Page 28 of Alpha Hunger

“Eat.” She looks me up and down, then pinches her lips. “Eat more nachos.”

I don’t think I’m up to par with her size standard. I am thin, but not unhealthily thin. I take after my dad’s sister, who carries the thin gene.

The nacho flavor spreads on my tongue.Mmm.I dip the second one in salsa and throw it in my mouth. My eyes nearly pop out of my head. “Hot, hot, hot.” I look around for water.

Antonia laughs and grabs a pitcher of milk. I don’t care what it is, I’m eying her pouring the glass and urging her on with my glare. I accept the cup, gulp the liquid in a single throwback. I stretch out my hand. “More, please.” I huff and puff, trying to chase the jalapeño away.

The prince munches on the plain nachos. “It is salsa,” he deadpans.

“I know what it is.”

“The salsa is hot.”

“Not all salsa is hot. There’s mild kinds.”

“Oh, honey, that’s just tomato sauce,” Antonia says.

“Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

“Something cooked for you?” she asks, hope in her eyes.

“We just came from a dinner. But Hunger didn’t eat.”

Hunger drops his nacho on his plate and leans back, eyes narrowed.

Antonia pets his head. “His name is Raven. My boy. The first thing he did when he got through the space gate was look for my house so he could tell me my missing daughter is alive and well, mated to a fine Horde male. Then he did me a favor I can never repay.” Antonia leaves us, and Raven grabs a pair of tacos and shoves them into his mouth. A few crunches of his powerful jaw, and the food is gone.

“I’m a boy around here,” he says.

I shake my head. “That’s a kind sentiment. She loves you.” Come to think of it, all his staff love him.

“It is well earned,” he says and continues eating. “I killed Antonia’s husband.”

Murder is second nature to this male. I don’t know why I’m shocked or why I’m having a hard time accepting him. It’s not as if I didn’t know all the many reasons people named him Hunger. Though, I admit, facing Hunger and talking about him isn’t the same.

Antonia and her brother return and sit at the table across from us. Their English is broken, but I think they try for me so I don’t feel left out. I don’t feel left out at all. I feel like the prince is sharing something with me, something…human, though he’d hate it if I pointed out the way he laughs at Antonia’s jokes, or the way his posture slouches around these nice people. He’s comfortable, almost relaxed, and that’s something to remember.

The chat turns back to Spanish, and Antonia gets animated, her hands moving, and she speaks rapidly while the prince eats and nods, not saying anything.

My eyes droop, and Antonia notices. She brings me a cup of coffee.

“Thank you.” I leave it at the table, having no intention of ingesting caffeine this late at night. I’m feeling that wine now. It’s saying,sleep.

Having eaten his fill, the prince gets up and stands by the door.

I join him. “Pst,” I say. “You forgot to pay. I’d cover it, but I have no purse.”

“Pst,” he says and picks me up by my waist. He plops me on Junior. “I did not forget.” He reaches into his pocket and gets white paint to smear a line over Antonia’s door. Something passes between the two, and she closes and locks the door, her eyes taking on a sad expression.

I’m fairly certain the conversation in Spanish was private and Antonia understands more than I do. Which is okay. Everyone should keep their secrets. I hold on to mine too.

Hunger hasn’t marked doors or people since the peace treaty.

The fact he’s marking his people now is bad news.

When the prince mounts Junior and his body presses against mine, I lean my head on his chest and sigh. “I’m so ready for this night to be over.”

“The night has just begun.”

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