28. Our next move.

Zane's snarling and growling became louder with each breath intake. He stood frozen above them, eyeing both as if he was about to kill two closest people in his life besides his parents.

"Zane, calm the fuck down, this isn't what you're thinking!" Kaiden nearly screamed at his best friend, trying his best to take all attention off from Camilla. He wasn't one to love or respect Omegas, but the girl didn't wrong him in any way, so he tried to help. Whatever happened between her and Zane wasn't his business, but being a decent shifter seemed like a good idea. Well, at least for as long as it went relatively good.

"This isn't what I think? Maybe you should tell me that this isn't how it looks? Because I'm so fucking sure that it is exactly what it is. You took her here when I asked to find her, instead of letting me know that she's safe and sound- you take her away from me! You're supposed to be my friend not to stab me in the back as soon as I turn around. Did you really think I'm that stupid? Did you really assume that I couldn't figure out what you are up to? You took my fucking mate to a place where I couldn't scent her, unfortunately for you, I still can. She is my mate; for fucks sake, no spell will ever change that!" Zane's canine teeth extended, making him look murderous. The look on his face was one Kaiden had never seen before. At that exact moment, Beta understood how badly he had messed up.

"Calm down; you're scaring her!" Kaiden tried to stand his ground. He faced the possibility of getting killed by defying his Alpha, but the young male hoped that Zane would notice how badly he was trying to protect his Luna. Even if he had to go against his leader, at least he stood by Camilla and helped when she was in need.

"Oh, so you're the knight in shining armor now, I assume. First, you try to hide her away, and now you go against me! You're not a friend of mine!" Young Alpha's anger grew within moments, his chest tightening because of the view of his mate and Beta hidden away from him.

Zane knew that he messed up by rejecting her, but he didn't want a weak Luna. Omegas weren't built to become leaders, and neither was Camilla. She would be his only weakness; he feared the day when he wasn't around, and the pack might be under an attack. Rejecting her and knowing that she's safe was easier than waking up in fear of losing his mate. Zane knew how selfish he was in the situation, but he couldn't see any other way out. He took the easiest way for both of them.

"Stop overreacting, dude. This isn't what you think, and you're just making the whole situation fucking worse. You rejected Camilla; I helped her to hide away while you're like this! You can't control yourself or things you do! Think, for once, just think! Why would a mate hide away from you if she wasn't angry, upset, hurt, or afraid? I love you as a brother, but even I understand that rejection is Hell of a lot of shit to go through, yet you demand to find out something about the woman YOU rejected! Have some fucking respect, man!" Kaiden jumped out of their hideout and stood in front of Zane. The young male knew how small his chances were, yet he still went for the risk. Rejected or not, Camilla was still his rightful Luna, and Kaiden would travel to Hell and back in order to protect her.

"It is so sad to see your betrayal. Never, in a million years would I have thought that you'd do this. Never, man. I have no other choice, and you know how shit like this works. Get out." The tone of Zane's voice lowered, his shoulders relaxed, and eyes traveled all over the tiny room.

He tried his best to let go of the anger, despite the hurt he felt. Alpha should have known that sooner or later, Camilla would get over the rejection. Sooner or later, she would celebrate him leaving her life; she would breathe in relief and find a man she deserved. Zane wanted to be that man; his wolf wanted to be the one- there was a reason why both of those were paired, but he wouldn't go against the things he felt to be the best decision.

"No!" Camilla yelled and got out of the hideout as soon as Kaiden reached the door. She knew that the young male did what he thought to be best; he tried to protect her. Now it was Camilla's turn to try her best and protect Kaiden from the cruel fate.

"Not what it looks like, my ass! Now shes fucking protecting you? Miserable pieces of shit!" Zane's anger returned with another level of hate. Seeing his own mate, trying to keep Kaiden around, hurt him. The young man didn't care what her true intentions were; all he knew was that the woman he secretly adored ran after his Beta.

*"If only that would be secret adoration. It's called love, you asshole! We love Camilla, both of us do! We need her; we want her, we crave her touch and the sound of her voice. But you had to fuck it all up and reject the one who was supposed to be our Goddess. Look at her, even covered in blood from head to toes; she looks like an angel. She's so stunning, it hurts. Why can't you see the girl as I see her? Why? She isn't another of your fuckable toys or objects, she's so much more than that!"* Zanes' wolf spoke up, growling at his human side. The beast didn't approve of his decision, nor ever doubted that he would be able to protect their mate. No matter how many enemies they had, the beast would tear anyone apart, even if they as much as thought about hurting Camilla.

*"I wasn't the only one who held the blame, for your information."* Alpha didn't want to deal with another argument with his wolf. They have been on a thin thread since Zane let go of Camilla and gave up on her. Of course, as soon as he found out about rogue attack- his senses were on a way too high alert to think rationally. As soon as they fought off the rogues, Zane ran off towards Camilla's house. He had to see her; he had to make sure that she's safe and sound. The fear filled his veins as he neared her house, catching a glimpse of dried blood and rotten flesh scent.

*"At least I understand that I fucked up and am willing to do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. Not all of us have brains big enough to understand that mistakes have to be fixed. You'll get there one day."* with that being said, his wolf blocked him out. All the heart wanted was to smash some sense into his human side, despite knowing that it might not happen. It was a risk worth taking.

"Shut the fuck up, Zane! I don't care how big or powerful you are! I don't care about your title; I'm a fucking legal rogue here, don't you remember? You have no power over me, and the same goes for your imaginary mate bond! I am not yours! But I will not allow you to hurt your Beta because he helped me take some time off from this mess, which is happening out there! At least once you could have been a decent human being, it doesn't matter how much human there is left in you! He was trying to help; he followed his wild instincts!" Camilla stomped towards Zane and poked her finger into his chest, trying to look intimidating and powerful enough for him to back off.

The truth was that Camilla hated showing off any strength in her. She would rather stay the calm, quiet loner she loved to be. Being alone and dealing with everything on her own was easier- fewer people tried to stick their noses in her business, and there was less drama. She used to observe people at her school, how easily they got into trouble, and how many problems they had to face. Camilla always felt lucky for being the one who didn't fit in, that was her special kind of freedom.

But now, the tables turned. For a while, actually. There were times when nobody would even notice her existence unless one of the teachers called out her name. That was back then, when her parents died- for weeks, the teachers kept repeating how sorry they were and how much pity they felt for the young woman. She hated it, despised it with every fiber in her body. When the things finally settled came the next blow- her so-called mate. First, he noticed Camilla and then decided to mess with her on any opportunity he had. Right, when the young woman felt somewhat hopeful and happy about her future- the male had to get out of his cave and reject her. She wasn't as upset about his rejection as about his behavior. He was going around, claiming her like a caveman when he never wanted Camilla in the first place. She truly hated the mate bond; the young woman hoped to meet someone who would want her for who she is, not because of some invisible bond they shared. The man, who was standing in front of her, was driving Camilla crazy- in all the wrong ways.

"I wouldn't do shit if you would have accepted my rejection and moved on like a woman with fucking self-respect. No, you had to leave and ignore what happened back in the club! Please, do entertain me and tell me more about those instincts of my Beta you're talking about. The only instinct I see so far is trying to take what's mine!" Zane moved a little closer to Camilla, staring her dead in the eyes. None of both broke eye contact, despite Camilla feeling uncomfortable with their closeness.

"I didn't know that I had to accept your rejection, jerk! I didn't know shit about mates because, unlike privileged certain people, I don't have parents who would explain to me how it all works! They don't teach us stuff about mates and rejections in school, do they? I left because I don't care! Come on, do it again, reject me more, and I still won't care. Your works are so meaningless to me; I wouldn't even hear a tiny thing from you without listening to voices in my head! And your Beta is following the stupid Luna instinct, trying to protect me if he feels like I might be in danger. Do you want to know from what or whom he's protecting me? That's right, from your abusive ass! I'm done with the bullshit you keep on putting me through! I'm so sick; I'll even do you a favor. Right here, right now, staring right in your eyes. Let's see who's the one who will go through an actual heartbreak, Mr.Alpha. By the way, I'll give you a hint- it won't be me." Camilla opened her mouth to speak again, but Zane cut her off by moving even closer, his chest almost touching her breasts.

"Don't you fucking dare." He spoke through gritted teeth, throwing daggers from his eyes at Camilla.

"Oh, but I will. You basically called me a chicken, a weakling because I didn't know that I had to accept! You're getting what you wanted the most- you'll get rid of me for good. And you know what? I couldn't be happier with your decision, so I'll gladly comply with your demands, oh powerful Alpha." Camilla mocked Zane, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she watched his face becoming redder. He was pissed off beyond limits, barely holding himself together, but she didn't care. She didn't care even if Zane would kill her as soon as their bond would be broken. For as long as she could get rid of his controlling, manipulative, and abusive ways- she would be happy.

"I, Camilla..." not a word more left her lips as Zane leaned down and pressed his warm lips to hers. Camillas eyes widened as the male slowly closed his, nibbling on her lower lip. She stood frozen on the spot, so Zane bit onto her lower lip making her gasp. The young male used his chance and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling Camilla incredibly close and deepening their kiss. While her mind raced, debating whether to push him away or enjoy their first and last real kiss, Zane explored her mouth, kissing her with so much passion that Camilla's knees went weak. She didn't register the moment when her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips started moving in perfect sync with his. Zane slid his hands down to her ass and pulled her up, roughly against his body. Camilla wrapped her legs around his hips for balance and closed her eyes; she didn't feel how Zane started walking, nor how her back hit the nearest wall. They were so lost in the passion and lust of their kiss; they broke it only when both were out of breath.

Zane stared at Camilla with unknown emotion in his eyes, which oddly reminded of love, but she knew better. The young woman tried to push him away, but the male wouldn't move an inch. Eden wasn't any help anymore, Zane's wolf finally got a hold of her, and both were too lost in conversations of their own.

"I, Alpha Zane Snow, take back my rejection and accept you- Camilla Avery Tatum as my mate and future Luna of the Blood Warrior pack," Zane stated before Camilla could get out even a word, leaving her speechless. Her jaw dropped in shock; she would never have thought that the male was capable of doing such a thing. Zane used her state of shock and leaned down to her neck, lightly kissing and nibbling on the spot his mark should be. Camilla gasped in shock, fearing the possibility of being marked by the male. Zane smiled against her skin, left the last kiss, and faced her again, whispering: "I am a pretty cruel bastard, but I wouldn't mark you without your consent." The smile grew wider as he spoke.

Camilla's thoughts raced, she knew that if she didn't do something, Zane would force her to move in with him and play the nice, submissive mate. That wasn't something she wanted. So the young woman smiled and punched him straight in the face. Zane instantly dropped her, grabbing onto his nose. Camilla took her chance and bolted out of the house, praying the Moon Goddess he wouldn't go after her.

*"You do understand that you officially started the chase, right?"* Eden laughed from the back of her mind, eager to find out how long it would take for her mate to catch her. While Zane and Camilla kissed, she had a conversation with his wolf, ending up better than she expected. The beast, even though he hurt her human, was better than she expected.

*"Yes, I do! Now shut up and give me a little energy, so I manage to escape. If I do, we will have a little more time to think and decide what's our next move!"*