We were sitting in the living room, which had been spruced up with better tones and was now quite comfortable. The space was large, but not too spacious, nor too crowded. There were beanbag chairs, usually Wulfe's, as well as Lepard's favorite. I had my chair in there too, though I knew Number Five could tell it had been used.
Despite that, I had managed to get to it first. We were waiting for Mariella and Number Two; it was time for the last lesson, and I hoped it would be epic. I wasn't sure if Mariella's defiant, stubborn refusal to take blame had shifted during her little powwow with God, but we would soon find out, as Number Five was bringing them here. This was all my plan, as I wanted maximum impact for both of them.
My chair, an old antique from Moldova, had been reupholstered by my people. It would still fetch a pretty penny, but I wasn't going to announce that, as it was exceptionally comfortable. I hoped that comfort would last throughout my pregnancy because, as I recalled, it wasn't always easy to find good chairs when you felt like a bloated whale.
I had changed into a comfortable, loose velvet dress. Sure, it had half-length sleeves, limiting Number Five's opportunities for exploration, but it felt nice against my skin, which seemed so damn sensitive lately.
I sighed inwardly, absently scrolling through my phone, researching possible pregnancy symptoms. I hoped I wouldn't experience too many, but then again, I had already started a video diary for Mimosa, Shadow, and the girls, so at least I would have something to tell them.
Approaching footsteps jarred me from my reverie. Number Five walked in first, followed by Mariella and Number Two.
He couldn't even look at me, and Mariella declared, "Do your worst, I am ready. You can't make me feel any worse than being a disappointment to God. This is awful."
To my surprise, Number Two walked away from her and sat on one of the couches, likely missing the presence of booze.
I stood up, opened a cabinet, and took a few bags of blood, throwing one to Mariella and one to Number Two. I didn't take one for myself, and of course, Number Five had walked over and sat on a chair. Fine. I went to sit on his lap. He immediately pulled me up, lifting my legs over his, so I was almost like a baby in his arms.
Wulfe said, "Now, you two, be quiet and listen. Your 'pretender' side will be active, so you can see this isn't manipulation. We're doing this openly, so there's no need for you to listen in on secret pillow talk."
Mariella asked, "Why? What's the purpose?"
Lepard said lazily, "Many. One being that you still don't see the Salvatores as individuals, you see them as pussyslaves. You want them to worship you, but that's not who they are, not anymore. And do you have any idea what it was like for them to be in those vessels? They haven't talked about it, as you are not Mimi. You demand, you want, you need; you don't let them be who they are. And now you get to meet Number Five truly, who he is, what he's been through, what trauma he has, and what he's going to tell Mimi, and also what Mimi tells him. What she can tell him. Or dares to tell him, as he is not the pack leader, he is not Number One. Mimi is seeking something, mostly love. Do you have any idea what love is? Not lust, but love? Now you get to listen, watch, and learn. Maybe this is your last lesson. Witness us with Mimi; we are not you or Damon. This isn't about you, bad-mouthing you, or trying to make less of what you are, but focus on us, what we have. And if you want, we have a planned sauna later in the evening; you two are welcome."
Number Five kept me in his arms, stroking my hair, running his fingers through it, and said lazily, "You know, baby, even red definitely suits you. It was fun to see you try all the colors of the rainbow; maybe you should sometimes do it again."
I smiled and said, "Not sure I'm the kind to get used to being red, but I can't swear against it though; change is sometimes good. Did you know that when I was in that casino, Vegas, as a waitress, it was a damn hard job, but I met Murdock and Dexter there for the first time, and I still have so much useless data in my mind? You know, I remember everything, not necessarily on purpose, but if I focus, I can have every damn discussion from there in my mind, and it's kind of exhausting."
Wulfe said, "Worry not, my unicorn, we'll get something done about it. I can probably take most of the shit out, and see if there's something important, so it fades in your memory, just chatter, nothing you can hear."
"Thanks," I said, "but it's not just that. I mean, wherever I go, I record everything. Just last week, I was trying to remember if I had bought enough cream. I couldn't recall right away whether I had five or six cartons. Then, as I was recalling the shopping trip, I realized I had recorded at least fifty different conversations on top of everything else, with people talking, even in the shops. I was even planning to go to mass at a church on Sunday."
Number Five responded, "Not going with you, not my thing." He said this to me as if there was no one else in the room, just the two of us.
I could feel him pulling me closer, keeping me really near him.
"Do you have any idea, baby, what was in that ring?" he asked. "Well, as Number Four told you, every time you had trouble, he woke up. But I woke up when someone kissed that damn ring with issues. And I remembered you, knowing nothing about you. I tried to stay awake, listen, and see the news or anything, but the Pope didn't looked things like news. I wanted so badly to find something, some evidence that you were fine, and then…"
His voice broke slightly, and he shook slightly, really hugging me. "Then, when Damon and Mariella came, I saw Mariella and not you, for a moment. I was in so much pain, as I thought you were gone and I had gotten new ones for myself, but then Number One's memories overtook me, and I let them. The pain was so bad that it was easier to live as a pussyslave than to face you, knowing what a shithead I had been to you. Despite you pulling through, I just couldn't…"
"I know, and it was also my fault," I said to him. "I just let Mariella take you all. I didn't bother to fight, not at all. God, I was so stupid. I just let Adam and Charles, and the boys, those who wanted me, I was truly a princess, not a fierce woman fighting for her love."
Lepard said, "My love, you have been hurt so many times, don't blame yourself. And you do recall what happened when you got some Salvatore, they were taken from you. Love is a fickle thing; it needs two. You can love, but in order for love to work, there has to be this highway of love; otherwise, it is just obsession."
Wulfe added, "Love is a funny thing. I mean, for centuries, I scoffed at love, and I truly believed it did not exist, that it was just lust and obsession wrapped in a concept that the frail human mind could understand. And look at me now, utterly in love, so damn deeply I can't recall my life without this feeling, and I don't want to. I love you, my unicorn, I truly do, and this feeling runs so deep within me that I can't stop it."
He got up and sat on the armrest of the chair, wanting to touch me as well.
Number Two, with a somewhat sarcastic voice, said, "Good lesson, damn good lesson. I need some damn bourbon."
I looked at him and replied, "And you were supposed to be the wise one..."
He couldn't meet my gaze.
Mariella, noticing the tension, spoke up. "Number Five, forgive me. I haven't thought about you at all. It seems I've been using you as sex toys, as I am a sex addict. And I was supposed to be a savior. So many chances wasted, and I don't deserve your love. Sure, Number One is mine, but only because I healed him, and I realize I haven't fully healed anyone but him."
Still held close to Number Five, I responded, "You know what? We all need healing from one thing or another, and it limits you to put expectations on yourself, thinking of yourself as a lust queen or a healer or an understander. You can be more, or less; it's your choice to be whatever you want. It's been a long and hard battle for me to let myself love again. I mean, Adam and Charles, loving them is easier; losing them hurts, but a love hurricane like Salvatore... that's where my masochism really blooms. It always has been."
Number Five replied, "I try to be here for you, my babygirl. I truly try, but I'm just starting to heal myself. I'm hoping love could help."
I smiled at him as he pulled me into a kiss. It was a deep, longing kiss that seemed to last a long time. It wasn't too gentle; our need for something more was beginning to emerge again, and the kissing grew rougher. We were biting each other's lips, grunting, his hands pressing me so close to his strong, hot body, making me feel every inch of him against me, every damn hot, hard inch.
After a while, as we finally stopped kissing, Mariella said, "I haven't gotten that kind of passion out of them. I can see it now; all I get is lust, and maybe that's all I'm good for: a sex toy, nothing more."
To my surprise, Number Five said quite gently, "Darling, wanna do better? Let me give you a little job, if this pack leader in my arms allows me."
He glanced at me, and I nodded. "You want to do better, to get to know us? Congratulations. Now it's your job to tell the rest of the Salvatores what this is all about, who the pack leader is, and everything else. I suspect they are starting to miss you at some point, so you get to be creative, trying to coax them to ask the correct questions so you can answer."
He glanced at me again, and I nodded, letting this knowledge unfold in Mariella's mind.
"Oh, thank you," she groaned, then added hesitantly, "I'm not sure if this is such a good idea, but I'll try. Let's try to make this happen."
After a moment of silence, she asked, almost shyly, "I would love to see your shop, but most of all, I want to meet our snakes. I'm not afraid of them, and from what I've heard, it sounds fascinating."
Number Five responded, "It is. And fine, you can come later when we go check on them. There are a few results ready, and we have to check on everyone to see if they're going to shed, or if the females are healthy and haven't laid any more eggs."
She smiled slightly, while Number Two remained sullen, prompting me to roll my eyes. He had his problems, and it would take time, maybe, for him to regain his composure. I wasn't going to waste my energy on it.
Lepard, who was also watching Number Two, said, "You know, self-blame will get you nowhere. Feeling low, like you betrayed your promises? Congratulations, you're Salvatore; it's innate to you. But I would suggest sucking it up and learning from it. Sure, you're jealous as shit, feeling like a piece of shit because you broke your promise to Mimi, being a mere fucking machine. But you're also immortal, never going to die, so time is something we all have, and it's up to you to decide how to use it. These thirteen years can make or break you; this could be a dream come true, or something out of a nightmare. Your choice, not mine, not Mimi's, not Mariella's."
I chimed in, "I still have kind of morning sickness, meaning I can't eat anything before 12:30 pm, and it messes up my blood glucose. Number Five hasn't gotten anything. I have to try to push through with a few small smoothies and coffee before 7 am, so I hope you'll have an easier time."
I looked at Mariella.
Number Two muttered, "He hasn't gotten anything because your brats are blocking us and influencing us. Thank you very much, Lepard. You gave me an idea, and I just figured it out. Mimi has little telepaths, empaths, in her belly, which has garnered her resentment for us, and they're making sure we stay as the baddies."
Wulfe rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, I'd better try to craft a potion, then. Hope it helps."
Number Five replied, "You do that. I'll try something else. I'll try to show those little ones we're not all the same, that we can repent and change. If they're mini-Mimis, there's a good chance they're also creatures of love, so I'll try that."
Number Two then said, "I guess you're the wise one now. I never would have thought of it that way."
I looked at Mariella and said, "This sounds harsh, and it is harsh, but I don't respect you. You are an immature, needy, self-centered idiot who thinks with her pussy instead of her brain. However," I paused briefly, "I believe you can do better, but it won't be easy or fast. Earning my respect will take time, and you really have to earn it if you want it. That's it. If you commit to this pack, work hard, and try to make this work as a family—not as a whorehouse—I think you have a fair chance of being a very important part of this family. It's just me, and you are going to make babies—no cubs, just babies—and so we have a responsibility for these lives inside us, as well as possible future litters."
She was quiet, not saying anything.
Number Two then said, "You don't really spare your words, do you?"
I looked at him and replied, "Why should I? Being nice and not saying things as they are yields nothing. Honesty, as blunt as it is, is the best policy here. And the same goes for you; I have no respect for you either. You are not as strong as you say, or your feelings for me are one big lie. You see, either you are as strong as you claim, meaning not one and nothing can change your heart, or your so-called strength is just an illusion, and you are a truly weak bastard ruled by your dick. Take your pick."
He was silent, clenching his jaw.
Number Five then said to me, "Good going, baby, really nice..."
Wulfe then said, "There you have it, your choice; make it or break it. You are at a crossroads. Did you know, Mariella, that Mimosa and Shadow knew about your pregnancies, yet they didn't talk to you, even if they could have? Why? Because they didn't respect you either. They asked Mimi to keep a pregnancy journal, a video journal, belly pictures, you know, the whole thing. You can do the same. You can keep a diary and let them see after this time how you grew and learned from your mistakes."
He paused briefly, letting his pale gaze penetrate as he looked at everyone.
He continued mercilessly, "If you want to, this pack, ruled by Charles and Mimi, works much differently than one ruled by Damon, because now we all have a choice. Damon was a tyrant; it was his rule and nothing else. Charles, as well as Mimi, gives you choices; it is up to you, your responsibility, to make whatever you want. Know this: now you, and those nine others—as Number Five is now with us—are on your own if you are not playing ball, meaning no privileges."
He took another breath, his stance relaxed, while Mariella was tense, her hands slightly fisted. Number Two's eyes squinted, but Number Five, who was holding me, emanated an aura of smugness, as if, in his mind, he had already won, as if he already possessed me.
Wulfe continued with his lesson. "I tell you this because it is now up to you to relay this information to the Salvatores when they wake up. The situation is simple: if you choose not to play by our rules, you will be responsible for paying your own electricity bills, for your cars, with no carpooling allowed. You will receive only standard food; most of the refrigerators will be locked, and you'll have no snacks – just three meals a day. Of course, you are free to buy whatever you want, but you will have to pay for everything yourself, including your share of the pack taxes. As you may not know, our pack is required to pay taxes; we can calculate your portion and provide you with the bills."
He paused slightly as Mariella furrowed her brows, reality beginning to dawn on her. Number Two seemed even more irritated.
Wulfe simply shrugged and continued, "The rest of us pool our money to pay bills and electricity. We carpool and earn treats, snacks, and luxuries. You will not be doing that, so these are the perks of doing things our way. I'm not saying that Damon will never regain his position as pack leader, but he has to earn it. And as you are pregnant, you need to go doctors, if you want your allowances and benefits, not sure Spain will pay you, and how much your insurance will pay."
Mariella nodded. "I get it. I'm willing to play ball here; I will contribute. I'll start working after Thanksgiving, as I've noticed you have quite a lot on your hands and need help. I am willing, now what's the next thing to do?"
Number Two chimed in, "Count me in, too. I'll try, I'll try my hardest to make this work, but goddamn it, I still feel like shit."
"Well, I'm glad our little lesson paid off," Number Five said. "Now, you two can go grab a bite to eat and then meet us back here. Afterwards, we can go see some snakes, though the little ones aren't hatched yet since it takes 60 days for them to hatch, and we're not quite there."
Mariella responded, "I want to learn everything about those snakes, genetics, and such. Mimi, could you lend me a few books sometime?"
I replied, "We actually have a library here, a sort of copy of our main one, so there are books about almost anything. But sure, I have some special books on snakes that I can give you sometime."
She smiled carefully and then said to Number Two, "Come on, let's go eat. I'm starving, and I have three little ones to feed as well."
With that, they walked away. Number Five, however, didn't let me go at all; he kept nuzzling me. Wulfe was still sitting very near me, too. I was happy, even though I was a little amused by this possessiveness.
However, for the first time, I realized that being possessed, being someone's, wasn't a bad thing. Love isn't about being equals; love is about being in love and being loved—nothing more, nothing less.