The cruise went without any problems. I wasn't with Damon or even Adam, though, and I thought in my mind that this was supposed to be a pack cruise, to bring the pack more together, of course. If Bran figured he could get into my pants, then yeah, but I wasn't having any of it. The club went all right, and the information I got wasn't much, but every night at the nightclub, a couple of drinks and the women talked, Bran listened.
I knew that there were no pack cruises but this sort of luxury cruise was where a lot of alphas and their families gathered to have a good time, so this had been just one way to Bran get as many alphas in near him so he could talk, use maybe Damon's reputation and possible his telepathy to his advantage too. For me, well, I was a semi-celebrity. My America's sweetheart status was still on, and from time to time it came to light and I was not very happy about it.
Plus, me being the flea and with that reputation too had to have some idea why Bran had insisted on me being here. If he would try to portray that he and I are in good relations, no can do, I am not going to lie to everyone and I didn't want anything to do with Bran, not at all.
So I did my little thing and went shopping if some shop was open before going to shower and then sleeping. It seems this cruise was at some level safe for me to sleep without nightmares. I just was not thinking again at all. I should be the leader of my organization, a seasoned fighter, and have seen a lot and been through a lot, but here I was. Dumb as a cow, didn't notice anything.
Those women were easy to manipulate. Didn't take a lot of effort for me. It was easy to get them to talk, just a few sentences could set the mood just right, and those hens started to complain and talk about a lot of stuff, then all I needed to do, was leave and let them talk and let Bran listen as much as he liked. He was a little disturbed, but the information was too good to pass. I guess he had his little interrogation in mind, but in this way, there was nothing to interrogate.
I behaved myself and did not dress up too much, so there was no need for another public owning by my husband. Besides, he was quite a busy boy. It seems that little negotiation was hard, and he needed some unwinding, but I didn't though it too much as just made those hens to talk and that's it. I had lost my interest in men. I was feeling quite epic, and the thought of wild sex did not suit me at all.
Damon was always with a different woman, probably a vampire, but I wasn't oriented to look at them. My stomach was, if possible, more tender; Mimosa in my mind was somehow tired and powerless, but I felt really good and invincible. Mirella slept in her coffin and did not wake up at all.
Nothing felt off, and I didn't even have the rage on display. My head ached now and then. Nothing bothered me, everything was very well and even I had minor cuts here and there. No, they weren't anything that I needed to worry about, I just went to the pharmacy and bought a few supplies too,
After three weeks of cruising, I was feeling more invincible and healthier if possible. Food was not a problem; I wasn't hungry, so I didn't always go out to eat. I was effective at avoiding men now. I didn't want anyone to pay too much attention to me for some reason.
I had this stage rash all over my stomach and it itched, so I scratched and soon it was open and bleeding, well I got those supplies to the pharmacy some more. It seemed that I didn't heal like I should have, but Nah, let it be. I will get better someday. There were more important things in my life than my health or the company of Adam and Damon or Samuel. They were not supposed to see me or notice my little rash because then they would not let me have my fun anymore.
I had been to the pharmacy for three days now to get some bandages because I wasn't getting better, but hey, it doesn't matter. As long as I feel well, everything is fine. This damn rash had spread all over me and it itches like crazy and I liked to scratch it, so I needed some dressings.
Then another thing, my skin broke so easily and didn't heal up, for example, I was in the restaurant and grabbed a knife, in the wrong way and it was quite sharp, gave me quite a deep cut but I managed to cover it and I had some dressings in my suite. Of course, I would first relax and drink a few glasses of that excellent spumante. I bought it a lot and drank many bottles a day. It was just so good.
This young girl, actress-looking, we used to walk quite a lot together and sometimes go out for lunch and drinks. I told her about Damon, and she just mumbled and looked off into the distance. It was usually like that she asked me to dinner or eat with her.
I had given her my number and when I was shopping; she texted me and asked me to join her at some salad restaurant or something. When I texted back that I was on my way, she had already gotten me drinks and safe salads to eat. I loved one aioli-based salad dressing; it made me feel even better always after food; it made headache less, and Mimosa seemed a little perkier too.
We talked about a lot of things and, of course, men; she had a husband, but he was not on this cruise, only her father was and he was some sort of oil magnate and big boss somewhere like Texas.
Her mother died a few years ago, and she had seen when she was murdered, but the murderer will never go to prison or she will get any justice for her mother just because this murderer is too good at what he does. She talked sometimes about revenge, how she will rip from that murderer the most important thing in his life too. I tried to talk some sense and keep her safe. No need to get herself killed.
She talked also about how there had been someone watching as her mother was killed and it had been almost some sort of show; I was wondering if Spike and Drusilla had returned, but then we started to talk about shoes when I showed her a new pair or bright blue pumps that I had found from Cucci's vintage shop.
She was a little bitter because she had the budget. Her husband did not let her have too much money, and she had no children. She had had a hard heat and her husband was not the best heat therapist. Again little thought came to mind that was this Bran's little plan again, try to pimp boys to take care of these trouble heats. But what I had glanced at Damon, he was in vampire business up to his ears unless he was with alphas, so no go, at least for Salvatore too.
She couldn't fathom why that infuriating woman wouldn't meet her demise. For nearly three weeks, she had diligently administered poison, seeking vengeance for her mother's death.
Determined to take away Damon Salvatore's greatest love, his wife Mimi, she dismissed the rumors of Mimi's invincibility. She had almost revealed to that wretched woman how she knew about the murders near the fountain and how Mimi had callously reveled in the bloodshed.
As she confided in certain individuals, she discovered that Salvatore ruthlessly preyed on women, weaving his web of deceit and drawing innocent hearts towards him, only to discard them when he grew weary, leaving behind his perfect little playthings to endure torture and death.
Well, soon Mr. Salvatore would be a widower, experiencing the anguish of losing his most cherished companion. Witnessing the impact of her mother's loss on her father and herself, she understood the profound effect it had on their lives.
She was broken, her mental state had been shattered by witnessing her mother's murder and her father had not sought necessary mental help for her, but left her fragile mind in despair, bitterness, and revenge. Then when she seemed fine, she told her father all about Salvatore and his little hobby, how so many women had died in his hands. She convinced her father to avenge her mother, his wife, and show everyone what a monster Salvatore was.
According to multiple doctors, the trauma of her mother's demise had left an indelible mark on her physiology, rendering her unable to conceive and burdened with uncontrollable emotions. Despite seeking help, there seemed to be no solution or hope for improvement.
Her heats were difficult to treat. Her husband was not interested her in heat at all. As it has been an arranged marriage, they had no real feelings for each other and she once again, did not get the support that was needed she was left alone, sought heat treatment or most often, suffered three to four days before the heat subsided, leaving her even more bitter, even more angry, even more broken.
Until her mental state improved and the trauma was properly addressed, the possibility of bearing children or getting pregnant remained a distant dream, further isolating her from her husband, the man her father had chosen for her in an arranged marriage. Even in the intimacy of their bedroom, her husband remained emotionally distant.
No sex, infrequent and unsatisfactory. Artificial insemination was discussed due to her fertility issues. Her husband's disappointment led him to contemplate marrying a more fertile woman and divorcing her. Doctors had told them facts and even her husband did not see her as a wife but more and more burden who used too much money and did not give him what he was after, an heir.
She snapped out of her bitter daydream and pretended to be innocent and sweet, looking across the table at her intended victim. The coal gold she had carefully placed in every glass of wine should have killed her by now, but it didn't. She was even using tungsten, but the woman seemed to be in better health.
She tried to play her role, but goddamn, it was difficult as bitterness took over when her victim presented yet another pair of expensive pumps that she had bought. This woman was filthy rich, this whore had everything, and she had nothing but trauma, bitterness, and a need to avenge her mother.
Her mother had been turned into a vampire shortly after her birth, making her much older than she appeared. The eternal youth of werewolves was also effective here. Then, her mother became involved with Salvatore, a vampire, and decided to choose him. Salvatore made her mother fall in love with him and she witnessed him kill her mother while Mimi watched, seemingly unaffected. Mimi observed as Damon Salvatore comforted her mother, drained her, and tore her heart out with pleasure.
Her mother had not been the only one. She had been hiding and seen Salvatore killing in the same fashion countless of others and then gone to Mimi, kissed her and she had been happy for him. To kill innocent women. Both of them were murders.
Her mother was an innocent victim, yet her father didn't mind her association with Salvatore. Her father even approved of her own affairs, considering Salvatore a valuable catch—a powerful, ancient vampire lord. Her mother had been in a relationship with Salvatore for over nine years, and that's how he repaid her. Cold-blooded murder.
She knew justice would prevail, especially when Mimi became a soulless, lifeless corpse. Then, satanic Salvatore would know the pain she and her father endured. It was her father's idea, after all, to deceive the men when she killed that satanic woman. Mimi couldn't maintain her facade of innocence for much longer. She may appear perfect and calm, but not for much longer.
Her father had given her beryllium, a shimmering silver powder that raised the ire of all werewolves. Its presence in her bloodstream triggered a searing pain syndrome, unleashing a torrent of rage.
For a week now, she had been administering beryllium to Mimi, waiting for the anticipated explosion of fury, but to no avail. Instead, Mimi appeared oddly serene, her mood buoyant yet slightly distracted, uninterested in the allure of the pulsating nightclub.
The girl knew that despite Mimi's resilience, she would eventually succumb to its lethal effects. Observing her seemingly content state, the girl watched as Mimi consumed copious amounts of beryllium-laced wine, oblivious to the insidious grip of her addiction.
Alongside beryllium, Mimi unknowingly imbibed carbon-gold, a bewitching elixir that induced euphoria and carefree abandon. The addictive nature of carbon gold was not lost on Mimi, as she found solace in its intoxicating embrace, unaware of its detrimental consequences.
Tungsten, too, made its way into Mimi's system, altering her body's chemistry as her evolution progressed. Unlike in times past, it no longer caused complete amnesia, but its effects compelled Mimi to seek solitude, concealing her state from prying eyes.
The introduction of these metals had triggered a mild rash, aggravated further when Mimi absentmindedly scratched her skin, causing it to break, and leaving her vulnerable to opportunistic bacterial infections. Yet, the allure of carbon gold persisted, its grip on Mimi intensifying with each dose, offering fleeting moments of euphoria and a false sense of well-being.
Unbeknownst to her, beryllium had gradually ravaged her immune system, compounded by malnourishment and a lack of essential enzymes. The increasing dependence on carbon gold became a desperate pursuit, with each wine bottle unwittingly laced with tungsten and beryllium, further poisoning Mimi's fragile existence.
The sinister medical scientists, devoid of any ethical considerations, merely observed and studied Mimi, fascinated by the impact of these substances on their hapless subject.