The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Damon glanced at Mariella and let out a sigh.

He ran his hand through his hair before speaking, "I can't help it, darling. That kink is just too big of a risk. God damn it, I was hoping for something magical, with all of us supporting you and giving you treat. But fine, let's see what happens when we operate."

Mariella nodded, almost ready to reveal her secret. However, she didn't want the entire pack involved, as giving birth was messy, time-consuming, and intimate. She knew it wasn't possible to have only Damon present, so this was the better option.

She had convinced the wolves to do the same, as it was cleaner and less stressful for the pack. Cutting them out and avoiding the stress of giving birth was her priority, not thinking about the cubs.

This realization made her feel like she wasn't a true alpha female. She had no sense of shame and didn't realize the consequences of her actions. She had ruined Damon's careful plan of having someone with Mimi at all times to prevent her from giving birth in hiding.

Taylor, who had been there throughout Mariella's pregnancy, suggested to Damon, "She looks almost as ripe as Mimi. Should we operate on her sooner rather than later to prevent any complications?"

Damon pursed his lips, contemplating delaying the next litter so that it would be born at the right time, not earlier. He could sense that Mimi was close to giving birth and wanted to wait until she had delivered.

The only thing holding him back was his promise to Mariella, that she would be his priority. This was the first time he felt upset by that careless promise made a long time ago, but he always kept his word.

So Mariella would come first, which meant a C-section for her and the wolves would happen soon. Damon planned to have the operation rooms ready in each female's wing or part of the house, where they would be with their cubs.

It was approximately five hours later when the rooms were finally prepared. Damon had divided everyone into three groups, ensuring that each group had at least one female. This precaution was taken to prevent any potential cross-contamination in case someone accidentally wandered into the wrong area.

The activities kept everyone occupied as the cubs were being attended to. They were weighed, measured, and given tattoos, injections, and any other necessary treatments based on their individual powers.

Damon had temporarily closed his bond with Mimi in order to fully focus on the task at hand. He didn't even dare to hope that she would be alright, but he had made a promise and he intended to keep it. Mariella was the first priority, along with her cubs.

However, this decision caused a deep ache in Damon's gut. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed painfully in his chest. He couldn't allow any thoughts about Mimi to distract him, as it felt like his heart couldn't beat fast enough.

Little did Damon know, these sensations were actually originating from Mimi, who had begun her labor. She was alone in her small, secure den, giving birth just as she had planned. It seemed almost prophetic, something that everyone knew was bound to happen despite their attempts to prevent it.

However, the rest of the pack had no idea what was happening to her. Their focus was solely on the ongoing operations and ensuring the safe delivery of the cubs during this breeding season.

In a sterile blue space, the entire surgical team was prepared, with Damon leading as the surgeon. He skillfully opened Mariella's belly, his voice calm yet authoritative as he gave orders. The wound was soon opened, granting access to her entire multi-horned uterus.

It resembled a fully expanded octopus, and Damon tied off the vessels at its base, carefully detached it, and lifted the massive uterus onto the table with the help of several pack members. The uterus pulsated and stretched, containing the growing cubs within.

Damon then proceeded to gently open one horn and began extracting each individual cub. His grips were firm, and quick, yet gentle to ensure no harm came to anyone involved. The sound of rustling sheets and the occasional grunt from the team were the only noises heard as Damon swiftly cleaned Mariella's belly and moved on to the next womb.

To his surprise, he discovered a kink in the second womb.

With Taylor on the other side of the table, Damon peered into that womb as well and questioned, "Is it always like this?"

Damon asked, "What? Yeah, there can be kinks in several wombs."

Taylor responded, "Yeah, but identical. That one, I can swear, it looked exactly like the one she had."

Damon looked closer. Having Mimi's memory made it easy for him to compare, and Taylor was right. It was Wulfe, who had been part of this team, who walked over to see.

He closed his eyes and cursed out loud, "Oh really, fuck! How damn idiotic!"

Damon wasn't sure what Wulfe was referring to, so he asked, "What do you mean?"

Wulfe replied sarcastically, with an angry sneer in his voice, "Let me guess, the princess wanted a C-section?"

Damon nodded and said, "Yeah, but I told her it would only happen for medical reasons. Why?"

Wulfe said, "There is no kink. That is one clever spell. She gave herself a medical reason so she wouldn't have to be pregnant for so long and give birth."

Damon swallowed. Surely she wasn't that stupid, but then again... Wulfe made a simple gesture, and a moment later, Damon could see that the vein was actually straight, even better looking than Mimi had.

Oh, how he would talk about this to Mariella. She was irresponsible, and he was amazed by her recklessness when it came to the safety of the cubs. Now was the time when he would tell her a few facts, and now he was pissed off, and with a really good reason.

He let her belly close and cast a spell to ensure that she couldn't do this again. His ire was even stronger, and the other Salvatores as well, because wolves had the same deal, so she had gotten them into this stupidity. He was beyond furious and was trying to come up with a reason not to blow up fully. As this was supposed to be the best time of the pack, and the pack leader being pissed off at a few idiots in the pack would ruin it, at least for now.

After they had dried and processed all 114 cubs, and the little cubs had been moved to the cub room to rest, Mariella was placed in bed. Damon sat in a chair next to the bed, restraining himself. He wanted, he needed, this to be a good time, and by god, it was the worst possible start.

He had made a huge effort, huge sacrifices to make this perfect, and then this damn idiot, just because it was inconvenient to give birth, ruined it all. Oh, my god. His ire rose again, and he had to tamp it down. He knew how to keep it so the cubs wouldn't notice, but he wanted to explode.

He was physically in pain because of how much he had wanted this to be perfect, and now he couldn't deliver it. He was torn in two directions, but that damn promise held him like a prisoner.

As Mariella stirred in her bed, Damon took a deep breath. He was determined not to hold back anymore. It was time for this irresponsible idiot to face the consequences of her actions. Mariella opened her eyes and, despite Damon's intense gaze, there was no trace of regret in her expression as she fully woke up.

"Good morning, Mariella. I have to say, you've really done it this time. But make sure it doesn't happen again," Damon said, his anger evident in his sneer.

Mariella pretended to be surprised by Damon's anger as she turned to face him. He sat there in the shadows, uncertainty flickering in her gaze.

Damon continued, "The spell has been lifted, Mariella. This was the last time. From now on, you will give birth, with or without complications. I will handle the bleeding, but no more C-sections during this breeding season, you idiot!"

Mariella remained silent, processing several things. She realized her little spell had been discovered, and Damon was furious. But why? He didn't even call her "darling" this time, only Mariella. It somehow emphasized the extent of his anger.

His eyes were dark, his mouth set in a tight line, his hands clenched. He seemed on the verge of lashing out physically. Her perfectly decorated room, with its shades of peach and passionfruit, suddenly felt suffocating with his rage. Mariella tried to find a reason, something to defend herself with, but her mind was still too slow.

Damon's voice, honeyed and dangerous, continued, "You have no idea what the hell you've done, Mariella. You used me, as usual, to fulfill your selfish desires. And why? So you wouldn't have to give birth. Well, from now on, I will ensure that you do give birth, with minimal help, so you can feel the pain."

Mariella attempted to explain herself, saying, "But Damon, I was just trying to make sure that-"

Damon cut her off coldly, saying, "Stop it, Mariella. You have no fucking clue. Right now, I want to scream at you, to attack you. And you know what, Mariella?"

Each time he said her name, not "darling," something inside her felt hollow. His rage was a palpable force, and she still didn't fully grasp the situation.

Damon continued, "Right now, it's this close," he said, lifting his right hand and holding his fingers barely apart, "that I regret that stupid promise I made. The promise that you come first. I almost regret it."

Mariella swallowed, adjusting herself to a more comfortable position to sit. As she did, she noticed the soft mewls of her cubs. Somehow, she knew that her perfect plan with Damon had suffered a major setback.

Damon's voice was still bitter, his anger clear in his sneer, though it was chillingly quiet. "Saying sorry is the hardest word for you. Do you even know the sacrifices I have made in the past few days? What does this scheme has cost?"

Mariella shook her head, her throat feeling dry. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Damon continued, "I have done everything in my power to ensure that someone, if not me, then someone in this pack, is always with Mimi. After all, she's the alpha female. I made enormous sacrifices to make it happen, and you ruined it all. Right now, she's somewhere in this mansion, giving birth all alone in her hidden den. And all because you wanted the comfort of a C-section. Do you even realize the risks a C-section poses to the cubs? Birth is always better for them, yet you put their lives at risk for your own comfort. I see it now. You're not the alpha female, and you never will be."

Mariella swallowed hard. She had somehow forgotten about Mimi. But these were Damon's cubs, too.

Finally, she managed to say, "I'm sorry. I didn't think. But our cubs are fine. They're perfect."

Damon's sneering reply hit her like a physical blow. "Please, Mariella. There are 114 cubs, and only 45 of them are mine. When my wife, my recent wife, is all alone, I can feel her pain. Somewhere, she's giving birth, and from what we saw, there are over 300 cubs, all mine. So yeah, 45 of yours are not my priority right now. You do realize that no one in this pack is happy with you, and even the wolves have the decency to be sorry."

Mariella said, "I'm sorry. Truly, I am. I now realize how stupid I was, and you have every right to be angry. I ruined everything for you. But what is this sacrifice you're talking about? Is Mimi going to have a litter?"

Damon's eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of Mimi's name.

He said, "You know very well how difficult it is for me to let her be with Charles, don't you? I was desperate, trying to ensure her safety by giving her and Charles some time together. I allowed Wulfe to strengthen the bond between Mimi and Charles, and now it's stronger than ever. He discovered the connection that I wanted to destroy, yet I let Wulfe make it even stronger for her. And for what? To end up being manipulated by you. I have to say, Mariella, this wasn't worth it."

Mariella realized now that it was a terrible situation for Damon and her reckless behavior had made his sacrifice in vain. The only bitter truth is that Mimi and Charles are closer than ever. However, she also knew that because of her operation and the wolves, Charles hadn't been there for Mimi, either.

Mariella said, "I'm sorry, I'm a crazy hormonal bitch..."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence as Damon said, quietly but dangerously, "Don't even try to blame hormones here. Do you have any idea how strong my connection with Mimi is? Right now, I'm in pain. I'm physically in pain because I can't be there for her."

Mariella took a breath, and then she had an idea.

She said, "Damon, listen to me. You have this energy, this anger towards me because of this situation, but you're also physically in pain. We can use it, like a radar. All we have to do is find that connection for you to tap into and use it to locate her, like a game of hot and cold."

Damon looked at her, now more intensely. She was offering him hope, or something.

He said, "Tell me more, darlin'."

Mariella took a deep breath, relieved to hear the endearment.

She said, "Come on, the cubs are fine. We're going to walk near Mimi's wing and try to establish a connection."

Damon frowned, as if he was communicating telepathically.

He said, "Not me, but Charles. Right now, he's feeling physically ill because of the connection to Mimi that Wulfe created. We can use that. He can be our finder with Wulfe, and once they've found her, we can go in."

Damon sat in silence while Mariella got up and went to check on her cubs. They were innocent, but she had put them in danger. Damon had previously warned her about the increased risks and stress associated with a C-section compared to a natural birth.

Mariella was uncertain about what this breeding season would bring, but she had made a pretty foolish mistake. She fervently hoped that she hadn't ruined everything for the entire pack, especially since this was the perfect time for it to happen.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon grunted, his anger and rage dissipating as he prepared himself.

He stood up gracefully, which never failed to amaze Mariella, and declared, "It's showtime. Wulfe and Charles found her, and Wulfe was about to go in. Mariella, I truly hope this will have a positive outcome."

His gaze was icy cold as he teleported away, with no endearing terms this time. His anger, rage, and overwhelming disappointment weighed heavily on Mariella, almost like a physical force.

She sat down, buried her face in her hands, let out a sigh, and hoped for the best. Now she understood why Damon had every right to be angry with her for a long time. She had messed up, and she had messed up big time.