The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 14

Zoey

Even though I hadn't had time to make the place a little more comfortable, I was grateful that Luna had found me a place to call my own. I would slowly bring a few blankets and pillows up to make the place a little more homey, and I could eventually sleep there if I felt the need to. Truthfully, I hoped it never came to that. My safe haven was a daytime place.

What happened? I asked my wolf as I scrambled up the back stairs to my hideaway. Why did that hit hurt some much?

We've never been super strong, she answered. We usually weren't thrown to the ground like that. The force caught me off guard... and it hurt!

I couldn't disagree with her. It had hurt... a lot. The emotional pain of not bouncing back matched the physical pain of slamming into the ground. I needed to find my inner fortitude, but I would only do it in the comfort of privacy. Van already had a low opinion of me, so giving him the opportunity to watch me sort through my thoughts would only bring that opinion lower still. I needed to build myself up, not down, in his view. He'd be more likely to protect someone he at least semi-respected.

So what do we need to do to make sure this doesn't happen again? I asked as I stepped into the room and closed the door behind myself.

We need to train more, build up our strength. One day at a time... that's all we can focus on.

I sagged onto the couch and rested my head against the back of it. Training... strength building... These things took time, and I may not have that much time. But I would certainly give it my all while I could. It was my only option.

It quite interesting to Van was the one that snapped us out of that funk, my wolf noted. Nothing Stitch did worked. But as soon as Van touched you... Hoo, that was quite the jolt.

I shook off the underlying suggestion, not wanting to let my mind wander down that path. It was too risky. Besides, once my mate bond was broken, I would be off and back to my parents' pack. They would be thrilled to have me back, and I would certainly feel safe and protected there. I could reestablish what 'home' felt like and hopefully figure out a plan for the future. If everything in my future was not here, what was the point of getting involved... even mentally?

Listen... I told her. I don't know how long we'll be here, so we should just take all of Stitch's help and leave it at that. I'd rather not get any more confused and unsettled than I already am.

She nodded and laid down for a rest. Whatever you say. Tomorrow, go back and try again with Stitch. Ask him to go slow, and we'll be more prepared.

I smiled at the ceiling and shifted my position on the couch. The cushions were quite worn and had lost much of their fluff, but it was still comfortable. A few hours' sleep, and I'd be ready to go back downstairs to face whatever was waiting.

Van

He'd lost track of her... again. Just like when she'd gone exploring with his mom, she went into a blank space where he couldn't find her. Not that he was going to go charging after her, but it unsettled his stomach to not know exactly where she was. Stitch couldn't track her either, but at they knew that she was still in the house.

He followed Stitch into the conference room and dropped into the chair at the end of the table. The whole team had gathered for another meeting, and he sincerely hoped that they had made some progress. The list of to-dos was quite long, but each step was one step closer to completion. He needed at least one big win for the morning.

"Goggles..." he drawled. "Where are we with that location?"

Goggles looked up from his laptop and chewed on his bottom lip. "Still haven't found it yet, Boss. Every time I think we've found it, something shows up that makes it too big of a risk. I'm crossing off enough places that the right one will reveal itself soon."