The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 21

Zoey

They haven't found you. You're still safe, Zoey. Van won't let anything happen to you. You're safe.

I repeated these thoughts to myself over and over, hoping that I'd eventually believe myself. It was very possible that a rogue had crossed into lycan territory. It might not be anyone from Midnight. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. It was driving me crazy.

I planted my elbows on my knees and covered my face with my hands. This would be resolved. Stitch and Snuff would find out who the person was, and then they'd come tell Van. I'd stay in the bunker until they were sure that my safety hadn't been compromised. It was fine!

Fine, my wolf snorted. You're only fine because Van is here with you.

You're really a one-track puppy these days, I snarled at her. We're in an underground bunker hiding for our lives, and you're rolling over because of the company.

She gave a smug little smile and laid down. You didn't disagree with me.

I couldn't disagree with her, but I wouldn't admit it. If it was any other circumstance, I'd enjoy the protection a little more. As it was, I currently had serious fear for my safety pounding through my brain.

"Here we are."

I looked up from my hands as Van set a couple mugs of steaming tea on the coffee table in front of me. "Thanks."

He resumed his seat next to me and motioned to the cups. "My mom made sure this place was stocked with loads of herbal teas. She claims they are the best for remaining calm in a safety bunker."

"I remember my mom saying something similar... not about being in a safety bunker, but the calming properties of herbal tea." I grabbed one of the cups off the table and held it in my hands for a while. The warmth seeped into my skin and chased away the slight chill of the room.

For a while, we sat in silence. The walls of the bunker blocked all sound from the outside, so the only sounds were our own: I tapped my index fingers against the sides of my mug; Van stared down into the contents of his. After a minute, he turned his head towards me and let out a sigh.

"Does it make you nervous?" he asked. "...being here? Does it remind you of Midnight?"

I shook my head. They'd never imprisoned me or locked me in dingy rooms. Their form of torture was far more sophisticated. I didn't fear being alone or confined in a box. Safe houses, prison cells, dungeons, locked rooms... They were all the same. Places didn't scare me. People did.

"Midnight doesn't believe in safety bunkers or hidden rooms," I explained. "I can handle being in a locked room. It's the living in fear of Jax..."

"You don't have to be afraid of him, Zoey. He can't hurt you anymore."

"If only that were true," I whispered, taking a sip of my tea. After a minute, I turned to look at my protector.

"Why are you here, Van?"

He blinked in surprise. "It's my team's responsibility to keep you safe. There's a danger out there, and someone needs to stay with you until it's passed."

"But why are you here?" I emphasized. "Any one of your team could have brought me down here. Why you?"

He looked down into his mug for a moment. The answer must have been difficult for him to sort out, because his jaw twitched several times as he thought about it.

"My mother entrusted you to me," he finally said, "beyond the responsibility of the team. I didn't want to take any additional risks by putting you in someone else's care. The only way I could make sure you were entirely safe was to do it myself."