Bab 115: 35.Born In U.S.A.
When Damon got Mariella to calm down after two weeks and start recovering himself, Mariella was still a bit messed up, and that's when Charles and the protector's power were needed. Damon had recovered even though he wasn't in top form and also felt the emptiness where the bond with Mimi had been.
And he knew he was unlikely ever to get that kind of bond between them. He knew that it had been put in there on purpose just to give him power, but he could not think what it could have been. If Mimi had done it out of love, and it had been theirs to begin with. But the fact that Mariella had gotten it dissolved with a simple potion spell combo told him that as amazing as that bond had been, it had not been true.
Because if he assumed correctly, as he went over information that they had gotten from Mimi's mind at one time, the bond, if it had been true, would have been unbreakable. And well, they had not been unbreakable. He had tried to get himself back in shape, to check on Mimi. He was her doctor, and she had been in bad shape. As he had tried to ask about Mimi from Mariella, she had seduced him into passionate fucking and again for days, distracting him until Mimi had slipped out of his mind again. But Mariella had been quite frantic, and thus Damon had pleaded with Charles to take care, to sleep next to her for a few days or hours, if the protector's power would help her at all.
He also had to control his temper because breaking that bond weakened him, as some of the power returned to Mimi. And he would now have to learn to live without the power he had once tasted. Adam knew this because that power had also left him. Adam had been furious, almost too furious, not wanting to worship Mariella, who had put on a real princess act, trying to get everyone to see her as a victim who had been so stressed throughout the ordeal.
And then, four weeks later, when it was discovered that Mimi had been put in their hospital, Damon's head was about to explode again. He knew that she was in a terrible state, and in that state, it would be crucial for the pack to care for her. Just because she would sense if she was not in the pack, her cortisol would rise, hindering her recovery, and maybe making things worse for her. Damon was upset when he noticed that the whole goddamn pack was in Ireland again, one place where Mariella did not want Mimi, and she had done it again.
Damon seethed with anger, and it was directed both toward himself and Mariella. The tension simmered as Damon tried to fulfill his role as a responsible pack leader. However, during his absence, one of the pack members was exiled, while the others were subjected to unspeakable acts. Now, Damon was back in control, his power restored, and it was time for Mariella to witness his wrath. The princess games were about to come to an abrupt end.
For two weeks, Damon kept Mariella confined in the basement. The space was different, devoid of any semblance of pleasure. It served as a chamber of torment, where he knew Mariella's penchant for pain and pleasure would be exploited to teach her harsh lessons and manipulate her psyche. Damon allowed his darker side to emerge, wielding a long, sharp dagger, instilling fear and terror as a means of releasing his pent-up frustration. In a twisted way, Mariella became an outlet for his stress.
Gradually, Mariella began to understand her limitations, even when Damon was weakened. She endured sickness, fear, and excruciating pain for an entire week. Damon, however, felt no remorse. They continued their frenzied fucking for another two weeks, although one of those weeks proved particularly agonizing for Mariella. Her stomach had not fully healed, and Damon's roughness had left her bruised and battered.
Eventually, Damon gathered the entire pack for breakfast after receiving news from Samuel regarding Mimi's departure from the hospital. Mimi had transformed into a mere skeleton, weighing a mere 29 kilos. Samuel had informed Charles about Mimi's frailty, and the measures they had taken to prevent hibernation, her trying to lose her straps and prevent so many infections. Charles had been shown Mimi's records, but he refrained from inputting them into the pack's computer. He knew Mimi was still incredibly delicate, and he could sense her vulnerability. The road to her recovery would require time and effort, a task that would not be easily accomplished by the Salvatores.
Damon sighed inwardly, aware that Mimi would resist any interference from him due to the glimpses he had seen of her tormented past. However, he understood the necessity of getting her back into shape, addressing her deficiencies, and ensuring she received proper rest. As an independent being, Mimi would require meticulous planning, considering her natural suspicion.
Damon stood firm, knowing he had to play the role of the villain to force Mimi into treatment, jeopardizing his relationship with her. The time spent in the castle seemed insignificant now, as the kidnapping and recovery had shattered their once harmonious bond.
Mariella's regretful voice filled the air as she confessed, "I took something incredible away from you out of jealousy and possessiveness. I understand if you can never forgive me, but we have a pressing issue to address and we need to be strong to handle it."
Damon grunted, recognizing that if their bond had been stronger, they could have overcome any obstacle. He lamented, "If only that bond had been solidified, we could have had it all. I could have had her, but she won't trust me again. She did what she did out of necessity, and it would have been the perfect way for me to keep her by my side, but she will never give herself to me again."
Mariella acknowledged her wrongdoing, admitting, "I was wrong to break that bond, but my jealousy sometimes gets the best of me. I'm not like Mimi. I can't handle stress as well. But our focus should be on bringing her down, helping her rest and recover. It will be a difficult and time-consuming process, but it's for her own well-being."
As she pressed herself against Damon, her touch comforting, she tried to alleviate his stress. Almost purring, she saw Damon as her own, believing it was her responsibility to understand and support him, not let him be overwhelmed.
Charles, with a look of frustration etched on his face, found himself growing increasingly weary of the entire situation. He longed for the simplicity of dealing with Mimi instead of being entangled in Mariella's constant crises. As he observed Mariella's behavior, he discreetly muttered an incantation under his breath, one that Mimosa had taught him. Through this spell, he could discern Mariella's intentions, and he sensed she was planning to summon the good Sarks. The moment Mimi became unconscious, Mariella intended to engage in fucking wild sex activities with them, using certain pheromones to entice them.
Mariella had previously discussed with good sarks about Mimi's remarkable ability to remain aware of her surroundings even when deeply sedated, as well as her cortisol levels. The Sarks, being scientists, offered various theories, but without witnessing this firsthand and conducting precise measurements, they couldn't definitively say anything. They never once sought solutions or attempted to find them; instead, they saw Mimi as nothing more than a captivating subject for study, a means to explore how she perceived the world through her sense of smell and hearing. They devised different tests to assess her abilities.
As Charles gazed at Mariella, a dangerous tone laced his quiet voice as he confronted her, "So, you plan to render Mimi unconscious and deliver her back into the clutches of the Sarks? Good Sarks, indeed. Mimosa taught me a minor spell, allowing me to catch glimpses of the future and see people's intentions. And yours, my dear, involves handing Mimi over to the Sarks once again, so they can use her as a subject and test how she perceives her isolation from the pack. But tell me, won't you find an excuse to indulge in your desires as soon as the poor girl is unconscious? Pheromones for all of us? You have no interest in providing care. You simply want Mimi out of the way. You don't want her condition to trouble Damon, and you don't want Salvatore to even consider Mimi. You could easily deceive Damon into believing that Mimi is being cared for, but I refuse to partake in such deception. I will take care of Mimi, whether she is awake or asleep."
Mariella's guilt was clear in her expression, and Damon let out a weary sigh as he growled at his wife, "Haven't you learned anything? The cellar is always an option. We will not hand Mimi over to the Sarks. It seems you still have much to learn, my dear pupil." His voice was calm but oozing danger and pain. For Mariella.
Mariella fell silent momentarily before speaking. "No need. I'm only trying to consider what would be best for everyone. After all, 29 kilos is not a healthy weight for her to be awake."
Damon looked at his wife and said, " We're going to where Mimi is, and I can guarantee it won't be easy to get her to sleep, medicated, or even get blood tests. And that's what perseverance won't do. You've got to be so fucking clever, so fucking watchful, and it's going to take time probably and quite a lot."
Adam's voice echoed through the room as he said, "I still have a few security cameras in every house. This is from the English mansion. There's live footage."
He took a sleek tablet, its screen illuminating the dimly lit room, and showed the others the footage of Mimi. Dressed in a mere tee shirt and jeans, she moved swiftly through the house, her footsteps barely making a sound on the polished marble floors. Charles, his brow furrowed with concern, immediately recognized the signs of MNDS, or Mimi's nightmare distress syndrome. He knew she wouldn't sleep, her rage simmering just beneath the surface, driving her to constantly move, perhaps even to the gym, for missions. It was up to him to provide her with a sense of safety and rest. No one else could do it.
Damon's gaze lingered on the screen for a moment before he remarked, "That one hasn't put on many kilos, though. There aren't enough clothes on her, and it's still winter. Like I said, this is going to take time. Maybe I should take a tranquilizer gun with me. It might be the fastest option to subdue her, a dart to the heart so her rage won't have time to manifest."
Their conversation concluded, and they began to make preparations for their departure to the English mansion. Mariella, aware of the events that had taken place there in the past, was privy to the significance of the year for Mimi. She wondered if Damon had been present all this time, and what he would do now. Regardless, she resolved to be there for him, no matter what.
Charles spoke up, his voice firm and resolute. "I'm going to Mimi's. None of you are to intervene with that creature yet. Mimi feels threatened, her rage consuming her. I can sense it even now, and she won't allow anyone to sedate her. No tranquilizer guns, no darts to her heart. Don't even think about it. I don't want her wasting any more energy fighting against medication. My plan is to coax her to lie down against me, to find solace in my lap. And if anyone has a problem with that, then don't come and see me. We will take our time as she delves deeper into MNDS. The rest of the house can go to hell for all I care. Mimi is my priority. Her nightmares must be tormenting her, and none of you have even considered it."
Charles's gaze swept over the group, his words leaving no room for argument. Damon sighed, realizing that without a stronger bond, he couldn't fully comprehend Mimi's distress like Charles could. He could, however, always sense Mariella's emotions, their connection strong enough to feel even without actively maintaining it.
Damon thought about it from several angles, and then the Pack was ready to move on to the English mansion. He felt powerless. There was nothing for him to do here but let Charles care for her as he had given in again to his old habits and not been the man he had thought he was. He had been again just a fucking machine.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone