Page 43 of Stalked By the Alphas
Sorry, been busy. Everything’s fine. Carter’s making contact with Hazel. I’ll fill you in later.
It’s not a total lie, but it’s far from the truth either.
Silence.
That is not good.
But I don’t have time to mess with this. There is more furniture to get off the hastily rented van and into this house in the next two hours, plus the bed needs to be made up and towels put out. And do not get me started on the fact that he explicitly saidonebed.
I drag myself back outside to the van, cursing under my breath. The sun beats down mercilessly as I lift an end table and take it inside.
As I’m arranging the table in the lounge, I hear the distinct sound of a car pulling up outside. It’s too soon. Carter shouldn’t be back yet.
Noah storms into the house, his eyes narrow as he comes up short and takes in the furniture.
“What the hell is going on?” he demands, rounding on me. “Where’s Carter? And why does this place look like someone’s moving in?”
I swallow hard, knowing I’m caught. “Noah, I can explain...”
But even as the words leave my mouth, he holds up a hand. “Forget it,” he growls. “He’s changed the plan, hasn’t he? He has taken years’ worth of planning and work and flushed it down the crapper because Hazel looked up at him with those big green eyes, and he caved. Am I right?”
I sigh. “You know you are.”
He lets out a frustrated growl. “So why keep me in the dark? Why tell you and not me?”
“He thought you wouldn’t be happy about it.”
“And you are?”
“I’m more easily convinced,” I state bitterly.
His hard expression softens. “Need some help? He is an absolute arsehole for making you do this alone.”
“That’s what I said,” I mutter. “Yeah, can you make the bed up?”
“Bed?As inonebed?”
We exchange a knowing stare.
“He’s a prick,” Noah mutters but heads upstairs anyway.
I breathe out, knowing that it could’ve gone the exact opposite way than it did. Unless he is biding his time and not taking it out on the messenger? But that is not my problem. It’s Carter’s.
I head back out to the van, grabbing a couple of dining chairs and tucking them into place at the round table I’d already hauled in earlier.
“He’s really going all in, isn’t he?”
I shrug, not meeting Noah’s eyes as he joins me back downstairs. “Seems that way.”
He is quiet for a moment, then asks, “What exactly did he tell you about this change of plans?”
I hesitate, trying to decide how much to reveal. “Not much,” I admit. “Just that he didn’t want to go through with the plan anymore and that he was bringing her here.”
Noah snorts. “Didn’t want to go through with the plan anymore. Just like that.” He clicks his fingers.
I pause, weighing my words carefully. “I actually get it. Being with her during her heat affected all of us. Don’t deny it, Noah. I know you feel it as well. I think now with him talking to her, interacting with her, seeing her as our friend, our omega that we have always loved instead of someone who left us without a word five years ago has made him realise that we don’t need to do this. We don’t need to break her.”
“No,” Noah agrees, to my surprise. “Because she is already broken.”
