While my five children slept, I sat in my craft room, planning a surprise for them. I was crafting special spoons, not their first ones, but ones with a small crystal or stone embedded in the end. Using wire-wrapping, I worked on each spoon. They weren't perfect, but they were suitable. I'd used my skills to determine which stones suited each child, even the twins, as each child would have a different stone.
They'd grown incredibly fast and were mastering their milestones. Their smiles were infectious, and they were always happy to see me or anyone else, and we were all completely smitten. Who could be angry when entering the nursery to find five little ones kicking and smiling? It was amazing, truly. Sure, it was hard work, especially with a limited amount of help, and nighttime was exhausting, but I didn't need to sleep. I could function without it, as I had full control of my powers.
My protector, he was still finding his footing, but he was getting there. Our bond had evolved significantly, not in a sentimental way, but intimately. It was like Damon's little trick had given him permission to use me, and oh boy, did he. I hadn't known about his…passion, but I could handle it. It was something new to me, and despite the physicality of it, I wasn't fragile. He couldn't break me.
The babies were about ten weeks old. If they were human babies, they would still have a lot of growing to do. However, as my doctor explained when she visited, Charles's question helped me understand what to expect: they would be a handful.
I was sitting in my favorite chair, my legs tucked under me, lost in thought, when Mariella spoke to me mentally. "Mimi, are you free? I want to chat, meaning I have a lot of complaining to do."
I glanced at the clock; it was evening, and a sauna sounded good. I replied, "Let me put the sauna on, and we can meet at the spa. Don't tell the men. I'll take care of my work, and I can explain a few things about the babies, too, since Charles called my doctor a few weeks ago, so there's some news."
Mariella responded, "Fine, I'm ready. Meet you at the spa in 45 minutes."
I confirmed, then told Wulfe through our hive, "My love, I'm going to the sauna with Mariella. She needs some girl talk, so you're up for baby care, as I can't promise that..."
Wulfe's soft voice replied, "My unicorn, are you being naughty again? Must I really? But let me say this: I can handle two at a time. My guess is Mariella has had a dry spell, so I could cork her."
I smiled, responding in a sultry tone in my mind, "Not if I get to cork her first."
Wulfe said, "You are female; you don't have the proper equipment."
I just hummed. I had boyfriends for us, and maybe we could put on a show for Wulfe, make him really go after Mariella. Oh, I would love to see her expression when Wulfe started to handle her, compared to Damon. Well, after having Wulfe unleash his deepest, darkest passion on me, Damon was a pussycat.
I had taught Charles, Adam Wulfe, and the other boys, as well as my girls, about the Hive. We had practiced exercises with the strands that everyone possessed. I noticed Wulfe was intently studying my strands, and most of the men were as well.
I pointed out that the more they studied different "Salvatores," the more individual strands they would perceive. This was one of the reasons Mariella typically struggled with them. She grouped them together, seeing them as "Salvatores," a collective of similar-looking men, mere versions of Damon, rather than recognizing them as individuals.
For example, numbers ten, nine, and five were not lazy. However, numbers one and two were. This laziness was easily identifiable. Consider number one's strands. There are stressors, things that cause worry or stress, things an individual needs to address.
Numbers one and two had few of these. Why? Because they negated them. They were lazy and simply postponed dealing with those stressors. Why was this a negative thing? Because it was laziness.
For instance, number five had a large bundle of stressors related to me; I could sense his concern for my well-being, my nutrition, my sleep, and how I was doing. Number two, however, had none. For him, it was over; he was no longer my protector, so there was no need for him to stress about me.
Take laundry or house chores, for example. Number one negated these by ensuring Mariella's older daughters did most of the laundry. They also had numerous robot mops and vacuums, and he could clean with spells. No need to worry. Food? There were always Salvatores cooking, and Mariella seemed fine, so there was no need to worry about that either.
He and number two found excuses, reasons, or thought processes that negated their stressors, ultimately meaning their lives were somewhat boring, making it easy for them to become arrogant.
I wasn't sure whether to remind Mariella about the strands or to study them myself. Each of our bonds contained thousands upon thousands of strands, some for feelings, sensation, and stressors, but also for connection, history—everything that made an individual.
Studying strands had always been different with the Salvatores; no two were alike. Charles was learning this, too. The best part was that our victim couldn't feel their strands being poked and studied. When it came to my strands, they were much more complex. A normal pack member would have strands like separate pieces of string. Mine, however, were connected, woven from several smaller strands and now partially unwound, a result of my memory connecting so many strands.
Studying me was a challenge Wulfe relished. This, of course, led to our passion in bed, as he delved deeper into my mind and strands, understanding how to help or distract me.
I walked to my room and grabbed the keys to the fun room for girls. I had one, too, but hadn't shown it to anyone. Wulfe had a sly expression, waiting for a decent show so he might bother to show his might to Mariella.
He wanted a little more, so I indulged him and bit into a small jar of bright, glittery dark pink substance, giving him the tools he'd need when in the mood. I felt dark satisfaction; for once, I was the one getting some cock, and Mariella wasn't. But everything would change soon enough. I had a plan, with parts I'd kept from Wulfe. I was learning to be selfish, to ensure I got what I needed.
I walked to the spa section, where Mariella was already waiting. She hadn't undressed yet, and though she looked tired, a certain glow—a "babyglow," as I recognized it—was present.
Mariella looked me up and down and asked, "You look good. What have you been up to? I've been learning to be a mom, and it's wonderful and stressful. I have no idea what babies should do or should not do. The Salvatores aren't involved much, I thought, and it feels like I'm walking in the dark with no idea what I should do."
I began to undress, replying, "Well, I can tell you some things, and you can take it from there. As for the Salvatores, numbers one and two are lazy. Five, nine, and ten miss me and are still moping around. Three and four are angry at number one for ruining their lives, and the rest are hoping to get something done."
Mariella furrowed her brow, asking, "How in hell do you know that? It's been months since you saw them."
Calmly removing the rest of my clothes, revealing my lithe, toned, but still slightly bruised body, I replied, "Hive, strands. I told you about those in Australia. One can learn a great deal about the hive by studying its strands. Let me tell you, my strands are Wulfe's favorite things."
Mariella furrowed her brow, her gaze traveling over my defined muscles, perky breasts, and the constellation of bite marks and hand-shaped bruises that dotted my pale skin. "Are you sick? You're so bruised! What the hell has been done to you?"
I rolled my eyes. "Wulfe. He's a beast in bed. Now you know what Damon does and how well I heal. My healing is fine, but Wulfe... well, after a night of passion, we're both a little banged up."
Mariella's eyes lit up. "I want to experience that. I like pain, and if someone has that much passion, I want in, if he's willing, of course. I feel so dull."
She had lost her flabby appearance; she was quite toned, suggesting the Salvatores had whipped her into shape and ensured she ate properly.
I replied, "We'll see, but first, let's relax. I'll tell you a bit about the babies, and then afterward, maybe we could meet our boyfriends—you know, like what happened with mine in the past."
Mariella looked at me skeptically. "I don't want to get anyone killed. I mean, sure, but should we?"
I rolled my eyes and said, "Crawlers. Top-notch boyfriends. Always willing, eager, and when you find the right one..."
She smiled. "Oh, those kinds of boyfriends? Well, I'm all in. It's been a freaking long time since I've had one of those. Men don't even use them in vampire heat; they just use organic dicks."
"The theme is movies," I announced calmly, though a certain glint in my eyes betrayed my excitement. "For example, 'Aliens': 'In space, no one hears you scream.' Or 'Avengers': 'Worlds mightiest orgasms!' And then there's 'The Fly': 'Be afraid, be very afraid!'"
Mariella's smile widened. "I can't wait for them. I want to experience them all..."
As we entered the hot sauna and I began to release steam, Mariella groaned contentedly.
"I'm starting to understand why you love being a mom," she said. "It's wonderful. But when I look at the internet and everything, there's just so much information! I had no idea about milestones. I read the books, but when they talk about adjusted age versus real age, I'm completely lost."
I nodded. "Well, Charles asked my doctor to check on the babies, and she gave me more information, plus a few books. About their age... My babies are now ten weeks and two days old, meaning that's their real age. Your babies are ten weeks and four days. This adjustment accounts for their prematurity, but since they're also supernaturals and immortals, they catch up much faster than human babies."
Mariella listened intently, the cracks in her seemingly perfect life starting to show. Damon was lazy, and number one and two, it stemmed from their arrogance and feeling of superiority.
I continued, "In human babies, adjusted age means you subtract the number of weeks your baby was born early from their age. A normal baby is born between 37 and 40 weeks. My babies were preemies, so they would have been born 7 to 10 weeks early, and yours would have been a week more. So, they would be right about now, just full-term babies if they were humans."
Mariella nodded. "Mine are advanced. They smile, and they're not so scrunched up anymore."
I nodded and continued, "In supernatural babies, adjustment happens in stages. During the first month, it's a 50% adjustment, which, in my babies' case, translates to 3.5 to 5 weeks. This leaves the first month primarily for growth, as you know: babies eat and sleep. The next month, the adjustment is only 20% of the original, meaning one or two weeks, effectively making them appear about 2 to 3 weeks old. However, their growth rate is accelerated. Now, in this last month, they've completely caught up; they're behaving as ten-week-old babies would. As you've noticed, they might be a bit easier now, less clingy or fussy, as they're slowing down their growth. They are definitely individuals, which means they might reach milestones much earlier than human babies. It's a busy time for us all. My babies are physically small, but mentally, they're ten weeks old, and their body control matches that. They still need to eat a lot, but, my God, I just love this time, even though it's really demanding for us all."
Mariella was silent, then said, "Thank you. So, they're now ten weeks old, and I need to learn what they do and don't do, and how to help with that."
I nodded and said, "Well, solids are good for them to start around 4 months, but that's Salvatore's decision. I'm not sure if they want to mess with me or my babies, but I hope this information helped. My babies will start solids when they're ready; there are indicators. We've also been eating around them when they're awake, letting them smell and see the food, so they'll become interested when they're ready to eat."
She nodded and said, "I'll send this to my girls, as they're the ones caring for them most of the time. The Salvatores are so damn clinical and cold; sometimes I wonder if they even love these babies or see them as some kind of subjects."
I threw in more steam, enjoying the heat and the scent of lilacs I had added to the water. In the sauna, I released my relaxation pheromones, admitting, "I did a small thing while you were in the hospital that might have affected them. Nothing too bad, just walked into your nursery, infusing my care and baby-raising pheromones everywhere, including all the objects in your room. That means they've thoroughly absorbed them." I continued, "Old vampires like Damon, for example, are too proud to give in to their feline side since they haven't fully accepted it. This makes him a bit robotic; he has the need to care but lacks real emotional resonance. On some level, he senses my pheromones, and they're messing with his mind, but he doesn't perceive them as he is a novice when it comes to pheromones."
Mariella remained silent, only grunting as a few ladles of water hit the hot stones, amplifying the sauna's temperature. As usual, my sauna was well-lit, with nice, wide benches made of light-colored wood—nothing too scented, sticky, or dark. I had sauna pillows to lean on, as full enjoyment was essential in the sauna. I propped my legs up on the deck as I relaxed.
The sauna was one place I put effort into planning, and since I had built many saunas, I knew what worked and what didn't. Being selfish, I didn't usually ask about others' preferences, but instead, I went with what I saw fit.
Therefore, I had no idea what an ideal sauna would be for Mariella, for example. Did she even have one, or was she content to have mine? Her body glistened with sweat, and she was flushed as her circulation accelerated due to the heat, but she, too, released her happy pheromones, relaxing.
She was deep in thought, and finally, she spoke, "I must admit, I am not angry. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You see, I've been self-learning, and a part of me has finally recognized you as my alpha female. Someone who is higher, stronger than I, and one I must obey. I've read a lot, so I know it's your job to ensure the babies are cared for, and you just did that. However, I'm stumped about how to help Damon. He misses you, misses being your protector, and he regrets it, though he doesn't shout it aloud. He blames himself. I distracted him with some osteopathy videos of babies, hoping to get him to do something else than mope around."
I smiled, knowing that soon there would be a time when he would do so much more. Mariella would be busy, Wulfe would be busy, and I… well, I just might take those three Salvatores, five, nine, and ten, back to myself, though I wasn't sure yet. I still didn't have much respect for her, but I was starting to see that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for her.
But first, she needed to experience some real passion. I knew that once she had Wulfe unleashing his utter passion on her, the Salvatores would seem mild. And when I got Mariella amped up, her sentences would start to flow, and she could finally shake Damon out of his funk, maybe offer him some resistance.
But first, the boys would have a lesson of a lifetime, too. And I was going to perform to the max. I kept my dark arousal hidden. I knew Wulfe was ready to do this, but not just yet. He would maybe sense when I was wild enough. But first, it was after the sauna.
Time for me and Mariella to get to know some quality boyfriends who would be just made for us. And for Mariella to see just what I can do to her. This time, she wouldn't be mistress, but just a pleading, begging mess, undone in my hands.