3.

The witches had Ben put me back in the cage. I was covered in wounds that wouldn't heal, made with a silver knife and herbs stuffed in them. But the potion that took away my rage made me euphoric, and the witches returned to discuss what to do next. How to make me hurt.

That's the thing, when you happen to be unique like me, you do all things a little differently. I always do and acted the way it suits me and it was now because I was chaos. Or would be chaos, but I was unique.

Dresden had been discussing with Adam and Samuel a magical tattoo that would not only make it easy to locate me but also to determine who the tattoo was connected to, enabling him to instantly know if I was in pain or distress. And that would be Damon, of course. But since he wasn't always available, would it make me upset at all to be linked to someone who couldn't or didn't want to help at the time?

Adam would have wanted to be the link, but they knew Damon and his burning desire to protect me. Dresden had then thought of some kind of link between it would connect the three so that me to Adam and Damon, but as my rage was also a factor in this.

 Dresden couldn't be sure that my rage wouldn't then spill down the link to Damon or Adam and neither, no matter how strong they were, could control my rage.

Damon was a complex creature; I can say that in all honesty. So he could be the best seducer in the universe one minute, almost my soul mate, and then the next minute charge in my face and accuse me of infidelity, of lying, walk out like a teenager, and leave. Only to return a day or two later, as if nothing had happened.

If Adam's temperament was flamboyant, Damon's was explosive. He was existentially very jealous and possessive. 

Adam had mentioned this to me once when we were in Chicago and said: "Mimi, are you absolutely sure you want to marry Damon? You know how possessive he is. He could physically hurt you, have no doubt about it."

Adam was always worried. Sometimes, he was more my protector than Damon. I assured Adam that I could hurt Damon physically, and I'd had him under me in the gym more than once. Although a couple of times we had to sanctify the gym.

But I didn't tell Adam that. There was no need for Adam to know how easily I could be seduced. I knew that me and Damon belonged together. Somehow I just knew it. That's why I waited for our vampire wedding while I baked.

 Time didn't matter, pain didn't matter. Then when the potion wore off, yes I felt the pain, but then I would get raged again and the witches would get angry. They would do potion after potion after potion. Every couple of hours, the witches would drink their potions to me and nothing had the effect they wanted.

They would tie me to the table, cut me, fill my wounds with herbs or pour the potion directly into my wounds.But if the potion didn't mess with my head, then I had enough rage in me that nothing was felt.

And the witches did more and more damage. Time after time they tried to make the pain felt but no. My rage grew and I knew I was approaching a critical point after which I could no longer control my rage. To some degree, it didn't bother me.

They'd been pouring pure herbal infusions into me for probably 24 hours now and they were burning. My wounds weren't healing. I wasn't hungry. But my rage was so full-blown that I couldn't feel anything even though I'd lost quite a bit of weight and I was in terrible shape.

It was night or dark. There were no windows in this room where the cages were. This was a concrete cube. A basement room because it was a dank and quite cold place. My rage exploded completely. I sat up and let it fill my body. 

My rage also woke up the enraged Mimosa. I tried to get free. I concentrated and unlocked the lock, twisting it off. With sheer force, I also got the shackles off my hands. I stepped out of the cage. Ben was on the move.

He said, "Now you've seen what these bastards do and you know for yourself that there is no hope for any of us. Please let us go, kill the witches and burn this house to the ground so my wife doesn't have to see this. I know she would want to see my body, and it's not a pretty sight. I can feel my soul falling apart, crumbs falling away, and soon I will have no peace."

Ben lifted his shirt. His skin was greenish with black veins and spots. The crater where his heart used to be was in the middle of his chest. He touched me and on some level, I could feel his desperation. He looked at me and I knew what I had to do. I put on my clothes and he followed me with his eyes.

Ben continued, "I feel nothing, no hunger, no heat, no cold, no contact, no pain. I want this torment to end because I didn't want to hurt any of them. Never, never, I am not a murderer. My wolf is dead. I am dead. But I can't go where it's better unless you help me. And then, in time, I'll see my wife again when her time comes. But only if you let me go there, and I know Bran sold you. He also sold some of these wolves, and I don't know why. Whether they were his enemies or what?"

I nodded. I was ready and acted once I had my clothes on.

My rage was on display, so this wouldn't be so hard. There was a sword on the wall that the witches had tried to wound me with as well. It was not silver.

I went over to Ben, smiled and said, "it's ok, you're going to be OK."

My voice was low and furious, so it wasn't as reassuring as it could have been. I grabbed Ben's head and broke his neck. Then I took the sword and with one stroke I severed his head.

His body sagged a little; he looked like he'd been dead for a couple of months. I could almost feel his spirit escaping. That kind of suffering was gone from Ben's face and he looked calm. I knew Ben wasn't the only one, and I continued towards the cages.

I went to the other victims. I went to the first cage, and I broke the lock. There was a woman, a werewolf. At the very end.

She was covered in festering wounds, skinny, shaking and really suffering. Her wolf was already dead, and she was breathing shallowly, painfully. I watched her suffer. I stroked her.

She opened her eyes and said, "Are you an angel? Are you here to let me go? Is my torment over?"

I smiled and put my other hand on her neck, took a firm grip and soothed her.

"It's okay. Just close your eyes and calm down. It will soon get easier. "

I took hold of her cervical vertebrae and twisted once and quickly. She shuddered and her breathing stopped. Now she looked calm. I felt the same sensation again, how she got free. I cut the head off, even though I knew that a normal werewolf would usually die if the neck was broken. It's best to be safe.

I did the same favor for all 24 victims. I was the angel of death who gave only what was left: peace and rest. I tried to calm them down. My rage was on display and maybe I wasn't so serene, but then I just snapped their necks.

When everyone was put down, Mimosa came out. It only took 20 minutes for me to transform, the rage helped here too. I went upstairs to where the witches were sleeping. Mimosa wanted to show them something.

I was in control as we went like ghosts upstairs. We went silently and were deadly and fast. No one had time to do anything. I went to the witch, took her neck between my jaws, one hard bite and the witch was gone. The whole 12 witch circle.

Then I switched back to human. My rage was in full blast and I remembered how Ben had wanted the entire house burnt down.

 I found gasoline outside. I took the cans in my hand, poured upstairs and into the basement, and set it on fire. Then I took the witch's car and drove away. I had found the keys and now it was time to go.

I could see flames coming from the rear-view mirror almost through the roof and after driving for a while, I heard the siren wailing. It took me an hour to drive. This was remote and before I could get the address programmed into the sat nav.

I had been a prisoner for a week. Adam must have been worried. I drove to the house, punched in the code and it was night. I saw the lights come on. I'd been spotted.

I parked the car. I let my rage surface because I couldn't function otherwise.I pulled myself together and knew this would not be easy, knowing Adam, but I'm sure he'll understand. Next, I opened the car door and got out.

I walked to the front door, unlocked it as I took the keys from my bag, went into the lower lobby and took off my shoes and jacket. Then I walked up the three steps and heard noises in the living room.

I left my bag in my downstairs bedroom. My car was in the driveway. I walked into the living room.

 Adam remained agitated and on the phone the entire time. With Bran. Then I heard a word, Ben. He had somehow still been in contact with Ben and knew of his death. This would not be a straightforward conversation. Somehow, I wished I didn't have to do this.

Samuel looked at me and furrowed his brows.

He said, " You've been in some dangerous place, haven't you, and why are you your rage all open?"

I said, "I was a prisoner of the black witches when Bran sold me to them, giving them a clue where I was. So your father still doesn't trust me."

Samuel was strangely expressionless and made no comment. He looked at me almost emotionlessly and didn't even get up or call me to medbay.

Adam ended the call and came to me and looked at me and said, " Oh, you're back in one piece. Where on earth have you been for a week?"

I said nothing yet as I grabbed his hand and took him to the sofa. Then I told him everything as best I could.

"Adam, the black witches, held me captive, and they had Ben. They brutally murdered Ben, tearing out his heart and burning it in their ritual. They bound him to them, causing his soul to be consumed slowly. You know he wanted to escape. I endured a week of torture, being poisoned with herbs and sliced with silver. Bran betrayed me and sold me to them. Furthermore, Bran mentioned that all members of your pack were targets. There were 25 werewolves, all subjected to relentless torment. Eventually, I managed to break free and honored Ben's dying wish by releasing him. Adam, he appeared ghastly, as if he had been dead for an entire week before being revived. I set the others free as well. Then, I set ablaze the entire house, ensuring it was engulfed in flames as I drove away."

 I fell silent and lifted my shirt, showing my wounds. I assumed he was going to ask me to be more specific. And I was ready to answer questions.

Adam looked at me coldly when I finished and said: "Bran was right, you are a murderer. A cold-blooded inexperienced bitch who enjoys killing and still makes excuses for it - well, Bran has already trained you for that mercy killing. Who's next? Me? You stupid girl, you know nothing yet. Of course, werewolves and others will say or desperately ask for death, of course, after being tortured by witches. You took away Ben's salvation and those other victims. And you took away the chance to help Ben, you satanic bloodthirsty stupid bitch. You come in front of me with your rage on full display and you think I believe in your redemption story, and then you tell a vicious lie that Bran sold you out. When Bran is the one who's been looking for you all week!!!"

Adam shouted at me, his eyes black with rage and his hand raised, ready to strike me. I pulled back, looking in disbelief. This was not how it was supposed to go. No no...

Adam continued to scream. His hand remained raised.

"How can Bran or I inform the families of the victims that their loved one is dead when you decided to play pyromaniac and burn the whole place to the ground? Oh yes, you had to destroy your evidence so that no one could tell you how easy it would have been to save these victims. Did you know that Ben still had a connection with me? Do you know how Alpha feels when one of his pack dies? You don't know, you fucking ignoramus, you know nothing, and yet you choose to take the lives of people and my friend into your own hands like a fucking god."

He struck my face with his open palm and stood up. He grabbed me by the collar and started dragging me out.

 He said, "Now fuck off, Mimi. I don't want to see you in this house now, and I don't know when I'll be able to see you again. Maybe one day, but it might take some time, a cold-blooded murder is difficult to forget!!!"

Adam shouted with a red face, grabbed my hand, dragged me out the front door and threw me down and threw the car keys on the ground. He threw my bag at me.

Adam's voice was venomous as he said, "I will then change the code to the gate so you can't get in here. You can't get in any fucking house!!!"

He turned around and walked inside. I stood up. I was shaking, and I felt like I couldn't take it anymore.

Samuel came to the door and said: "You are alone now. Ben was also a very dear friend of mine. Now I don't care about any of your injuries, and I certainly don't recommend that you go to Bran, either. He will throw you in a cage and forget you because we all knew Ben and probably Bran felt when you killed every victim. He's a Marrok, though, and he's connected to all the wolves. Now get the fuck out of here. Even if some medical facility took you out of there now, I wouldn't care. And really how fucking mean to blame my father!!! I know you have your suspicions but that was too much, you murderer!!!"

Samuel's voice was dangerous and angry, too. Also, cold and emotionless and I felt desperate, but I held myself together and walked to my car.