Alpha’s Hunger Box Set: Books 1-3

by Wilder, Carina

  “Do you want to sit?” I asked, but Tristan shook his head.

  “No. You need to stay with me and be ready,” he said mysteriously, taking my hand and pulling me closer. He kissed me again, reminding me that soon maybe we’d finally consummate this insane relationship of ours. “We’ll be getting off in a little.”

  I looked up at the map. “Northern Boulevard Station?” I asked. “I wouldn’t have expected that, but okay. My curiosity is definitely piqued.”

  “Good. I like it when you’re intrigued. Makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”

  “You’re always doing something right,” I told him. “Like now, looking at me like that, you’re doing something very right to my loins.”

  He chuckled and pushed his face close to my neck. “I only wish I could get my tongue somewhere near your loins and lick you until you come,” he whispered.

  “You and me both.”

  After a minute or so, the train slowed down then pulled to a stop inside the dark tunnel between the two nearest stations. I looked up at Tristan, who seemed utterly unfazed by this development.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” announced a garbled voice over the loudspeaker, “we are experiencing a small technical delay. The train will begin moving again in approximately thirty seconds.”

  I looked at Tristan and shrugged. I didn’t much care if we were late, as long as we were together.

  He smiled as if he knew exactly what was going on. “Trust me?” he asked, renewing his grip on my hand.

  I nodded.

  He pulled himself backwards until he stood in front of the doors, which opened behind him. My jaw dropped to shout a warning. But as if he knew exactly what he was doing, he leapt backwards, pulling me with him into the tunnel. I tumbled out, unprepared and unbalanced, but he caught me in his arms just as I heard the whoosh of the doors behind me.

  I turned and looked towards the train to see that not a single passenger was staring out the window at us. No one seemed to have noticed what had just happened.

  “What the…?” I asked, letting out a confused chuckle. We were standing in the dark, too close for comfort to a train that was about to begin moving again, and I had no idea how we’d gotten here, or where we were going.

  But somehow, I knew it was all part of Tristan’s plan.

  “Come on,” he said, pressing close to the wall and leading me towards the back of the train, which had started advancing slowly.

  “Did you do that?” I asked.

  “Do what?”

  “Stop an entire subway line in its tracks.”

  “Of course,” he said. “I run this city. I thought you knew that by now.”

  I let out a laugh. “I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t exactly believe them until now. I guess I stand corrected, or something.”

  He guided me a hundred feet or so towards a set of steps that led to a door with a small, round window. A yellow glow pierced through the glass invitingly, seeming to call upon us to enter. We scaled the steps in the darkness, then Tristan pulled the door open and guided me into whatever strange place awaited us.

  “After you,” he said.

  Wordlessly, I stepped through the doorway into a narrow corridor. It, like the subway tunnel, was dark with soot, its walls all but black. But I could see now that the light that had been shining out through the window was coming from a series of torches that hung along the walls. The display seemed strange, to say the least. Who had lit them? Why were they even here?

  “This doesn’t strike me as official City Transit lighting,” I said.

  “No,” he replied. “It’s not. It’s only here to guide us towards our meeting.”

  “Meeting?” I stared at him, trying to understand. “What sort of a meeting takes place underground? Where are you bringing me, exactly?”

  “To meet the Council,” he said. “A secret group of shifters.”

  “Oh, crap. You’re not going to sacrifice me to the gods of werewolves or something, are you?” I asked, only about ten percent serious.

  He shook his head. “The only way I ever want to sacrifice your body is as my personal sex toy,” he growled low, sending a twinge of delight straight to my clit.

  “Good boy,” I replied. “You know how to please a girl.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  We proceeded down the hall about twenty feet before arriving at another door. This one was made of solid wood, and arched skyward like the entrance of a church.

  Tristan knocked three times, slowly, steadily, like a heartbeat. A moment later, the door pulled open inwards. But strangely enough, no one was on the other side to greet us.

  He walked through first, and I followed, holding onto his hand like it was the only thing keeping me from sinking into a world from which I might never return.

  I’d never been so delighted and so frightened at once.

  Chapter 23

  The room we’d entered was round, beautiful, and surprisingly enormous, its ceiling rising in a domed peak high over our heads. Torch light revealed that it had been carved out of stone, exquisitely and intricately, like the inside of an ancient Greek temple. Fluted stone columns surrounded us on all sides, directing my eyes to a marble floor embedded with a strange sort of coat of arms of black and gold.

  I stepped forward to look down at the design. When I’d turned myself around, I could see that it was a shield, split into four equal sections. One showed the shape of a lion, another a wolf. The third was a bear, the fourth, a black raven.

  “What is this place?” I asked, turning to Tristan, who was watching me, the reflection of flames flickering in his eyes. He looked more wild, more handsome than ever in this ethereal, powerful room.

  “It’s the meeting place of the Leaders,” he replied.

  “Leaders? Of what?”

  “Of the four Sects of New York,” said a voice from somewhere behind me. I spun around to see a very large man walking towards us. His shoulders were as broad as a refrigerator door, his jaw like a squared-off lantern. His face was incredibly handsome, and he reminded me of a larger version of Tristan, though something about him felt more feral, even.

  One of his cheeks was scarred deep red from the slash of a blade, or perhaps a claw.

  “What do you mean, sects?” I asked.

  “That’s what we call the four principal groups of shifters,” said Tristan, moving closer to me and placing his hand on my lower back, as if to remind me that I wasn’t alone. “The bears, the cats, the flyers and the wolves. The heads of those groups meet on occasion, when issues come up. Tonight they’ll be here, as well as a few others.”

  “I see,” I said. But I didn’t, not really. I felt like another round of shock was hitting me after last night’s initial madness. It was one thing to find out that werewolves—or shifters, or whatever they were called—were a real thing. But it hadn’t quite occurred to me that there were so many kinds. I was beginning to wonder how many people who walked the streets of Manhattan could turn into other creatures. Was I the only average human around?

  “There are others here, too,” said Tristan, nodding at someone to his right. I turned to see Kara standing in the shadows, leaning against one of the columns. Her expression was solemn, but she stepped forward obediently and nodded a greeting. “I’m here for my kind,” she said. “To work with the shifters, to offer our renewed protection and allegiance to them.”

  “Protection from what?” I asked. For the first time, I realized that I didn’t know who or what it was that Tristan had battled against, the other night in Colorado. I didn’t know what had killed Kara’s Valkyrie sister.

  “Everything will be answered soon,” Tristan said. “Come on,” he added, turning to the others. “Let’s bring out the table and we’ll all have a seat.”

  With that, a group of ten or so very large men emerged from the shadows between two columns, carrying a table of solid wood that looked like it must have weighed a ton or more. They set it down over the coat of arms and p
roceeded to transport tall wooden chairs to its sides, distributing them quickly and evenly, like they’d done it a thousand times before.

  Tristan sat down at the table’s head, gesturing to me to take a seat next to him. One by one, tall, powerful-looking men and elegant, lithe women walked in and took their places on either side of the table.

  When everyone else had seated themselves, Tristan stood up. I drew in a gasp to realize how powerful he looked. So tall, so muscular and broad. His short beard reminded me of the Greek god Zeus, ruling over all his subordinates. Dictating how things would go from now on.

  “You all know why I’ve brought you here today,” he said. “You’ve heard by now what happened in Colorado on Saturday night. The Seven are on the move. Krane struck out at me; he was testing us, testing our strength. It’s my belief that he’ll move on New York if he sees a vulnerability in our forces.” He looked down at me. “He sent one of his wolf servants for Ariana last night, and I have no doubt that he’ll try again to hurt her, or me. That means attacking any of you. He knows you’re my allies, and I’m sorry to report that your loyalty has put you in danger.”

  The others nodded, their expressions grim. I looked around, studying their faces. Each of them was beautiful, with that same out-of-this-world aura that Tristan and Kara possessed. No one seemed particularly concerned that I was there, or that I knew their secret. No one asked; it was as if they simply accepted my presence.

  I supposed they trusted the man at the head of the table enough not to question his judgment.

  “The question is, how did Krane know where I was?” Tristan added. With those words, his voice changed, deepening to something more authoritative and frightening than I’d ever heard from his lips. He leaned forward, pressing his hands to the table, and looked around. “Which one of you informed him of my plans, I wonder?”

  I found myself tensing, my fingernails digging into my thighs through my jeans. If it was true—if someone in this room had betrayed Tristan, I could only imagine what he’d do to them.

  Somehow, I found the courage to look around the table, to study the faces of the shifters again. For the most part they looked confident, calm. Only one of them seemed jittery, like he couldn’t quite get comfortable in his seat.

  Tristan seemed to see it, too, and he stared at the man, a light-haired shifter with golden eyes. “I think I have my answer,” he said.

  He turned to Kara. “Would you please escort Luther from this place?” he asked.

  Immediately, Kara slipped over and took the man by the arm. For a split second he seemed to resist, but she tightened her grip, drawing an ugly cry of pain from his throat. She was stronger than I’d imagined. From the looks of her, she should never have been able to take a man of his size on, yet she had no trouble grasping him between her fingers and inflicting enough agony to force him to submit.

  “Where is she taking him?” I whispered to Tristan as chatter crescendoed around us, the shifters turning to one another to discuss what had just happened.

  “To a holding cell,” he said. “I’ll be speaking with him another time. For now he can think about what he’s done to me. To us.”

  The word us vibrated through me like a drug. I knew then how angry Tristan must be at this Luther person. My lover wanted nothing more than to protect me, and it filled me with affection to know that he cared so deeply that he would take one of his own captive to ensure my safety. No one had shielded me from harm since my father’s death.

  I’d almost forgotten the sensation.

  “You’re not going to…” I began.

  “I’ll punish him as he deserves,” Tristan said with finality, and I knew better than to ask what that meant.

  “Is he a sect leader?”

  He shook his head. “No. He was next in line to lead the cats, however. He wanted to move up in the world, and I suspect that he thought being on Krane’s side was a good idea. He had inside information, and he used it against me.”

  With that, he addressed the group that still sat around the table.

  “Needless to say, I don’t tolerate insubordination. You all know that I would die to protect you. I expect the same from all of you.”

  “Of course,” said the large, broad-shouldered man who’d spoken to me earlier. “But I have to ask—is it time? Should we call on the Four for help?”

  I didn’t know who the Four were, but something about the way the man said the word sent goosebumps rising along my flesh.

  Tristan shook his head. “No. Not yet. We don’t want to start a war that arches over the entire earth, not unless we have to. We can only hope to reason with Krane for now. This grudge of his has gone on long enough. It’s up to me to deal with him.”

  “Reason?” asked Kara, who’d just stepped back into the room, presumably after locking Luther away. The angry expression on her face made me think of a frosty, impenetrable queen. Her voice was sharp, not at all the usual calm tone that I’d heard out of her in past. She glared at Tristan with fire in her eyes and proceeded to speak. “How do you propose to reason with the person responsible for killing my sister? You think we can have a sensible conversation with a psychopath? He lost whatever shred of humanity he had a long time ago. I know he’s your brother, Tristan, but you should know what he is by now.”

  “I know exactly what he is. He’s a man who thinks he can work his way to the top of the ladder and take over,” Tristan replied calmly, “when we all know that he can’t. The Alpha doesn’t gain this position through intimidation, but by earning the trust of his peers. So, inhuman or not, he’s well aware that his slash and burn tactics won’t work. But aside from all that, we don’t want to invoke the wrath of the Seven just now. It would be imprudent, to say the least.”

  “But as Kara says, what if Krane won’t listen to reason?” asked another man, one with astonishing dark hair and eyes, seated at the far end of the table.

  “Then I’ll have to deal with him myself,” Tristan said. “If I have to, I’ll find a way to take him out. In the meantime, I’m counting on you—particularly those with eyes in the sky—to watch over Ariana, and over others who might be vulnerable in the days ahead. If anyone spots shifters making trouble, come to me immediately. Do you understand?”

  The entire room nodded compliance.

  I wanted to speak, to say something in protest of the crazy notion that these amazing creatures would waste their time protecting me, but my voice caught in my throat. I couldn’t bear the idea of these people—these shifters—putting themselves in danger for me. They were so strange, so magical. So powerful.

  I felt unworthy.

  “Krane’s men may go after Lessers. They may try to use them in order to get to me,” Tristan continued. “They will be aggressive. They will fight until the time comes when they see that they can’t win this battle.”

  “And when will that time be?” asked Kara. “When every last one of my people lies bleeding on the ground? At some point, Tristan, we need to take the fight to them.”

  “The time will come, and soon,” Tristan said. He never showed a sign of anger, of defensiveness. It was like he understood that every word out of her mouth came from raw pain, and he knew to temper it with calm. “Soon, Valkyrie, I promise. But the battle can’t be rushed. We need to wait for them to come to us. We have the advantage, but only as long as we’re on Manhattan’s streets. This is our home turf. We know its ins and outs.”

  Once again, I was lost. I had no idea what he was talking about. What was this mysterious battle that was going to take place, this moment in time that would miraculously make our side emerge victorious?

  “I’m sorry,” I said at last, my cheeks heating with self-consciousness to have so many extraordinary eyes turn to me at once. “What exactly is the plan?”

  Tristan smiled at me, a look on his face that warmed my insides and told me that everything was going to be okay. “Nothing that you need to worry about right now. Just know that we’ll find a way to make everything
all right.”

  In that moment, I believed him. I trusted him.

  I had no reason not to.

  But we both failed to anticipate the true threat that would come my way.

  The threat that would try to steal my life from me.

  Chapter 24

  For the rest of the meeting Tristan was seated. He’d taken my hand in his on top of the table, as if to announce to this strange underworld gathering that we were officially together.

  Plans were made. The bear shifters, apparently, had control over the lower east side, the large cat shifters would stick to their upper west side. Watchers would keep their eyes on my building at all hours of the day or night in order to make sure that Marcus and I weren’t invaded by any more hostile visitors.

  To say that I was overwhelmed when I realized this entire meeting seemed to center around my own protection would have been a giant understatement. I couldn’t quite fathom how it had come to pass that all these powerful beings, for some insane reason, were looking after me. A woman who’d always thought she was worthless. A woman who’d always felt alone and helpless.

  I now found myself with a whole new family—one more intent on my well-being, even, than my own mother had ever been. My new set of allies was, in fact, a room full of strangers who seemed to know everything about me. Where I lived, what I did for a living, how long Tristan and I had known each other.

  The only problem was that I didn’t know most of their names.

  When the meeting had concluded, the shifters and Kara milled around the room, speaking amongst themselves. Tristan introduced me to the man with the jet-black hair and piercing black eyes who’d spoken up earlier.

  “Ariana, this is Rourke,” Tristan said. “He’s the head of the Manhattan Ravens’ Conspiracy.”

  “Conspiracy?” I asked. “I always thought a group of ravens was a murder.”

  “That’s crows,” Rourke replied, laughing. He had a friendly, warm smile, and I liked him immediately. I’d never thought of ravens as gregarious creatures, but something about his human exterior defied whatever animal nature might lurk inside him. I could see that he was someone people probably gravitated towards on a regular basis, handsome with a hint of mystery.