Page 25 of Stalked By the Alphas
I do a careful sweep of the shop, checking the till, the shelves, the back room. Everything else seems to be in order.
A horrible thought occurs to me then. What if it’s been here all along, and I just didn’t notice it before? What if I’m so far gone that I’m hallucinating its sudden appearance?
I gulp as I look back at the masked magician, and I feel everything drain out of my soul. I can’t move. I don’t want to move. I just want to stand here, and then maybe things won’t be so wrong.
16
CARTER
Watching.Always watching.
Hazel is in the bookshop. She has freaked out about the masked magician, and now she is just standing there staring at nothing. It’s like she has gone into shock or something. I nod to the same old man I saw yesterday walking his dog. He glares at me, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the road to the bookshop.
“What do you want then?” he asks.
I turn my stare at him, keeping it cool. He is a prime alpha, definitely not one to back down from a fight despite his age. He is a tough arsehole, I can tell that from here. I quite enjoy the fact that he has challenged me loitering here.
“Getting up the nerve to ask the pretty book lady out,” I say with a faked nervous laugh.
His eyes narrow further, and he looks over the roadbefore looking back at me. His suspicion of me doesn’t lessen; if anything, it increases. “Hazel is a good girl. Don’t you go sniffing around her just to hurt her. I know your kind.” He points a gnarled finger at me.
“Oh?” I ask, trying to suppress my smile as I straighten up. My tight black shirt and black combat pants probably aren’t the most innocent sartorial choices, but fuck it. We are getting our hands dirtier than we expected to, and Savile Row suits aren’t cheap.
“Yeah,” he growls. “I was you once, boy, so don’t you pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“I appreciate that you are looking out for Hazel. But I can assure you, I mean her no harm.” Well, in the short term, yes. The long run will be happy ever fucking after.
The old man’s weathered face creases with suspicion. “This village looks after its own, and Hazel is one of us. I’m watching you.” He jabs at his eyes before he jabs his fingers at me.
I force myself to maintain a neutral expression, though inside, I’m trying not to laugh. Not at him. I admire him and aspire to still be an old hardass at his age, but it’s pretty cute. “I assure you, sir, my intentions towards Hazel are entirely honourable.”
He snorts derisively. “Sure they are. That’s why you’re lurking out here like some kind of stalker instead of going in to talk to her like a normal person.”
“I hear you, but I’m working up the nerve. Hazel is special. I want to make a good impression.”
“And how would you knowthatif you haven’t even spoken to her yet?”
Fuck. He’s wily.Thinking quickly, I say, “I’ve been in her shop a few times. Just browsing, you know. But I’ve seen how kind she is with customers, how passionate she is about books. That’s what I mean by special.”
He doesn’t look entirely convinced, but some of the hostility leaves his stance. “Hmph. Well, if that’s true, then stop being a coward and go talk to her properly. Hazel deserves better than some creep watching her from across the street.”
I nod, feigning sheepishness. “You’re right, of course. I’ll do that. Thank you for the advice, sir.”
He grunts and starts to move away, then pauses. “And boy? If I find out you’ve hurt that girl in any way, there won’t be a place on this earth you can hide from me. Understood?”
The threat is as serious as they come. I have no doubt he means every word.
“Understood, sir,” I say solemnly.
He gives me one last hard look before continuing on his way, his tiny dog trotting beside him.
I wait until he’s out of sight before allowing myself to smile. It’s nice to see people looking out for her, but there is nothing and nobody who will stop me from breaking our tiny omega and then putting her back together with all the love she deserves.
But when I glance back at the shop, she is still frozen in place. I make a rash decision to push the timeline forward. Noah and Zach won’t like it, but it’s toughshit. I move forward, and as soon as my foot hits the road, I stop. That fucker Ayden Donoghue is making his way to the bookshop and reaches it before I can. I growl and pick up my pace.
But then I stop dead in my tracks as he speaks to Hazel, and she turns her head slowly. She flings herself into his arms, and he wraps his around her as she sobs her heart out on this fucker’s shoulder.
“Fuck,” I growl, frustrated as I back off. It will ruin everything if I try to go to her now. I won’t see her true reaction to seeing me with him standing there holding her. I move back to the pavement, my anger burning on a slow simmer. That detective is up to no good. He isn’t randomly here and interested in Hazel because she’s a gorgeous, unmated omega. No, there is something more sinister going on here, and I intend to find out what it is. If he is here looking into the disappearance that seems to happen around her, then we have a situation on our hands.
