It was time to put my plan into action. To make it believable, I needed to involve every player. My first target was Number One, who'd been engrossed in shadow magic while ignoring Mariella's pointed glares. I was curious to see Mariella's reaction to a few hovering husbands.
I perched beside Number One as he sat in the shade, finishing his meal. It wasn't nighttime yet, so I didn't need to crawl into his tent.
I casually remarked, "I'm not cut out to be a wife. I mean, come on, I'm losing it!"
He glanced at me, smiling. "Mimi, my love, my vampire queen, my eternal soulmate, my wife, you're doing just fine. What do you mean?"
I said, "Hovering, caring husbands all over me, all the time—I'm going to lose it! Just a warning."
He smirked. "They don't hover that much."
I rolled my eyes and muttered, "I bet Mariella wouldn't mind, but for me... let me show you."
He smiled. I rose, walked to the campfire, where supplies were arranged. I grabbed my large mug and reached for my hot chocolate packet, only to have Number Nine approach, taking both the packet and mug.
In a calm, loving voice, he said, "Go sit. I'll bring your cocoa. No need to burn yourself."
I said, "I might grab some nuts, too."
He replied, "No, baby. I'll give you some marshmallows, but no nuts. Tomorrow is bone-eating day, and your gut should be empty."
I nodded and returned to my seat. Number One was smiling. My expression was somewhat desperate, making him smirk even more.
"Hovering and loving, but I just can't…see, Mariella can grab nuts and coffee, but I can't even wash laundry because the river current is too strong!" I exclaimed in a tired voice.
Number One thoroughly enjoyed this. He maintained a neutral expression as Number Nine delivered my cocoa, smiling at me.
"Isn't that sweet, to be loved? Just learn, baby. I know it is awkward for you, but remember, I did teach you to be a lapcat, so let them turn into a wife, object of their worship." Number One said.
I rolled my eyes. "I bet if you showered Mariella with attention like the Salvatores, she wouldn't lose it—she could handle it. But not me," I countered.
Damon chuckled. "No, she's not one for hovering. She snapped at me earlier. But since you're betting, what's the wager if she can't handle it? I can make the Salvatores swarm her like butterflies, but what's in it for me? You should know, baby, never ever challenge me, I am one winner."
Fine. Time to sell this—and enjoy myself, too.
My voice was husky. "I have a tent that's completely unsanctified. So, if she can't handle it, you get to sanctify my tent as much as you want—with me."
He smirked. "Now you're talking, baby," he purred seductively. "I take that bet. Mariella will snap, and she'll ask you for help in less than a week. Then we get to do some serious sanctification."
I nodded. He kissed me, sealing our deal. I just secured some one-on-one time with my husband and tent sanctification, well, pure fun. And lots of carnal pleasure as well.
I'd just gotten my husbands off my back, secured some quality time with one of them, and given Mariella attentive husbands to curb her jealousy. But I wasn't stopping there.
A few hours later, Damon and I watched as Mariella found herself surrounded by caring husbands who wouldn't let her do anything. It was funny, though, her expressions, well, at first she was happy, then as they kept on limiting her, she was getting annoyed, but their love and care made it impossible for her to snap at them, so she tolerated it, but how long?
After an evening snack, I went to my tent. Wulfe and Magnum followed.
"Nicely done, my unicorn," Wulfe said. "That was good going."
Magnum frowned, unsure of what was happening.
Wulfe explained, "My love just got her husbands to stop hovering, gave Mariella a flock of husbands, and secured a sweet deal with Number One—a tent sanctification—all in less than a week!"
Magnum shook his head, smiling, but there was a glint in his eye, an unspoken challenge. "You're good, but show us more. Can you make me do anything crazy? How do you do that?"
This was easy. I rolled my eyes. Wulfe's expression showed he'd snatched my idea. He wanted to laugh, but controlled himself.
From the flap of our tent, we watched as Number One meticulously prepared for the next day, almost entirely alone. He was not going to anyone's tent just yet, and oh, my god, well, Magnum needed this, and I would get kicks out of this.
Turning to Magnum, I said, "This might be a bit much for you, but you know how you charm women. Can you charm men? I know you've done it before, and it's not that hard."
Confident in his charm, cocksure Magnum replied, "I can get men; it's easy and hot. Wanna see?"
Maintaining a neutral expression, I countered with my plan, "I bet you can't dominate Number One. He'll dominate you. You don't have the guts. Go show him your might, but let's make this a real challenge. Watch and learn, boys, this is hot."
Wulfe was smirking. He had trouble containing his amusement.
Crawling out of the tent, I found Elena gazing at the stars.
Sitting beside her, I proposed a bet: "I bet one of my silk shirts that if we start making out, Damon will come and separate us—he won't be able to resist."
I'd taught Elena quite a bit about women. Meaning I had done her quite a few times, ironically, I teach her more than our lust queen, but maybe in the future Mariella might do her too.
She replied, "He might, but he's been pretty interested in Shadow. I'm Thursday, you're Sunday; he might forget us, but your silk shirt is tempting."
Mentally, I challenged Magnum: "I bet you can't distract Damon. He'll come after us, and you won't be able to get his attention."
Magnum retorted, "Oh really? You think your cute girl-on-girl action will trump my charm?"
I responded, "It's not that cute, but I bet you can't pin him against a tree, kiss him, and demand his attention for hours. You're good with women, but male-on-male action? I've seen some hot stuff."
To Elena, I explained, "Watch. I just challenged Magnum to dominate Damon while we have fun."
Elena giggled. "Oh, you're naughty! Poor Magnum—you know how Damon is when he is dominated."
Nodding, I leaned in and kissed her, savoring her citrusy scent. My hands wandered on her body, making her squirm and press herself against me. As our tongues intertwined, I saw Damon turning toward us, rising to his feet, but Magnum was already moving.
Before Damon could take more than a few steps, Magnum intercepted him, slamming him against a tree and kissing him—it was intensely passionate.
Mariella emerged from her tent, heading toward the bushes, but stopped short. Her eyebrows shot up as she saw Damon wrestling Magnum to the ground, pinning him against a tree. Mariella had witnessed our kiss and simply shook her head as Number Two left his tent and joined her, escorting her into the jungle, seemingly vigilant against any hazards, such as stinging nettles or poison ivy. Her response to Number Two's protective attentiveness was rather curt, especially considering his proximity to her while she was relieving herself.
Meanwhile, Elena and I continued kissing until Tim emerged from his tent, his eyes wide with interest.
Mariella drew his attention to us, and he approached, commenting, "Don't mind me, that's some damn hot stuff."
Elena smirked and challenged, "Wanna test? I bet Mimi's a better kisser than you."
Elena's boldness proved effective; Tim seized her, kissed her, and the pair disappeared into one of the tents. I languidly rose, strolled through the now-empty camp, and returned to my tent, where Wulfe was howling with laughter. I settled down, closing the flap.
"Oh my god, Unicorn, you're a true virtuoso," he exclaimed. "You managed to whip this pack into a lust-filled frenzy with mere words! Poor Magnum, he probably had no idea what you were doing to him. A lust-crazed Salvatore is a dangerous thing."
I nodded. "It benefits them both," I explained. "Magnum needs to release some tension, and when he tries to dominate Damon, his vampire side helps to calm Magnum down."
Wulfe added, "And you get some free time! Poor Tim got some action. Mariella has her husbands, and witnessing all that, she was mighty..."
"Confused," I finished, "her usual state, even now. I could continue manipulating events on our journey, but let's wait and see if I'm in the mood and what my interference has wrought. The morning will tell. If anyone is going to arrive, I know the Salvatores are easily aroused; they saw Elena and me, as well as Number One and Magnum, so they might ravish Mariella, and we might end up spending a few more days here."
Wulfe's gaze, filled with a certain question that had nothing to do with lust, irritated me. He was clearly checking on my vampire side, and she was feeling particularly wild. I had hidden my special dried blood in my saddlebags, keeping it from others.
Wulfe's calm voice cut through my irritation as he inquired, "Come on, unicorn, tell me, show me. I know you have some special treats, and maybe we could both have some cocktails and relax."
I muttered, "You're just checking up on me, and I'm not sharing my treats. I'm not in the mood."
His continued calm voice, somehow grating on my nerves, prompted his remark, "Come on, you know me. I won't budge, so you might as well do it now."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but I'm perfectly fine; there's no need to limit my blood consumption."
'He didn't comment. Going to my saddlebags, I retrieved a jar of blood capsules and several small bottles of white and sparkling wine, hidden amongst my clothes. If he wanted cocktails, we could have cocktails. I also snatched two small but incredibly potent bottles of vodka—enough to get him drunk as a skunk.
Returning to my tent, I grabbed two large cocoa mugs. "Let me make us a cocktail," I said. "This is a dried blood mix, one of my regular mixes. It's from a new machine, so I'd appreciate your opinion. One capsule is about a liter, so it's strong stuff. So you get to tell me if this drying really works, or does it change the lifeforce of taste too much?"
I smiled innocently as I poured a small (60ml) bottle of vodka into a mug. I opened a capsule, letting the dried blood dissolve into the vodka. Then, I opened a bottle of sparkling wine, filling the mug to 400ml. I made myself a similar drink, substituting white wine for the vodka.
Handing Wulfe his mug, I watched him sip it, groan at the potent mixture of alcohol and blood, and then take a larger gulp. It was tasty, but he was quickly becoming quite buzzed. I drank my own mug rapidly; the alcohol didn't affect me much, but I felt the blood's warmth spreading through my veins, inducing a relaxing euphoria.
Wulfe began humming "City of Stars" from La La Land—we'd watched it many times and sung along before—confirming his inebriation.
His voice slurring, he said, "What the fuck did you make me drink? I'm drunk as a skunk, you damn devil…" His words were almost incoherent.
I replied lazily, my voice soft, "Oh, just a little supernatural vodka (60ml). Knowing your tolerance, I had to get you drunk. It's good for you to let go. Is it that tasty, this blood trick of mine?"
Wulfe drained his mug in one gulp. "I guess I'm done, but yeah, baby, this is tasty."
I smiled at his use of "baby."
My voice drawling, I mused, "Did you know I was furious when Damon first called me 'baby'? It took a while to realize when it shifted from an insult to an endearment. Oh, those times… everything was so…"
A soft thud announced Wulfe's collapse; he'd passed out at the bottom of my tent.
"Oh well, I can talk to myself, too," I said aloud.
Pretty buzzed myself, I swallowed another capsule, finished my cocktail, lay back, closed my eyes, and basked in the warm, calm euphoria. It was perfect.
Relaxing and slowly drifting to sleep, I felt the potent mix of blood, relaxation, and satisfaction from a job well done. My mind wandered to the implications of my little arrangement on our pack; at least several members, myself included, had gotten what they wanted and needed.
Providing suitable targets for Damon's domination and control was crucial to appeasing his vampire side and reducing his intense scrutiny of me. Meanwhile, my own vampire side felt wildly uninhibited, enjoying its surface expression and defying any attempt at being controlled, even by my husband.
I'm far from perfect, and the sheer pleasure of letting my vampire side simmer just beneath the surface was intoxicating. Perhaps I could even encourage Mariella or the wolves to similarly unleash their vampire natures, giving Damon even more to occupy him.