33. ZANA

Chapter thirty-three

ZANA

I wake up in the warmth of the nest, the scent of sandalwood and summer wrapping around me like a blanket. For a moment, I don’t move. I just let myself breathe, let myself sink into the peace of this moment. A morning in the nest morphed into the entire day, Ethan content to keep us here and bring snacks when someone’s stomach grumbled. And now, the next morning, I’m ready for something a little more stimulating.

Ethan is snuggled up on one side of me, his head tucked into my shoulder, mouth slightly open as soft little snores escape. Reid is on my other side, his hand resting on my stomach, his fingers brushing against my skin like he can’t quite believe I’m real.

Reid’s already awake, his hazel eyes fixed on Ethan. There’s something in his expression I haven’t seen before—soft, unguarded, amusement. He’s silently laughing, his lips twitching as he watches Ethan drool onto my chest.

“Charming, isn’t he?” I murmur, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake the little snorer.

Reid snorts softly, shaking his head. “He’s ridiculous,” he says, but the affection in his voice betrays him. “I didn’t think anyone could snore and look this adorable at the same time.”

“He’s a talented Omega,” I tease, running my fingers through Ethan’s curls. He sighs in his sleep, burrowing closer and my chest aches with how much I love them both.

Reid shifts slightly, turning his attention to me. His gaze flickers to the fresh bond mark on his shoulder, and I see him touch it absentmindedly like he’s checking to make sure it’s still there. “How are you feeling?” I ask, resting a hand over his.

“Never better.” For the first time, I think he means it. There’s no edge to his voice, no shadow lurking behind his words. Just truth.

I don’t press, don’t ask him to dig into the emotions that are probably still raw and tangled. Instead, I kiss his temple, lingering there for a moment before pulling back. “You hungry? Ethan was treating us like his baby birds all day yesterday.”

Reid laughs quietly, his eyes softening. “I don’t think I’ve ever been fed this much in my life. He even peeled my orange for me.”

“That’s Ethan for you. Acts of service are his love language.”

Reid’s expression turns thoughtful, and he looks at Ethan again, his fingers brushing lightly against the Omega’s arm. “I didn’t think... family could be like this,” he says, so softly I almost don’t hear it.

“This is what it’s supposed to be.”

He doesn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes says enough.

I press a kiss to his lips, lingering there for several seconds, before carefully untangling myself from the nest. Ethan whines softly in his sleep but doesn’t wake, curling into Reid instead. I chuckle under my breath as Reid automatically wraps an arm around him, pulling him close like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Go take your shower,” Reid murmurs, his voice low and warm. “I’ve got him.”

The water is hot, washing away the weight of the past few days, but the knot in my stomach doesn’t ease. Something feels... off. I try to push it away, but it lingers, gnawing at the edges of my peace. Yesterday was perfect, almost too perfect as we’re still weathering the storm that is the Wilhelms.

When I step out, towel wrapped around me, I grab my phone from the counter and see a missed call from Rourke. My gut twists as I hit redial, leaning against the sink as the call connects.

“Zana,” Rourke says, something urgent in his tone. “You need to get down to the station. Now.”

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice sharper than I mean it to be.

“It’s Hailey,” he growls and my blood turns cold. “She’s accusing Reid of assault.”

“What?” The word comes out as a hiss. “That’s bullshit, Rourke, and you know it.”

“Of course I know it,” he snaps. “But her Alphas are here, demanding an audience. If you don’t get here soon, it’s going to escalate. I’m doing what I can but I’m not a lawyer and Reid needs to make a statement—for the investigation and now this.”

I close my eyes, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles ache. “Fuck yeah. I’ll be there,” I grumble. “This isn’t how I wanted to start things, Rourke.

“Believe me. I know,” he says and then the line goes dead.

I drop the phone onto the counter, my heart pounding as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Anger coils hot and deep in my chest, but beneath it is a twinge of fear—a fear I can’t afford to give into. They’re playing their games, trying to overshadow the real story but I’m not letting them get away with the torture they caused my Beta.

I step back into the bedroom, quickly finding a suit that is both clean and ironed. In all of the chaos, I’ve enjoyed walking around in a shirt most days. Reid looks up from the nest, his brows furrowing at the look on my face. “We have to go in now, don’t we?”

Reid doesn’t wait for me to say anything as he places a soft kiss to Ethan’s forehead and then slips from the nest. There’s no resignation in his expression, just a bit of determination and defiance. He won’t be happy when he finds out why we have to go now but it’ll all work out. I’ve been preparing for the Wilhelms for days. I have the evidence. I just need the opportunity to present it.

Because a family like that just wants things to go away.

The precinct is cold and unforgiving, Reid glued to my side, his steps steady but his posture tense. I glance at him as we approach the entrance, his jaw pulled tight and eyes focused forward. He’s holding it together for now, but I can feel the weight of this moment pressing down on him. It makes my blood boil.

As soon as we step inside, I see him—Jackson Wilhelm, leaning against the far wall like he owns the place. Lyle hovers nearby, his expression unreadable but his presence no less infuriating. Jackson spots us, his smug grin spreading as he straightens and crosses his arms. It’s enough to send me over the edge.

Before I realize what I’m doing, my fist connects with his face. The crack of impact is satisfying, the pain in my knuckles a welcome distraction from the rage simmering just beneath my skin. Jackson stumbles back, clutching his jaw, and for a moment, there’s a stunned silence.

“What the fuck?” Jackson growls.

“Zana!” Rourke’s voice cuts through the haze of my anger as he grabs my arm, pulling me back before I can land another hit. “You can’t do this here.”

“Let me go, Rourke,” I snap, my voice sharp. “I’m not done with him.”

“You’re done,” Detective Grayson says firmly as he steps between us, his gaze locking on mine. His calm demeanor doesn’t soften the steel in his voice. “If you can’t keep it together, you’re not going to be allowed in this precinct, let alone in that room to advocate for your mate. Understand?”

I grit my teeth, my hands curling into fists at my sides as I force myself to nod. “Fine,” I bite out, my voice taut with barely contained fury.

Jackson smirks and it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to lunge at him again. Lyle places a hand on his shoulder, muttering something under his breath, but I’m too focused on the prick standing in front of me to care what’s being said.

“Let’s move,” Grayson says, his tone leaving no room for argument.

They escort us into an interrogation room, the air thick with tension. Reid and I take seats on one side of the table while Jackson and Lyle settle across from us. Two detectives I don’t recognize step into the room. Grayson and Rourke aren’t here, likely because of their connection to me, which only makes me more uneasy. These are new faces and while that means they’re not in the Wilhelm Alphas’ pocket, it also means I don’t know where they stand.

The silence stretches as one of the detectives—a woman with short, dark hair and sharp features—opens a folder and scans its contents. Her partner, a wiry man with a thin mustache, leans back in his chair, his gaze darting between the four of us.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” the woman says, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “This is highly unorthodox. None of this is officially on the books, per the Wilhelms’ request, which means this situation is already teetering on the edge of propriety. If any of you step out of line, we’re shutting this down.”

Her eyes flick to me and I give her a curt nod. I don’t trust her, but I don’t have a choice. Not right now.

“We’re here to address the accusation brought forward by Hailey Wilhelm,” the man says, his voice smoother but no less authoritative. “She claims that Reid assaulted her during his time in the Wilhelm household.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snap before I can stop myself.

“Ms. Miller,” the woman warns, her gaze sharp. “Let us handle this.”

I bite my tongue, forcing myself to lean back in my chair. Beside me, Reid is stiff, his hands folded tightly in his lap. I reach under the table, resting my hand on his knee and he relaxes ever so slightly.

Jackson leans forward, his expression feigning concern. “We never wanted it to come to this,” he says, his voice oozing with insincerity. “Reid was part of our pack and we trusted him. But Hailey’s been through so much—her emotional state has been fragile since this all started.”

Reid lets out a sharp, bitter laugh, drawing all eyes to him. “Her emotional state?” he repeats, his voice dripping with disbelief. “You mean the state she put herself in by treating me like a damn servant for months? By accusing me of assault when all I did was exist in her presence?”

“Reid,” I say softly, squeezing his knee.

He shakes his head, his hazel eyes blazing as he glares at Jackson. “No, Zana. Let’s not pretend this is anything other than what it is—a pathetic attempt to cover their asses because they know they’re in the wrong.”

Lyle stiffens, his jaw clenching, but Jackson’s smirk only deepens. “Careful, Reid. You don’t want to make things worse for yourself.”

“Oh, I’m so scared,” Reid shoots back, his tone mocking. “What are you going to do, Jackson? Hit me again? Bruise a few more ribs? Sorry, I forgot—you can’t. Not with people watching.”

The tension in the room spikes, the air crackling with unspoken hostility. The detectives exchange a glance, the woman scribbling something in her notebook while the man clears his throat.

“Enough,” the man says firmly, his gaze sweeping over all of us. “We’re not here to litigate personal grievances. We’re here to determine the validity of the accusations made against Mr. Camden.”

“Which are baseless,” I say, my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. “Hailey Wilhelm has a history of manipulating situations to her advantage. This is just another one of her games.”

“And you can prove that?” the woman asks, raising an eyebrow.

I meet her gaze head-on. “I can try.”

Jackson chuckles. “Good luck with that, Alpha. You’ve already overstepped once. How much more are you willing to risk for a Beta?”

“As much as it takes,” I state.

Reid glances at me, a flicker of something unspoken passing between us. I lean forward, my elbows on the table, my gaze locked on Jackson. “Why would your Omega make a claim like this when Reid was practically dying under your roof?”

Jackson’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t respond. His silence only fuels my anger, and I push harder. “Even if—let’s entertain the lie for a second—even if Reid had assaulted her, and you retaliated, you’re telling me you just left him to waste away in that hellhole you called a bedroom? No hospital? No proper care? Nothing?”

“Zana,” the male detective warns, but I wave him off without looking.

“You don’t get to play the ‘we were protecting our Omega’ card when you didn’t even have the decency to treat your Beta like a living, breathing person,” I snap. “You threw him in a closet and forgot about him until it suited you. So tell me, Jackson, what exactly were you protecting? Because it sure as hell wasn’t Hailey.”

Jackson’s lips press into a thin line, his hands tightening into fists on the table. He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t look at anyone. His silence is deafening.

And then Reid speaks, his gaze falling on Lyle. “You knew the contract was forged.”

Jackson’s head snaps up, his eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?”

“I told you,” Reid says, his hazel eyes blazing with fierce determination. “Before I left, I told you the contract was forged. That I never wanted to be a pack Beta. I did it because my parents needed the money, needed to save face. I told you that, Jackson. And you didn’t care.”

The air in the room shifts, the weight of Reid’s words sinking in like a stone. Jackson’s face twists, his usual mask of arrogance cracking, but he doesn’t deny it. He doesn’t say anything.

Which means he knew.

But then Reid’s gaze flicks to Lyle, and his next words make my breath catch. “Unless you didn’t know. Unless Lyle knew and just didn’t bother to tell you.”

All eyes turn to Lyle and the room goes still. The detectives straighten in their seats, their pens hovering over their notebooks.

“Is that true?” the female detective asks.

Lyle shifts in his seat, his posture stiff. For a moment, he looks like he might deny it, like he might spin some elaborate lie to cover his tracks. But then his gaze flickers to Jackson, to the rage simmering just beneath the surface of his Alpha partner, and he falters.

“I—” Lyle starts, his voice cracking. “It’s not—it wasn’t like that.”

“Oh, but it was,” I cut in, my voice cold. “It was exactly like that. You knew. You knew Reid didn’t want this, that he didn’t sign that contract, and you let it happen anyway. Because what? You needed someone to clean up Hailey’s messes? Someone to take the fall for her tantrums?”

Lyle’s face pales and he stammers out something unintelligible, but it’s too late. The damage is done. The detectives exchange a glance, their pens moving furiously across their notebooks, and I can feel the tide turning. Jackson wanted this unorthodox meeting so that we could settle out of court, so that he could strong-arm me with this fake claim but it’s only blown up in their faces.

“I—I thought it was handled,” Lyle stammers, his confidence crumbling. “We needed the Beta, Jackson. You know we did. Hailey—”

“Don’t you dare blame this on Hailey,” Jackson snaps, his voice rising. “This is on you. You and your goddamn shortcuts.”

“And you,” Reid says, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Don’t pretend you didn’t benefit from it. You knew something was off. You just didn’t care enough to ask questions.”

The room erupts into a cacophony of voices—Jackson yelling at Lyle, the detectives trying to regain control, Reid’s sharp laughter cutting through it all. And me? I sit back, my gaze locked on Jackson and Lyle, a cold smile curling at the edges of my lips.

They’ve already lost. They just don’t know it yet.