Page 61 of Stalked By the Alphas
60
HAZEL
True to their word, the alphas leave me to sort out my thoughts for two days. Not that I needed to do much thinking after Nancy stopped by. If anything, she made me see that I’m being a hypocrite if I continue to rake the alphas over the coals for all they’ve done.
I always wondered why we were such good friends. Why we understood each other so well. I thought I was a freak, a complete mess of an omega and a person, even more so after I made sure my parents would never send me away to that prison. I withdrew into myself, boxed the actions away like I did with the abuse. All these neat little boxes buried deep in my mind that are never thought about, never opened.
Until now.
It’s like these compartments are bleeding all over the grass as I walk across the park on this beautiful summer day, feeling lighter and freer than I have in years.
This is me .
Fucked up, damaged, but strong. So much stronger than anyone realises. I’ve survived things that would break most people. I’ve kept secrets that would drive others mad. And I’ve done it all while maintaining this facade of the sweet, innocent omega.
But no more.
As I approach the terraced house, I spot them. Carter, Noah, and Zach are standing together on the driveway, clearly waiting for me. Their postures are tense, eyes scanning the area until they lock onto me. I can see the moment they register my presence - their bodies go still, gazes intensifying as I approach.
I don’t hesitate or falter in my steps. I walk right up to them, my chin held high.
“Hazel,” Carter breathes, his blue eyes drinking me in.
“Happy Birthday, tiny omega,” Noah adds softly.
Zach just stares, his eyes dark and hungry.
I look at each of them, letting the silence stretch. I can smell their anxiety, their desperate hope. It’s intoxicating.
“Come in,” Carter says and leads us inside the house. He closes the door, and we stand in the living room, just staring at each other for a moment.
“I’ve made my decision,” I say finally, my voice steady and clear.
They lean in slightly, hanging on my every word.
“I’m letting it all go. I forgive you. To not would be hypocritical and I’m in no position to judge or to play the victim,” I declare. “So we do this, but on my terms. ”
Their eyes widen in surprise and relief. Carter starts to reach for me, but I hold up a hand to stop him, questions burning in his eyes.
“I’m not the same omega you knew before,” I continue. “I’m not weak or helpless. I don’t need your protection or your control. What I need is your honesty, your loyalty, and your love. Can you give me that?”
They nod eagerly.
“Good,” I say with a smile that’s equal parts sweet and dangerous. “Because if you ever betray me again, if you ever try to manipulate or control me, well, I’d say ask my parents what happens to those who betray me… but you can’t.”
I see the shock in their eyes.
“Hazel?” Carter croaks.
I hold his gaze steadily. “You require an explanation? I’ll say that I’ve done things, terrible things, to protect myself and my freedom. And I won’t hesitate to do them again if I have to.”
“Why?” Noah asks, clearly not concerned, but deadly curious.
“I made sure my parents could never send me away to the omega finishing school in Switzerland, which, by the way, Carter, your parents paid for. Or were going to pay for. It turns out it bought me a bookshop and the deposit on my house. Because of this betrayal, I ensured they’d never be able to control me again. Sometimes, we have to do dark things to survive. To protect ourselves. ”
Zach sucks in a sharp breath. “Fuck,” he mutters. “We underestimated you, Hazel.”
“You did. Are you planning on doing it again?”
The three alphas exchange glances, shock, awe, and something darker flickering in their eyes. Carter is the first to recover, stepping towards me with a determined set to his jaw.
“Never again,” he vows, his voice low and intense. “We see you, Hazel. All of you. And we want every part.”
Noah nods, his gaze softening. “We’ve been complete idiots, thinking we needed to protect you or control you. You’re more than capable of handling yourself.”
Zach’s eyes are burning with a fierce pride. “You’re fucking incredible, tiny omega. I always knew you were strong, but this... this is beyond anything I imagined.”
I let their words wash over me, feeling a sense of rightness settle in my chest. This is what I’ve been waiting for - true acceptance of who I am, darkness and all.
“So you don’t hate me?” The vulnerability creeps into my voice before I can stop it.
Carter’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Hate you? Hazel, we could never hate you. If anything, this makes us love you even more.”
“You’re incredible,” Noah breathes, shaking his head in awe. “Fierce, strong, capable of protecting yourself. You already are everything we thought we needed to be for you. ”
Zach moves in closer, his eyes blazing. “You’re perfect, tiny omega. Damaged and dangerous and absolutely fucking perfect.”
Their words wrap around me like a warm blanket, soothing fears I didn’t even know I had.
“So what now?” I whisper.
Carter reaches out slowly, giving me time to pull away if I want to. When I don’t, he cups my cheek gently. “Now we start over. No more lies, no more manipulations. Just us, being honest with each other.”
Noah nods earnestly. “We’ll earn your trust back, day by day, and we’ll cherish every part of you—the sweet and the dark.”
“And we’ll show you just how much we fucking adore you,” Zach adds with a wicked grin, seeming so much more confident since the last time I saw him. I realise now I’m more like him than I realised. We have our boxes. We have our demons, and sometimes they come out to play and throw us the life preserver, and sometimes they leave us to drown. But we have each other now. He knows it. I know it, and it’s not going to be an easy road, but I know he will keep his head above water and keep fighting until maybe one day, his demons will be vanquished by the love we share.
Maybe.
Stranger things have happened.
I lean into Carter’s touch, feeling a smile tug at my lips. “I think I’d like that,” I murmur. “I think I’d like that very much.”