by Sedona Venez
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.
She threw out her hand with swirling flourish, sending a bolt of gold energy that whirled and danced before slamming into his body, sending him flying through the air.
“And you broke that deal the minute you attempted to kill her by tipping off the rogue vampires to her whereabouts in the garage.” She smiled coldly as he bounced against the wall with a resounding crunch. “I can do this all day, wolf king,” she spat. “You want it. Let’s rumble, you coward.”
Maxim scrambled to his feet, wiping the blood dripping from his lips. “Lies. You have no proof of any such thing.”
“Yes. I do. Don’t make me play that card too, Maxim.” She looked at him coldly.
Sanchez looked at him icily. “This is a new low even for you, Maxim. You hide her existence at the same time plotting to kill her.” He looked at Kara. “Go on.”
“I don’t have to tell the Council exactly how powerful she is. To leave her in the hands of the tiger-shifters endangers everyone’s existence.”
Drago looked at her sharply. “Is she more powerful than the Valkyries?”
“Yes!” she responded quickly.
Maxim dusted off his clothes pompously. “I still don’t see how this benefits us. To go to war over that creature is suicide and pointless.”
The whole room turned to look at him coldly.
“Creature?” Boulder charged at him, only to be caught by Torch. “Don’t you dare call her a creature. She’s my mate, and I’ll fucking kill you if you even breathe on her, Maxim.”
Sanchez’s eyes turned starkly white. “As much I despise myself for saying this, Maxim is right. The tigers have lived with us peacefully for centur
ies and they are close to uniting under one king. Why should we break the pact over—” He looked at Boulder carefully. “Infinity.”
Kara looked over at Boulder. He nodded at her, knowing she had no choice but to reveal her last card. She looked back at the Council. “Because there’s more.”
“Don’t you fucking say it, Kara.” Maxim sputtered. “I’m warning you.”
She arched a brow. “Warning me? The mangy wolf is warning me?” She looked around the room incredulously. “I’ll have you know I went to him before this shit hit the fan, but he wouldn’t listen.” She looked up in the air, then levelled them with a hard stare. “Mark my words. If we don’t get her back, we are handing over a powerful weapon strong enough to finish what Mist could not. The final battle and the annihilation of all Others.”
“So there we have it. We retrieve her and kill her,” Maxim said coolly as if he were discussing the weather.
Torch snarled. “I swear I’ve enough of your shit. She’s Boulder’s true-mate. You fuck with her and I won’t be responsible for what happens to you.”
Maxim puffed out his chest. “You challenging me, boy?”
Torch stepped forward. “Any day, old man.”
“Again, Maxim’s right. Why shouldn’t we just kill her?” Sanchez asked.
“The same fucking reason Maxim and Ivan shouldn’t have killed Mist, the Immortals’ favorite daughter. You’ll only piss off my parents… again,” Kara replied.
Drago stepped forward, assessing her with too much interest. “Favorite? Hardly, they allowed her to die.”
She looked at him blankly. “Drago, you of all people know death is not the end.”
“This is all bullshit,” Maxim shouted. “She’ll say anything to get her way. Have you people forgotten who she is? She’s the Immortals’ guard dog. Before the Fire and Ash, she was the one handing out punishment to your people when they stepped out of line. She can’t be trusted.”
“And neither can you,” Cortez stated loudly. “You do remember that deceiving the Council is punishable by death?”
Maxim looked at Cortez nervously. “I didn’t disclose that information for valid reasons that I’d rather not go into around non-Council members.” He looked at Kara, Boulder, and Torch pointedly. “As I see it, the solution to this situation is very clear. She’s a weapon created to kill us. I vote we destroy her and be done with it. We’ll deal with the Immortals’ wrath if and when it comes.”
Boulder snarled. “No! I’ll go to war with every one of you in this damn room before I let that happen.”
Kara jammed her hands on her hips. “When are you people going to get it? You can’t just kill a Valkyrie and expect the problem to go away. That moron”—she jabbed a finger at Maxim—“killed their daughter, Mist, and helped create a Valkyrie who has the ability to wipe us all out. Why are you even listening to anything he says? Have you wondered whose side he’s really on?”
“And what of the Immortals’ Prophecy?” Sanchez asked with narrowed eyes.
Drago laughed. “That is nothing but a ridiculous urban legend. A fucking bedtime story.”
Sanchez scoffed. “Hardly. The Immortals care about no one but themselves, yet Infinity has managed to survive undetected by Others for these years. She’s very important to them and I want to know why,” he said with a grim expression.
Kara looked at Sanchez silently.
He shook his head with dismay. “Your silence is deafening.”
Drago snarled. “Well, then I vote to kill her. I’d rather kill her now than wait to see what the Immortals want to use her for.”
Kara looked at each of them coldly. “You kill her, they’ll kill us. She lives and it is up to her whether we all live or die. She may have compassion, but I fucking guarantee you the High Council will not. Make your choice.”
They all grumbled with displeasure.
Boulder stepped forward. “Vote yes to nullifying the pact with the tigers, and then we form a recovery team comprised of each of your best warriors. This will show the tigers our solidarity.” He could tell that they were not happy with the current situation. It was truly a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” scenario, but logic had to prevail.
They all nodded and in unison said, “The pact is nullified.”
Maxim gritted his teeth, looking at Kara with displeasure. “Fine. Whatever. The pact is nullified.”
Sanchez stepped forward. “Understand that we will not actively take part in the attack, but I agree that we need to show some solidarity. I give two of my best warriors.”
“Not like I have a choice…” Maxim nodded over at Torch and Boulder. “They will act on the behalf of the New York Covenant.”
Kara stepped forward. “Of course, I represent the Valkyries.”
Drago bowed. “Two of my dragon warriors will join.”
Cortez looked at them coolly. “I’ll send my best warrior and my newly appointed second.”
Kara levelled him with a cold stare. “What second? You didn’t mention you chose a second.”
His eyes locked with hers. “I had nothing to do with this. Stephan is making organizational adjustments.”
Boulder didn’t like surprises, especially not when it came to something as monumental as this. Stephan, the king of all vampires, hadn’t appointed a new lieutenant in centuries. He was too paranoid and neurotic to give someone that much power. Whoever this newly appointed second was would change the power structure within the Collective, sending ripples of anarchy that would have a far-reaching impact on all Others.
Kara pursed her lips. “You and I will talk about this later, vampire king.”
The ruckus outside the meeting room caused everyone in the room to stare at the entrance.
“Excellent. Right on time.” Cortez sneered.
Alik sauntered into the room, and immediately, the air chilled. “Just in time, I gather.” He looked around with a smirk.
Boulder’s canines dropped. “Hell no! You can’t be fucking serious?”
Cortez locked eyes with Boulder. “Deadly serious. Alik will act on my behalf, therefore joining the rescue team.”
Boulder pointed at Alik. “He can’t be trusted.”
Cortez gave him a look of disdain. “No one in this damn room can be trusted, yet the unity of nine warriors has been forged. Be happy with our concession, wolf, and hope to hell that one of us doesn’t change our minds and opt to kill her.”
Boulder looked at them menacingly because that was exactly what he feared.
CHAPTER 11
Colorado… Saturday
It was terrifying. Blood was everywhere. Vampires ripping into humans. Wolves mauling humans. Mom and fierce female warriors fighting side by side. Boulder running toward me, transforming mid-run into a big, ferocious red wolf. Me with jet-black raven wings extended from my back with a deranged, bloodthirsty look in my eyes as I exchanged deadly blows with Torch. He was determined to kill me. I knew that when he pulled out a gun, aiming at me with cold eyes. I howled with outrage.
Howled?
He squeezed the trigger. The bullet pierced my chest. There was something unnatural in the bullet. I smelled it, tasted the bitterness as it raced through my bloodstream, burning me from the inside out. Boulder’s teeth sank into Torch’s neck, ripping into it savagely. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked up at the sky, smiling at the wave of angry ravens that blackened the sky like dark clouds.
Gasping for air, I sprang upright in my bed, looking around in confusion until I remembered I was still at Degrassi Creek. My limbs were tangled in the sweat-soaked sheets. Panicked, I clutched them to my chest. My fingers trembled when I felt the hot stickiness. My vision swam as I stared down at my blood-coated fingers. Tearing aside the sheets, my chest constricted at the sight of the small bullet hole over my heart.
I was going to die.
Scrambling off the bed, I ran into the en-suite bathroom and stopped with shock when
I caught my reflection in the mirror. I was a hot mess. My normally shiny hair looked brittle and dull. My emerald-green eyes looked lifeless. My mocha skin had a decidedly sick, yellow undertone.
My chest stung, pulling me back to the matter at hand, the rivulets of blood soaking through the heavy silk of my slip. Yanking off the slip frantically, I balled it up, wiping the wound with trembling fingers. I stopped mid-blot at the sight of my skin slowly mending itself back together, the bullet hole completely disappearing.
Collapsing against the marble floor, I dropped my head against my knees. It was confirmed; I was going crazy. My visions of the future were getting worse, and I was going to die at the hands of Torch.
Meticulously, I sorted through the pieces of the vision, pausing when I remembered Mom being in it. She wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be if this was my horrible future. She had to be looking for me. Suddenly, my throat constricted. I couldn’t breathe and I clawed at my throat helplessly. It felt like I was drowning, being pulled under a sea of murky darkness.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I slowly suffocated. Feeling helpless and scared, my gaze swept through the bathroom as I inched across the cold marble floor with the sensation of eyes crawling over me like spiders.
My mind reached out desperately.
I know you’re watching. Please! Do something. Help me!
The darkness in the air closed in on me, setting my body on fire before my throat released, allowing me to take one big gulp of air before I heaved from nausea. Bile rushed up my throat as I scrambled over to the toilet, vomiting. My body racked with convulsions until there was nothing left in my stomach. Sinking to my heels in exhaustion, I gulped the clean air into my lungs before I felt a weird tingling along my skin.
My arms started to blister like I had an allergic reaction. The blisters oozed a foul-smelling fluid that made me gag. The fluid smelled… familiar, and then it all clicked into place. It smelled like the broth that Mason had been plying onto me since the moment I awoke at the compound. And with nothing left to throw up, I dry heaved. He was drugging me. Tears of anger rolled down my cheeks.
