The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 15

"Thanks for helping me," I told Van, taking a little step back myself. "I know it's not in your mission brief, so I do appreciate you going out of your way to help me prepare for whatever comes next."

He shrugged. "Every wolf should at least know the basics, so it's no big deal for us. Besides, Stitch is the one who will be putting in most of the work in the end."

And there it was, his impersonal hands-off approach to everything about me. Why was I surprise?

"Thank you, nonetheless," I said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm actually really hungry. I just want to wash my face quick before heading downstairs."

"Sure." He sidestepped to let me pass.

I shuffled past him and into the room, leaving the door open in case he had planned to come in as well. When his footsteps quieted down the hall, I released a breath and darted into the bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror before agreeing with my decision to freshen up before presenting myself to other people. A few stress lines wrinkled my forehead, and a little shadow of dirt dusted my cheek from my fall.

Feeling refreshed again, I switched shirts on my way out of the bedroom. It didn't matter if lunch was leftovers or something freshly made. Food was food, and I would eat whatever was placed in front of me.

Van

He didn't see Zoey for the rest of the day. More directly, he avoided her for the rest of the day. After seeing her in the hallway and knowing that she was okay, he did something that he couldn't explain. He touched her. His wolf had pushed him forward, moving his legs into motion until he found himself standing in front of Zoey.

A faint smear of dust marred her cheek, most likely from when she'd taken the hit in training. Her hair tumbled around her face in a miniature tornado. Wherever she'd gone, she must have slept a little. Telltale bags still lingered under her eyes. She wouldn't look at him, so he gently grabbed her chin to make her look at him.

A tiny spark shot through his fingers, up his arm, and into his chest. He sucked in a breath when she looked up at him and ignited another little spark. If witches were still around, he would have blamed them for meddling. But they weren't, so he was at a loss as to what might be causing these weird tingles.

"I'll be fine," she'd promised.

Fine, his wolf huffed as Van left his office. Such a female thing to say. 'Fine.' Would she speak up if she wasn't fine?

Probably not, Van answered, heading for the stairs that would take him up to the second floor with the family rooms. Maybe... She said she hadn't spoken up for herself in training, so maybe she's finding her voice.

That's good, his wolf cheered. She does have a lovely voice.

Cool it, Romeo, Van growled.

When he entered his room, all but the bedside table light was turned off. Zoey lay on the couch, curled under the blanket with her back to him. Glancing at the wall clock, he grimaced at how late he'd stayed behind his desk. He'd let his thoughts wander too much, so his work had taken a bit longer than he'd anticipated.

He grabbed a pair of shorts and a new shirt on his way to the bathroom. There wouldn't be any more conversations tonight, so he wouldn't check if Zoey was awake or not. It didn't matter in the end. He was tired; she'd had a long day. They could talk tomorrow. He needed a mental reset as well.

Why are you so wound up? his wolf asked as Van flipped the shower on. You've seen plenty of wolves get taken down in training. Why are you bent out of shape that Zoey did too? Did you expect her to be some kind of super wolf, miraculously regaining all the strength she had as an 18-year-old?