Infinity Unleashed (13 page)

“So you think it’s right to use humans as cattle?”

He shrugged. “I don’t give a shit about humans. Their blood keeps the peace and makes a hell of a lot of money. You almost ground the business to a stop. It was bad enough that some vampires were already grumbling that they were too reliant on the Collective for blood. Your near shutdown of the program just confirmed all their worst fears.”

“I don’t give a shit. Humans are not cattle.”

“No one gives a shit about your opinion, Infinity. We’re way past that now. There’s a full-scale war brewing between the Collective and rogue vampires who want to go back to the old ways of hunting humans.” He looked at me coldly. “Congratulations. Your save-the-world bullshit just ignited war. And if you think the Fire and Ash was big, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

A shiver ran down my spine, but a nagging feeling told me there was more, a lot more, to the story. “So Maxim had Torch and Boulder…”—I swallowed painfully—“kill them because of me.”

My heart felt heavy. How could I live knowing that I caused all of this?

Mom had warned me to stop pushing the concert and thumbing my nose at the Collective, but I was too arrogant to stop. My mouth tightened. Feeling betrayed by the spirits in my visions who swore that exposing the Collective’s plot of making humans their personal blood bank would save everyone I loved. They lied and I wanted to know why.

“You’re not the only one to blame. Kara had a big part in this.” He gritted his teeth. “I told her not to trust Maxim, but she was so desperate to protect you from the Collective that she was willing to sell her soul to the devil.”

Mom loved me and would do anything for me. Nevertheless, I knew she was far from a fool. She was smart and cunning. There was no way she would go to Maxim for help unless he had something she wanted. As far as Boulder betraying me? That didn’t make any sense, either. My mind wandered to the vision I had of two wolves, Boulder and Torch on the beach, protecting me. The spirits showed me that vision for a reason. My gut told me that Mason was lying and my gut never lied.

Dazed, I shook my head, instantly regretting the movement. “No,” I ground out.

He arched a brow. “No what?”

“They wouldn’t kill her or hurt me.” I gritted my teeth from frustration. There was no way in hell they wanted to hurt me. Shit, they could have done that easily at the concert hall. “Why would they do that?”

His eyes hardened as if he were one step away from going straight-up bananas. “Because that’s what they fucking do. Kill. I saw them kill Kara and Anya in cold blood.”

My eyes narrowed. He was pushing too hard, and the edge of desperation in his eyes was making me very uneasy. “So you watched and did nothing while Torch and Boulder killed them?”

His eyes widened incredulously. “I had to get you out safely.” He touched my arm softly. “Kara begged me to save you.”

It was definitely Mom’s nature to think of my safety first. I was always first in her life. A devotion that she paid for with her life. I shook my head. This truth was a bitter pill to swallow.

I felt helpless, guilty, and alone.

“I need to go back home. Make arrangements for a proper burial.” It would be emotionally difficult, but maybe it would give me some sort of closure and bring back my memories.

He patted my leg. I moved farther away.

“I took care of everything. It was just too messy to let humans stumble into Other business.”

I gritted my teeth. “That was fast. I didn’t even get to say my good-byes.”

His gold eyes widened. “I couldn’t wait. Imagine the scandal if word leaked. Others take care of their own.”

“I still have to go back home. I can’t stay here forever.” Nor did I want to. It would be hard to go back to an empty home without Mom and Anya, but I sure as hell didn’t want to live my life under Mason’s creepy thumb.

His eyes hardened. “Not possible. Maxim has a bounty on your head. You’re safer here at Degrassi Creek.”

I arched a brow. “Excuse me? I wasn’t asking for permission. I’m telling you what I plan to do. I have a life and I will not live it cowering behind your back. Mom wouldn’t want that.”

“You’ve always been so fucking selfish. For once think about someone besides yourself.”

I flinched as if he physically slapped me.

He looked at me coldly. “She died defending you, and I’ll be damned if I let her sacrifice be in vain. No, you’re staying here until I think it’s safe enough for you to leave.”

“Who made you boss of my life? I’ll recuperate and then leave when I’m ready.”

“I’m not going to argue with you. Maxim is dangerous. I love you too much to watch you die.”

My stomach rolled from queasiness. I wasn’t going to argue with him either. It was just a waste of time. When I got better, I was leaving, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

He pulled me to his chest, rubbing my back with slow, long strokes. My mind willed me to pull away, but my body suddenly felt unnaturally languid, unwilling to move.

“I’ll take care of you until it’s safe for you to go back.”

With effort, I struggled, pulling away from his clinginess. “Why did you hide that you’re a tiger-shifter?”

His eyes flashed angrily. “It wasn’t my choice. Kara thought it was best to slowly reveal the truth about me. I disagreed. However, what Kara wants, Kara gets.” He extended the mug. “It’s getting cold. Drink. You need to get your strength back.”

I hesitantly took the mug. He wrapped his fingers around mine, squeezing them before I jerked away, scooting back like a cornered cat. Something urged me to examine the contents of the mug carefully, but it looked like nothing but clear broth.

“I had my personal chef make it. It’s only broth mixed with healing herbs to help you detoxify from the Rejuvenator. Would you like me to taste it first?” He reached for it.

“No. It’s okay.” I wiped my damp forehead, fighting the sudden dizziness.

What was wrong with me? It was just clear broth. Why was I so paranoid and skittish? I sipped the broth, enjoying how it scalded my throat going down. God, I was so hungry. The more I drank, the more I wanted. I drained the mug only to look up to see the very smug smile on his face. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Slamming the mug down, I looked at him defiantly.

He stared into my eyes. “What happened to us, Infinity? We were good together.”

Pushing through the lethargy, I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms across my chest.

“You know exactly what happened, Mason. Once upon a time when I was desperate and stupid, I offered my heart and body to you. You rejected me.” I swallowed hard. “
You could never be with a woman like me.
Your words, not mine.”

I was proud of the fact the memory didn’t hurt anymore. I snorted, thanking the universe he rejected my offer. Just thinking about how foolish I was to think that I loved him made me want to slap myself. God, how could I have ever thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him?

I remembered that day vividly. How much it hurt to see the cold look in his eyes when he laughed at me and told me he could never be with a woman like me. I was so confused, hurt, and depressed that I medicated my hurt away with a mammoth Rejuvenator binge that sent me to the pits of hell and back. But thanks to Mom, Zoe, and Diego, I was able to crawl out of the abyss. I was stronger, wiser, and harsher. It was my lesson to learn and I was a very good student.

Mason was the biggest mistake of my life. He was a leech who didn’t love me or anyone else for that matter. All he wanted was to control me, and now he was kicking himself for letting his window of opportunity close when he rejected me.

His eyes softened. “I was a fool. I didn’t think you were ready for what it took to rule this pride with me.”

I started to say that he could kiss my ass, when he placed a finger over my lips. My thoughts started to cloud again.

He took my hand, looking deeply into my eyes. “Let me finish. I know I did a shitty thing by rejecting you. I’m an ass, and I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

I felt lightheaded and giddy at the same time. “I can’t promise you something I’m unwilling to give.”

His jaw tightened. “In time, you’ll see that you and I are a match ordained by the High Council. Just think about it, okay?”

His touch felt wrong. Something in my body stirred, moving around anxiously before soft growls of disproval rumbled within me. Growls?

His eyes hardened. “You just need some time.”

Nope. I needed to get away from him. My stomach rolled with sickness. God, I was going to throw the hell up. “I need to call Zoe and Diego. They must be worried about me.”

He smiled softly. “Don’t worry about them. They just want you happy and safe.”

My eyes drooped. I fought to keep them open, but they were so heavy. “I still want to talk to them myself.” My voice slurred.

“We’ll see. You don’t want to put them in danger. If Maxim suspects they know where you are, he’ll try to get that information any way he can.”

My heart raced. I couldn’t risk them being hurt or worse, killed. “I’ll wait… for now.”

He leaned forward to kiss me on the lips. I turned my head away, causing his lips to graze my cheek instead. His lips thinned into a straight line of disapproval.

“Rest, okay? I have to take care of some pride business. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

I just nodded, sighing with relief as he strode out of the suite. Sliding down, I curled up on the sofa. I was numb, confused, and heartbroken. My heart fluttered with strange feelings and thoughts. Unnatural, primal feelings. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. As hard as I tried, the slow slide into darkness wrestled me, sending me into a slow pit of nothingness.

CHAPTER 10

New York… Saturday

Boulder pulled into the circular driveway, automatically assessing the situation. He glanced over at Torch, who was looking forward stoically. Boulder knew this was not exactly how he wanted his first appearance before the New York Council to be. He wanted to be the leader of the New York Covenant, but there was one man standing in his way… Maxim Lupo.

“You ready?” Boulder asked.

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Torch responded as they exited the vehicle. Cruz and Factor hopped out of the back seat.

Boulder needed his top enforcers, just in case things got out of control. He nodded toward Factor and Cruz. “You stay here.” He didn’t have to add that they needed to stay sharp.

He quickly scanned the area as they walked up to the front door guarded by two of Cortez’s enforcers. He nodded at them quickly and they nodded back.

One looked at him grimly. “Must be some serious shit if Cortez agreed to allow you two to attend this meeting.”

Boulder shrugged. “Must be.”

Everyone knew all Council meetings were private and never held in the same location twice. It was too dangerous. Uber Alphas were notoriously territorial and always on the hunt to take down another for power and position.

Boulder’s wolf went on high alert the minute they stepped through the door. His beast was agitated by the Alpha testosterone choking the air along with the sound of Council members yelling at each other at the tops of their lungs.

The dragon-shifter named Drago looked over at them suspiciously. “Boulder. Torch.”

Immediately, the members stopped and looked at them sharply.

Maxim pushed his way to the front. “What the hell are they doing here?” he shouted.

Boulder bit back a menacing growl.

On cue, Cortez strolled through the entrance, Kara draped on his arm. “I invited them,” he responded with a cold expression.

Boulder arched a brow at Kara, and she arched a brow right back.

Maxim looked from Kara to Cortez with disdain. “And who the fuck made you ruler of the Council?”

Cortez’s canines dropped. “I don’t need permission from you, wolf.”

Maxim sneered. “Just because you’re fucking her doesn’t give her carte blanche privileges, vampire king.”

Kara smiled coldly. “You jealous, wolf king?”

Maxim sneered. “Nope. I’ve already had a Valkyrie, and she was a very bad lay.”

Kara lunged forward. Cortez calmly touched her wrist, causing her eyes to dilate strangely. She stepped back reluctantly, her eyes locked with Cortez’s.

“Querida, we talked about this, did we not?” Cortez stated coolly.

“Yes,” she said between gritted teeth before looking over at Maxim with pure hatred. “You talk about Mist in such a disrespectful way again, and I promise you… I. Will. Kill. You.”

Boulder knew with every fiber in his body that she would.

Kara took a calming breath. “Contrary to what Maxim wants you to believe, I do have important business to discuss with the Council.”

The Council members looked at her with interest.

She continued. “I know something that concerns the welfare of every member in this room.”

Sanchez, the head of the New York witch coven, bowed gallantly. “Valkyrie, I would love know what that could possibly be.”

“As many of you already know, my daughter, Infinity, has been kidnapped by the Degrassi pride." She paused, looking pointedly at Maxim. "And I must get her back. The only way to do that is by attacking their compound. I need the New York Council to nullify the pact with the tigers and give us your support. This will signal to the tigers the seriousness of our intent to get her back, hopefully forcing the tigers to pressure Mason to give her back peacefully.”

“You want us to void a pact that’s been existence for years?” Maxim snorted with disbelief. “Good luck with that shit. No one in this room will go against the tigers and we sure as hell are not going to anger the High Council.” He pointed at her. “You created this problem. The Council has nothing to do with this.” He stiffened when Boulder growled.

Boulder’s body tensed. “You fucking bastard.”

She looked at Maxim coolly. “Infinity is Maxim’s daughter.”

The Council looked at Maxim sharply.

She continued. “She is also the first of her kind. Half wolf-shifter and half Valkyrie.”

“You fucking bitch! We had a deal.” Maxim growled before charging at her.