False Expectations - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Maximus' pov:
-"I can't believe this woman is my mate..." I muttered to myself. "She's so weak, so pathetic. She didn't even try to defend herself. How could she possibly be the Luna of my pack? She's completely unsuitable for the role."
-"You're overreacting," my wolf, Drako, countered. "Don't underestimate her. I can feel her wolf—she's strong."
-"Yeah, whatever," I snapped. "You can't convince me with just a feeling when the facts show the opposite."
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. The door opened, and the familiar, seductive scent of Gina filled the room. She stepped inside, wearing a tight black dress that clung to her body and accentuated her every curve. She was beautiful, and undeniably strong—one of the most powerful she-wolves in my pack. That was the kind of woman my Luna should be, not someone like Adelina, who couldn't even stand up for herself.
-"Sure, she's capable... but a gold-digger," Drako chimed in, his voice dripping with disdain. "You forgot to mention that she's the most self-serving she-wolf in the pack."
I ignored him, as usual. I wasn't about to let Drako spoil things for me. For days I had been traveling without any opportunity for enjoyment. Yes, I'd been with other women along the way, but with the revelation of my mate in the last pack, it had been impossible to have fun without drawing attention and making a fool of myself. After all, I would soon be their King.
Gina approached me with her usual confident allure, leaned in close, and whispered in my ear.
-"Baby, where have you been?" she asked, her voice dripping with a mix of desire and frustration. "You didn't even greet me when you came in. I've missed you... a lot."
She moved closer, her eyes locked onto mine, filled with an unspoken invitation. I couldn't deny her presence had an effect on me—she was always able to captivate me, her confidence and allure impossible to ignore.
But in that moment, as she leaned in, a thought lingered at the back of my mind. There was something unsettling about it all. I had my mate now, and the distance between me and Gina suddenly felt more pronounced. It wasn't something I had expected to feel, but there it was.
Adelina's pov:
After the guards escorted me to my room, I sat on my bed, completely stunned. What had just happened? Why had he been so harsh with me? I couldn't understand it. I needed to go back and confront him. I had to sort things out. He couldn't just treat me like this—not after everything. Alpha or not, I didn't care!
Fueled by anger and confusion, I left my room and made my way towards Maximus' office, my steps determined. But as I neared the door, an unsettling feeling washed over me. It wasn't fear of his reaction—it was something deeper, an instinct that warned me that something was about to happen, something that would shake me to my core. I couldn't explain it, but I knew.
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my chest. I gasped but shook it off, refusing to let it stop me. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Instead, I heard strange sounds coming from inside... moaning? My heart raced, but I pushed the doubt aside and entered without a second thought.
The sight I walked into left me frozen in place. Maximus was with another woman—a tall, slender redhead. They were entwined, their intimacy so raw and unapologetic that it stole my breath. When Maximus saw me standing there, he let out a growl and shouted for me to leave, his voice thick with anger.
Although Maximus' harsh reaction made my knees weak, I stood my ground, my anger flaring. Enough was enough! It wasn't just the way he had treated me earlier—it was this. I had caught him in the act of betrayal, and then he dared to shout at me, ordering me out. No, I wasn't going anywhere. Not anymore. He had crossed a line I didn't even think he could see.
-"How dare you? Who do you think you are?" Maximus growled, his voice laced with fury, but I was trying my best to hold it together, to make sense of the mess that had just unfolded.
-"Who is that, baby?" The red-haired woman sneered at me, her venomous gaze cutting through me as she spoke.
-"I'm his mate," I said, my voice steady with an unexpected pride, despite the emotional storm inside me. "And who are you?"
She scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "You're his mate?" she mocked. "This short, worthless woman, this minion, is your mate? Don't make me laugh! She isn't even pretty!"
The insult stung, but I kept my chin high. Maximus' silence, however, spoke volumes. I could feel my heart sinking as she continued to tear me down.
-"Get out!" Maximus bellowed, his words slicing through the tension in the room.
I couldn't believe it. He was asking me to leave. After everything. He let this woman insult me, and he stood there, not even defending me. Was this how he truly saw me? Did I even matter to him?
-"Are you telling me to get out while this woman insults me like this?" I asked, my voice shaking with disbelief.
-"Get out!" Maximus repeated menacingly, his tone colder than ever.
-"No, I won't, until you tell me who this woman is. I demand an explanation," I said, crossing my arms defiantly.
The red-haired woman, clearly enjoying the spectacle, interjected with a smirk. "I'm his only love and the future Luna of this pack, bitch. Didn't you get the news?"
-"What?" I gasped. "How is that possible? I'm his mate! I will be the Luna of this pack!" My voice was filled with shock and confusion.
Maximus glanced at the woman for a moment before speaking, his calm demeanor an unsettling contrast to the anger that was rising inside me. "Gina, please leave us alone. I have some things to discuss with this woman."
As she walked out, she turned to me with a final smirk. "Okay, love. But do me a favor, teach that bitch a lesson for disrespecting us." She leaned in for a lingering kiss that made my stomach churn, before lifting her skirt and leaving the office in a confident stride, completely undeterred by the situation.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Despite everything, I refused to let Maximus' yelling or Gina's degrading behavior break me. I approached the conversation with as much calmness as I could muster.
"-Maximus, what's going on? Can you please explain?" My voice was steady, though inside I was trembling.
I knew it might seem foolish to be polite under these circumstances, but it was how I was raised—always be polite, no matter the situation. Unfortunately, Maximus didn't seem to share the same sentiment.
His glare was like a physical blow, and without warning, he began to shout, his control slipping completely.
-"It's Alpha to you, and I don't owe you any explanations! I already gave you the rules of this pack! Your disrespect for them will not be tolerated. How dare you show up in my office like this and demand anything from me? Who do you think you are?" His voice was loud and cold, each word like a lash. "I'll tell you exactly what you are... You are nothing. Your demands mean nothing to me! How dare you act this way? How dare you disobey me?"
He was visibly shaking with anger now, and I could see that he was no longer in control of his emotions. "Your bad behavior will be punished. You need to learn your place. I'll teach you that lesson—right now. Guards!"
At his command, two large men entered the office, bowing respectfully before Maximus. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier, and I felt my heart race in my chest. I didn't know what would happen next, but I couldn't back down.
-"Take her to the dungeons," Maximus commanded, his voice like stone.
-"What? I'm being imprisoned while you were caught cheating on me? Really? Are you serious?" I shouted, my voice filled with disbelief and fury.
I tried to protest, but no one was listening. The guards merely tightened their grip on my arms, dragging me toward the exit with no regard for my struggle.
Down we went, deep into the heart of the pack's stronghold. The air grew thicker with each step, carrying the stench of decay—dampness, blood, mold, and rot. It was clear this place hadn't been cleaned in years, if ever. My stomach churned, but I kept my head high, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.
They shoved me into a cold, dark cell, the door slamming shut with a finality that sent a jolt through me. The sound echoed in my ears, sinking into the pit of my stomach.
The cell was a nightmare. A shabby, gray blanket covered a thin straw bed that reeked of mildew. The bars were silver, designed to keep us in, to keep us contained—like animals, I realized bitterly. I could see the sky above, a small barred window giving a glimpse of the stars, but it felt like a cruel reminder of what I could never reach.
A filthy toilet sat in the corner, the room's putrid smell making my stomach turn even more.
I couldn't understand how everything had come to this. This was my first time in a prison, my first time experiencing such cruelty, and I couldn't help but feel a burning sense of injustice. I had done nothing wrong—nothing—and yet here I was, locked away like a criminal. It felt like my whole world was crumbling.
Rage boiled inside me, and I started kicking and punching anything I could. The bars. The wall. The bed. Anything to vent my frustration, my helplessness. But it didn't stop the pain; it didn't stop the feeling of being small, being disposable.
Eventually, the anger drained from me, leaving behind a crushing emptiness. My body slumped to the ground, and I hugged my knees to my chest, unable to hold back the tears any longer. The cold seeped into my skin, but it was nothing compared to the cold that had settled in my heart.
I had been betrayed—not just by Maximus, but by everything I thought I knew. My dreams of belonging, of being with someone who cared for me, felt like lies now.
Tears streaked down my face as the weight of everything crashed down on me. I hadn't just been locked in a cell; I'd been locked out of a future, out of hope. And that... that was the most painful thing of all.
"Where did I get myself into? This can't be happening. Mates aren't supposed to act like this! What is his problem? What did I do wrong? Oh my goddess, please let this all be a nightmare!" I thought desperately, clutching my knees tighter to my chest, hoping to wake up from this horrible reality.
The hours dragged by in unbearable silence, with only the distant sounds of the pack's daily activities breaking the stillness. I lay there, my mind spinning in endless circles. The isolation was suffocating. How could Maximus—my supposed mate—treat me like this? He didn't even care enough to explain himself. I didn't deserve this.
The following morning, a guard finally came, tossing a hunk of dry bread and a bottle of water into my cell. My stomach growled, reminding me of the hunger and thirst I had been ignoring, but I couldn't bring myself to eat right away. The food seemed so insignificant compared to the storm inside me. Still, my body won out. I ate, though every bite tasted bitter, knowing that I was nothing more than an afterthought to the man who should've cared for me.
The night descended cold and unrelenting, but the chill in the air was nothing compared to the coldness that had settled deep in my heart. My wolf, ever faithful, tried to wrap me in warmth, but it wasn't enough. My heart felt frozen, weighed down by the confusion and betrayal that gnawed at me. For the first time in my life, I felt so utterly helpless. So... abandoned. How could I have been so wrong about him? How could he have turned out to be someone who treated me like this?
I felt like I was caught in a tug-of-war inside myself. One part of me wanted to fight. Fight against him, fight against the woman who had dared to mock me, fight for my place and my dignity. But another part of me felt completely incompetent, like I wasn't strong enough, like I didn't even deserve to fight back.
Would I ever get the chance to prove myself? Would he ever see me as more than the insignificant person he seemed to believe I was?
Tears gathered in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wasn't going to let him have that power over me. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped—trapped in a life that wasn't mine, in a future I could barely recognize.