5. The Best.

I was breathing pretty fast as we approached the last hurdle. Another bout of fast gallop had to come to an end as we cantered towards our castle, which was now looming on the horizon. Oh my god, I couldn't wait to have a shower and a cold drink, and maybe take a walk for a bit.

It had been a rough three-day ride, despite all the confessions and whatnot. Damon had really made our horses work hard in the last 24 hours to finally reach our castle.

The looming sight of the castle brought a sense of accomplishment. I could see others were as sweaty and tired as I was, so there wasn't much use of the energy shield. It wasn't easy to upkeep during hard riding.

I could hear several pack members muttering about their numb asscheeks and thighs, as it had been quite an ordeal. I had to admit my body was feeling the strain too, as it had been a while since I had ridden for such a long time. It was good to finally have a little breather.

The Queen was breathing heavily, but she wasn't too worn out. It seemed that Thunder had burned most of his excess energy, so he could now do what Damon wanted without being all over the place.

I was already thinking about relaxing, washing myself, and not even considering what might be next on the agenda for us. The sun was scorching hot, and most of our last stretch had been riding in the intense heat with little shade. Even my hat provided little relief, as my hair and clothes were soaked with sweat.

Damon had mentioned that magic houses witches would tend to the horses. Meanwhile, we would shower, eat a bit, and then find out what Damon's next plan was. He had this expression on his face as if he held a big, juicy secret.

He kept it to himself, making me curious yet slightly irritated, as I didn't always handle surprises gracefully. But here, I had no choice but to accept whatever was to come.

I was relieved as we finally stepped inside the magic bubble and walked into the courtyard of our castle, where a horde of witches was waiting for us. Giselle openly admired the queen and the other horses, her snappy voice expressing her expectations for these wonderful creatures.

As I dismounted, my legs felt numb, and Giselle came to take the reins from me. She cooed and crooned to the queen, showcasing our form of magic – my feline magic. Our horses would be transformed by this magic, living longer and becoming more durable, magical creatures. I knew that some of the horses I had ridden in the past had been relocated to another realm, fully changed into immortal horses or something similar.

While it was a good thing, I felt a bit sad to let them go, yet it also presented an opportunity to acquire more horses. I had some doubts about my ability to purchase horses in the future, not because I was bad at it, but because Damon would keep a close eye on my choices.

However, I pushed those thoughts aside as I made my way back inside our grand Australian castle, where a refreshing shower was calling my name.

Number Seven's voice interrupted my thoughts as he asked, "What's the matter, baby girl? Getting tired of the sunshine?"

I grunted in response, feeling tired, sweaty, and eager to wash up and have a decent meal.

He walked beside me and suggested, "Come on now, maybe I can give you a bath and be your personal washer."

I hadn't paid much attention to my appearance, but noticing his heated gaze, I glanced down and saw my thin white shirt clinging to my sweaty body, revealing my curves and making my nipples almost visible.

Despite feeling sweaty, Number Seven seemed to see me in a different light. His seductive nature made me briefly entertain wild thoughts of a shower scene with him, but I quickly pulled my mind out of the gutter.

My lack of bloodlust and irritation from my vampire side made me wary of such fantasies. She wanted to have fun, and as I was a little tired and not so good at keeping my composure, my fantasy slipped out into the hive inadvertently.

Everyone noticed it, and I blushed as Dresden walked next to us and said, "Good going Mimi, please share if you have ever had something like that about me."

I felt embarrassed, Mariella giggled, Damon smirked, and I sensed several Salvatores getting intrigued by my creativity at that moment. I decided to walk in and headed straight to the elevator, since I was too tired to take the stairs.

Mariella, number one, four, nine, and ten, also joined me in the elevator. I pressed the button for the tenth floor, where my bedroom in this enormous castle was located. It was on the topmost floor, and my room was actually in one tower. Mariella pressed the fifth-floor button, which led to the kitchen. I was heading to one of my bedrooms - a personal one that I wasn't planning to share.

Number one murmured to me, "Oh baby, I want to see it, our bedroom, what needs to be changed."

My expression turned sour, and I was about to snap at him when Mariella innocently asked, "What are you talking about, Damon? What room?"

Damon's voice suddenly became dangerous and dominant, making the elevator feel cramped as he said, "Oh, baby has her bedroom, her very own bedroom. But as she is my wife, it will be ours. After all, I have the right to her body, too."

Mariella smiled and suggested, "How about we all get our rooms at some point? Each house could have personal or shared rooms for married couples, named accordingly. That way, we always have a place that is truly ours, and we can invite others."

Seeing Damon's expression darken, she quickly added, "Or we could have special rooms, like movie rooms or gaming rooms, keeping our bedrooms personal. And, of course, there could be free bedrooms for pleasure, maintaining the sanctity of our bedrooms."

Damon nodded and replied, "Good idea, but it's not the right time for that yet. We're just here to recharge. I'll inform you more after we shower and eat."

As the other Salvatores exited to the fifth floor to head to the kitchen to prepare food, Number One and Mariella rode up with me. Damon was standing really close to me, emanating his alpha power, but I had to endure it.

I wasn't in the mood for power struggles at the moment; all I wanted was to take a shower and change into dry clothes. Only time would reveal Mr. Salvatore's mood, which would make it tricky for me to divert his attention towards Mariella and leave me alone. Nevertheless, I was prepared to attempt a few subtle tricks.

Upon stepping out of the elevator, I let out a soft sigh and stretched, subtly revealing more of my body, which caught Damon's heated gaze. Mariella, feeling needy, started to stretch and complain about her sore and knotted muscles, diverting Damon's attention to her.

I calmly headed towards the east side of the castle, where my room was situated in one of the towers. It involved climbing a set of stairs and passing by a few enticing rooms to lure Damon and Mariella into some fun.

Although I kept my intentions hidden from them, I could sense Wulfe's amusement as he noticed my little scheme and approved of it. He was eager to see my room in the tower, but not just yet.

Around the seventh room, Damon and Mariella were drawn in while I continued walking until I reached the old oak door. Opening it, I entered a staircase with winding stone steps leading to my room. The steps were just right - not too steep or small - with soft spotlights installed to guide my way up.

Finally, I arrived at my tower and opened the door to my sanctuary. Inside, there was a bedroom, a living room, a spacious bathroom, and several dressers filled with clothes and various items I had collected over time - work materials and other belongings, just in case I ever needed anything. I was a bit of a hoarder, collecting things like a veritable hamster. 

My bedroom was a pink, fluffy haven with rugs boasting the longest and softest tufts, in just the right shade of pink. My bed was enormous because I liked to sprawl all over it, not just conventionally but sometimes diagonally or in other funny positions.

It had a perfect gel water mattress, a pink silken bedspread, darker pink pillowcases, and light blue silk sheets that I used as blankets due to the Australian heat. Despite the warmth, I wasn't sure if I would sleep there. This was one of my safe places, flooded with my safety and security pheromones, usually allowing me to sleep peacefully without nightmares.

I was reluctant to let Damon in as he might see it as a territorial intrusion that could nullify my sense of safety, as this was my room, not his or ours, just mine. My satin, frilly, lacey curtains added to the pink ambiance of the room. My bedroom also had oak parquet flooring and ornate golden moldings in the corners and ceiling.

The absence of a mirror in the ceiling was compensated for by fancy tile flower patterns and green leaves. The homely vibe was enhanced by three large palms and hanging baskets full of living plants that seemed to bloom happily. In the living room, there was a tall lemon tree and an orange tree, thriving by the large windows. 

I walked into my bathroom and began removing my wet clothes. My shower was spacious with benches, perfect for sitting while washing. I grabbed a fresh set of soft towels and a luxurious bathrobe from a cupboard. The bathrobe was violet and golden, just what I needed. I hadn't even picked out fresh clothes yet, but I had time after my shower.

As I prepared to enter the shower, Mariella's voice surprised me, exclaiming, "Oh wow, Damon, this is the alpha pair's lair! Maybe change the color theme. It looks like Barbie lives here."

Annoyed, I cursed under my breath, wondering why they had come in. "Fucking hell, why in the world do they barge in here?"

Wulfe chimed in, "My unicorn isn't happy when her lair is invaded. Keep your telepathy low unless you want to hear her colorful opinions."

Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the shower, adjusting the water to a nice, cool temperature and letting it flow over me, cooling me down. I hoped they would explore my room and not disturb me while I showered. I wasn't in the mood for questions about my room or anything else. 

As I reached for my shampoo, Damon's voice whispered near me, "Sit down, I'll wash your hair, baby."

Startled, I turned around to see him naked right behind me. He gently pushed me to sit on the bench and adjusted the water temperature. His strong and steady grip massaged the shampoo into my hair and scalp. I could feel his body close behind me, his dominant aura enveloping me like a warm blanket.

He mentioned, "I need to teach you to share, baby. This little plan of mine will do just that and more. I won't reveal everything yet."

Damon expressed his appreciation for the grand apartment, planning to show it off to the rest of the pack. He told me that Shadow might move plants elsewhere.

I responded, "I enjoy having plants around. They create a pleasant atmosphere. And I do like my color theme, too."

Damon teased, "Ken just moved in, my Barbie, so let's see how things evolve when we make this our place."

I remained silent as he washed my hair three times and applied conditioner so my hair was not one big knot. Damon was eager to use my doggie products, indicating he might do the same for Elena and Katherine.

As he washed himself, I admired the view, feeling his dominance over me. I knew to simply sit back and enjoy the show he was putting on. 

Damon said to me as he was washing himself, "Oh, naughty wife, but fine. I can put on a show for you, but don't even try to seduce me. We have an actual timetable for our endeavor, so keep that in mind."

I bit my lip and replied, "Well, I'm not making any promises, my dear husband. I might just drop my soap or stretch myself, you know..."

I glanced at him slyly, causing him to raise a brow and smirk seductively.

He then handed me a sponge with soap on it and urged, "Come on, start washing. Here's your sponge."

I took the sponge and began to wash myself slowly, enjoying giving him a good show.

However, our little moment was interrupted by Mariella's voice from the bathroom door, "Oh Mimi, you're truly naughty, trying to seduce your poor husband in the middle of a shower. It's not the right time."

Mariella started undressing, prompting me to wash myself quickly and efficiently and then step out of the shower.

She told me, "Don't worry, I'm here because he asked me to join. He wants to wash me, too."

I just shrugged, grabbed my robe and towels, and left. Damon was now washing Mariella, and I didn't dwell on what they might do in my shower. I made sure to leave a powerful burst of my territorial pheromones behind me, signaling to Mariella that she was invading my space and that I was not pleased.

I was never shy about expressing my opinions, and pheromones were my weapon. I could sense Mariella's discomfort as she cleared her throat slightly, indicating that she could smell and taste my disapproval of her presence in my shower.

I walked over to my bed and dried myself off. There were quite many people in my room or apartment, or whatever you want to call it. The entire gang seemed to be there, and I could hear Adam and Charles discussing renovations with several Salvatores. They were pointing out what needed to be fixed, like my windows not being as secure as Adam wanted, and Charles noticing a draft.

I preferred my room to be cool, but number two mentioned it wasn't connected to the main air conditioning system. Instead, it had gravitational air circulation, which number four wasn't a fan of because it could let in dust particles that might bother my sensitive lungs.

I sat there, listening to how my perfect safe space was going to be demolished and remodeled once again. It would undoubtedly be grand and perfect, but not safe for me anymore.

My pheromones would be gone, and it would just become another room for me and Damon. If I understood him correctly, he didn't want me to be there alone, only with him.

It was what it was. Maybe I could find another room for my safe space. This situation messed with my head, but my logical side could see that the benefits outweighed the possible difficulties, like losing my safety pheromones.

I wasn't even sure if my pheromones were a reason why everyone wanted to remodel the place, considering it wasn't really the pack's place. But then again, if Mariella's ideas ever came to fruition, we might have our own rooms, maybe even personal ones, or as a couple. 

I hadn't even chosen my clothes when Mariella and Damon, fully clothed, stepped out of the bathroom, followed by the rest of the pack. I could sense their embarrassment as they realized their mistake in invading my room, my safe place. Mariella seemed unfazed, but Damon appeared bothered, and I wasn't sure of his original intention.

As they scurried away like scared geese after spotting a fox, I sat alone in bed. Their lack of discretion was their problem, not mine. I decided to focus on picking out clothes and heading to the kitchen for food. If the pack wanted to hide, that was on them.

It was almost comical how things took a turn from good to bad due to one poor decision – bringing Mariella into my shower, breaching the sanctity of my room. Now, the room felt less like mine. Perhaps it was the recent events or a shift in perspective.

Maybe I needed to learn to share and not be possessive of my space. Lost in my thoughts, my neurotic mind spiraled, clouding my judgment and making me doubt my behavior, convinced it was all my fault.