The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 18

Zoey

Somehow, my ankle wrap had come off in the night and there was no pain by the morning. I'd rolled my ankle enough times in the past to know that I never fully healed. Yet, the night seemed to have healed the muscle more than usual. I flexed my foot several times just to make sure, but there was nothing unusual to feel. No twinges, no sharp stabs, nothing...

As usual, Van was already gone. He probably took the team out for a run or for a training gambit somewhere. A small part of me wished that I could ask him if I'd kicked off the wrap in my sleep, but the rest of me knew better than to involve him in my personal stuff. He might have shown some concern last night, but there was no guarantee that that extended to today. If I assumed incorrectly, I'd just open myself up to a whole bunch of interesting conversations.

I quickly changed into an outfit for the day, threw my hair into a sort of messy ponytail, and trotted out of the room. Luna had an order of peaches arriving today, so I would spend most of the day with her in the kitchen. She had plans to make a special treat for dinner tonight, but she hadn't told me what it was. For the first time since my arrival, I saw child-like glee in the usually elegant Luna's face.

The moment that Luna said they had "too many" peaches, I knew that I could be useful. Mom had taught me something a long time ago, and I'd never forgotten it. Lady Catherine and Jax had let me make the treat for the division leaders for Christmas once, so I knew I could do it.

"I could... make peach jam," I finally offered. "It would use a lot of the extras."

"Really?" she chirped. "My... I haven't had homemade jam in years! It would be a nice treat." She grabbed a notebook and pen and handed them to me. "Write down whatever you need, and I'll send someone to get it right away."

I quickly scribbled down a few things, mentally calculating the measurements. I wasn't sure if I'd need to can some of it, or if we'd put it in jars to give away immediately. Either way, I had something to store jam in. It would take a while to prep all the peaches and cook them, so I had time to figure it out. Luna should make the decision in the end.

"I'll get these for you right away," she chirped happily. "Do you need anything to get started?"

"I'll get started on peeling and cutting," I said. "It will take a bit, so you'll have time to find everything else. Is it okay if I look around the kitchen for pans and such?"

"Of course! ... or ask Chef. He knows where everything is, so he can tell you."

"I will. Thanks, Luna."

She went off to find someone who could go to the shops, and I headed to the kitchen. Boxes filled the counters, their contents flooding the air with the sweet aroma of peaches. From the number of boxes, and guessing how many peaches each box held, I could tell that Luna had definitely gone overboard with the ordering. The pack was big, yes; but this was enough for a pack and a half!

Chef emerged from the piles of boxes. "Güzel! What can I do for you today?"

I smiled at the nickname he'd given me. "Luna said I could make some peach jam to use up some of these peaches. Will you help me?"

His face lit up. "You and me cooking in my kitchen? Of course! It will be so beautiful! What do you need me to do?"

"Luna is sending someone to fetch more ingredients for me, but we will need to peel and dice the peaches before anything else." I glanced at the boxes and puffed out my cheeks. From what I remembered, two parts of the project took a long time: prepping and cooking the peaches. Chef would be faster than me, so hopefully we could work through several boxes before the other ingredients arrived.