.48. Excuse me, what?

"Funny," Zane chuckled, breaking the heated kiss, and stood in front of Camilla. The young Alpha knew that his mate would blush blood-red and avoid any kind of confrontation. Kaiden was a master of such things, always rubbing everything in others' noses, especially if the male had been around when something happened.
"I'd like to say that your voice killed my hard-on, but it didn't. If anything, I'm feeling even harder as ever; come here, little baby, don't be shy," Zane wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, a sly smirk appearing on his lips.

His friend's reaction appeared to be just as how Zane suspected- Kaiden's face turned in disgust, and the male quickly ran away. Both Camilla and Zane burst out in laughter as the young male turned back around to face Camilla. He placed a hand on her face, cupping the cheek, and leaned in a little. "Don't worry, love; I wouldn't let him touch you. Matter of fact- I wouldn't allow anyone to touch a single hair on your head," Zane grinned and pecked her lips, quickly turning around once again and approaching the fridge.

"So, is there something you would like to eat, or do you trust my culinary skills?" The male questioned her, opening the fridge door. He seemed to try to notice something, but the awkward position he stood in was another proof that Zane didn't spend much time cooking.

"Let me," Camilla giggled, jumping off the counter and pushing Zane away from the fridge. Her actions left the male staring wide-eyed at her, but he didn't dare to object.

As the young woman grabbed a few products, which didn't seem to go together at all, Zane stepped back and leaned against the door frame, watching her in action. The more time he spent with her, the more he couldn't understand why he was such an asshole towards the young woman. Back in the days- he didn't care much if his words or actions hurt anyone. Now, Zane would do anything to avoid damaging Camilla. She was the perfect imperfection- a walking ball of chaos hid under the prettiest smile the young Alpha had happened to see. Even watching her cook excited him- Camilla acted as if she was born in the kitchen. As the thought crossed his mind, Zane frowned. She was about to become the pack's Luna; it wasn't her responsibility to cook- that was the work done by servants. Why would he pay the staff if his mate kept doing most of the chores around the house? Even his mother didn't cook or clean as much as Camilla, a matter of fact- she didn't do that as soon as Zane was born. His father restricted his Luna from doing any kind of household-related things- she was to take care of Zane and the Alpha.

"Love?" Zane tried to gain Camilla's attention by clearing his throat.

The young woman kept chopping the ingredients and gently hummed in response, probably letting the male know that she was listening.

"Don't get me wrong on this one- I appreciate the effort you put into everything you do, but don't you think that you should stop? I mean the cleaning and cooking- that is not Luna's responsibility, we have staff members and servants for such things. Please, don't get mad; I'm just voicing my opinion," Zane decided to approach Camilla again, this time being as cautious as he could be. The woman held a knife- God knows if he hit a nerve or not.

"And if I stop, what else should I do then? You're busy for the whole day, and it hasn't been a long time since we sort of started getting along. At least I think that we do, even if for a little. The only man I could be around probably would be your dad or Kaiden. Your mom and dad want to spend time alone- they have worked for the well being of this pack for a long time. I do think that they deserve some one-to-one time and finally relax. It would be unfair to keep disturbing them, especially now. Like you, Kaiden is busy during the day- doing whatever a Beta is supposed to do. Then, there is the only friend I was left with- Aiden. But I'm sure you wouldn't like me to spend time around him even if he had found a mate," Camilla sighed, closing her eyes. The young woman never thought of how many people she actually had around her. It was always her family, but all of them are gone, and making friends wasn't a thing she would be good at. Now, making new friends would be easier since she's mated to an Alpha, but Camilla dropped the sole idea of it. People would want to be her friend because of the title, not her personality.

"I would let you meet Aiden time by time. I might be an asshole, but I wouldn't take your only friend away from you. Besides, I believe you haven't met the infamous mate yet- you should make sure she's good. Your happiness matters, love," suddenly the male's arms wrapped around her waist, starting the young woman. His action wasn't the only thing that surprised Camilla- the words leaving his lips were a bigger shock.

Camilla tried to focus her attention on the knife in her hand, but she couldn't. "Who are you, and what did you do to my Zane?" The young woman gasped, suddenly thinking about theories that involved alien abduction and cloning someone. The man was nowhere close to the cocky Alpha she was mated to- the Zane she knew wouldn't allow her as much as talk about Aiden, let alone meet him. Either he was indeed abducted, either Zane was up to something and tested Camilla in some weird way.

As soon as the young Alpha started laughing- the sound alone made her melt in his arms. That was one of the rare occasions when Zane sounded truly happy, just laughing and being himself without a single emotion hidden. "I'm still the same Zane- your Zane. I guess the whole experience we had to go through made me realize a lot of things," he leaned in, gently tracing kisses along her neck. "We are as different as two can be, yet the Moon Goddess paired us for a reason," he added.
"I don't think that there might be a woman out there, more fit to my stupid, the world's biggest asshole of a personality than you are. I keep exploding for no reason, and you manage to calm me down. You are the one that keeps my feet on the ground instead of somewhere above it. I'm starting to realize that I am not untouchable, and I do not hold all the power one could. I worry about you; I always did- even when I kept acting like an idiot and being the only reason you were hurt. Even when I was the shittiest mate out there- you kept worrying about me. For fuck's sake, Camilla, I hurt you more than I could ever forgive myself, and the first day you get out of here- you didn't run. You came back to me with a plush toy. Do you have any idea of how it made me feel? I swear I had never felt or experienced the things happening inside me as I did when you gave me that wolf. You thought of me, out of all people- you thought of ME and brought something to prove it. You are precious, and I am dedicated to spending the rest of my life to make you happy. To make up the shit I've done up until today. Don't think that this is a joke- I wouldn't joke about anything that somehow involves you." Zane inhaled her scent, shivering in the delight of their closeness. If it were up to the young Alpha- he would never let go of the woman.

Camilla's eyes filled with tears, she wanted to say something- anything, but her mind shut off while he spoke. The words were beautiful, Zane tried to make up for many things, and deep down, Camilla knew that her mate was truthful. The way he tried to keep as close as possible, even when they didn't kiss- it was a sign for her that Zane kept trying his best.
The young woman didn't notice how her hand slipped, and the sharp knife blade cut her thumb. Zane, on the other hand, saw it almost instantly. Panicked, the male grabbed the knife and threw it away, turning Camilla's body around to face him. He observed the cut and leaned down, sliding his arm over her knees and lifting the young woman on his arms. The young Alpha ran towards the stairs, holding Camilla bridal style. Halfway upstairs, Camilla giggled: "It's a small cut, don't freak out; I didn't feel it until you started acting like a crazy old man. Besides, it's my thumb that's bleeding, not my legs- I can walk."

"A Queen is not fit to walk around; their Kings carry them around. I am no King, but you sure as hell are a Queen, my love. Perhaps it is just a reason for me to carry you around, or maybe I wanted to- you'll never know. Now, stop objecting and let me take care of you as any other proper mate should," Zane grinned, yet his eyes never met Camilla's. The male focused on the goal- his bedroom, which hopefully would become theirs within a few weeks. Of course, only if Camilla wants to live in the same bedroom as Zane as to sleep in one bed. The thought alone made his heart beat faster- having her around, all to himself, would be a dream come true.

The young Alpha kicked his bedroom door open, unbothered by the force he used. Zane carried Camilla to the bathroom and set her to sit on the edge of the bathtub. He found the first aid kit within seconds, fully aware that Camilla's wound could close before he applied any medications. As the male dropped on his knees in front of her- he noticed that it didn't close as fast; the cut was deeper than he thought. Carefully, Zane cleaned off the blood and bandaged her hand as well as he could. The male attempted to make her bandage look somewhat pretty, but he failed.

"Here, all done," Zane whispered, gently taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips.

"Thank you, looks like I have my personal doctor." Camilla laughed, throwing her hands around his neck and pulling Zane into a tight hug. None of them wanted to move or let go of each other, that is- until the young Alpha overheard how Camilla's stomach started rumbling. Finally, it was his chance to cook for her- Zane wouldn't let her hold a knife anymore, at least for today.

"Alright, enough of hugs- love alone won't feed you." Zane chuckled at his own words, once again sweeping Camilla off her feet and carrying her back to the bedroom. He gently laid her down on his bed and handed the young woman a remote control. On instinct, his hand landed on her head and ruffled her hair, obviously pissing off Camilla. The way she glared at him, even angry, made the male's heart melt.
"Stay here, rest, and watch something. I will take care of food and bring it upstairs in no time, alright?" Zane added before pressing his lips against Camilla's forehead and rushing away. He made sure to leave no time for her to object or start an argument.

Thankfully, in the kitchen, some of the staff members started gathering to talk over the rest of their responsibilities. Zane asked the women if they had any idea what could be made out of ingredients his mate had chosen. As it turned out, Camilla was about to cook lasagna, one of Zane's favorites. *Damn, that woman knows me better than anyone else,* he thought to himself, setting a goal to find out everything about her. The young Alpha asked servants to help him prepare the food, involving as much as he could. Zane had to learn how to cook if he wanted servants out of the house on a daily basis. Them, coming around to clean time by time, seemed a good idea, but he didn't want them nearby as much as one anymore. He needed more privacy with Camilla.

Zane didn't go upstairs to check on Camilla until the food was ready- the male thought it was unfair to run back and forth while she couldn't wait for something to eat. Zane eyed the plate- happy to see that he wouldn't be presenting a plain sandwich to his mate. He poured water in two glasses, placed the dishes and drinks on a tray, and dismissed the servants. All of them were given a day off since Zane wanted his privacy with Camilla. Perhaps, he would talk her into staying next to him for tonight.

Unnecessary to point out how surprised, yet happy, Camilla noticed the steaming food on the plate. She was ready to attack her piece of lasagna immoderately. The fact that Zane allowed her to stay under the blanket while she ate was true bliss.

"Did you cook this on your own?" Camilla questioned her mate in awe. Of course, she knew the answer, but she would praise his effort even if he tried to help a little. Or if he was honest, at least.

"I didn't, but I did try to help servants as much as I could. I sent them home to have some more privacy; it seemed like a nice idea to spend the rest of the day with you. If you don't mind, of course." Zane scratched the back of his neck nervously. Even the most intimidating people didn't make him feel as worried as answers or reactions given by Camilla would.

"Well then, you get an A for an effort and being honest. This looks amazing." Camilla smiled, feeling genuinely grateful for Zane trying his best and being as transparent as an Alpha could be.

"Of course, it does; I helped- after all. Besides, I need to learn how to cook properly as fast as I can." The male let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and sat on the other side of the bed. The closer he got to Camilla, the more he wanted to smile like an idiot.

"Why is that?" The young woman raised an eyebrow, cutting a piece of lasagna off and bringing the fork to her mouth. Camilla had to restrain herself from moaning out- the food was better than expected.

"Well, I wouldn't allow you to go near the stove when you're pregnant; today was just another proof of your clumsiness problem. Of course, not that I mind, but I wouldn't want to see you or our pup hurt. Plus, I decided to make servants live in their own houses and arrive once or twice a week, depending how often they would be needed. You know, we need a lot more privacy since sooner or later we will build a family together." As the words left Zane's lips, Camilla froze on the spot.

Her eyes widened, and as much as she attempted to swallow the piece of lasagna- she couldn't. The words left her both speechless and choking on the only food she had today. Camilla coughed, gasping for air and finally managing to get the food down her throat. She grabbed the glass of water and gulped the liquid down as if she had spent a full week in the desert. With her throat still burning, she turned her body to face Zane and whisper-yelled: "Excuse me, what?!"