23. Listen to Your Heart.

I was pleased that my scent hadn't been touched yet. They would just leave it alone completely. I decided to take care of myself. I knew I had to eat, but I had learned that my body needed exercise. I would not run a marathon, but we were in California, in a castle, and we had a big fucking lake to swim in.

I decided to swim, and it had the added benefit of having power stones in the water. I got a lot of different energies. This had been a vacation spot for some people at one time because there was accounting energy, calculating energy, and bookkeeping energy.

As I was siphon, this was so easy as these energies had seeped into the bottom of the lake in small pebbles and those would be too minor for the energy creatures of the pack to notice. But I enjoyed it when there was flooding in my tanks with all sorts of energies, too. 

Some accountants had stayed here at one time, and then there was play energy, different children's energies as well, playing hopscotch or skipping the screen. The puppies inside me enjoyed this energy. It made me feel fun and relaxed too. 

I always ate well, drank a lot too in the morning, and then lazily splashed in the water, floated, swam, enjoyed, and walked in the water, collected bigger stones on the beach, and teleported them to the power stone room now and then, which Mariella had wanted to do. I was feeling generous from time to time and besides it was good for the pack to get these stones too. they would benefit from them too.

She had her own potions laboratory, where she always made her potions. Before I knew it, another week had gone by. Shadow had been cut early because she was breeding so incredibly well that 4444 puppies were the final balance. Yes, I cared for my cubs, and their first word had been hungry. Adam and Charles had been there to help me. Not either of Damon's had come by, not even once.

The cubs were as wonderful as I remembered. They had now been talking for a couple of days, and today, they would get to the big side. Then I thought I would go for a swim afterward and collect some stones. It was so relaxing this my life and I loved to swim. I had always loved it and this was about paradise for me.

Mariella was tired but happy when she helped the last Shadow's puppy to eat again. Damon was stressed, but as Shadow had insisted on being supervised the rest of the time, he hadn't had time to intervene with Mimi, which should have been put under control. They both had to watch over Shadow and also Mimosa and, of course, Mariella needed fucking too. 

But because of their oversite and circumstances that had led them to ignore Mimi, there was a minor problem with the young lady. Mimi was dehydrated. Badly. Damon's radar estimated about 10% at least and Mimi was apparently using her willpower or the puppies were blocking her mother's symptoms because her mother had found fucking rare and powerful power stones.

Mimi was a siphon. She created tank after tank as she tapped into the energies whenever and wherever. Usually, it required physical contact, and that's what Mimi did, soaking in water all day to dehydrate herself. The weather had been boiling and even though it is lovely to be in the water; you are still getting overheated.

In water, you don't notice how much you're sweating and the pressure of the water pulls the water out of your body. She had been wading through water almost up to her neck, and that is no good if you are in the lake for hours on end. That causes increased urination and if you spend all day in hot weather in water and don't drink, no wonder. And the puppies disguise Mimi's condition from herself.

Fine, the young lady must be getting the little sleepy ones again because such bad dehydration requires prolonged rehydration, and Mimi may get sick while the puppies' strength is tied up. Damon thought this about as clinically as he could and it was easy with Mimi.

Because he was her protector, her doctor, it was easy for him to see her as a patient and think clinically, whereas Mariella would have gotten a whole different treatment. Because he saw her as a wife, as beloved. And did not think first, always clinically.

Damon went up to Mariella and said, "Mimi is about 10% dehydrated and doesn't notice because the creatures inside her are strong, and with Mimi still drawing energy from the bottom of the lake all the time, the puppies don't want to alert their batteries, they're masking Mimi's symptoms."

He sighed as he continued, " I'll have to put her back to sleep because when I start pushing the fluids back in and you've tied up the puppies' energy, Mimi will feel really awful for quite a long time. But then again, it could be an excellent lesson in what happens if you hang around in the water for a week and don't remember to drink or eat. "

Mariella sighed. Mimi then always gets carried away and gets herself whenever she wants. But Damon was right that Mimi would learn best when she experienced the consequences. But then again, she was pregnant. Damon had been otherwise occupied and this might have some not-so-nice consequences on the relationship between those two. But Damon wanted to teach Mimi a lesson.

Mariella said, "Fine, let's go get one young lady in medbay. there is no question about that. She needs to get treated. And she must learn the consequences of those actions too."

They put the medbay in order before they went in. The spinning fluid, the spiked shackles, the nutritional concentrates as she had not eaten enough. All that was missing, was the victim. Mariella had already made power-binding potions earlier, so she picked up a couple of those, too.

I was in the water doing some stuff when Damon and Mariella came out. Mariella staggered, and Damon supported her, seeming to ask something in a hushed voice. I had gotten myself in better shape. I had muscle and mass. My ribs weren't showing so much anymore, and I was up to my armpits in the water, just wading and letting the energies flow into me.

The power of love was the best part. It was so pure and it reminded me of how I had felt with Damon at first. I hadn't even realized that I had forgotten the whole feeling. I guess it is what it is between us. But when I saw Damon completely focused on his Mariella, I knew I had Charles.

I had not felt this feeling coming from Damon in a long time. Of course, he tried here and there to play that song, but his feelings for me had not been strong enough, even though he thought they were. I felt melancholy and lonely and I knew the past was past and I couldn't get it back as it was just part of Damon, who loved me like that and not really him. His love is for Mariella and for a moment, this pain squeezed my heart again. Losing our love. 

I tried to remind myself that Charles was with me. I would need no other than him and Adam. But with Charles so busy these days filling bottles and getting everything ready, then fucking horny pregnant wolves. But I was fine. I hid my feelings as the power couple came closer and Damon glared at me, almost.

Damon came closer and said, "Let's get out of that water and go to the medbay. You're so fucking dehydrated. Come on now." his voice was irritated and he sounded like an angry parent, not a husband. 

I didn't want a flank of any size, so I went to them. I got out of the water, I had my bikini on, leopard print. Damon grabbed my hand firmly to ensure I didn't run away as he teleported us to the medbay. I suddenly felt the needle sink into my lung and Damon holding on to me as I blacked out.

Damon lifted Mimi unconscious onto the bed, and Mariella put on the spiked restraints. Mimi would stay tied, and Damon put another spell on the bed as well. Mariella took and placed the crystals under the bed in case Mimi tried to escape in a rage. She had a mere tiny bikini on, but Damon ignored that as he was purely clinical mood.

Damon cannulated Mimi. It wasn't easy because she was dehydrated. Mariella put the feeding peg in and through it the potions. She plugged Mimi's gullet with energy, and after twenty minutes you could feel the potion binding the puppies' strength.

This litter would have a lot of energy creatures with tanks. Well, Mariella had always taken the tanks off the puppies at birth. They would get the tanks when they were strong enough. She would get good catches from these and she was cleaning Mimi's tanks as well. There were few energies that she took and gave her pure energy and Salvatore energy to replace those tanks. She also took several tanks of her undiluted lust. She could use that to ensure good fucking to herself. 

It had been a small flank, and Mimi hadn't woken up after even an hour. Damon had now pushed into her five liters, which would probably help a drop, but Mimi's dehydration was 12.85% according to the blood test, and that would require 35 liters of fluid inside and then new tests. They had put a urinary catheter on her too, and she was bound and helpless. As soon as she would wake up, she would learn or start to learn her lessons.

And that 30 liters would be dripped at the rate of a liter an hour. Damon hadn't thought about what symptoms Mimi might have, but she was about to learn the hard way what would happen if she soaked in water for a week.

Finally, Mimi began to wake up. She sighed and tried to move. Damon walked over to the bedside and squatted down again. He was ready when Mimi opened her eyes.

My mind was trying to wake up, but as soon as sensations bombarded me, I was not so happy about my waking up. I thought, "What the fuck is wrong with me now? My mouth was fucking dry, I was thirsty, I was so dizzy I didn't want to open my eyes, my head hurt like crazy, and I couldn't remember what I was doing." I groaned, trying to desperately fall back asleep. 

Damon said from somewhere nearby, " Come on, baby, open your eyes, and let's have a little chat."

I opened my eyes, and they were stinging, too. The light was blinding, and I felt terrible. I felt nausea; I was bound in bed and I wanted to keep my eyes shut. 

Damon looked at me for a moment and said velvety, " Actions and consequences baby, that's what you get for soaking in water for a week and not knowing how to eat or drink enough. You're dehydrated, my dear, badly. The initial test showed 12.85% about an hour ago. I've got a few liters of fluid in you already, but this is going to take time. Here's the consequence. You're not feeling well. Maybe next time you'll remember not to be in the fucking hot air, in the water all the time, dehydrating yourself. I could have let you sleep, but you won't learn anything from it."

Damon got up, went to Mariella, kissed her, and walked away. He had been looking at me smugly, and then he just left. Fine. I would have to manage this by myself. 

Oh God, that I tried to endure. I had no choice. When I tried to take my rage, it soaked into the crystals. It was like they wanted me to suffer and I noticed that several tanks of my lust had been taken, my special energies as well. I had never felt this helpless, awful same time and so fucking lonely too. Now I was not feeling like the strongest creature in the universe but a pregnant woman, tied in bed, feeling awful and being all alone. 

Then I heard familiar footsteps. The smell of apples wafted through the air and I thought maybe Charles would come and lecture me, too. But Charles rushed to me. He looked at me worried and his voice was tender and loving as he felt me. Our connection was powerful. 

"Oh honey, you must be having a terrible time. Wait a minute, hold on, I'll come over next to you. You know it's going to take time to get that fluid balance right, but I'll help. I will take you in my arms and maybe it will help a bit. Salvatore doesn't really know you at all. "

Charles climbed into bed and unchained me. He came and took me against him. He murmured to me. His touch kept me safe, and I was feeling loved and cared for. I was not alone. 

It helped a lot. Even though I had symptoms, I endured them because Charles cared for and nurtured me. I was not deserted into medbay, put in the chains, and in IV. What Damon doesn't remember is that I still haven't gotten over it.

I don't want to be alone. Not anymore. All those years with Charles taught me what it is to have someone who cares. Someone who cares. Damon still wanted me to be a flea who didn't need anyone. I haven't wanted to be a flea unless I had to, since I had Charles and Adam.

I wanted to be Mimi. Wife, a pregnant female with her hormones on, too. It seemed like I was not supposed to be hormonal as I was who was and it was hard for me to because these expectations put pressure on me. 

Sometimes, Adam would come alongside me and take care of me. For the whole thirty hours, one or the other was beside me, and Charles took the blood test himself, and it was fine. They made sure that I was cared for, too. Adam was upset as he did not like when I was left out and it took time for me to get him to calm down, even a bit. But I was rehydrated eventually. That's how I got out and got to watch my puppies on the big side again. They were a lovely bunch. 

Damon watched Mariella closely, with less than two weeks to go. They wouldn't have a big litter, but Damon would cut Mariella, anyway. Then it would depend on his wife's attitude whether there would be more puppies. He was more than ready to breed her again. 

Shadow was already pregnant, a couple of litters. When Mimi had been in the IV, Damon had always gone to see the wolves. And Shadow was against the alpha male, so Shadow had been bred pretty early on. Mariella knew she had a couple of very good sentences for number one, but she needed no more pups yet.

Damon was silent when Mariella asked, "What's Mimi's status? Do we have to let her go soon?" She remembered her, and she was not sure how long it had been. 

Damon said curtly, "No worries, Charles."

Mariella sighed. Once again, Damon tried to show his strength and power, so it only drove Mimi and Charles back together. But then again, had been an awful place for Mimi to be, alone in medbay, in IV, and feeling awful so she understood Charles had felt her distress. Damon was not saying anything more about Mimi. And he still hadn't solved the pheromone problem. Why couldn't Mimi smell like him? And he hadn't even scented Mimi when he'd ended up fucking Mariella.

The two had been walking down the hall when he saw Mimi and Charles in bed together. Oh, the little bitch is fucking Charles. But he restrained himself, knowing that between the sheets, the tongue can sometimes sing, and secrets can be heard. He positioned himself so he could hear them. Charles stroked Mimi's neck as she lay on top of him.

He asked Mimi, " Why don't you smell any passionfruit? I can smell an apple now, but not Damon. Why and how did you do it?"

Mimi sighed, raised her head, and said, " That's what you want to know, but you can be sure it won't smell like passionfruit. I've done it that way. You see, when a female is first taken, I mean marked as one's own, the male always bites this pheromone gland, as you can see where the Salvatore has nipped. That bite brings the male's DNA into the female's pheromone gland tissue, and it then smells along with it. Except not for me. I've done it that way. One big reason for this is that smelling that damn AI did. I never want to smell like a wet dog, so no one gets to scent me. "

Charles was surprised, but so was number two. Oh, fuck what a 1-0 miss has wrought. He understood that reaction about the wet dog. But then again, she did not want to smell like anyone but herself. And what knowledge does she have in her head? Even number one doesn't know that. Two sent all this straight to Mariella's head. Mariella would be a better messenger.

I was happy when I was on top of Charles. This was perfect.

Charles stroked and caressed me, I looked at my husband hotly and said, " You know what, I am so fucking satisfied, happy, and glad that you and Adam are just my husbands. Not Mariella's. I don't know why, but I am, and I hope it continues. You are mine, not hers. And your pheromones are mine too."

Charles grunted, and I turned to kiss him eagerly. We were getting pretty ready but as it usually is in this pack; we have no privacy.

Then I heard Mariella's voice start to come from the hallway.

I said to Charles, "Again, we are being disturbed. Always, they just can't let us be together. They just can't." 

Charles grunted quite hotly. It was like my pregnant body was not too heavy for him as he enjoyed it when I lay on top of him. He was the perfect mattress. 

Mariella was quite astonished and knew that what Mimi had done was not a good thing at all. How she's done it and what the mechanism is then, but it needs to be fixed. She told number one, who was very quiet, and turned his head to the side to look out.

Mariella knew that number one was very deeply hurt, but even so, he somehow understood and accepted what Mimi had done. Number one began kissing Mariella fiercely, and Mariella knew things would not progress if she did not make him act now.

Mariella looked at her husband for a moment and said, " Aren't you going to do anything about it? You just let the lady keep 1-0 and enjoy. What's the matter with you, honey? Why don't you feel you have the right to make Mimi smell like you? That thought just popped into my head. "

Damon sighed and said, " When does it mean nothing to either of us if Mimi smells me or not? It doesn't fix our relationship, and again my brief lesson drove Mimi to fuck Charles. I'm thinking I'm not gonna be able to fight over Mimi anymore. So let her be it with Charles."

Mariella was silent for a moment, thinking. Oh, a problem like that. Damon is jealous and doesn't have the energy or the will to intervene. Again, this would not be an easy problem to solve. And whatever there is between them, it affects them. 

Damon was lazy in the sense that if a big enough problem came up, he didn't want to tackle, and it was often Mimi-related, then Damon would give up and fuck Mariella. Now she just needs to get Damon in the right frame of mind, and maybe then things will work out at least a little bit. She wanted things to work out and get Damon in a better mood. 

Mariella said, " Well, now up. We go break another one of those two little idylls, you know honey, when Di is capable of some pretty interesting things, so she just sent me Mimi's idea. Mimi will be fucking happy when Adam and Charles are only married to her, not me. Isn't that interesting?"

Her voice was a little bitter as she was slightly upset about that thing herself, too.

She needed to give Damon more incentive to act, so she continued, " Also, we could look at a wedding at some point when number two wants to get married, and you could go with Mimi without a prenup because number two changes everything. It would have to be rewritten, and oh dear, when it doesn't work out. I'm not saying you should then divorce Mimi. I'm not saying, what do you say honey if I marry Mimi too?"

Damon was silent for a moment and said, "Interesting idea. She can't do a prenup with you or two, but ours might still be valid."

That prenup was one thing that reminded Damon of the past. Mariella had seen it and she wanted to get rid of it, but it was difficult. Mimi had covered her back just a little too well with the help of Charles, but now Mariella had a solution.

Mariella smiled and said, " No, because you're getting a new identity too, just because of number two. You see. A new law just came into effect regarding doppelgangers. As you know, there are now doppelgangers."

She had to learn this from the magic house as they had told her about this when number two had found. 

"This law says that if you are found to have a double, you both get new identities. So that your twin doesn't mess up your life because these doppelgangers are not always benevolent. " She stroked damon absentmindedly as she explained.

"Think about it: if the President of the United States were to have a double, what chaos could it cause? That's why, in these cases, new papers come in. And often, the doppelgangers have a distinguishing feature, and you, my dear, have a tuft of white hair, just like me. On the right side, on the forehead. It marks you as a wizard. The number two's tuft is on the left side."

She touched gently his mark, " Now if there were ever to be more of you, you would already be marked. Safe. And since you're getting new papers, the prenup isn't valid. Perfect, and we won't make a new one. "

Damon was surprised. But this would be so good for Mimi, 1-0 in so many ways, Mimi wouldn't have guessed. They could get rid of that prenup and even if it was nothing so awful as Damon was rich, it was a stark reminder of the past, of Damien. He wanted to have a fresh start.