8.

When the men came out of the gym, they were sweaty but not so explosive anymore, at least not Damon. Damon, the dominant male, completely consumed Mariella's attention. Unbeknownst to her, Mimi's pheromone was silently working its magic. Oblivious to the effect, Mariella opened herself up to Damon, who, fueled by the recent fight, acted instinctively. He grabbed her hand, leading her into a bedroom where their passion exploded.

It wasn't until five days later, as Damon lay on top of Mariella in bed, that he realized the consequences of Mimi's actions. Softly cursing, he understood that Mariella's heat was approaching rapidly. Despite Mimi not being a breeding female, Mariella had unknowingly confirmed her status through her pheromones. Perplexed, Mariella asked Damon what was wrong, questioning if she had been too demanding.

With a heavy sigh, Damon revealed the truth. "Nope, you're going into heat. I suspect the other wolves are too, but one of the females doesn't belong. She gave you a pheromone, which you passed on to me, resulting in this situation. A rut where Mimi doesn't fit could lead to breeding. Oh, how I wish I could keep her in the pack and in this rut. But there's little I can do now. She's done it again. Good 1-0 for me."

Mariella, momentarily silent, expressed her concern. "Oh, that's terrible. What can we do now? We can't stop the rutting and involving Mimi would be unwise, especially considering her condition. She knows herself that she is not fit for a heat. Perhaps this isn't a victory over you."

Damon's voice filled with frustration as he responded, "I am a Telepath, a strong one, darling. No, Mimi is angry with me. And rightly so. She resented my lesson. It was a harsh but necessary one, and I never regret my teachings. Maybe I should, but no, I did what needed to be done to keep my pack safe and uncover the threats hidden within those reports. Damn it, I knew nothing, and Mimi, for all these years, has been protecting and defending us, even during those seven years when I had cast her out. But no, Mimi is a saint, yet self-destructive, reckless, stubborn, and careless. I mishandled that blow to her belly. I understand that now. I never allowed her to react properly. She screamed, but I dismissed it and proceeded with the lesson, teaching her how to respond but not become a part of it. What a mess, once again."

Mariella said, "Let's see what Miss is up to, and maybe you could have a little chat with her and find out why. You can apologize for that strike, too. You are not John Wayne. In this pack, Apology is not a sign of weakness but a sign of wiseness. maybe she can tell us why she doesn't get horny, enjoy."

I got out of bed eventually, when the pain had subsided enough for me to move, actually. And knew that Damon and Mariella had gone to fuck when Damon had come back from the gym. I also knew that Adam Charles and the boys were out in the woods now. I thought I'd get something to eat. I walked into the kitchen. To my surprise, it was empty, and then I realized it was night.

I was so damn messed up still, with no sense of security, feeling like a leaf in the air, just floating, not really rooted anywhere. This would take time and it would be better for me to be alone, and get my mind in order. It is difficult to handle that I did not exist, the whole new array of nightmares for me.

Damon still being mad at me, for me being myself, protecting everyone, when they just don't know me, not in all of these years, and how freaking many times I have told them that I will protect them always and forever, there is no ultimatum for me to stopping protecting them. And it is just their problem then.

Then there is the fact that my Damon exists, or some version of him, but as unstable as I felt myself, he did not seem my rock, not in a sense like Charles is. But he had to go unload and hunt, doing his stuff and this whole existence crisis has put this pack in some sort of crisis or rat race where everyone is finding themselves, more or less. 

The boys and salvatores were probably watching the game or even fucking, the lust pack. Mariella's and Damon's little mating, brought by me, would make everyone quite passionate. Just as I like the peace of making something to eat and drink. I knew that first my physical health should get better and it would help my mind get better too. So they kind of were in hand in hand. I sniffed my coffee and put it on. I was collecting drinks when a voice behind me said, " My lady, you're having quite an unusual dinner time, but come sit down and let me fix the food in front of you."

This was number two again. He was wearing a white tee shirt, and did not smell sex at all, but a little like medbay. His expression did not let much to debate. Well, fine. I went to sit down, and he came over, took my wrist, and bit it, tasting my blood. Then he thought, furrowed his brow, obviously unhappy, and went to the fridge. He brought five big smoothies. He took a jar and bit through the lid, pouring some stuff into the jar.

He poured the jar into one smoothie, swirled it, and handed it to me, saying, " Start with this one, then those others. You're so fucking low on every substance, and I've just got to get something in you. There is nothing normal in your blood, is it full of metabolites, weird breakdown products of drugs that number one has used on you, all kinds of stress-related neurochemicals, not proper blood but let's see if I can help it along at all. Your mind is quite messed up, too."

 I said to him, "You take care of me almost more than number one does. And then this bombshell about number four, but something in him was not very friendly. "

Number two nodded and said, "Remember how I was at the start? Keep that in mind when you deal with number four. I have spent time with him, so I know what I am talking about here. "

I nodded, and said, "You are one damn wise Salvatore and no one sees that. They really don't appreciate you, but I do. You are very important to me."

He looked genuinely surprised and said, "Well, thank you, baby, you are very important to me too, even more than Mariella. My loyalty to number one is what keeps me with her from time to time, not her sparkling personality. Now eat up baby, let's get you back in shape. Nice pheromone, by the way. real 1-0" 

I smirked at him. I did as he told me. Somehow, my appetite was awakened, and I gorged. I ate so much as the two carried in front of me. He finally felt my stomach and grunted when it was full.

He said, "We didn't stretch your stomach, so it's not yet pulling ten liters, but at least it's full now. Now you need to digest it and then we see what we have done. "

Then I got up and walked into the living room. I thought about sitting in an armchair, reading a book, doing whatever. But Two came, got into a good position on the sofa, and looked at me, that look, that gesture, and I then went to lie on his lap, laid my head on his chest, and fell asleep when that scent came again, he stroked me, spoke calmly. I fell asleep feeling his caresses on my body; him keeping me safe, not letting me stop existing.

I couldn't hear what, but I was safe, full of food, and asleep. Then, when I woke up, the same thing happened again. I woke up from his lap; him waking me up when he had felt my stomach emptying enough. So we went Into the kitchen, now there were other salvatores, and I was tasted a lot of my blood, fed, drunk, and then the two always took me to the couch to rest, to sleep in his arms, letting that scent, that security come entirely so that I slept completely limp until it was time to eat again.

He had told them about my situation as the army of salvatores, but not four, were always filling me up, more and more, stretching my stomach, and making sure that food was digested fast and properly, nine and ten actually drained something in my neck to help chop off the rest of the drugs and transmitters that were no good for me. I was safe in the lap of number two. I could feel that this was very important to him, too.

Damon and Mariella came into the kitchen. Salvatores were cooking, they were dismissive of mariella and her heat scent, and not one of them was interested in her. She was mildly disturbed by this and Damon asked, "Where is Mimi? I could talk to her a little. Don't worry. I'm not attacking her. I just want to talk."

Three grunted, "Not available. She is recovering from that lesson, from those drugs, and this whole crisis. You should next time think a little more carefully about when to give her a lesson. She was not in shape to take it. So this is the lesson for you too. Go into the living room, and you'll see."

His voice was irritated. Rare for him as number three was usually a very level-headed individual.

Damon furrowed his brows, and he and Mariella went into the living room. The sight was like a vision from the past, and something inside Damon spilled out, bringing such hard feelings to the surface again. Number two was lying in a semi-sitting position on the couch, Mimi in his arms, like a little child. Mimi had buried her face in his chest, holding on to him. Looking very tired still.

Mimi was sleeping, holding two, and Damon could smell that number two was wearing magic. This gave Mimi a sense of security, which he had robbed her of with the whole Nick episode. He had destroyed her pheromone gland and taken away her addiction, so he didn't get the same sense of peace and security for Mimi that the two did. The only thing he could give her was withdrawal, nothing more.

He understood from the number two's expression that Mimi was not fine, not nearly, and he had not really thought when he had given his lesson. Her mind was so messed up and he could feel number two working on her mind all the time. Trying to ease up her fear of not existing. Again, something that he had not even thought of that Mimi would get a problem over it. He just saw her as some sort of robot that could take it all, but that was not all. Not at all.

Mariella said quietly. "Oh, that's the way it is. Those two are pretty damn close and just seem to get closer. But that lady needs intensive care. Look how skinny and thin she is; feeding her won't help as she sleeps most of the time. That creature needs to be put on medbay for drips and tests." Her voice was clearly jealous.

Damon said to Mariella in his mind. "Mimi's mind is a mess, she fears for her existence, one thing that I did not even think that she might get trauma from, and then all of my drugs, their metabolites, the trauma of that lesson, she is not fine, number two is trying to help her mind. By giving her a sense of security with that spell as number four is quite a wild gun. Not suitable for this yet. "

Mariella was silent. She had no words left to say. How could someone strong like Mimi recover from that sort of trauma? With no safety, she felt her fault in this mess as well. She had not made sure that Mimi had slept with Nick. She should have to and then be the voice of reason, but she had let her pussy do the thinking, not her brain. Ironic how in humans, men are usually taken by their dicks, but she, part of god, she was taken by her pussy. Sometimes she was ashamed of herself and for good reason, too.

Damon grunted and said to the two, "You heard me. I know thing makes your soul sing. It should make mine sing, and I'm not doing this out of pure jealousy, but that creature needs to be fixed. She put on a pheromone, and I hadn't even made her back into the alpha female of the pack yet....,"

The two said, "Yeah, Mimi told me. That was her reaction to your lesson and programming. Nice little 1-0 she did to you. I understand why you did your lesson. I probably could have done the same, but much later on and I know you're right, but she's in such a panic over medbay that I thought I'd try feeding and stretching her stomach. Her blood is a freaking mess and you know this creature can do with her willpower. With no magic symbol for you to suck it away, she gets stronger by the day. So I help where I can. "

Damon nodded. He had no words. Jealousy, longing, and regret blazed in his soul, forcing him to do something. He decided to act as a doctor, as pack leader, and teleported away for a moment. He made a potent cocktail while alerting a few salvatores and gave them quite strict orders on what to do with Mimi. Then he returned, put some numbing energy into Mimi's arm, stuck a needle in, pressed the plunger, and said, "Five and seven are all set up in the medbay. I already gave them instructions. We've got a rutting time coming up, so Missy better be in some kind of shape by then."

The second stroked Mimi and said, "Missy's enzymes are pretty damn bad, and when the snake or garlic doesn't work, we've tried, but if feeding would help, time, she's got a little bit of them but not enough. I am not in the mood for the rush, so I can take care of her, too. This rush is not at the right time. It was just her reaction, and I am not sure that everyone is ready for breeding. Those enzymes are the first concern."

Number one nodded and said, "We've got four units at least, so the transplant will work if they don't get better on their own, but it'll have to wait until we get the skeleton sorted out, then the enzymes will take. "

Mariella spoke quietly. She could see Mimi falling into a deeper sleep. " Mimi is getting ready for the transport in medbay. She knows nothing; she was just safe in your arms, and now she's getting the treatment. It is time to let her go, right, you know that and I would be honored to have you participate in our heat. "

Damon went and lifted Mimi into his arms, cursing in his mind for the thousandth time for destroying that pheromone gland of his, taking the addiction away from Mimi. There was only withdrawal that he could give to her, nothing more, and that more would mean growing a new gland and now it was not so easy as he had used a darn strong spell and his own will to make sure that gland and those pheromones were long gone and not coming back. But he could make new glands, get her addicted again. He had the power to do it. Still, would it be right to get Mimi back addicted to him? He didn't know.

He teleported to Medbay and put Mimi in bed. Mariella stayed with the two; jealousy had struck again, and she had gone into his arms to be with him. Damon watched Mimi for a moment. Five and seven were already working briskly, putting in cannulas and feeding buttons, being clinical and efficient. Not showing any visible emotions, even though they saw her very frail state.

Damon said, " Take good care of her. Make sure she doesn't wake up at all. Do not let her get traumatized at all."

They nodded and got back to work. Damon teleported to the kitchen. He knew Mariella had seduced and owned the number two bed—well, Mariella might get more than she bargained for if she couldn't remember who and what the number two was. Number two was the wise one, but he had his dark side and Mariella did not remember that if you play with fire, you ought to be burned.

He eventually ended up in bed with Mariella, and number two took his time teasing her chakras well enough for Mariella to learn her lesson. Still, number one kept number two in bed with her, making Mariella stay satisfied. The heat was slowly getting closer, and the other men were whoever wanted to, so they were tending to the wolves. Not all of them were fucking not at all and number four was fucking, but he was even nastier than number two. So soon wolves escaped from his clutches, making him go drinking or cooking. Those were two of his favorite activities.

Three weeks had passed, and Damon decided to check out what was happening with Mimi. He had no information on her state but was curious about where things were going. He went to the medbay, and it was empty. Strange. No sign of Mimi here and no visible evidence that she had been in there. 

Five came through the door and said, " Oh, what do you want?"

He went to one of the cupboards and started to collect things from there.

Damon asked, "Mimi? I don't think she's improved that much in three weeks, and I have got no update on her progress, so I came to see where we are."

The five said, "Mimi has been moved to another bedroom. She's aware on some level, although we're keeping her deep, so she was in the panic of being in the medbay again."

Damon was silent and said, his voice low, quiet, but there was warning, "So you have physical evidence of this, not just instinct, and I can't tolerate nesting, okay?"

Five went to the table, picked up a bundle of results, and said, "Well, Mimi's cortisol has always been a good indicator of stress. Here you see, in the first tests, there was no cortisol really at all because two had been made to feel safe, but three days later, cortisol started, and the level was increasing daily." His voice was level. He did not phase under number one's threat at all.

"We moved her there a week ago, and the level has dropped but is not gone when she knows she is sedated and on an IV in the feeding tube. We have no way of making her feel safe enough to drop the cortisol altogether. Unless I call Charles to be next to her all the time, keeping her safe, but as you insist on this on heat, it is not an option as wolves are so damn jealous and possessive, too. What comes to Mimi, as the cortisol interferes with enzyme production, we haven't transplanted it yet. The levels are pretty damn low, but she'll be fine."

Damon grumbled. Mere thought Charles getting involved made him angry. He knew there was really no way to keep the cortisol entirely out, and if the bed was a better place, then maybe.

He said, "I could look through her. What room is she in?"

Five took Damon into one bedroom. It was bright and airy. Natural light flooded in through the window, and Damon went to the bedside. Mimi looked so pale, frail, and fragile, even though they had put a little weight on her already. Mimi was breathing slowly and shallowly. The breaths were so light. He could hear Mimi's pulse was very slow; this one was in a deep coma with medication, and Damon frowned, feeling Mimi's mind. She was struggling, fighting to unload the medication, and there was no more that feeling of security in her mind at all that Damon had sensed when she had been in the arms of number two. She was more or less trying to make sure that she existed. The feeling of being drugged was now even worse for her.

He said, "Lighten up a bit. She's fighting back so hard now that she feels anesthetized, so let's see if a lighter level would help if it were more natural. She has still the trauma of non-existence. So she is trying to exist. I do understand why she's fighting so hard, but let's see if this helps."

Damon took the tablet, wrote new instructions and a new cocktail, and handed it to the five who went to do it as Damon took the previous bag off. There was not much that he could do, not anymore, other than being a cold clinician and letting his reason and logic tell him what to do next and let his feelings and passion be reserved for Mariella and upcoming lust. Then he left again to see what Mariella was up to and how the rush was going.