Astrid’s POV
The way I remembered it, my parents came down because I was arguing with them. It caused noises.
"What’s going on down there, Astrid?" My mom was yelling.
Before I knew it, the two of them came running down to see what was going on.
I saw the look on my mom’s face when she realized it was the police. The last time they’d beheld such a sight was when the officers came to take Selene.
"What is going on?" my dad demanded.
The officer who’d spoken earlier narrated it to him all over again.
"Your daughter has been found wanting for doctoring evidence tape. We need her to come with us, or we’ll use force."
"Wait, we can work this out. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding here. What footage are you talking about?" My dad was asking them for clarity, but I wasn’t ready to go anywhere. They were wasting their fucking time.
"The one where Zane was killed. It was fake, and she was involved in doctoring it," the officer said.
My dad turned and looked at me. He wouldn’t believe such nonsense. I trusted him.
"That’s already a settled case. You took my daughter Selene for that, and now you’re here to take Astrid? That’s not going to happen. It’s false, officer."
"Then I’m sorry, we’ll have to use force," the officer said as he moved to enter my house.
"Stop right there, officer," my dad yelled.
"We have a warrant. All of this is meaningless."
My mom grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her.
"She and Draven Blackstone are involved in this. He’s already been apprehended and should be at the station now. Let your daughter go, sir," the officer kept appealing.
"Draven? Selene’s mate? What has he got to do with Astrid? Shut the hell up."
"Don’t mind them, Dad. They’re cooking things up," I said from behind my mother.
The officers had had enough.
"Wolves, go in forcefully," the head officer commanded.
The wolves rushed in and took down my dad, who’d been trying to block the door.
He hit his head against the frame.
"Dad!" I screamed.
They came for me next and tore me out of my mother’s arms.
"You can’t take her. She’s the only one I have. Please," my mom begged.
They shoved me into the car ... three officers plus the head officer. My mom and dad ran after it as it pulled away, past the windows where they stood.
They drove off anyway.
"We’re coming to get you!" was the last thing I heard from my mom as the car sped off.
They said Draven was already there. He had to be devastated by now. I guessed we could never outrun our nemesis, though plenty of people had tried.
This life wasn’t fair. That thought ran through my mind the whole way there. Fuck!
All because I wanted Draven to myself.
Ethan Allen was behind all of this shit. If he hadn’t gone digging into the case with the Beta, none of this would’ve happened.
I’d been hoping to run into him at the station. And I did.
His sharp, calculating face was the first thing I saw when I walked in.
"Welcome, Astrid. Let’s get straight to it."
They cuffed me and sat me beside Draven. He couldn’t even look at me.
There didn’t seem to be any hope left.
Fuck!
"My thesis wasn’t wrong after all. I’m sure the both of you know why you’re here," Ethan said.
Silence answered him. Neither of us said a word. We couldn’t say anything. This wasn’t the time to start defending ourselves ... we’d already been apprehended.
"You’re not saying anything, either of you," Ethan said again. Still, we stayed quiet.
He signaled to one of the officers, who hauled us out of our seats and toward the cells.
I didn’t notice when I started crying. It was too much to handle. But Draven stayed by my side. He wasn’t flinching, though I was sure he was scared underneath it.
As they marched us toward the cells, Ethan barked, "No, separate them."
That was when I knew they were about to throw us in together instead.
They tossed us into that filthy cell like trash after uncuffing us. As I heard the lock click, I cried even harder.
My worst fear had come true.
While we sat there together, Draven didn’t say a word. That was his way of falling apart ... quiet, contained. He was a gentle wolf. I think if he’d actually broken down, I wouldn’t have been able to bear it.
So I left him to it. We stayed at opposite ends of the cell, staring at nothing in particular.
Silence swallowed the room. I didn’t even notice myself drifting off in that stinking, disgusting place.
"You have a visitor," I heard through the haze of near-sleep as the door clicked open.
Draven moved to stand.
"Not you. The bitch," the officer said.
He sat back down. I already knew who it was.
Could I face them? I wondered, looking every bit the prisoner whose fate could turn out to be anything but merciful. This was the worst place to be, especially given that they’d already seen Selene in one just like it.
I went out to see them. They were sitting at the edge of the station with an officer watching over them. The moment they spotted me, they shot to their feet and pulled me into a hug.
Fuck.
"Mom, Dad, I don’t know what they’re talking about, I swear."
"We know you’re innocent. They just don’t like our family ... it’s clear now," my mom said, still holding me.
We sat down. My dad started with his questions.
"Astrid, I don’t believe what they’re saying you’re involved in, but why do they keep mentioning Draven with you? What has he got to do with you?"
Of course my dad came with the one question I couldn’t dodge.
"Dad, we’ve only talked a few times, when he came to see Selene. I have no relationship with him whatsoever."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"We believe you, Astrid," my mom said, her voice steady with encouragement.
"Our family lawyer will be here soon. I spoke with Ethan Allen, the information minister handling this case. He said they’re moving ahead with the hearing tomorrow," my dad said, and the words startled me.
"Tomorrow?" I asked.
"That’s too soon, Caden. Astrid can’t stay here until tomorrow ... she’s a queen, she can’t..." my mom said.
"There’s nothing we can do about it, Lyra. We just have to trust our lawyer. He’s good. He’ll get you out, I promise."
"Time’s up," the officer watching us barked.
I stood and turned to head back to the cell, back to Draven.
"We’re with you, Astrid. Every step of the way," my dad said, holding my mom close.
I walked back, glancing at them over my shoulder the whole way.
When I stepped inside and saw Draven so broken, I couldn’t take it. Whatever happened next, let it happen ... I went to him and wrapped my arms around him.
I heard him sobbing, and I lost it too. We just held each other. Neither of us said anything. We stayed like that for a long time.
Whatever was coming, we’d have to find a way to bear it. The hearing was in two days. I hadn’t told him yet. All we had left was hope.