26. ZANA

Chapter twenty-six

ZANA

A few hours later

Reid’s head is heavy in my lap, his soft, dark hair slipping through my fingers as I stroke it. His breathing is steady, peaceful for once, and it’s a rare moment when he looks completely at ease. The temporary bond is a new experience, a mixture of his panic and desire rumbling through it. Feeling him right beside Ethan is a sensation I was missing.

Ethan is curled into Reid’s chest, their limbs tangled together like they’ve been lovers forever and not mates for a few days. His small hand grips Reid’s shirt tightly, even in sleep, as if afraid to let go.

This . This is what I want.

The late afternoon sun filters through the living room window, casting a warm glow over the nest of blankets and pillows Ethan built on the couch. It’s too perfect, this little moment. Almost enough to make me forget the storm that’s brewing just outside this bubble we’ve created.

I glance down at Reid, his sharp features softened by sleep, and my heart aches. The love we shared with Ethan earlier was beautiful, the kind of intimacy that lingers in the air like a warm embrace. For a few hours, everything felt right. Whole. Even after accidentally biting Reid and with Reid’s doubts and guarded nature, I can see it—the potential for this to work, for us to build a life together.

But time is slipping through my fingers. The week I’ve been given to prove that the Wilhelms are abusing their pack Beta is running out and I’ve got nothing solid to show for it. No definitive evidence, no smoking gun. Just scars and bruises and the way Reid flinches when someone moves too quickly. None of it is enough—not in the eyes of the law. And that damn contract keeps staring me down, mocking me.

I clench my jaw, my fingers pausing in Reid’s hair for a moment before resuming their gentle rhythm. He shifts, his face pressing into my thigh and I take a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. I can’t let my frustration bleed into this moment. Not when they both need me to be steady.

The bond mark on Reid’s shoulder flashes in my mind, the scarred symbol that ties him to the Wilhelms. It’s a leash and they’re holding the other end, ready to yank him back at any moment. I’ve done the research. I know what it would take to sever that bond—to legally and permanently free him. And it all comes back to one thing: the Wilhelms’ permission.

The thought makes my stomach twist. Asking those bastards for anything feels like giving them a win. But without their consent, I’m stuck. Reid’s stuck. And the clock is ticking.

I glance at the coffee table, where my phone sits face up, the screen dark. I’ve spent the better part of the afternoon making calls, pulling every string I can think of. But nothing. No leads. No solutions. Just silence and a growing sense of failure. Not even Rourke or Grayson found anything that could possibly work.

I promised Ethan and Reid. I promised both of my mates that I would protect them, that I would keep them safe. And yet, here I am, with nothing to show for it. If the Wilhelms come for Reid, if they show up at my door demanding to take him back, what can I do? Fight? Sure, but that’s a losing battle and I know it. The law is on their side and my fists won’t change that.

Ethan stirs, letting out a soft sigh as he snuggles closer to Reid. The sight makes me smile despite the weight in my chest. He’s been a ball of sunshine since we brought Reid home, his energy infectious. It’s kept Reid grounded in a way I couldn’t have imagined, even with all his reservations. Ethan has a way of breaking through walls, of making you feel like you’ve finally found where you belong.

The phone buzzes, the sudden vibration startling me out of my thoughts. I snatch it off the table, my pulse quickening as I see Rourke’s number. My heart races as I answer, my voice steady despite the chaos in my head. “Zana.”

Rourke doesn’t waste time and as the words spill out, my heart drops into my stomach. It feels like I’ve been punched, the air leaving my lungs all at once. My hand tightens around the phone and I have to force myself not to crush it.

“You’re joking,” I whisper, though I already know he’s not. “Tell me you’re fucking joking.”

“I wish I was,” Rourke says, his tone grim. “The Wilhelms pulled some strings. High-level ones. Apparently, it’s been decided that Reid has to be returned to them until the investigation is officially concluded.”

“No,” I snap, my voice a harsh whisper. “That’s not how this works. You don’t send an abused pack Beta back to the people who hurt him.”

“Zana, I don’t like it any more than you do,” Rourke growls before his tone softens, almost apologetic. “But the Wilhelms are powerful. They’ve got connections—judges, politicians, you name it. They’re playing the system and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

I stand up, my free hand curling into a fist. “Bullshit,” I hiss, starting to pace. “You know damn well that if he goes back, they’ll make sure there’s nothing left to investigate. This isn’t about the system—it’s about protecting their image.”

“I know. But an officer is already on the way to your house. He’s probably almost there. The Wilhelms have someone in their back pocket and they’ve gone over my head.”

Panic claws at my chest, but it’s anger that keeps my hands steady, keeps my mind sharp. “They’re not taking him,” I growl. “I don’t care who’s pulling the strings. Reid is not going back there.”

“Zana, listen to me,” Rourke pleads. “If you don’t comply, you’ll be charged with obstruction, maybe even kidnapping. You could lose your license, your career—”

“I don’t give a shit about my career!” I cut him off, my voice rising despite myself. “I care about Reid. I care about the fact that if they take him, he’s as good as dead.”

Reid sits up on the couch, his face pale and drawn, his body trembling like he already knows what’s coming. Ethan stirs beside him, his wide, brown eyes flicking between us, confused and scared. My chest aches at the sight of them, but I can’t stop. Not now.

“Zana?” Reid’s voice is soft, shaking, but the pain in it is loud enough to drown out everything else.

I hold up a hand, signaling for him to wait, though the sight of him trembling makes me want to throw the phone across the room. “You tell whoever sent that officer to turn them around,” I whisper-yell into the phone, pushing my Alpha bark into my words. “Tell them that if they think I’m just going to hand Reid over, they’ve underestimated me.”

“Zana… you can’t win this one. Please, don’t make it worse. You have to let him go—for now. Unless he walks out himself. That’s the only option and we both know that he won’t do that. That he isn’t strong enough for that. I told you before to be smart about this. This is being smart.”

The line goes dead before I can respond, the silence that follows deafening. Because every last word that man said is bullshit. Reid is absolutely strong enough to walk back out of that house on his own two feet. Because there’s something none of us planned for—that temporary bond on his bottom lip which is channeling every last one of my emotions.

When I turn back to Reid, his eyes are locked on mine. “They’re coming for me, aren’t they?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

The sound of a car engine rumbles in the distance, growing louder as it approaches, answering Reid’s question. My heart races, my mind spinning with options, plans, anything to stop what’s coming. Ethan clings to Reid’s side, his small frame trembling, the weight of their fear pressing down on me.

Someone knocks, Reid shooting up from the couch but the movement’s too fast and he grimaces, clutching his side as he doubles over. Pain ripples across his face, but there’s something harder beneath it—resolve.

“Reid,” I bark, stepping toward him, but he shakes his head before I can grab his arm.

“I’m fine,” he mutters, but it’s a lie. His entire body is trembling and then a flash of determination crosses his face as he hones in on my emotions. “We don’t have time for this. Just tell me that these last few days weren’t a lie. Tell me that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Tell me that there’s more.”

Ethan’s eyes are still wide, confusion running rampant through his expression. “What’s happening?” he whispers, fear threading through his voice like a live wire.

I ignore him for the moment, knowing that Ethan is going to fall apart and address Reid. “There’s more, Reid. There’s always more.” Then I lean forward, making sure that these words are just for him. “I can’t pull you out of that house, not without losing Ethan. They won’t try anything while under investigation. Just stay safe until I can figure something out.”

Reid pulls back, searching my expression as if he didn’t expect me to fight for him. “I don’t expect you to do anything, Alpha.”

“I would burn down the world right now if it meant keeping you.”

“And if I walked right out? What then? What are the legal implications if I just fucking leave that house?”

A small grin overtakes my lips. “They can’t stop you, Reid. I don’t know what they’ll try if you do that but legally, there’s nothing they could do. Is that what you want?”

“After experiencing happiness with you and Ethan? I would fucking do anything to come back here. I’m not staying in that house again, Alpha. I can’t do it.”

“Then don’t. ”