False Expectations

Adelina's pov:

It had been a month since I last saw Maximus in the hospital. Since then, he had vanished from my life completely. Not a single message, no calls returned—nothing. It was like he had disappeared off the face of the Earth, and I couldn't understand why. If he was upset with me, why not talk to me? Why disappear without a word? I wasn't asking for everything to be perfect, but I expected honesty, especially after everything we'd been through. We could have figured things out together, but instead, he chose silence.

It felt like I was nothing more than a fleeting memory to him. If he was offended by my response, then surely he could've made the effort to communicate. He couldn't possibly expect me to just bend to his will like I was some kind of puppet. It was absurd. He was so... selfish.

-"Of course he's selfish!" I scoffed internally. "He's a King now. He can have whoever he wants. Why bother with me when I'm not doing everything he wants, when I won't just follow his every command?"

But then my wolf's voice cut through my frustration, sharp and clear.

-"Don't be silly! Why stick with you? Do you seriously ask such a question? Because you're his mate, and he loves you! He came to save you! Isn't that enough for you?"

I felt the weight of her words sink into me. Of course, I knew he loved me. That was never the issue. It was the fact that his actions didn't match his feelings. He saved me, yes, but then he pulled away, as if my disagreement had somehow made me undeserving of his presence. His behavior was confusing, and I didn't know how to reconcile it with the man I had grown to care about.

-"I don't know..." I muttered back to her. "His behavior is so confusing. On one hand, he comes to save me. On the other, he disappears without any explanation. And when I don't agree with him, he doesn't want to even talk to me. I'd rather he be honest with me, instead of playing this little game of hide and seek."

-"It may not be what you imagine," my wolf insisted, her voice more patient now. "He's probably just very busy, caught up in his responsibilities as King. Maybe he hasn't had the time to contact you."

I frowned, frustration bubbling up again. "That's no excuse. I'm busy too, but I still find the time to send him messages or try to reach out. He could at least make an effort."

My wolf sighed, as though shaking her head at my stubbornness. "Do you remember how many times he sent you flowers, how many calls he made, and you never answered? How many times did he try to reach out, and you pushed him away?"

I winced at her words. She wasn't wrong, of course. I had been distant too, at times. I had my reasons, but still, the guilt lingered.

-"Well... I'm not the King of all werewolves," I muttered, feeling a pang of regret. "Maybe I just don't want to keep playing games either. I need to know where I stand."

-"My advice?" My wolf's tone softened. "Don't rush things. Give him time, give him space. He'll come back to you when he's ready."

-"I don't know," I muttered, still unsure. "He's different now. I think he's become the old Maximus—the one I first met. The one who didn't care about anyone but himself."

There was a long pause, and then my wolf responded, her voice surprisingly gentle. "I just can't believe that's true. Something else must have happened... Something you don't know."

I hesitated. Maybe there was something I didn't know. Maybe there was more to his departure than just a disagreement. I didn't want to admit it, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something—something important. My heart told me to trust him, to be patient. But my mind... my mind was still spinning.