False Expectations - Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Jake's pov:
-"You need to transfer Adelina from the dungeons immediately," Leopold hissed, his voice sharp with frustration. "What if the guards find her here? This isn't what the boss ordered. He was clear—send her to the forest, to the abandoned hut. Not keeping her under our noses like this!"
-"Watch your mouth, Delta," I snapped, my voice dark and low. "Do not forget your position. You're talking to an Alpha. My decisions are infallible. How dare you defy me?"
Leopold's gaze hardened, but he didn't back down. "You don't see the risk? If they find her here, it's over. You're playing with fire."
-"I've taken precautions. Don't worry. They won't find her," I replied, my tone steely. "I've put my most trusted people on guard."
Leopold paused, his eyes narrowing. "I hope you're right. Because if not, you know the consequences."
I leaned back in my chair, annoyed by his persistence. "If there's nothing else, you can leave now. Don't ever come to my office again. You'll only raise suspicions."
-"You're risking everything with this approach," Leopold shot back, his voice firm but laced with concern. "You know we need to stick to the plan. The boss won't be pleased if he finds out you've deviated from it."
-"Enough!" I barked. "You've said your piece, now get out of my office."
Leopold hesitated, but the command in my voice left no room for argument. He turned and left, muttering under his breath. How dare he question me?
I scoffed to myself, the irritation still gnawing at me. The boss this, the boss that... Who cares about that weakling? If he were truly as powerful as they claim, he wouldn't need so many people working for him. He'd handle things himself, like I did. He was nothing more than a pathetic, incompetent fool.
The door creaked open and Joanna, my secretary, entered, her voice polite but urgent. "Alpha, Alpha Maximus of the Drako Pack is on the phone. Should I put him through?"
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, put him on. Let's see what the arrogant bastard wants now."
I took a deep breath and grabbed the phone, bracing myself for whatever tirade Maximus was about to unleash.
-"Alpha Maximus," I said, forcing a smile into my voice. "What a pleasure to hear from you. How can I help you today?"
His voice came through the phone, cold and commanding. "It's been three days, and we still have nothing on Adelina. I want results, and I want them now."
I raised an eyebrow, my patience wearing thin. "Why are you telling me this, Maximus? Your team's the one you should be scolding. My team stopped looking yesterday."
-"Who gave you permission to do that? Who did you inform?" Maximus's voice hardened, the usual arrogance edging into fury.
-"I don't need permission, Maximus. I'm an Alpha, and I do what I want with my pack. I'm not going to waste time, money, or resources chasing after a lost cause."
-"Lost cause? Your sister? Are you completely out of your mind?" Maximus shouted, his anger seething through the phone. "What the hell are you doing?"
-"The obvious," I replied coolly, my voice calm despite the heat rising in Maximus's tone. "My sister left of her own will. Why bother looking for her? If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. I respect that."
-"What is all this nonsense?" Maximus growled, his voice low and dangerous.
I leaned back, feeling the weight of his anger but remaining calm. "The truth, Maximus. The truth. You know just as well as I do that you and Adelina were never really mates. It was an arrangement between you two, nothing more. You've mistreated her, ignored her, and even abused her. Did you expect the bond to magically make her fall for you?"
Maximus's breath hitched on the other side of the line, but I didn't give him the chance to interrupt. "Get real. My sister is in love with someone else, someone who truly loves and cares for her. She doesn't love you—and she never will. She finally left with the one her heart desires."
I let the words sink in, feeling a surge of satisfaction. "Don't blame anyone else for this. This is your mistake, Maximus. You chased her away. You drove her into the arms of someone else."
Before I could say another word, the line went dead.
I stared at the phone in my hand, a slight smile pulling at my lips. "What an idiot," I muttered to myself. "Soon enough, I'll be rid of him and his ridiculous demands."
Maximus' pov:
-"Chris, inform all our teams in the Crescent Moon pack to return," I mind-linked him. "Tell them that the search for Luna has come to an end."
-"Let me guess. We've found her! Thank Goddess! Where is she? Is she safe?" Chris's voice was filled with relief, almost too hopeful.
-"No. We haven't found her."
-"Then why stop the search?"
-"Because I'm sure now that she ran away with another man."
-"Maximus, what are you talking about? I don't believe this! If she ran away, why did she put so much effort into those projects for the pack? Why was she so diligent with her duties? And her personal belongings? She left everything behind."
-"She did all that to keep us from suspecting her plans. As for her belongings, she left them behind because she no longer needed them."
-"What, you think she doesn't need her ID or passport? How will she travel?"
-"By car," I replied, my voice cold and firm.
-"Maximus, you're not seeing things clearly. Jealousy is clouding your judgment."
-"I'm not jealous! You hear me? I'm not jealous!" I shouted, anger rising in my chest. After a moment, I took a deep breath, my voice more controlled. "What is the obvious, then?"
-"All signs point to her being kidnapped," Chris said seriously.
-"Stop trying to justify her actions! She betrayed me, she betrayed the pack! She deserves no mercy. Even her brother won't waste time searching for her. Why should I?"
-"Because she's your mate, and deep down, you know she didn't run away with another man. You know better than anyone."
-"That's bullshit, and you know it. Stop sugarcoating things, Chris. We all know the truth."
"Then if you know the truth, tell me this—when you were in a coma, why didn't she leave? No one knew you were mates then. She could have gone back to her old pack, and we would've let her. Why didn't she?"
-"Because she wanted to be my Luna first. She wanted to make me weak."
-"How could she have known you would wake up? How could she have known you would make her your Luna? Until then, all she'd received from you was indifference and mistreatment."
-"Why this? Why that? Stop asking questions! Just do as I say! Tell everyone there's no Luna in the Drako pack anymore."
-"I'll do it, but you need to understand—you're about to make a huge mistake."
-"I didn't ask for your opinion. Now, go. Inform the guards. Don't let anyone disturb me."
Chris slammed the door behind him. He was furious. So was I. I was done with his lectures, his advice. He didn't understand. He never did.
-"Maybe he's right, Maximus," Drako's voice echoed in my mind. "His assumptions are based on logic. We've never felt Adelina's cheating. You need to reconsider."
-"I never marked her, Drako, and she's probably far enough away for me to feel anything at all. Now, can you all leave me alone? I don't care anymore. I really don't. Just leave me with my cigarettes and my whisky."
The weight of everything—the unanswered questions, the betrayal, the endless fight—pressed down on me. I let out a long, shaky breath, the quiet hum of the room doing little to ease the storm raging inside me. My mind kept circling back to Adelina. Where was she? Why did she leave? And most of all, why couldn't I shake the feeling that everything was slipping out of my control?
The silence stretched on, but it was suffocating, too heavy to bear. I could still hear the echoes of Chris's words in my head, the doubt creeping in, making me question everything. "You're about to make a huge mistake."
I didn't want to listen to him. I didn't want to listen to anyone. But the fear... the fear of losing her, of being wrong, it gnawed at me, relentless.
I reached for the bottle of whisky on my desk, pouring myself a glass and trying to drown it all out, if only for a moment. The burn slid down my throat, but it didn't quiet the storm.
-"I can't keep doing this," I muttered to myself, but I didn't know how to stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~At the same time somewhere in the woods~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leopold's pov:
I waited in the small hut deep in the forest, the familiar scent of the earth and trees surrounding me. It was a place where I met with the members of the "New Order"—an organization with a singular, ruthless goal: to make werewolves the supreme rulers of the world, wiping out every other species that stands in our way. And to do that, our leader must become King, the ultimate ruler with the power to bend the rest of the world to his will.
But there's a problem. Maximus Drako. His beliefs and the way he leads his pack stand in direct opposition to everything we want to achieve. He runs his pack with strict discipline, yes, but he insists on coexisting peacefully with humans and other species. He doesn't want to dominate them, doesn't want to eradicate them. Instead, he believes they deserve the same rights as werewolves.
And that is why he's in our way.
The Council and many of the Alphas have rallied behind him, and he's quickly becoming the leading candidate for King. A title he doesn't deserve, and one that threatens to dismantle everything we've worked for. We can't allow him to take the throne.
Our leader, on the other hand, is perfect for the role. Strong, ruthless, and possessing a deep disdain for anything human, he embodies everything we need to rise to power. His leadership skills are unmatched, his resolve unshakable. I've been watching him for years, and not once have I seen a sign of weakness. He is our King in waiting. Yet, his family refuses to acknowledge it. They're blind to his potential, unable to see the future he could bring to our kind.
I'd sent him a message an hour ago, telling him I needed to speak with him urgently. He's always quick to respond, and sure enough, within ten minutes, he arrived. His wolf form emerged from the shadows, sleek and powerful. He shifted to his human form, his features still tense with worry as he approached me.
-"What's so important that you couldn't wait?" he asked, his voice low but laced with suspicion.
I could feel the unease radiating off him, but I kept my composure, masking the urgency of the situation with a facade of indifference. Time was running out, and the choices we made now would seal our fates.
-"I'm sorry, Sir. I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't so urgent," I apologized, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.
-"Then don't waste any more time. Tell me what's going on," he replied, his tone firm, his eyes narrowing as he assessed me.
-"Alpha Jake has lost his mind," I said, keeping my voice low. "He wants to keep Adelina in the dungeons and refuses to move her, no matter the risks."
-"Have you explained to him the danger he's putting everyone in if they find her there?" His voice was sharp, his patience thinning.
-"Yes, Sir," I answered quickly.
-"And he still refuses to cooperate?" His eyes widened in disbelief.
-"Unfortunately, yes, Sir," I said, my frustration clear in my voice.
-"Then you need to get her out of there. Now," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding. "Send a team of five men immediately. Get her here. You have two hours, no more. Understood?"
-"Yes, Sir," I replied without hesitation, knowing the stakes.
-"Good. Notify me once the mission is complete."
I nodded, turning on my heel, ready to carry out the order that could change everything. Time was slipping away. There was no room for failure.