False Expectations

Chapter 10 - Jealousy

This chapter describes  Maximus' point of view about the scenes that took place before and after Maximus meeting with Adelina in her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maximus' pov:

Although I haven't seen Andelina since the night of her initiation, I always find a way to stay informed about her. In these last few months since her arrival, I've become consumed by an obsession I can't quite control. I want to know everything—where she goes, what she does, who she speaks with. Despite my firm decision to keep her from invading my life, to push her away, I find it increasingly impossible to ignore her presence.

That night in the sacred place lingers in my mind, refusing to fade. It was there, under the weight of an ancient ritual, that I made the fateful choice to bind her destiny to mine. That night was one of the most difficult of my life. I wanted her so desperately that I almost surrendered to her charm. Her presence is utterly intoxicating—every glance, every movement, every breath seems designed to unravel my self-control.

When I'm around her, my instincts threaten to overpower me, pulling me toward her in a way I can't entirely resist. Somehow, I managed to reclaim my senses, to push back against the overwhelming pull, and avoided doing something foolish. But the temptation was almost too much. Leaving her alone in the clearing wasn't my proudest decision—I knew it even as I walked away—but I had no other choice. If I had stayed a moment longer, I might have succumbed to my urges. I might have marked her.

Since that night, she has avoided me like the plague, and I hate to admit how much it stings. Her absence leaves an ache I can't rationalize, a hollow space in my chest that I'm powerless to fill. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. I thought I could keep my distance, keep her at arm's length, but every time she's near, my resolve fractures.

It's irrational, but I can't help feeling a flicker of happiness knowing she seems to enjoy her new job. Even so, I can't deny that I would much prefer to have her here, within the pack, where I could watch her every move more closely. The day she came to demand the administration position, I knew there wasn't much I could do to stop her.

That idiot Alex was backing her so relentlessly that it was clear—even if I refused to let her go to the hospital, she would find another job somewhere else. Her determination left me with little choice but to concede, though I wasn't about to let Alex forget where the lines were drawn. I made it explicitly clear to him that he was to stay away from her. And I didn't stop there—I warned him that if he crossed me or did anything stupid, there would be consequences, and he would pay dearly for it.

The past few days have been nothing short of a nightmare for me. Adelina is always late, and that idiot Alex refuses to tell me anything about her. He has the nerve to brush me off with some nonsense about being "extremely busy" and not having spoken to her. What a load of bullshit! I know full well how close he is to her.

He's doing this deliberately, just to get under my skin. Every smug word, every dismissive shrug—it's all part of his game, and it's driving me insane. The thought of him being near her, knowing things about her that I don't, sets my blood on fire.

It's eight o'clock at night, and Adelina still hasn't returned home. This is the sixth night in a row she's pulled this. Her shift at work ended hours ago, and yet there's no sign of her. I can't wrap my head around it. Where is she? What could she possibly be doing?

I sit in the darkened room, tense and restless, waiting for Christopher—my Beta and my oldest friend—to bring me answers. Chris and I have been through everything together, and he's one of the few people I trust implicitly. He's loyal to a fault, and his honesty is something I've always respected. Chris never sugarcoats things, which is why I value his counsel more than anyone's.