The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Being pregnant isn't always enjoyable or straightforward. Sure, a typical human carries one baby for about nine months, but my situation was different. As a supernatural being, I was pregnant with over a thousand cubs and a litter of babies.

My body had the unique ability to ovulate continuously, releasing thousands of eggs, and all Damon needed to do was fertilize them with his sperm to make me pregnant. As the alpha female, I had my own methods to prevent an overwhelming number of pregnancies all at once.

I could temporarily halt the development of embryos using my inherited magic and feline nature. This process reduced the embryos to sizes smaller than a cell, allowing them to rest within my tissues.

That way, I had reserves that I could call upon later. Damon could also use them if needed, resulting in pregnancies without necessitating ongoing breeding. During gestation, my embryos could regulate their size, always staying small but developing as they should. This allowed me to have multiple litters, one for each week.

My belly was filled with wombs, each one carrying a litter, patiently awaiting their time. As birth approached, the embryos would grow to their normal size, so when they were born, they appeared as regular-sized cubs. It was not like spawning, but rather a true birth.

Even though the human body is larger than that of an ocelot or sandcat, I also had the ability to transform into a tiger, lion, or jaguar, and give birth to cubs in those forms. Although the cubs weren't as big as human babies, I could still feel their presence during the birth. With each litter that came, they grew as much as they could, causing me to feel full and pregnant.

This made my daily activities and walking more challenging, as I truly experienced the effects of pregnancy. It was difficult not to become irritated at times, but I knew that life couldn't always be easy. However, I had constant company and some surprising security.

Charles was always by my side, walking behind me and reporting to Damon, Mariella, and Wulfe about my actions or lack thereof. We spent a lot of time together, talking about various things. I shared stories from my past that I had never spoken of before.

He also got to know this new version of me - someone who was straightforward and didn't sugarcoat things. He found it amusing and different, although occasionally he would be a bit sheepish when I lashed out at him. I was hormonal, and I didn't apologize for my state of being.

Meanwhile, Wulfe remained busy with his control-freak nature, ensuring that the potions were made correctly. He couldn't trust Dresden or Constantine to get them right, and he made sure that Salvatore stayed away from them as well, as Mariella had informed him of their clumsiness in potion-making.

I realized Charles was trying to provide me with a sense of security. Perhaps, just maybe, I might tell him when it's time to have my cubs. However, he knew me well enough not to pressure me.

He thought about attaching himself to me again so that I wouldn't have a chance to have my litter in secret. I rolled my eyes and reminded him that I didn't want to be his bathroom buddy while he was doing his business. It was well-known that nobody wanted to be near me when I took a dump.

I had my lessons planned, along with my DVDs and other materials. Mr. Salvatore wanted to have his say, but I quickly explained things and redirected his attention to others.

One time, he caught me putting new DVDs on my shelf and asked what lesson they were for. I told him they were cartoons, not teaching films, although there is always something to learn from cartoons. I also mentioned that I would be incorporating a few things to teach them about democracy.

He rolled his eyes and condescendingly told me that I shouldn't be teaching them those kinds of things, as they are intelligent, but perhaps I was taking it too far. I decided to keep my mouth shut, as I was tired of Damon stealing my ideas and using them for his and Mariella's cubs.

I had learned not to explain my ideas to him anymore. I wanted to show them both someday what I was capable of. Number two, who had been working on my dining room, noticed what I was doing or rather, not doing. He smirked at me, knowing that he was the one actually installing my little contraption that would teach the cubs about democracy.

I had mentioned a few things to number two, and being the genius that he is, he combined them just as I had hoped. Alaric was most impressed and understood that I wanted to keep this as my own thing. Perhaps, once it's released, they could copy it or use it for the next time.

In a perfect world, I would have told Damon about it, and he would have kept it as our secret. However, the number one was not Damon, but rather a number two. This created a twisted sense of justice in my mind, but I didn't feel guilty about telling Damon because he had been involved in the decision-making process.

Unfortunately, the version of Damon, who was not the biological father of the cubs, became more of a partner to me than the number one. It's funny how Mariella had always feared that I would take the Salvatores away from her, but she soon learned that all she needed was number one. However, I took them all.

As for the snacks for the cubs, after a three to four-hour discussion, we came up with ideas 6, 9, and 10, which were perfect and exactly what we had planned. It wasn't just me. There were others involved in making this happen. Making the snacks was easy enough, as they could be made in large batches and would stay fresh for weeks. Any surplus could be given to the magic house or stored in the freezer.

The Salvatores, being protectors of the cubs, knew exactly how to make the snacks perfect. The wolves also had their own specifications, and the girls had their preferences too, although Mariella was content with being fed twice a day. She didn't know what she was missing.

I wasn't going to say anything until I had actual evidence to show her. When the time was right, I would give her a lesson she wouldn't forget.

I only had two days left, but before that, I needed to undergo a last-minute medical check-up. This involved using magic to examine certain veins and arteries in my uterus, which was completely painless. The procedure was done in my bedroom, where Mr. Salvatore would come each night to sleep with me.

Tim, Taylor, Colin, Wulfe, Adam, and Charles were also present. They wanted to see what I had planned to teach and do with my cubs, but first, the medical check-up had to be taken care of.

I was lying in bed, my belly exposed.

Damon was performing his magic, while Colin explained to Wulfe and the others, "Now, observe this vein here, a large one, and right next to it is the pulsating artery. These are known as the common uterine vein and common uterine artery."

Damon interrupted, saying, "Actually, they are the superior common uterine vein and superior common uterine artery, as there are additional sets of vessels behind the womb, the posterior ones."

Wulfe responded, "Never mind the name, but I can see them. What about them?"

Colin continued, "You see, this line here is straight and reaches all the way, with bifurcations on both sides. No kinks, no bulges. Before birth, we always check these veins. If there's a kink or bulge, it's a reason for a C-section. As you can imagine, during birth, when the uterine horn contracts, the vein and artery stretch. If there's a kink, it can close, preventing blood flow and causing a bulge to form at the base. It can then rupture, leading to massive bleeding. Even though we are immortal, it weakens both the mother and the cubs."

Wulfe also looked at it and asked, "Since that looks fine, what about the area below? Will you also check that?"

Colin nodded and replied, "Yes, Damon will just enhance the visibility of the back of the womb a bit more, but not too much, as there are other wombs waiting. It's a delicate balance, so we have to proceed slowly."

Charles then asked, "What is your estimate for the age of the cubs?"

I kept my expression neutral, annoyed by his question. Colin observed the moving, dark blobs and said, "Less than three days. In theory, we could perform a C-section if necessary, but there's no need for that now. We're getting close, right, baby?"

I remained silent, not uttering a word. As Dresden had said, everyone knew. Everyone was trying to be ready, but there would be little distraction.

After examining the veins in my womb, Colin proceeded to teach Tim and Taylor how to identify these veins as well, so that Wulfe could use his spell to see through them.

This way, they could also check the vessels and seek the opinion of one of the doctors if there was any doubt. Colin was simply equipping the boys with knowledge in case everyone else was occupied at a later time. 

Afterward, they resumed their rounds of checking on various things. Damon, being the father of everyone's cubs there was always his cubs in everyone's litter, was quite busy, and everyone sought his opinion as their pregnancies progressed. They became more dependent on him, except for me.

Wulfe was incredibly busy, but I could tell he was gazing at me, his thoughts intertwining with mine, desperately trying to find my plans for giving birth myself. However, I had received confirmation that there would be no complications and, according to Colin and Damon, the cubs were not too large either, so it should be a smooth process.

Charles was still by my side, and he had become incredibly attuned to my needs and sensations. If I had any difficulty, he wouldn't hesitate to give me a few minutes to handle it before calling Damon. It provided me with ample motivation to take care of things myself, without the need for Salvatore to intervene in that area. I dreaded what would come after the birth, fearing the inevitable disappointment in Wulfe's face, but I couldn't bring myself to act any differently. 

I sat in my bead room with Charles, who had thoroughly searched the room and found the ready-made bracelets that Dresden had mentioned, along with a few other hidden items. Wulfe had examined those finished pieces, and Charles had extracted certain energies from them.

His voice had a wonderfully dry tone as he discovered my little figurines and focused on drawing energy from them. "Honey, I know we are a lust pack, but please refrain from imbuing your babies with your sexual or orgasmic energy."

I blushed intensely at that remark. After all, I had planned to repurpose them into mobiles, at least ensuring the babies would be happy. Charles had a knack for sarcasm when he wanted to. 

It was the next day when I woke up to find Charles, who had been sleeping beside me, getting up and waking me up as well.

He said, "Honey, I have to go. Tim and Wulfe informed me that there is an issue with Mariella and they need a doctor. I am her protector."

I nodded, understanding the situation. As he left, I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, trying to endure the contractions that were flooding through me. I was in labor and it seemed that Mariella had allowed me to do this on my own, or rather forced me to.

I was prepared for this. What she had done was a bit of magic - she didn't want to give birth naturally and Damon had refused her request for a C-section. So, she used a little magic to manipulate those vessels. Now, as it was time to check on them, she had involved the wolves in this plot as well.

It was clear that they would have to operate soon. Their cubs were already big enough, but Damon had put them on bedrest and there was a group of distressed males caring for them. Mariella felt no shame and couldn't see how wrong her actions were. She was simply lazy and seeking comfort.

I slowly made my way to my den, feeling the intense pain. It was just pain, something to be endured, but Mariella and the wolves were pampered. I opened my secret den, a small and secluded place where I had flooded my pheromones.

In here, I had reserved tanks of bump, from our time in the other realm, as well as formula, my blood, Damon's blood, and bottles. It was time to do this again and there was no hesitation in my mind, only a firm determination as I let out grunts from the pain.