Infinity (13 page)

Popping her hands on her narrow hips, and looking at him coldly, she said, “Did you contact Infinity?”

His laughter rumbled in his chest like she told some fabulous joke. “Cutting straight to the chase, huh? No hello for an old friend, Kara?”

She felt like spitting at him for his audacity. “Fuck you, Maxim. You’re no friend of mine. I have things to do like protecting my daughter.” She glanced at him from head-to-toe, “You didn’t answer my damn question.”

Totally ignoring her, he eyed her with appreciation before his eyes filled with suspicion. “That’s a heavy spell of protection that you’ve cloaked yourself with, Kara.” He smirked. “You’re getting a little paranoid in your old age, Valkyrie.”

Kara looked at him with disgust before answering, “Living for centuries around you conniving Others will do that to you. Besides, I don’t trust you, werewolf. Never have, never will.”

Her fingers tingled, wishing for her sword to slice his head from his body as he ran his fingers through his short, jet-black hair that was streaked with sky-blue strands. She damn well was not pleased by the way his lecherous forest green eyes roamed over her tight, perfectly cut expensive knee-length red dress with interest.

“No. I didn’t contact her.” His eyes narrowed, “But that explains your sudden interest in meeting with me after months of denying my urgent meeting requests.”

She stared at him. “What the hell do you want, Maxim?”

He roared so loud, the trees quaked. She smirked,
Idiot!
It gave her perverse sense of satisfaction to see him lose control, fighting the shift from man to animal. Animal. That’s exactly what he was despite the well-groomed human shell, expensive clothes, and obscene wealth, it all summed up to one fundamental fact; he was just a filthy animal.

“Call her off! She’s calling too much attention to herself.” His legs were splayed with hands on his hips.

Her eyes narrowed with loathing. This was the one man that represented all that was wrong with the power and gifts that the wolves possessed. But he was also the one man, to her fury, that she needed desperately right now to help protect the one thing she loved. Infinity.

Maxim, the man that most Others and humans feared because of the raw power that permeated his essence was known among humans as the arrogant oil tycoon who made billions cashing in on the aftermath of the
Fire and Ash
war. On any given day, his intimidating image could be found on business magazines with that notoriously wicked grin he wore like a mask. If only humans knew that behind the human-like shell was the fiercest, most powerful and corrupt wolf-shifter that walked the human realm.

Vibrating with barely contained anger, she pointed. “She’s not a dog that can be made to heel. She’s your daughter and a Valkyrie. Respect the power, Wolf King.”

“She’s also part wolf. So you respect the power.” He snarled.

“Spare me the dramatics. Very little in her blood is wolf. The Valkyrie bloodline practically wiped that crap out. I thank the Immortals for that save. Now, if you want her to back off, why don’t you tell her yourself?” She smiled evilly, “Oh, I know why, because you’re too focused on concocting a plan to manipulate her power for your own gain.”

“And you’re too focused on wrapping her up in bubble wrap and ensuring that she stays on Rejuvenator for the rest of her life hoping that you can protect her from the inevitable.”

Her fist clenched and unclenched. “What inevitable? The inevitability of her father using her as a pawn to start a war? Or the inevitability of her father killing her in cold blood to protect his throne?”

The muscles in his neck bulged making the tribal tattoos of snarling werewolves encompassing it look like they were leaping. “Remember your place, Kara.”

She was tired of the games. She needed to protect her daughter. “No, you remember that I don’t answer to you or the Council. I answer to a supreme power that not you, or the vampires want to fuck with. So be nice and I won’t flex my muscles all bitch like.”

“And you remember that you are now bound to this realm like all the Others. This means that you can bleed and die like the rest of us peons.”

She smiled coldly, waiting for his next move. Praying that he gave her a reason to kill him where he stood. “That sounds like a threat, Wolf King. Are you sure that you want to go there? Because I’m ready to rumble anytime you are.”

He stepped closer, but was careful not to touch her. Slimy bastard.

“It’s a warning. Don’t cross me, Kara. You won’t like the results.”

She looked at him with cynical coolness before for saying, “I don’t fear you or anyone on this realm. I chose to bind myself and no amount of pain or suffering is too great for my sacrifice. Once she realizes how much power she has over all of you then my job is done. Maybe she’ll decide to save you and your minions, or maybe she will finish the job that Mist couldn’t. This is why I bound myself to her, to ensure that she had the guidance to make the right decision this time, and not be blinded by sugary words by a man destined to lie and use her like he did her mother.”

He sputtered, “Are you implying that I intend to use my own daughter?”

She gritted her teeth, thinking about Mist’s last dying breath. “I’m implying that you have shown in the past, and currently, that you care nothing about what’s in her best interest.”

Which was a widely known fact, Maxim didn’t care about anyone but himself. It was laughable to try to pretend that he did, given the fact that for twenty-two years, he secretly held the solution to the problem the Other Council worried about with fanatical obsession—reversing the declining birthrate of their race. In fact, it was one of the two reasons the Council was formed with werewolf, vampire and lion-shifter representatives alike--arbitration of Other disputes and finding the solution to the devastating breeding problem.

A problem thought resolved with the creation of Rejuvenator from the fusion of Other genes with mutated human cells. Rejuvenator, a drug that was quickly recalled and called a failure because it had so many side-effects, like reduced life expectancy and impaired Other abilities that the Council sold the rights to the Collective.

A drug that years later, the Vampire Collective accidently discovered removed impurities and disease from human blood making it like a fine vintage vampire wine. Rejuvenator was quickly marketed to humans as a scientific break-thru. An expensive cure all, that extended life expectancy with higher doses producing a buzz that was harder than street drugs. The Collective manufactured it in everything from energy drinks, to coffee to alcohol. And for those that couldn’t afford it, well the Collective had a nice solution for that—the Blood for Rejuvenator Program. All humans had to do was make a small blood donation every month for a thirty day supply. It was pure Collective genus. It was a win-win situation. Vampires clamored for the pure human blood that was bottled and sold like a drink from the Fountain of Youth vampires worldwide and humans clamored and became addicted to Rejuvenator.

His lips curled up at the edges into his warped version of a smile, "I love my daughter."

She threw her hands in the air. “Unbelievable. I don’t even know how you said that with a straight face. You don’t love her, Maxim. You love what she represents, power. Power to solve the Others breeding problem. Something you’re waiting to unveil to the highest bidder.” She scoffed. “That’s nothing remotely close to love.”

His fists clenched with eyes blazing with hate. “You don’t know anything about who I love, Kara, because you’re a cold heartless woman. I love my daughter and I loved Mist.”

She wanted to zap him into dust for his flagrant lie, but she held herself in check, barely. “Bull, you never loved Mist. You lusted after what she represented, power. She was just too naïve to see past the deceit of a man that was chomping at the bit to use her for gain, and that’s exactly what you did, use her, and then betray her like the power hungry whore that you are.”

Her fist clinched, her face twisting with anger as her body vibrated violently. “You and Ivan worked together to imprison and experiment on her at that Collective lab.”

His face flushed, stepping back slightly. She smelled fear. She continued with a satisfied smile. “Furthermore, I know about your Other experiments and those babies,” Her eyes narrowed, “They’ll be found….I guarantee that.”

He tried to interrupt, but she cut him off abruptly. “Don’t bother lying, because I know the truth, and soon she’ll know it too.”

He roared, the sheer force shaking the ground. “You are a spiteful witch!”

He was anxious; she sensed it before he covered it up. “Get it right wolf, I’m a Valkyrie and proud of it.”

His skin rippled and morphed back-and-forth between man and wolf then phased back to man. His eyes were frustrated, flaring with anger.

She laughed wickedly, wagging a finger at him. “Protection spell remember? No shifting for you wolf. I knew that the spell would come in handy.” She stood firm, her finger jabbing into his chest angrily. “The truth hurts sometimes, doesn’t it? And if Mist’s spirit wasn’t condemned by the Immortals, she would break your conniving wolf neck.”

His body was tense with leashed fury. “I came here to talk about Infinity not be verbally attacked by the likes of you, Valkyrie.” He spat, swatting her hand away.

She jammed her fists on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently. “Why don’t you grow some and order the Vampire Collective to call off the attack.”

With a startled look, he responded. “That’s ridiculous. You know damn well that I don’t have the power to order the Vampires to do anything. I warned you months ago to back her off, but you let her proceed. Now this whole mess is out of my hands. I have no support from my Collective, who believe, rightly so, that this is a vampire problem.”

“Oh, fuck you, Maxim! She’s only doing what you wolf-shifters should have done centuries ago, standup to the vampires who are literally bleeding the humans to death while they poison them with those toxic Rejuvenator pills.”

He snorted, “Please, Kara, you’re giving her more credit than warranted. This has nothing to do with vampires, and everything to do with some rich, Superstar’s latest save the world craze.

“Granted, she may not know what’s really going on behind the Other veil… but subconsciously, she feels the wrongness of the blood donations for pills scam.”

“What would you have me do? Start a civil war over my daughter’s foolish antics?” He looked at his watch impatiently, “I cannot get involved.”

She gritted her teeth, her hate for him boiling over. “What you mean is that you will not. There’s a big difference, Wolf King. You are bound by wolf law to protect your blood. Summon Torch, Boulder and a few of their men to protect her. They’re the strongest of the wolf-shifters and have less to lose by protecting her.”

“This I cannot do. No one knows that my bloodline lives and I intend to keep it that way. Besides, any intervention on my behalf will be viewed as wolf-shifters meddling in vampire business.”

With narrowed eyes, she shook her finger at him. “You meddle in vampire business every day. How is this any different?”

“Do not push me, Kara. My decision is final. I will not upset the balance within the Other Council. Cortez and I are at a tenuous stage of negotiations over territory and we don’t need this bullshit concert as a catalyst for another civil war between the wolves and vampires. You of all people should know how bad that would be.”

“And you of all people should know how far my power spans on this realm. I know everything, Maxim. I know that you and Cortez are scared to death of Alik’s plan to lead the rogues into war against you both. I even know that there is major unrest within the Vampire Collective over Cortez taking the throne as Vampire King. Cortez is weak; he couldn’t even prevent the kidnapping of his only daughter. His days are numbered, and so are yours. Either Ivan will come out of hiding to retake his throne or Alik will take the throne for him. And as for you, you will be challenged for your throne by one that is of pure blood, and he will rule with your daughter by his side.”

He laughed, “Is this more foolish talk of that ridiculous Immortals prophecy?”

He really thought he could outsmart her, but she knew, she knew way too much about the Immortals to be ignored. “You know the prophecy is real, Maxim. The Immortals game has just begun and the chess pieces are moving as we speak. That’s why you want the vampires to succeed in killing, Infinity, but you can’t kill what the Immortals have created and they are watching with interest wolf. It would be in your best interest not to anger them with your eagerness for power. Either stop the Vampire Collective or call Torch and Boulder. This is your test to pass or fail.”

“Valkyrie, my word is final. I will not intervene in this matter.”

She replied calmly, not in the slightest cowed before turning on her heels, walking away. “Yes, Wolf King. Your word is final, but I hope you can live with the ramifications.”

She breathed deeply, controlling an urge to hurl a deadly blast of power at him. She opened her car door, pausing without looking at him. “It won’t be long before the Other Council realizes that she’s your child, the last of your pure bloodline. Then all of your avoidance will be in vain while the prophecy rolls on with fury unleashed and so will her fury. If I were you, I would try not to be on her bad side when that day comes. Because hell has no fury like a Valkyrie scorned.”

Mason

It’s complicated

Mason watched impatiently as Anya bustled around prepping for dinner when she abruptly stopped, leveling a bright blue stare at him.

“So when is the talk going to happen?”

He shrugged, shoving his handing through his hair. “She should be meeting with him right now, but if it was up to me, the talk would have happened years ago.” He crossed his arms with clenched fists. “But it was never up to me, or you. It’s Kara’s call, it always is. So we wait.”

“Wait? The Vampire Collective is raising hell about her concert complaining that she’s cutting into their blood donation quotient. The Other Council is caving into pressure and has put up all sorts of road blocks to stop this concert from happening. None have been successful because my baby, Infinity, is determined like hell to make this thing happen.”