.47. This is my childhood trauma.

Camilla gasped in shock, turning around and instantly throwing her arms around his neck. Even if the male was in pain- he didn't show it off. The young woman held him tightly, pulling their bodies insanely close, fearing that the male was a fruit of her desperate imagination. She leaned to his neck, inhaling the scent and letting the tears stream down her cheeks like wild waterfalls. She might seem weak now, but Camilla didn't care. She cried out of happiness and relief- Zane was okay, he wasn't asleep, and the stupid memory thing Eden mentioned didn't happen. The young woman got her asshole of a mate back faster than she hoped. If the moment wasn't one of pure bliss- Camilla had no idea how one might feel.

Zane tightened his hold around her, gently caressing her back. "Shh, don't cry," the male whispered, attempting to calm her down. This was the first time when Zane cared about someone's tears and put effort into trying to calm down a crying woman. The young Alpha never thought that tears could affect him, yet when he faced a situation where Camilla was breaking down- it made him feel like his heart was breaking in pieces.
"I'm here, and I won't leave for a long time if that's the reason why you're crying. Please, love, don't cry; your tears and pain are breaking me. Tell me what to do- everything, anything, I will do it for as long as it will make you feel better," Zane pressed his lips against the side of her head.

The male nearly dropped on his knees as he entered his bedroom. Zane expected to see it the same as it was before being forced back into the hospital. Instead, the first thing he noticed was his mate- struggling to clean the carpet, crying her eyes out. For a moment, Zane assumed that Camilla felt bad; therefore, she would try to make the room presentable. As soon as she screamed out the words full of desperation and pain- the young Alpha understood how many unspoken things were left between them. Camilla had feelings for Zane even when she kept repeating that she hated her mate, and most importantly- she admitted that she couldn't leave. The young male couldn't understand if he could smile in a situation as such- despite her desperation and pain, Zane felt happiness overtaking him entirely.

"Should I go downstairs and cook something? You look like you haven't eaten for days; my mother always felt better when father brought her food. I think one of the maids mentioned something about cake. Would you like some cake, love? Or snacks? I can bring snacks." Zane struggled to catch up on all of the ideas as he spoke. Perhaps it wasn't very smart of him to offer Camilla food, but the male became concerned as soon as his arms wrapped around her body. She lost quite a lot of weight while he was in the hospital; first and foremost- he had to make sure that his mate would get all of it back. When the male was younger, he and his friends often laughed about Camilla being a little chubby. In reality, even before Zane found out that they were mates- the male drooled over her feminine curves. The young Alpha knew that women weren't supposed to follow the stereotypes built by society, and he did prefer women who had a little more meat on their bones. He loved exploring bodies, and at times- a little bigger girls could last longer in bed; they were more open to new things.
*"Zane, get your mind out of the gutter; this is not the right moment to run around with a hard-on,"* the young male scolded himself mentally. If anything- he needed to think about his mate, not the possibility of them completing the mating process.

"Are you insane?" Camilla gasped, pushing the male away from her. She didn't let go of Zane, still fearing that he might disappear into thin air, yet kept a distance between their bodies. "Listen, I have no idea how you got out of that hospital, but if you..." She sighed, grabbing the young Alphas shirt. "If you escaped the same as the last time- I swear to the Moon Goddess herself that I will kill you and bring you back to life to kill again. If they let you go, and for some stupid reason didn't tell me, I'm sure you have to be on bed rest now. Don't even think of leaving this room if you want to eat- I will go downstairs and cook something." Camilla kept eye contact with her mate, attempting to show him how serious she was. The young woman wouldn't allow Zane to do anything for her before he was in his best health. A decent person wouldn't expect someone to get back to work as soon as they get out of the hospital, especially if we're talking about mates. Camilla wondered why Eden didn't jump around her mind like a wild pup- the wolf silently watched over them.

Despite the slight undertone of anger in her voice, Zane watched her with wild sparks dancing in his eyes. The male finally understood how much he missed his mate- no matter what, she always held her head high and fought for what she believed in. The young Alpha knew that he didn't deserve someone like Camilla, but he was way too selfish to let her go. She opened her mouth, about to scold Zane and remind him that staring at people was impolite, but the young Alpha silenced her before she could utter a word. Zane pressed his lips against hers, unlike other times- his lips didn't move, barely any contact to hers. The male tested the waters, wondering if Camilla would try to push him away or pull closer. If they kissed- this time, the choice was hers, not his. Zane might initiate the kiss, but the outcome was up to Camilla. Deep down, the young Alpha hoped that she would pull him closer. He couldn't wait for the moment when he could feel her close, kiss her lips, and take in the intoxicating scent.

To his surprise, Camilla tugged on his shirt, pulling the male closer. All Zane could do was hope that she missed and needed him as much as he needed her. Together they were complete- whenever she was away from Zane, the male couldn't focus on anything but thoughts about her. Zane placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her face a little closer. His lips moved against hers as gentle as never. Camilla kissed him back without any hesitation, their lips mending together perfectly. A weak moan left her parted lips, nearly making Zane lose whatever self-control he had. The male pushed himself onto her, laying Camilla on the carpet and hovering over her. He cupped her cheek, the kiss growing more heated, passionate, and slightly rougher. Zane bit onto her lower lip, demanding permission to deepen the kiss. The young woman smiled against his lips, refusing to open her mouth, teasing her mate.

The young Alpha slid his hand down to her waist, playfully sliding it under her shirt. Camilla gasped in surprise, skin-to-skin contact leaving tingles wherever Zane caressed her skin. The male used the moment and thrust his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss, exploring the taste of her. Camilla moaned into their kiss, a low growl instantly forming in Zane's chest. His hips lightly moved against her, grinding his erection against her sex. If not Xavier, suddenly popping into Zane's mind, the young male might try to do something both of them would regret later on.

*"Hey, asshole- she's a virgin, remember? I'm sure she's not ready for whatever you have in that dirty mind of yours. Don't rush things. I won't mention that you shouldn't fuck around just yet- you're still too weak. Camilla was right; you're supposed to be on bed rest. Stop this before you go too far."* The wolf growled, reminding Zane that there were limits he wasn't supposed to step over. At least not yet.

*"Fuck, right. Thanks, I owe you."* To the wolves' surprise, Zane took in his words with ease. If anything, Xavier wouldn't be surprised to deal with the young Alpha's rage for a couple of days, but him being thankful was a true shocker.

Zane broke their kiss, both of them panting for breath. The male gently cupped her cheek again, admiring the beauty of the young woman. Zane didn't spend the whole time in hospital asleep- he asked the doctors and nurses to lie to everyone. He didn't want to see anyone until the male could leave the damned place. Zane used the time to his advantage- thinking about things he had done, something he would like and should do. The male silently came up with many plans; many things would change both around the pack and in his home. But his main focus was Camilla- he had to prove that he could be a good mate for her. He had to make her happy. And for now, the male felt like he had won the first battle- Camilla smiled just as widely as he did, looking up at Zane with the same spark dancing in her eyes that probably matched Zane's.

"Are you hungry?" Zane kissed her forehead, repeating his question. Of course, he would ignore her previous words and warnings- the male wanted to do something for Camilla, not watch her do the otherwise.

"I can cook, remember? I will go downstairs and eat as soon as I feel like it. Now, please stop avoiding my words and answer your own question," Camilla grinned, poking his cheek. She wanted to leave towards him, starting from where they had stopped- his lips over hers felt like a true blessing, and perhaps, it was all she needed now.

"Maybe, not sure. Let's avoid any further argument and go downstairs together? We could cook side by side. Can't promise that I'll be able to come up with something extra fancy, but I sure can make some bomb sandwiches," Zane winked at his mate, slowly lifting him off of her and standing back to his feet.

The male offered her a hand, and she gladly took it. To Camilla's surprise- Zane didn't let go of her hand. The young Alpha interlocked their fingers and held her tightly, making sure she couldn't yank her hand away whenever pleased. He opened the door and stepped aside, letting Camilla leave the bedroom first. Hand in hand, both went downstairs; Zane couldn't wipe the smug smile off of his lips.

When they reached the kitchen, he pulled Camilla closer, letting go of her hand so he could wrap an arm around her waist. The male did everything to keep physical contact with his mate. Women working in the kitchen watched the Alpha couple wide-eyed. Zane smirked, kissed Camilla's head gently, and brought his attention back to servants.
"Ladies, would you mind giving us some privacy?" Even Camilla gasped; it felt as if Zane returned as a new person; perhaps, someone else took his place. The young Alpha wasn't the nicest person, nor did he used to show off respect towards the servants. Nobody dared to question him- the woman bowed their heads and left.

Zane led Camilla to the kitchen counter, placed his hands on her waist, and picked her up- leaving the young woman sitting on the counter. The male leaned in, quickly pecking her lips. "Would you prefer actual food or snacks? Salty or sweet?" Again, Zane kept shocking her- the male Camilla knew wouldn't question her about her preferences. It would be a surprise if he would bring her food himself, let alone attempt to cook something.

"I'm not that hungry; maybe we can get some snacks? I do prefer sweet things." Camilla smiled, watching how a sly grin appeared on Zane's lips.
He leaned in, his lips lightly brushing against her ear as he spoke: "In that case, I prefer you. You're sweet, sweeter than anything I ever had tasted, and you're definitely the only snack I've been craving for."
She felt how her cheeks burned bright red, but Zane didn't care- her, at times, shy nature was one of many things the male adored. Camilla didn't register how Zane managed to steal another kiss from her- this time, the kiss was raw, full of need and passion. His hands on her waist, slowly sliding down to cup her ass. Unlike any thoughts Camilla had before- she didn't mind or refuse the way Zane kept touching her. The young woman enjoyed the slight intimacy between them; after all, he wasn't demanding for more than she could give. Camilla wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling the male as close as possible. Within a few minutes, they forgot about the place and position they were in. Both of them were out of breath, but none dared to break the kiss, Zane, once again grinding against Camilla. She didn't seem to mind if anything- one of her legs wrapped around his ass, attempting to keep him from pushing their bodies apart.

"Oh my fucking God, you guys are disgusting! We put our food there. Holy fucking shit, this is my childhood trauma!"