14. One Of Us.

 We had a lot of fun with Wulfe. He made sure I slept, ate, and talked. We played a lot of board games, including Monopoly. However, the game ended when he lost and got mad, burning the whole board. I couldn't help but laugh at his frustration. I opened up to him about my past, sharing my journey to becoming a doctor. I told him how exhilarating it was to perform my first operation, but also the sadness of losing patients.

It wasn't as difficult for me to handle their deaths, maybe because I have a bit of a killer instinct or maybe because I'm not fully human. I'm something else, and it's confusing most of the time. I'm trying to learn how to share, and it's easy for me to share my good times with Wulfe.

We listened to music and analyzed the lyrics together. Instead of looking up the original meaning, we came up with our own assumptions, which was a lot of fun. Sometimes, we get carried away with crazy ideas.

Wulfe hummed a song and then looked at me, saying, "The best song I know is 'Pulse.' Hearing someone's heart beating and feeling their blood rushing through their veins."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "You're such a vampire. But I'm not that kind of beast. Although, it can be fun to listen to a heart stop when I'm in the mood. But I do enjoy music, not just classical all the time, but some of it. Not hard rock either."

Wulfe nodded and added, "Yeah, what's the point of singing if you have to yell so loud that no one can hear your lyrics? I bet you love sappy love songs."

I nodded and said, "Yeah, some of them. But then there are songs like 'Amazing Grace.' I don't want to listen to it if the singer doesn't do it justice. And I prefer studio recordings over live performances."

Wulfe nodded again and asked, "You haven't been to many concerts, have you?"

I replied, "Not really. But certain songs are important to me because of the memories attached to them. And there are some songs that I can't bear to listen to because they remind me of terrible memories."

Wulfe remarked, "Music has its own power. One day, we should sing karaoke together and really let loose."

We found ourselves once again sitting by the fire, engaged in conversation, while sipping on blood. He had given me my jug, and I had retrieved my elegant crystal glasses for us to drink from. Memories of how we first met flooded my mind, or rather, how he attacked me initially. Feeling mischievous, I took his empty glass, smiled at him, and slit open my wrist, allowing my blood to fill the glass before handing it back to him.

I quipped, "Since you enjoy drinking my blood from crystal glasses, have fun with this."

He raised an eyebrow, accepted the glass, and took a sip. "Ah, as powerful as always. This, this is the best blood I've ever had. However, it's strong enough that I can't indulge too much."

I likened it to chocolate cake, explaining that it's delicious but should be enjoyed in moderation. He nodded, sipping my blood and relishing the experience.

I spoke at length, actively seeking out pleasant memories to share with him. I could sense him in my mind, doing something that I couldn't quite comprehend.

I said to him, "Despite the things Damon or Damien did to me in the past, there were also good times. Oh, when I first traveled to Portugal, my mind brimming with ideas on how to dismantle those wicked facilities, I had no clue that one day I would lead a worldwide organization with over three million members. When Adam saved me and I began to truly live, I never intended to become a sniper or even a killer. Heck, I had no idea what the future held for me."

Wulfe grinned and replied, "But you see, you excel at what you do. You were destined to be a leader, a killer, and an all-around eccentric."

I asked him, "Would you like to witness me judging a dog show? It's still a few days away before the pack is ready, but I could spend a few days as a dog show judge."

He nodded and said, "Sure, unicorn. However, you're not in the best health. Nevertheless, let's see. I'll give you my opinion."

I nodded, grabbed my laptop, and said, "First, I need to check if there are any shows in need of judges. Then I can show you what my job entails."

He smiled as I found five shows that caught my interest. 

We were sitting and chatting. It was our usual routine. He was my Mariella, and this little comparison always brought a smile to his face. He understood exactly what I meant.

I hesitated before saying, "I'm not sure if I want to share that memory. It's about how it felt to be with Damien, thinking he was Damon, telling me to be a good girl so I could earn my reward. Those precious 15 minutes of pain-free bliss. It's an ugly memory, and I don't want to burden you or the pack with my past. Even Damon dug up a lot of shit from me with his drugs and manipulation, solely focused on getting a boost from me and hearing me admit how foolish I was. I'm scared it will set us back. I know we've had our share of problems, and I'm not okay, not at all. This pheromone addiction, this damn collar around my neck. Do I have any choice but to make them forget after they hear this?"

Wulfe looked at me and replied, "Yes, sharing that memory will be difficult, but my unicorn, don't always see yourself as the one who taints but as the one who shares. Let us help you. I may be a man, or rather a boy, in your eyes, and I can't fully comprehend how a female's mind works, even though I am the strongest telepath out there. But Damon, his abilities are perfectly suited for you. Your lives will be intertwined, destined to find each other, even if separated for centuries. I will travel with you part-time, and I'll be there whenever I can. But there will be times when I won't be around, and that's when Damon will be there for you. Your futures are intertwined in a way that even time cannot separate."

I looked at him, a mixture of surprise and curiosity on my face, and asked, "You know something about the future, don't you?"

Wulfe nodded and replied, "Like Mimosa, I can see possibilities. But there are certain facts that remain constant, no matter where life takes us. The future will bring you both happiness and sorrow, just as it has done until now."

I shook my head, uncomfortable with discussing the future. Maybe it was because I embraced chaos and didn't believe in a predetermined fate or purpose. I believed that chances would lead us to wherever we were meant to be, and that not everything could be predicted. You just had to be prepared to face the future, whatever it may hold.

And one thing that was on my mind was that terrible memory. I could feel it pulsating in my mind like a painful wound, an infection. It was inevitable that I would have to share it, so I needed to focus on the task at hand. It was time to make those memories disappear, time for them to fade away from the ugliness that had changed me in the past. Unfortunately, they still had a strong hold on me.

I didn't think the group could handle it, maybe because I wasn't handling it well myself. It was one of those memories I tried to avoid at all costs.

As Mariella calmed down Salvatores, they discovered many triggers in their minds. These triggers weren't just placed there by Damien, but also by many vampire women. Some of them were telepathic and attempted to manipulate Salvatore's feelings of love or lust using certain triggers. However, it only resulted in Salvatore's overwhelming rage as their minds fought against these artificial emotions.

Mariella, the wolves, and the boys were also discussing how to help Mimi open up. Karaoke was suggested, as music had a way of influencing one's mind and Mimi had always enjoyed music. Another idea was to find a new hobby they could all do together, or simply have open conversations and share their own war stories.

Charles had some nasty triggers in his mind related to Mimi, placed there by Damien in a way that made it seem like Damon was responsible. And then there was the matter of the "little bitch" unloading at some point. She was on the verge of bursting. Mariella had shown Wulfe her powerful crystals that still held onto her powers. Wulfe suggested, giving Mimi some strong angel blood from time to time to temporarily calm her power and allow it to seep out more easily.

Mariella was uncertain about what the future held, but she understood that the past still had a strong hold on someone, and it shouldn't be underestimated. In order to truly get to know Mimi, Mariella thought it would be perfect to learn about her past. She planned on going on a road trip, visiting old houses where memories could be revisited. Of course, Damon would also have his own issues to face from his past choices.

All the Salvatores seemed to have their own problems, but it was time to learn about their pasts and share their stories. Mariella also had an idea about Damon's past flings, and she thought he could use them as examples of how to treat her or Mimi. Damon's possessiveness could be an asset here, as it showed that he wanted Mimi for himself and not to give her to Adam or Charles. Perhaps he would have the courage to take the initiative and make something happen between them.

Mariella sighed in her mind. She had been trying for decades to bring them together, and there were times when she had given up and just been with Damon. But she remembered how different Damon had been when he had not had Mimi in his life. It was clear that he needed her. She remembered how much Damon had changed when he had gone back to be with Mimi, when he had realized his mistake.

She wasn't thinking about those seven years now, but rather about the time when Mimi had originally destroyed Damien. Even though she had been happy then, she knew that Damon wasn't the same person he was now, and because of that, she believed that Mimi and Damon should be together. She just couldn't see clearly into the future whether there would be times when they weren't together, and what that would mean.

She hoped that they would be endgame, and she knew that Damon would be hers endgame. Surely, he could love them both, and there was nothing wrong with that. Maybe, just maybe, Mariella would find some passion for Mimi again. A little girl-on-girl action would be just fine for a while, and besides, it was something that fueled their jealousy. 

But when it came to the near future, Mariella couldn't help but shudder at the thought of Mimi's memories. She realized how Damien had programmed Mimi to be obedient and allowed him to inflict torture on her, all because he offered her brief respites every three hours.

The story that would unfold would undoubtedly be grueling, and Mariella wasn't sure if she had the strength to listen to it. She also wondered if Damon would be strong enough to support Mimi during this time and what the outcome would be. She hoped that Wulfe would provide guidance on how to handle it in a gentle and non-traumatic manner, while still extracting the disturbing memories from Mimi's mind, including any backups.

It was time for them to prove to Mimi that they could endure the hardship, and Wulfe would surely offer some helpful pointers. They needed to be brave and confront the situation head-on, considering how they would feel if they were ever subjected to something similar. Mariella realized they should discuss it openly, as it would be beneficial. It would become their shared project to dissect the memory until it transformed into something else.

Turning to Mimosa, she said, "We have to approach this in a completely new way. Let me try to explain what I have in mind. You've told me about the time when Damien tried to impregnate you and took your skin as an example. Now, answer my questions about that time."

Mimosa looked at her skeptically and replied, "Alright, let's see what you're attempting here."

Mariella took a seat and began, "Why do you think Damien used a weaker implant in your uterus compared to Mimi's?"

Mimosa pondered for a moment and responded, "I guess I'm more responsive. My body reacts more easily than Mimi's. Hers is much more resistant, so it would have required a lot more effort to make her body fertile during that time."

Mariella nodded in understanding and continued, "Why do you think Damien chose to bring you to that bunker? Couldn't he have done what he did in a shed or even in a house, at least for you?"

Mimosa thought for a while and then explained, "There were signs that he had been living there, like sofas, a TV, and a kitchen. He ate and slept there multiple times. It seemed to be Sark's place since I could smell him, or at least the machines in there were from Sark. My guess is that they were also from Krycheck."

Mariella remarked, "Interesting, so he was collaborating with Krycheck and Sark, yet he still had to improvise."

Mimosa fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.

Eventually, she spoke up, saying, "I understand what you're getting at. Yeah, this could work. Mimi's mind is much more analytical than mine, so if we group the Salvatores together, it will naturally lead to a conversation about Damien's motives and speculation. The actual trauma will either transform or be forgotten."

Mariella smiled and responded, "Well, my idea is that telepaths find it easier to expel memories, causing them to fade away. It won't be a shot in the dark anymore; instead, we can analyze and dissect it."

Mimosa nodded in agreement. Now, they just had to wait for everyone to be ready. She also needed to teach this technique to the men so they would be prepared. Then, they would be ready to confront the memories, strip away the trauma, and dissect the past.