Infinity (23 page)

“Kill her!” the creepy man screamed.

I looked at him coldly, “Not today, monster.” It was like my body had a mind of its own. A vampire moved in and swiped at me with long claws tearing into my arm. Blood oozed through my ripped sleeve. A warm haze slipped over my body and what was next, I didn’t expect. I moved forward with a jump kick that snapped its head back. They all swarmed me in blind panic. I kicked and punched with inhuman speed that I couldn’t control even if I wanted to, twisting my body into formations that defied gravity.

He nodded and they surged forward to grab me with sharp claws. I punched and kicked with raw power that I didn’t know I had, sending them sprawling back. A claw ripped across my chest causing me to grab it in pain as I felt the rawness of my torn flesh.

Their claws ripped into my back, arms, and chest. I snapped necks, kicked chins, sent some sailing through the air, but the more I took out the more materialized out of the shadows. I was tired, bloody, and in pain.

There was no more I could give to saving my ass. I slumped to the ground as claws whizzed through the air slicing my body mercilessly. This was it. I knew it. I balled my body defensively. Blood pooled around me. My blood.

I knew then that I was going to die. My lungs felt heavy, seeing a flash of black. The movement so fast it had to be a mirage. No. Vampires are under assault by thrashing, inhuman shapes, wolves...growling, snapping.

My eyes closed, letting the darkness take me as I listened to the beautiful symphony of thumps, growls, and terrified screams that echoed around me.

Boulder

She belongs to me

Boulder’s gaze focused on the maze of dark shadows that filled the garage. Snarls of battle filled the air. Guns blazed. Dark shapes of vampires whirled and materialized. Members of the pack could be seen moving, circling, a dozen of them, maybe more. Some in human form, some shifted.

Boulder grinned wickedly at Torch. “What do you think? Is it a good day to kill vampires?”

Whoosh! A vampire swooped towards Boulder, fangs bared, claws ready to rip into him. He pivoted aside like a matador. The vampire circled around for another try. He leapt, somersaulting through the air, and then landed behind it. He pulled out a retractable garrote wire and wrapped it around the vampire’s throat. With a violent twist, he decapitated the vampire. The vampire’s headless body turned to ash before him.

Torch gave him an icy smile. “It’s always a good day to kill vampires.” Vampires bearing their fangs like cobras took to the air with a shriek, attacking. Torch aimed his gun, bullets whistled through the air, killing five vampires.

Boulder smirked at Torch, “Fucking show off.”

Torch shrugged his shoulders, “Only five blood suckers. Only one for you? It’s a slow day, huh?”

He gritted his teeth as five vampires rose. He aimed his gun, hollow points hit four in the neck. He shot again, another hollow point took out the fifth. The vampires dropped, turning to ash. He holstered his gun, striding through the vampire ash piles.

Torch rubbed his hand impatiently over his military buzzed-cut black hair “Ass. You always have to win.”

He smirked at Torch, “That’s six. And yes.” He pounds him on back, “Enough fucking around. Let’s go save our mate.”

“Oh, shut the hell up,” Torch snarled.

They started forward. Up ahead they saw Infinity lying in a pool of blood. Alik was standing over her prone body. His face marred with a frown as his hands bounced off the weird thin milky white membrane that protected her.

They growled, looking around tensely as vampires circled them angrily. Torch growled, aiming at Alik’s forehead.

Alik’s fangs glinted. He glared, his eyes full of distain, as ten vampires flanked him. “Put the gun down, Torch. You can’t kill me. So stop fucking around and leave. This is vampire business.”

Torch shot and Vampires dropped, turning into ash. “To hell it is! Back off,” he growled, canines extended.

Alik hissed. “She belongs to me.”

Torch circled, his body visibly fighting shifting. “She doesn’t belong to you, bloodsucker. She belongs to us.”

“I doubt that.” Alik swiped at the membrane, hissing as it sliced into his arm.

Torch snarled, “No Infinity for you. The Immortals obviously don’t like scum!” He launched at Alik, who flipped over a row of cars landing on a hood.

“You can’t stop the inevitable. She will be mine.” Alik looked at him icily, “Until we meet again.” He cast a longing look at Infinity before disappearing into the shadows.

Running over to her body, Boulder’s breath caught as her body curled and writhed in pain. Bruises and cuts covered her arms and back. What remained of the shreds of clothes was bloodstained.

Torch looked warily at the protective membrane. “You or me?”

Boulder grits his teeth, “Me” punching through the membrane without injury, he scooped her up. “Obviously the Immortals have entrusted her to us.”

Her eye-lids fluttered as if trying to block out the pain. Her body instinctively curled into his chest.

Torch holstered his gun, striding to them. “Or they are setting a trap with her as the bait.” He looked around at the bodies scattered around the garage. It was a brutal fight, but his men won, this time.

He scowled, “You’re always so suspicious. She’s our mate, not some trap. Accept it and let’s move.” She coughed, spitting blood across his shirt.

Torch scoffed, “I’m not accepting shit. This whole thing feels wrong. Our Intel ensured us that the Vampire King wanted her alive, but look at her, they viciously attacked her with the intent to kill.” He nudged the remains of the membrane with the tip of his boot. “And what’s with this shit? Is she a Valkyrie or something else?”

Boulder arched a brow, “Does it matter?”

“What the fuck? Yes!”

“Torch, I’m not going through this shit now. Let’s get her to safety and clean up this mess.” He looked around, “Any sign of her friends bodies?”

“None. But I smell their blood.”

Infinity moaned, clutching Boulder’s shirt. Her hands were encrusted with vampire blood. She fought back. That made him smile. This time she was lucky to survive. “She put up a hell of a fight, and she’s not even trained yet.”

Torch snarled, “She’s lucky they didn’t have the chance to land the final blow.” He scowled, “But look at her. Her body is almost healed. That’s the fastest I’ve seen that happen.” He looked at his watch, “I’m taking her to Kara.” Striding over to his black SUV, he pulled out his cell.

He clutched her to his chest, knowing that he needed to hand her over, but he suddenly felt irrationally possessive.

“Boulder?” Torch lifted a brow in question. “Stop fucking around. Time is of the essence, and I need you to lead the cleanup crew.”

Boulder barely contained the low growl that rumbled in his throat, squeezing back his wolf’s plea to unleash its claws and rip Torch to shreds.

Torch held out his arms. “I’ll be careful with her.”

“Fine,” He growled, handing her over. “Does Kara have sway with the Wolf King?”

“Apparently there’s history. I can’t wait to see how much.”

Infinity

Betrayal

My body felt like crap. Every muscle in my body screamed with pain. This was my punishment, and I prayed for more. My best friends. My family. Dead. All because of me.

I could hear the angry whispers. Mom’s voice. Torch’s voice. Arguing over me. More like over what I did, but I refused to open my eyes. I was ashamed, distraught, and plain old suicidal.

I felt a hand rub my back. Mom’s hand, a vain attempt at offering comfort.

“Infinity?” she whispered.

I squeezed my eyes tightly.
Nope.
I wasn’t ready to face her pity filled eyes. I didn’t deserve pity. Hate? Yes. But pity? Hell no.

“We know that you’re awake, Infinity,” Torch rasped with that disgusting twinge of distain that I had grown to hate.

My gut filled with rage. It was his fault. If he didn’t push me then maybe.....then maybe they would be safe and alive. My eyes snapped open. And there he was...sitting with his blood-encrusted black motorcycle boots propped on mom’s antique coffee table like he freaking belonged there.

I scrambled to the furthest end of the couch, licking my parched lips and plotting to launch myself at him, ripping his throat out. While he looked at me with this ‘I don’t give a shit’ swagger that repulsed me.

My eyes narrowed, “What the hell are you doing here?” Mom scooted closer pulling away strands of hair stuck to my damp cheek.

“Calm down. We need to talk.”

I swatted her hand away, focused on him. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s the thanks I get for saving your ass?” he asked in a deep and rough voice. His eyes speared me like I was something on the bottom of his boots that he needed to scrap off. “Too bad we didn’t get there in time to save you from getting your friends killed.”

My mouth hung open with shock, gasping like a fish out of water.
Oh. My. Gawd.
My fist clenched. I was so close to leaping on him and going crazy on his ass. “You fucking ass. This is all your fault.”

His eyes were black. Soulless. Cruel. “It was your friend snooping around in C&V business that tipped off the rogues to our presence. Don’t blame us for the attack. And don’t blame us for your friends’ death. You have yourself to blame for that; next time, think carefully before you go sneaking off.”

I gasped, clutching my stomach like he had physically stabbed me.

Mom pulled me to her side tightly. “That was cruel, even for you, Torch.”

“Cruel? I’m sitting here listening to some drugged-out singer mouth off at me while my team is cleaning-up the bodies from a bloody attack that shouldn’t have even happened. If she had just stayed in her dressing room like I instructed it wouldn’t have happened. This is not a game, Kara. You know this. The rogues are ruthless, and would kill there their own family over blood and money.” He looked over at me with his face twisted like I left a bad taste in his mouth. “And she goes thumbing her nose at me like it’s nothing.”

He scowled at mom, “But I blame you for this. Tear the Band-Aid off, Kara. Tell her what’s really going on out there. This make believe world that you’ve shrouded her in will get her and everyone around her killed.”

“This is not the time for this discussion, Torch. She’s suffering now. Her friends are missing and presumed dead. She needs to rest and get her head together.”

He jumped up, pacing back and forth. “Un-fucking-believable.” He leveled an icy glare at me before his gaze slid back to mom. “Who is she?”

She looked at him calmly, “You know who she is. She’s a famous singer.”

“Bullshit!” He rushed forward stormed over. “Who is she really, Kara? You don’t call in a favor like me to guard a singer. And that’s what you did when you made Maxim summon me out here to personally guard her. So, I’ll ask again, who is she?”

She shoved him back. “First, I advise you to step out of my face. Secondly, I don’t know what you’re looking for. I just told you, she’s a singer. Nothing more.” She tossed her hair back and smiled prettily. “Your job is done.”

He smiled, but not one of those sexy, nice smiles. It was one of those ‘I’m going to slit your throat’ smiles. “You don’t get to dismiss me, Valkyrie.”

I look at her accusingly. “Valkyrie?”

She ignored me. “Thank you for your services, Torch.”

“Is that why Alik was chomping at the bit to take her? Because he’s one of her biggest fans?”

Her mouth dropped open. “What?”

He smiled evilly. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Fear. You reek of fear, Kara.” He points sharply at me. “Alik wants her. Real bad. You and I know that he doesn’t involve himself in petty rogue or vampire business. If he’s around that means this is heavy Vampire Collective business, and the way he was looking at her, she’s his business now. So you got more trouble than you bargained for, because now she’s on the radar of the leader of the rogues.” He paused, “So what’s it going to be, Kara? The truth? Or you going to handle all that heat on your own?”

Anya walked in looking tired and defeated. “Make the call, Kara. We can’t handle all that heat on our own.”

Torch looked on curiously, “Yes, Kara. Make the fucking call.”

She pulled out her phone. “It’s time, Maxim.”

Torch’s eyes narrowed, his pulse along his neck beat rapidly.

“Yes, he’s still here. No, that’s not my problem. You should have told him the truth before you got him involved.” She calmly placed the phone on the coffee table.

I didn’t like the look in her eyes. Fear. “What’s going on Mom?”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “That was your father, Maxim.”

Torch slammed his fist on the table, breaking it in half, “That S.O.B. lied to me. Wolf King or not, I’m going to have words with him.”

Leaping off the sofa, I pointed at her. “You lied to me? You told me that my parents were dead. Now you’re telling me my father is alive?”

I swung around wildly to look at Anya. “Did you know about this? Did Mason?”

Anya’s voice cracked, "It wasn’t my secret to tell."

My head was swimming just thinking about all of the lies that I had been told. “Mom? Who is he? And why the lie? Didn’t he want me?”

She walked over stormed over to me grabbing my hand. “Please, Calm down.”

Slapping her hands away I stepped back. “You don’t get to tell me calm down. Not after you drop this shit on me. I want the truth, now!”

Torch sat down, stretching his long legs, and crossing them at the ankle. “Well, this should be interesting.”

Mom shot him a dirty look. “Shut up wolf!” She approached me like a lion tamer. “The bedtime story that I’ve been telling you all your life? It’s about you. The war. Your mother. Everything.” She sighed, "Your father is Maxim Lupo, The Wolf King of the Wolf Covenant and leader of all wolf-shifters.”

I look at her horrified. So it was true. I was a monster. “I’m not human? I’m a wolf-shifter?”

“No, you’re a hybrid. A Valkyrie-Wolf hybrid. The only one in existence.”