Infinity (24 page)

My voice squeaked. “Valkyrie? As in the myth about them being the spirit daughters of the Immortals?”

“Not myth. Fact.” She paused as if waiting for this to sink in.

“Unbelievable, you people are so unbelievable.” Torch shook his head, “How did you keep her secret for so long? Her scent alone should have aroused some sort of suspicion.”

“The Rejuvenators mutate her scent and blood, making her hard to detect.”

“You let me walk into this shit storm without full disclosure?” Torch asked.

“It was only need to know, Torch. Imagine what the rogues would do if they found out what she really is? What about the Other Council? It would be open season on her.”

He ground his teeth. “I’m finding this crap out now?”

“That’s something you need to resolve with Maxim. Not me. My loyalty is only to Infinity. I’ve dedicated my life to protecting her.” She ran her tongue over her lips, looking at me with pleading eyes. “It was all for your, baby. Please, forgive me?”

My legs were wobbly. I blinked back the tears, looking at her coldly. “No. It was all for you.” I swallowed hard, trying to clear my dry throat. “And Alik? What does he want?” There was no way that I going to tell her that I met him before. She lied to me. Trust was lost.

She stared into space. “Alik is the leader of the vampire rogues. He’s also the son of the expelled Vampire King, Ivan. What he wants from you…I’m speculating here, but I think he wants to use you for leverage against the Other Council.”

Torch snorted. “And the Wolf Covenant. You know as well as I do that female wolf-shifters have been nearly extinct since the war. They’re a commodity. A rare jewel in my society. Blood is spilled daily to attain a she-wolf, and we’re not even talking about one with the royal blood that she has running through her veins. So stop with the speculation crap, Kara. If she’s Maxim’s daughter then she’s an Alpha Princess. Capturing her is worth a lot of money out there in the rogue market, and Alik will use that money and power to regain the Vampire King’s throne.”

He looked at me with interest, “And let’s not even talk about the Valkyrie situation. That raises the bounty on her head.”

“The situation is dire, Torch.” She looked over at me with tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t protect you on my own any more. As much as it pains me, you have to go under the protection of the Wolf King.”

I looked at her incredulously. “You expect me to give up my life? My career? To go into hiding?”

Mom grabbed my hands. “It’s not hiding. He’ll protect you.”

“Jeezus, mom. This man never once acknowledged me. Now you expect me to trust him to protect me? What about my career? You want me to poof; just disappear from the face of the planet to be some Alpha Princess? This is bullshit.” I looked around the room. “Well, I’m not doing it. You. Torch. And the Wolf King. Can just kiss my ass.”

I scrambled out of the room, running up the stairs and into my room, locking myself in. I didn’t want to deal with the reality of my new life, or the consequences. Death. Lots of death.

*****

Anya looked over at Kara. “Well, that went well.”

Kara looked at Anya with a stone face.

Anya shrugged and held out her hand to Torch. “Hi, I’m Anya.”

Torch reluctantly shook her hand. “You’re a witch?”

“Yes, and proud to be one. I’m an emissary for my Coven. I was sent here by my High Priestess Trulista to assist Kara with Infinity.”

He sneered at her. “In other words. You were sent here to spy and ensure that your Coven wins favor with Infinity when she comes into her true powers.”

Anya frowned at him. “I’ve heard about you, and it’s true. You’re a prickly, asinine wolf.” She walked over to Kara, hugging her. “I sent word to Trulista about the situation. She’s not pleased, apparently the secrets out. Everyone knows about Infinity’s existence, and there is a power struggle starting within our Coven. So I have been summoned home to assist.”

Kara sighed. “Apparently, she believes your work here is done.” She hugged her back tightly. “I never thought that I would ever say this to a witch and truly mean it—it’s been a pleasure to know you, Anya.”

Anya cupped her face, kissing her cheek gently. “Thank you, Valkyrie. Until we meet again. Blessed be. Now I must go pack.” She walked out of the room.

Torch sat down. Propping his foot on the table. “So what are you going to do about the Infinity situation?”

“She’ll calm down in a few days, and I’ll talk to her again.”

“Few days? You’re joking right? In a few days you both will be dead.” He pulled out his phone and began talking. “Maxim, we have a situation over here. She’s refusing to accept protection. How do you want me to proceed?” He listened, his face tightening. “With all due respect, Wolf King. I think the how and why you didn’t fully brief me on the situation needs to happen face-to-face. What I’m dealing with now is that I cannot leave this house without her. Our Intel tells us that they are staging another attempt to retrieve her. Yes. Okay. Understood.”

He stopped talking, his body tightening. “We have a situation. They’re here.” He tapped his phone. “Boulder? Get your ass over here. We’ve got ourselves a little situation.

Shifters. Tigers. At least at twenty. Maybe more. I’ll hold them off until you get here.” He pulled his guns out of their holsters.

Kara ran over to the fireplace pulling down the gold ornate candelabra. A section of the fireplace opened to display a wall of guns and swords.

“Anya! They’re here.”

Anya ran into the living room with a gun clutched in her hand. “I know. I can smell the stench of tigers. Should I go up and get her?”

Torch shook his head. “No. She’s safer upstairs. We defend downstairs and prevent them from finding her. If we’re lucky, we’ll buy enough time until my team gets here to assist. Hopefully, we won’t be dead by then.”

*****

Something was wrong. I could hear things scraping and crawling over the outside of the house. Snarling. Howling. Terrifying sounds. Then the worst sound of all. Wood being torn apart.

I looked out the window. Blam! The white light muzzle flashes provided glimpses of shapes moving across the yard. Black clad bodies were blown back. Shrieking. Everything was happening lightning fast. A black attired figure landed outside my window. I shrieked, jumping back.

“Open it, Infinity. It’s me.”

What the hell? I squinted. “Mason?” I opened it to see him crouched on the ledge like some fucking ninja warrior. “How did you get out there?”

He jumped in smoothly as growls and roars filled the air, all sounding like something out of a safari movie. I was freaked out of my mind. Looking at him with wide frightened eyes, I asked, “Do you hear that? I saw things out there, inhuman things.”

“I know,” he responded, pulling out a gun as he darted to the window.

My heart was in my throat. “What’s up with the gun? Are you preparing for war?” I smiled nervously. He was freaking me out.

He looked over his shoulder at me. “There’s nothing that you should be concerned about.” He holstered his gun, walking towards me with a wide smile.

My eyes narrowed. “Okay. That doesn’t answer my question. What’s going on?”

“War. Kara, sent me up here to protect you.”

My pulse raced. “So they’re back to kill me.”

He stared at me with a weird delirious smile.

“Mason? So that would be a yes?” I wrung my hands, “So you did hear about what happened to Diego and Zoe?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Unfortunate causalities in this war,” he paced back and forth, gesturing wildly. “And that’s what it is, Infinity. A bloody, all out, war.”

Something was wrong with him. I inched away. “I don’t care about their war.”

“Our war!” He screamed so loud that the windows quaked.

“What?”

His eyes were feral. “It’s our war, Infinity. You can’t sit here and disassociate yourself like we are some freaks that you have to shake off like fleas.”

Okay
. I backed away, “What are you talking about, Mason?”

Flecks of gold sparkled in the depths of his eyes, his teeth elongate like a feline. A big feline.

What. The. Fuck!

“A freaking cat? That’s what you are?”

His chest puffed proudly. “I’m a feline shifter. Tiger. Son to the Alpha in my Streak, and next in line to lead.”

“I don’t even understand what you’re saying right now. What the hell is a Streak?”

“My family. Over hundred tigers in our group.”

“Family? You’re an orphan. We both are. We grew up together, if you had family why were you here?” Then it all started to click together. Him disappearing for years then coming back out of the blue with no explanation.

He smiled coldly. “You understand a little don’t you?” He reached to touch my hair.

Oh, hell to the no.
He was certifiably crazy. I swatted his hand away.

“I left because I was at the age to go through my change and I needed my father’s guidance. But I came back because of you.”

I had to treat him with kid gloves. He looked one step away from Snap, Crackle, Pop Status. “And you were only here because your Streak wanted you to gain my trust. So, everything was a lie?”

He grabbed me roughly, dragging me against him. “Kara tried so hard to protect you from the truth of our world. She did more harm than good.”

“Just answer my question, Mason.”

He kissed my hair. “Not all of it was lies.”

I pulled my head away. “Okay then which part?” His fingers dug painfully into my arms. “Mason, stop. You’re hurting me.”

He loosened slightly, but kept me clutched to his chest. “I was only supposed to keep watch over you, befriend you so when the time came you would consider my Streak as a viable alternative. But I grew to love you, Infinity.”

Tears welled up. “Got it. Our relationship was built on lies. And you’re a fucking scum bag. Now what’s this shit about ‘viable alternative’?”

His eyes narrowed. “My family is one of the oldest and powerful families among the Tiger shifters. But for centuries we have chosen not to associate with the Other Council or get involved with Other politics. My father realized that the Others world was changing, and you were the key to helping us move forward to the future, ultimately getting a foothold in the Other Council.”

This shit was getting worse and worse. “And why the fuck would I do that, Mason? You would have been better off if you had sex with me when you had a chance. My invitation was revoked years ago.”

He scowled. “If it were that easy, I would have claimed, marked, and made you mine years ago. You were ready. Fucking primed for a mating. But it is not that easy with, Valkyries. A fact that Kara failed to inform you of.”

My fingers itched to smack him for being so disrespectful, treating me like I was some whore that was ready to be turned to do tricks. “I freaking hate you. I would rather die than do anything for you or your Streak. So, if you are their ambassador. You failed, big time.”

He grabbed my face between his hands squeezing it. “Failure is not an option Ice Princess. The future of my Streak and all of the Tiger shifters are relying on my success. Our success.”

I pulled away, crossing my arms across my chest. “Hmmm. Well that sucks for you then, because you and I are not happening.”

He trailed fingers across my lips, which I smack away. I literally felt like hurling. “You may have found your mates, but I can still be yours if you truly want it. You have more untapped power in your pinky, than a gang of Alphas. Just say the word and I will show you the way. You and me, side-by-side, running this world.”

“Oh, fuck you, Tiger boy.”

He caressed my face, before kissing me slowly, sensually, his tongue pressing for entry. I refused, turning my face. “Oh they’ll be plenty of that too, baby. Your pleasure would be my joyful job.”

My eyes went wide. “Gawd, you’re a freak. And not in a good way. What happened to loyalty?”

“Loyalty is so over rated.”

I looked at him with anger. “This is crazy. I feel like I’ve been dropped in bizzaro world, where all you people have done is lied and deceived your way into my life.”

“What about Anya? She was sent by the witch’s coven to watch you.”

“What the hell!? Was there a lottery to see who would get to live with and befriend the hybrid Valkyrie?”

“No lottery. Kara chose us. Don’t ask me why, because I can’t figure that shit out myself, but knowing how conniving she is, there must be something she wanted out of the alliance.”

“Great! I’m just a big pawn in a game of chest. That’s nice to know. Now get the hell out of my room.”

He smirked. “Not without you.”

“Oh I’m not going anywhere with you voluntarily.”

He aimed his gun at me. “That’s why I brought this, Ice Princess. We need you to get a seat on the Other Council.” He licked his lips. “And I need you in my bed.”

“There’s a wolf. A witch. And a Valkyrie downstairs. If I scream, they’ll be up here in a flash, and they’ll kick your mangy Tiger ass.”

“They’re too busy fighting my men.”

I rolled my eyes. “Gawd, you’re an ass. I’m not going along with your plot for world dominance.”

His eyes narrowed. “You will if you ever want to get your friends back alive and not in tiny little pieces.”

“Bullshit! Their dead.” I swallow the lump of loss painfully. “Torch and mom said so.”

He arches a brow. “Is that so? And you believe them?”

I gave him my best poker face. I didn’t trust him. But I also didn’t trust Torch and mom.

“Everyone is playing their chips now. Do you actually think that it was by accident that vampire rogues knew when and where to attack? Do you think that they took your friends bodies because they like the scent of dead corpses?” He laughed. “They would have left it like yesterday’s trash.”

“So why did they take them?” I needed to know.

“Use your head, Infinity. They’ll take. Kill. And use anyone you love. You determine who lives and dies from this point on.”

I knew what to do. Let him take me downstairs, pretending to go along with his psycho plan, because regardless of all of the bullshit mom fed me over the years, I knew that she loved me. She would die to protect me. Mason, the jackass, was a manipulator. I was just surprised that he thought that he could manipulate me like this.