Page 37 of Stalked By the Alphas

36

NOAH

Frustration and anger boil inside me. We’ve wasted precious time coming here, and Hazel is still out there somewhere, suffering God knows what. Carter and I emerge from the building, searching for Zach.

Carter’s face is a mask of barely controlled rage. “Nothing,” he spits out. “Not a fucking trace of her.”

I nod grimly, processing, trying to think rationally when all hell is breaking loose in my soul. “We need to regroup and figure out our next move.”

Zach strides over to us, his phone held up in one hand and three black masks in the other. I eye them up curiously but don’t comment on them yet. “Guys, I think I’ve figured something out. The sign says Westmoor School for Boys .”

I frown, not following. “So?”

“So Leah said to try the Old School House in Westmoor. It got me thinking. Why would magician fuckface bring Hazel to the school for boys? So, I did a search... there was a Westmoor School for Girls further up the road, around the back. It’s lesser known because it was so small and closed down only a few years after it opened.”

“Are you sure?” I ask steadily.

He nods and holds his phone up. “Look.”

I glance at the page he has up that indeed states there was a Westmoor School for Girls. “Fucking hell,” I growl and march off where Zach had vaguely indicated the road for the other school is.

Carter curses violently, slamming his fist against the crumbling brick wall. “We’ve wasted so much time!”

I look back over my shoulder. “And now you are wasting more. Let’s move. We go on foot. Zach? This way?”

Zach jogs to fall into step beside me. “Yes, according to the information I found.”

We set off at a brisk pace, the urgency of the situation spurring us on. The road winds through overgrown fields, and the pavement is cracked and worn. I scan our surroundings constantly, looking for any sign of the old girls’ school.

We keep a brisk pace, our footsteps clumping against the weathered track.

“There should be a fork in the road coming up,” Zach says, consulting his phone. “We take the right path.”

The road narrows as we venture deeper into the wilderness. Branches from overgrown hedges scratch at our arms .

“Watch your step,” I warn as we navigate around a particularly thorny bush.

“The old access road should be just ahead,” Zach murmurs, his voice tight with tension. “It loops around behind the main building.”

The path slopes upward, now nothing but a narrow dirt track that forces us into single file. “Are you fucking sure about this?” I growl, getting more irritated by the second.

“Yes,” Zach says steadily. There is no hint of panic or fear in his voice. His scent is level, and his eyes are cold and calculated. As long as he stays this way, we will all get out of this alive, but most importantly, Hazel will be safe.

Carter stops to bend down and picks up something from the long grass at the side of the track. Dusk is coming, and the sun is lowering in the sky, making it difficult to see what he is doing.

“What is it?” I snap.

He grins and twirls an old metal pipe. “Just arming up some more.”

I return the smile and focus forward again.

A bird darts across our path, the only other sign of life out here in the wild countryside. The moment passes quickly, but it serves as a reminder of how on edge we all are. Ahead, through the tangle of overgrown vegetation, a dark shape is visible. The crumbling building looms in front of us, a small, simple building, a deep contrast to the grander brother building, which depicts the lack of equality from a century ago when it came to girls and boys. This one is in such a state of disrepair that it hasn’t even been boarded up against squatters or animals. Its broken windows are like hollow eyes staring at us. My heart rate picks up, but I calm it instantly. This has to be it.

“There,” I say quietly, gesturing to the others.

“Here,” Zach says, handing us each a mask.

“Why the secrecy?” I ask, but put it on anyway, as does Carter.

He gives me a level stare that I would even go so far as to say is blank before he puts the mask on. “Why not?”

Narrowing my eyes, I shrug. Why not, indeed? I suppose we do look a bit more badass. Shit this fucker up a bit before we bash his skull in and chop off his dick. Maybe that should be the other way around...

We approach cautiously, staying low and using the overgrown vegetation for cover. As we near the building, I catch a faint scent on the breeze. My blood runs cold.

“Hazel,” I growl softly. “She’s here. She’s scared.”

Carter’s eyes flash dangerously. “I smell her too, and another alpha.”

Zach narrows his eyes. “Two distinct alpha scents. Two alphas.”

We exchange grim looks, the reality of what Hazel might be enduring hitting us hard.

Carter’s prime alpha growl affects both Zach and me. We feel his rage, his fear, his blood pounding through his veins through the pack bond. The bite on my wrist throbs, but I ignore it. We can’t let anything distract us now.

“I’m going to smash their fucking faces in,” he snarls, his teeth bared in a vicious scowl.

“Agreed,” Zach says, his voice cold and deadly. “No mercy.”

I nod slowly. As much as I want to be the voice of reason, I’m consumed by a red haze of fury and rage. My fingers tighten around the drill, adrenaline surging through my veins. “Fuck mercy,” I growl. “Let’s go get our omega.”

We creep closer to the derelict building, sticking to the shadows cast by the setting sun. The ground crunches with debris under our feet, but we are past caring. This will be a fight to the death, and I can’t wait to get started.

We stop outside the main entrance, and Carter kicks the already rotten door off its one remaining hinge. It goes flying through the air and hits the rough ground with a loud thud. The stench of rot and dampness hits us as we enter the darkened interior.

Hazel’s sweet jasmine scent is more pungent now, and I know with certainty that we have the right place this time. Zach flicks on the torch on his phone and shines it around. There is a door at the far end of this single large old school room, and we aim for it, ready to take back what is and always has been ours.