2. Push The Button.

As I was leaving Queen's enclosure, Damon and others walked in. Mariella showed him Princess, and Damon grunted while staring at Princess intently.

Wulfe approached me, glanced at me and Queen, and remarked, "She is one hell of a horse. What is her name?"

I replied, "Queen. She is a big girl, and like me, she has a temper. I would have preferred stallions, but she is meant to be, I guess."

Wulfe commented, "She is striking. Have you considered doing something with her mane?"

I nodded.

Damon joined us, read Queen's information, and said, "Hmm, no foals. She looks amazing. I bet she would be a good mare to have a foal from."

I didn't take the bait.

Queen neighed irritably at Damon, who looked at her and said almost seductively, "Oh, you have a temper. Let's see if you still have it after our trip is over or if you've learned how to behave when a dominant male is close by."

I stayed silent. Wulfe grabbed my hand, pressing our scars together, letting me feel his amusement, and he could sense my frustration, my urge to utter a few snappy sentences, but I didn't want more tension. Damon gazed at the Queen as numbers two, three, and four approached us.

Number three remarked, "That one needs braiding. No wonder she is feisty if she can't see in front of her."

Number two looked at me, sensing my irritation, and fueled it further, "Yeah, we can braid her mane so she can see us properly and fall in love with us as she notices just how good-looking we are."

It was Mariella who quipped, "Narcissist much? Do you have such an inflated ego that even horses need to love you?"

Number two said, "Careful now, darlin'. You seem a little tense. Try to calm down."

Soon, Mariella cursed in a thick voice as Damon took her next to him, her expression morphing into a loving one, showing she had just received a dose from her sedative organ embedded in her spine.

Number one stated, "Darlin', just so you know, you have received the same gene therapy as the baby, which means your sedative organ and collar are in your genes. You won't get rid of them."

Mariella's eyes briefly flashed before she slumped even more against Damon, almost passing out. I thought to myself that this could be a very intense experience if the males' trigger fingers were this eager. I walked slowly out, noticing a few stable hands approaching.

I informed them, "I will take Queen. I'll go pick out my saddle and gear, but you can bring her out already."

The men nodded and went up to the Queen. Damon was still near her, talking to her, and her ears flicked irritably. She was not an easy horse to win over.

As Mimosa and Wulfe walked up to me, I said, "The saddles are in the other barn. I'll show you where so you can choose."

Wulfe asked me, "And what about you? What are you up to?"

I replied, "I have my private locker with a few dozen handmade saddles tailored for me, as well as reins and other gear. I assume we'll be riding soon, and my current clothes might not be ideal."

Wulfe smiled and said, "You know, saddles are pretty unisex unless you have a specifically female one."

He had a glint in his eye, suggesting he would pick one of mine. I sighed inwardly, realizing I needed to learn how to share. I hoped Damon would find his saddle from the public collection, as there was no need for him to delve into my personal assortment. 

We stepped outside, and the sun hit me like a tidal wave, causing my face to contort into a scowl as we made our way to a smaller building nearby. I could see horses being led outside to be saddled and groomed. Many stablehands were working with our selection.

Queen stepped out, truly living up to her name, and Wulfe whistled, "Wow, that horse is something. Are you sure you can handle her?"

I nodded and replied, "She is like me - pretty dominant. I'll have my hands full, so I won't have much time to irritate Damon. It will be fine. Come, let's go choose saddles, and I need to change my clothes. Sitting on these studs while riding is not nice."

I patted my ass where I had a silver-colored stud in my jeans. They looked good, but they were not suitable for riding.

We briskly walked into the saddle barn to escape the scorching heat. I knew it might be a bit more bearable once I changed into lighter-colored clothes. This barn was not as big as the horse stable, with shelves filled with all kinds of saddles and other horse riding gear like boots, reins, bits, and horseshoes.

There were also four machines - horse dummies with mechanisms. They were similar to the rodeo machines in bars but were used for testing saddle suitability. There were three different sizes to imitate how horses of varying sizes would move and how it would affect the rider and saddle.

I headed towards the back of the barn where my rather large locker was. I could sense Wulfe becoming intrigued by the purpose of these dummies. He appeared eager to try them out.

I opened my locker and muttered under my breath as Damon's voice came from the doorway, "Now, where has my wife gone? Nice collection of saddles, but I doubt we'll be using them - at least I won't. Come on, darling," he said to Mariella as he approached me.

Wulfe intercepted him, explaining the purpose of the dummies for testing saddles, making Damon grunt in agreement.

He remarked, "Good, we can test the saddles to ensure they are perfect for females, as they often prioritize appearance over utility."

I was inspecting my collection of saddles. I had everything from jumping and show saddles, which were not too structured but rather soft and cushion-like, to dressage saddles with tall backs and firm support that were quite rigid. However, I was considering using my pink saddle, which had a horn and a vintage look with metal stirrups. I preferred them over leather ones as they had memory foam and shock-absorbent gel, making them comfortable to ride in.

"Baby, nope, that's not the right choice for you. Let me see," Damon's voice interrupted from behind as he took the saddle to examine it.

I insisted, "It's perfect. I know what I want, and this is my preference."

Damon let out a soft sigh, almost desperate, and said, "Fine, you're as stubborn as they come. Let's go test it out, and others can give their opinions too."

He placed the saddle on the largest dummy and challenged me. "Go ahead, get on and let's see if you can prove me wrong."

Falling into his trap, thinking he wasn't skilled with horses, I mounted the dummy. The saddle felt perfect; as I positioned my legs in the stirrups, Damon set the dummy in motion.

At first, just walking, Charles pointed out, "Your posture is incorrect. You're leaning too far forward with each step, and you'll have a sore back in less than an hour."

Alaric chimed in, "We're going for a country ride, not a dressage class. Your posture is great for dressage, not for a casual ride."

Damon joined me, urging the dummy into a trot. I could feel the strain in my body, but it was temporary. Suddenly, my bottom hit an uncomfortable part of the saddle, tensing my back and thighs. The dummy, equipped with AI, measured my position and leg use, reacting to my tensing by going faster. I relaxed my thighs, trying to adjust, but the saddle was only 14.5 inches, limiting my movement.

After observing me for a few minutes, Damon raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, do you want to continue, or will you listen to reason?"

I nodded and replied, "Fine, this may not be the best saddle, but I have plenty of options here."

Damon stopped the dummy, and I dismounted, rubbing my sore ass and stretching as he removed the saddle.

He approached my locker and soon selected a brown saddle, which measured 16 inches, offering a wider fitting. It featured leather stirrups with ornamental decoration, a prominent horn, and a long slightly tilted back, designed for country riding rather than dressage. He positioned it on the dummy and instructed me to try it out.

After testing four more saddles, he finally found one that suited me—a light brown, handmade saddle measuring 15.5 inches, with decorative touches, leather stirrups, soft padding, a high back, and a horn. He also selected reins for me, opting for no bits for the horses. Other females had also tested saddles, as numbers two, five, and seven were making them to test, so a perfect fit was found.

Opening another compartment in my locker, I revealed my clothing, prompting Damon to come take a look. "Well, you have quite a collection here with good sizes for other females, too. Now, we'll ride from here to our castle; it's about a three-day journey with few breaks and no sleep, so this will serve as a warm-up. I'll share more about our riding holiday at the castle."

Mariella pursed her lips and exclaimed, "Why on earth did you dress me in a dress then? It's hardly suitable for a three-day horseback trek."

Damon smiled condescendingly and replied, "Easy now, darling; I have clothes for you as well. Let me choose outfits for all of you."

I bit my lip, not comfortable with sharing, which Wulfe noticed. He stepped closer, took my hand, and pressed our scars together.

Just under a minute later, Damon said, "Here, Wulfe, you try this saddle on the middle dummy; your horse is about that size."

Wulfe rolled his eyes and went to test the saddle he preferred. I thought to myself that this trip might not be a piece of cake for me, though for Damon, it was a dream come true regarding his desire for dominance.

Damon soon picked out my clothes—tight pants, a white top, no helmet, and no boots, just sneakers. Fine, I could manage. He smirked at me while handing over the clothes. Nearby, stable hands prepared our saddles, reins, and other equipment.

Damon noticed my loose braid and said, "Once you've dressed, I'll fix your hair a bit; there's no need to let it hang down."

I had to restrain my temper; my braid was comfortable and shielded my neck and back from the sun. But his alpha presence challenged me, waiting for a reaction. I wasn't ready to give him that satisfaction just yet. 

I grabbed my clothes and entered a nearby small room to change. It turned out to be the women's dressing room, and before I could even start undressing, Mariella walked in with a selection of clothes.

She exclaimed, "Oh, this is going to be wild! Damon is so excited. I haven't seen him this..."

I interjected with a bitter tone, "Dominant? Bossy? Overbearing?"

Mariella chuckled, rolled her eyes, and gestured with her hands, saying, "Yeah, but he means well. He wants us to have fun, and even if you're too stubborn to trust him, he won't let that stop him."

I crossed my arms, leaned against the wall, and sarcastically thought to myself as my irritation grew, "Oh, we have a little propaganda here. All hail Salvatore." 

Mariella then surprised me by revealing, as she stood there holding her clothes and looking at me with slightly squinted eyes and a relaxed posture, "Did you know that Damon killed me? I was so out of control during vampire heat he tore my straps off, denied me pleasure afterward, cleansed our alpha powers, made me watch as he and others cleansed others first, and then left me in my body when they started cleansing me. It was awful."

I raised my eyebrows and remarked, "Wow, that must have been quite an experience. Are you okay?"

She smiled and replied, "I am. It was necessary. My power was corrupted, and there was minimal pleasure and no makeup sex afterward. I learned my lesson and moved on. I won't get stuck anymore. I deserved what he did to me, and that's it. He taught, and hopefully, I learned."

I shook my head, straightened myself, and took off my T-shirt. I had a technical top underneath and also removed my jeans.

Mariella noticed my navel piercing and asked, "That looks cool, but what does Damon think about it?"

I swallowed, keeping my tone pretty neutral as I finished taking off my jeans, and replied, "My body, my choice. I wanted it, so I got it, and it is enchanted by Wulfe. No fear, I will load it up."

Mariella undressed, wearing only skimpy panties. Damon's preference, I could tell. I didn't usually wear such panties as lace was itchy; I preferred plain cotton ones for comfort.

We were almost naked when the door opened, and Mimosa, Shadow, Elena, Katherine, and Damon entered.

Damon's sharp gaze focused on my top, and he said, "Take your top off. It's hot in here; no need for extra layers. Also, remove the piercing; your skin might get irritated by sweat."

His tone was calm as he waited for me to hand him the piercing, which I did.

Keeping my thoughts on his overbearing, ass-controlling attitude to myself, he reminded me softly, "Baby, a telepath. I hear your thoughts about me and my person, my orders quite clearly."

Irritated, I took off my top swiftly to avoid his gaze and handed him the piercing.

Damon commented, smirking arrogantly, "Much better, baby. I love seeing your nipples poking."

I wanted to respond but refrained, knowing he was provoking me. I focused on planning my next move, figuring out how to divert his attention from me to Mariella or someone else.

He was acting like such an arrogant bastard, and right now, it really made my tongue itch to speak up. However, Mariella's cautionary tale reminded me he may have lost whatever had previously prevented him from hurting Mariella. And for me, the possibility of him hurting me seemed even more likely, so I decided not to provoke him further.

I knew I had to be clever in handling the situation. Some might label it as manipulation, but I preferred to see it as arranging things to my liking. A lot was on my mind, especially considering the upcoming three-day horse trek.

While it might be manageable for a human or a creature with energy reserves to fuel their body, for me, it was a different story. Resting would only lead to burning two kilos per day without food, and riding certainly wasn't restful. I couldn't help but wonder how my body would hold up after three days of this activity.

The looming question was what kind of horse riding holiday this would turn out to be. If he remained as assertive as he had been, I could only hope that my attitude would help keep things under control. I hoped that my little arrangements would prevent any major conflicts between us. The future was uncertain for me; it was difficult to predict. Only time would reveal whether this would be a success or a disaster.