3. Pon De Replay.

I went to my cabin at 6 am and showered, went to bed to sleep until 10 am when sheer hunger woke me up. I went to eat another obscene portion, and now I heard people asking the waiter what a freak I was. They just replied subtly that I was a VIP customer and not a human being, but I had feelings too, and if people couldn't get their rudeness under control, they might consider removing people from the restaurant. It calmed the room for quite a bit, and I gave a good tip even though my food was free.

I went around the ship again, visiting the shops here and there. At least now I bought something, and I was wise to send my purchases straight ashore. I didn't keep them on board. I wouldn't do anything with them here. I'm not in my high heels here to fight.

Sark and the Korean spent a lot of time in the cabinet, so I didn't get to make any progress on that yet. Damon seemed to walk among the flock of women, and I didn't mind at all.

 I was now looking forward to the night and another fight. The relief that the fight had brought to my rage was almost addictive, and I couldn't help myself from reliving it. I knew that maybe the little girl act wouldn't work now, but I'd do it anyway. There were always those who didn't believe the rumors.

Adam and Bran were with the alphas, and I heard Adam several times bitch to Bran about fucking something and pressuring Damon to fuck young werewolves. Bran tried to defend that Damon, as an alpha male, has a right to all females, and Adam pointed out sharply that there was only one alpha in our pack, and that was him. Bran was silent. I later saw Bran having a heated discussion with several vampires. The vampires were disinterested in Bran, and I just chuckled in my mind that they didn't really make allies if Damon knew them.

Damon walked among the vampire women and tried to hold on. He couldn't understand why Bran was pushing him into women when he pretty fucking clearly clarified that he wasn't on a fuck-wind right now.

What Mimi had said that night had somehow struck a chord with him, and he'd realized that it was really always his choice when he went to women, his responsibility. He shouldn't try to make excuses, but this satanic diplomacy was getting on his nerves.

These were vampire princesses all over Europe, and of course, Brianna was in on it, trying to speak in a low. Apparently, the intention had been in a seductive tone, but to Damon, it reminded him of the old drunken bitch that Brianna had been before she was turned at the ripe old age of 49.

This had then undergone several beauty or rejuvenation treatments, but as the vampire heals, the changes from the surgery don't really last. Brianna rode on the reputation of her paternal father, one elder, and gained for herself the name of a vampire princess.

It was an old-time thing because vampire monarchy wasn't really known in modern times, and even though Damon was a lord, and he was actually a prince, he didn't claim the title of princess for Mimi or call himself king and Mimi queen even though he could have and everyone would have approved.

Brianna was as old-fashioned as her paternal grandfather, and there was a rumor that her paternal grandfather had killed Brianna's parents and raised her himself, but that was so long ago that no one knew the truth. There were always stories in vampire circles.

Damon sighed and concentrated. He had fucked no one, and he tried to be polite but made it clear he would not fuck or have a relationship with anyone. Still, if someone fucked with him or got nasty enough, he wouldn't restrain his bloodlust, and another vampire's blood was delicious.

I walked around all day. I was very inconspicuous, and I saw Damon enjoying himself with the men and women in the evening when I was still walking; I made sure there was no reason I couldn't have a little unloading. Damon was having drinks and laughing with the men, and I saw one woman sit on his lap. Easy peasy about this thing. I happily went to my cabin and changed my hair color again, this time to a bright blue, and went to decompress.

By morning, another success now with ten slightly more difficult victims that my ribs were getting a kicking, but they wouldn't take long to mend. The Sark's shadow work continued.

Damon was fooling around with whoever. Adam was attached to Bran like some kind of umbilical cord. I didn't see Adam by himself once, and I would not approach Bran; I was still pissed off at him.

My rage showed no signs of stopping, but now it was getting under the surface for the day as well, making me more alert or eager to study Sark and the pack and forget about shopping for a while; yes, I might buy something. Still, I didn't go into the shoe shop for hours thinking about what shoes to buy and what not to buy.

I looked up the identity of this Korean online, and he was associated with the mining industry. So apparently, Sark wanted metals or minerals to test. All would be so well if no one physically interfered with me, at least not until the early hours of the morning when there was always a little bit of healing to do. 

I went shopping; I fought at night; I avoided the pack members, but it was easy when they were on their own; it was probably fate to be on this cruise even though I had nothing official to do here as such, but the Sark gave me an excellent motivation.

I shadowed Sark for a week. I tried to find his cabin and what on earth he was doing with a representative of a Korean mining company. I had so far figured out who this mystery Korean was, but I still couldn't figure out what Sark's mineral or metal dealings with him were doing.

And I went out every night fighting. My reputation was getting pretty tough, and my opponents, well, they actually provided a bit of a challenge at least. My rage was well used and showed no signs of running out. I let it surface during the day. I didn't always bother to put it away so well, and now, when I went to fight straight up, I let it be pretty open. 

I hadn't used my rage much for anything before. Sometimes, maybe for sex, but I couldn't get it right. But destroying a good demon was a boy. Admittedly, the elementals were quite interesting to beat, how to beat water or wind.

Still, when you persevered and tried and watched other people fight, you got some pretty fucking good ideas, and since this wasn't a legal fight club, so there weren't really any rules, you could have weapons, but I wasn't the one with the guns.

For example, salt was very effective against certain creatures, and likewise, I got a couple of bites and one bite, so my opponent was pretty powerless. A flea bite was dangerous to get. 

Demons and various wizards and witches were the more challenging ones, but luckily, I was pretty immune. Too bad they weren't immune to me. The flea ruled and ruled well.

A couple of days into the cruise when, one night, Damon overheard some vampires talking about an illegal fight club that was on this ship. Damon wondered for a while if he should go there to fight, but he didn't quite get the hang of it. A couple of days later, he heard the first time a vampire talked about a new winner there, Flea.

Damon cursed mentally and harshly. Oh fuck, Mimi. The few times he'd seen her, he now realized she had a rage on display. Damon went and saw for himself. It had been a week since the cruise at that point.

When he went to the fight club that night, in the audience, he hid in the shadows. He wouldn't let Mimi see him. And really. He watched as his lovely wife walked into the cage like a little girl in a pink shirt, now green hair in a ponytail on either side of her head, looking about like a child. And rage on full display. Damon could taste Mimi's rage and wanted to eat it, but not yet.

All night kept Damon still in the shadows and restrained himself. Mimi was totally sloppy and now took a couple of terrible hits. Damon gasped at his wife's blood and saw a moment of genuine pain in her expression before Mimi took on a bit more of her rage.

By morning, Mimi had killed incredibly dangerous creatures and made a lot of money, and her rage would not subside. He watched as she dressed, her clothes covered in blood, and he saw her walk away from the cage a little cautiously.

 He went off like a ghost to follow her, ready to tell his wife what he thought of the job and to dress the damn wounds. He galloped to the pharmacy, buying the supplies and jars. He had been biting black velvet all night on the jars when his teeth had reacted to Mimi's wounds.

Damon knew Mimi had skills. He'd seen what a force of nature Mimi was, and so reckless, invincible, but it didn't help that he was Mimi's protector. He didn't want to watch his wife being slashed nearly in half with a silver sword; he didn't want to smell her blood, but he would control himself. He had threatened to put her under anesthetic for a week if she was a wicked wife, and oh, that was a pretty damn good idea, too.

The night had been pretty damn rough. As the reputation grew, the worse opponents came to fight, and I knew some would even teleport; not all of them were even on the ship, but they didn't go away.

I walked back to the cabin. My rage was still pretty fucking present so that I could function. I had been victorious again, and now each opponent was getting $20,000, fifteen opponents, so pretty fucking good money.

Although there was a demand for a first aid kit on Monday morning when I went to my cabin. The Fight club had been last night a demon with a nasty sword. Well, the sword and the demon were in pieces, but the few deeper cuts would need some work.

The sword had been platinum silver, and it had been partially broken inside me, so my wounds were still open. The metal particles caused it not to heal right away. But the rage helped that they didn't bother me too much.

I wouldn't stitch them up. They'd have to be bandaged and maybe taped a bit. But they would probably heal during the day. I'd just have to rinse them well in the shower and dig out whatever metal I could get, and then I'd be all set.

I slipped back into my cabin and took a shower, and the water hurt those wounds like acid, but it was good to clean them. I picked up a few bits of metal I saw as I showered my wounds clean and bit my hair back to blood red.

I kept my rage on display, cursing harshly at being hit so satanically and the dripping water, and then my cursing drowned out the sound as Damon entered my cabin.

I had taken out my first aid kit and my dental stuff, intending to clean the wounds a bit more and then tape them up. I had a couple of pretty tight tops on, and when I put the bandage on the tapes, they would probably close up.

I wrapped myself in a towel and cursed as the water had contained the metal particles and the soles of my feet hurt as the metal water had been at the bottom of the shower cubicle before it had all gone. I lifted my foot and saw that the soles of my feet were scarlet and blistered.

Damon slipped into Mimi's cabin while she was in the shower. Her suite was even nicer than Damon's, and he went into the bedroom, where there was a very large first aid kit left on the bed. On the table was a jar of teeth stuff, and there was more on the shelf.

Mimi had written what was there, and Damon found a magnificent collection of genius poisons. Fine, his wife was a poisonous snake. He flicked through the first aid kit and grabbed some of his own supplies, moved everything out of bed, and prepared to face his wife. Treat her wounds and give her his opinion on some fucking careless fighting.

He should be firm but also listen to what she said, and now he smoothed himself out, feeling his doctor side beginning to analyze the condition already. He had canned a few substances; empty jars were ready, too; now, he didn't know why she had made so many, almost ten, different poisons ready in the jars as he hadn't seen her use any weapon.

I came out of the bathroom and froze when Damon was standing there. He had cleared my bed, rolled up his sleeves, and was looking at me calmly but firmly. His voice was a doctor's voice but a firmer end of the spectrum.

Now he was in no gentle mood at all as he said, "Fine, my lady, first I'll sort you out, then we'll discuss how to fight in a club like that and what the hell for. This was obviously a premeditated thing on your part, and now it may be my lady that The Flea is taking a break. Those injuries are not scratches. So take off the towel and come here. Why are you limping?" 

 I kept my voice calm and said, "I'm building a reputation to get resources for my network. Fight club success opens doors, I think you know, limping because I had silver and platinum in my wound. It got stuck in the bottom of the fucking shower stall, and the soles of my feet were on fire. "

Damon helped me onto the bed on my back. First, he looked at the soles of my feet and took one jar. Dipped a piece of tissue into the substance and wiped the soles of my feet. It eased the pain instantly, and I breathed deeply when it helped, well as deep as my injuries would allow. 

Damon got my feet calmed down. I sat up as he helped and then stood up so he could have a good look at my injuries. He said little yet as he ran his gloved hand gently over my wounds to see what was wrong with them.

I grabbed one jar from the bedside table, an empty jar, and bit my teeth through the lid, draining the rest of the poison from my teeth. Then, tonight, I would do another one if needed.

Damon said, " What are those jars, and what on earth are you pouring into them?"

I said, "I always drain my teeth in the morning, the rest of the poison I've used, then I can make a new one in the evening when I never know who's there. I thought I'd give them to my network if I need them."

Damon grunted, and I winced as he pressed the wound a little more.

He said, "No, you don't. I'll look them over, and they can then be put in the medicine cabinet or storage, but my poisonous snake, you make really potent stuff, so it's dangerous for humans to handle."

I nodded. 

 Damon examined my wounds. Another wound or cut ran across my left side along my ribs, almost starting at my armpits, about a foot long and deep. If I had looked at the beginning, I think my ribs would have shown. I felt the blade slicing into my ribs. It was still partly open, and I suspected that metal had sunk into my ribs.

The second cut went transversely under my right breast towards my left hip. It had been quite deep, but was now closing up quite nicely. There were a couple of nasty stinging spots on my back after one demon had been lashing me.

Damon said, " Fine, my lady. I'll take care of your back first, stand still for a while, and then you get into that bed. I'll put you down to sleep while I go through these wounds properly and get all the metal out of them. You're a good, excellent fighter, but when you keep your rage on display too much, you're as sloppy as they come."

I nodded and said, " Yeah, I know, but I don't care when my rage is on display."

Damon snarled. He bit into a jar of something, brushed my back, and made the sting subside; then, he sank his teeth into my neck. I felt the black velvet start to drain, and everything went black.

Damon operated on Mimi; the wounds had to be opened wide, and he had to infuse six different dentals to get her to heal and his blood too. He packed away the supplies, as well as the poisons Mimi had made, and delivered them to Adam's cabin.

He planned to talk to Adam about what she had done while Adam was free. Mimi would sleep for a few more hours, and then he could go and see what the situation was.

But as he tried to look for Adam, Bran came up to him and said, "Oh Damon, come on over here and talk to me. You must know some of these vampires."

Damon didn't have time to say anything as Bran led him into a private conference room where Brianna, Nick, Elias, Rebecca, and 30 other vampires were discussing cooperation.

What Damon didn't know was that Bran had promised Damon to Brianna, and she then promised most of these vampires cooperation and information to Bran, allies who would be with Bran. There would be several willing to become wolves and hybrids and work for Bran. That Damon was married to Mimi was no obstacle. Divorce was the solution, and this would be the best for everyone; for the greater good, sometimes, emotions had to be sacrificed.

Nick, Elias, and Rebecca didn't have a clue either. Bran wasn't so sure about their loyalty to Mimi, and he wanted his new allies more than Damon being Mimi's husband.

Damon had to negotiate and talk to vampires and others for days; he couldn't get to Mimi, and Bran made sure that Brianna spent as much time with Damon as possible. When Damon tried to leave, tell Bran about Mimi's fight club business. Bran just shrugged, and the next vampire crisis was on. Everyone dubbed Damon the vampire prince and lord. Damon was so engrossed in dealing with some crises that he didn't even notice as the days went by.

Bran was pleased. He had gotten Adam to talk to the alphas and Adam had told each alpha what he liked about the alpha parties, and Bran had given permission for Adam to claim damages for Mimi and the pack. Those deliberations would take time. Adam was adamant about his demands, and no one wanted to pay too much.

Bran saw another opportunity with Mimi. When Damon divorced her, and Brianna assured Bran she could get a vampire divorce, too, Mimi would be free. He would comfort, be very sorry, seduce and charm Mimi, and take her as his own. His mate. Perfect, Bran wondered about Mimi's possible offspring and how strong those offspring would be—his and Mimi's children.

I woke up in my cabin alone. Everything was gone. My poisons, no message, nothing. It was afternoon, and I was fine. I wouldn't be stopping this if the Lord didn't make me stop. No, I kept going. I walked around, and now I couldn't even see a glimpse of Damon. Adam seemed to be in the middle of the alpha sea, and Bran was somewhere too, but Sark and the Korean were still at it.

I went to the club again in the evening, and I was sure that Damon wasn't there. I got so much damage, and it was always complicated with just metal or even herbs, that my healing ability had something to do with repairing it. The elves, in particular, had nasty daggers that were dipped in whatever solution. Days went on. No sign of Damon or Adam. Soon the cruise has gone by two weeks, halfway there.

In the morning, I always took a shower, rinsed my wounds and injuries, and bit into more and more jars of poison. I tried to sleep as much as I could and ate many times. But when I had to watch Sark and try to figure out the connection to the Korean. I wondered if I should kill the guy.

Then, I found out about Sark's cabin when we went to breakfast. I could have actually told Damon about Sark, but I hadn't had time, and now the whole man was gone. Well, I had to take care of the job. Adam could have been another option, but he wasn't off at any point. So, the flea takes care of the job at home.