Demigod Down (7 page)

“You going to enlighten me on what the fuck
is going on?” I inquired, agitated.

He sighed, “Blake has been very specific in
my instructions not to share his current situation with you, I
regret to say. You are a powerful asset Olivia and I do believe he
is trying to prove himself worthy to be by your side.”

That took all the anger out of me as my
shoulders slumped. “I wish he didn’t feel that way.” I whispered
softly. “But I doubt tonight will change his mind.”

“No,” Alfie replied, “it undoubtedly will
not. How did you manage to take out that many vampires by
yourself?” He was curious.

I shrugged, regretting the movement as my
neck pulled, “They were newbies, no finesse, no understanding of
their power.”

“You are very comfortable around vampires,”
Alfie handed me a beer before opening his own.

“We have a long standing history,” I informed
him dryly. Vampires had been responsible for creating me, training
me, and forcing me into the elite killer I was today or really the
damaged elite killer I was today.

“The fact that they embody the true undead
doesn’t affect you?” Alfie asked, watching me closely.

I smiled, “Just because their hearts stop
beating and they require blood to survive doesn’t mean they are the
vile, heartless, maniacs of legend.” I took a sip of beer as
flashes of the battle I just fought flashed before my eyes, “At
least not all of them are.” I amended to Alfie’s grin.

“Tell me Olivia, you gallivant all over the
country taking out dangerous Supernaturals?” Alfie asked me,
leaning over the kitchen island.

“I do,” I answered, wondering why the sudden
interest in my day job.

He nodded and asked, “Why? Why do you
shoulder the heavy burden of saving everyone?”

It wasn’t the first time I had been asked
that. What’s wrong with you? Who wired you wrong? How did you get
so broken?

“Something important died within me,
something primal and vital for a normal life,” I answered rolling
my beer between my hands, “What was left behind was a pure
undiluted rage and an incessant need to kill.”

I drained half my beer and continued, “The
truth is even if I wasn’t out hunting the insane and immortal of
our society, I would be the hunted. Some wounds don’t heal.”

Alfie was human and his eye widened in shock
at that raw answer.

Leaning forward, I patted his arm, “Don’t
worry Alfie, I hardly ever kill humans, too messy to clean up.” I
finished my beer and smiled as I headed to bed. That would keep him
on his toes.

Laying in Blake’s bed, I arranged a meeting
with Grams the following afternoon to discuss pressing business. I
checked my text messages. There were a few from Kass regarding the
dresses from today, but no message from Blake.

After staring at my phone for far too long, I
texted him, Thinking of you, hitting send before I lost my nerve. I
really wanted to ask him questions. Why he wasn’t here with me?
What was more important? Why couldn’t I help?

With a deep sigh, I rolled over to my side.
This was too much free time for me - too much time to think and too
much time to remember.

“This is a terrible idea,” I groaned in
Gram’s uncomfortable blue chair facing her desk.

“I agree,” she stated, turning away from her
computer to gaze at me directly. “But I am charging them three
times our usual rate.”

That got my attention, sitting up straighter,
“Dang when did you become such the powerful negotiator?” I asked
impressed.

She smirked at me, “I do run a few successful
businesses.”

“I deserved that,” holding my hands up,
relenting.

Turning her attention back to the screen in
front of her, she continued, “We were requested by more than one
alpha.”

“Why?” I questioned shocked and wary.

“Apparently you made quite the impression in
Oklahoma,” she informed me raising an eyebrow drawing her attention
back to me.

“You have got to be kidding? I show up half
dead, than leave in slightly better condition and they are
impressed by that?” Sitting back in my chair, I looked off into the
distance. “They should see me on a good day.”

Grams laughed, “They should, maybe they
actually will this time around.”

“Let’s not get crazy. So what do the cranky
shifters need us to arbitrate?” I asked, feeling more comfortable
about this situation.

Grams flipped open a page in her day planner,
“A border dispute, ownership of a car, and wedding negotiations
between the lovely bride and groom.”

“Grams,” I began “you have got to be kidding!
We have to play peace maker between Lorraine and Logan?”

“Yes, hence why I am charging three times our
normal rate.” She closed her book, pushing her glasses down,
regarding me intently her slate gray eyes regarding me intently,
“It shows poorly on Logan that we have to negotiate this for
him.”

I nodded, paying close attention. She was
plotting.

“We need to be prepared for his tenure as
Alpha of the US to come to a close,” she said watching me closely
as I leaned forward.

“Agreed,” I wondered where she was taking
this. Logan’s tenuous hold on his clans was apparent.

“I think we should start grooming Darren.”
She finished her proposal sitting perfectly straight.

Groaning, I slid down in the chair. “If Kass
wasn’t involved, I would stay the hell away from that mess, but
being as she is now taking a front and center role in the Shifter
Nation, I concur.” I glumly agreed.

She nodded, smiling. That woman was damn good
at knowing me.

“Doesn’t mean I like any of this.”

“There are fresh cookies in the kitchen.” She
went back to her computer.

“Bribery doesn’t always work on me.” I
slipped out her door and heading to the kitchen.

Grams and I were setting up at the Valiant
Hotel in their largest conference room, placing pads of paper and
pens at each station. Our conference room would have housed
everyone, but I felt a neutral location would decrease our chances
of bloodshed.

“Do you think we should set the water bottles
up now as well?” She asked, looking around the cream oval table
seating twenty.

I shrugged, watching Ali and Grant hauling in
the last of the supplies. “No, let’s wait. If things get too heated
it provides us a distraction to cool everyone one off.”

“Literally.” Grant said, cracking open a
bottle of water.

Smirking, I asked, “You two clear on your
responsibilities while here?”

“Yes, Olivia, protect Grams at all costs,”
Ali repeated for probably the eighth time, flopping into a chair.
Ali had added blond highlights to her auburn hair and she twirled a
strand around her finger. The perfect picture of a harmless human
being. I huffed and thought, Until you pissed her off and her
diluted blood tie to Medusa kicked in.

Ali and Grant were assistants working for
Grams and would one day take over the council. I hoped it would be
a day far far away as I wasn’t very good with change.

Nodding, I took one last look at the room. “I
think we are ready.”

“I agree.” Grams said walking easily towards
the double doors, “Don’t look so worried, Olivia. They requested
you.”

“That’s what worries me.” I mumbled, watching
Grams open the ivory double doors.

Logan and Lorrain were the first through the
doors, blowing past Grams’ outstretched hand in greeting and
marching to the front of the oval table on opposite sides, glaring
at each other the whole way. I turned, staring dumbfounded at
Grams. She recovered quickly and said, “We will need two chairs at
the head for Olivia and myself. Please seat yourself wherever is
best.” I was impressed at her calmness.

Logan and Lorrain were coating the room in
anger, hatred, and disgust in large quantities that I could feel
intimately. I watched Ali and Grant scoot behind Grams’ chair with
their own rolling seats.

Grams walked leisurely back to the front of
the room and I realized I was on the side with Logan, while she was
going to sit next to Lorraine. Staring at Grams hard, I saw the
slight shake of her head as I moved to sit next to Logan. Okay I
would keep the peace for now, but as the future alpha’s mate,
Lorrain’s place was next to him, not across from him.

Ali didn’t pick up on the hint though,
clearing her throat. “Lorraine, would you be more comfortable next
to Logan?” she asked sweetly.

Grams grimaced and I grinned as Lorraine
snarled at her, “No, I would not be more comfortable next to
him.”

Ali sat back shocked as she looked to Grams
and me for guidance. Grams shook her head again and I gave her a
low high five. Logan’s hands flexed into fits on the table, glaring
at his fiancé, the muscles in his jaw twitching from repressed
violence.

Smoothly, Grams sat opening her leather bound
organizer with one side ready for notes and the other the schedule
we had prepared for everyone.

Checking her gold Michael Kor’s watch she
looked back to Logan, “Per the terms that all the parties agreed
upon we shall begin in ten minutes with the issue of ownership of
the 1950 Mustang.”

Lorrain and Logan both nodded, glaring holes
into each other.

“This is going to be an awkward ten minutes.”
I muttered, drumming my fingers against the table.

Luckily we only had to wait six minutes and
thirty-two seconds for the rest of the packs to filter in. They
must have been waiting to give Lorrain and Logan time to get
settled.

I was surprised to see Jay and his mate
looking at odds as well as she took a seat next to Lorrain and Jay
next to Logan. Her red rimmed eyes looked everywhere except at her
mate, but he couldn’t take his gaze away from her.

Next in the lineup was Dean and two
additional men I didn’t know. They were the only ones who looked to
be in fairly good moods.

Dean waved to me and I smiled back at him.
“Any chance you have cookies to bribe the auditor?” I asked
hopefully.

Chuckling, he shook his head, “Sorry didn’t
know bribery was allowed. You are looking well.”

I cast a look at Jay’s mate. “It’s been a
boring couple of days,” I replied. Jay’s mate hadn’t altered her
gaze from the table in front of her.

I turned to Grams, giving her the floor
smiling. Nodding, she began. “We are going to begin with the issue
of ownership of the Mustang,” she started.

“Will Jay please raise his hand?” she asked
crisply.

Grumpily, Jay raised an arm clad in a leather
jacket and cobalt blue silk shirt.

“And will Jezebel also raise her hand?” Grams
finished, looking at the woman in front of him.

Tentatively, Jezebel raised a hand, still not
looking up.

Grams looked at me and I sighed. “I have a
bad feeling about this,” I muttered.

“We are just here to discuss the car,” she
reminded me.

I nodded, keeping my trap shut.

“Jezebel, let’s begin with you,” Grams said
gently.

“I just need the car to leave. It was a gift
to me from Jay for our tenth anniversary. The title is in both of
our names, but it was a gift,” she said again, meeting his stone
eyes.

“She cannot leave. She is unstable,” he
growled back, not bothering to look at us.

I blinked back and forth to each of them. Jay
was correct she couldn’t leave. She couldn’t be trusted on her own
as a loner.

Grams cleared her throat softly and said, “We
are only here to settle the matter of ownership of the vehicle, not
what is done with it after.”

Turning, I looked at her. She was right. I
nodded, sliding back in my chair, letting her have the floor.

“Is the title here?” she asked.

Jay pulled a worn piece of paper of his
jacket pocket, handing it to Logan, who in turn transferred it to
me. I opened it flat between Grams and myself.

“This is old,” I muttered, looking back at
the feuding couple.

“How long have you been a mated pair?” I
asked gently.

Jay answered, leaning forward still not
looking away from his mate, “Seventy-four years,” he answered. “And
she wants to leave me now.”

“How long has she been unstable?” I
asked.

Jay’s eyes rocketed to my own, ready for a
fight, his jaw clenched in stubborn silence.

“I have never hurt anyone,” Jezabel stated
softly.

I couldn’t help the scoff that escaped me as
she met my eyes sniffling. “You choose to do that to yourself.”

Grams put gentle pressure on my arm and I
closed my mouth while shaking my head. “Right, we are only here to
determine ownership of the mustang. Not if you in your unstable
state are allowed to leave,” I stated.

“You don’t understand,” she pleaded. “They
want to kill me!”

It took all my self-control not to comment on
that one, tapping my fingers vigorously against the table.

“I, as Mate won’t allow it,” Lorraine hissed,
starring daggers at Logan.

“You are not a mate,” I answered her quickly.
“Furthermore you have done nothing to prove that you deserve the
respect or loyalty of the packs.”

The two men at the end nodded in agreement.
Loraine turned to face me. “You are only here to decide ownership
of the car,” she spat at me.

I smiled, leaning forward, “Yeah, than I get
to negotiate the wedding details for you and lover boy,” I said,
grinning ear to ear. That bitch was going to pay.

“That was not supposed to be on the agenda,”
Lorraine hissed, looking at Logan.

He shrugged, trying not to smile. “You told
me to hire something to make the decisions.”

Leaning forward, Lorraine slammed her palms
on the table lifting her petite ass out of the chair. “I was
referring to a wedding planner, you idiot,” she screeched her long
dark hair dangling over her shoulders.