33. She Bangs.

The lesson with tails was a humiliating one. It started with Wulfe, Constantine, and Dresden making tails for each other. It was up to them to take out the tails and make new ones for each other. Mariella had a tail like a golden retriever's for three days before she managed to remove it. Mimosa and Shadow had tightly wound tails resembling pugs, and it wasn't easy for them to change their tails back to normal. However, the one who had the most difficulty was Damon. His long and fluffy Persian cat tail was quite pretty, but it swished around a lot, irritating him. It took him two days to get it out.

Mariella wasn't sure what to make of this lesson. It was humiliating, but what Wulfe had said about them being animals made her see others in a new way. She found herself actually reading their tails, as they were very expressive.

A week after the tail episode, she suggested to Damon, "How about we make this a new normal? Sometimes each of us should have an actual tail for a week, including Mimi, Wulfe, and the boys. But it has to be a new tail, one they haven't had before, not like the tail of a big cat breed."

Damon smirked, imagining Mimi's expression when she would have a tail. It would also provide a little challenge when it came to their intimate life. He thought about getting Mimi to turn her tail aside when he would seduce her. Just perfect.

Maybe there would be something in that idea, but first Mimi had to get well, and pack life had to go on. It was just again time to wait and see.

Mariella walked up to the kitchen, choosing the empty one among the several they had. This was the big castle, and it was handy to have a few kitchens. Of course, they were linked, so she would have ingredients in each of them. She grabbed a large bowl and went to the fridge to gather some eggs, milk, flour, butter, sugar, and yeast. She was going to bake some sweet buns. She sighed in her mind, hoping baking would be the distraction she needed. The feeling of warm dough beneath her fingers was something therapeutic, almost.

It would keep her busy, and even though they were perfect for them to eat, there were plenty of willing participants. No one would eat so many that it would harm them too much. She was humming at herself. She could feel powers swirling inside her, giving her weird sensations, and ideas, and she was trying to maintain her sanity. It was not for her to be an alpha female, not even if she would want, as she just was not one. Mimi was the only alpha female. But Mimi was sick, and she had to step up.

Mariella had just measured a few liters of milk when Damon approached her, wrapping his arms around her and moving her aside. Mariella sighed. She loved him, but his habit of taking over when she was doing something could be irritating. She hopped onto the counter and watched him work. He was such a perfect guy, and Mariella felt incredibly happy to have him. 

Damon effortlessly created a large batch of dough with just a few spells, kneading it to perfection. Once it was placed to proof, several Salvatores gathered in the kitchen, ready to make buns once the dough had risen. This was the essence of their pack life. Mariella started to feel the effects of her alpha power mixing with her white power, causing her to feel scattered and overwhelmed. She sighed inwardly, realizing the consequences of trying to make her alpha power stronger.

However, they needed Mimi to be the alpha female in the pack. When they went to see her, she was lying on the bed, unresponsive. The staff informed Damon that there were no signs of bloodlust and that she was consuming less blood than it was expected. Something about this troubled Damon, but Mariella managed to distract him long enough for him to forget. Her mixed powers saw Mimi as a threat to their relationship, causing her jealousy to flare up and make her distract damon from whatever was wrong with Mimi.

As they returned to their magical lessons, they sometimes had rough times in bed as Damon vented his frustrations. He was borderline violent in bed after this, hitting and bruising Mariella, but she could take it, and it helped them both. She needed to be punished, and Damon needed a punching bag to unload. It was clear that Mimi hadn't been given any food, causing Damon to explode and give explicit instructions to provide her with three meals a day, along with plenty of coffee and coke. Perhaps her apathy was due to a lack of food and caffeine.

However, at that moment, Damon's focus was not on Mimi, but on Mariella, who sat quietly at the counter, observing the Salvatores as they prepared and discussed the various types of buns they were going to make. Whether it was a butter eye bun or braided one, cinnamon-filled perfection, or whatever they would come up with.

Their lives had been filled with a mix of chaos and normalcy since joining this larger pack. The men found joy in watching sports matches on TV, while the women, wolves, and girls spent their time talking and even learning how to knit. They wanted to learn how to knit as well as Mimi, who believed that the only way to improve was to practice.

Mimosa and Shadow were also learning how to crochet in the craft room, which was adorned with soft rugs and had a peaceful atmosphere. The only sounds were the clicking of knitting needles and the rustling of yarn, accompanied by hushed voices. They had plenty of magazines to guide their learning. In some way, they wanted to impress Mimi, or perhaps even challenge her. One of their knitting projects was making baby clothes. Elena and Katherine were combining patches from a few sacks, as Mimi had previously knitted them and sometimes turned them into quilts. However, now that they were a pack, others could contribute as well. 

Of course, they would occasionally visit the potion lab, a place where Mariella would lose track of time as she immersed herself in various spells and potion creations. The lab had a large, dark table, stone walls, and an herbal aroma that filled the air, creating a unique atmosphere. Mariella's magic would resonate within her as she carefully measured grass seeds for the potion base needed to make Mimi's multiplication enzyme blocking potion. She planned to ask Wulfe for advice on how to improve it for Mimi. Making potion bases was something that brought a sense of calm to Mariella's frustrated mind. 

After finishing the base, Mariella made her way to one of the bedrooms. It had peach-colored curtains, fluffy rugs, and a luxurious waterbed that beckoned her to lie down. Before settling in, she stopped by the bathroom to start filling the large bathtub with water. While waiting, she chose her favorite bath salts: a combination of citrus flower, pomegranate, and lemon oil. She generously sprinkled them into the water, craving a moment of pampering. Right now, she didn't feel the need for sex.

As she glanced at a shelf, she noticed several waterproof toys for playful moments. This was just one bedroom she had decorated in the huge, old castle that she now considered her true home. Perhaps it was because she had chosen and adorned it with Damon, making it their first official home. She didn't count the small house Damon had initially bought for them. This bedroom felt like her sanctuary. As she looked around, she realized Mimi was nowhere to be found. Meaning there was no influence from her in this castle as there were in other houses and castles that they lived in. 

She undressed, admiring her flawless body in the large mirror. With features reminiscent of Vivien Leigh, she had an appealing appearance. Her eyes were even greener, her lips fuller. She admired her ample breasts, not needing a bra with their almost DD size. Her dusky nipples were always ready for eager lips or hands. Her waist was perfectly curved, not giving her an anorexic figure. Her hips flared into a seductive ass, and her creamy thighs were strong. Her hairless pussy revealed an enlarged clitoris, as well as dewy arousal pooling in her folds. She glanced at her feet, realizing she should paint her toenails, but since it was winter and she often wore slippers, her toes were not that visible.

She turned off the water as the tub was full, stepping in and feeling the hot water against her hot body. After the initial shock, she relaxed into her bath, closing her eyes and focusing on the sensations in her body. With her left hand, she reached for the shelf where she kept her toys, intending to choose one for pleasure. Despite her initial for not needing that kind of stimulation, hot water and a few nozzles in the bottom of this tub had wakened her arousal. However, to her surprise, the shelf was empty. There was a rustling sound, and she realized she was not alone in this room.

Opening her eyes, she saw Damon holding her toys tightly, crushing them. He looked at her with a heated gaze, revealing that he had destroyed her toys. Pieces of plastic and metal were soon disappearing from his fist. 

Mariella, confused, said, "Mimi once told me how you used to destroy her toys, too. What is going on? This is my own bedroom, and I am just having a bath." She, however, kept her expression sweet and innocent. 

Damon walked around the tub, examining the water, looking at her perfect body in the tub, and said, "Did you know, darlin', that this tub can fit two?"

Mariella smiled, biting her lower lip, and looked at her husband suggestively. She replied, "Well, I'm not sure if you need a hot bath."

Damon smiled dangerously as he slowly undressed. Mariella relaxed in her bath, knowing that this was the perfect seduction. She watched her perfect husband undress, knowing that soon they would experience a passion like no other. 

Salvatore Hospital, New York City.

Mimi's brain couldn't reach the same high it used to, and the substances that previously fueled her desire for that high had run out. As a result, her cravings had diminished. However, the increasing flood of NDMA 3, a substance responsible for regulating angry mood and aggression, allows these emotions to surface. The tiny neuropeptides that had previously kept these feelings under control were now at a low level, causing her aggression to increase. Her anger management was failing, and she was unable to perceive rage wells in her mind as they had been the kind of image that she had conjured to control her rage. There were no clear rage wells in her mind anymore.

She became more irritable and restless, and during a shower, she, in a fit of rage and frustration, hit the tiles, causing them to break. Unfortunately, her withdrawal and lack of nutrition had thrown her system into disarray, affecting her healing abilities. As a result, her knuckles remained wounded, but she kept this weakness hidden, as her feline side perceived it as a vulnerability. Her mood continued to deteriorate, and she gradually lost the ability to feel love, which further weakened her soulmate bond. Certain parts of her brain became dormant as love faded, followed by her compassion and empathy. She no longer cared if her words hurt others, and her lack of self-regulation became increasingly clear.

However, her pretender side prevented her from showing this behavior when someone came to visit her. She would lie in bed without reacting, even when someone spoke to her. Unfortunately, her pack members were preoccupied with their own magical lessons and frustrations, and they failed to notice Mimi's withdrawal. Instead, they allowed their biases and assumptions to cloud their judgment, believing that Mimi was simply sulking or acting like an ice queen, refusing to reveal her true emotions. 

I was in the shower. This was getting ridiculous, goddamnit. I had already reduced my blood consumption faster than expected, but they just didn't notice or let me out. I hit those stupid tiles, feeling them break under my knuckles.

It hurt, but I just cussed, "shit, fuck, fine, stupid freaking tiles."

I put my hand under the water, hissed as it stung, and watched the red water drain into the drain. I noticed I wasn't healing as fast as I should be.

"Well, what can you expect when they're not giving me any food or anything? But fine, let's see what shape I'm in after this. Now, not even Wulfe will come close to me. Freaking idiots, I'm not just any normal vampire," my voice muttered.

The running water covered it, ensuring no one would hear if anyone was around. Not that they really cared about me. They just wanted some excuse to do this to me, and I did not know whose brilliant idea it originally was. After the shower, my knuckles had stopped bleeding, but there were scabs. Fuck, I wasn't healing as I should be. Fine, I guess I'll just have to deal with a few infections along the way. I wonder if they'd even care or if they'd just let it run its course and not believe that I was sick.

Damn, morons. I was so fucked up for my pack. In my view, they were a bunch of hare-brained shitheads. When I heard they were in Ireland, reality really crashed over me. Mariella, of course, she just had to have everyone I had. Her brilliant plan was to make me look like a damn junkie, take my five into the Castle of Ireland, seduce everyone in there, and take Tim and Taylor, too. Soon, she would have Damon or her fancy judge friends declare me unfit to make any decisions, and she would hand fleas to Damon on a silver platter. 

Mimi's neural activity was constantly changing, and with that came a growing sense of paranoia. She began to speculate about the motives of the pack and why she was being held captive. Her paranoia only increased as her mind conjured up conspiracy theories. Despite her distress, Mimi managed to hide it from the staff who delivered her blood pouches. They noticed nothing unusual since no cleaners were visiting. This means cracked tiles in her shower were covered long time as they could not get cleaners in.

However, Mimi refused to enter the big space even when the door was opened a few times. Her paranoia convinced her that going inside would result in poisoning. The changes in her brain occurred slowly, happening on a daily basis. Her body and mind tried to compensate for each change, but there came a point where the effects became more pronounced. The feeling of sickness eventually faded away, leaving her feeling frustrated and angry.

However, she was able to control her aggression outwardly due to her role. Her mind still held on, preventing her from showing anything on the outside. But the threshold was approaching, and no one was aware of the changes happening in her brain and mind. Once again, the pack, full of lazy telepaths, Salvatores, failed to check her mind or thoughts. There was one telepath, Wulfe, who was too empathetic and scared to venture into her mind. He saw her as a pitiful yet dangerous creature, and something inside her warned Wulfe to stay away. She was so strong that she made it clear to him, even if he didn't realize it at the time.