The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

We were walking to my bedroom, which was downstairs. It used to be the main bedroom of the house, but now it was mine. Damon walked beside me, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close. It was a position that he would use to sedate me in the past, injecting strong substances into my lungs through my flank.

However, I didn't want to be drugged like that anymore. His stuff was potent and gave him a sense of power, but it irritated me. I wanted to stay in control. I tried to behave perfectly around him.

Damon spoke up, saying, "I understand that you locked your bedroom to keep the delivery guys out, but I don't like the idea of having strangers in the house all the time."

I kept my voice steady as I walked into one of the rooms. It had blank white walls and was used for storage. I pointed out the heavy bookcases, beds, and tables that I had acquired.

"These are antiques that I got from an auction. The delivery guys were older, but friendly. They had trouble understanding my directions because I had to give instructions to three different groups at the same time. One of them brought the new beds, which are in here."

I opened a large room to reveal a multitude of new beds and mattresses.

Mariella exclaimed, "Wow, they're perfect! Why didn't you put them in the bed storage?"

I calmly replied, "We don't have a large elevator here, and the bed storage is on the fourth floor. It would have cost extra to have them brought up there. I can teleport them easily, but the delivery guys only had one day to deliver, so I had to improvise."

Damon grunted and said, "Let them stay here for now. We can move them to the bed storage after the renovation is done. But baby, open the bedroom and give me the key."

We strolled down a corridor until we reached a pair of double doors. I reached into my jeans pocket, retrieved the key, unlocked the door, and handed the key to Damon.

Stepping inside, I noticed that there was no need for lights, as the room was flooded with natural light from the large windows on three walls. I had left the curtains open, allowing the light to pour in.

The room itself was spacious, with a commanding presence dominated by a huge round bed that was slightly sunken into its platform. The bed was partially unmade, with a ruby red velvet comforter carelessly tossed over the sheets and slightly crumpled pillows.

The scent of strawberries lingered in the air. Dark violet long tufted rugs adorned the hardwood floor, faded but still in decent condition. The boards creaked slightly in some places, adding to the room's charm, in my opinion. The curtains hanging over the windows were made of light peach-colored satin, waiting for me to pull them shut, but not just yet.

There was a large white leather sofa with a bright green woolen blanket thrown over it, and my clothes were scattered around the room. In one corner stood a tall dresser with a few wardrobes.

Damon walked over to one of the wardrobes, opened it, and observed my less-than-n neatly arranged clothes inside. Mariella joined him, examining my dresses and an enormous pile of jeans and T-shirts.

She picked out a long, dark blue velvet shirt, loose and oversized, which I sometimes wore as a nightie. It wasn't the typical cotton nightie, as I occasionally ordered oversized clothes and draped them on my slender frame for comfort.

As expected, Damon couldn't resist. He swiftly took off his shirt and put on my velvet shirt, which happened to be unisex, and suited him perfectly. The dark blue shirt hugged his muscular frame, making him look even more dangerous and sexier than before.

Mariella couldn't help but compliment him, "Oh wow, Damon, just look at you. Damn, you look like sin."

Damon walked over to the mirror, smirking at my irritated expression.

He said to me, "Thank you, baby. This is the perfect shirt, and it even has your scent. I love it. Soon we'll see what else you have for me."

I rolled my eyes and took a seat in my chair. Yes, I also had a chair in the room. Just then, I heard footsteps, and in walked Adam and Charles, joining us.

Charles looked around and, finally contemplative, said, "This hardwood floor seems solid. It could use some sanding, and maybe a few boards need to be replaced since they creak. The walls need some tender loving care, and I'm not sure if the windows are up to par. We can take some heat scans to see how drafty they are."

Adam muttered something in agreement, nodding his head at Charles's suggestions.

Number two chimed in, "That bed, naughty girl. How about we renovate this room, too? You can find another room to stay in while we fix this one up."

Number one smirked and said, "Good idea. Our bedroom will be perfect, baby."

The use of that damn pronoun didn't escape my notice, but I managed to control myself once again.

I said, "I have a nearby bedroom where I can stay until mine is renovated. There are splendid rooms downstairs."

Mariella said, "Oh, your nursery is here too? Let's see it as well."

I shrugged and replied, "It's not yet done. There's still a lot to do, but I have time."

Damon said softly, "And you have help, baby. Remember your condition."

I bit my lip to keep myself from making a remark. There was no need to provoke him. We left the bedroom as Tim, Taylor, and the boys came in to empty it out. Most of my clothes would probably be washed or put away. Well, there were several Salvatores around, so I wasn't going to stress about my clothes.

We walked for a little while until we reached my nursery. A wooden colored door with a golden handle greeted me, and it wasn't locked like the others. I opened the door and flicked the light switch.

The nursery was a spacious and airy room with surprisingly high ceilings. The faded wood flooring didn't matter since I planned on putting in new flooring. One wall was lined with plastic-wrapped packages containing cribs, and there were several other packages with care stations and other items that I hadn't yet assembled. I was going to be busy.

The nursery wasn't impressive yet, and Mariella seemed to relax as she saw that it wasn't perfect and still needed work. I guess she was feeling competitive, and this gave her some peace of mind. I didn't want anyone messing with my room yet, so I didn't explain anything. I let them just walk around, look, and grunt.

Finally, Damon said, "Well, we have time to get this done, too. Nice room. Are you planning on putting on flooring or carpets?"

I simply nodded, without providing too much explanation. I already knew how to navigate this situation, and how to maintain my independence without being too wild. Additionally, the state of my nursery would motivate Mariella to do more, which in turn meant Damon needed to assert his dominance and enforce his rules, especially since they would be busy with surgery next week and not around all the time.

As Mariella and Damon walked towards the elevator to go see their nursery, I didn't care. I walked in the opposite direction from my original bedroom and up the left wing of the corridor. There it was, at the end of the corridor, a nice bedroom for me.

I opened the door, which I had prepared earlier, just for fun, and everything was in order. I felt the weight of the day in my body and all I wanted was a long, hot bath followed by relaxing on the water gel bed, which also had a massage option. I had a huge TV in the room, so I could watch Marvel movies or something similar.

Again, I needed some time for myself. There had been too many changes happening too quickly, and despite my bedroom being renovated and my nursery still unfinished, I wasn't too bothered by it. However, to my surprise, it was my own scheming that was wearing me out.

I smiled to myself as I entered the room. The floor was covered in blood red rugs, and the bed had a golden frame with a faux fur comforter thrown over it. The plump pillows were adorned with golden satin pillowcases, and the soft padded bed end was black, providing a necessary contrast to the rich golden hue of the bed.

The walls were adorned with rose-patterned wallpaper, an old design that was still in good condition, so there was no need to change it. The ceiling had light grey tiles with silvery shimmery strands forming geometric patterns. The room had small light fixtures that emitted a soft glow but provided ample lighting when needed.

I sat on the bed for a while, contemplating my life. It was time for me to embrace living in a pack. That was a fact and something I had to do. I was pregnant, but I was also an adrenaline junkie, and those operations had been such a thrilling experience for me.

It was difficult to let go of my vice, so to speak. It was time to live in peace, to avoid those adrenaline spikes and rushes, at least for a while. But maybe, just maybe, it would be fine. Of course, all of this translated into a feeling of restlessness, which wasn't ideal when pregnant and living in a pack. I had to take it easy.

Surely, I would eventually mellow out. But before that could happen, I needed to regain control of myself - my impulses, my behavior. As usual, I ran my hand through my messy curls, brushing them away from my face. God damn it. Why does it always have to be this hard for me? Why can't anything be easy and effortless? Why all these complications?

I sat there lost in my thoughts for a while, before shaking my head and getting up, making my way to the bathroom. There it was - a huge black tub with a gold-colored interior. The thermostat kept the water at a soothing 42 degrees Celsius, ensuring I wouldn't get too cold. There were also several massage points, promising a sublime experience. God knows my body was tired. Being a doctor was surprisingly physically demanding.

I turned on the water, knowing that my bath would be ready soon. I had become a little wiser, deciding to reserve a nightgown for myself and put my clothes in the laundry. They could use a good wash after being worn for a few days. I looked at my body in the full-length mirror.

Despite being petite, I was well-proportioned. My breasts were somewhere between a B and C cup, with dark rose-colored nipples that were slightly exposed. My waist was not as tiny as it used to be, thanks to my pregnancy. My thighs were toned, with a slight gap between them, and my legs had become shapelier through a combination of Damon's magic and my own hard work at the gym.

I placed my hand on my baby bump, sending my love to my babies and feeling their love in return. My bare pussy wasn't particularly lush, but I was still pretty wet. I knew that a few of the massage points in the tub could provide some extra stimulation during my bath. My pale skin was flawless, but I couldn't help but remember the scars I once had to bear. 

My body now appeared much more beautiful than it had been before. According to Damon, my face was not plain but rather too symmetrical, a result of cosmetic surgery that took place centuries ago when I was created. It's funny how these thoughts occasionally came to mind, but I attributed it to my neurotic nature of overthinking things most of the time.

I noticed that my bath was ready, and I was eagerly looking forward to sinking into the hot water to soothe my tangled muscles and perhaps relax a bit. I delicately lowered myself into the tub, gradually adjusting to the temperature as my body became accustomed to the warmth.

It felt absolutely wonderful. I leisurely played with the dial on the right side, allowing the nozzles to provide me with a massage and other pleasant sensations. I was incredibly tired, and my muscles were slowly starting to relax. The bath was becoming even more enjoyable.

I decided to shut off the nozzles. I was still in the process of unwinding. Leaning back, I closed my eyes, content with the comforting warmth that enveloped me. It was just the right temperature, not too hot, and the dim lighting in the bathroom added a sense of tranquility. As I closed my eyes, my thoughts began to wander. Sleep overtook my weary mind, and as it happened, nightmares from my past started resurfacing.

Even though my mind had been cleansed to a large extent, there was still a lot of unresolved trauma that I had never shared with anyone. Jake was the only one who knew, and he had never divulged this secret to anyone.

In the tub, things were not as they were now, but rather, it was white. I found myself shackled inside it, desperately trying to squirm free, but the restraints gripped me. I was drugged and lethargic, my mind in disarray. I could see a thick liquid flowing, gradually covering my feet. I was completely naked. 

Just as the liquid continued to rise, submerging me in its malicious embrace, all sensation faded. It was a numbing agent. I could feel a cannula in my back, causing a sharp pain in my spine, and then all my other sensations vanished.

Someone placed a blindfold over my eyes, and a voice informed me that I no longer had a physical body. My body had been destroyed, and now I was merely a ghost floating around, unable to feel anything, unable to speak, eat, or touch. There were no sensations, only the confusion induced by the drugs. Krycheck's crisp voice whispered in my mind. 

The nightmare dragged me even deeper. I found myself alone in the bathtub, trapped in a sleep from which I couldn't awaken. The warm water had lulled my babies to sleep as well, unaware of the distress I was experiencing.

My night had taken a sinister turn, and only time would reveal where it would lead. The grip of my haunting memories grew stronger, as my mind struggled to break free.

The perfectly warm water provided no sensory feedback, and I had closed the nozzles, leaving me devoid of any sensation. Only the memories continued to pull me deeper, slowly but inevitably convincing my mind of their reality. No one knew I was in this room, as I hadn't told anyone about its location.