Page 66 of Stolen By the Alpha Hunter
The defiance in his eyes flickers, then dies. I see it in real time—the moment the fear takes over.
“No, sir,” he says, barely more than a whisper.
I smile without warmth and clap a heavy hand on his shoulder, just hard enough to make him flinch.
“Smart boy.”
I drag my chair back to its place and drop into it with a casual sprawl, like the moment never happened. But my heart’s still hammering in my chest—because the second I sit, my gaze finds her again.
Peaches.
She’s watching from the other side of the room, her arms wrapped around herself, the other omegas looking in as well. Seeing me watching her seems to trigger her into action, though, and she walks meekly into the room with a plate of pastries.
All this horror…and she’s making goddamn cupcakes.
She doesn’t say a word as she puts them down—just leans across Abel to place the tray at the center of the table, the hem of my shirt riding high, giving every bastard here a long look at her thighs.
Abel’s nostrils flare. He tilts his head, inhales, slow and showy, like he’s savoring her scent. Like he’s already thinking about peeling that shirt off and replacing my bite with his own.
My heart slams hard against my ribs, every instinct screamingmove,claim,kill.
I don’t blink. I don’t breathe.
I’m already imagining how I’d do it—just one step and I could have my hands around his throat. I could slam his head into the table and snap his neck before anyone could stop me. I’d bathe in his blood if it meant she’d be safe.
But I don’t.
Because she’s still here.
Because her hands are still trembling.
Because I see the fear she’s holding back behind her brave little smile.
So I stay in my seat.
I keep still.
For her.
Abel picks up a cupcake and raises it to his mouth like he’s about to suck honey from the comb. His eyes stay locked on mine, a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth as he takes a slow, indulgent bite.
He moans. Moans.
Like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted.
Like it wasmeantfor him.
And in that second, he tells me exactly what I already knew.
If you don’t take her, I will.
“So Javier,” Gideon says, his interruption the only thing stopping me from slaughtering Abel right here and now. “Tomorrow I’m putting you to work. I want you out on one of the fishing boats, assuming you’ve fished before.”
“I’m not leaving her behind,” I say.
“Well, you’re gonna have to,” he smiles.
He leans forward and rests his elbows on the table like we’re in some kind of negotiation, even though he knows he has all the leverage here. All I have on my side is brute force and stubbornness—and those can only go so far.
