False Expectations - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Adelina's pov:
The next morning came far too quickly. I'd spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to silence the storm of thoughts racing through my mind. When the sun finally rose, I felt a suffocating numbness, like I was paralyzed. The weight of the inevitable crushed me.
I didn't want to leave my pack. My home. My life.
I had projects lined up, plans that could reshape our future—my future. The economic strategy I'd worked tirelessly on was finally ready to be implemented. I wanted to see it through. I wanted to celebrate the results with my friends, my family. This was my world, and I loved it. I didn't want to give it up.
But none of that mattered anymore.
In a few short hours, this life would be gone. Everything I had built, every connection I held dear, would be relegated to the past. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I had no choice but to accept my fate. Whining wouldn't change anything. I had to adapt, had to find a way to face this new life. Maybe, just maybe, I was overreacting. Maximus wasn't completely heartless, was he?
Yesterday, he'd been... surprisingly demonstrative. The way he hugged me, kissed me—it felt genuine, as if he truly believed in the mate bond. Perhaps Stella was right. Maybe this would work out after all. Maybe I just needed to try, to have faith. Everything would be fine... right?
A sharp knock on the door shattered my fragile train of thought.
-"Come in," I called out, trying to steady my voice.
The door creaked open, and Lena, one of the omega girls who cleaned my room, stepped inside. Her nervous demeanor was immediately apparent—her hands twisted in front of her, and she looked everywhere but at me.
-"Lena?" I prompted gently.
She took a deep breath, finally gathering enough courage to speak. "Good morning, miss," she said hesitantly. "I've been sent to inform you... Alpha Maximus is waiting for you at the parking lot. You're leaving in twenty minutes."
My heart sank.
-"Twenty minutes?" I repeated, incredulous. "I thought we were leaving closer to noon! Why the rush?"
-"I'm sorry, miss," Lena said softly, her eyes downcast. "I'm only delivering the message."
I exhaled, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course, Maximus would do this. Everything had to be on his terms. He controlled the timeline, the pace, my future.
-"Thank you, Lena," I said at last, my voice steadier than I expected. "Please let Alpha Maximus know I'll be ready. And could you bring someone to help with my luggage?"
Lena nodded quickly. "Yes, miss. Right away."
As the door closed behind her, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. My heart ached, and my mind felt like it was caught in a whirlwind.
-"This is it", I thought. Time to leave everything behind.
With a deep breath, I stood and began to prepare for the next chapter of my life.
I don't remember much of what happened next. Everything passed in a blur—the hurried packing of my belongings, the rushed farewells to my family and friends, the awkward silence as I climbed into the car. And now, here I am, sitting in the passenger seat of Maximus' car, with nothing but the sound of tires on asphalt and the steady hum of the engine.
Maximus hadn't said much since we left. His demeanor was cold, distant, and his silence felt heavy. It was a stark contrast to the man who had, just the day before, kissed me as if I were the center of his world. Now, he seemed like a stranger.
I tried to break the silence, desperate for some kind of communication, but the tension was suffocating.
-"How much longer?" I asked after hours of awkward silence, my voice barely above a whisper.
-"What?" Maximus asked, his tone sharp, like my question had broken his concentration.
-"How much longer until we arrive at your pack?" I clarified, trying to ignore the discomfort curling in my stomach.
-"We have about four more hours of continuous driving," he said, still sounding distant, almost bored. "But we'll stop midway."
-"Why will we stop?" I asked, the need for some connection urging me to keep the conversation going.
-"I never travel through the night," he answered curtly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
-"Oh, I see," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed for having asked in the first place. His attitude was so different from the warmth he'd shown yesterday. I wondered if it was just how he was—or if I was somehow the cause of this sudden change. Either way, the car felt unbearably small, and the silence was oppressive.
After what felt like an eternity, we reached the motel—a typical roadside stop in the middle of nowhere. The kind of place where you wouldn't expect to find anything but tired travelers, all wolves making their way through the vast wilderness between packs. There was something unnervingly familiar about it, a sense of isolation. The place felt cut off from the world, and that was exactly the point. Humans didn't even know it existed.
Maximus' guards had already taken care of everything, checking us in and ensuring the room was ready. However, due to a festival happening in a nearby town, the motel was filled with travelers. That left us with no choice but to share the same room.
I was startled when I realized this. I had only just met Maximus. Sure, he was my mate, but this felt... too soon. Too intimate.
I shifted uncomfortably in the back of the car as we pulled up to the building. The thought of being in close quarters with him for the night made my stomach twist. I barely knew him, and already, I was expected to share a space with him.
I followed him silently into the motel lobby, but my mind was reeling. What if I couldn't sleep? What if he said something or did something that made everything even more awkward? I wasn't ready for this.
As we made our way down the hallway, I couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of my eye. The coldness in his expression hadn't changed. He walked ahead of me, his broad shoulders stiff, his movements tense. It was as if he were shutting me out, and that only made me feel more uncomfortable.
Finally, we reached the room, and Maximus unlocked the door, stepping aside to let me enter first. The room was modest, with simple furnishings and a large bed.
My heart raced, but I refused to let my anxiety show. I quickly turned to face him. "Are you sure we have to share the same room?" I asked, trying to sound casual, though my voice trembled slightly.
Maximus didn't respond immediately. He just stood there, his eyes fixed on the bed. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice a little softer than before.
-"We don't have a choice, Adelina. There are no other rooms, and this is the safest option. I don't trust anyone else, especially with you here." His gaze shifted to meet mine, and there was something in his eyes—something that almost seemed apologetic, but it quickly disappeared, replaced with that same coldness. I looked around exploring the place when Maximus's cold voice interrupted my train of thought.
-"I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," he said coldly and then he left the room without another word.
I nodded to myself, heading to the bathroom. After hours of travel, a warm bath was exactly what I needed to relax. And some food too, because right now, I was starving. I hoped Maximus would eat as well, or it was going to be a very difficult night for me.
After several minutes of pampering myself in the bathroom, I stepped out, wrapped in a towel. I'd forgotten to grab my clothes, something I always did back home. I preferred to get dressed in my bedroom, away from the steam and moisture of the bathroom. I really hated soaking my clothes.
When I stepped back into the room, I saw Maximus sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for me with a couple of burgers. His gaze immediately swept over me, lust darkening his eyes as they turned black. His wolf was in control now.
I froze, instinctively tightening my grip on the towel. I didn't want to provoke him any further... If that was even possible.
-"Nonsense!" my wolf scolded. "He's our mate. From now on, we're going to share more than just a room with him," she commented playfully.
-"Please, girl, don't be so horny..." I replied, trying to regain my composure.
I knew that when a wolf takes over, the marking wouldn't be avoided and of course I did not want that. At least not now.... It is too early for me to be marked and especially in a hotel room. I always imagined being marked in a nice and romantic place. I immediately looked down avoiding eye contact with him while he kept staring at me lustfully making me feel vulnerable.
He stood up and walked toward me, his eyes never leaving mine as the distance between us closed with every step. When he was only a few centimeters away, his hands settled on my arms, and he leaned toward me. When he touched me, butterflies exploded in my stomach and sparks danced through my body. It was everything I had expected from our bond. But there was more. I couldn't explain it, but when he was around, it was as if he had a way of shaping my emotions, my desires, and my thoughts. Though I had known him for only a few hours, I felt an overwhelming connection to him. I wanted to be near him, to touch him, to hold him, to speak words of love—and to do everything lovers do. But how could I feel this way? I barely knew him, and I certainly didn't like him!I closed my eyes, leaning into him, trembling with anticipation waiting for the kiss. But instead, I heard him clear his throat, making me open my eyes. The moment I did, I saw the disapproval in his gaze. He turned away abruptly, leaving me standing there, feeling foolish. Why had he done that?
-"Do you always behave like this?" he asked, his voice harsh as he sat on the bed. His body was stiff, his expression cold and distant.
-"What do you mean?" I asked, completely puzzled. If anyone should be scolded, it definitely wasn't me.
-"Do you always act so provocative when a man is around?" His tone was strict, and his eyes bore into mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
-"What?" I was offended. Was he seriously insinuating that I'd stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel to provoke him? Who did he think I was?
-"Don't play innocent with me," he shot back venomously. "It's obvious that you came out like this to provoke me!"
-"I... I didn't..." I stammered, trying to defend myself, but he cut me off before I could say another word.
-"Stop trying to look innocent . Put something on and come eat if you don't want your food to get cold," he ordered coldly.
No. I wasn't going to let him get away with such an accusation. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself before responding, my voice low but firm:
-"Let's get something straight. I didn't come out to provoke you. I simply forgot my clothes. I don't need this kind of treatment".
His gaze turned colder, his jaw tightening at my words. I wasn't going to back down now, not after everything he'd said. His sudden shift in attitude had taken me by surprise, and I refused to let him walk all over me.
-"Besides I didn't expect you to be here," I added, my voice biting as I crossed my arms.
He looked at me for a moment, as if weighing whether or not to respond, before finally speaking in a low, controlled tone. "Well, now you know. This is my room too. You can't just assume I'll be gone."
I stood my ground, my chest rising and falling with the tension in the room. "I didn't ask for any of this. I'm not here to cater to your assumptions."
Maximus's eyes softened for a split second, but he quickly masked it with an impassive expression. The silence between us thickened, the weight of his gaze still heavy on me, as if he was trying to figure me out.
-"Please spare me from your pathetic excuses. I said, end of discussion. Go get dressed," he commanded firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I couldn't stop myself from snapping back. "I have the right to defend myself. I don't want to give you the wrong impression of me."
Maximus's gaze hardened, his jaw clenching as he stood tall in front of me. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry so much about it. Now, come and eat before it gets cold."
His words stung, but in a way, they made me pause. Was I overthinking things? Maybe he was right. A mate shouldn't think badly of you for something as simple as this. Maybe I was making a mountain out of a molehill.
I sighed, trying to push the discomfort aside. "I guess you're right," I muttered, resigning myself to the moment.
With a hesitant glance, I turned to grab my clothes. Maximus had already moved toward the bed, the burgers sitting there, seemingly untouched, waiting for us to settle into whatever strange dynamic this new chapter would hold.
Inside the bathroom, I leaned against the counter, trying to steady my racing heart. What had just happened? One moment, I was imagining a tender moment with him, and the next, he was accusing me of trying to provoke him. I wasn't some object for him to control. But part of me couldn't help but feel... confused. His words, the way he'd looked at me—it had felt too intense, too intimate. And yet, there was a part of me that couldn't ignore the pull between us.
After a few moments of calming myself, I changed quickly, trying to block out my swirling thoughts. I needed to regain my composure. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Maximus sitting at the edge of the bed, his back to me. He was already eating a burger, though his posture suggested he was still in a tense mood.
I had half expected him to say something else, maybe even apologize for his outburst, but instead, there was just silence.
I walked over to the small table where he had placed the burgers, the air thick between us. My stomach growled with hunger, but I couldn't help but feel the distance that still stretched between us. I wanted to break through that wall, to understand him more, but I wasn't sure how.
-"I'm sorry about earlier," I said quietly, my voice a little softer than I intended.
He didn't look up, his focus on his food as he chewed slowly. "Don't apologize. I'm not in the mood for it."
I bit my lip and sat down opposite him, not knowing what else to say. My own hunger took over, and I grabbed one of the burgers, trying to keep my thoughts from drifting back to how close we had almost come to kissing earlier. I didn't want to dwell on that, not now. Not until we figured out what was going on between us.
We ate in silence for a while, and it seemed like the tension between us had settled into something more manageable, though it was still there. Maximus didn't make a move to close the distance between us. He kept his eyes down, focused on the food as if it was the only thing that mattered in that moment.
Eventually, I spoke again. "So... do you always get like this?" I asked, hoping to shift the conversation into less tense territory.
His gaze flickered to me for a moment, his eyes hard but calculating. "What do you mean?"
-"I mean... You seem to be constantly on edge. I don't know, maybe it's the whole Alpha thing? But it's like I can't ever do anything right around you."
There was a long pause, but he didn't seem surprised by my question. Instead, he looked at me with something akin to frustration. "Being an Alpha isn't easy. You have no idea what's at stake. I can't afford to be distracted, especially by... things like this."
-"By things like what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, unsure of where this was going.
-"By... relationships. By you," he said, his voice clipped, though there was an undercurrent of something softer. "I don't have time for things I can't control."
I wanted to push him, to ask more questions, but something about his words made me hesitate. He sounded so closed off, so distant. And yet, beneath that, I could feel there was more—something that made me want to keep trying to understand him, even if he kept pushing me away.
-"I'm not trying to control you," I said, my tone more gentle now. "I'm just trying to get through this without making things worse. But I'm not used to this... to you."
He met my gaze then, his eyes unreadable for a moment, before he stood up and walked toward the small desk by the window. He paused, as if considering something, then turned to face me again.
-"We leave early tomorrow. Get some rest. You'll need it."
I didn't respond right away. I couldn't help but feel like there was something more he wasn't saying. But in that moment, it was clear he was done talking. Maximus was a man of few words, and when he chose to close himself off, there was nothing I could do to force him to open up.
I finished my burger in silence, my thoughts racing, trying to process everything that had happened in such a short time. Maybe tomorrow things would be different. But for tonight, it seemed like the only thing I could do was accept this strange, tense silence and prepare for whatever came next.