Chapter 55 Fifty Five
DANIKA
I suddenly can't breathe. It feels like I've been sucked into a nightmare. One I can't wrap my head around.
"What?!" Kira chokes out.
My knees nearly buckle. "No. No, he didn’t. Commander, this is a mistake—"
The man doesn't blink. "We have sworn statements from three witnesses," he says firmly. "Including one who claims to have seen your claws in her abdomen."
Kaziel looks like he's been slapped. "That's impossible. I haven't... Eve is—"
"One of the statements describes you lifting the body into your car. Another claims they saw you dispose of it in the ravine. We found blood traces there consistent with the victim."
Kaziel's face drains of color instantly. "Sterling. You know damn well—"
"Alpha," Sterling cuts in. "Turn around and place your hands behind your back. Do not shift. Do not resist."
"I didn't kill her," Kaziel growls. "I'm not...I'm not a murderer."
"We also have footage." Sterling's voice hardens. "Don't make this harder."
Kaziel freezes. Even the air in the room seems to have been sucked out of the room entirely.
Footage?
My heart slams against my ribs. "Commander!" I step forward, trembling. "He's being framed! Someone is setting him up! There's something bigger going on...please, just listen—"
Sterling doesn't even look at me.
"Kaziel Lakewood," he repeats. "This is your final warning."
Kaziel lifts his hands slowly, his face blank. He turns around slowly, and my heart practically shatters.
No...this can't be happening.
The moment Sterling snaps the silver restraints onto his wrists, Kaziel flinches, his jaw clenched tight. The silver bites into his skin, sizzling against it.
"Kaz!" I cry, reaching for him.
But two officers block me instantly, pushing me back.
"Stay where you are, Miss."
Kaziel lifts his head just enough to meet my eyes. And what I see there breaks my heart. A man who's on the verge of a big crash.
"Danika." He says, and a tear slides down my cheek. "Don't follow them. Don't fight. Don't argue. Just...stay safe. I'm begging you. If anything happens to you, I'll go mad."
My throat burns. "Kaziel, I'm not letting them—"
"Danika."
His eyes harden.
Sterling jerks him forward, dragging him down the steps.
Kira starts crying. "Kaziel! Tell them! You didn't do it! You didn't kill Eve! Tell them!"
He does not answer.
The moment they push him into the armored vehicle, he looks at me one last time. And that's when Sterling murmurs something to the officer beside him, thinking none of us can hear:
"Get him to the central holding cells. Criminals like him deserve the worst.”
My blood freezes solid.
I stumble forward, slamming my palms against the door of the vehicle as it closes.
"KAZIEL!"
He looks up, his misty gaze meeting mine. But the vehicle pulls away, and Kira's scream rips through the air. My vision blurs with tears, my knees giving out. I don't even realize that I'm screaming until Kira grips my shoulders, sobbing.
"Dani—Danika, breathe, please—"
"I can't—" My throat constricts. "They're going to kill him, Kira—"
"We're not letting that happen."
A deep voice utters behind me, and I turn around.
Aaron stands on the porch, his hair messy. He looks pissed. But it's the man next to him who makes me pause. He's tall and strikingly handsome, dressed in a leather coat, leather gloves, and black jeans.
His eyes study me carefully, as if he can already see every secret I'm carrying.
Aaron clears his throat. "Danika... this is Isaiah."
Isaiah inclines his head once.
"Zeta of the pack," he says, his voice unexpectedly warm. "Kaziel's third. I assist in internal intelligence and security."
It's the first time I've met him, but something about him radiates ancient composure.
He looks at me again, his gaze steady. "Our Alpha is in grave danger."
Kira sucks in a breath. "You heard Sterling. They're throwing him into the central holding cells. The silver alone…he hasn't been fine these past weeks—"
Aaron swears under his breath.
Isaiah continues though, his voice calm despite the chaotic air around us.
"He is emotionally unstable. The hollow may surface."
My heart plummets. "No... no, he's been fighting it... he hasn't slipped—"
"Not fully," Isaiah says gently. "But grief is a powerful trigger. And being confined with silver is dangerous for any wolf... much less one in Kaziel's condition."
The air suddenly feels too thin.
"I have to go to him," I say. "They must allow visitors…mates have rights—"
Isaiah shakes his head once. "The Corps recognizes legal mates, Danika. You and Kaziel haven't been fully marked yet."
I flinch without meaning to.
"But," he adds, his gaze sharpening, "that doesn't mean we won't try."
Aaron steps forward, his jaw clenched. "We're going to the central cells. Now. They'll only talk to pack representatives, and you're coming with us."
Kira wipes her eyes. "I'll grab the car keys—"
"Whoever framed Kaziel will come for Danika next. Our alpha already left a command. Her safety must be our priority," Isaiah says, and I gulp.
"I—I can handle myself—"
Isaiah arches a brow. "Can you?"
The question isn't mocking. It's just factual. And honest.
He turns to Aaron. "You, Kira, and the others should gather information and prepare the pack's defense. The Corps will expect a response from the Lakewood leadership by dawn. Danika must be seen as a concerned civilian, not a strategic threat."
Aaron looks frustrated but nods.
"Fine. But if anything happens—"
"Nothing will," Isaiah says.
He turns back to me.
"For now," he says softly, "we must go. Before they deny visitors for the night."
My legs tremble, but I nod.
Kira throws her arms around me suddenly, squeezing tight. "Please... don't let him break in there. He's barely holding together as it is."
Her voice cracks. "He needs you."
I swallow the lump in my throat. "I know."
When I pull back, Isaiah is already descending the porch steps, hands in his coat pockets.
"Danika," he calls without looking back, "stay close. And if you feel any dizziness or any presence tracking us...tell me immediately."
I can't believe this is happening. My phone buzzes, and I unlock it to see a message from an unknown number, my heart plummeting into my gut.
'Evelyn Hart is alive.
Meet me tonight. Come alone.
—Vanya'
Isaiah opens the car door.
"We do not have time," he says. "Kaziel needs you."
I take a shaky breath. Then I climb in.
...
The vehicle tires crunch over gravel as we pull up to the gates of the central holding facility. My hands shake so hard that I can barely grip my phone.
The Corps officers at the entrance barely glance at us. But then, a uniformed female officer steps forward.
"Visitors are not allowed," she says firmly.
"Please!" I cry. "He's... he's sick! Kaziel... he's my mate. He's not okay! He needs me!"
Isaiah places a steady hand on my shoulder. His gaze remains calm, but I can feel his tension beneath the surface.
The female officer's lips press into a thin line. "Do you know what you're asking?"
Tears blur my vision. "I don't care! He's barely holding together. Please—I have to see him. Just for a few minutes. Please!"
Her eyes soften slightly. "Follow me."
I blink. "What?"
"Now," she says. "You and the man next to you, follow me."
I clutch Isaiah's sleeve as we follow her down a narrow corridor. My stomach churns, my chest tight.
I can't focus. I just want Kaziel.
We reach a small, sterile room off the corridor. She opens the door and gestures inside. "Wait here."
Isaiah nods briefly and leads me in.
Minutes stretch like hours. My fingers tremble as I clutch the edge of the table.
Finally, the door opens, and Kaziel is escorted in.
He moves slowly, almost dragging himself. His shoulders are slumped, his hair damp. His beautiful eyes are glazed and empty. The sight brings tears to my eyes. It's only been a few hours, and he already looks so wrecked.
"Kaziel," I whisper.
He looks at me, his gaze softening. My heart pounds faster when I notice the faint discoloration along his jaw. A bruise.
"Did... did someone hit you?" I demand, my voice trembling.
He shakes his head slightly. "I'm alright. I'm fine."
I reach for his hand, squeezing it gently.
"During the interrogation, you must stay silent by all means, Alpha. I have a feeling that this case is bigger than we think," Isaiah tells him, and he nods.
"I got a text," I whisper, my voice barely audible. I slide my phone across the table. "It says... Evelyn Hart is alive. And... they want me to meet tonight. They said I have to come alone."
Kaziel's stormy blue eyes dart to mine.
"You can't go alone, dove," he whispers. "Isaiah... he'll go with you."
I blink at him, surprised. "But—"
"I can't risk... anything happening to you," he croaks. "I need you safe. Go with him. Do whatever you must. But don't... don't put yourself in their hands alone."
I nod, swallowing hard. "Okay... okay."
"I'll accompany you. Discreetly. We leave after he's secured for the night," Isaiah utters.
Kaziel's eyes soften briefly, gratitude and worry warring across his features. "Thank you... both of you."
I squeeze his hand again, holding it across the table. "I'll be back. I promise."
His lips press into a thin line. "You don't have to try too hard."
My stomach twists, but before I can say anything, the door bursts open. Corps officers step in. They don't say a word. They simply grab him. He doesn't even bother resisting.
"It's okay, Dani," Kaziel whispers, smiling at me as he reaches over to hold my hand. And then he's gone.
I freeze, staring at my hand, shaking uncontrollably as the realization hits.
"He's... so cold," I choke, tears blurring my vision.