.55. A magical week and the secret.

"Good morning, beautiful," Zane smiled at his mate, as every morning- admiring the grace and power Camilla possessed even after barely getting out of the bed. The young woman slowly walked down the stairs, trying to hide the shy smile on her lips.

It was one of those years when winter came unexpected, and it wouldn't bother to move to another district. Their territory reminded a place from fairytale books- covered in snow, a couple of snowflakes still falling here and there. Each morning Zane would bring a cup of coffee to their bedroom and leave it on the nightstand. The Alpha never forgot the morning kiss on Camilla's forehead before he went downstairs to discuss breakfast options with Omegas. Camilla would wake up about five minutes after he did, yet the young woman would take some time to leave the bedroom. She didn't feel like the part of the pack, no matter how hard Zane tried. During the past week, he had been nothing but the perfect mate. Camilla felt like she started a new life in a different reality, especially looking back at how much her mate changed over time.

"Good morning," Camilla replied sleepily, rubbing her eyes. The young woman accidentally stepped on her nightgown and tripped over it. She threw her hands forward, ready to collide with the floor. However, her body never met the cold marble tiles; Zane was there to catch her.

The Alpha held her in his arms, chuckling at Camilla's clumsiness. "Easy there, tiger, we don't need unnecessary traumas here, do we?" Zane laughed while carrying Camilla towards the kitchen.

Even the pack members had noticed the change in their Alpha- he spent more time with his mate, but at the same time became more kind towards others. Whenever there was a problem, he would gladly step in to deal with anything thrown his way. He even joined others in building a couple of new houses for recently mated wolves, especially ones who expected their first pups. As the time went, he found himself feeling a little envious, especially after meeting the new pack members- barely days old. Zane never brought the issue up with Camilla- he wouldn't test his luck to such an extent. Asking his mate to have pups would be a voluntary suicide. They didn't rush to complete the mating process, and Camilla had barely accepted Zane, at least he hoped she did.

As the Alpha carried Camilla into the kitchen, the Omegas and staff members eyed them with admiration. Everyone knew how complicated their relationship was, the rocky road towards any kind of happiness and obstacles both had to meet. Now, even someone who knew what had happened found it difficult to believe that those two had difficulties staying in one room before. The way their Alpha looked at Camilla was worth a thousand words, and even her shy smiles or glances meant so much more. They were in love, truly in love with each other; it wasn't just the bond that held them together.

"Good morning, ladies. My lovely mate had finally arrived to have some breakfast. Did you manage to prepare what I asked for?" Zane grinned, turning his attention towards the oldest Omega cook.

The woman nodded her head and greeted the Alpha couple. She quickly rushed out of the kitchen, grabbing others by their wrists. The woman knew how important the morning would be to their Alpha- how important it would be for Camilla could be only guessed.

"We're staying here, or would you like to sit in the living room? I've noticed how much you like watching the snow outside while having coffee; we could enjoy some food there. It's Saturday; let's be a little lazy." Zane offered, his heart pounding against the ribcage.

"Living room sounds lovely, but has something happened? I don't care about the food as much as the weird behavior from others as soon as we got here. Also, please don't lie to me- I can feel your heart racing. Zane, please tell me what's wrong. I can feel that you're worried about something, don't hide anything from me. We promised that we wouldn't keep secrets. We.." Camilla nearly got carried on when Zane's lips gently pressed against hers, silencing the young woman. She didn't push him away, nor did she want to. The young woman was used to occasional surprise kisses, especially whenever she ranted or became too worried. Her arms tightened around Zane's neck, pulling the male closer.

Like any other morning, the seemingly innocent kiss grew into a heated makeout session, none of them willing to part their lips. Zane placed Camilla on the kitchen counter, standing between her legs- showering his mate with kisses, his hands stroking her gentle skin. Camilla grabbed the sides of his head, keeping him as close as possible. The Alpha gently bit onto her lower lip, making Camilla gasp and using the chance to deepen their kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth, exploring it fully.
When their lips parted, both Camilla and Zane panted heavily; their foreheads rested against each other. With each day, Camilla fell for Zane a little more- she couldn't understand why earlier her mate wouldn't be the same man he was now. If anything- the Alpha was becoming the perfect mate, caring and gentle. He did anything to please Camilla; each morning was another reminder of how much he loved her.

"Don't try to avoid my question; it's unfair," Camilla pouted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm not trying to avoid your questions. I attempted to calm you down; we both know that you would have a panic attack if you didn't forget your sudden ideas and doubts. You'll get your answer in a couple of minutes, but first- food." Zane leaned down a little, making Camilla think that he would hug or kiss her again, but instead, the male threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the living room. He left her on the sofa and ordered her to stay while he would bring their breakfast. Camilla didn't try to object; her eyes darted towards the large window, enjoying the view only nature could give them.

"I hope you're in the mood for some pancakes," Zane placed a large plate stacked with pancakes in front of Camilla. Now, the winter wonderland didn't seem as tempting as watching her mate, running back and forth, bringing her all necessities. It was a new but definitely pleasant change.

As usual, the Alpha handed food to her first, only then placing a little on his own plate. Zane never overate until he knew that Camilla was done. The silence wasn't their enemy anymore; both learned how to accept and enjoy it- together. When Camilla announced that she was full, the young woman noticed how Zane didn't touch his food; his eyes focused on her. The Alpha quickly cleaned up and nearly ran back to her, sitting right next, placing his arm around her neck. Camilla accepted his embrace, leaning in and closing her eyes in content. Deep down, she hoped that days as such would never end. Her grandmother used to remind the young woman that all good things came to an end sooner or later, and if she was right- Camilla feared losing moments with her mate.

The young woman gulped, turning her attention towards Zane: "Can we talk now?"

"Of course. What would you like to talk about, sweetheart?" He didn't bother to show off the amusement he felt. Camilla knew that her mate could be annoying at such moments, but he did it all for her. The young woman never asked straight questions; she always tried to find a way around whenever something caught her interest. If she was to become a Luna, Zane had to make her learn to become more confident of herself and her abilities.

"You know what I meant," Camilla rolled her eyes, turning around to show off how disappointed she was in another of his jokes.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling the young woman closer. Zane rested his face against her neck, inhaling the scent Camilla carried. His lips barely touched her skin, leaving gentle kisses here and there before he would speak. "You know that I don't want to harm you, right? I'm trying to teach you how to be more direct. Come on, love; it's not that difficult- a while ago, you could curse me like nobody else ever did. And that's not only the mate bond; it's your power and your rights to voice your opinion. Just be a little more direct, and I'll answer any question."

"If I must be direct with my questions, you must be direct with answers." The young woman announced, making her mate understand that there was no in-between in this question.

"Deal." The Alpha agreed in a heartbeat, pressing his lips against her neck, this time for a bit longer.

"Alright- why did the staff act so strangely as soon as they noticed us? Why did your heart race as if you were about to kill someone or do something absolutely insane?" Camilla grinned to herself, unaware of how fast the grin would fade from her lips.

"Because they knew that I needed some privacy with you. Because I asked if Omega would leave as soon as we got to the kitchen and if it was possible to take others with her. Let's say they wanted a day off. This day would be special for us, so I didn't want them to stand in the way when I planned something for you," Camilla knew that Zane held something back. The Alpha usually told her everything about his daily plans or some things he wanted to do together. He forgot what secrets meant; the young woman would be fully aware of confidential information about their pack way before she became the official Luna. Zane had managed to prove how much he trusted her with his and his pack's lives.

"What did you plan?" Perhaps it was just a childish curiosity, but she still wanted to know more. Zane planned the day for both of them, and if the Alpha would ever attempt to take her out shopping- Camilla would try to kill him without leaving the house.

"Are you sure that you want to know? I tried to keep it a secret so you could have a surprise, so if you do- don't blame me for spilling the beans. I agreed to tell the truth, so this will be up to you." Zane smiled as he spoke. Of course, his idea seemed better- even if in front of the whole pack. Perhaps Camilla wouldn't like the fact that their moment wouldn't be as intimate as it's supposed to be, but what better way to prove how serious intentions he had?

"I want to know." The young woman didn't waste time to think- the curiosity took the best of her.

"Alright. This past week has been the best in my life, and I don't want it to end, ever. I don't want to lose you ever again or see you unhappy. Falling asleep and waking up with you in my arms is truly the best gift I could ever have. I want to make you happy, even beyond that. So, I was planning to ask you if you agreed that I'd introduce you as the pack's Luna after dinner. There was another thing, which seemed to be more important for you, but now, I'm not sure if you need to know about it beforehand. Perhaps we could keep this one bit like a secret? What do you think?" Zane chuckled, fully aware that Camilla won't let him keep the secret even if it spoiled her surprise.

"I don't think that I'd like more secrets. Please tell me." As expected, she clapped her hands, encouraging Zane to speak up.

The Alpha let go of the hold around Camilla: "I was planning to ask you a very big question if you agreed for the Luna ceremony. Well, since it's too late to try and make the whole deal as a surprise, I guess I could do that now," Zane switched in his seat, moving his hand away from her and soon placing it in front of Camilla. The Alpha opened his hand to show off a small, blood-red satin box resting on his palm. Camilla didn't move, so he had to open it for her, revealing a beautiful sapphire diamond ring. "Camilla Avery Tatum, will you do me the honor and make me the happiest man on the planet? Will you marry me?"