The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I crouched down by the edge of the forest; the darkness engulfing me as I wore my dark clothes. It was a moonless night, with only a tiny sliver of a moon barely visible in the dark sky. The cold air nipped at my face, sending shivers down my spine as I patiently waited for the right time. This mission had to be executed flawlessly, according to plan.

I sighed in my mind, realizing that having a pack, especially an observant one, wasn't always perfect. My carefully planned hunt had turned into a hunt for the whole pack, and now it was time to act. The pack, including its newest member Magnum, was ready. Magnum seemed to relish being part of the pack, and I couldn't help but suspect that he was becoming a shifter hybrid. But that wasn't relevant at the moment.

My mind wandered to what had happened the previous week, as I waited for the opportune moment to begin this mission. This wasn't about saving anyone, it was about revenge, more or less. It had been a strange week when we had devised this plan, discussing it discreetly in my office. It wasn't an official mission, so there was no need to involve anyone outside the pack.

Still, it felt odd that we now had two new men, Magnum and Wulfe. Only time would reveal what their presence would bring to me. There were pros and cons. On the one hand, having them on my side meant they would protect and defend me, even if Mariella became jealous or caused trouble. But on the other hand, it would limit my freedom. If there came a time when we weren't working but breeding, and then going on a holiday, would they accompany me?

Wulfe seemed to be tightly bound to me, so would that mean no more solitary vacations, no more time just for myself? It would be a drastic change for me, but here I was, in the midst of it. It was just a minor fact that change was never easy for me, never and my life once again was almost constant change. So there was nothing for me to do other than accept, move on, and deal with this. There was no time to think this through.

While the rest of the pack went home, every evening to blow off some steam, I remained at the base. The nighttime belonged to me, a time for me to work alone without Salvatore sitting beside me, keeping an eye on my every move, just waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. He had even stolen my chair, but I tried to brush it off as a mere possession.

I was possessive about my things, like my favorite pens I kept on the side of the table. Yet somehow, Salvatore always managed to grab them, despite me making sure he had plenty of pens on his side. I had to restrain myself from snapping at him. He smirked, waiting for me to lose my composure so he could revel in his arrogance. But I refused to give him that satisfaction.

Our interaction, even though it was wholly new, carried a sense of familiarity. The room was the veritable battleground of emotions. My gaze landed on his gestures and expressions. As I analyzed everything in my mind, I realized these mannerisms were not foreign to me. They belonged to my own Damon, the one buried deep within. Despite Mariella's attempts to shatter and destroy his emotional side, fragments of it remained. It was both comforting and thrilling, but also unsettling. He was an irresistible seducer, and my reactions slipped out of my control. My role as a leader shattered, as I struggled to keep my composure. I had overestimated my strength.

Despite his seduction, I held my resolve, not yet fucked with anyone. Even when Magnum joined our pack, I never entertained the thought of getting involved with anyone. It would be intriguing to see who Magnum would be drawn to. Poor Magnum, if Mariella wanted to test him. As members of the lust pack, it was our duty to breed and continue our lineage. Wulfe stayed silent as Damon revealed this, but Magnum's smile turned towards me. Damon informed him that as the alpha female, I would only breed with him.

He was becoming possessive, constantly touching me while we worked. Number four conducted extensive blood work on me, and I had been feeding regularly. Every three hours, an enormous meal was brought to me. At night, when the pack left, there was enough food in the fridge for me to consume. I had to eat all of it. This had done wonders for my body. So much had changed in my life that I hadn't had time to reflect or over-analyze, as Damon often pointed out.

According to Mariella, she would try to teach me not to be such a neurotic mess. I wasn't a complete mess, although I did have my good and bad times. I was who I was, and Salvatore hadn't stopped seducing me. In fact, his suggestions had become even more explicit. Now, he sent images into my mind, revealing his plans.

Negotiating for new rifles at Murdock's insistence was not easy. The seller was unwilling to give any discounts or concessions. At the same time, Damon sent me a vision where he pushed me against a table, ripping off my jeans, spreading my legs, and passionately taking me, fucking me hard and fast, keeping me pressed against the table as he made me surrender and submit to him. It was an incredibly vivid image, and I couldn't help but become aroused. He had put feelings to it. It distracted me from trying to speak, to negotiate for the guns. Then, Damon swooped in, snatching my phone from my grasp, and effortlessly secured sweet deals on the firearms by threatening to unleash a horde of hungry vampires on the seller. 

I had to go to the shower, but only in the evening when he had gone home. The water had to be cool, damn near freezing, to jolt me into the right frame of mind for work. I had been too damn aroused. What I loved about my nights was the freedom to conduct consultations in my clinic. Even though I was packed with responsibilities, it took time to organize everything in the pack.

I had quite a lot of new houses and mansions so Mariella was putting them in the pack's name, or course Magnum and Wulfe were more than enthusiastic to tell her about them. The name and ownership of the clinic had been settled in the divorce, still valid. We were officially divorced, so I was a free woman, at least in theory. The clinic was still mine, but knowing Damon Salvatore, if he caught wind that I was seeing patients, it wouldn't be mine for long.

Planning this complete operation had been intense, but I soon realized just how different each Salvatore was nowadays. It seemed that their time in the demon realm, or wherever they had been, had awakened something within them. Now, being in a pack, their abilities and skills had blossomed. They argued amongst themselves, each having a unique perspective on things, and they sought my input on various matters. The same went for Wulfe and Magnum.

Mariella was a quick learner, absorbing everything like a sponge and offering fresh insights through her visions and observations. It was a new angle that I had missed. I began to see the value of having a pack and working together. It had taken time, a long road, but I was slowly getting there. Magnum had even made special gear for Mariella, and more when we had the Salvatores with us. It required a lot of work from many people, but having a pack filled with master strategists, interrogators, and telepaths added so much to our operation. They weren't ready to be leaders just yet, but with time and experience, they would get there.

This work taught its doers, and I could vouch for that from personal experience. I just had to stay focused and committed, which meant working closely with them. It could take a few years, perhaps even longer. The Salvatores were eager to work, and it was my duty to ensure that everything was going smoothly. This was where I excelled. I had to admit it to myself. I was an adrenaline junkie, thriving on danger and missions like this. It made me feel alive. But I was also a control freak, and giving up sole leadership wouldn't come easy. I wasn't even sure if I would do it. 

As the leader of this mission, I felt a sense of reluctance from Damon, although he had agreed when Magnum mentioned my experience, expertise, and unpredictability. The surroundings were dominated by a massive building, its imposing presence casting a shadow over us. Damon had earlier shared stories of his previous triumphs in destroying breeding facilities, even back then, when he was by my side. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had shared those experiences with me. But we were alike in our tendency to keep things to ourselves, and not big on sharing.

Mariella had taught Damon the importance of sharing, but I had not learned that lesson. We had been caught in our own rat race, tangled up with Damien, Bran, and all the other complications. It had been far from a perfect life. However, now was not the time to reminisce about the good old days, unless I needed the motivation to confront these adversaries once and for all.

For the past five days, we had meticulously crafted a plan. It had required the collective efforts of the entire team, as telepaths flooded into my mind, eager to learn my tricks and expertise in hopes of becoming my equals in future missions. I had been in this line of work for more or less 200 years, alongside Damon and Adam.

Time had passed surprisingly quickly, and it didn't feel like two centuries had gone by. The world hadn't changed significantly, with no flying cars or groundbreaking advancements in the medical field. Well, except for the fact that humans could now live well beyond 150 years without showing signs of aging. However, it came at a high cost, and some methods of achieving longevity were illegal. In my opinion, all those methods should be illegal, as they relied on the suffering of supernaturals.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a change in the guards. I noticed one of them walking in, signaling that soon I would have a window of opportunity to make my move, just like the others. My heart rate quickened ever so slightly as I prepared myself for what lay ahead.

I whispered into my microphone, "This is Flealeader, I'm about to enter. Black Hawk, get ready. Boy Wonder, are you prepared? Princess, on my mark."

Mariella responded, "I'm ready when you are, flea leader."

As I cautiously approached, I signaled to my mic, "Mark, let's go."

I transformed into a sandcat and effortlessly slipped through an open window, landing soundlessly in the room. I stayed hidden in the shadows, searching for the perfect hiding spot to assume my human form and eavesdrop on the situation. Continuing my stealthy crawl along the corridor, I finally found a suitable room further inside the facility. I sneaked in, seamlessly transforming back into my human self. Just as I was about to communicate through my mic, I felt a sudden shift in the air. It happened too quickly for me to react - the trap had been sprung.

The spell, activated by its power source coming too close, was now in motion. However, the ones who set the trap had overlooked crucial details, and it became a lesson for them. The spell targeted Mimi, draining her energy before ricocheting towards a much stronger pack than Freya had anticipated. Their combined power overwhelmed the spell, causing it to morph and spread. The spell mercilessly affected those who had set the trap, pulling them into its grasp. They lost all memory, and the spell transformed Angelus, Spike, Cole, Rebecca, Freya, and Drusilla into entirely new characters within this live role-play. The play would only end once true love was discovered, and the backdoor remained open. True love, the strongest force in the world, would always prevail.