False Expectations - Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Adelina's pov:
I woke up today feeling completely drained, so I decided to stay in bed for the entire morning. Despite having a fantastic time yesterday, it left me feeling more exhausted than I expected. I still can't believe it! If someone had told me two months ago that I would spend an entire day picnicking, talking, and acting like a real couple with Maximus, I would've thought they were out of their mind or just messing with me. And yet, here I am, feeling happy and content that I spent the day with him. I couldn't be more confused. Has Maximus really fallen for me, or is this just another one of his schemes to keep me around? And if it is some sort of plan, then why does he do it? I've already accepted the position of his Luna with everything that comes with it. If I were him, I would spend my free time doing whatever brings me joy—like indulging in my hobbies—not having a picnic with someone I used to reject. His behavior is so contradictory. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. The more I think about it, the more confused I get.
Maybe it's best to just get up, get ready, and stop overthinking things. After all, I have brunch planned with Alex and Marisa today, and I definitely don't want to be late.
I got up, heading straight to the bathroom for my usual routine. Half an hour later, I was dressed and ready to go downstairs for some coffee when I heard a knock on the door.
-"Come in," I called out, waiting.
The door opened, and Jake stepped inside. "Good morning, sis! How was your night?"
-"Good morning, Jake! I didn't know you were still here. I thought you left with Dad."
He shook his head. "No, I had some matters to take care of before I leave. I also wanted to talk to you. I was looking for you all day yesterday, and no one seemed to know where you were. Where were you?"
-"Yesterday I was with Maximus. We had a picnic," I replied, trying to keep it casual.
Jake's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, how nice. What a lovely couple you two make. I'm so happy for you." His voice turned bitter. "Your mate seems to be taking such good care of you, considering the fact that he rejected you and treated you like dirt at first."
His words hit me harder than I expected. I froze, shocked by the venom in his tone. Jake had always been so composed, so kind. This sudden outburst caught me completely off guard. What was happening to him? Why was he reacting this way?
I swallowed, trying to process what he had said. "What... you know?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly, feeling embarrassed. I lowered my head in shame.
Come on, Adelina, why are you hiding from me? I know everything. People talk, and even though I've been far away, I knew you were unhappy, that you were being mistreated."
His words hit me like a slap to the face. "If you knew, why didn't you do anything to protect me? Why didn't you come and save me?" My voice wavered with a mix of betrayal and anger. If they knew, why had they left me here to suffer alone? Why hadn't anyone come to get me, to bring me back home?
He sighed, looking down before meeting my gaze again. "Because at first, I didn't know if it was true or just rumors—jealousy-driven lies. And since you didn't say anything on the phone, I assumed it was the latter."
I stared at him, trying to process his words. "And what changed your mind? Why don't you believe those rumors anymore?"
His expression darkened slightly as he spoke. "I realized it when I came here, Adelina... What one sees with their own eyes can't be undone by words."
-"But I don't understand. When you came, there was no mistreatment, no abuse, no rejection. I was already Luna, and I was respected and treated well by everyone. So how did you come to the conclusion that the rumors were true?"
He hesitated, his gaze shifting away as though searching for the right words. "I can't really explain it. It's hard for me to put it into words."
His answer didn't sit well with me. I could tell there was something he wasn't saying, something he was hiding. It didn't make sense, and it certainly didn't make me feel any better. But I wasn't about to push him further on the matter, not now. I knew when I didn't want to press an issue. It was one of those times.
Still, I was far from convinced, and sooner or later, I would get to the truth of it. There was something different about him, something had changed since I left. And I was going to find out what it was.
-"Hmm... I see," I said, trying to sound casual. "So, what are your plans for today?"
His face brightened at the shift in conversation. "I'd like to spend the day with my lovely sister, if you don't have any other plans."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I have a brunch planned with Alex and Marisa. You can join us if you want."
His expression faltered for a second before he quickly recovered. "Oh... I thought we'd be alone."
I glanced at him curiously. "Do you want me to cancel it?"
-"No, no. It's fine. I'd like to meet your new friends."
-"Alright then," I said with a smile. "It's settled. Let me get dressed, and we'll meet in the hall in half an hour."
He nodded, and I could see the faintest smile tug at the corners of his lips. But deep down, I could feel that something was off. Something wasn't right, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me.
Maximus' pov:
I was sitting in my office, flipping through the new member files, waiting for Chris to arrive so we could cross-check everything. The silence was comforting, and I was fully immersed in the task at hand when a knock on the door interrupted me. Expecting Chris, I opened it, only to see an omega instead. If I remembered correctly, his name was Larry, and he worked as a dungeon cleaner.
I motioned for him to come in, watching as he hesitantly approached my desk. He took a few slow steps before stopping a mere inch away from my desk, clearing his throat as if preparing for something. It was clear from his body language that he was nervous, likely terrified even.
-"Good m...morning, Alpha. M...may I... I have a minute of your time, please?" he stammered.
I glanced up at him, irritation already starting to build. "I have a lot of work to do. If it's nothing important, you can come back later."
-"No... sir... it's... it's very important. I... I need to speak with you immediately!" His voice, while shaky, carried a note of urgency that caught my attention.
I set the file down, fully aware that whatever he had to say would take priority. "Okay. What is it about?" I asked, raising my eyes from the documents.
He paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "It's about something I saw. Something... strange..."
-"Don't beat around the bush," I snapped, my patience thinning. "Tell me what it is. Speak!" I despise wasted time, especially when it's spent on vagueness.
Larry seemed to gather himself before continuing. "Last night, as I was cleaning the interrogatory rooms, I heard whispers coming from the next room. I peeked through a hole in the wall and saw two men, one tall and one shorter with dark hair. The taller one had green eyes, and the other had dark brown eyes."
I leaned back in my chair, sizing him up. "Do you know who they were?"
He shook his head. "No, sir. They definitely didn't belong to our pack. Their scent was different. But... I'm completely sure they were high-ranking wolves. They had an aura of power around them."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued but trying not to show too much interest. "Is that all?"
-"No, sir. I tried to eavesdrop, and I heard them talking about our Luna," he continued, his voice growing more serious as he went on.
That got my attention. My eyes narrowed, the irritation I'd felt earlier replaced by a sudden spike of alertness. "They did what?" I asked, my voice cold and dangerous.
Larry paused briefly, clearly hesitant, before continuing. "The taller one was asking the shorter one if he had found out why our Luna had accepted the position. When the shorter one replied negatively, the taller one became furious."
-"And then what happened?" I pressed, my pulse quickening. This wasn't just idle gossip—it was something important.
-"The taller one then suggested the shorter one approach Gina and extract information from her. He also suggested offering her Luna's position if she agreed to be their partner."
My eyes narrowed further. "But we already have a Luna," I said, my voice tinged with frustration.
Larry flinched at my tone but quickly continued. "With all due respect, they said that when the taller one becomes Alpha, he's going to need one."
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a cold sense of dread creep up my spine. "Alpha of which pack?"
-"Of... of... yours, sir," he said, barely above a whisper, covering his face with his hands in fear. "They're not my words... but theirs," he added quickly, almost pleading for me to understand.
I let out a deep breath, trying to control the anger that was beginning to boil inside me. "It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," I said, my voice softened but still sharp. "Instead, I will reward you for telling me what you heard. Is there anything else you want to share?"
He looked up at me, still trembling, but after a moment, he shook his head. "No, sir. That's all."
-"Good," I said, giving him a firm nod. "You've done well, Larry. I'll make sure you're rewarded. The Beta will find you later to inform you about your reward. One thing is for sure, it will be very generous," I assured him, my tone firm.
-"Thank you... thank you... very much, sir," he stammered, bowing deeply before stepping forward as though he were about to kiss my feet in gratitude.
Instinctively, I pushed him away, my voice cold and commanding. "Stand up. You don't need to do that." He flinched at my harsh tone but reluctantly followed my command. He rose slowly and backed away toward the door, his face still filled with fear and gratitude.
I watched him leave, the door clicking shut behind him. Once alone, the weight of what he had revealed hit me all over again. Something was happening, and I wasn't about to let it catch me off guard.
He bowed his head quickly, relief flooding his face as he turned to leave.
He looked excited and happy, even though he didn't know what his reward would be. In addition to giving him money, I decided I would secure a trust and scholarship for whatever university his children wished to attend. I always take care of my pack members, and that's why they're so loyal to me. But who were these two conspiring in the dungeons? One should never talk in such places, especially at night, if one has nothing to hide. I had a strong feeling these men were up to something, and I needed to figure it out quickly. I suspected one of them was definitely Nicolas, but I needed confirmation. The other one, though, had characteristics too common for me to make a solid guess.
As I was deep in thought, Chris entered the room, and I immediately informed him of Larry's news. His reaction didn't surprise me.
-"I didn't have any doubts about Nicolas," Chris muttered. "But who could the other one be? Larry said he seemed high-ranked too."
-"There's only one way to find out," I said with certainty.
-"And what's that?" he asked, clearly curious.
"We're going to use the 'reductio ad absurdum' method."
-"What? The 'reduce and sodium' method?" he asked, looking bewildered.
-"The reductio ad absurdum method, you moron," I corrected him dryly. "Which of our guests stayed until this morning?"
-"Two Council Members, the two European Alphas, and the three African Alphas. Oh, and Adelina's brother, Jake, is still here," he answered.
-"The Council Members are too old to have dark hair or to plot against me. And if I remember correctly, the European brothers you mean are the two Russians. They're both blonde, and we've had an alliance with them for years, they wouldn't jeopardise it. The Africans are all excluded for obvious reasons." I paused. "So the one left is Jake."
Chris's face turned serious as realization hit. We had our answer. Now, it was time to dig deeper.
-"Really? Do you think he's involved in all this?" Chris asked, utterly surprised.
-"Probably," I replied, my voice steady. "If you consider the fact that he already has business dealings with Nicolas, it's likely. Maybe he's also aware of the mistreatment I've shown his sister."
-"But why plot against you?" Chris countered. "His sister is already the Luna and will soon be the Queen of all werewolves! If he knows about your treatment of her, why didn't he confront you directly? I'd at least do that if I were him."
-"My dear friend," I said, my voice growing darker, "a lot is at stake. He doesn't want to make me his enemy. He prefers to act from the shadows to get what he wants. Besides, I don't think he's doing it to protect his sister. It's all about protecting his own interests and satisfying his ambitions."
-"What kind of man is he?" Chris said with disgust. "Does he really put his interests above his sister's well-being?"
-"It seems the older you get, the softer you become," I replied coldly. "On the altar of power, everything is sacrificed."
-"Would you do such a thing?" Chris asked, his tone serious.
-"I honestly don't know," I said, my voice wavering slightly. This was a good question. The truth was, I gave Adelina a second chance not because I truly cared about her, but because I needed her to be queen. Was I really like her brother? Is Adelina just unlucky enough to have the people closest to her betray her? I couldn't answer that. All I knew was that there was a lot at stake, and even though I didn't want to admit it, I did have feelings for her.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Chris with renewed focus. "Just to be sure, put two guards to follow him discreetly. When he leaves, send two spies to watch his every move."
-"Got it," Chris said, nodding. "May I ask, though—will you share your suspicions with Adelina about her brother?"
-"No," I replied, my tone firm. "I can't. I'm just afraid she might unconsciously reveal something to him, and that could ruin everything."
-"I see," Chris said, sounding thoughtful. "Maybe you're right."
-"Now, let's revise those files if you want to finish up early," I said, trying to shift focus.
-"Fine by me," he replied with a sly grin. "I have no plans for tonight."
-"But I do," I said with a smirk.
-"Oh?" Chris raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
-"Yes," I said, standing up from my desk. "But that's none of your business."
Chris chuckled. "Fair enough, Max. Fair enough."