As we all stepped out, the sun was still scorching, but my silk outfit kept me cool. I noticed Damon looking at me sharply. As Mimi Salvatore, the alpha female of our pack and Damon's wife, I had taken his jeans in the past. Damon, in return, loved to borrow my clothes, effortlessly altering them to fit himself with a few spells.
He seemed to be eyeing my silk pants and loose blouse, contemplating how to make them his own. He was wearing a dark violet cotton tee that Mariella had bought for him. I knew I had bought him clothes before, but I wasn't sure if he ever used them or gave them away.
As I walked towards the queen carrying my saddlebags, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Wulfe was dressed in the traditional outfit I had gotten him during our road trip to India, looking effortlessly cool.
The other Salvatores were in form-fitting dark shirts, clearly more focused on style than the heat. Mariella wore a peach-colored flowy dress, perhaps not the most practical for horse riding due to potential chafing, but it was a lesson she needed to learn on her own.
Damon approached me, took my saddlebags, and raised his eyebrows as he felt their weight.
"You have certainly filled them up," he remarked. "I'm sure we all benefit from your preparation, my love."
He then kissed me passionately, leaving me almost breathless. Lastly, he bit into my pheromone glands forcefully, ensuring our scents mingled.
He said, "You see, baby, two hearts beating in the same time."
I nodded as he smugly confirmed our pulses were synchronized. Damon seemed possessive, and I wasn't sure how this would affect our riding trip. I anticipated how much he would try to control me and how busy I'd have to keep him to avoid his interference.
Damon placed my bags on the Queen, secured them, and lifted me onto her back. Although I could have done it myself, Damon insisted. He commented on the silk material and light coloring of my clothes, suggesting that some of them would fit him, hinting that he might borrow or keep them since we were married. I kept my thoughts to myself and didn't respond.
Damon glanced at Wulfe's outfit and said, "One day, baby, it will be just you and me on a road trip, buying fun items for ourselves only."
With that, he swiftly headed to Thunder, leaving Mariella to climb onto Princess alone. I was uncertain about what to expect on this survival trip. Was it going to be a hit or a miss?
As we set off on our trip, I found myself lost in thought. Despite the heat, my clothes kept me cool, with a slight breeze offering some relief. By now, it was well into the afternoon, and the worst of the heat had passed. We strolled through a sparse forest, the soft thumping of horse hooves adding a rhythmic element to our journey. I allowed my mind to wander, absorbing the sounds of birds chirping and other creatures making noises around us.
Australia, a vast continent, was no longer as isolated as it once was in terms of its fauna. While iconic animals still existed, many had been relocated to different habitats, reducing their dependence on Australia.
With a significant immigrant population and wealthy individuals purchasing land for their offspring, new species had found their way into the forests. Some wealthy families had introduced pet monkeys, which had bred and established themselves in the wild.
Additionally, various deer species and wild cattle roamed the land, reflecting Australia's long history of cattle farming, including breeds like Wagyu. Occasionally, these cattle would escape, but their large herds made it futile to track them down.
Lost in my thoughts, I pondered the potential prey we might encounter. While my husband and leader of our pack, Damon, anticipated kangaroos and similar animals, I secretly hoped for a more diverse wildlife experience beyond just kangaroos.
I didn't realize that Mariella had come next to me, and she said, "Your outfit looks really nice. I wish I had some damn pants and wasn't just dressed all the time."
I grunted and said, "Well, these have been in my dresser for ages, as they are so damn thin that I can't use them much anywhere, but here they are pretty damn good."
She chuckled and said, "I bet Damon wants them."
I nodded, my expression scowling slightly, and said, "He wants everything I have; it's just that sometimes it's so damn... argh."
She smiled and said, a little wistfully, "It's your thing; he's not taking anything that's mine, and sometimes I do use his clothes, but he doesn't really appreciate it."
I replied, "Well, he doesn't use yours since he bought them, but buy something for yourself in secret. You can see he wants it, especially if you like it, say a T-shirt, bathrobe, or even a coffee cup."
Mariella smiled and said, "Maybe, but then again, it's fun to see your little war; it's so you. Damon has never told me, or anyone else, what made you start fleas. How did it all start?"
I looked at the surrounding forest, listening to the birds, smelling the horses, feeling their movement beneath me, but part of my mind was traveling back to my memories long ago.
My voice was contemplative as I answered Mariella's inquiry, "It all started in Portugal, Oeche, Peniche; it was a small coastal city, and I ended up there because I wanted to try to take down one of those nasties. Reddington had promised me warehouses and supplies, and I had no actual plan to create a damn resistance organization. I had done Reddington's gigs for quite some time, and I wanted more; I wanted to see if I could do more."
Mariella grunted and said, "Mimi, have you even told this to Damon?"
I shrugged and said, "I did talk about this to him, but as it was, I'm not sure if it was Damien or Damon around then, so I do not know. Anyway, I was checking places and saw one abandoned factory that wasn't so abandoned, but there was a van driving in, and I saw a man being dragged there. I had a camera with me, so I took pictures—lots of them—from every angle so I could come up with a plan. And since it was now clear there were victims, it drove me on.
Mariella asked, "And then what? Did you do it?"
I smiled and replied, "After taking a million photos, I felt hungry and decided to head back downtown for a meal. As I was searching for a restaurant, I noticed a young boy putting up a missing person poster - the same guy I saw being taken from a van."
Mariella looked at me in surprise and said, "As far as I know, Damon has never mentioned this. None of them have."
I sighed and responded, "Well, Damien could keep things from Damon, and maybe he had erased memories. But back to my story, I approached the boy by the poster, who started speaking Portuguese. I couldn't understand him, so I told him I was American. Turns out, the boy's brother was a werewolf, and they lived together. The brother had promised him they'd be werewolves together once he was old enough."
Curious, Mariella asked, "Did he turn into a wolf, then?"
I nodded and continued, "Yes, but he didn't fit in with the pack, as he preferred a peaceful life on a farm. So, the boy took me to meet his alpha, Brutus, in a shady part of town. I thought it might be a setup, but it turned out to be my first mission. I had no idea how big things would get."
Mariella prodded, "You're skimming over the details. Tell me more about meeting Brutus, and how the mission went."
I replied, "Brutus was tall, black, muscular, and quite arrogant. Initially, he didn't want to listen, only respecting those he had fought. I showed him what I could do, earning his respect. They were protective but guided me on what to do. We managed to save everyone. I spent time in Portugal before moving to Spain, repeating the process - finding trouble spots, gathering evidence, and discovering werewolf packs."
Mariella's face looked a little sad, her posture slightly withdrawn as she sensed something from me.
"So Brutus was first. I wish we could have met him. I mean, he must have been pretty surprised by you," she said.
I nodded and tried to keep my voice level, but I had reasons to miss him and feel bad about the loss.
"His body was destroyed, but we got to see him up there in heaven. He was not sorry; it was his fate. It got us evidence against Sark. But now, as time has gone by, I realized just how little it actually meant. There is no big change in the world because of his sacrifice, and innocents keep on dying still," I continued.
Mariella fell silent, her posture slumping a little bit more. She urged Princess to trot a little faster, probably to speak to Damon and share my story. I didn't mind; the past is something you can learn from, not live in. I have regrets; God knows I have. But I have learned to feel, and that is one thing that makes this so much harder.
I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings when a warm voice, which always brought me a sense of deep safety, said, "Brutus was a good guy. I miss him too. And by God, honey, I would want to see you recruit the old-fashioned way. I mean, that stunt you pulled in South America – it was one of the best times of my life."
It was Adam, my husband, one of my protectors, my very first and original protector, even when I was somewhat human back then.
I replied to him, "Different times back then. I had trust in others, and the world was not as dark as it seems nowadays. Old-fashioned recruits–well, those are rare, as we have to make sure no bad apples or spies infiltrate us. So it's not exactly the same, but yeah, I might someday do it. It was wickedly fun."
Adam rode right next to me, reached over, and took my reins. I let him; his protection, his dominance – there had always been a sense of deep love and caring. His dominance stemmed from his need to protect, while Damon wanted to crush me, to show his might.
Even though it was sometimes quite sexy, it was not always what I wanted. Maybe Mariella wanted it, but not me. So I reacted differently when Adam or Charles dominated me than Damon did. It was one thing that irritated him, maybe driving us apart. But I realized that he didn't really know me, not like Adam or Charles did.
As I was resting my hands while Adam directed Queen by holding her reins, I started feeling mischievous. Sure, Damon and Mariella might get rowdy at some point, but what was stopping me? I was ready to play with Adam. He could be quite a hothead at times, and when I got him heated up, he could get pretty wild. And since this was going to last, this little alpha female was going to have some fun.
I said to Adam, "Why don't you, my husband, make use of your spells and create some space for me on that saddle of yours? You know, in the past, Mariella and Damon have had fun horseback riding, but let me show you what I can do."
I bit my lip, looked at Adam seductively under my lashes, and he grunted, oh so sexily. But he focused, muttered something in German, and his saddle now had a seat for me. I am a lithe and nimble little creature, so it wasn't too hard for me to dismount from Queen and mount in front of Adam, facing him.
He looked at me, grinning, and said, "Oh, really, honey, do your worst. I can hold on. You have taught me and Charles so well."
I just smiled, letting my hands go under his shirt, starting to use my nails to rake his chest or caress him, all the while leaning in, nuzzling his neck, licking, nipping his neck, and getting a whiff of my favorite aroma, the story of his pheromones.
His pheromones had a story. His pear scent was pure and crisp, and I could almost taste the pear in my mouth, feeling its crispness between my teeth. Then there was the scent of burning wood, like in a sauna - warm and heated, his vampire smell. And then there was the scent of a dark forest - pines, needles, a heady cocktail of masculinity.
There were notes of old rose and also hints of passionfruit and strawberry - my and Damon's scents, as we were the alpha pair. I was so happy that there was no trace of peach or other females; he was mine, more or less.
I proceeded to kiss him passionately, invading his mouth with my tongue, exploring and claiming him, wrapping my arms around his hot, hard body, letting my nails dig into his back, making him grunt deeply. I could feel my effect on him as I pressed my pelvis firmly against his.
Oh yeah, he was already feeling it as his hips bucked against me, and he panted faster. I could see his pulse speeding up, too. I looked at him innocently and sweetly as my hands continued to work on his back, raking and caressing, making him grunt and curse softly.
I didn't care as Dresden rode by us and said, "Good going, Mimi, keep that up and I might have a seat for you in my saddle too."
It seemed Dresden had quite an eye for me as he seemed to be seducing me at every opportunity. Even though I knew Katherine and Elena had fun with him, my interactions with men, gave them other ideas, too.
Adam said to me, "You know, honey, if you don't stop soon, this horse won't be the only thing I'll be mounting today."
His voice was rough with lust, his pants were strained, and his face was filled with desire. I could smell jasmine, his arousal, lingering in the air. Feeling merciless, I continued. I planted a little idea in his mind through our bond, not in the hive as it was risky for the wrong individuals to catch on, but through our true love soulmate bond. It was a good way to show him just how imaginative a porn movie director I could be.
We were riding, and I was playfully teasing Adam while he was getting into it, and then Damon slowed down and let us catch up. Adam was distracted, as I had taken most of his attention.
Damon's voice was terse and irritated as he scolded us, "You two, it's not the time for that. We will be galloping soon, Mimi, focus on riding and not on seducing poor Adam to use his spells to make room for you. Hurry up."
Adam muttered, "Oh, I wish..."
I nodded, giggling with him, as he was about to burst with excitement and Damon seemed jealous.
I sighed, turned around, got on Queen, took the reins, and told Adam, "Don't worry, we will get there eventually. Just be patient."
Adam grunted, and Damon urged him, "Come on, Hauptman, let's go. You can ride in front too. Let's see what your horse can do."
I chuckled to myself, knowing that Adam was extremely aroused and horseback riding with his excitement building up was going to be quite an experience. Despite Damon's pushiness and jealousy, I refused to let it ruin the trip.
I noticed Mariella's sour expression as she spoke to Adam and received an irritated grunt in response. Not everyone desired her attention anymore; that time was history.
As we started to gallop, it was an exhilarating experience for me, feeling aroused as well. I managed to control myself from climaxing, as it might have been embarrassing. My original plan had been to turn Mariella into a lust queen, not me.
However, I found myself ready for some adult fun. Since the trip was going to last a while, I was sure I would have the opportunity to let loose and get Mariella in the mood, too. All I needed was to be patient, strategize, and watch it all unfold beautifully.