.56. An endless love.

The pack members decorated the house in flowers- Zane would allow only white roses and lilies since those were Camilla's favorite. His parents would be seated in the front row, but to everyone's surprise, the former Alpha and Luna didn't take places that would be meant for the young Alpha's family. They sat on the positions set out for Camilla's family, yet since she had no one left- the couple gladly took her side. Zane brought up the idea since he had a whole pack by his side, and the Alpha wanted his mate to feel wanted around there. The young woman was needed and adored.

Zane couldn't find a place for himself; the male had never felt as nervous as now. When Camilla didn't answer his question, he thought that all hope was gone- his mate didn't want to spend the rest of their lives together. However, she promised to give him an answer during the ceremony so Zane could follow his original plan. Even though Camilla knew that he might try to propose to her again, she had no idea when or how he would do that. Perhaps the Alpha would drop on his knee in front of the whole pack, but there was a chance that he might do that in private, after the ceremony.

"How are you holding up, son?" Zane's father stood next to the young Alpha, placing a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't something he would do every day- mostly whenever his son seemed distressed. Sometimes even grown pups needed some affection and support from their parents.

"A damn train wreck," Zane chuckled, rubbing his sweaty palms against each other. The date was set, the house was prepared, and guests started arriving, everyone but Camilla. The young woman had all right to change her mind and avoid her mate till the end of her days. The young Alpha feared that he wouldn't see his beautiful mate walking towards the stage as he stood there alone. At one point, Zane wondered if the feeling of abandonment would be the biggest problem, but it wasn't. The biggest problem would be spending the rest of his life alone, without her- something Zane couldn't imagine anymore. If there wasn't Camilla, the Alpha couldn't see any reason to keep on going.

"She will get here, don't worry. Calm down, everyone around here can see how stressed you are- it won't make you look better in their eyes. I came here to tell you something. Your mother and I wanted you to know how proud we are. There were a few days when we would doubt you, but by the end of it all, look at the man you grew into. You're a fantastic Alpha and an excellent mate; keep going this way and trust me, one day- Camilla will thank you for being the man she deserves to have by her side. Listen, talk, try your best to understand, and most importantly- support her. It takes a little to be an asshole, but to be the man you should be will take effort and hard work. I'll see you after the ceremony." Zane's father smiled, taking his hand off of his son's shoulder and sliding it into the pocket of his pants.

"Thank you, dad. I'll do my best," the young Alpha struggled to keep a straight face. He wanted to laugh and cry out of happiness, fearing that a tear might escape his eye when Camilla would appear in front of him.

"We want you to have this. It belonged to our family for about a hundred years now, given to men generation after generation. Your mother heard that you already asked the big question, and we thought it's about time when you held this ring. Give this to Camilla; we will gladly accept her as a part of our family. Not that we didn't already, but you know, the human legal thing." The male chuckled, handing Zane the ring he never thought to trust to his son. "Now, get out there and make us even prouder," his father hurried away, leaving the young Alpha alone.

Zane took a glance at the watch, noticing that he had around five minutes before the ceremony started. Now, it was up to Camilla- if she arrived or not. The young Alpha knew that it might break him if she didn't turn up, but Zane would never show that off. If anything- he deserved everything that could possibly come his way, and Camilla was not the blame. Taking the last glance at the watch, Zane let out a deep sigh and headed towards the stage. Like any other Alpha, he was taller and more muscular than other wolves, standing out almost instantly. He didn't rush as wolves parted their ways to let him pass, greeting everyone on his way.

When the Alpha reached the stage, he scanned the crowd and frowned; Camilla wasn't there. "Good evening, Blood Warriors and guests." Zane started his speech. One of the Alpha's duties was greeting everyone who gathered before the ceremony would take place. "I couldn't find the words to express how happy it makes me to see all those faces gathered in here today. This would be a memorable evening for the pack and the Alpha family. I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who couldn't wait for the moment when the pack would greet their rightful Luna. Before I announce the beautiful soul that I am lucky enough to call mine, I'd like to add little something. Everyone who has grown side by side with me would know how I used to act and the things I did. No, this won't be about my mistakes or some kind of bragging about things no one should be proud of. Camilla has been part of our lives for a long time, yet none of us could even imagine this godly woman mated to someone like me. The Moon Goddess has her ways, and I shall be forever grateful to her for giving me a mate as Camilla. She made me a better person and managed to make the pack members respect and love each other. She is our missing piece of the puzzle- she is what makes us great. I won't ask for much, but respect is a must, especially when facing your Luna. Love her as if she was a part of your family, for a pack has to be one big family. Care for her, for she will care for you. Protect her as you'd protect your Alpha and his safety." Zane smiled without noticing how everyone's eyes widened. He wasn't the man of many emotions, and most were said to be whenever the Alpha was angered. Now, when the seemingly vicious man smiled as she thought of his mate- even the most skeptical pack members awed in admiration. If there was a woman capable of changing a man- she had to be his true mate.

"Sorry, the speech took a little too long. Now, please greet your future Luna- Camilla Avery Tatum," Zane extended his arm towards the door behind which she was supposed to stand. Following the traditions, she had to get on the stage and take her mate's hand, following his lead as they willingly connected their fates in the pack link.

The young Alpha could feel how his knees became weaker; the seconds seemed longer than hours. His eyes visibly watered as the young woman appeared in front of the pack members. Camilla wore a beautiful, blood-red dress, symbolizing the color of their pack. All eyes were on her; many pack members failed to recognize the young woman, an Omega had turned into a beautiful Luna any other pack would envy.
Their eyes finally met; none of both would avert their gaze, keeping eye contact sting enough for others to step aside. Camilla got to the stage and grabbed Zane's hand, a shy smile playing on her lips.

"God damn it, you're so beautiful," Zane drooled over his mate, the words were supposed to be a mere whisper, yet the Alpha managed to nearly yell those out. Then again- why would he hide whatever he felt or thought of his mate? The whole world had to know how lucky he had gotten, how stunning his mate was, and how much he loved her.

"Thank you," Camilla's cheeks turned a shade darker. If anything, she never expected Zane to say something like that out loud. The young woman still suspected that the Alpha might hide their love behind a locked door rather than freely express it in front of the public.

Zane led Camilla towards the council elders who would lead the Luna ceremony. First, both of them had to officially accept each other, cutting a small line on their palms. The dagger was beautiful, a wolf engravings all over it with some little details Camilla couldn't understand. Zane took the blade first, slicing the skin as if it was the most usual thing to do. Even though her heart raced in fear, the young woman followed his lead and repeated his action, leaving a deep cut on her palm.

"Soul to soul, heart to heart, sharing the elixir of their existence- blood." One of the elders spoke up, his face hidden under an enormous hood.

"Miss Camilla, please place your palm on the Alpha's palm." A woman from behind addressed Camilla.

Zane and Camilla couldn't do anything they wanted to- each step had to happen in front of the council. The elders ensured that Luna and early mating ceremonies happened as they're supposed to, so nothing would go wrong. A few cases were when lovers couldn't wait until the council's arrival and forgot about the importance of traditions. Those were a few rare cases when lovers turned into enemies without a visible reason. The couples managed to damage their mate bond, if not break it completely.

"Now, hold onto each other's hand and close your eyes as we accept the union. Ensure the wounds are directly together so the blood would mix; only then will the Moon Goddess approve of the union. She might have chosen you two for each other, but now, you'll have to prove that she made the right decision." The same woman stated. Some people had no idea how complicated the union process was, mostly since most did it privately. Only Alphas and their Lunas had to share the special moment with the rest of the pack.

Camilla and Zane smiled as their eyes closed, both overwhelmed by the ceremony and masses of wolves watching them. Zane's mother cried, held in the strong embrace of her mate. The woman couldn't believe that her son finally grew into a man she dreamed of seeing him become one day. Camilla was the perfect woman for their son- the only one who could ever hold him down and make Zane change. Not because she said so, but because he wanted to become a better man for her.

The council whispered something in unison, rarely a word could be understandable, but soon after they finished- everyone got on their feet and clapped their hands. Camilla felt how a tear of joy rolled down her cheek; she could feel others' happiness and emotions- the young woman became their Luna. Zane reached his hand up to wipe her tear away and leaned down to kiss where it left a small trace. "I'd kiss all of those tears away, even if there were a million more," the Alpha whispered near her ear.

As the council members left them standing alone, Zane still held Camilla's hand, smiling at the pack members. "Now, when the official ceremony is over, I'd like to do something I should have done a long time ago before the feast and dances start."

The Alpha faced Camilla and winked, slowly getting down on one knee. His hand still held hers, this time a little tighter- fearing that she might try to escape. Even though now they were officially accepted as mates and the Alpha couple in front of the pack, elders, and the Moon Goddess- Zane still didn't feel like it was the truth. Some things in life are way too good to be true. He slid the other hand in the pocket and grabbed the small box given by his father. Gasps surrounded them; a faint sound of Zane's mother's cries of happiness was still audible.

"Camilla, you know how you're the only one who could make me as happy as I am today. I hope that one day I'll be able to return the favor and make you the happiest woman alive. I hope that one day I'll be able to give you everything you deserve and so much more. I'll learn to become a better man, better mate, better leader, and a better Alpha. I'll listen and do my best to understand. I'll be there to kiss your tears and sadness away, even when you'll want nothing to do with me. And I know that a day like that might come, I mean, come on- look at me," Zane chuckled in amusement. He publically states his flaws, a thing no Alpha had ever done- all for Camilla. "I want to be the man who will love and adore you. I want to be there no matter what- through ups and downs, hand in hand facing anything that could come our way. Today I am lucky enough to call you my mate and Luna, but I want to be the man who can call you his wife in time. So, Camilla Avery Tatum, will you do me the honor and become my wife?" Zane opened the little box to present a new ring.

Her eyes widened; the young woman had never seen anything so beautiful ever before. The ring Zane gave her the first time he asked the question was one of a kind, yet this one exceeded any limits. Before she could answer, Zane whispered: "I'll pay. Tell me what the bribe could be, and you got it. Name your price, my love. Please," his words sounded playful, but the young woman knew that deep down, Zane feared her rejection.

Camilla leaned down and whispered her answer: "An endless love."