36. When I Kissed The Teacher.

I woke up in my soft, cozy bed, the sheets tangled around me. As I slowly regained consciousness, it took a moment for me to orient myself. Memories of the wedding began to flood back: the bright morning sunlight, the bump inside me, and my hazy, drugged state. And then, those guys... and what I did to them. 

As I reflected on the events, I realized that perhaps slaughtering them wasn't the wisest choice. But in that moment, trapped and cornered, my reflexes dulled by the drugs, and with those witches blocking our packbonds, I felt like I had no other option but to unleash my inner beast. Anger surged through me, my rage exploding outwards. It was a reaction, a manifestation of my weakness and their intrusion on our wedding day. 

Deep down, I knew this whole mess would somehow be blamed on me. After all, I was the target. But it was their fault for infiltrating the magic house, and Mariella's fault for naively asking them for a certain kind of ring for Damon. They made it too easy. I had no clue what would come out of this, but I bitterly doubted that anything grand would result. 

Among the foggy memories, one thing stood out clearly - Wulfe. I remembered how he approached me, his voice filled with admiration. "You are truly a force of nature, my unicorn," he said. "We will talk after you've rested a bit. Sleep now." And then, darkness swallowed me. 

Now, as I made my way to the kitchen upstairs, the silence engulfed me. No one was around yet. It was then I realized that I wasn't even in the castle anymore. They must have moved me somewhere else, and honestly, I didn't mind missing out on the rest of the wedding. 

Grabbing some food, I pondered my whereabouts within this unfamiliar castle. I walked over to the window and peered outside. Ah, San Jose Castle.

I mentally asked Charles, "What happened? Where am I? Why am I in San Jose?" 

His voice echoed in my mind, "Well, the magic houses are being inspected. Corruption had seeped in deep, and they're after you and us. Mariella had her... intimate wedding night, and she's feeling sore. My memories are hazy too, as a powerful telepath messed with my mind to ensure I wouldn't get upset if he played with Mariella. And as for you, Wulfe put you to sleep for a week after you took care of those troublemakers. I understand why you did it, but be warned, Salvatore might not. And Mariella, being who she is, might try to manipulate Damon."

I replied, sarcastically, "Yeah, I got that part on myself, that this will be all my fault. But this is my life."

Charles said, " We have been on fuck island with wolves as Salvatores took Mariella to honeymoon and well, she was calm there too at first, but they will be going to Azores at some point."

I said, "Okay, enjoy your time with the wolves and I'll see you later."

I was in San Jose for a week and then I went on a road trip across America. It was good to have one of those quick weddings and let Mariella experience what a real Salvatore wedding is like. I didn't know yet where we were going back to or even when we were going back, what the couple in love were going to do, where they were going to visit and enjoy themselves before they went to the Azores.

I wasn't bitter, despite knowing that the honeymoon wouldn't be perfect for me. I knew I would end up flanked during the days, possibly drugged at night, while Mariella would have the time of her life. I let them have their picture-perfect honeymoon.

I was in Tallahassee, browsing through meats and other goods at a bustling market, when Wulfe approached me again.

His voice cut through the lively chatter. "Hello, my unicorn. I see you've found some joy in life. It's good to live for yourself. Especially for you."

I replied, "Yes, I'm enjoying myself while I can. I know the pack will come after me eventually. My enemies ruined Mariella's wedding, but she walked into the magical house without a care in the world. A lesson for her, too."

Wulfe leaned in and whispered, "Don't deny that side of you. It's a part of you, and you need it. Your biggest enemy possesses an old book that grants him his powers. Le livre des milliers de vies."

My brow furrowed as I pondered in French, "The book of a thousand lifetimes. What does it mean?"

Wulfe smiled and said, "Use your connections to find out. I'll do what I can to turn the tide in my favor. To annihilate the one you despise the most, that book must be destroyed. There is a certain potion, a specific way to bind the life force within the book, ensuring it won't escape when you destroy it. It can't be done by a blood relative, but by you as the greatest enemy, as hatred is almost as powerful as love."

I thought for a moment and replied slowly, "You're talking about Damien, right? My biggest enemy is the one I despise the most. So there's a book. Good to know. And I need to find a potion. Damon can't know, being a blood relative, and Mariella doesn't hate Damien enough."

Wulfe nodded and said, "Someday, my unicorn, I'll teach you more. But I'm not that kind of teacher. I spread knowledge, not pain and blood."

And just like that, he vanished into thin air. Now I had a lead and a way to eliminate Damien for good. First, I would need to do some research, but not just yet. I reached out to my friends, requesting their help in finding all the information about that book and the ritual to use or destroy it. 

My trip was really lovely, I went to the local farms but there was no one handsome, just old hosts but I got to produce lots of it. Sightseeing and shopping, shoe shops, and when and where. This was my single honeymoon, just for me. No need for men for this. 

I knew that knowledge was being searched for in that book, so I would not have to dig it out. Not at all, and I could focus on having good times and enjoying life before facing the pack. I walked city after city, driving and finding all kinds of little shops, with curiosities and old rugs, tapestries, and whatnot, everything I could use on my decorating. Also statues, I found lovely feline statues as well. Very many of them are from different species as well, too. 

I bought everything, and it would eventually end up in the hamster storage or something. I'd wander through the different shopping centers and check out all the novelties, then if there happened to be a fair along the way, that was fine too.

It was lovely to talk to people, and many recognized me, and then I got a lot of custom-made stuff for me. It would be in hamster storage when the time came. Like dresses made for me, by my measurements, so they would not fit Mariella, gaming chairs, and even a few cars. 

I'd been on the road for six weeks when Charles announced the salvatores had just gone to the Azores. They'd been touring Europe by car. I said fine; I don't mind, I've been around America by car myself and then I told Charles all the meats I'd ordered and all the local farms I'd been to. I told him my custom stuff, and he was glad. He was not jealous, and he wanted me to have a good time.

He told me about the wedding, always what he had remembered. Charles chuckled and said that Mariella had flanked three days afterward and the nights had been sharp, according to her. He and Adam had now slept elsewhere, quite happily. They didn't want the drainage service they'd had at our wedding. They certainly didn't. I had no idea had there had been other salvatores at the night but wolves had been very calm during the days and sore in the morning too.

I wandered through numerous zoos, immersing myself in the sights and sounds of the animal kingdom. At the Bronx Zoo, memories of Damon's proposal to Petra flooded my mind, but my attention was soon drawn to the snow leopard enclosure. Sitting there, I caressed the beautiful lion and lioness statues I had recently acquired, relishing their smooth texture. Unsure of the material they were made of, I still found comfort in their presence.

As I sat, cradling the statues in my hands, a female snow leopard emerged from the enclosure, accompanied by three adorable cubs. Their cuteness overwhelmed me, evoking memories of the joy of having cubs of my own. I could almost smell the sweet scent of their presence, eagerly anticipating the next breeding season. Lost in my emotions, I failed to realize that I was unknowingly infusing the statues with fertility, transforming them into idols for our pack.

I was the most powerful siphon and a powerful loader as well, holding objects in my hands while feeling intense emotions. This revelation would only come to light in the future, as I continued my zoo visits, always touching objects I carried or purchased from souvenir shops, inadvertently imbuing them with energies, needs, and whatever was reeling in my mind at that time.

My journey persisted, even as the Salvatores headed to the Azores. I would stop at various houses along the way, seeking solace and diversion from the battles that awaited. It was during these moments that I allowed myself to indulge in playful activities. I transformed the basements of a couple of houses into rooms with slippery stairs, reminiscent of a Japanese competition where participants ascend while sabotaging one another.

The program may have featured oiled, or slicked with some substance, competitors, but my low-rise, uber-slippery staircase posed its own formidable challenge. It was exhilarating and provided fantastic exercise, engaging a multitude of muscles in this little game. With my winding and steep stairs, the challenge was intensified, pushing me to my limits.

I had already done this during Mirella and Mimosa and another thing I had done was a rescue mattress, those strong mattresses you can jump on and then jump from the ceiling onto the mattress. It was surprisingly liberating. To jump from very high or to stand and then just fall backward.

Damon had taken me to extremes at one time when he was trying to teach me to be scared and I'd even had to do the Benji jump myself, but nowadays, it was a pleasure. I am an adrenaline junkie. I will be. I even had the same idea in the bedrooms of some houses. On top of the bed, there was a rope net on the ceiling and ropes on the wall to get up there to the ceiling, and then you'd just get caught in the net and fall into bed. You could also fuck in that netting, being there, done that too.

Although you couldn't do that when you're pregnant, otherwise. Then it was always good to keep on going when you'd spend your time in one house. I was just amused. I'll never, ever have a normal wedding, either it's a full flank wedding or I unleash my inner beast as the magic house is full of baddies and get to put to magical sleep for a week. But what about the wedding experience?

I found myself in our St. Louis manor, the one we had shared with Adam. Oh, the memories flooded back, bringing a mix of emotions. The walls whispered tales of our friendship, the things we had done together, and the unbreakable bond we shared. Amidst the imperfections, there were moments of sheer beauty. It was here, in this very place, that my first divorce had unwittingly led me into Adam's comforting embrace, just as his last divorce had brought me into Charles' arms. I suppose I owed my thanks to Damon for introducing these remarkable individuals into my life.

As I scattered my cherished statues and other mementos throughout the manor, my mind was far from my role as a loader. Imperfect as I may be, I knew it was time to uncover the information extracted from that book. With it, I could devise a plan to finally rid myself of Damien for good. Oh, the satisfaction of seeing him completely eradicated would be an exquisite joy.

Wulfe's enigmatic phrases still eluded my understanding, even as I write these lines. He is far more complex than he outwardly portrays. But then again, who among us reveals their true selves to the world? We all have hidden parts, whether they be aspects we disapprove of or dangerous tendencies that require restraint. My life, in its chaotic state, has taught me to stop striving for complete self-acceptance. It's an impossible feat. No one loves themselves enough to overlook their flaws entirely.