Page 1 of Stalked By the Alphas

PROLOGUE

Carter

Five Years ago

The abandoned bed & breakfast on the outskirts of town wasn’t my usual meeting spot for business, but this wasn’t exactly official. The summer air was hot and stifling behind the black mask as I check my watch—11 PM. Perfect timing.

Headlights cut through the night as Noah’s Range Rover pulls up beside my Aston Martin.

“He’s following?” I ask as Noah steps out and moves his mask into place.

“Right on schedule. Zach’s tailing him from the club. Our tiny omega’s latest conquest was eager to get in on this ‘deal’.”

I nod, checking my phone again.

We position ourselves in the shadows of the courtyard at the back of the building, waiting. Sure enough, another set of headlights soon penetrates the darkness. A sensible Volkswagen Golf—exactly the kind of practical car an accountant would drive—pulls into the car park, followed closely by Zach’s black Mercedes.

Jonathan Parker climbs out of the car and looks around, stepping back from Zach as he climbs out of the car with his mask in place.

“Evening, Jonathan,” I call out, stepping out of the shadows. “Thank you for joining us.”

He squints and sees the black mask with purple lighting shot through and he gulps, looking around for an escape. “What’s this deal? Why did we have to meet here?”

“The deal is regarding Hazel Bishop. We need to discuss your relationship with her.”

Noah and Zach box him in as he looks around in confusion. “What? I thought this was about an investment opportunity.”

Zach’s fist connects with his stomach before he can finish, driving the air from his lungs. Parker doubles over, gasping.

“Think of it as an investment for your future.” Zach grabs Parker’s hair, yanking his head back.

Parker tries to straighten up, his bravado crumbling. “You’re insane. All of you.”

Noah circles him slowly, as analytical as ever. “Interesting choice of words. But sanity is relative, isn’t it? What’s truly insane is thinking you could have her.”

I watch as Parker attempts to make a break for his car, only to have Zach catch him with a swift kick to the back of his knees. He goes down hard on the concrete.

“Now, Jonathan,” I crouch beside him, keeping my voice conversational. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, it ends with you breaking things off with Hazel. The only variable is how much pain you experience in the process.”

“You can’t—” I grip his throat and squeeze, cutting him off.

“We can,” Noah corrects, pulling out his phone. “And we have. Many times. Would you like to see what happened to the last alpha who refused to cooperate?”

Parker gags and chokes out, “I’ll go to the police.”

I laugh. “With what evidence? But even if you did report us...” I pull out my phone, showing him a photo. “This is your sister’s flat in Manchester, isn’t it? Lovely building. Jessica works as a primary school teacher, if I’m not mistaken. It would be tragic if something happened to her.”

“You wouldn’t...”

Zach’s boot presses down on Parker’s hand, applying just enough pressure to make him whimper. “We’ve spent the last few years removing every alpha who gets close to Hazel. Do you really want to test what we’re willing to do?”

Parker’s resolve crumbles. They always break eventually. Some need more persuasion than others, but the result is always the same.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Noah says. “You’re going to text Hazel right now, ending things. Make it cruel. Make it final. Then you’re going to disappear from her life completely.”

“And if I refuse?”

Zach grinds his heel down harder, and Parker screams as something cracks. “That was just one finger, mate. You’ve got nine more, plus all those lovely bones in your feet.”

“Okay! Okay!” Parker sobs. “Just... please stop.”

I nod to Zach, who eases off the pressure but keeps Parker pinned. Noah hands him his phone.

“Type exactly what I tell you,” Noah instructs. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking...”

Parker’s hands shake as he types, tears and blood dripping onto the screen. When he finishes, I review the message:

Hazel, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I don’t see this going anywhere. You’re not the right omega for me. I’m looking for someone more traditional. It’s over.

“Perfect,” I say. “Send it.”

Parker hesitates, earning himself another kick from Zach. He presses send with a scowl.

“Excellent.” I straighten my cuffs as I stand up. “Now for the terms of your continued well-being.”

“There’s more?”

“Of course.” I gesture to Noah, who pulls out a document. “This is a non-disclosure agreement. Sign it.”

“What if I don’t?”

Zach yanks him up by his collar. “Then we pay your sister a visit. Maybe break more than just fingers. ”

Parker signs with his good hand, barely reading the terms.

“The rules are simple,” I explain. “No contact with Hazel. No explanations. If you see her in public, you walk the other way. If she contacts you, you ignore it. Break any of these conditions, and what happened tonight will seem like a pleasant dream.”

“You’re monsters,” Parker whispers.

“No,” Noah corrects. “We’re a pack protecting what’s ours.”

I check my watch again. “I think we’re done here. Make sure our friend understands the gravity of silence.”

I turn away as Zach’s fists connect again and again, Parker’s muffled grunts drifting on the slight breeze that has picked up off the sea.

Everything we’ve done—the threats, the violence, the manipulation—it’s all for her. She’ll understand eventually. Once she’s ours, once we’ve marked her and claimed her, she’ll see that we were only protecting what belongs to us.

Zach joins us, wiping blood from his knuckles with a handkerchief. “He won’t be a problem.”

“Did you kill him?” Noah asks, mildly curious.

“Nah, just made sure he’ll be too scared to even think about Hazel, let alone contact her.” Zach’s grin is feral in the darkness. “Left him with a few broken ribs, some missing teeth, and a very clear understanding of what happens if he breaks our rules.”

I look back at Parker’s crumpled form on the ground. “Take his wallet. Make it look like a mugging gone wrong.”

As we drive away, I smile. Let him go to the police. Let him try to warn Hazel. No one will believe him—we’ve made sure of that. Years of carefully crafted alibis, of building our reputations as Hazel’s protective best friends, has created the perfect cover for our true nature.

We will do this time and again until she realises what is in front of her all this time. Three alphas who will do anything for their omega.

Hazel

Five Years Ago

The pristine gardens of the Richmond estate stretch out before me, meticulously maintained even in the darkness. Moonlight catches on the edges of rose petals and glints off the surface of the ornamental pond, creating an ethereal backdrop for what is likely to be our last summer together. The thought makes my chest ache in a way that has nothing to do with the whiskey currently blurring my mind.

The night air is thick with summer heat, clinging to my skin like honey. Even in the darkness of Carter’s garden, the temperature hasn’t dropped below stifling. My sundress sticks to my back, and I can feel sweat beading at the nape of my neck where my long, chestnut hair reaches my lower back .

We’re sprawled across Carter’s favourite spot, a hidden corner behind the rose garden where his dad’s watchful gaze rarely reaches. The grass is cool beneath my bare legs, and the gentle brush of a breeze carries the heady scent of summer heat and the ocean.

“Another drink, Haze?” Zach’s voice is already slurring slightly as he holds up a bottle of the expensive whiskey Carter’s father keeps in his study.

His grey eyes catch the moonlight as he leans forward, and I find myself studying the familiar planes of his face. Out of all three alphas, he’s the most openly emotional, wearing his heart on the sleeve of his rumpled shirt. His light brown hair is tousled and sticking up.

I hold out my glass, watching the amber liquid splash against the sides. The crystal catches the light from the fairy lights strung through the nearby trees—Carter’s mother’s touch. “Why not? I’m already going to regret this tomorrow.” Just like I regret most things these days. Like another failed attempt at dating last week. This is the third alpha this year to suddenly lose interest, and we’re only halfway through.

Noah’s low chuckle sends shivers down my spine. He is sprawled on the grass beside me, his usual pristine appearance dishevelled by the heat and alcohol. His white shirt is unbuttoned at the collar. Even drunk, his green eyes hold that analytical gleam that makes me wonder what he sees when he looks at people. Does he see their souls? Some days, it feels like it.

“The mighty Hazel Bishop, accepting her fate before the hangover even hits? Your newest ex must have really done a number on you.” His words are teasing, but there’s an edge to them that makes my omega instincts prickle.

I flinch at the reminder of Jon, my latest failed attempt at finding a mate. He’d seemed perfect on paper—a successful accountant, a good family, and a kind smile. But like all the others, he’d ghosted me after the second date, and that was that.

What is wrong with me?

“Don’t start, Noah,” I mutter, taking another sip of whiskey. The alcohol has softened the edges of everything, making the fairy lights blur into gentle starbursts.

Carter’s voice cuts through the tension from his position on the wooden swing seat. “Leave her alone, Noah. Haze, he wasn’t the right alpha.”

“Seems none of them are,” I mutter, and take a big gulp of the whiskey. It burns my throat as it slides down, and I feel my stomach roil as the booze hits it.

“Is that why you’re leaving us?” Zach asks, his gaze avoiding mine as he brings up the subject we’ve all been skating around for weeks.

I swallow hard against the sudden lump in my throat. These three have been my best friends since we were children. The alphas who’d protected me, supported me, helped me through my dating woes. The only constants in my increasingly unstable life.

But it’s time to move on.

“I have to go,” I whisper. “You know I do. There’s nothing for me here anymore. ”

“What exactly are you running from?” Carter’s voice is dangerously soft. The swing’s chains creak as he stands, stalking towards me with the predatory grace that has only intensified since he started interning at his father’s law firm.

“I’m not running. I need to make my own way. Build something that’s mine. Something I can’t mess up. You are barely here anymore with your fancy law shit in London, and Zach and Noah are off at university as well. I’m not sitting around here waiting for you to come home so we can hang out. I’ve got my own life to live, and the bookshop that came up for sale is perfect.”

“It’s hundreds of miles away,” Noah points out. “Hardly perfect.”

“For whom? You? It’s perfect for me. I can start fresh. Use the inheritance I got from my mum for something good.”

Noah’s hand settles on my ankle, his thumb brushing over the delicate bone. “Interesting choice of words, little one. What makes you think you mess things up?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I take another drink for courage. “Maybe the growing list of alphas who can’t seem to stick around? The fact that the only job where someone will hire me is based solely on the fact that I’m an omega. I want more. You know I do. Besides, I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with me.”

Zach sits up so quickly it makes me jump. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” His voice is fierce and possessive in a way that makes me sigh. “Those alphas weren’t worthy of you.”

“Hazel’s right,” Carter crouches before me, his face inches from mine, his blue eyes boring into mine as he talks about me rather than to me. His scent wraps around me like a blanket—old books and cedarwood. “We can’t expect her to sit around here waiting for us to come home on the holidays. How boring.” He grasps my chin lightly, a wicked smile curving his lips. “Go find your adventure, tiny omega. You deserve it.”

I grimace at his nickname for me. They are all so much taller than my five foot three inches, but tiny is borderline insulting.

Zach moves closer. “Fine. Go open your bookshop. But let’s make a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

Carter’s eyes never leave my face, and I wonder briefly in my alcohol-infused daze what it would be like to press my lips to his before I squash that thought.

“Five years.” Zach’s expression is intense, almost feverish. “Give yourself five years to build your bookshop, make your mark. If none of us are mated by your twenty-fifth birthday, then you give us a shot. All of us.”

Carter’s hand moves to the back of my sweaty neck. “Five years. A verbal contract, witnessed and agreed upon. If we’re all still single, you come back to us.”

I laugh. “That’s nuts. You can’t seriously be suggesting a mating pact.”

“Why not?” Noah’s voice is thoughtful and clinical .

“It’s the whiskey talking,” I protest weakly. “We’re drunk.”

“Drunk words are sober thoughts, love.” Zach moves closer until I’m surrounded by alphas. The air is thick with their combined scents, cedarwood, the ocean and summer rain, making my head swim. “Make the pact with us.”

“All of you?” I look between them.

“Make the pact, Hazel. Promise us.”

I should say no. I should laugh it off as drunk talk, change the subject, and go to bed. But the whiskey has loosened my inhibitions, stripped away my careful walls. And God help me, I want it. Want to belong to someone who won’t leave.

“Five years,” I whisper. “If we’re all still single on my twenty-fifth birthday?—“

“We meet at your bookshop,” Carter states.

I take a shaky breath. My alphas. My friends. Is this right? Is this a bad, drunken decision? Probably. But fuck it. “I promise that if we’re all single and unmated on my twenty-fifth birthday, we’ll meet at my bookshop.”

“Five years,” Carter murmurs. “It’s a binding contract now, tiny omega.”

I blink, wondering what I’ve got myself into here. But the whiskey makes it impossible to care.