Preview: Claiming the Alpha Chapter One

Chapter One Preview: Claiming the Alpha

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Chapter One

Darius Corvinus surveyed the glitz and glamour of his surroundings, barely able to hide the contempt seething inside him. This gathering brought together some of the most prominent Lycans in the world, and to say that he felt out of place was an understatement.

The silk tuxedo tie around his neck felt like a noose, and he had to fight his every instinct to tug at it so he could breathe. His Uncle Anatoli said it was necessary; that they would never let him into the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria if he wasn’t dressed properly. The gold-embossed invite on the cream linen paper wasn’t enough to grant him entrance to the ascension ceremony of the two most powerful would-be Alphas in the world. He had to look like he belonged.

He huffed. Belong was a not a word he was acquainted with. He wasn’t sure where he belonged, really. Maybe it was far away, in that poor, dusty village in Romania where he grew up. But it had been more than two decades since he’d been there and he doubted he would even recognize it now, much less feel at home there. But then again, he didn’t feel like he belonged in America either. Not since—

Someone jostled him, knocking him out of his thoughts. He gritted his teeth, scoffing mentally at the people around him, laughing and chatting without a care in the world. All these Lycans in this enclosed space wasn’t good for him, or his wild wolf. But relentless practice over the years taught him to rein in his animal’s nature. So that he could be normal. At least, appear to be anyway.

Being chosen to attend to such a gathering should have been an honor. But his Uncle Anatoli knew he would hate it. Perhaps that was the reason why he sent him here. As head of The Family, Anatoli Corvinus had every right to give him orders, and as his nephew and one of his enforcers, Darius had no choice but to obey. Privately, he had voiced his objections to Anatoli.

“Why must I go?” he had asked his uncle. “Surely you must be the one to represent us.”

“And that is the reason why I cannot be there,” Anatoli answered. “I am far too busy with business for such trivial matters.”

Darius bit his tongue, not wanting to point out that the ascension of a new Alpha—technically, their Alpha—was not a trivial matter. But then again, Frankie Anderson had all but abandoned her post as New Jersey’s Alpha, so why should it matter who would be taking up the mantle after her? The Family could run their business as they had done the past few decades, no matter who the Alpha was.

“Champagne, sir?”

He stared down at the young woman holding up a tray of delicate glass flutes filled with bubbly liquid. Human. For a moment, her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth gaped. He was used to such a reaction, from both Lycans and non-Lycans alike. Usually it was the tattoos that covered most of his upper body that made people gawk though his tuxedo jacket and shirt hid most of the ink on his skin. So, most likely, it was the shock of pure silvery gray hair on his head. If it wasn’t for his height or bulk, most people would have thought he was an old man. The few who dared talk to him would often ask if he dyed his hair, to which he would just answer a simple no.

“Sir?” the young woman repeated.

He shook his head. “No, thank you.”

She gave him a nod and walked away, proffering her drinks to the other guests. Alcohol was not something he enjoyed, and this certainly was not a celebration for him or The Family. Though he came as a representative, this was also part of business. When it came to The Family, everything was about the business. He was here to scope out the new Alpha, and to report any findings back to his uncle.
Something soft brushed past him, and he heard the rustle of fabric and felt the caress of silk against the back of his hand. He froze, his spine going all stiff. His inner wolf, too, went very still, its ears standing at attention. When he turned, he scented it—something sweet and delicious. He closed his eyes to get a better read on the scent. It reminded him of the sweet cheese pastries of his childhood, the ones his bunică—grandmother—used to make.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, his gaze fixing on the woman in a long dress walking away from him. He didn’t know why, but he had this urge to follow her. And so he found himself weaving through the crowd, trailing after her delicious scent.

When she stopped to talk to a tall, blond man, he hung back so neither would notice him. His wolf growled at how the man seemed too familiar with her. He stood close—too close—as he spoke.

Why was he reacting this way? He had yet to see her face. Sure, he could tell she had generous curves from the way her sea-colored gown clung to her body, but he didn’t even know what she looked like. Her hair though, looked silky and thick and he wondered how they would feel between his fingers.

Soon the man left her alone. Good. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to come near her or even overtake her so he could glimpse her face. Like he was almost afraid of what he’d see.

He kept a good distance between them, not too far that he lost sight of her, but not too close that anyone would notice. The moment he walked into the ballroom, he knew that the entire place was being watched carefully, most likely by the New York clan’s famed Lycan security guards. Already, he counted them around the area—one in the far corner, a second in the mezzanine, and a third pretending to sip champagne as he spoke into a communication device tucked in his ear. It was not that they were terrible at blending in, but Darius was trained to see such things. And after a few minutes, he already knew that they were watching her too.

Who was this mysterious woman?

She stopped and then pivoted on her heel, and if he had been less careless, she would have bumped straight into him. He quickly sidestepped so she wouldn’t notice him, grabbing a champagne flute from a passing waiter’s tray. Had he been faster, he would have seen her face, maybe even known what the color of her eyes were. When he finally reoriented himself and looked toward the direction where she ran off. She was gone.

He cursed, craning his neck for any sign of her. Her dress was distinct enough, but there were too many people. Surely she couldn’t have gone too far. It would easy enough to—

The explosion came unexpectedly, disorienting him. He thought it was a trick or that he was imagining it, but the ringing in his ears told him it was real. Before he could figure out what was happening, a second, even stronger explosion blasted into the room, knocking down several guests, including himself. He braced himself as his knees hit the floor, his palms smacking down on the hardwood the only thing keeping him from sprawling over.

A growl ripped from his throat as he composed himself. He shot to his feet and assessed his environment. Chaos reigned as people scrambled and ran for cover. Strange men dressed in robes entered through two giant gaping holes in the walls. Behind them, people in dark combat gear filed in, weapons raised and pointed into the throng of well-dressed guests.

His wolf coiled inside him, ready to pounce, to fight and to kill if necessary. His first thought, however, was the woman in the blue-green dress. Where was she? Had she made it out before the explosion?

His brain told him to leave now. This wasn’t their fight. He needed to get out. Stay alive. He wasn’t going to be collateral damage in some unknown war.

But his wolf was already fighting this brain, and he found himself heading straight into the thick of it all.

A cry made him turn his head. He’d never heard her speak but he just knew. That was her.

He turned toward the sound, his legs pumping as he sped across the ballroom. What he saw had his vision turning red. Two men dressed in robes standing over a figure slumped on the floor, a pool of silky blue-green fabric around their feet.

His wolf ripped out of him so fast that he felt lightheaded. His animal leapt up and soared toward the two men. A large paw reached out and swatted one man, knocking him down as the wolf sailed forward, opening its jaw as razor-sharp teeth went right for the other man’s jugular. The wolf’s mouth was so large it practically engulfed the man’s head, and as it bore down, the satisfying crunch of bone filled his ears just as he felt the warm blood gushing into his mouth.

It didn’t even take five seconds to take down both men. The wolf released what was left of its victim and turned to the unconscious woman on the floor.

Need to get her to safety.

The wolf wholeheartedly agreed with him for once and relinquished their body to him. He didn’t waste a second and scooped her up into his arms, then made his way toward the exit, not really caring where he was going or that his clothes had ripped away in his hasty shift. All that mattered was to get her far away from those seeking to harm her.

He followed the rest of people fleeing, down a long carpeted hallway, but instead of heading into the lobby, he turned down another smaller hallway and into the first door he found—the ladies’ restroom. He rushed inside into the plush sitting room and gently, he laid her down on the couch. Unable to stop himself, he pushed the strands of thick dark curls away from her face.

His chest tightened as looked at the exquisite face of the woman who had captivated him and his wolf. He couldn’t turn away and his gaze swept over her, starting from her delicately arched thick brows, her pert nose, and her plump lips. The dress she wore exposed her shoulders and the expanse of smooth olive skin of the tops of her lush breasts. He knew he shouldn’t be admiring the assets of an unconscious woman, but he couldn’t help himself. This was the body of a real woman, all curves and dips. Sturdy and well-built, made to be handled.

A soft gasp made him freeze. Her lips parted though she didn’t move at all. When her eyes began to flutter, he held his breath. Though clouded and unfocused, he finally saw the color of her eyes. Rather, the colors. One blue and the other green. The color of the sky and the sea, a contrast that seemed to make her even more beguiling.

For a moment, they seemed to focus. They stared up at him, but her eyelids struggled to stay open before shutting again. He reached out to touch her cheek and felt a zing across his fingertips at the contact.

Who are you?

His inner wolf howled. The urge to take her away and protect her came over him. A silly notion. She was a stranger. Vulnerable, yes, but he didn’t even know who she was.

He heard shuffling outside and went still. And he realized that it was unusually quiet. The chaos had died down. Perhaps the attackers had been defeated.

I’m a damn fool. He should have run at the first sign of danger. Who cares if all those Lycans had been killed? It would have been a boon to The Family as they would be able to go about their business without interference.

The doorknob creaked as it turned and he quickly dashed into one of the empty stalls, carefully closing the door and bracing himself against it. He closed his eyes, focusing his keen hearing on what was happening outside. Rustling fabric. The click-clack of heels on marble.

“Oh God. What was I thinking?” There was a barely contained sob and a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have told him—Adrianna?”

Adrianna? Why did that name sound familiar?

“Adrianna! Adrianna! It’s me, Deedee! Wake up!” There was a sniff and a pause. “Oh no. The mages must have hit you good with whatever potions they had. They’re gone now, but … don’t worry, I’ll get help and I’ll come back right away.” He heard more movement and the sound of the door creaking open before it slammed shut.

Darius counted to ten before he carefully made his way out of the stall. The other woman said she would be back soon, which meant he didn’t have any time. He glanced back at the woman on the couch.

Adrianna.

As in, Adrianna Anderson. He recognized the name from the invitation. This was the New Jersey clan’s soon-to-be Alpha. His Alpha.

It couldn’t be. But surely there weren’t many Adriannas here tonight. He was torn. His wolf refused to leave her side, but he knew that he couldn’t be discovered here. There was too much at stake.

We must go, he told his wolf. He leashed it tight, ignoring its howling protests. The coast was clear outside, and it was now or never. Of course, there was the fact that he was fully naked, his shift having torn his tux and his car keys away. That only made his escape now more urgent. The trip back to New Jersey would be long and it would have to make in wolf form, but he had no choice.

And speaking of going back to The Family headquarters, there was the matter of what he would report back to Anatoli.

Worry about it later. For now, he had to go before anyone saw him.

 

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