Page 51 of Stalked By the Alphas
I nod frantically, not daring to make a sound. The masked magician’s grip loosens slightly, but he doesn’t release me.
“Good girl,” he purrs, his breath hot against my ear. “Now, we’re going to take a little walk. No screaming, no running, or I will be forced to gut you, and I don’t want that... yet.”
Tears stream down my face. My mind races, trying to make sense of what’s happening. This can’t be real. It has to be another hallucination, a vivid nightmare. But it’s all too real.
The masked magician starts to guide me towards theback door. My legs feel like lead, but I force them to move. Every instinct screams at me to fight, to run, but the thought of Carter in danger keeps me compliant.
Slipping through the back door, my feet scrambling to get purchase, I choke back a sob as I see Carter lying on the ground outside, a pool of blood spreading underneath him.
“No!” I cry, but the man’s grip tightens. “Carter!”
He doesn’t respond.
“What have you done!” I hiss, struggling in the masked man’s grip, my fear for myself dissipating into the rage that has descended on me that this arsehole has hurt my friend.
“Got him out of the way. Don’t worry, he’ll live if you come quietly. If not...” He makes a slashing motion at my neck with the knife for emphasis.
“Cart—”
My scream is cut off by a white-hot slice of pain across my forearm. I gasp and then go wobbly as I see the blood gushing out of my arm.
“Shut up, little omega,” he growls and then strikes me so hard that I see stars before I see nothing.
32
CARTER
A dull throbbingin my head pulls me from unconsciousness. I groan, blinking against the harsh sunlight. What happened? The last thing I remember is hearing a noise in the backyard and going to investigate.
Suddenly, it all comes rushing back. The masked magician. The knife... Groaning, I place my hand on my abdomen and grunt. Pulling my hand back, it’s sticky with blood.
“You absolute fucker,” I spit out, sitting up, ignoring the blinding pain of the stab wound and massive bump on my head. Whoever that masked magician fucker was, he was strong. An incredibly strong prime alpha who took me completely by surprise.
Hazel!
I spin towards the open back door, ignoring the wave of dizziness that threatens to send me back to the ground.
“No, no, no,” I mutter, staggering into the kitchen. How did this happen?
“Hazel!” I rush back into the house, calling Hazel’s name. But I already know it’s futile. They’re long gone.
Cursing, I grab my phone with my blood-sticky hand and dial Noah’s number. He picks up on the second ring.
“What do you want?”
I ignore the acerbic attitude, which I fully deserve, even more so now. “He took her,” I choke out. “The masked magician. He came here and took Hazel.”
There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “What? How? When?”
“I don’t know,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I heard a noise outside, and when I went to check, he ambushed me, stabbed me and knocked me out. He took Hazel.”
“Fuck,” Noah spits out. “She could be anywhere by now!”
“I know, I know,” I say, feeling guilt and a white-hot rage descend on me. “Who is this fucking masked magician? Call Leah back, and don’t stop calling until she gives you a fucking answer.”
Noah is quiet for a moment, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. “Okay. I’ll call Zach. Don’t do anything stupid until we get there.”
The line goes dead before I can respond. I slump against the counter, my head spinning. How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to protect her, keep her safe. Instead, I led her right into danger.
