The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 39

Van

The moment his mother swept into the conference room like the Luna she was, he knew that a curveball was about to be thrown into their plan. Her step had a little too much spring, and her eyes sparkled just a little more than usual. Whatever she had planned, it would definitely link into their master plan somehow.

"I had a wonderful idea," she announced.

Snuff shot Van a look that was half eye roll, half wide eyes. He didn't like last-minute changes, but even Snuff wouldn't oppose the pack Luna.

"I know that you're close to setting up the meet for Zoey, and I think it's only fair to give her a little bit of joy while she's still here."

Van chewed on the end of his pen, attempting to distract himself from the tightening knot in his stomach. Bug and Goggles glanced at each other, fingers paused from typing or tinkering.

"I talked to your father, and he agreed that we should hold a Formal a couple nights before your meeting. It will give Zoey something to look forward to, and the flutters of the event will help disguise your other plans."

...or alert everyone that something else is happening, Van's wolf groaned.

"That sounds all well and good, Mom, but won't people be suspicious of the lycans throwing an event of that magnitude out of nowhere? What reason would we give? Saying 'because we felt like it' would certainly seem like we're trying to cover something up."

Luna Karina smiled and held up her hands. "I'd considered that, and I have a solution. Packs have organized mass events on short notice for a variety of reasons. Your brother has just told us that he and Marciella are expecting their first child, and they have agreed to let us hold the Formal to announce the news. It's the perfect opportunity."

The knot in Van's stomach unraveled a little, only to clump in a different emotion. Jealousy? That hardly seemed possible. Van had chosen not to follow the traditional path of a mate and family. Handing off the future responsibility of alpha to his younger brother had been an easy choice, and now the future heir to the pack would have an heir of his own. This was exciting news, of course, but it still made a weird twinge in his chest.

"It could be the perfect distraction, Boss," Snuff drawled after a few moments of silence. "A Formal is a big deal, and an event of that magnitude would draw everyone's attention."

"A Formal involves a big guest list," Goggles noted. "We'll have to be careful who gets invited."

"The Alpha and I are well aware of the risks, so we will be very careful about who is invited and who crosses the border," Luna assured them. "I would feel awful if my plan somehow put Zoey in danger."

Van continued nibbling on the end of his pen. His team would have to be part of the planning process in order to make sure that everything was safe. They would have to run a security check on every approved guest, do an initial screening when they reached the border, and make sure that no one out of place entered the premise. The highest priority was to keep Zoey protected, which could easily be done by ensuring a team member was by her side at all times. He himself would take the majority of the responsibility.

"I'll certainly talk to Zoey to make sure she's up for a large public gathering like that," Luna added.

The door swung open and the girl herself stepped into the room, closely followed by Stitch. Van scrambled to his feet and pulled out the chair next to his. Zoey seemed to pick up on his intention and crossed the room to his side. She offered a small smile before dropping into the chair and scotting herself closer to the table.