Chapter 88 Eighty Eight
DANIKA
The living room light is on when I wake up at sunrise, wearing one of Kaziel's shirts that still smells like him. Kira is sitting on the couch, her jacket draped over the armrest. She looks up from her phone immediately.
"There you are," she says gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I slept through a nightmare," I murmur, sinking onto the couch beside her.
She snorts softly.
My phone buzzes in my hand before the silence can linger for too long. My heart jumps straight into my throat when I see that I just got a text from my mate.
I don't even realize I've stopped breathing until Kira leans forward slightly, alert. "Danika?"
I open the message, and to my relief, it says:
'Your dad is safe. He's okay.'
My vision blurs instantly.
"Oh," I breathe, pressing my hand to my mouth. I'm so relieved, tears well up in my eyes. "He's okay."
Kira exhales sharply. "He is?"
I nod, shoving the phone towards her, laughing and crying at the same time.
Kira reads the text, her shoulders loosening. "Good," she says. "That's really good."
I slump back against the couch, wiping my cheeks with the sleeve of Kaz's shirt. My hands are still shaking, but it's different now.
"I thought—" My voice cracks, and I stop, swallowing hard. "I thought I was going to lose him."
I glance down at my phone again, my thumb hovering. "Do you think I should ask if he's okay?"
She gives me the look. "You're asking me if you should text your extremely powerful, dangerously devoted mate to check on him?"
"...When you say it like that, it sounds obvious."
"It is obvious."
I type before I can overthink it.
ME: Babe, are you okay?
His reply comes almost immediately.
KAZIEL: I'm fine, dove. I'll be home soon.
My chest loosens, and I let out an exhale. I stare at the screen, a smile sneaking up on me without permission.
Kira clears her throat loudly.
I look up and find her watching me with a knowing smirk, her arms folded over her chest.
"What?" I ask, still smiling.
"That smile," she says. "That exact one. Kaziel is the only one capable of bringing it to life."
I scoff. "That's not true."
She raises a brow. "You're literally glowing."
"I am not glowing."
"You are wearing his shirt, smiling at your phone, and you just sighed like you're in a romance movie."
I drop my head back against the couch. "I hate you."
She laughs. "Liar."
I glance back at the screen, my thumbs itching.
ME: Okay. Be safe.
KAZIEL: Always. I love you.
I press the phone to my chest, warmth blooming there.
Kira makes a gagging noise. "Yep. There it is. Lover girl activated."
I let out a laugh. "Stooopp."
"Never," she says cheerfully. "It's my sworn duty to tease you about this forever."
I glance towards the front door, imagining the moment it'll open. The way he'll look when he walks in. The way his arms will wrap around me.
"I just want him home," I admit.
Kira's teasing expression softens. "He will be," she says with certainty. And I hold on to it.
...
I hear the door open before I see him. My head snaps up instantly. Kaziel steps inside, his tall frame filling the doorway. His gaze finds me immediately, relief flashing across his face.
"Kaz," I breathe.
I'm on my feet before my brain catches up, crossing the room quickly. He barely has time to shut the door before I'm in front of him, my hands fisting in his jacket.
He cups my face, his thumbs cold against my cheeks. "I'm here," he murmurs. "I told you I would be."
Then I see it. Dried, dark blood along his wrist and sleeve.
My eyes go wide. "Kaziel—"
"Most of it is not mine," he says immediately.
"That doesn't make me feel better," I whisper, panic crawling up my spine.
He catches my wrists gently. "Dove," he says softly. "I'm perfectly fine. I promise."
I search his face for signs of pain. For anything that says he's lying to protect me. But his eyes are steady, warm, and very much alive.
"...Okay," I say, even though my heart is still racing.
He presses his forehead to mine for a brief moment. "I just need to shower," he adds. "Then I'll come back."
I nod, my fingers loosening their grip on him. "I'll be right here."
"I know."
He brushes his lips over my hair and heads up the stairs. Only when he's long gone do I realize that Kira has been watching us with a small smile. And knowing that sets my whole face on fire.
The sound of running water drifts through the house for a while. By the time Kaziel returns, the tension in my shoulders has finally eased.
He pauses when he sees Kira, his expression turning grateful.
"Thank you," he says sincerely. "For staying with her."
Kira rises, grabbing her jacket. "Anytime," she replies. Then she smirks at me. "Take care of your Alpha, lover girl."
My cheeks heat. "Kira."
Kaziel chuckles under his breath as she heads for the door. It closes behind her, leaving the house quiet again.
Kaziel sits on the couch with a tired exhale, one arm resting along the back. I don't hesitate.
I crawl onto his lap, straddling him sideways and tucking myself into his chest like it's the most natural place in the world. He laughs softly, his arms coming around me without question, holding me close.
"There she is," he murmurs.
I press my face into his neck, breathing him in. "I missed you," the words tumble out without restraint.
"I know," he says, his fingers sliding into my hair. "I missed you too."
We're still tangled together when he finally speaks.
"I took Tyler and your father to the hospital."
I lift my head so fast my forehead nearly collides with his chin. "Hospital?" I gasp. "A human hospital?"
Kaziel chuckles. "No. A supernatural one."
I blink. "That's... a thing?"
"There are a few in every city," he says calmly. "They are mostly hidden, though."
"Oh. Okay. Right. Of course there are."
His hand rubs my back gently. "Tyler will recover. Your father too. Physically, at least."
He tenses slightly, and I peek up at him. “Kaz?”
He tightens his hold on me just a little. "Tyler told me spoke to his mum before I arrived," he says carefully. "He told me some things."
My stomach twists. "What things?"
His jaw flexes. "Ember once went to your father when she found out Tyler had a weak wolf, she begged him to help her. He asked her to find the vessel and bring their heart. That’s how she dabbled in dark arts. But her ambition soon grew when she realized he had no plan to help her. Apparently... your father is the bigger threat.”
A shiver rolls down my spine.
"I don't understand why he's so cruel."
"He's trying to bring back a god," Kaziel continues. "By any means necessary."
My breath catches in my throat. "A god?"
"Yes." His gaze drops to mine, unflinching. "And if it comes down to it, he's willing to sacrifice his daughter to do it."
I shiver. "Me?"
He pulls me closer instantly, one arm wrapping around my shoulders, the other cradling the back of my head. "You," he confirms. "My mate."
I press my face into his chest, trembling. My heart is racing faster now.
Kaziel's hand rubs firm circles into my back. "He doesn't get to touch you," he says. "Not now. Not ever."
I swallow hard. "What if he tries?"
"Then he answers to me."
There's no bravado in his voice. Only a solid certainty.
"I'm scared," I admit, my voice small.
"I know," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair. "But you're not facing this alone."
He gently tilts my chin up until I'm looking at him.
"I vow to protect you," he says. "With my life, if it comes to that."
I curl back into his arms, letting myself be held.
Kaziel’s phone rings out suddenly, and I stiffen, my breath hitching. Maybe it’s some kind of trauma response rooted in the fact that every time my mate gets a call like this, it’s usually not for something good. Gosh, he just came back. He needs to get some sleep and have breakfast after. Why can’t we catch a break?
A whimper nearly escapes my lips as he answers the call and brings the phone to his ear, a slight crease in his brow.
“Isaiah?”
Shit. That man rarely calls. What now?
“I just got news from the detention centre,” Isaiah states, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Pain shoots through my belly, and I gasp.
“Let me guess, Eve has just escaped,” Kaziel drawls, and my heart sinks.
“Yes, Alpha. A search is currently ongoing. Be careful. We do not know how far she’s willing to go.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
The line goes dead, and my worried gaze meets Kaziel’s. I part my lips to speak, only to freeze when the pain in my belly returns in full force, causing me to cry out.
“What’s wrong?” Kaziel asks, panic in his voice.
“The baby…ah…” I gasp, clutching my stomach, and colour drains from his face instantly.