.52. The warehouse.

Zane went completely berserk- the young Alpha managed to turn multiple cities and packs upside down. He kept warning everyone about his missing mate, even killed many Vampires on his way, yet there were no signs of Camilla. Many of his pack members thought their Luna had died, but Zane wouldn't believe until their bond would be broken.

"Are you still trying to find her?" Kaiden walked into the office unannounced, dragging Aiden along. Both males grew closer, building a friendship while looking for their Alpha's mate.

Lately, Aiden had to take more time off since his mate was expecting their firstborn, and the male couldn't feel more worried. He felt anxious about the pregnancy and that his friend wasn't there to follow them along the arduous journey. Even though Aiden's mate never met Camilla- she was as worried as everyone else. The fox shifter knew that her mate wouldn't freak out over the disappearance of someone that didn't mean a lot to him.

"Yes, she's close; I can feel it. It's just that I can't reach her using mind-link, and for some reason, I can't get rid of the idea that she's right under my nose. I will find her." Zane stood in front of the window, watching how the first snow fell. The young Alpha couldn't stop thinking about Camilla- everything reminded him of her.

Zane suddenly thought back to when he met her for the first time. Her parents were alive, one of the best friends of their family. They joined the Alpha family for dinner, bringing their daughter along. Even back then, Zane thought that Camilla was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, yet never spoke out loudly.
Perhaps, if his father wouldn't send him off to live with his abusive grandparents- Zane wouldn't grow into such an awful person as he was. His grandfather taught the boy that women were nothing but objects and breeding machines- at first, Zane wouldn't believe him, but the more time he spent around the man, the more it seemed to turn into reality.
Each Christmas, Zane would come home to spend time with family and their friends. Camilla was always there, growing up and somehow managing to become even more breathtaking than the year before. But then again, the young male couldn't get rid of the ideas put into his mind by the older man.
Before her parents passed away, there was this one last dinner they had together. Zane was to return to his grandparent's house soon after, but the boy was anxious to see the pretty girl again. They watched how the snow fell, covering the lands. Camilla kept talking about the beauty surrounding them, but Zane didn't speak that time. He listened to her words while admiring the beauty sitting right next to him.
Unfortunately, she spoke up about mates, and back then, none of both knew that the Moon Goddess had a plan for them. Zane grew jealous of the imaginary man, angry that someone else could have her by his side. That was the day when he decided to live by the words of his grandfather. If only someone would know how much he regretted the rushed decision. Zane would give up on anything just to have Camilla in his arms, holding her tightly while watching the familiar scene in front of their eyes. Only when someone clears their throat did Zane finally turn around and face both men.

"Do you still feel the bond? The pack is worried; many rumors about her death," Kaiden averted his gaze, whispering the dreaded words. He didn't want to get on Zane's bad side, but someone had to bring the topic up before it was too late. Like others, he feared that something dangerous was happening, slowly pulling Camilla into a grave.

"The bond is intact; that's the only hope I still have." The Alpha sighed, trying to recall her smile. Instead of happy memories, all that Zane could think of was everything bad that had happened. Every time he hurt Camilla, both mentally and psychically. The last memory Zane had of her was her tear-stained face and pure hatred in her eyes. If anything- that was the one thing burned into Zane's mind, haunting him even in his dreams. "Aiden, you should go home; we will manage everything without your assistance. I'm sure Camilla would like it better if you spent more time with Lily, she's pregnant, after all. But if you don't feel comfortable enough to travel around, you're more than welcome to move in. I have a few guest bedrooms; you can choose whichever you like." Everyone around the pack noticed how Zane acted- he wasn't the bratty little boy anymore; with Camilla's disappearance, he finally grew up. The Alpha changed his view on many things, his attitude towards others, and things he did for himself. Zane focused on his duties, making sure the pack life ran as smoothly as possible, finally training both men and women, and still managing to keep on looking for his mate.

"I wouldn't want to become a burden, Alpha," Aiden mumbled under his breath. Truthfully, the male wanted to move in- he could manage to take care of his mate and still get the latest updates on time. If he went out for another search, the male wouldn't have to worry about her safety since Alpha's house had guards around it all the time.

"Nonsense, you wouldn't be a burden. The offer stays up, take your time, and talk to your mate; I understand that you two have to make such decisions together. Now, if you would excuse me, I have a search party to lead within thirty minutes," the Alpha tried to brush past both men, but one of them grabbed his upper arm and tried to hold Zane back. Even though the male changed, he still didn't like getting touched by anyone except Camilla. "May I help you?" Zane stared down at Kaiden, throwing daggers at the Beta with eyes alone.

"We have to talk about this, man. I don't want to see you in such a miserable state. We all worry, but you have to take a break; there is a reason why you have so many trained warriors out there- use what you have," Kaiden groaned, attempting to explain to Zane how many advantages he actually had.

"You're right, but there's one thing you forgot- even though I have many trained warriors here, I still have even more regular pack members. I can't send all of them out for a search; it would be insane. We have to protect everyone; think of how many enemies this pack has. If anyone gets to hear as much as a rumor about Alpha Snow sending all of his men out, they will attack without hesitation." As Zane pointed out everything he was thinking of, Kaiden's eyes widened. Only now, the Beta understood why Zane wouldn't let more than two search parties leave the territory around main buildings. The young Alpha made sure that there were enough wolves around to protect the old, weak, and a few barely reaching toddler age.

Kaiden opened his mouth to speak up, but the only sound leaving his lips was a loud gasp. The male noticed how Zane's eyes clouded, meaning only one thing- he managed to break out to Camilla, or the young woman managed to get a hold of him. All this time, Alpha kept his mind-link open; everyone could contact him even in the middle of the night, it didn't matter- he needed Camilla safe, perfectly back home. Despite what the young Alpha wanted, he did command everyone that Camilla is to return to her new home if she wishes to.

*"Zane?"* The voice invading his mind was weak, a mere whisper, yet he instantly knew that it was Camilla. Her gentle voice made his heart skip a beat.

*"I'm here baby, where are you? I've been looking for weeks, give me any hint, and I'll find you,"* the male grew frantic, worried yet happy at the same time. Even though she sounded weak- Camilla was alive, and that was the only thing he wanted to focus on.

*"It's a warehouse in the North, I think. I can't remember a lot of things, but there was a library not so far away from this place," Camilla cried out. For the first time, Zane heard that the young woman wasn't hiding her weaknesses and fear. The more he heard, the more he wanted to run out alone and kill whoever dared to touch his mate.

*"Listen, love- try to calm down; I have an idea where it is. Do you have any idea how many bloodsuckers are there? No, it doesn't matter, just please don't act suspiciously; I'll be on my way!"* Zane's heart started pounding against his ribcage; the male couldn't believe that he might find his mate today. The Alpha would head towards the place as soon as Camilla breaks the link, but he couldn't risk it and bring his friends with him. Both men were as scared as Zane, yet they were way too loud- the Alpha would have to act as quietly as he could. Zane had little less than three hours to get her out there if he wanted to act before the leeches woke up.

*"Zane, I'm scared. I want to go home."* Camilla cried out, her voice shaking. The way she spoke made Zane feel like she wanted to get back to him, yet he instantly dropped the idea. There was no way his mate would ever consider his house a home. The male understood that all that was happening were consequences of his actions; there was no one else to blame but himself.

*"Calm down baby, I'll get you back home within an hour. You think you can wait that long?"* The Alpha wasn't the comforting type of a man, but Zane did try to seem as gentle as he could. For Camilla, he would jump off of a cliff if she would feel better seeing him doing that.

*"I can just keep your promise,"* she sobbed. Zane noticed how weak the young woman was- probably spending the last bits of her energy to reach the male.

*"Good girl. Now, rest, you're weak."* The young Alpha didn't break the link until Camilla agreed to try and fall asleep while he was out, looking for the warehouse. It would make her seem less suspicious- she wouldn't show off nervousness or anxiety to Vampires. Even more- which one from those kidnappers would think that Camilla managed to mind-link Zane if she was asleep?

When she broke the connection, both Aiden and Kaiden were looking at Zane with hopeful eyes. The Alpha didn't want to break their hopes, yet there was no other way for him to leave alone. Zane shook his head and faked a deep, devastated sigh: "It was a pack member; they need my help. Aiden, go home to your mate. Kaiden, you're staying here; if anything changes, you are to contact me immediately. I will deal with the issue, and we will arrange the next search teams as soon as I return." To make himself seem even more desperate, Zane slid hands through his hair and tugged on it. The male had a hard time hiding the smile that nearly appeared on his lips. All he wanted was to run, laugh, and scream in happiness- his mate was alive, waiting for him to find her finally.

Both males nodded their heads, the hopeful mood replaced by sadness, and left the office. Zane stood by the window and waited for around five minutes to ensure that none of the idiots would follow him. The Alpha didn't bother to change- that might raise suspicion.

When Zane was sure that Aiden left, and Kaiden was busy with some pack work- he left the house. At first, he headed towards the area where most of the pack members' homes were. The male avoided looking back over his shoulder or anywhere besides forward. Acting suspicious was the one thing Zane had to avoid.

As soon as he reached the area, Zane quickly turned towards the forest and ran before anyone could notice him. The Alpha shifted into his wolf and took off, heading for the warehouse Camilla mentioned.

*"Fuck yes, baby, let's get our mate back!"* Xavier growled, both furious and happy. The wolf had only one primary goal- to kill.