The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Charles was frowning slightly as he examined the instruments, testing and playing many of them, with Adam joining in. Mona, still in her carrier, cooed.

I said out loud, "I can send a message to Geoff. He lives in Maine, so he might be free to visit and share his opinion."

Wulfe frowned and asked, "Who is Geoff?"

Adam replied, "He's Penn's nephew. He used to be in a band briefly but now owns a shop where he buys and sells old instruments. Good idea, honey. He's just the person we need."

I nodded and said, "I'll send him the texts and pictures I've taken. Maybe he can quickly tell us if they're special."

Mariella was happy after spending four wonderful days with her Salvatores. She planned to seduce numbers ten and nine, who were similar to number one and quite appealing. She felt jealous of Mimi and decided to take action after seeing Damon sitting in the medbay, petting Mimi while she was sedated.

Mariella went in and seduced Damon, leaving Mimi to wake up alone. Damon visited a few times until Mariella got a good hold on him and the others. She wasn't thinking clearly, reacting impulsively due to low maternal hormones, as babies held little importance in her life. Caregivers were there for them, and after caring for them for nine weeks, she wanted to have some fun. 

They had a romp in one room and then went to eat without bothering to shower. Mariella planned for their intimacy to continue. As they walked down the corridor, Mimi's sly pheromones worked perfectly, making Mariella even hornier. This relaxation also eased Damon and the others, reducing worries about offspring and everything seemed perfect.

The food was excellent as always, and Mariella had Damon, or several of them, to herself as her scans and blood tests had shown deficiencies she needed care for - perfect. Unbeknownst to her, Mimi's pheromones were affecting her, boosting her need for care and dependency on Damon.

This was Mimi's plan - to make Mariella cling to Damon so Mimi could have her independence. Colin, while eating, smelled a slight tang of cucumber in the air and inwardly rolled his eyes, knowing his dear mate had once again succeeded. She was one of a kind, and Colin couldn't help but smirk to himself.

After the meal, as they were on strolling down the hall again, Mariella suggested, "How about we take over the next room? There are still plenty of rooms left to leave our mark in."

She avoided talking about sanctification, as it was something that Damon and Mimi did, and Damon wouldn't allow her to sanctify a room, as it wasn't her thing. She left her marks, even though most rooms were deep cleaned, and Damon never insisted that their scent be left alone.

Mariella accepted what she had and struggled to learn to be herself, not to mimic Mimi or be a better version of her, which fueled her jealousy and her antics. As they strolled along the corridor, Mariella's attention was drawn to voices - Mimi, Adam, Charles, Wulfe, and a baby, recognized by the cooing and giggling.

Jealousy and intrigue flooded her veins, and she had to find out what Mimi was up to. As they approached, she heard a clear, seductive tone in Charles's voice, which made her grind her teeth.

Damn Cornick - he was her protector, not a seducer, but she desired him too. However, knowing that Damon saw Charles as a rival, it wouldn't be easy as Damon tended to be jealous.

Mariella communicated telepathically to Damon, "Let's check on Missy. It looks like she's with a flock of men, and they're playing house. Her new attitude doesn't seem to be stopping her."

Damon grunted and responded somewhat unhappily, "Alright, let's find out what's going on and what they're plotting. I'm still the pack leader; no need for secret meetings in old storage rooms. I can sense that Missy has her own plans once again."

His expression darkened, fists clenched slightly, breathing quickened with adrenaline from the indignation that Mimi might know about his recent activities. He felt like he was disappointing Mimi, and it frustrated him, making him feel out of control and driven by desire.

Why couldn't he keep himself together? Now, he had to face his first wife and see her reaction, feel her pain. Mariella didn't understand why Damon was upset; she thought it was because of Mimi being with someone else or the baby. She was too lost in her thoughts to grasp the situation.

She tried to comfort Damon, whispering sweet words in his ear, but Number Four interjected sternly, "Stop it. He's not upset about that. And please, control your jealousy for once! It's bad enough you made us your gigolos, and now this."

His voice was angry, dark, with a sharp edge in his expression, eyes filled with suppressed violence, fists clenched tightly. His anger was directed at Mariella, not Mimi. Mariella took a deep breath, holding onto Damon while dismissing Number Four's words as sometimes being too blunt. No need to worry about him.

We had just been discussing the upcoming day when Damon, Mariella, Number Two, and Number Four walked in.

Damon looked at me tensely and snapped, "What's with the secret meeting, doll? Do you plan on getting some TLC from the boys?"

I turned around, and Mona recognized his father, gleefully giggling, which made Mariella frown.

"She can't recognize you; she's just a baby," she said, irritated.

I replied sharply, "Back off. You don't understand what it's like to be a mother like I do. You have no idea about the milestones or what a baby this age can do. So keep your mouth shut, or better yet, find someone else to talk to."

Damon seemed guilty, and Mariella bristled, but Number Two's sharp gaze kept her quiet. Number Four noticed the instruments and didn't seem pleased. Charles wrapped his arms around me and Mona, while Wulfe came next to me, holding my hand to ground me.

Damon sarcastically remarked, "Are you about to lose your temper again, Mimi? Do you need strong men to control you?"

Angered, I replied, "You're in no position to judge. You have your sex toy hanging off you like a goddamn boa. Unlike you, I need more than just lust to keep me in check."

My words hit Damon hard.

Number Four remarked in a sarcastic voice, "What's with the instruments? Planning a new hobby or maybe starting a band? Hate to break it to you, sweetcheeks, but you don't know how to play them. And your singing? You're no Roxette lead singer, are you?"

Adam explained, "Mimi found them in a hidden part of the closet. We took some, and she sent pictures to a contact to see if they were valuable. We're waiting for a reply."

Mariella snapped, "Oh, one more flea, I assume. Tell me, Mimi, was he like Jake or Rob? A friend with benefits? How many more fleas will be revealed in the future to have sampled your wares?"

Charles released me, took two steps, and struck Mariella across the face, causing her to take a few steps back.

Charles was on the verge of losing his temper as he growled, "You keep your trap shut and do not speak to my wife like that! Damn Salvatore, control your wife unless you want me to give her a few lessons on how I like my ladies to behave. And believe me, I won't be a protector in those lessons. Surely you know that too, Damon. It's not easy to be a protector when you're not in the mood!"

Mona giggled. This was fun for her, and I wasn't sure why she was so happy. I felt a buzzing in my pocket - my phone was ringing. I pulled it out, and it was Geoff. I gestured to Adam to put him on speaker, and he nodded.

Soon, Geoff's soft, flirtatious voice filled the room, "Mimi, ma cherie, you have a veritable treasure trove in your lovely, dainty hands, my love."

He had always been a flirt.

I replied, "Hi, Geoff. It's good to hear from you. So, do you have some idea about these instruments?"

Geoff chuckled, "Oh, my cherie, I have more than an idea. I can take them, sell them, and maybe make you an even wealthier lady, and fast."

Damon shook Mariella off, walked over to me, took the phone from my hands, and said, "Hello, this is Damon Salvatore, Mimi's husband, leader of the pack, king of vampires - take your pick. Now, what do you mean by making Mimi wealthy?"

He removed the speaker and placed the phone to his ear, grunting softly.

He then said, "Oh, really? Well, yeah, let's discuss a selling contract. Can you come over tomorrow? Splendid. What time?"

After some more grunting, he added, "Yes, you can sell them individually. Please take at least 15%. I'll give you the account number tomorrow. Do you want us to clean them off? They're quite dusty, and I haven't seen what's left. This was news to me. What Mimi had found, she's not always eager to share her loot."

Damon's voice was soft and civilized, but his cold ice-blue eyes bore into mine with an angry expression on his face. Mariella stood near number two, looking pouty and bored. Number four glared at Charles, who was making faces at Mona, causing her to giggle even more. Adam stood close to me, while Wulfe kept a grip on my hand, not letting me go, sensing my tension as well.

In a calm voice, he telepathically suggested, "I think, my love, that you need some time in the gym with me and Magnum to release some of that rage building up inside you. You seem to be boiling over."

I replied, "I'm fine. This is the new me. I'm not holding back. I'm sick of this rat race. And as soon as Damon ends the call, Mariella will likely start whining and insisting on showing her witches the instruments. I'm tired of her quick fixes, and it's frustrating when they have no clue and end up googling everything."

Wulfe grunted and assured me, "Let's see if your prediction is correct. Don't worry, we have your back. If things escalate with her, I'll be there to pull you out after you've had your say."

My tone was sardonic as I said, "I highly doubt I'll engage in a catfight with her, but I might use some pheromones just to mess with her."

Wulfe questioned, "Is that wise? I mean, Damon might..."

I interrupted his thought, "Oh, come on. Damon is still an amateur when it comes to my pheromones. He tends to forget the lessons. He's a bit dense like that."

After some grunting and a few sentences, Damon rattled off our location and where to park the van. He then handed my phone back to me after getting Geoff's number on his own phone and briefly scanning my contacts. He wasn't pleased to see many male names, but as the leader, this was my work phone.

Damon explained, "Okay, Geoff and his crew will come tomorrow to take everything. They will clean, repair, and sell each instrument individually. Some rare ones might end up in auction houses. I will direct the money to our babies' account."

Mariella snarled, "Oh, precious Mimi's offspring must have money to live, while the rest of us can give our children scraps from what is left."

Damon glared at Mariella and replied, "Not yet, darling. This account is for all of our babies. The funds will be used for necessities like furniture, clothes, toys, books, etc. It's not just for Mimi's babies but for everyone."

Mariella pursed her lips but remained unhappy.

She remarked, "I bet my witches would have sold these instruments with less haggling and without inviting strangers into the house."

I rolled my eyes, feeling Wulfe's firm grip on my hand being the only thing keeping me from losing my temper completely. Oh, I wanted to, I truly wanted.

Wulfe said to my mind, "Calm down, not just yet, but soon. Let's show them new Mimi soon enough, let Salvatore speak first."

Damon looked at me, sensing my impending explosion, a cold smirk curling his lips, but he said, "Geoff told me that no cleaning, leave it to him and his crew as these instruments are delicate, so he will care for them."

I said, "There is more in that back room, not that everything is valuable, but still. By the way, Mona had telekinesis, but Wulfe gave her a potion to bind it."

Wulfe said calmly, "I am not sure if you can take it from her for yourself, Damon, but it is bound now. This little lady is one powerhouse."

He tickled Mona, making her giggle.

Mariella grunted almost soundlessly, "Oh please, again..."

Adam looked at Mariella and grunted. "Did you have something to share? Oh, please share it with the class. Surely a witch of your stature must have some insight for us peons."

He could deliver the statement with biting sarcasm and disdain, making Mariella bristle even more, and again, Mona was cooing and giggling. I was surprised, but as I focused on her, I felt she was very happy, very content, almost satiated. Could it have been?

I said to Charles telepathically, "Charles, my love, I want to test one reaction. Can you make Mariella even more irate? Push her buttons?"

Charles smiled coldly.

To Wulfe, I remarked telepathically, "This little one is daddy's girl, but she is not after what Damon usually is."

Wulfe frowned and said out loud, "What do you mean?"

I said to him, "Watch and learn."

Charles looked at Mariella and said, "You must feel so damn happy, right? You just had to ruin Mimi and Damon's family life. Well, thank you. You gave me an opening to spend some quality time with my wife."

Mariella frowned and stated, "Damon is my husband too. I need him."

Adam replied, "Oh, I understand, but you don't need Damon's brain, you need his dick."

Angrily, Mariella retorted, "You love to portray me as some sort of nympho, a creature with no self-regulation."

I quipped, "Well, aren't you one?"

This made her even more upset, while Mona seemed gleeful.

Wulfe furrowed his brows, glanced at Mona, and grunted, "Ah, I see. She feeds on rage, but not yours, Mariella's."

I nodded, acknowledging that my baby was a strong little creature.

Wulfe then addressed Mariella, "Do you feel it yet? Mona is just a baby, but she thrives on your rage. Mona is daddy's girl, a rage eater, and you, Mariella, are her meal, or rather, your rage is."

Number four chimed in, "Yeah, she is. So, what are we going to do about it?"

Damon instructed, "Number four, take Mona to the medbay. Dresden and Constantine are aware. Administer the potion they have planned. It will calm her down and suppress that ability once again. We need to have a discussion, so let's not go in yet."

He then turned to me and asked, "Well, baby, do you have something to say? Your chance is coming. Let it out; we all need to speak our minds. But first, let's leave this room untouched and move our conversation to another room. This could be cathartic for all of us."

I was ready; no more discussions for me. If pushed, I would have a tantrum. The gloves were truly off.