บท 149: 29. Tired Of Being Sorry.
The party finally ended as we made our way to our limo. Damon was walking beside me, with his arm around Mariella. I wasn't bothered by it. I was in work mode, fully aware of my responsibilities. Despite their lovey-dovey feelings and Mariella's pregnancy, it wasn't on my mind. I wasn't focusing on the possibility of being pregnant. I knew Damon could easily put a hold on it if necessary, so there was no point in trying to form an emotional connection with the embryos inside me until it was certain that the pregnancy would reach full term.
Instead, my focus was on freeing the three remaining Salvatores and getting rid of Annaliese. I also needed to free Magnum, although I wasn't sure how much he had changed since I had been watching him closely. It was a painful thought, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was tired of feeling sorry for my choices and realizing that not everything was my fault. I had to be strong once again because so much depended on me.
The limo glided through the early morning traffic, almost silently. The smell of leather filled the air, mixed with Mariella's increasing arousal and the wolves' growing need to release. My own desire wasn't as intense, but my rage and killer instincts were bubbling up, eager to be unleashed in my own way. However, I knew I wouldn't have a chance for that. I also had a strong sense of pathos within me. It had been a while since I had last let it out, but hey, this was my life. It was normal for me to put my own needs on the back burner and focus on the next crisis that the pack might face.
As I looked out the window, I saw humans going about their everyday lives. People were heading to work, ready to earn their salaries, something I had never had to do. Sure, I had been taught to be a killer, which was how I earned my money, but I had never experienced as a supernatural need to work for a living. As a human, I had relied on government benefits, so there was no need to work there either. My mind wandered here and there, with no specific plans for the future. I didn't even think about what I would do when I got home, as I already knew what was going to happen.
As the limo dropped us off at home, I stepped out and walked inside. I noticed Salvatores helping the number eight, while Wulfe and Alaric were also present. The wolves were seducing a few of them, along with Adam Charles and the boys. I hoped I would find some time for them eventually, but for now, we had to focus on our mission. Since everyone here was an energy creature, they needed to recharge so they would be prepared when I went to retrieve the next one.
It would be more challenging since I didn't have dragons to feed off of initially, but fortunately, Annaliese would give me a boost. Once everyone was ready, I would need to give them a little time to indulge in some pleasure in bed, satisfy their desires, and recharge their energy. The thought of having some "me time" after all this was becoming more and more appealing.
Perhaps Damon could put these pregnancies on hold once Annaliese was finished. It wouldn't be anything new to him, and they could wait until the time was right to be born. Of course, when it came to my life, I couldn't trust anything, which meant I had to be prepared for whatever life decided to throw at me. It could be that if I were in the mood to care for babies, the rest of the pack wouldn't be, or some world-saving mission would come my way, or any other crisis.
Besides, work was calling, and whenever I had free time (meaning not consumed by guzzling Annaliese's blood or being a meal for the hive), I was doing my best. My life was as busy as ever, and it kept me on my toes. There was no need to fear that I would lose my edge or become too soft. I knew I wouldn't lose control anytime soon, as the hive was greedy with my powers and Damon kept a close eye on me. Wulfe always had me on a tight leash, so there was no need to worry about becoming too strong. They were growing stronger with me, and that was a good thing.
Despite being a neurotic mess and viewing myself as a monster, I had always felt a great sense of responsibility with my powers and the pleasure that came with killing, even with my vampire side. It always felt wrong, and I wasn't sure if I could ever fully get used to it. This experience merged my vampire side with my alpha side, making it even harder to keep them separate and prevent my vampire side from bleeding into my alpha side.
I went to one of my bedrooms or workrooms, almost as if I hadn't slept, but worked all day. Unless I was feeding off Annaliese and it wasn't yet time, tomorrow would be the first time I would do that again. So I had a few hours to wash up, eat something, and then get back to work and try to see what was urgent enough. Some of the tasks I could delegate to Alaric, so he could pass on certain assignments.
But there were also procurements, inventory lists, and information snippets that needed my attention. As much as I would have enjoyed messing around with someone wildly until the next day, unfortunately, that just wasn't an option for me. Besides, I needed to fast, not have any blood, and let others feed off me, so I would be suitably hungry the next day. I tended to sip blood during sex, so abstinence was good for that, too. Not my favorite thing to do. Oh, I wish this would be over already so I could get back to living my life the way it should be lived.
I went to take a shower and put on comfortable clothes. It was summer, so I was able to dress lighter - a T-shirt and a long, floaty, cotton skirt were just comfortable enough. I walked up to the kitchen, and it was empty, which was fine by me. On my way to the kitchen, I overheard wizards and Wulfe talking about something. Katherine and Elena were in the living room watching a telenovela or something.
And the rest of the pack. Well, Number Eight had been moved to the medbay for care, and Number Six had just been allowed to wake up, so he had gone to receive lust treatment. I wasn't expecting anything, and I knew that someone might come in, have a meal from my blood, and move on. It was just a hive thing. Alaric was in one room, working on the tasks I had already given him. More tasks were coming.
It was nice to freshen up, put on comfortable clothes, and eat. There were meals prepared for me, but there were also treats in the freezer that I had made myself. I was careful with my eating. Now was not the time to have blocked bowels. Vitamins and such weren't so important at the moment. I could focus on them later. Besides, I had no idea about my blood values and how my blood diet affected my fitness. In the past, it had improved them, but then again, I was a completely different creature back then. Ah, the past, when everything was much simpler, and I had far fewer responsibilities to take care of.
I was once again chopping up fruits and berries into a big bowl so that I would have snacks while I worked. It saved me from having to constantly go to the kitchen to find something to eat. Adam had made a thick, ice-cold vanilla sauce that added some extra calories to make it not only tasty but also beneficial for my body.
After I finished eating, I brewed three more pots of coffee and filled my personal thermos. I added sugar and cream to make it perfect, and the thermos would keep it warm. I preferred my coffee to be piping hot, so I used the thermos to maintain its temperature and prevent the ice-cold cream from cooling it down. I was almost done, and everything was just perfect.
Then I would go to my room, where I had a fridge, and that made me grab a few big bottles of Coke, Jaffa, and Palma to keep myself hydrated and avoid concentrated piss. I took care of myself. When it came to Salvatores, well as their protector, I had created a feeding guide for the Salvatores. Since I couldn't always be there, Mariella was more than happy to use the guide and take care of their feedings. She used my guide to adjust her radar and match up with what I had instructed.
The Salvatores weren't as thrilled because I reduced their carbohydrate intake by 65%, increased their coffee consumption by 35%, added 28% more fatty meat, and adjusted their portion sizes and calorie requirements by 45%. There were many changes to their feeding requirements, but it was for their own good. They showed great improvement soon after they started eating as I had instructed them. They had the motivation to do it correctly.
I was considering visiting local farms someday or simply ordering online, but I would decide later. The future would reveal what my life was all about and what I needed to do next. In my case, duty always came first, followed by my own needs and desires. I filled my cart and pushed it into my quite spacious room.
Along with a nice bed, I had a sturdy rococo desk and a comfortable working chair. I also had a rocking chair and a sound system so I could listen to music without disturbing others. I even had a sofa. This was one of the biggest rooms, but since it was at the back of the house, the view wasn't perfect. Not much renovation had been done there, so I made it my own.
The dark mahogany floor added a sense of drama, while the almost stark white walls created a feeling of space. I adorned the walls with many paintings, as well as rugs and animal skins, to make it feel less sterile and more homely. I also placed soft white rugs on the dark floor, which made walking on them a pleasant experience. The ceiling had metal plates with dark engravings, adding an interesting touch to the overall design. The windows, although old, were fixed up and provided nice ventilation when I chose to open them. Of course, Salvatores did not recommend leaving them open due to potential allergens in the air, but I didn't always care.
In one corner stood my large, pink fridge. Its rounded design prevented it from looking too bulky, and it was truly mine. I stored my drinks in the fridge to keep them cool, including a few cold bottles and a couple of bottles of good dry white wine for when I wanted to pamper myself.
I had a bookcase filled mostly with crystal glasses and crystal ware, which I used from time to time simply because I had them and why not enjoy their beauty? I wasn't sure if Damon had any idea about their value, but for me, they were nice glasses to drink from, and I appreciated the beauty they added to my surroundings.
I placed three bowls of berries on my desk, putting two in the fridge to keep them cold. I also had my trusty old coffee mugs here, including one I bought on a trip to Portugal where I first met Brutus. Ah, those were the times. It was time to start working and put some music on.
Mariella and Damon were recovering in the bedroom for a few hours when Damon rolled next to her and sighed irritably. Mariella knew that this was not what he had planned, but they were creatures driven by lust, so maybe they should embrace it.
Damon spoke up, "Did you know that Mimi is working in her office/bedroom? She's not sleeping, but working on her laptop, listening to music, eating berries, and fruits, and drinking coffee, wine, and sodas. She has quite a collection of crystal ware, and I have no idea of their value that she uses every day."
Damon seemed nervous, and Mariella understood that the blood link they had made with dragons had once again connected him to Mimi's mind. She guessed that very self-satisfied, smug transmission was coming from there. And yeah, she had no idea if any of the crystal ware was expensive or rare. Should they put it somewhere safe too?
Mariella asked him, "What do you want to do? Should we go in there, help her, and take a look at the crystal ware? Do the classics?"
Damon grunted and replied, "Not just us. Let's take Wizards and Wulfe. They might be able to sense if some of those crystal dishes are loaded by her, as she is an unwilling loader. She is pretty darn full of different energies and it is not a good time for us to get hit by her undiluted super lust. If they are, we'll move them to a safe place, like the magic house or our spell room. If not, we'll take out a laptop or tablet and appraise them. Wulfe is pretty protective of Mimi, so he might not take it kindly that she's working instead of resting or telling him. He can put her in her place swiftly, or at least be aware and stop her next time."
Mariella suggested, "Should we also bring Alaric? He might be able to help with the work."
Damon closed his eyes, focused, and said, "Nope. Missy has protected her ass from Alaric. But we can help. You can bring Katherine and Elena. They can start going through the crystalware while I go help a young lady with her work. There are decisions to be made, and it's an excellent opportunity for me to maintain control over her. One thing she needs to learn is to respect and obey me."
Mariella smiled and asked, "And what about the room? What do you want to do with it?"
Damon looked at her and said, "Let's go in and see what Wulfe does. He can be pretty strict with her, too. You go get the girls, and I'll get the wizards. I will tell Alaric too if he likes to come as well, and Number Two. We'll see if there are any rare rugs or valuable items on the walls that need protection."
Both of them went into the first few hours of a passionate shower. Mariella tuned Damon right up, making him feel Mimi's smugness. Making him spy on her thoughts, listening to her singing or humming herself, all smug. Her pleasure in doing things by herself and her reluctance to be pregnant. Damon couldn't be sure if they would go to term or not, but time would tell.
I was focused on checking our lists of what we had gotten from recent raids and printing them out. This way, I could give directions to those who needed certain items and know where everything goes. I could get a few more missions ready for deployment. The printer whirred again as I placed the next inventory list to be printed. There were a hell of a lot of things to do and this would take a lot of time for me to get these done. I got up, realizing it was time to get some ice-cold Jaffa and a crystal glass to drink it from. I had just finished eating my first bowl of fruits and was ready for the next one.
As I was in the fridge, I heard footsteps and talking. I quickly put my treats and drinks on the table as the door opened. Wulfe, Damon number one and two, Constantine, Dresden, Elena, and Katherine came in. I wasn't sure what they were after, but my guess was a blood meal, so I didn't pay much attention to them. I walked up to my shelf and took a larger glass, possibly a whisky glass, to use as a vessel for my Jaffa. It helped my recovery by being hydrated. Glass would be perfect for drinking my soda.
Katherine came up to me, took it from my hand, and gave it to Mariella. She opened her tablet, took a picture, and tapped it a few times. Then she showed it to Damon, who raised his eyebrows.
He said to me, "Why on earth are you about to drink soda from a $600 glass? We have more suitable options in the kitchen."
I replied, "They are pretty, and besides, I have no idea if they're expensive or not. Most of them were already here, and I chose the prettiest ones for myself."
Constantine muttered a spell, causing several carafes and certain glasses to glow.
Damon said, "Fine, that's it. This bookcase will be cleared, and these will be put somewhere safe, maybe in our museum or elsewhere. You have once again loaded them right up. That is very pretty glass. But not as your drinking glass, missy. Besides, it's Coca-Cola, not Jaffa in your drink." his expression was stern enough to make me keep my mouth shut.
Number two and Wulfe went to sit on the sofa, while Mariella noticed my fridge and said to Damon, "That's as cute as a button. We could use that somewhere else other than this room. It's a big fridge, so there's no need to always get everything from the walk-in when we could have a few of these to hold most of our supplies."
Damon grunted. I went back to my desk, sat down, took my lists, and continued my work.
The wizards were handling the crystalware that I had loaded, while Elena and Katherine were appraising them and placing little tags on the glasses to indicate their value. I rolled my eyes at the sight.
Wulfe, sitting on the sofa, remarked, "Unicorn, do you realize you could use some rest? There's no need to work all the time. You have a lot to do this week before the next party, so take a break while you can." His voice was quiet, but there was a steely undertone that told me about his displeasure.
I replied, "I need to do my job. There's still a lot of work for me, even though I've delegated as much decision-making as I can. You know that Dexter and Murdock are on missions for weeks, and I'm trying to do as much as possible. Maybe after this whole thing, I won't have to rush back to work right away. I could finally take a holiday or something. I can get maximum amount missions ready for deployment so bases will be busy for a while."
Damon walked up behind me, trying to see what I was doing. Since I didn't explain, he grunted and used his magic to conjure a work chair for himself.
He sat down next to me and said to Mariella, number two, and Wulfe, "Alright, let's see what we can do to help. Come over here, guys."
Then he looked at me and asked, "What are you doing? What are these lists?"
Wulfe reached over after walking closer, again right behind me, looking over my shoulder.
I could feel him in my mind as well and said, "They're inventory lists and recent loots. I'm guessing she's deciding where everything goes. Those big charts on her left are our current stock. As you can see from her scribbles, she's trying to figure out if there's anything we need urgently and who needs it the most. We don't have enough for everyone. This list here is missions that are lacking, there are listed what is needed and how much."
I nodded briefly and said, "Yep, this takes time. I need to understand why they need certain items and which missions depend on what. Then I can prioritize who gets what and also figure out where we can send the items that we don't immediately need, but some bases are running low on. After that, I can focus on acquiring new supplies and figuring out what we're going to do about that. Where to get them and then get room for the next lot of stuff. I need to also see what base can take more stuff in, even if they would not have the acute need, so our warehouses have room if stuff keeps pouring in. Then later on, they can put the info up on the dark web on surplus stuff and see if someone in Europe or Australia, Africa needs something, and we can organize transports there too."
Damon grunted and said, "Alright, let's get to work. Now, how do you prioritize which mission is important?"
He took lists of upcoming missions in North America and Canada. I explained my reasons, such as the number of victims, the preparedness of the mission, and the goals involved. We began working together. His mind was a big help, and it felt like I would not have to spread my mind so thin as each of us took some part of what to work on. It was true that having a group was better than making decisions on my own. Damon had his own ideas about what was needed and what was most important. I didn't even notice when Dresden, Constantine, and the girls became involved, as well as Alaric.
Alaric found the gigs that required immediate attention. What was needed in them? Our priority was to provide him with what he needed. Next, Mariella and number two focused on restocking the bases that were running low. First in America and Canada, as it was easiest to get transport there. After that, I had to find places to acquire more supplies, usually written down by Damon on a piece of paper. He worked with Alaric and Number two, Mariella, to get what they needed.
Lastly, the wizards and girls began placing new items, some of which went straight to the magic house. This included magical items that were previously confiscated from 13 black witches' lairs. Constantine and Dresden expressed their frustration and cussed quite damn colorful language when they discovered that the supplies were also listed there. Both of them wanted to be notified about upcoming raids on lairs with magical creatures.
So, I provided them with our gig schedule and the contact information of the mission planner. We were extremely busy, but more Salvatores were arriving as well. I had to search old lists for our warehouses and give them to Damon so he could determine if we could move forward with any of the items. Several Salvatores were focused on emptying the warehouses, so I sent an email requesting inventory lists to get things moving.
Of course, I had to provide them with contact information so they could arrange for the crew to move the items from one place to another. They were looking for shipping overseas too if there was a clear surplus, so I had to contact on a European bases to send me their lists of what they were lacking.
While I was trying to eat some fruit, Wulfe kept taking them from my fingers, making me feed him instead. He was always by my side, helping me search for supplies or doing whatever I needed at any given moment. He could read my mind since he was telepathic, which prompted the other Salvatores to do the same. He had gotten a chair for him too and he was working on my laptop or on my tablet as I got new lists for supplies. I had to write on those lists when delivery would be so Damon could send the info.
At some point, someone brought me actual food, as we were eating while working. We accomplished a lot that day, but there was still a lot more to be done.
Damon said to me, "For now, let's make sure that I, Wulfe, Alaric, and Mariella receive notifications when new lists come in. This way, if you're not available, we can direct things in the right direction and avoid any complications."
I replied to Damon, "These were just inventory lists from last month. We're receiving a lot of new items, and there are still many warehouses where the items haven't been moved yet. As you've probably noticed, we have a lot of gear that needs to be dismantled, either for future use or to be destroyed."
I didn't specify everything, but we had four storage units filled with shed session machines that were confiscated from evil places. I hadn't informed Wulfe about them either, but there were many valuable items among them. Magnum had a crew that could dismantle them, but he wasn't currently working.
Damon looked at me, his expression filled with desperation. He asked, "How on earth do they manage this in Europe if you're not in charge?"
I replied, "Well, most of the stuff comes from Evil Sarks and other heavy hitters. Plus, I've offered my assistance to Europe if they need it. Maybe one day I'll have to tour Europe and see how things are going there, not to mention Australia."
Damon rolled his eyes in response.
I patted him on the back and said, "You see, being a leader isn't just about having fun. It also involves solving puzzles like this,"
Mariella chimed in, "We need to come up with some sort of plan."
I explained to her, "This is the best way. If I let each base leader make decisions, they'll end up in war. I've been through that before, so I make the final decisions and no one will argue with me."
It was simply the easiest thing to do. I realized that my time as Marrok had prepared me for this, managing multiple bases and preventing turf wars. Occasionally, there would be disagreements between bases if they felt another crew had encroached on their territory, but I swiftly put an end to those ideas. This was not a place to become territorial.
As we wrapped up our work, I knew it was time for me to step back into my role as vampire queen, rather than as a leader of the fleas. I wondered when I would find the time to be Mimi. Let the dark side of me emerge too, all of these sensations, instincts, and needs that were somehow not me but then again, I could hardly deny them.
My work office had been cleared out, with my bed moved and my coffee mug now in the hands of my right-hand person. My crystal ware was gone, my fridge had been relocated, and the walls were emptied in preparation for renovations. I wasn't sure what they had planned for the room, but this mansion was enormous, so I was sure I would find another space to nest in at some point.
In the past, all of this would have irritated me with the changes, but not anymore. I had a fuckload of rooms to choose from. I could find my next work office from some room or then just a place to hang on for a while. Besides, the next few days were going to be busy, filled with bloodlust, and trying to bring one of the Salvatores into our hive. I highly doubted if I could work at all during this time.
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