me and a towel around my wet hair.

I couldn't comprehend what was happening. I didn't know why or how to trust it. It felt like a dream, a dream I didn't want to wake up from. I wondered if some demon was influencing my mind, but the feeling of their hands, the sight of them so close, it was too wonderful to be a mere illusion. They dried me off, Jake assisting me in getting dressed. They spoke to me softly, guiding me through what I needed to do.

Jake held me up and said, "My love, I'll always be by your side, even if I can't stay in this form for long. I'll do everything I can to make sure you're okay. I'm so proud of Tim, and how you've helped him become the man I can be proud of."

I looked at him, my voice trembling, "But... why... how... is this a dream?"

Rob stood next to me, his voice soothing, "No, my true love, this is not a dream. We're here, thanks to your twins. They gave us a boost so we could save you. This is real, and we have precious little time together in this form."

Men were leading me through a labyrinth of endless corridors, the walls stretching on and on. I couldn't grasp my location or how much time had passed. My mind, clouded by drugs and their lingering effects, struggled to think clearly. Their hands held mine tightly, providing a sliver of comfort amidst the confusion.

Yet, I couldn't be certain if they were mere hallucinations. The sensations overwhelmed me–their footsteps echoed, their presence visible, their scent lingering–but doubt lingered. I felt trapped in a never-ending nightmare, while they attempted to transform it into something better.

My anger, my darkness, all seemed to fade away. I was empty, devoid of even the craving for violence, no longer feeling invincible as I once had. I wasn't even a victim; I was just "Mimi," weak, used, and manipulated. Part of me understood that it would take time to regain control of my mind, and this might be yet another pivotal moment in my life.

I recalled hearing Krycheck discuss how simple it was to induce feelings of love with a few compounds, and perhaps Damon had manipulated my brain chemistry to gain a stronger hold on me. Or was there ever any love to begin with? It had felt so incredibly real, yet it had been nothing more than the product of drugs. I despised my weakness, my feeble mind. As we ascended the stairs, I felt like a child being led by her parents, utterly vulnerable. Something within me had nearly died.

Jake looked at me and said, "Flea, this is difficult to get out. You need your rage. It's been blocked, but we will unleash it. However, we can't stay in this form much longer. You know what to do and where to go once you're free. My love, it's been wonderful to be able to touch you again, to smell you."

I was still in shock and replied, "Krycheck, he messed with me, and manipulated my feelings. There is no love. It's all fake."

Rob reassured me, "Mimi, listen to me, love is real. It's not just brain chemistry. Why did Krycheck have to keep you almost unconscious for you to feel that way? It's not genuine. If you had been awake, you would have felt it. But I will show you, my love. I will always love you. I will help you, even if it's just opening one door for you to find what you need. You may not see or sense us, but we will be there."

He pressed me against the wall, his body against mine, and kissed me with all his heart. I could feel his love radiating into my soul. I experienced true love during that endless kiss.

Finally, he stopped and said, "I had to, my love. One last kiss to remember us by. We will be with you. No goodbyes, never regret you hear me? You are perfect, my love."

Jake approached me, pressing himself against me, and kissed me passionately. There was an intense desire to be with me, to love me, to protect me. Somehow, their kisses healed something inside me. I couldn't quite grasp what it was, but it made a difference. Our kiss lasted an eternity, the most wonderful kiss I would cherish for the rest of my life. Perhaps because I knew it would be our last.

I tried to convey my love, and my longing, despite being drugged. I grabbed him, wanting to feel his strong body pressing on me. I regretted so much not to tell him more just how freaking important he had been to me. So many regrets, so much to say.

He pulled away, pressed his forehead against mine, and said, "It's so hard to let you go, but you need to escape. You need your rage. Well, maybe this will serve as a reminder of us. My love, try to remember to love. True love, burning love, like ours. You can't never get it done by drugs."

Suddenly, he clamped his teeth around my right neck tendon, and pain shot through my body. It triggered something within me. Normally, it would have awakened my vampire side, but now it unleashed my rage. In an instant, the pain intensified as Rob bit my left neck tendon forcefully. The pain fueled my anger, and my rage erupted.

I could still feel the sting from their bites, even after they released their teeth. My rage washed away the feelings of being used and drugged. It brought forth my inner killer, eliminating the heartbreak of losing Jake and Rob and erasing the disgust of what Krycheck had done to me.

From the window, I witnessed the sun beginning to rise, casting a soft glow on the morning horizon. As we embarked on our journey to the next level, I mercilessly slaughtered them all. Their bodies torn apart, I paid no attention to the whereabouts of Rob and Jake, for it didn't matter. I had not noticed when they had gone. They weren't anymore next to me, well not in the way that I could perceive them. My sole focus was on the need to kill, to maim, and to savor the pleasure of their demise.

Ascending the stairs to the next floor, I encountered a group of people, scientists, adorned in their pristine lab coats. The scent of pain emanated from the victims, their voices filled with despair. Approaching one man, I thrust my hand through his chest, ripping his heart out and throwing it callously to the floor. A woman stood nearby, and without hesitation, I sunk my fangs into her arm, injecting my venom. Her screams pierced the air as she convulsed and met her untimely end.

A guard foolishly attempted to confront me, but my hand, armed with sharp claws, swiftly found its way into his belly. I extracted loops of his intestines, leaving him writhing in agony. The next man suffered a broken neck at my hands. As a woman approached me with a syringe, I swiftly delivered a fatal kick to her chest, silencing her forever.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through my chest. Turning, I noticed a guard aiming a gun at me. In an instant, I lunged towards him, took hold of his gun, and used it to shoot him. Pain pierced my back, I turned around, grunting and smiling predatory way when I saw Sark holding a tranq gun, looking at me, I dashed to him with vampire speed, breaking his wrist and hissing into his ears, taunting him with the prospect of prolonged suffering.

My voice was a chilling whisper and oh, I enjoyed the smell of fear that oozed out of him. I had killed so many versions of him in the past, and he knew it. They had some kind of hive mind as well, so he knew what was waiting for him. I prevented him from using his suicide capsule, using him as a human shield. The guards hesitated, unwilling to harm their boss. Seizing the opportunity, I sank my teeth into him, administering poison in small, non-lethal doses. The guards watched helplessly as he gasped and convulsed, his pain clear, but his life was still intact.

I played with my time, but it was getting boring. I longed for the kill- taking a life. Growing tired of his suffering, I delivered a final dose of poison and threw him to the ground, relishing in his writhing torment. I allowed him to witness the true extent of my power before moving on to my next victims. One by one, they fell at my hands, their lives extinguished. I had no intention of escaping yet; instead, I aimed to send a message. Time was on my side as I systematically eliminated everyone on each floor until only I remained, consumed by my own emotions, my loneliness, the pain of losing those dear to me, and the memories of being used.

Regrettably, Krycheck was not present to witness my wrath. If he were, I would have unleashed hell upon him. The details of my capture remained shrouded in mystery, the when and where lost in the depths of my memory. My inner killer was satisfied. The message had been sent. It should be clear enough for krycheck if he would come back here. 

I had no idea how long I had been here, and I couldn't remember much about my pack or my twins. I was trapped in my own rage-filled bubble, consumed by overwhelming emotions with each passing second. Then, I stumbled upon some tapes and files that revealed what had been done to me - how my DNA had been tampered with, how there were breeding experiments planned. I read through long reports detailing how krycheck had used and violated me all night long, his personal journals confessing his satisfaction in using my body however he pleased. It wasn't just clinical; he was just as twisted as Damien had been. His plans to take over Salvatore's pack, marry me, taking over fleas. 

Feeling even dirtier, I wanted to burn it all, but I noticed sprinklers on the ceilings and knew it wouldn't be possible, at least not yet. The thought of someone else reading these files made me sick. How many others had witnessed his violations and seen my body react? How weak was I? Those feelings of being in love resurfaced - how he whispered in my ear, reassuring me of his love amidst my confusion. I could feel his touch, his lips on mine, his presence inside me, his seed fertilizing my opened womb. I felt disgusted knowing how much of his sperm had covered both of my wombs, as detailed in the reports.

Reading Sark's clinical dissection after our passionate nights - how Krycheck had brainwashed me into loving him, then knocked me out while Sark examined my body like a dissected fish - it was all too much. I was determined to keep this as much of a secret as possible. My rage still consumed me as I finally left the facility, only to realize it was night once again. I had wasted the entire day. I began walking towards safety, feeling Wulfe's programming kick in, my legs moving almost on their own. It was time to find safety, reset, and guard my secret.