24. Try.

Mimi walked with the host, talking about anything and everything, and the powerful machines in the cold room blew air. Mimi stood in front of the air stream, her dress skirt pressed against her thighs. The cool air also made her nipples visible, and Adam felt his nerves going.

He'd never been so damn jealous of Mimi before. He hadn't cared that she'd been with Magnum, but at the moment, even that thought made Adam's blood boil. Mimi had been distracted. She hadn't even kissed him. She'd just collected products and talked to the fucking host.

Adam knew who he resembled, and Mimi had told him about her taste in men so well over the years that Adam noticed how the host's appearance appealed to her eye. He was still a young man, full of vigor and in good shape. The host's tight white tee shirt and blue jeans certainly showed his condition. 

Adam said to Damon, "Look, doesn't it bother you when that one, that one, walks around all over Mimi, and she doesn't notice a thing? And that dress of Mimi's, you can almost see right through it."

Damon had noticed Adam's increasingly agitated thoughts, and he held himself in check as he watched Mimi's behavior. The lady just walked around, introducing herself to both the host and the young men to whom Damon had sworn pretty firmly that the Bella Donna they admired so much and would have offered her coffee or refreshments was not human. They had known it as she had told it and they wanted to talk to her as she was innocent, sweet and single. Damon had shown them he was vampire lord, Bella Donna was his wife, and she was taken.

Damon grunted and said in a dangerously quiet, scary voice, " Have you ever seen Mimi do a gig? Those clothes are just the tip of the iceberg. With that attitude, for once, Mimi really leaned into this guy and blew his ear out, even though the guy would have followed Mimi without question. The lady was enjoying the male attention. Now that she had her third heat. I've heard that bitches can be quite generous. Once she's had a Magnum, what's to stop her if she wants a little more sweetness? Just because you two have a mating bond doesn't stop her when you're not even engaged, I've heard the lady's thoughts that she pretty much believes that you're not jealous of her at all, and want her to be independent."

Adam looked for a moment and thought and then said to Damon, " Yeah, I've been on the gigs. Mimi plays a part in them; that's a different story, but the lady here doesn't play any part. Either she's completely unaware of how she affects those men, or she really enjoys the attention, but is there any way you can control Mimi? I mean, to settle down a bit, even calm down? So that she believes and sees that this behavior is not something that either of us wants. She assumes we are as tolerant as she is. She wouldn't mind if I flirted with anyone. Mimi is not jealous, but I am, and she could do with a wonderful substance to put some sense into her head."

Damon looked at Adam in surprise and asked quietly, " You mean tranquilizer drugs, yep? I have some in the car, and I always have a bag with the supplies for Mimi's treatment. You never know what she's done to herself. I just have to get the stuff ready."

Adam said, "Well, I hope there's enough because the lady has two other places booked, and if this behavior continues..."

Damon nodded and started walking to the car. Adam would get to drive this car. He would drive Mimi's car because Mimi wouldn't quite be in driving shape. We'd see if she learned at all. Damon went to the trunk, opened it, and dug out the sports bag.

It was his automatic job to take it with him whenever he went to Mimi's if she was somewhere that didn't have a medbay. He opened the bag, took a couple of needles out of the package, and took out three bottles of medicine. He made a cocktail. Effective enough, but not too much, just enough for her to believe.

He loaded the three syringes with him, grabbed the long needles from his pocket, and packed his bag back. This would be an excellent lesson for the lady. He took one long needle, put it in the syringe ready, and slipped the syringe into the pocket inside the sleeve of his jacket. From there, he could take it efficiently. He went to work.

He had felt almost his soul shatter when she had revealed that she remembered what he had said to her, but time for mend their relationship would come later and it was time to show to this young lady that he was not so weak anymore. He was whole more or less and now was time for her to see it and feel it.

I walked with the host. He had even more exotic birds in-store; they were experimenting with some new species, and there weren't many yet as they were expensive, but money would be no object. Then we went to see some more birds, more ostriches and emus. I was not thinking freaking Salvatore more. I had my new life and I love this.

There were other species, including cassowary, and that was something I hadn't come across before, but I was very keen to take them. On one wall, there was a shelf shop with some pre-seasoned, pre-packaged birds in vacuum packs, but I knew I couldn't take them. 

I was quietly looking at various chickens and quail and various large sacks of offal and skins when suddenly Damon came up behind me and wrapped one arm around my waist. I felt a needle in the back of my back plunge straight into my heart, and my head went cloudy in an instant.

His grip tightened around me as he pulled the needle out of my heart. It was a surprisingly painful job, but the fucking drug was fucking strong. I almost went limp. It all happened quickly, and I couldn't react now as I tried to stay upright, even though Damon's powerful arm around my waist was supporting me.

 Damon took the scanner from my hand and held me still against him, saying in an extremely quiet, satanically dangerous voice, " Now, behave, baby. We will not behave like we did at the gig. It's time you learn to look around a bit and remember that now you also have a very jealous alpha who has made a mating bond with you, and Adam will not be as tolerant as you think, and you know me."

He took up the other arm and wrapped it around me. Then he turned me around, still glued me to him so that we were facing each other. He looked directly into my eyes as if to check again how sedated I was. He grunted in satisfaction.

 He sank his teeth into my neck and drank ten liters of my blood just as the host approached. Who turned around to talk to Adam. He drank quite painfully and somehow I knew those teeth marks would go nowhere. He had more or less just taken me.

When Damon had drunk enough, he said, "You've got a hell of a lot stronger than, missy. That was something incredibly tasty."

Fine, I may be tasty then, but I was at least fucking drugged. Then he took me under his arm and supported me as we walked quietly to Adam. It was difficult walking in high heels when my eyes were rolling and my balance was gone. I was leaning on Damon quite a bit.

We went near the front door of this cold warehouse, where Adam now took me in his arms for a moment while Damon went to pay for the order. Damon quickly went through my scanner, changed something on it, and then went to the host, digging out his own wallet, the one with my picture on it, so that the picture was clearly visible. We were kissing passionately in that picture, having taken it in New York together at a photo booth.

I noticed that my hair was blood red again, curly and long. Adam was irritable, too. He was holding me up against him like a damn prison guard.

I said to Adam, "Damon just drugged me. Stuck a long fucking needle in the back of my heart, and it hurt, by the way," My voice was slurring quite a lot and it was slow. 

Adam growled. "When I told him to."

I didn't understand. What is it with these men now that when I'm shopping in a new place, I have to be tranquilized, really? I didn't dare say anything. Either they had lost their minds, or they saw what they wanted to see. It wasn't up to me to convince these two that I wasn't fucking anyone.

I knew Damon, and I knew his jealousy from way back, but Adam hadn't behaved in such a possessive way once in the six months we'd been together. This could be an interesting trip. I knew I was too drugged to drive the car, and that pissed me off too, but I controlled myself.

Damon seemed to speak to the host in Italian, and he answered back fluently. I guess they arranged transport. The damn medicine didn't seem to go anywhere, and I knew it was an hour's drive to the meat farm as these country roads were slower to drive.

Well, at least I got everything I was looking for and a bit of everything else. I held my bag in my hand, feeling its weight. It gave me some security, after all. Adam's muscular body supported me, but his ruthless grip never wavered for a moment as he watched Damon chatting with the host and handing him his business card.

 After Damon had paid for the order, he came back to take me in his arms, and we walked towards the car. I was more or less staggering.

Damon said, " Oh baby, I enjoy driving this car. You sure know how to spoil me."

I said nothing back. We got to the car and Adam came to help me into the car. Damon took my bag and went to the driver's side to adjust the settings. Damon took the keys from my bag, took the gun from there, put it in his own jacket pocket, and gave me a pointed look. What I have learned since then is to always be armed. In fact, it is the lesson of Adam.

Damon said, " Don't fucking carry a gun in your bag in Europe when you don't have a permit for Italy!"

I was silent. I didn't bother to reply that I'd been gigging in Italy quite a few times. I had a permit for a gun here. But when Salvatore never knows every fucking thing, I've actually done. 

Adam now walked to their car and went inside, then started the car. Damon checked I was sitting properly and pulled the seat belt in again, checking my situation and how drugged I still was. Apparently, I was drugged enough, or he wanted to see how fucking fast I could get rid of this cocktail of bullshit. Then we were off while Damon first went through my bag properly, started the car, and drove off. Adam drove behind us.

We drove in silence. First, it's a convertible, so you'd have to talk pretty loud to be heard. Then, second, I was pretty amazed at the whole fucking drugging thing. I thought, OK, then. I don't want to have a conversation with a guy like that. And to think Adam had told him to drug me. What the fuck is wrong with the men in this pack suddenly? Is it the new rule that you can't talk to strange men? Boo hoo, when I'm not fucking Amish. I am not property. I am my own person. I know how to stand for myself. 

I got my head clearer during the trip and helped the cause with a little rage. I had learned pretty fucking good rage control, and a little bit cleared my head completely. I saw the sign at the far end when Damon deftly reversed the car into position, just like that. 

We arrived at the meat farm. There were also large buildings and several cars, as this was closer to one village or population center. I saw several families passing through. The kids were relatively calm, mostly looking at the sheep and pigs that were grazing. There were also goats.

I had never tasted goat meat and wondered if there were any on this farm. Damon got out of the car, and I unbuckled my seatbelt. I had put my rage away as I got out of the car myself, like an ice queen. I just gave Damon a scornful look as I went to introduce myself. I took my bag. 

The owners, this time, were a couple, and the woman looked like Cate Blanchett and immediately took Adam and Damon after they had introduced themselves and smiled politely at the woman, glancing at me. Oh goody, I'm not jealous. I've got the sense in my head still.

The woman said something and handed them the scanners and directed the meat to look in the cold store, where, again, there were stacks of boxes. The man was like Iain De Caesdecker.

He handed me the scanner and asked, " Since those men are looking through the normal meats, how about we look at the game and whole carcasses? "

I nodded. I'd be happy with whole carcasses, and that gave me the idea that I should get an open hearth in the castle yard where I could cook a whole carcass at once. I wonder how they make them or get them. I asked this about the host and he gave me few pointers, few websites where one could order to this kind of setup. Perfect. 

First, we went to look at the hides and skins when I saw them in one barn, and I had an enormous castle. There was skins and hides from all kinds of animals too, not necessarily what they have meats but even fox furs. I bought all of them. I could fit some on the walls and some on the floors. Then we went into another building, which was full of, wow, whole carcasses. 

I could learn to cut meat. I went after the man, and we discussed meat. First, I went through some game animals. There were rabbits, hares, and some smaller animals like groundhogs or mink. Again, wonderful treats for Mimosa and, for me, all new things to taste. The host showed me different meats, and when I explained how I had bought the castle and money wouldn't matter, he watched my carefree scan. I was so excited about learning how to chop a carcass, well to this day I had pretty much if I had to use huge axe to chop off some kind of chunk and few times in the past, Damon had not been impressed as he had tried to chop it off as it should. 

He said he actually had a problem, and well, it was embarrassing to tell the customer, but as we were werewolves, he recognized Adam. He had bought wagyu cattle, and they weren't selling because the Japanese weren't getting to their farm. They grew well and weren't too expensive to him to raise but meat did not sell.

Then he praised the wagyu cattle to the skies; the only problem was the price, and I assured him it wasn't. I went scanning, read about this meat, and thought this could be pretty good meat for me. At least fatty enough. But as long as I could get it chopped up first.

I could turn one of outbuilding into meat chopping place. With my knives and axes and stuff. I would need outside freezer as well where to put carcasses. 

This man, or almost a boy, was very interested in my diet and said they also have wagyu offal. Again, the perfect offal puree just came to mind. I actually didn't know what would be the ideal meat for Mimosa because she would eat anything. Mimosa was anything but your average werewolf. Mimosa was a magic-fighting vampire wolf.

Damon and Adam were scanning the meat when Adam noticed the host taking Mimi into another building by herself. There weren't so many people there, and the woman who had directed them had gone to talk to one family and admire their baby had left them to explore and scan the meats. Damon was examining the different parts of the beef. 

Adam was scanning one box after another as he said to Damon, " Mimi went with the host into the other building over there. I wonder what's in there and what's going on."

Damon saw the closed door, handed his scanner to Adam, grunted, and started stalking purposefully towards the other building, taking the syringe and sticking a needle in it already; he noticed Mimi's smug thoughts and was about to drop the lady hard on the ground. It was time for the lady to learn to be disciplined again for once.

 I'd had time to scan less than half of these half-carcasses when the same thing happened before I could react—a firm grip against the chest, a needle to the heart, and a head in a mess.

Damon's voice was in my ear. "I warned you, Mimi. Remember, I warn only you once. Remember to behave, or you'll get low blood sugar and lose consciousness, understand?" 

I nodded. I tried to walk and handed the scanner to Damon, who continued with the Wagyu herd. He looked through my scanner, made some adjustments, and then scanned the whole carcasses quite a damn lot. The host had pulled back a bit, and I suspected Damon had slightly black eyes.

I tried to stay standing up, and Damon growled in my ear, "Try to catch your rage, missy, and you'll be unconscious before you can even try."

Fine, I let my rage lie in its well. Damon's grip was tight, and I had been away from Damon for so long that it still felt foreign. I did not relax like I used to, back when I had trusted him and his feelings, but not now.

He snarled, "You'll learn quickly, remember telepath, irritable, and fucking strong, so try to control yourself. Now is not the time to reminisce about your time with Adam. I might knock you unconscious if my nerves don't hold out."

Fine, let's be nice then. I can behave. It is better to awake than out cold. 

We walked through the meat room and had scanned all the fucking meat, then the game and Damon had calmed down, explained to the host that my blood sugar was fucking low and he was a doctor, the host looked at me pityingly after Damon spoke a bit more Italian with him.

Once again, I was handed over to Adam when Damon had to pay for the shopping. He had taken again my bag, and he had gone through my wallet. He now had my wallet in his pocket. He walked me to the car and buckled me in.

Then he got in the car with his credit card in his hand.

"You are Mimi Salvatore. Believe it. Even though we're not married again, you're not a fucking Springcove. Understand. Do I make myself clear?"

Damon's voice was tight, his expression extremely fierce, and the way he spat the word Springcove out of his mouth like it was a curse word. Springcove was the surname I had before I married Damon, and had adopted it again. The Lord didn't like it then, not a drop.

 I was getting pissed off with the whole fucking guy and his problems. I looked at Damon and tried to control myself, but sometimes, not so wise things came out of my mouth.

"Chill out, Damon. It's just a surname. For now, I decided what my surname was, and if I didn't want it to be the same as yours, then I changed it. And I will not change it yet unless it comes up. You see, I wasn't terribly impressed with the divorce, with your behavior, so I didn't want to keep that last name. And since I was nothing to you than a job, what use it is for me to be salvatore!"

 Damon was silent and then said quite silkily, "You, darling, will never learn, but all right, you demand another little lesson in how to be a good wife, and this time, darling, I'm not at all sure I want to cure your stomach right away."

He took a smaller dagger from his jacket pocket and slashed my arm so hard I felt the silver burn and hissed in pain again. I kept myself under control, though I could have uttered quite a bit more. Then Damon started the car and drove off towards the orchard. Me and my mouth. I hoped he wouldn't follow through on his threat.

I was in no mood for his little lessons, I had my ideas of cooking in my mind. 

I again sat nice and quiet. Damon was driving, enjoying the car, and this time, we drove most of the asphalt road, so we drove faster. We arrived at a fruit farm. Here, too, there were cold stores for some of the produce, and there were even more people.

But when the host walked towards us as we parked the car, this time Damon took a firm grip on my hand and pulled a syringe from his jacket pocket with a needle in it.

He pulled the needle guard off his teeth and said, " Do you want this in your heart again, or do you know how to behave?"

I held my hand still and let him push the needle into my vein and drug me once again. I controlled myself even though I wasn't very fond of needles, but I endured this. He helped me out of the car, and Adam nodded grimly.

The reason for this direct drugging was because the host of the farm was like Derek Hough, and I had watched quite a few seasons of Derek's dances again in my time and had a direct admiration for him, even right up to the time I was with Damon.

 I walked closely in Damon's grip and the scent of passionfruit. I didn't even always smell the other berries and fruits. He now somehow got his passionfruit scent so prominent that it masked the other smells from my nose. We walked past the boxes of berries and fruit. I was in cloud of passionfruit, sharp one too.

There was always loose stuff to taste, and then there were pre-packaged ones. Adam was scanning. Apparently, Damon was always telling him in his mind what to take and what not to take. Damon fed me a selection of fruit and berries, sometimes stopping at one and furrowing his brow, and then handing me another.

There must have been quite a comprehensive selection, but the sedation Damon had given me now was stronger than the earlier ones, and I was completely drugged all the time. There was a pretty extensive selection of things I'd never seen before.

And then sometimes he'd supposedly want to drink blood and give me a dose right in the neck. Yes, he drank the blood, but he kept giving me more so I wouldn't get better, saying something to the host about my low blood sugar and how he, the vampire, drank blood from me, his girlfriend, and it could make me limp when I was dizzy. 

Oh fuck, somewhere deep down, I was pissed. I vowed that one day, I would go through these farms all by myself, with no kind of sedative in my veins.

Adam chatted with the host about the berries and fruits. The strawberries were good, the cherries were good, the blueberries were tasteless. Well, they were bush blueberries. Damon fed me at least five different oranges and satsumas. And all the other citrus fruits, but no grapefruit.

Finally, it was back in the car, and Damon put my seatbelt on. He went through my wallet now carefully. There were my cards that I had collected money on from gigs. I had no idea why he wanted to check it out.

Then he went to Adam with my credit card. " Did you know about this Hauptmann?"

Adam looked at the card and frowned. " No, I didn't know. This is the lady's own account. This is not a pack card, and this is not her network card, either. You see, this is a debit, not a credit, so there is money loaded on this card, or there is money in this account and probably quite a lot."

Damon thought for a moment. " Can you handle it? I know you still have the authority to handle Mimi's finances. We don't want her to become too independent, and besides, if there are assets there, they should be protected. Find a little safer place for that money. "

Adam nodded and picked up the card. I said nothing as I was pissed off and really, really hard. But I controlled myself as Damon came to the driver's seat and started the car. The journey home began. We'll see what the boys think of My castle.