35. He didn't try to chase her.

Just a moment after Zane was gone, Eden refused control over their body. Camilla had no other choice than to get back on the surface and face reality. The young woman didn't want to do that, she felt as if Zane was playing yet another trick on her, and he would come back as soon as she wouldn't hide anymore. Camilla took a deep breath and stared at the same door which her supposed to be mate used to leave. She wondered if he would come back to ask more questions, or simply stay by her side. But it didn't happen- seconds turned into minutes, minutes grew into an hour and Camilla finally relaxed. Now, when the Alpha left, she would have some time for herself and her thoughts. She didn't expect for anyone to visit her either, since Aiden mentioned something about patrol and besides him, she could talk to the former Alpha and Luna, but none of them used to arrive uninvited. Well, that is- if it wasn't an emergency.

Camilla sat back on her bed and slowly stripped herself, thinking about a hot bath. Maybe water could calm her racing nerves. She left her clothing, stocked in a pile, on the floor, right next to her bed. Camilla didn't care about how dirty her house might feel now; it wasn't like she would share the living space with anyone.

The young woman grabbed her bathrobe and tiptoed to the bathroom. Only at the moment, when she closed and locked the door behind her, Camilla finally felt safe. She didn't want to see anyone; at this point, there was enough on her shoulders to think of side things. Of course, if she had friends who needed her help- Camilla wouldn't hesitate to drop everything she was doing for that one person. But there weren't any, just another excuse to lose herself in the sensation of warm water surrounding her. She reached for her lavender body wash and opened the plastic bottle, about to pour the Godly liquid in her bathtub when a doorbell rang. At first, she wanted to ignore whoever decided to surprise her with a late-night visit, but her grandmother always reminded Camilla how rude it was to ignore people. She couldn't forget that, so instead of preparing a bath- she tied the robe tighter and headed for the door, yanking it open.

"Didn't I tell you to leave?" She hissed, utterly sure that Zane had decided to come back. Who knew, that man was capable of anything, and she didn't believe that he would let the opportunity to slip. He was there to make fun out of her, just the way he always did.

Instead of the Alpha, in front of Camilla, stood a grinning Aiden.

"Wow, and there I was, thinking that she would love to see me. I even got out of my skin to make patrol leader let me go home earlier than intended. Such a delightful way to show me how much you appreciate me. I'm in awe." Aiden grinned wider, faking the most pained facial expression he could. The male's eyes travelled to Camilla's bare legs, a low growl instantly leaving his lips.
"Don't you just stand there, let's go inside, I can't let anyone else see you dressed like... Yeah, like this." He added, pushing Camilla into the house and closing the door.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, really. I had a rather unpleasant guest before you arrived, and I thought he might be back. That's why my reaction wasn't the best one. I'm sorry." Aiden noticed how Camilla's eyes filled with tears, on instinct, he wrapped his arms around the young woman and pulled her into a tight hug. Aiden held Camilla for a couple of minutes, not much for her need, but more for his need to reassure that she really was in his arms.

"It's okay, little one, I get that. Don't get angry at me, but by any chance did the uninvited guest was a certain Alpha?" Aiden's face twisted in disgust, but he hid it in the crook of Camilla's neck.

The young male hated the Alpha. Aiden had never faced anyone more selfish and childish than Zane. The idea of sharing Camilla with someone, who treated her as if this woman was a toy, made Aiden sick. He didn't want to admit his feelings entirely, but she did make his heart beat faster. Last time Aiden felt like that was when he was with his mate. Camilla made him feel alive again as if he had a real reason to live, and that was something Aiden didn't want to lose.

"Did you wanted to take a shower before I disturbed your not so peaceful evening?" Aiden chuckled, finally coming face to face with Camilla. He searched her eyes to see if there were any tears left to cry, but surprisingly, she acted relatively calm and collected.

"I was thinking about taking a bath if I'm being honest. But that can wait, not so important as your surprise visit. Would you like a cup of tea? It's getting cold outside. I might cook a little something for dinner as well if you're hungry. I know how much you boys can eat."  She laughed, making Aiden's smile lighten up a little more. If the young male needed to think of every time he caught himself thinking about her laugh or smile- he would go insane. Her happiness was contagious, and Aiden gladly took part in it, whenever he could.

"Actually, I could run that bath for you and cook something. I'm sure you need time on your own, especially after all those crazy things that had happened during the last couple of days. You could check what kind of products you have laying around here, and when I'm done with bath- I'll go to the kitchen and see what I can do." Aiden ruffled her hair and headed straight for the bathroom without a second glance.

Camilla nodded, agreeing with his plan, and ignoring the fact that he couldn't see her action. She grabbed a couple of products that seemed decent enough for a healthy dinner and sat on the kitchen counter. Her thoughts, once again, went wild. She thought of Aiden- the man who was ready to do anything for her and actually put an extra effort into anything he did for Camilla. Then, there was Zane, who had a higher rank, but he didn't go further than words. No matter how many times he promised to change, how he promised to take care of her- he blindly followed her demands to leave, despite knowing how bad Camilla felt. She had two men nearby; both were wanted by many, regardless of rank. Aiden and Zane had great bodies, pleasant personalities, but in Zane's case, he would show it off only if he wanted to. Both men were hard-working, strong and respectable- a perfect catch for any she-wolf.

Camilla's thought bubble was popped as soon as Aiden entered the kitchen and approached her.
"Your bath is ready, take your time and relax. I'll shout whenever the dinner is ready, okay?" Aiden helped her get off of the kitchen counter and winked at Camilla as she passed by.

His action made her blush even more intensively as the young woman nearly tripped over her own feet. Camilla cleared her throat, nodded and whispered a weak "thanks," before bolting for the bathroom.

Just as Aiden promised- her bath was ready. He went to an extent by adding some rose pendants to the warm water and stocking up a couple of towels right next to the bathtub. Camilla didn't want to waste more time; she did need a bath, her stomach started rumbling, giving her a sign that she hadn't eaten yet. And on top of all of that- she still wanted to spend some more time with Aiden before he passes out on the couch or leaves her alone again.

Instead of soaking her body in water until she would come up with some sort of conclusion, Camilla rubbed her body like a maniac, rushing to get out faster. Within five minutes, she got out of the bath, ran to the closet and grabbed a pair of leggings and a hoodie, sliding her feet into comfortable fluffy socks. She nearly flew to the kitchen, following the scent of fried chicken.
She watched how Aiden cooked their dinner with ease, his lips moving as he attempted to sing in a whisper.

"Smells amazing." She announced, startling the young male. Aiden just smiled at her and motioned towards one of the kitchen chairs. He handed her a plate of food and sat across the table himself. Aiden watched how Camilla ate with a smile on his lips, at least that was something he could do for her. The dinner went on pretty smoothly, if not the deadly silence and tensed atmosphere around both.

"Listen, I think we should go out." Aiden suddenly announced, putting his plate aside.

Camilla raised a brow, nearly choking in the last bit of food she was trying to chew. A look of disbelief crossed her facial features- going out was nothing near to things she wanted to do. Last time when they did that- Camilla was rejected by her mate. Why on Earth would she ever want to go out again? Wasn't the last time enough?

"I don't know, Aiden. The previous experience isn't entirely pleasant, and I'm sure people don't do such things when they go out clubbing. I don't want to run into someone to ruin the whole night. I hope you understand what I'm trying to imply on." Camilla stood up and walked to the sink, leaving her empty plate in it. She walked to the living room, letting her body lazily pop onto the old sofa. Of course, she was feeling nervous, wondering how her next attempt of going to the club would end.

Aiden followed her, smiled down at the tired-looking female and sat right next to her. Out of habit, he threw an arm around her neck and pulled Camilla closer to him. "I understand what you're trying to tell me," he started and stopped immediately, waiting if she would have anything to add or would she try to stop him from talking. After a moment of silence, Aiden spoke again.
"But that was then, and this is now. It's not like something worse or close as bad might happen today, right? Mister grumpy pants Alpha most likely went home to sleep or buried himself in the pile of paperwork. Besides, he rejected you and soon after took back the rejection, accepting you as his mate. I don't think that he would ever be dumb enough to repeat that fucking thing. If you're scared to run into him, it's unlikely to happen- there's plenty of clubs all around the town, we can choose the smallest and least popular one. Come on, both of us need to chill a little. I'm sure some shots and dancing won't harm you. I want what's best for you, and right now- it's getting out of this house and that depressing mindset of yours. You can't carry on living like this, Camilla. Let's go and have some fun; I promise to get you back home by the sunrise." Aiden tried to mimic puppy dog eyes, making Camilla laugh at his miserable attempt.

"Alright, if you think that this will make us feel better, I'm in. Please give me a couple of minutes to change into something more appropriate, and we can go." Camilla smiled, side hugging Aiden and running back to her bedroom.

She didn't want to go overboard with makeup or hairstyles, so the young woman gathered her hair into a high ponytail and ran to her closet. Camilla wore the red dress her grandmother had bought for her and paired the delicate piece of clothing with simple back heels. She took a quick glance at herself in the mirror, grabbed her mobile phone and rushed back to Aiden. As soon as his eyes landed on her form, Aiden whistled, praising his good Camilla looked.

"Alright, let's get going before I change my mind." She bumped his shoulder and headed for the main door.

For some reason, Aiden's car was parked in her driveway, Camilla instantly understood that he was there with a mission to take her out. How sneaky could that man even be? She chuckled, gladly getting into the car after Aiden opened the door for her. The drive to the club was quiet but comfortable. Both said a couple of words to reassure each other- they were doing the right thing; it was about time for both of them to take some time off of worries and stressful life situations.
Aiden parked his car near the club entrance, getting in wasn't a problem, since the guards were werewolves- they invited Aiden and Camilla to enter without standing in the long line.

Aiden threw his arm around her shoulder and led Camilla deeper into the dark club. It was nearly packed, the scent of sweat, alcohol and arousal instantly overtook her senses. Camilla shivered in disgust, once again wondering if she made the right decision.

"I'm going to get us some drinks, you wait here and don't go anywhere," Aiden spoke near her ear, making sure the loud music wouldn't mute his words. Camilla nodded and smiled awkwardly, yet she did understand that the only way for her to truly relax was a couple of shots of vodka.

Aiden disappeared within the crowd, leaving Camilla alone. She decided to observe her surroundings and put more interest in people on the dance floor. Two gorgeous women stood in the middle of it, both pointing their fingers at something. Camilla followed their gesture up to a hidden balcony. She squeezed her eyes, attempting to notice at least a little detail of whatever both women kept starting at. Within seconds she saw a face- it was Zane's Beta Kaiden. Camilla swallowed a lump, her heart racing at the thought of her mate being around. If only there weren't so many different scents, she could be able to make sure if her assumption was correct. Instead of waiting for Aiden, she did the most stupid thing in her lifetime- Camilla fought her way to the barely noticeable staircase with a mission in her mind. She had to make sure if he was there.

Two armed men stood in front of the stairs, staring down at the petite female.

"Excuse me, sir, I really need to get up there." Camilla pointed at the balcony, politely talking to both men.

The guards shared a look and shook their heads. "You have to be a certain rank or elite if you want to get up there, little girl." The biggest of the guards spoke up.

Without thinking, Camilla encouraged Eden to show herself on the surface for a few seconds. Her wolf gladly helped out, and now, the young woman stared at both guards through red.

"This can't be happening; you're a real Blood Warrior. Didn't you guys die down after mixing blood with outsiders?" The same guard gasped, leaning closer to make sure that Camilla wasn't playing a trick on them.

"Nearly everyone did, except for my parents, who were Omegas. They were lucky enough to find each other and become mates, so here I am. So, gentlemen, am I elite enough to get upstairs?" Despite previous rudeness of the guard, Camilla kept being polite towards the male. He was doing his job, after all.

Both men stepped aside, letting her go without a problem. Before she did take a step, Camilla thanked the guards for being understanding and doing their job amazingly, what earned her bright smiles.

No one from the wolves on the balcony seemed to notice her arrival. Everyone was too busy drinking and showing off muscles- everyone, except one person. Camilla's eyes focused on the man with two women on his lap, both eager to grind themselves against his body. Something seemed way too familiar with the particular person, so she quietly kept watching. The male drank the rest of the weird-looking liquid in his glass before one of the women leaned closer to him. It was just a brief second, yet enough for Camilla to see that it was Zane. Her mate with two women on his lap, dangerously close. At first, she wanted to rip both women apart, feed them to rogues or keep as her torturing toys, but the pride in her wouldn't allow such a thing. Camilla wouldn't show off how truly hurt she was by her mate's actions. She watched how the woman leaned in for a kiss, and soon their lips collided. Hearing rumours about creating mate was hurtful, yet witnessing it happening in front of your eyes was ten times worse.

Camilla didn't notice how she stomped closer to the sofa, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I can't believe you. Aiden was right. Have fun rotting in Hell, Alpha." She screamed at Zane, turned around and ran. She could hear him calling her, but it was too late. Not a single fiber in her body wanted to be near a cheating mate. She noticed Aiden standing at the same spot where he had left her, drinks in both of his hands.

Without hesitation, Camilla ran to him.
"You were wrong; this ended worse than the last time we went out. Zane's here, busy with some chicks up on that balcony. Please take me home." She spoke fast, but Aiden managed to catch every word Camilla said. He left the drinks on the nearest table, grabbed her hand and lead her outside. As soon as they got out of the club, they ran towards the car. A low, threatening growl erupted from behind them, Zane was in their track, running towards the car like a maniac. He didn't make it on time, Aiden drove away as Camilla watched the desperation washing all over Zane's face as he was left, standing in the parking lot. He didn't try to chase her.

"I want to leave the pack. Tonight."