The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 45

Van

Of all the missions he'd done, this one scared him the most. He'd seen plenty of lives-on-the-line situations before, but the lives were never people he was personally invested in. They were innocents who needed saving. This time was different because he cared about the person involved: Zoey. If things went south, it was her life that would haunt his conscience. He couldn't let that happen.

They'd all been busy with preparations for the past couple days, and now the first of three important days had come. Later today, Bug would activate the secret homing beacons. Then they would wait for Midnight to figure out who the beacons belonged to and make contact. In the meantime, Snuff and Bug would pack up all the fencing pods to move out once that contact was made. And they'd all continue preparing for the Formal as if nothing else was happening. Zoey had a final dress fitting, and his team had their own "costume" fittings.

The breakfast table was a paradox of energy. The other pack members chatted happily about the big event while Van's group ate their breakfast in silence. Zoey barely looked up from her plate until he nudged her with his shoulder, and the contact startled her. Her gaze whipped up to meet his.

"Why are you so jumpy today?" he whispered. "Nothing's happened yet."

She let out a long breath and pinched the bridge of her nose for a second. "Sorry... It's the knowing what will be happening that has me a little on edge. It's been planning and discussions up to this point, and now it's actually happening. There is actual risk and danger now."

Stitch leaned forward on the other side of Zoey. "We've accounted for all the risks. We won't put you in any situation that we can't handle. Not to mention that Van will be stuck to your shadow like glue."

Van shot his friend a half-hearted snarl and grabbed Zoey's hand as she gripped her fork. Her hand relaxed under his, and her eyes slowly lost that wide, startled look. He offered her a brave smile and waited until she smiled back.

"It'll be all right," he encouraged her. "Just take it one step at a time."

She nodded and turned back to her plate. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. They ate the rest of their breakfast without any further conversation. Everyone else finished their meal and left the dining room to go about the tasks of the day. Once the room was vacant aside from Van's group, he leaned back in his chair and looked around at his team.

"This is it. By the end of today, we will be one step closer to achieving our goal. We all have things to do this morning, but we'll meet in the conference room after lunch to see Bug activate those homing beacons. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded their agreement, and the guys headed out. Van stood and held out a hand to Zoey.

"May I escort you upstairs for your final dress fitting, my lady?"

She placed her hand in his and smiled. "Yes, thank you. You may escort me there but not stay. Your mom absolutely insists that you don't see my dress before tomorrow night. I think she wants to see your reaction when you see her handiwork."

"Yes, well..." Van pulled Zoey to her feet and tipped his head a little. "It's also possible that my mother is also trying to push me into making some romantic grandioso gesture. I don't intend to sound flippant or cruel, but please don't expect me to drop to a knee and propose the second I see you in your dress."

Her eyes widened a little. "I... most definitely will not expect that. We've well established that we won't make any decisions until after my mate bond is broken, so a proposal before that happens will be contrary to that decision."

He tucked her hand into the bend of his arm and led the way out of the dining room. Zoey seemed to be lost in her own thoughts again as they made their way upstairs.