Page 16 of Stalked By the Alphas
“It’s refreshing, actually,” Ayden continues, his eyes warm. “I admire that kind of independence and drive.”
I relax slightly, offering him a small smile. “Thank you. It hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“And that ex of yours?” Ayden asks, his jaw tightening slightly. “He didn’t appreciate your independence?”
I sigh, stirring my tea absently. “Rob... it’s complicated. We weren’t together long, and I thought things were going well. Then he just ended it out of the blue with a text message.”
Ayden’s eyebrows shoot up. “A text message? That’s cold.”
“Yeah,” I agree, taking a sip of my tea. “And now heshows up wanting to talk, but I’m not interested in his excuses.”
“Good for you,” Ayden says firmly. “You deserve better than that.”
I look up, meeting his intense gaze. There’s something in his eyes that makes my breath catch. Attraction, certainly, but also a hint of protectiveness. It thrills my omega side but totally unnerves the paranoid part of me.Be careful, Hazel. This guy might not be who you want him to be.
He smiles and takes a sip of his tea. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. If he is the stalker, I should be able to catch him out and make sure he goes to jail. All I need to do is keep a close eye on him and try not to fall for him.
Easy. Right?
10
CARTER
“Who the fuck is that?”I growl as I see Hazel sitting in the window of the tea shop with some idiot who needs to have his face rearranged.
“Ask this fucker,” Zach snarls as he slams Rob up against the alley wall to the side of the newsagent’s near the car park. “You were told to stay away. Do you have a death wish?”
Rob struggles against Zach’s grip, his eyes wide with panic. “I—I was trying to make things right with her.”
I grab Rob by the throat, squeezing just enough to make him rasp. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear the other night? Do we need a rehash?”
Rob’s eyes widen as he knows he fucked up. Big time. I’m done with threats; this arsehole is going down just as soon as I get him away from this village where I have no doubt we are already making a scene. I let himgo with a growl. Hazel can’t know we are here yet. It will ruin everything.
“Who’s that alpha she’s with?” I ask him instead of killing him.
Rob shakes his head frantically. “I don’t know! He just showed up at the bookshop when I was trying to talk to Hazel.”
Frustration surges through me. This wasn’t part of the plan. Some random alpha swooping in and getting close to Hazel could ruin everything we’ve been working towards.
“We need to get rid of him,” I mutter, glancing back towards the tea shop where I can see Hazel laughing at something the stranger said. The sight makes my blood boil.
Zach nods in agreement. “And what about this one?” He jerks his head towards Rob, who’s still cowering against the wall, looking terrified.
“I think it’s time we remind him what happens when he disobeys,” I growl, my eyes locked on Rob’s trembling form. “Take him to the house. I’ll deal with him later.”
Zach nods, a cruel smile twisting his lips as he grabs Rob roughly by the arm. “With pleasure.”
As Zach drags Rob away, I turn my attention back to the tea shop. Through the window, I can see Hazel smiling and chatting animatedly with the stranger. My fists clench at my sides, rage bubbling up inside me.
Who does this alpha think he is, swooping in andgetting close to our omega? Doesn’t he know she belongs to us?
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. We can’t afford to lose control now, not when we’re closing in on our goal. This is just a minor setback. We’ll deal with this arsehole, just like we’ve dealt with every other alpha who’s tried to get close to Hazel over the years, just like every person in her life that has tried to take her away from us or control her. Her friends. Her parents... they were all part of the plan to isolate her. We didn’t foresee her deciding to move up here, hundreds of miles away from us, but even that wasn’t an insurmountable problem. We wanted her to have her shop and do the things she wanted to do and be. We love her. We want nothing more for her than the life she deserves. But she made a very grave error in cutting us out of her life, and she will pay for that.
I force a smile on my face as an old man walking his dog gives me a glare. I’m still loitering in the alley, probably looking suspicious as fuck. “Afternoon,” I say with a nod.
He narrows his eyes at me and carries on.
There is nothing for it. I’m going to have to abandon my post. That tea shop alpha can be dealt with later. Right now, Rob needs a lesson in who not to cross.
