.42. Just saying- vegetables don't walk.

"Zane? There is someone in the living room, waiting for you?" Kaiden knocked on the office door to gain his friend's attention. The young Alpha once again had managed to bury himself in a pile of paperwork. It became a habit for him to avoid anything that was happening around, avoiding any confrontation or conversation with people from the side.

"Tell them I'm busy," Zane didn't bother to look up from the document he was reading. Lately, he didn't meet anyone's eyes, and Kaiden had a feeling that his friend might feel ashamed for his actions. Sometimes, he would hear the terrifying screams, filled with pain as everyone else slept. It was Camilla- holding her promise. The young woman didn't have much time left, and the way she tortured herself to get back to Zane was vile. No wonder everyone used to fear the blood warriors that bad- those fuckers could tolerate pain and still keep on going.

"Yeah, about that," Kaiden scratched the back of his neck. "The thing is that your guest won't leave. I told him countless times that you're busy and he's still there, he's been waiting for ten hours, I think. Plus, I'm not sure how happy you would be to see him. It's your mate's ex- the warrior, Aiden, I believe. Do you remember him?" The male stood in the doorframe awkwardly. The Beta was ready to get back downstairs, once again repeating the same words he did for the past hours.

To his surprise, Zane stood up from his chair and sighed. "Alright, let's see what that fucker has to say then. I'm still wondering why I didn't send his ass off to another pack; he keeps pissing me off."

Both men slowly left the office and went downstairs to the living room. Aiden sat on the sofa, his hands grabbing onto his hair- the male was visibly distressed. Zane cleared his throat, and the male's eyes instantly shot up. The warrior looked worse than a man that expected a death penalty. His eyes were blood-red; the dark circles under his eyes made the male look at least ten years older. It didn't seem like he had a decent shower for a while as well.

"Kaiden, please excuse us and tell everyone to avoid the living room. I'm pretty sure this will be a pretty personal discussion; we need some privacy," Zane turned to his friend and nodded his head. The young Alpha felt a sudden wave of curiosity- there was a reason why a warrior would wait for him for that long, let alone looking like this.
The Beta excused himself and headed towards the kitchen, where most of the staff members would have dinner about this time. If someone wasn't around, others' responsibility was to warn the person if they didn't want to see how some heads would roll.

Zane sat on the opposite sofa and threw his head back, letting out a deep breath. He had no idea what might come his way anymore, and the sleepless nights of terrorizing pain started to leave some impact on him. "I'm listening. But please, make it fast; I have plenty of work to do," the young Alpha spoke, trying to sound as bored as he could. Even though Zane agreed to meet the warrior- he couldn't let the male know that he held any interest in spending time around him. The young Alpha couldn't look his way without seeing the flashbacks of his lips all over Camilla once again. It pissed him off to know that this miserable piece of shit had ever kissed and held his mate while she kept defying the person she was destined to.

"It's about Camilla. Listen before you speak; please, listen. I noticed that she didn't get back home for a while, and my first thought was that she moved here. I wasn't wrong, not that it matters. Then, I overheard some rumors about forced mark, and man did it pissed me off. Not that I could do anything anymore, right? After a while, I go to her school to check if she is alright, and guess what? She's not there. I had to ask everyone why she was absent and if anyone knew where my friend is. At first, most of them avoided me; I almost lost hope in finding her. Pretty sure you can understand why I look like a piece of shit now. Then, some teens started talking about a fight, and I couldn't believe that my Camilla would ever start one," Aiden didn't get to talk any further when Zane cut him off mid-sentence. Alpha growled, raising his body from the sofa.

"Your Camilla? The fuck you think you are?" The Alpha growled in a warning tone. Zane didn't care how fucked up relationship he might have with his mate- she was his and his only.

"I am the best warrior you have and probably the sanest person around your pack of idiots. Yes, you heard me right- my Camilla. There is your Camilla, the one you know, and the side of her, I know. That side is mine." Aiden didn't move a muscle; the male didn't feel intimidated by the action of his Alpha. Plus, if there was no Camilla around- he didn't want to be a part of the pack anymore. Zane could send him off or banish him, for all Aiden cared.

"Did you decide to grow a pair, step into my house, and attack my pack along with myself? Yeah, you have some fucking guts. Boy, do you fear death?" Zane couldn't calm down. Whenever someone brought Camilla into the conversation, he could lose his cool way too quickly.

"I did, indeed, and yet you still have no idea why. I will explain, sit down, or you might fall as soon as I speak the truth. Obviously, I'm the only one around here to throw you a dose of reality. Anyway, aside from your childish temper tantrum, don't mind my presence- listen, that's all I'm asking for. So, I thought about everything I got to know, and as said- Camilla wouldn't do such a thing. I kept asking around, but this time everyone not only avoided me but also acted like sneaky, little rats. Am I the only one who noticed how people there changed as soon as their supposed to be Luna was brought up? Alright, so this girl slides me a note, telling me that we should meet in the nearest park around 7 pm. So I do the only reasonable thing and head there to meet her. You see, this is where the whole story seems to become more exciting. The girl announces that a certain Alpha asshole locked his mate in the fucking cells for the said fight. Then, before you try to cut me off again- she tells me that she had a video of the whole thing that happened in there. And, Lord, does this video have some interesting information? You see, smartass, the girl you've sent to rehabilitation while your mate is dying, is the reason why the fight happened. I could show you the video, but I have a much better idea. Where is our poor victim that suffered from the claw of big, bad Camilla?" Aiden grinned, excited to see everyone's faces when the truth would finally meet everyone's eyes.

"She's in the hospital downstairs. The doctor is her mother; she told us that it's better to keep her here, in case anything happens. Not sure why would you want to see her- she's been on life support for a week now," Zane rolled his eyes. The Alpha trusted everything he could see with his own eyes, and that only. Words meant nothing until actions proved the truth behind them.

"Why don't we visit our poor little victim? Trust me; I am about to give you the show of a lifetime." Aiden clapped his hands and jumped on his feet.

Zane eyed the male suspiciously, soon enough giving up- if he brought that idiot to the hospital room; perhaps, he would leave for good. The young Alpha didn't need more drama in his life; it was enough that his mate kept acting like a dumbass. Everyone knew how stubborn the warrior was- as soon as he got what he wanted, he would drop the topic.

"Alright, fuck it. Let's go; maybe you will tell me something I don't know," Zane motioned towards a large, white door. He led the way, Aiden hot on his heels. The male was oddly quiet, but Zane was sure that it would change within a couple of minutes.

The men used stairs to get down to the hospital; it took some time, but none cared. As Zane opened the main door for the hospital room, the doctor jumped in surprise. The woman paled, her eyes widening.
"Alpha, we didn't expect to see you here," the woman stuttered, struggling to look any close to being calm.

"My friend wanted to check on your daughter, don't mind us, it'll be fast." Zane didn't spare a glance at the woman; there was no way the Alpha could notice how the woman changed. Her behavior was suspicious, and actions hectic. She jumped in front of both men, offering to walk them to the room. Aiden raised an eyebrow while Zane sighed and agreed, eager to get out of there.

The closer they got to the said room, the louder her voice became, emphasizing the word Alpha. Zane still kept ignoring the woman, while Aiden observed all of the red flags she was giving. There was something quite fishy going around there, and it wasn't just the said girl that worried the warrior. Aiden felt as if she had something to hide, and so did her daughter- they worked together for a reason.

The woman opened a large door, and in their view came the sleeping girl, her body weirdly connected to all types of wires and needles. She wasn't pale, as most people in a coma were; her cheeks burned deep red as if she had run a marathon just minutes ago. Her forehead was covered in sweat, which was an unusual thing to happen to someone in her state.
"You can leave," Zane turned his attention to the frantic doctor and stared until the woman left the room.

"Alright, do your magic," the Alpha sighed, looking at his wristwatch. "But hurry up, I don't have much time to waste."

"Sure thing, boss," Aiden mocked the male, approaching the bed. His eyes traveled over the woman's body; a mischievous grin appeared on his lips nearly instantly. His eyes, once again, met Zane's. "Trust me on this one, and don't freak out before time, bud."

The Alpha crossed his arms in front of her chest and nodded his head, growing quite curious to see what might happen next. The warrior was secretive enough to build up some suspense.

Zane watched how Aiden unlinked all devices from the woman, who was supposedly dependent on them. The Alpha opened his mouth, but Aiden raised a hand and shut him up with one action.
"Now, pretty little lady, don't mind me as I play this quite interesting video to your Alpha. Oh, how glad he will be, seeing who started that fight; I won't mention how happy one could find out they have been lied to. You don't need life support, sweetheart; you need some bitch vitamins." Aiden whispered next to the woman's ear and slid a hand into his back pocket, grabbing the mobile device. With a few taps on the screen, the warrior revealed the truth behind a wall built of lies.

Zane stepped closer, staring at the screen. The confrontation was planned, the same girl laughed while talking to someone, and suddenly changed her attitude as soon as Camilla came into view. This woman was one to approach his mate; this woman did get what she deserved- those were Camilla's words that came true. She never lied, yet Zane blindly trusted his pack members- both mother and daughter betrayed him.

"You can stop faking, sweetheart; I know that you're awake. Someone on their deathbed wouldn't have a tiny personal gym in their bathroom. Just saying- vegetables don't walk, and definitely doesn't run on a treadmill." Aiden whispered into her ear. Just as if a miracle would have happened- she opened her eyes and instantly dropped on her knees in front of the Alpha. She begged the male for mercy; the young woman knew what would happen next, yet still went for the risk. No matter what, she would face the consequences the same as her mother.

"Look after this bitch and make sure she's as quiet as a fucking dead body is. I will command guards to come downstairs- they will bring traitors to the cells," Zane still couldn't register what had happened. The male was played as if he was a child.

"What then?" Aiden questioned Zane, placing a hand over the woman's mouth. "Don't move, sweetheart; I have a fucking knife, and I'm not scared to cut a bitch," the male added as soon as the young woman tried to get out of his tight grip.

"Fuck, Camilla!"