9. Sail Away.

I awoke to the prickling sensation that someone was staring at me, sending shivers down my spine. The room, once a haven of safety, now felt charged with an eerie presence. Slowly, I opened my eyes and found Damon crouched beside my bed, his intense gaze fixed on me, filled with questions.

His voice, a hushed whisper, broke the silence, "Nice room. I know this room. Adam recognized it as soon as he came to see how you were—another nest. No one's been in here but you, isn't that right? As you can see, number two has pretty strong flank sedatives, so if you decide to let them get to you, you'll be asleep, my girl. But for now. This room needs people, a pack. We'll teach you that there's power in a pack. Believe it. Remember, Mimi, trust me. I remember. Two don't. Don't pull away."

Wrapped snugly in my old, worn blanket, as ancient as my existence, I tried to shake off the remnants of sleep. The room suddenly burst with activity, filled with the sights and sounds of wolves and Mariella rummaging through my bedding. Adam guided them, identifying the origin of each linen.

The sound of fabric being touched and shuffled unsettled me. Charles stood nearby, his gaze mirroring my irritation at the invasion of my personal space. My linen cupboard stood ajar, revealing my cherished belongings, and I felt a pang of unease as Mariella's fingers grazed my belongings. These linens were deeply personal, a part of me I wasn't willing to share. They were mine, and mine alone.

Meanwhile, Two's searching eyes bore into me, his lean form leaning against the wall. He scrutinized me, searching for something intangible, as if trying to unravel the secrets hidden within my very being.

As I slowly rose from my bed, Damon stood up and fixed his gaze upon me. His piercing eyes held a mixture of concern and admonishment. "You slept for a whole 24 hours," he remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of danger. "Next time you decide to let the drugs take over..."

I shrugged off his comment, unconcerned. Whether it was 24 hours or two days, I had plenty of time to spare.

Mariella chimed in, "Oh, the medbay turned out to be quite useful. Once we all leave this place, we'll connect this wing to the house using a spell. We've already cleared out most of the rooms, but Damon might have some questions."

She moved towards the second Damon and planted a kiss on his lips. Meanwhile, I had already left the bed and was heading towards the bathroom.

However, Damon intercepted me, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Baby, all the things you've been hiding in these rooms, from your safety deposit boxes. I want them all. They belong to both of us, as we're married in many ways."

I let out a sigh and approached the wall. Pressing my palm against it, I entered the 10-digit code, and the door slid open, revealing a closet filled with various items. This was where I kept my most valuable belongings stored in safe deposit boxes. I had hidden and secured everything else imaginable, but these specific items required the safety of deposit boxes. I surrendered them without hesitation. There was an abundance of treasures waiting to be discovered.

After using the bathroom, I emerged to find Damon patiently waiting. Together, we left the room and proceeded to the next one. It was essential to clear out every single item, whether it be firearms, explosives, or stocks.

It was an absolute goddamn circus. The deafening cacophony of voices reverberated through the air, assaulting my ears. I stood there, remaining patient, as they unleashed their fury upon me. The tension hung heavy in the room, suffocating and palpable. The sight of their contorted faces, twisted with anger, was enough to make my blood boil.

Charles, his face flushed red, bellowed at me with such intensity that I could feel the force of his words physically. "You idiot! These shares are crucial if you want them to hold any value beyond mere decorative paper. Why the hell are you sulking? Haven't I proven myself trustworthy after all these years? Damn it, you stubborn little bitch, you never seem to trust me, no matter what I fucking do!" With that, Charles stormed off, leaving a trail of tension in his wake.

Next, it was Adam's turn to unleash his wrath. The metallic scent of fear mixed with the acrid smell of explosives filled the room.

His voice boomed, echoing off the walls. "You are the most irresponsible creature I've ever encountered! You have no clue about these explosives or how they even work. Do you think it's some kind of game, playing god and risking the entire house blowing up? I've taught you countless times how to handle weapons, and yet you still act like a clueless fool. Don't you dare put the rest of us in danger!"

His anger radiated, leaving a lingering chill in the air.

Then came Mariella, her voice resonating through the room. The scent of ancient books and herbs wafted from the confiscated items.

"You have no idea what you've stumbled upon, Mimi. These books are dangerous, capable of triggering curses or poisoning us unknowingly. And these crystals, dear lord, you're playing with forces you don't comprehend. Just wait until the witches of the magic house come for them. They'll make you regret your ignorance. Fool, that's all I can say." Her words carried a weight that settled like a heavy fog.

The chorus of anger continued, sometimes joined by Damon's voice, amplifying the tension with each passing moment. Eventually, the wing emptied, and we found ourselves outside. The sound of the door closing behind us reverberated in the silence, a final punctuation mark to the chaos within. Damon and Mariella exchanged furious glances, their anger palpable in the air.

I had endured a week of relentless shouting, the constant barrage of angry words echoing in my mind. It had reached a breaking point. Determined to escape the suffocating atmosphere, I grabbed my car keys and embarked on a drive. Leaving a note, my wallet, and my phone on the kitchen table, I sought solace in the solitude of the open road.

The message I left to pack said, "Now I've been a good girl, and I've let you, the whole pack, yell at me for a week. I hope it helps you. I've made no excuses, and I'm not going to, but that's it. I'll come back one day if you get smart enough to look into the past. Maybe then you'll see when things were put where they were put. I will not be a martyr or a victim. I have let you destroy my wing, my sanctuary, my rooms. I hope you like your new items because that is no longer homey for me. But I've just had enough. I put a chaos-will shield over my mind, so talking there is not quite easy. Think about that the next time you promote pack life to me because my experience so far hasn't improved one bit. You destroyed my space just out of jealousy and then you yelled at me about my things. You are a bunch of brats, and I need my time. Mimi."

I teleported to Portugal and went for a drive there. The shares, the pack, had the money; the shares weren't an earth-shattering thing, but Charles had always a way of making me feel bad for not trusting. When I couldn't. He'd proved it a couple of times, too. He knew that had shares here and there I had them already in the past and he sometimes had asked for them. Never shouted at me because of them. 

Adam had the temperament, and I suspected that Mariella and Damons had riled him up. Those explosives had been where they were for years. Those had been safe explosives to have, and I knew my stuff well enough to put them in safely, so there was no danger. I had had no explosives in my latest locker in years.

The guns were in locked cabinets with the ammo loose, just like he'd taught me, but Adam's problem was he didn't have the guns. He wanted to have all the experimental guns to himself and preferably all the guns in his gun safe, but I had had my gun safes for decades after we were once kidnapped from the house with no guns or gun safe. 

As for the stuff confiscated from the witches. Every time. Every time, either Dresden or Constantine had carefully gone through the entire inventory and removed the dangerous items. They had found the worst curses and so on. These were perfectly safe for me to have and Mariella just had found an excuse to shout at me, too. She was clearly jealous and thought of herself as being better or stronger than me, so she should have all the things magical. 

Sure, I may have had a symptom of potions and spell books, but Dresden and Constantine had approved of them. I have a lot of this stuff on my bases and I had used some of them, like symptom potions when interrogating someone. I knew my stuff in this department too and I had a lot of witches in fleas as well.

I just couldn't keep explaining to everyone that I knew what I was actually doing. It is no use when no one in the pack believes me. Not one bit. They assume. After I've blown that assumption time and time again, Mariella complains about how she always assumes wrong about me, only to do the same thing again. I don't know when they'll learn. After fuming time, I decided now I needed to have some good time. I put the whole thing aside in my mind and just concentrated on driving. Enjoy. Being alone like I'm supposed to be.

Mariella was filled with joy, a wide smile illuminating her face. They had emerged victorious over Mimi, a truly satisfying triumph. Every last stash of that annoying girl had been cleared out, and they had finally given her the anger-fueled feedback she deserved. They had won.

Now, all that remained was to assert their dominance by getting Mimi pregnant. They wanted her to learn her rightful place in their lives. Under Damon's control, obedient and submissive. Once that was accomplished, they could transform their living spaces into a whole new realm of pleasure, adorned with wings and dedicated sex rooms.

As Mariella pondered, she couldn't help but feel a certain energy lingering in the room where Mimi had slept. It beckoned to be ravished, to be soaked in passion for an extended period. She had never delved into Mimi's past, never understood why she sought solace in those nests. They had merely been an annoyance to both Damon and herself, as she had always been attuned to his emotions and desires. 

Together, Mariella and the Damons ventured to the kitchen for breakfast, intending to perform a spell to call forth an embryo or possibly even breed Mimi. With the two of them now involved, it seemed like a simple task. However, as they arrived in the kitchen, their attention was drawn to a note. It forced them to reflect on their past actions. 

Mariella broke the silence, acknowledging their mistakes. "I don't believe we'll be having cubs anytime soon. We were greatly mistaken about many things, but at least we were reacting. It's crucial to respond, or else our anger will consume us."

Damon remained silent, his disdain for this feeling clear. This discomfort arose when he realized the magnitude of their errors, realizing that they had acted like spoiled children. Once again, they, along with the entire pack, had pushed Mimi away, giving her yet another reason not to trust anyone. And it was solely their fault. This was their predicament.

Damon regretted allowing Mariella to dictate the entire wing project, understanding that he should have considered Mimi's needs as well. However, he was who he was, and this realization only further strained his already fragile relationship with Mimi. 

Before delving into solutions, Damon ignored the black burning pain in his soul. He sought solace in the refrigerator, grabbing whatever he could find to enhance their intimate moments. Holding Mariella's hand tightly, the three of them retreated to the bedroom, seeking comfort and pleasure in each other's arms.

I drove to the picturesque house in Portugal, surrounded by rolling green hills and vibrant flowers. As I embarked on my journey, the wind whispered through the open windows, carrying the scent of fresh pine and ocean breeze. The sound of my tires on the winding roads echoed in my ears, blending with the melodic tunes I sang along to, filling the car with a sense of freedom and joy.

At that moment, a realization struck me. I didn't need the whole pack. I could live independently, navigating life with ease. While they would find solace in each other's company, I, as an alpha female, relieved Mariella of the burden of balancing power dynamics. She, too, possessed the qualities of an alpha female, even if she had forgotten it. And I, like an energy battery, remained available for them whenever needed. It was a double reason to keep me around, along with the undeniable strength of my willpower. 

Perhaps Mariella and Damon had influenced Adam and Charles, tuning them up to their liking. I held no resentment towards them for that. However, pack life no longer appealed to me. I had always been a loner, a lone wolf within the pack. It was an intrinsic part of my identity, one that they failed to acknowledge or simply ignored.

As I continued my drive through the enchanting landscapes of Portugal, I sang my heart out, immersing myself in the sheer pleasure of solitude. Being alone didn't bother me anymore, but the idea of being part of a pack no longer held any allure. Instead of engaging in meaningful discussions, they always assumed the worst in me, with no valid reason. They believed they held all the answers, while I was deemed foolish or simple. Was it because they were energy or magic creatures, or did they simply not know me at all?

The Damon I had known, the one who had been my confidant and soulmate, seemed like a distant memory. This version of him, this stranger who knew nothing about me, was not someone I felt comfortable confiding in. My true Damon, the one I trusted implicitly, was a bubble lost in this unfamiliar persona.

What I've done with it, I guess it's just because of who I am. I'm fucking strong, independent, immortal, and lonely. And then the fact that Damon had built up a fantastic ball of anger towards me, but he couldn't remember why I did what I did. He never thinks about it from my point of view. None of them do. He sees me not breeding as a personal insult when it had nothing to do with him but me. it was all me and my body, my mind why I did not breed. 

Except for Charles, he knew what I was going through, and he understood why I didn't want to make puppies. He helped me unload something inside me, with Adam and it had been wonderful, but I could feel power getting again restless inside me so maybe someday I might need to redo that thing. 

But Damon is so stubborn and lets his alpha side show. And himself too. He likes to breed and thinks that it is a great privilege to breed with him as it is with Mariella. But I am not Mariella and that year had its way of changing me, so much, and for me to breed, strong alpha female to breed, my alpha side had to be in it and she was not. She was mourning; she was angry and mistrusting of Damon, and so were my cats as well. They could not understand why Damon did not believe me, why he hurt me, and then it was way too late. 

But they do not know why being sedated is so bad when I didn't tell, not to anyone and there's another reason for that, how Bran programmed me or guided me to begin with. Don't show weakness. It's not just programming, I've understood that for a long time now.

Life has taught me the same lessons. I had learned that lesson way before I ever met Bran, back when they kidnapped me. It was easier to try to escape when you were brave, angry, and threatening they were not so eager to come after you. 

Mariella never has to learn them because she has Damon. I had Damon with Damien in it, and it was a combination, which was not good. When Damon got to be in charge, we had a wonderful time, and when Damien did, I could die.

My life with Damon was difficult or was not fun, not most parts anyway, but I held on to our good times and carried on with the power of them. Now there won't be any good times with him. Sure, there can be good sex, but that deep, profound trust, our special bond that was formed so long ago, is all gone because this was not the Damon who I shared the bond with. 

I have been programmed before and I know how it feels, and for me, keeping things to myself, not sharing and not reacting, is not programming. I have now learned that Damien lies; he manipulates and something he knows I hate is brainwashing or programming, so he lies to me.

Telling to me I have been programmed by him and by Bran just to get me riled up. I know now that it is more of my experiences than actual programming that has made me who I am and, in a way, maybe the world has programmed me or shown me the way to be. 

I just have to control myself and move on. Go with the flow once again. I knew where the current was taking me when I received an email a week later inviting me to a new farm. This was a great new hybrid farm. It had a bird farm, fish, furs, and meats, as well as a smokehouse. Oh, that I could get new chips for smoking again.

This was run by my dear friend Penn, one of the fleas who could control my rage back in the day, and he had been wise enough to leave the fleas while still alive. And he had had a wonderful life so far. I had visited his farms; he had several, before. 

And maybe I would have another wonderful farm experience. I've been to farms over the years, it's just strange that almost when I'm on my own and really have no fear of a pack coming, the hosts are nice but old and ugly. Then again, if I go to a farm and a pack spots me, the hosts are old fleas or just not good-looking, and then I get threats from the flanks up. It gives that experience quite a bitter taste. 

This farm is in Montana, so that's where I go. I have a lovely house there, too. It's officially a pack's house, but it doesn't have a wing, and no one has ever been there except me. It's been completely renovated, and it's one of my most recent acquisitions. I had quite many lovely rooms and everything else, too. 

There is no master bedroom, but there are lots of rooms that are hidden from others. It is a kind of maze and I have kept it like that. I like to have my own peace and space, too. At some point, I'll have to go through the bank vaults they've accumulated, and emptying them is difficult. I've been a bit lazy myself with the fleas, and I've learned to delegate, or else I've got such a competent team that it's easy to share. It was time for me to once again meet up with my friends and talk with them. It was going to be quite an enjoyable experience.