Page 10 of Stalked By the Alphas

9

HAZEL

The bookshop is quiet this afternoon; the only sound is the gentle hum of the fan and the occasional rustle of pages turning. I’m restocking the romance section, my mind wandering as I alphabetise the new arrivals.

A prickle runs down my spine, and I glance up, half-expecting to see someone watching me. But the shop is empty, save for Mrs Lewis, who is browsing the cookbooks. I shake my head, trying to dispel the lingering unease from this morning’s nightmare.

As I slide the last book into place, the bell over the door chimes. I turn, plastering on a welcoming smile that falters when I see who it is.

Rob.

He stands awkwardly in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets. “Hey, Hazel,” he says, voice low. “Can we talk?”

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. “I’m working,” I say, gesturing vaguely at the shelves around me .

He takes a step closer, and I catch a whiff of his scent - pine and musk.

“Please,” he says. “Just five minutes.”

I glance at Mrs Lewis, who is pointedly not looking in our direction. With a sigh, I nod towards the corner at the front of the shop. “Fine. Five minutes.”

Rob follows me, his tall frame looming over me. I cross my arms defensively, waiting for him to speak.

“There is something you should know,” he starts, running a hand through his blond hair, his head snapping to the side when the door opens. He relaxes slightly when a man walks in. I smile at the customer as he closes the door and starts poking around the bestsellers’ display.

“You need to know why I ended things,” Rob says, drawing my attention back to him.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You made yourself pretty clear in that text, Rob.”

He winces. “I know, and I’m sorry about that. I didn’t really have much choice.”

“What?” I ask, losing interest in this conversation already as my eyes drift back to the alpha. He is good-looking, and he is looking at me with eyes that are so blue, they are hypnotic.

“Hazel?” Rob asks as he clearly sees my attention wandering.

“What? What do you want, Rob?” I snap, harsher than I meant to, as I look back at him and his weak attempt to make this right. He doesn’t even have the balls to tell me straight that I’m not good enough for him, or whatever other excuse there is, ready to be told.

He glances over his shoulder through the window and swallows. When he looks back at me, he is panicked, cornered.

I step back, as that is the last look I want to see on an alpha’s face as if I’m trapping him or something. “You can leave, Rob. I’m not interested in whatever this is.”

“No, wait, Hazel. You don’t understand...” He reaches out, and his hand closes around my wrist.

“Get off me,” I grit out, yanking my arm back, but his grip only tightens. “Get your hands off her,” the alpha customer says, stalking over and shoving Rob in the chest. “You don’t treat women that way.”

“Butt out of this,” Rob growls, but he is out-alpha’d by the stranger and he knows it.

Rob’s jaw clenches as he eyes the newcomer, clearly weighing his options. The tension in the air is thick as I’m caught between the two alphas. Mrs Lewis is edging closer, brandishing a heavy cookbook that she looks like she wants to batter Rob with.

“This doesn’t concern you,” Rob says, his voice low and dangerous. But there’s an undercurrent of uncertainty, a flicker of fear in his eyes as he glances back at the window.

The stranger doesn’t back down. He steps closer, placing himself between Rob and me. “I think it does concern me when I see an alpha manhandling an omega who clearly doesn’t want his attention. Let her go before I make you. ”

My breath catches in my throat, and the omega inside me purrs with longing.

Rob hesitates, but then he lets me go, his gaze darting between me and the stranger. “Hazel, please. You need to listen to me. You’re in?—“

“That’s enough,” the stranger cuts him off. “The lady asked you to leave.”

For a moment, I think Rob might argue further, but then the stranger grips him by his collar and hauls him through the shop and practically kicks him out onto the pavement.

Mrs Lewis and I share a look, but she is grinning like a Cheshire Cat. I roll my eyes as she shoos me towards the growly alpha customer and turns her back to pretend to keep looking at the cookbooks.

The alpha closes the door and turns back to me with a concerned expression. “Are you okay?”

I nod, dumbstruck by his eyes again. Then I remember my manners. “Yes. Yes, thank you. It wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate the assist.”

The alpha’s intense blue eyes soften as he looks at me. “I’m glad I could help. That guy seemed like bad news. No alpha should ever lay his hands on an omega like that.”

I nod, still a bit shaken but impressed with his chivalry.

The alpha steps closer, his scent of cinnamon doughnuts washing over me. It’s mouthwatering. “By the way, I’m Ayden,” he says, extending his hand .

“Hazel,” I reply, taking it gently. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm at the contact.

Ayden smiles, and my heart skips a beat. “It’s nice to meet you, Hazel. I hope I’m not overstepping, but would you like to grab a tea? I’d like to make sure you’re really okay after all that.”

I hesitate, my mind racing. This gorgeous alpha wants to have tea with me? After everything that’s happened lately, I’m wary. What if he is a stalker and the one taking photos of me and sending me creepy masked magician cards? This was a bit coincidental for my liking.

“She’d love to,” Mrs Lewis interrupts before I can politely decline.

Ayden’s smile widens as I shoot Mrs Lewis a fierce glare.

She elbows me, not so subtly. “How about Mrs Pemberton’s tearoom? It’s right next door.”

I have to suppress the urge to chuckle at that. Clearly, Mrs Lewis is looking out for me, regardless of shoving me under the bus with Ayden. But I hesitate, torn between my instinctive wariness and the undeniable pull I feel towards Ayden. His scent is alluring, and the way he swooped in to protect me...

“I suppose a cup of tea wouldn’t hurt,” I say cautiously. “But I can’t leave the shop unattended.”

Mrs Lewis pipes up again, “Oh, don’t you worry about that, dear. I can watch things for a bit. You two go on and have a nice chat. ”

I shoot her another look, but she just smiles innocently. Meddling old woman.

Ayden’s eyes light up. “Wonderful. Shall we?” He gestures towards the door.

With a deep breath, I nod. “Let me just grab my bag.”

As I duck behind the counter to retrieve it, I catch a glimpse of Ayden as he leaves the shop. He’s standing on the pavement, hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly handsome. For a moment, a flicker of unease passes through me. This is all happening so fast. But maybe that means something. I’ll never know unless I try.

“I won’t be long,” I say to Mrs Lewis.

“Take your time. I know how to run a shop.”

I don’t doubt it. She seems the capable sort.

As I leave the shop, I pass Ayden, and his scent envelops me again. My omega instincts are in overdrive, urging me to get closer to this alpha, to bask in his scent and protection. I resist the impulse, reminding myself to be cautious.

“After you,” Ayden says, holding the door to Mrs Pemberton’s tearoom open for me.

The cosy shop is mercifully busy. Mrs Pemberton beams at us as we enter, her eyes twinkling knowingly.

“Hazel, dear! And who’s this handsome gentleman?”

I feel my cheeks flush. “This is Ayden. We just met, actually. ”

“Well, isn’t that lovely,” Mrs Pemberton says, winking at me. “What can I get for you two?”

We order our teas and settle into the only table available in the front corner. Ayden sits across from me, his blue eyes studying me intently.

“So, Hazel,” he begins, “tell me about yourself. Do you own that charming bookshop?”

I nod, wrapping my hands around the warm teacup. “I do. It was a bit of a risk, moving here and opening my own business, but I love it.”

“That’s impressive,” Ayden says, genuine admiration in his voice. “Not many omegas strike out on their own like that.”

I tense slightly at his words, wary of where this might be going. But Ayden’s next words surprise me.

“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 he shows 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?