38. Going somewhere?

Since Zane brought his mate home, no one had a chance to see the young woman. If anyone approached Camilla, it had to be the Alpha himself or the medical staff- checking on her vitals.

Marking was a huge thing for werewolves; even if the woman accepted her mate's mark, they often ended up falling in a medical coma. It didn't affect men as it affected women since the first one to receive the claiming mark always were women. When the mark was forced- at times, it ended with death. So now, all Zane could think of was how his selfish behavior could harm his mate. The young Alpha was ready for anything to keep her around, even if it put her in danger. For days, he had slept next to her bed, watching the monitors and tubes connected to her fragile frame. The Alpha knew that his mate was a fighter, yet it didn't mean that he didn't register his actions now. Perhaps, Zane would act differently if he had used his brain instead of instincts. The more he kept rethinking his doings; the sooner male accepted that his actions wouldn't change. Forced or not- Camilla had to take his mark, and after accepting it, she won't be able to leave him. And that was all Zane needed to sleep peacefully.

These days the young Alpha would spend most of his time in the office- sorting paperwork and dealing with the most severe issues. Zane didn't look at secondary paperwork; whatever could be fixed later didn't matter. Each day, after waking up, he took a shower and set his schedule, pushing the non important responsibilities aside. The young Alpha wouldn't eat his breakfast before checking on Camilla and ensuring that she was in safe hands. After whispering promises and begging the young woman to wake up faster- Zane would leave. He forbade Kaiden from coming near his house if the Alpha said that nobody was allowed to approach her- that is precisely what he meant. After ignoring the world, friends, pack members, and his family for the whole day, the young Alpha would return to his mate. Sometimes he fell asleep next to her and woke up after midnight, only then returning to his bedroom.

After the first week, many found out that Zane had found his mate. A lot had been around, yet knew about the rejection, so nobody bothered to take Camilla seriously, let alone address her as the pack's Luna. Despite his overprotective and possessive nature, the Alpha had to accept how fast the rumors would spread around the pack. His people knew about the marking; as soon as he did it- everyone could feel Luna's presence in mind link. That meant yet another problem- the pack members would continuously ask around about their Luna's well being and if the woman would be able to go through the process unharmed. Many older wolves brought vast bouquets of flowers to the Alpha's house, leaving them in piles one above another. It was their way of showing off the support for the woman, who would lead and guide them in the nearest future. That is if she ever gets out alive.

"Doc, how is she?" Zane jumped on his feet as soon as he noticed the pack's doctor entering the room. The young male wouldn't let go of Camilla's hand, sometimes looking as he had awkwardly super glued them together. Zane's eyes fell on the doctor, who seemed like he hadn't gotten enough sleep lately- the bags under his eyes were near as massive as Zane's. The pack's doctor was an older man, nearing his sixties- the only person the young Alpha could trust. After all, he had nearly forty years of experience in the medical field.

"Stable, Alpha," the older male slightly bared his neck, showing respect for his leader. Sometimes the older male wondered how weird a system they had- someone as wise and old as he didn't hold even a half of the power which was held by the younger male. No, he wasn't jealous, he didn't hate Zane, but the immature Alphas actions did make him think more about if the young male was ready to lead. How one, who had neglected their mate, would lead a whole pack?

"With all due respect, doctor, I didn't ask if she's stable or not. I've been here, by her side, for days, and I can see that nothing has changed. I can follow her vitals and charts you leave here, but I'm worried about more important things. For example- when will your Luna wake up." Zane let go of Camilla's hand and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The male seemed to grow bigger whenever he did it- his frame seemingly more massive than before. Many Alphas did the same thing; it was a way to show off their superiority- both in size and strength. Zane was way taller than most of the pack members, so even without the action doctor would need to look up to meet his Alpha's eyes.

"I couldn't answer the question even if my life depended on the answer, Alpha. Her vitals are good; Luna Camilla is a strong woman. As mentioned, she's stable, and that's the most important thing in the current situation." The doctor sighed, looking down at the pile of reports he held in his hands. The older male had it all- blood tests, daily checkups, whatever they could think of. Since the day when Camilla was brought here, nothing had changed. Other than the fact that she wasn't waking up. It seemed as if she didn't want to, as if her wolf held her back from opening eyes. The doctor couldn't come up with anything else- since his Luna was perfectly healthy, there shouldn't be a problem for her to wake up.

Zane took a step closer to the doctor, his eyes throwing daggers. "Well then, why don't we make this a life or death situation then? Perhaps you will tell me what you're hiding. I can see it in your eyes, Peter, I've known you for all my life, and now, you're hiding something from me. You have an idea; you suspect something that might be the true cause of her coma. Talk." The young Alpha walked towards the doctor, nearly cornering the smaller male. Zane couldn't stop staring at him in hate. It didn't matter how long they knew each other; the young male had to know what was wrong with his mate. If only he had an idea, even if it was stupid and useless, at least Zane could try and help her. Sitting next to her bed, begging Camilla and the Moon Goddess for forgiveness, didn't take him far. It felt as if his prayers fell on deaf ears.

"Let's not get aggressive, breathe, calm down. I will share my suspicions, but there is no need to give in to the temptation of killing everyone in your way, Zane. If you want honest answers and honest opinion, learn how to be civil, for fuck's sake. There's always the same problem with you and your father; both of you are hotheads, unable to hold down. If you don't calm, I will call for your mother; she will be an amazing backup. Now, are you ready to discuss everything like a grown man, or we need mom around?" The doctor crossed his arms in front of his chest. Showing disrespect to the Alpha might backlash with his death, but the older man knew that he was safe around Zane. He had been the family friend since the day he joined the pack, and he was the one who helped the Alpha couple to greet their child into this world. Zane's father, the same as the young Alpha, had threatened him multiple times, only to come back and apologize as soon as the stressful moment faded. Being a massive dick was like a personality trait of most Alphas.

"I'm fucking calm; I just want to know what is wrong with my damn mate!" Zane growled, stepping back a little. His heart raced, the young male's breathing became ragged as soon as his wolf tried to fight for dominance. This wasn't the moment when he would act like an idiot and harm the only person that could actually help him. Zane had to hold Xavier back, at least for long enough to find out what might cause her state.

"Let's head to your office; I'll make sure that someone will look after your mate. We need some privacy, and being away from Luna might help you to think. Sometimes everyone acts more based on their emotions, and right now, it is what you are doing. Lead the way," the doctor opened the room's door and waited for his Alpha to head towards the office.

Peter was right- around Camilla, Zane couldn't think rationally. The male was on the edge whenever she saw her. Luna's health worried him more than anyone else, no matter how strong a wolf could be- they would break down whenever their mate would face health issues. The young Alpha had spent most of his time around his Luna, working himself up with endless questions. Everyone, who could catch a glimpse of Zane, knew how bad he looked. Nearly all pack members thought that if their Luna were in such a bad state, their Alpha would join her sooner or later. Soulmates couldn't live without each other- if one died, soon died the other. It was the main reason why their life mostly consisted of the protection of mates. Right now, Zane was weak, without Camilla around. In his home, she was technically around, but he needed actual contact, conversations, and days spent side by side to reach his full potential. Often enemies targeted Luna's because they were the only weak spots Alpha's had. Nobody would have to target Camilla; they could get into the pack territory and break Zane even more than he could himself.

*"Just move faster; I want to know what's wrong with them!"* Xavier urged Zane from the back of his mind. If the wolf couldn't control their body, he would keep on sitting on the young Alpha's nerves.

*"As if you wouldn't fucking know! We fucked up- that's what is wrong with Camilla and Eden. They are here because of us because we wanted to have them here forever. Shut the fuck up, and don't try to grab the control; I swear you're not getting out if you dare as much as growl at me. I have so much work to do, but first- I need to know the answers. Please, please, just shut up."* Zane snapped back at his wolf, opening the office door and waiting for the doctor to follow him.

The wolf disappeared as if there was none. Zane's eyes followed the doctor's movements; on many occasions, he could tell if the male was about to lie by the way he acted alone. Peter was too calm and collected to lie, so whatever he had to say must be the truth.

The young Alpha sat in his chair, leaning against the large office table. He wanted to show Peter that he would listen to every word he said, so there shouldn't be any attempts to lie or twist facts. When an Alpha was so focused on something- whoever faced him had to come prepared. There was no place for lies anymore.

"So, Peter, I'm all ears," the smile on Zane's face was purely sarcastic.

"I have a theory, but I didn't want to discuss it unless I had some more tests run on your mate. You see since she is a pureblood and a Luna on top of that- she shouldn't need more than maybe two days, but here we are. I assume that either she, herself, is holding the process back, or it's her wolf. Let's be honest with each other- you neglected her in the past, and that woman wouldn't trust you unless you prove that she can. Well, lately, it seems like a constant failure on your side; yes, we all heard what happened- Kaiden can't seem to shut his mouth. Anyway, back to my theory, since Camilla is a strong one, she might use her power to stay away from you for a longer period of time. I offered to talk here because she can hear us- I suspect that she's waiting for the right moment. For the day when you will be forced to leave because of pack business, that's when she's waking up and attempting to leave. Matter of fact- we might test my theory right away." Peter grinned; the most brilliant idea had just crossed his mind.

"I think I know where you're going with this. Alright, follow me, but don't enter the room. We will wait next to her and see if you're right." Zane stood up and rushed for the room; where was his mate.

Peter stood by the door, patiently waiting, eager to find out if he was right. Zane stepped inside, instructing the medical staff to leave them alone. He couldn't stop admiring his mate, she was the most beautiful woman he had laid his eyes upon, and sometimes Zane couldn't understand how he could be so blind. How didn't he notice her earlier? Slowly, he approached her bed and took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry, my love, the neighboring pack had faced some rogue issues, and I must leave imminently. I will be back in two days, that's a promise. Please wake up; I can't wait to see the spark in your eyes, the smile on your lips. I miss you so fucking much, and so does Xavier." Zane spoke loudly, bringing her hand to his lips. The young male left, closing the door behind him with a loud bang.

He stood a few feet away from her room, patiently waiting to see if anything changes. Peter and the young Alpha feared to breathe, let alone talk- if the doctor were right, Camilla would hear them.

Soon, the sound of bare feet hitting the floor echoed through the room. A slight smirk appeared on Zane's lips- so Peter was right. The door opened, and the Alpha's beautiful mate tried to sneak away, turning her back to both men. How did she forget to check if there was anyone around?

"Going somewhere?"