Infinity Unleashed

by Sedona Venez

  Azura smoothed down her crème sheath dress before placing a hand on his elbow. The cold air whirled around them before she dematerialized, taking him with her, and materialized before her father’s door. Hunter hovered protectively as she tossed her waist-length copper-red hair over her shoulder.

  Her body shook with rage at the sight of Stephan and Gorge hovering outside the door like vultures. Their angry shouts reverberated throughout the hallway, reminding her of the history-making moment of her father’s impending death. A death they gleefully awaited.

  “Out of my way, idiots.” She sneered.

  They grumbled with displeasure before reluctantly moving out of her way. They swiftly closed ranks, blocking Hunter’s path.

  “He is not welcome,” Gorge barked.

  Hunter growled menacingly. “Where my true-mate goes, so do I.”

  “Not today, rogue.” Gorge spat out the words.

  Hunter’s body bristled at the insult. Swiftly, Azura placed a gentle hand on Hunter’s wrist. “I’ll be all right. Let me handle Glen and Gibbs.”

  “Azura…” Hunter snarled.

  “Trust me.” She winked at him. “Besides, I’m sure you can think of lots of fun ways to taunt our friends out here while you wait impatiently.”

  Stephan and Gorge mumbled with displeasure as Hunter’s lips curled up into a sneer displaying his wicked canines.

  She opened the door, striding into her father’s massive suite. A mixture of anger and sadness simmered like a flame underneath the cool exterior of her Alpha façade. Deliberately ignoring the Valkyries positioned throughout the main area of the suite, she swayed past them. They bristled angrily at her presence but were smart enough to know she wouldn’t hesitate to use her powers to turn them into dust where they stood.

  It was sad how her relationship with them had deteriorated since her father had become ill. The Valkyries were once the most revered and powerful warriors under her father’s command, their duty only to serve him by keeping the Others from breaking the Immortals laws. Infractions under her father’s reign were dealt with swiftly but fairly, but now, something had changed within the ranks of the Valkyries.

  Azura reached out with her powers, sensing the palpable worry within each of them. Mist had gone missing. No doubt Glen had something to do with her disappearance. Now without their leader, the team was unhinged. To make matters worse, according to gossip leaked from the Council, as soon as Glen assumed power, his first order of business was to hand out punishment for their disobedience.

  She looked on grimly as Kara, the Valkyries second-in-command, nodded her head grudgingly. “Azura.”

  “Kara,” she responded coolly, refusing to dwell on the fact her once best friend was now distant and cold. Striding past her, she sighed heavily before stepping into her father’s room, only to be greeted by Glen and Gibbs crowding her father’s bed while he lay pale and listless.

  “I bet you can’t wait to plan your coronation party.” She sneered at Glen.

  “It’s already planned.” Glen sneered right back.

  She strode up to the massive bed, shoving him away. “Well, he’s not dead yet. Have some fucking respect.”

  Grabbing the back of her neck possessively, he spun her around, running a finger across her cheek. “You know that this insolence is pointless.” He purred in a voice that was way too intimate for her liking. “When I officially take over as leader of High Council, I will own everything. The Council. The Valkyries… and most importantly… you.” His fingers tightened painfully. “You’re just fighting the inevitable.” He licked his lips, looking at her with lustful eyes.

  “Get your filthy hands off me before I break them,” she hissed.

  Gibbs sputtered angrily. “Azura! Your disrespect for my son’s position will end tonight.”

  Glen held up his hand impatiently, cutting off his father’s tirade. “You will submit to me, Azura,” he responded with a hard tone.

  She snorted, brutally stepping out of his grip, losing a couple of strands of hair in the process. She smiled coldly. “I will only submit to one man… Hunter.”

  Glen’s eyes filled with rage. His lips curled up into a nasty sneer. “I always get what I want. Hunter is an obstacle easily eliminated.”

  She quickly hid her turbulent, churning emotions beneath a neutral mask before responding. “Unlike you, my mate is not afraid to die. So killing him won’t change a damn thing,” she spat with venom-laced eyes. “I will never be your mate and I’ll never be yours. So fuck off, Glen.”

  He smirked. “We’ll see.”

  “How dare you threaten my daughter?”

  Their heads snapped around at the sound of Kyles’s weak voice. His apple-green eyes were wide open and focused on Glen.

  “Alpha,” Gibbs and Glen both said in unison before stepping away from her guiltily.

  “Leave us,” Kyles roared, his face a mask of rage. “I need to say my final good-bye to my daughter.”

  “Yes, Alpha,” both Gibbs and Glen said mockingly before angrily stepping out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

  Instantly, Azura threw her body over her father, breaking down in a fit of tears.

  He rubbed his hands comfortingly across her back. “I’m not afraid to die.” She looked up at him tearfully. “Well, I’m afraid for you." She smiled sadly. “Besides, what will I do without your pain-in-the-ass attempts at running my life?”

  He scowled at her playfully. “Since you’re fucking it up royally, I guess you’re lucky my soul is destined to stick around to ensure it doesn’t completely go to hell.”

  She looked at him sadly, not appeased by the fact that upon his death, his soul would be bound to the earth to serve as the thirteenth Immortal. “It’s not the same.” Her voice hitched. “What will I do without you?”

  All playfulness was instantly gone as he gritted his teeth. “Fight. They will seek to tear you down. Fight them and always remember who you are. The most powerful pureblood alive.” He coughed loudly before looking at her wisely. “Make that you were the most powerful pureblood alive. Now, your son is.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “How did you know?” Her mind raced with all of the possibilities.

  “Even in this sick stupor, the Immortals have shown me everything, including the birth of your son, Boulder.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Does the Council know?”

  He scoffed. “Those idiots? They’ve become so corrupt and blinded by power they have lost their way to the powers and guidance of the Immortals. No, they will never know of Boulder’s birth. The Immortals will do everything in our power to ensure that.” He smiled proudly, cupping her cheek. “You have done good. Your son is strong and worthy of the Thorburn name.” His eyes widened with awe. “We’ve never felt a power like his. When he came into this world, we felt his strength, his purpose, his gift. He will change everything for the Immortals and Others. Uniting them all with the help of his Valkyrie true-mate.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Father, I’m so scared for him. How do I protect him?”

  “Azura, he doesn’t need your protection. When the time is right, he will protect you.” He looked at her with power glistening in his eyes. “Despite what you think, the Immortals know about Glen’s plan to destroy the Others.”

  Her mouth tightened. “So they give that psychopath the key to the castle as reward? Why don’t they just kill him? And throw in his sniveling father too.”

  “You know it’s not that simple. There are laws binding us from killing our bloodline. Be patient.”

  She crossed her arms defiantly. “I will never allow him to lead me.”

  “And you don’t have to. Upon my death, declare emancipation from the Council.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What’s the catch?”

  “Your sacrifice. You will release yourself from the binds of your life, including Hunter and your son… dedicating your life to working for the Immortals
until you can convince Boulder to accept his right to reclaim the throne and his property.”

  Her body stiffened. “And what if I fail?”

  He looked at her sternly. “Failure is not an option.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The Present

  “Boulder’s your son?” My mind was whirling from everything Azura showed me.

  “He is mine, though he tries his damnedest to deny it.” Azura sighed heavily. “It doesn't help that he's angry with me at the moment, but he will adjust and forgive all of the deception given time,” she finished with a calm voice.

  I rubbed the back of my neck trying in vain to relieve the tension. “And I thought I had problems,” I muttered under my breath.

  I couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing that Boulder and I had so much in common. Our mothers were overbearing crazies bent on controlling us, and we both had been handed a bullshit hand of cards courtesy of them.

  “Our way of life is on the verge of turning to shit. Now that's a problem. You two whining about the lies we had to tell to keep it together for this long is total bullshit. Just get over it and move the hell on,” Azura bit out.

  “Move the hell on?” My body tightened with rage. “Boulder and I have been force-fed a steady diet of lies from the day we were born, and now you expect us to smile and move the fuck on? Lady, that’s not even going to happen.”

  My head snapped around, eyeing the door warily as the banging, snarling, and growling shook the walls. It was like the television version of wild kingdom was being filmed in the next room. “And what the hell is going on in there?”

  Azura’s voice boomed. “Maybe I wasn’t clear, or maybe you couldn’t wrap your mind around the past that was revealed to you. But we have real shit going on here. Glen’s probation is almost up, and if Boulder and you don’t get your stuff together, Glen will rain hell on the Others.”

  “First, there was way too much bass in your voice. I don’t like to be yelled at. Second, I can’t help you solve this Glen problem. Third, speak to your son and work it out.” My foot tapped impatiently. “So are we done here? I have an appointment with the devil, otherwise known as Mason.”

  “Without you, Boulder does not have the power to stop Glen. You are his true-mate. You complete him… in more ways than one.”

  I laughed loudly. “How do you know this for sure?” I asked sarcastically.

  Not that I was opposed to exploring the many sensual possibilities of the hotness I called Boulder. Just the thought of riding that stallion hard and fast made my sex clench with need. But true-mates sounded too permanent and I didn’t believe in relationships. I’ve been burned way too many times to put myself out like that. Besides, I had no real clue about what Boulder really felt about me. I knew he was attracted to me, but it took a real connection to bond a couple to true-mate status.

  I continued. “If you’re basing your theory on what your father and Immortals told you, then you need to reevaluate your whole strategy because no offense, I don’t trust either of them.”

  Azura’s silence was deafening.

  “Azura?”

  “That’s why I’m here. I need information.”

  My eyes narrowed as the tension in the room became oppressive. I could feel Azura’s anger seeping into the room. “What am I missing here?”

  “I do not have permission to enter into this part of history. It is not mine to share.”

  My eyes widened as all of the pieces of the puzzle finally came together. “You’re here because you need me to show you what’s behind that door.”

  “Yes. It’s your beginning, but it is believed that this where Glen’s plan to destroy the Others took root. I need to know what happened in the past to stop him in the future.”

  I licked my dry lips. “And if I refuse?”

  Azura growled impatiently. “Glen will win, sealing the ultimate destruction of the Others.” She paused when the loud snarling and growling from the next room vibrated against the walls. “Valkyrie, you must show me what’s in that room.”

  My hands were trembling. This was it. The moment I dreaded, learning the truth Mom tried so hard to bury. “Why does this feel so much bigger than me?”

  “Because it is, but you’ve known that all your life. We must move on, Infinity. Time is running out. I’m struggling as it is to cloak us from Glen’s detection, but soon, he’ll catch on and figure out what I am doing. We need to move fast.”

  This was all up to me now, and this time, I wasn’t going to stick my head in the sand and pretend it wasn’t happening. Besides, I was growing more pissed off by the minute, and I needed to know why Mom lied.

  I shoved down my fear and pushed open the door, stopping short when I smelled something odd in the air. The hairs on my arms stood up warningly.

  What the hell was that foul smell?

  I dragged in another deep lungful and recognized the smell immediately. The air reeked of death and decay.

  “What the hell is this?” I asked.

  The door slammed open. “Move forward, Valkyrie.” Azura hissed menacingly.

  Hesitantly, I peeked in, only to see huge wolf-shifters snarling and snapping as they launched themselves at vampires with blood-red eyes and sharp, razor-like nails extended from their pale fingers.

  “Oh, hell no! I’m not going in there.” I stepped back, bumping into a hard force that brutally shoved me forward.

  The force shoved again. “Woman up! This is nothing but a glimpse of the past. It cannot change or harm unless you command it to do so.”

  Taking a couple of steps forward, I could physically taste the acrid blood lingering sickeningly in the air. My body froze with fear at the total chaos of the bloody fighting. Vampires swiped fiercely at men who transformed mid-air into huge, hairy, snarling wolves. It was unadulterated savagery. I gulped at the blood and body parts scattered across the floor like confetti.

  Azura chuckled like some evil villain. “Courage, Valkyrie.” A gust of wind circled me, pushing me forward brutally. “Just in time… It looks like the star of the show is arriving.”

  My head snapped around at the soft wisp of air whirling in a circular pattern. Out of thin air, Mom swooped out of the shadows decked out in a full-bodied, skin-tight, black leather cat suit with bright gold corset with intricate markings. Glorious ink-black wings protruded from her back as her tall, lithe body landed softly onto the ground into a crouch.

  Frankly, she looked scary and totally badass.

  “Mom!” I shouted as I stupidly ran toward her with arms wide open, only to have my hands pass straight through her body like some ghost aberration.

  Mom shivered before looking around suspiciously.

  “How can she sense me?” I asked flatly.

  “Past, present, it doesn’t matter. Valkyries can automatically sense their sister’s power.”

  I looked around accusingly. Something about this situation did not sit well with me. It felt like Azura was studying me like some lab rat in some horrible experiment. “Azura, why won’t you reveal yourself to me?”

  “Won’t? I’m not controlling what you see. You are. I’m only a visitor to your past, like you were to mine.”

  My head snapped around at the sound of ear-piercing snarls vibrating through the air as big wolf-shifters clashed with vampires. My eyes watered at the way they tore into each other ruthlessly. Men partially shifted into half-wolf, then ran past me while shooting at vampires. Upon impact, the bullets disintegrated the vampires into fiery embers. The air pulsed with such raw hatred and violence that it seeped into my pores, making me lightheaded.

  I needed this to be over as quickly as possible. “Why are they fighting? Does this have anything to do with the Fire and Ash war?” I asked sharply.

  “Yes,” she responded just as sharply.

  “Is this the beginning or end of it?”

  “Valkyrie, let me watch what is transpiring, then we both will have the answer
s to our questions,” Azura snapped.

  We watched curiously as Mom’s hard, violet eyes assessed the battle chaos taking place before standing. “Shit! I hate these idiots,” she bit out before slowly releasing her grip on her guns.

  My eyes widened at her blunt coldness. This version of Mom was different. Gone was the nurturing softness I grew up loving. Now, there was nothing but hard cruelty flicking through her demeanor as shifters decapitated vampires and the feral snarls and screams of dying vampires and wolves filled the air.

  Mom’s gold arm gauntlets glistened as she impatiently tossed back her waist-length blond hair, pulled back in a long, rope-like braid. Her nose twitched at the sight of a strikingly handsome man with glistening coal-black hair that kissed his shoulders and eyes languid with bloodlust.

  “And here’s the biggest idiot of them all,” Mom spat with disgust.

  I shivered at the sudden gust of cold air. “Wait… I’ve seen him before. That’s Cortez Taron, the president of the Collective Corporation.”

  Azura snorted. “That’s nothing but a fancy title for the head of the Vampire Collective. He’s a bloodthirsty, power-climbing, backstabbing vampire who, in this point in time, is nothing but the vampire king’s second-in-command.”

  Cortez was the man Mom had believed was her true-mate. My eyes widened as his canines viciously tore into the neck of a shifter without flinching and specks of blood splattered against the pale skin of his cheekbones that looked chiselled from beautiful white marble.

  Azura snorted. “Savage!”

  Inching closer, I examined his over-six-foot frame swathed in badass attire: black jeans and a T-shirt that displayed the rippling muscles of his chest and legs.

  My mind whirled with evil possibilities. “Can he help me kill Mason?”

  Azura responded coolly. “I believe the correct question is will he?”

  My eyes narrowed. Vampires killed Zoe and Diego. They couldn’t be trusted, but I was desperate. “So will he help me?”

  “Cortez will do anything for a price.”