False Expectations

Μaximus' pov:

In the cabin, there was an old table, a few weathered chairs, and a half-destroyed fireplace in the east corner. It had clearly been abandoned for years, but there were signs that someone had stayed there recently. We couldn't tell if it had been Adelina or someone else, as the scent had already faded, leaving only an unsettling emptiness. We found food scraps, two torn black t-shirts, and a half-destroyed bed. The place was a mess. Whoever had been here wasn't human. No human would have survived in such a desolate and dangerous place.

My men and I swept the area around the cabin, but we found nothing. Unfortunately, the rain from the previous night had washed away any tracks that might have been there.

-"Nothing, nothing, nothing at all. Where did she go?" Draco's frustrated voice echoed in my mind. "She couldn't have disappeared like that. I'm sure I picked up her scent."

I didn't respond. I was just as disappointed. For a moment, I thought we were so close to finding her. But none of the other teams had come up with anything significant either. It felt like we were back at square one.

-"We have to abandon the mission. Sonia was wrong," I said to Drako, my voice heavy with resignation. "We've searched every inch of the forest and found nothing. Absolutely nothing."

-"No!" Drako retorted angrily. "We can't give up! I can still feel her close. I know she's near."

-"You've been saying that for three days," I said, my frustration creeping into my tone. "But so far, we haven't found the slightest clue that Adelina was ever here. You have to understand, continuing to search here is pointless. It's getting us nowhere."

-"Νοοοο... we have to keep on..." Draco insisted stubbornly, his frustration only growing.

I was about to respond when I received a mind-link from one of the border guards.

-"Alpha, the Lupos brothers from Italy have requested permission to enter our territory. They'll be in your office in about an hour. They say it's urgent. What do you want us to tell them?"

-"Lupos? Here? That's the last thing we need right now," Draco muttered under his breath. "What do they want?"

-"I don't know, but something tells me they're not here with good intentions," I replied to Draco, before immediately mind-linking the border guard.

-"Let them in, but don't let them roam around our territory alone. Send guards with them once they pass the gates. Tell Chris and Leopold to meet them at the border ASAP."

The response that came back wasn't what I expected. "Sir... Leopold has been missing since yesterday. We don't know where he is."

"-What are you saying? Why wasn't I informed about this?" I snapped, irritated by the lack of communication.

-"Beta ordered us not to inform you. He said you had a lot to handle and didn't want to distract you from the mission. He's been looking for him since yesterday."

I let out a frustrated sigh, the weight of everything bearing down on me. "Fine. Mind-link him to stop what he's doing and head straight to the border to meet the Lupos. We'll discuss this later. For now, let the Lupos pass through, but make sure the pack is ready to receive them. I'll be there in an hour at the most."

-"Yes, Alpha," the guard replied, and I cut the link.

As soon as the connection ended, I turned to Draco. "I have to deal with the Lupos now. But you know what? I'm not giving up on finding Adelina. We'll keep searching, even if we're sidetracked for a bit."

Draco remained silent for a moment, his earlier anger subdued by my resolve. "Fine. But we'll find her, Maximus. We won't stop until we do."

I quickly gathered the team and informed them that the search mission was officially over. The weight of the decision hit me like a thunderbolt, and I could see the disappointment in their eyes. Some of them wanted to continue, to keep searching for their Luna, but I couldn't allow it. There was no point in carrying on when I knew it was futile. The fact that I had to make this call still gnawed at me. I never expected Adelina to be loved by so many so quickly—it made me proud of her. But I had to face the truth. The trail was cold, and the search was only dragging us deeper into frustration.