11. Anyone.

The ten Damons were all gathered in the living room after Wulfe had informed them about what had just happened. They had noticed Diamond painting and the pack's males had also discovered the craft room and were examining it. The potential for creativity and fun in making crafts and art within the pack was evident.

However, it seemed that Mimi and Mariella had found each other and, according to the males, their interactions had become heated. While Damon had reservations about women-on-women action, he allowed them to have their physical pleasure for now. It was important to Mimi, after all.

But he couldn't help feeling irritated that Mariella had "claimed" Mimi in a sense. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't the same for women to be with each other, but he sensed that a few others in the Salvatore hive, like Number Four, shared his irritation. On the other hand, Numbers Three, Six, and Nine seemed happy and amused by his sulking.

Number Two asked, "So, what do you want to do? They've been together for a few hours now. Do you want to go see what they're doing?"

Wulfe responded, "Actually, they still have their clothes on and they're just talking. Nothing too carnal yet."

Number One expressed doubt, saying, "I find it hard to believe that they've been talking this whole time and haven't been intimate with each other."

Wulfe suggested, "Come on, let's go and see for ourselves."

Number Four muttered, "I'm not sure if I want to witness this."

Magnum chimed in, "We'll go. You don't have to come if you don't have the guts."

Number One, sounding a little tired, agreed, "Fine, let's go and see what they're talking about."

We were lying next to each other. The bed's softness was perfect. My body tingled, ready, and aroused as hell, but it just didn't happen. There we were, me, the leader of the resistance, a hybrid with a condition called VENOMS, which took away my ability to feel emotions. I was getting better, but I felt like a mental patient, not quite myself.

And then there was Mariella, my ex-wife. It had been a long, long time since we were married, and we had been almost enemies ever since. Mariella had become the wife of all ten demons when I was no longer married to anyone. We had once been lovers, and Mariella was a true queen of lust. I had assumed we would take action, but something stopped me. Maybe it was the calculating look in Mariella's eyes, or something else, but I pulled away.

Mariella sighed and said, "God damn it, we almost had it. But what's up, Mimi? Why the sudden mood change?"

I looked into her emerald green eyes and couldn't help but think of the song "Jolene." Maybe Mariella was my Jolene, taking the men I needed.

"You're not in this for real," I told her. "You have some other agenda, though I'm not sure what it is. But it's not because you want to have fun with me. My guess is you're using me as a weapon against Damon."

Mariella nodded, her expression apologetic. Her perfect mouth turned into a frown, and her eyes squinted as she said, "Sorry. It wasn't all fake, but yeah, I had the idea of getting one over him by involving you."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "Despite the times when it was almost fun to see who got to 'involve' me, now it's tedious. It's like my chastity or my decision not to have sex somehow makes me more pure, or some kind of reward. It puts pressure on me. I'm starting to see just how much everything and everyone around me is putting pressure on me."

Mariella turned on her side, propping her head up with her hand, allowing her expression to relax a bit as she looked at me.

She said, "Tell me, I'm always curious. Maybe I can experience it myself and see if someone is pressuring me, too."

I gazed at the ceiling, still able to remember the feeling, but not wanting to dwell on it at the moment.

I replied, "Do you realize how intense it is to have mirrors on the ceiling, to watch someone fucking at you? It's like watching a live porn film, witnessing the way your face contorts in pleasure and how your eyes roll back in ecstasy when that special someone pushes you over the edge."

Mariella fell silent and then said, "I don't usually pay attention to the ceiling, but I understand the whirlwind of pure lust. I'm not sure if I have any use for those kinds of decorations, but then again, when I don't have them, I have no idea..."

I interrupted her, saying, "You must realize, just like Damon was your first, he knows your body best. He knows how to make you moan and squirm. But as you've had other partners, have you ever found someone who doesn't expect you to behave the way you've been taught?"

Reflecting on my words, I continued, "Damon was my first, but he was also my teacher, guiding me through the world of sex and pleasure. He taught me what to do and what feels good. So when we're fucking, having our time, showing what we mean for each other, there's this expectation. My body naturally reacts, of course, but there's still that pressure. I'm chaos, constantly evolving. What worked back then still works, but..."

Without realizing it, I began to fidget with the corner of the quilt in my hands. Mariella remained quiet, lost in thought.

Eventually, she spoke up, "Yeah, I understand what you're getting at. For example, Magnum treats my body like a temple, as the most precious thing he's ever seen. He truly worships it. When Damon skips that, he wants me on my back, legs spread, and he knows his business. He doesn't worship, he just fucks. It's amazing, but yeah, I get it. It's wonderful with Damon, but predictable. He clearly takes the lead. Whereas with Magnum, or even with Taylor or Tim, they read me, they test my reactions, and it makes it special. I have no idea if this happens to humans over the years, where the novelty wears off and routine sets in."

I responded, gazing at the gauzy, light yellow curtain gently swaying in the breeze through the slightly open window. "Why do you think every other magazine is filled with articles on how to enhance your sex life? It seems like we're not the only ones. But I can't help but wonder if it will eventually become boring or predictable, after centuries of trying everything."

Mariella looked at me and replied, "With you, never. You're such an adventurous soul, always ready to explore alternative places to fuck and have sex in. And those flower columns add a touch of magic. Maybe we should start our own magazine for the supernatural. Of course, humans could read it too, but we could feature things like our enchanted homes, magical rituals, and our unique approach to sex, lust, rock and roll, or whatever. We could assemble a team to create it, and I could host a question-and-answer section. The entire pack could contribute in different areas, from cooking to magic, from relationships to home decor. Just imagine how enjoyable it would be to read those letters, and choose which ones to answer in the magazine. And if there were bigger problems, we could even offer help. Not put it into our magazine, but reach out to them privately"

I agreed with Mariella's idea and said, "That's a great idea. We have the resources, so that's not an issue. The only challenge would be managing everyone's contributions and deciding what to reveal to the public."

Mariella responded, "Since we don't follow any laws, nothing is stopping us from sharing our knowledge with humans. It might be beneficial to come out, so to speak. We could include magic houses, fae, and other supernatural beings in the magazine, featuring their perspectives. I know Bran would love that."

I nodded and started to ponder. "Hmm, maybe my question and answer section could focus on medicine or cooking. Or perhaps even about my organization. Maybe it's time to be a little more open and see how it goes. It's a bit daunting to think about our homes being featured in magazines, but it would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the magic of Christmas at Halifax."

I turned to Mariella and said, "We'll need to get the pack on board. I'm not sure how our somewhat irritable pack leader with his inflated ego will react to this. Who would be the editor or leader of that magazine and who would make what decisions? It would be fun but it would also keep us busy."

Mariella told me, "Just think about it. We were all having dinner when he told me to drop my spoon and pleasure him. Everyone else just chuckled, so I don't really care about his reaction right now. I know he'll come around. His ego is bigger than yours, and the chance to be on the cover of a magazine will be too enticing for him. I saw how he acted after our last rescue mission. He tried to act nonchalant when the reporters called him, but his voice, the way he spoke so softly..."

Something about that brought back a memory. I felt a certain familiarity, but my mental state was compromised, making my recollection less clear. Meaning telling something from my past would not be so traumatic. I was kind of safe because of the VENOMS.

I noticed it and said to Mariella, "Do you want to hear a story? It's about actions and consequences, involving Damon, his romantic encounters, and well, I'm not going to reveal everything just yet."

Mariella nodded and replied, "Oh, please, tell me. Your war stories are always interesting."

I continued, "Well, it's about how I met Johnny's dad, Dash. He served as a medic in my organization until I got him killed, too. He was almost as skilled as Colin or Samuel, and just as ruthless when it came to how he treated me."

I sat up and said, "It all started when I was incredibly busy with work. We were planning a major operation targeting a facility associated with Krycheck and Sark. We had evidence that both of them had visited the place, and we had identified the five biggest financiers involved. By the way, that facility still exists, so we didn't succeed in shutting it down."

Mariella nodded and said, "We'll get it. The Dragons, Drake, contacted me just yesterday. They're fully prepared and want to take out those places, so maybe there's still hope."

I nodded and replied, "Ask them to contact Joshua. He's my replacement when it comes to mission planning. I'm off duty, or at least as long until my mind is functioning as it should."

Mariella urged me to continue my story, so I obliged, "Anyway, I was as busy as ever when Damon called me. He asked if I could somehow make time for us. We had this mansion in Vermont, with a large main house and smaller guest houses, and he wanted us to be there again. And of course, we had our share of troubles, but I wanted to spend time with him. It constantly nagged at me I had neglected him for other people."

I was about to continue my story when the door opened and Damon walked in. Behind him were his ten companions, as well as Wulfe, Magnum, Colin, Adam, and Charles, along with the boys. Damon, the leader, was surprised to find us fully dressed. Mariella glared at him.

Wulfe confidently climbed onto the bed and plopped himself down next to me, between Mariella and me, saying, "Hello, ladies. You were talking about something. Please, carry on. I love being sandwiched between two beauties."

Damon rolled his eyes, and the boys joined us on the bed, transforming into their feline forms. Lepard settled on my lap, more or less, and Demon draped himself over Mariella's side.

I said to Lepard, "You are a little too big to be a lap cat, and quite heavy, but it's fine. Stay there."

Wulfe took his tail and stroked it as well.

He told me, "Did you know that Mariela had a tail for three days? Number One had it for two days. It was part of their magic lessons."

I replied, "Yeah, I don't need a tail in human form. If I wanted one, I could take the form of an animal that has a tail."

Mariella said, "Ohh, what's wrong, Mimi? Don't you have any sense of adventure and whimsicality? It would be fun if each of us, in human form, had a tail. Not anything you have to learn, but one from a dog or cat breed for two weeks. You don't realize just how expressive a tail is. I could see right away if Damon was irritated. He had this plume, like a Persian cat's tail, and oh my god, when he was pissed off, you saw it."

I smiled. It sounded funny, but I didn't want that kind of tail for myself. It wouldn't be cool if someone could see that I was pissed off, even if I said otherwise.

Damon retorted coldly, saying, "Yeah, and darling, I could see how eager you were to meet me. Always wagging that tail, and then you moved it aside."

Mariella said, "I had a Golden Retriever's tail. Those tails somehow acted according to their breed, so mine wagged all the time."

I said, "That must have been irritating. Just imagine having something like a Dalmatian or a Great Dane, always wagging and hitting things. Not to mention the fact that tails communicate, not with words, but with their movements."

Mariella said to me, "But think about it. If we all had tails, and the protectors gave them to us, we would have to see who belongs to whom. I know I'm not supposed to have them all, but they only came to life when you accepted your responsibility."

I answered, "But I haven't felt any connection to them."

Mariella replied, "You haven't really focused on it, but it's one thing that keeps you pissed off. They have eaten whatever, and then we could have cooking sessions too, cooking in teams, with the Salvatores just assisting us."

I thought about it and said, "Yeah, it could work, but then again, they could help those in need, like Tim, Taylor, Elena, and Katherine. I'm not sure how skilled cooks Dresden and Constantine are, so they would need someone to teach them."

Wulfe chimed in, "I would be on your team, Unicorn. Let me see, our team would consist of me, you, Magnum, and Colin. Then, Mariella, you would have Mimosa, Shadow, and Murdock. Taylor, Tim, Dresden, and Constantine would be on another team. Adam, Charles, and the kitties would form another team. Elena, Katherine, and Murdock would be on a separate team. Salvatores would have to choose or observe which team needs help. We would have five teams, with two Salvatores per team. It would be fun, don't you think, my little Unicorn baby?"

I said to Wulfe, rolling my eyes. "Please don't put those names together. I'm not your baby, and I'm not that soft and cuddly,"

Number One replied. "Fine, the cooking thing is on, but let's do it tomorrow or the day after. Come on, darling, let's go for a walk and see what rooms are available here."

There was a charge in his voice, making Mariella roll her eyes. She got off the bed, gently moving Demon off her side, and walked towards Damon. I wasn't sure what this was all about until I noticed she had unbuttoned a few more buttons, and the scent of peach and white wine wafted through the air as we walked away. She had been trying to seduce Wulfe, and someone was jealous.

Oh, I had a few good sentences in mind, but I kept them to myself for now. Ten Salvatores moved away, following those two, and I could sense their arousal. Poor Mariella would be a busy girl for a few days, and I guessed that even Katherine, Elena, and the wolves would be busy, too. Adam, Charles, Magnum, and Colin came to sit on the bed as well.

Wulfe said to me, "You were telling a story. Come on, we want to hear it."

I replied, "It's not that special. It's actually pretty damn depressing when you think about it. It's not a horror story, just a story about our failed marriages and what happens next."

Charles came to my side, pulling me close to him. It felt so good, like he was my security and my safety. I curled up in his embrace as Colin approached me.

"I think this young lady needs to rest first. Storytime and the cooking school can wait. You're exhausted and need to rest, my love," he said.

Adam reassured me, saying, "You have nothing to worry about. We're here for you. Just close your eyes, rest, and let your mind start to heal. When you wake up, maybe we can hear your story if you want to share, but there's no pressure."

Wulfe also came next to me, pressing against me. I was enveloped between him and Charles, with Lepard still purring in my lap and the demon nearby. I closed my eyes. I was tired and somehow; I wanted to sleep and wake up feeling something more than just this vague feeling of something. There were colors in my life, but they were all mixed up, with no name or definition.