False Expectations

Chapter 19 - Mine for one night

Adelina's pov:

-"And how am I supposed to do it?" I asked Chris, genuinely surprised.

-"I don't know. Just get closer to him and let the bond do the rest," Chris replied, trying to explain his thoughts.

-"That's the plan? Really now?" I raised an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from my words. "It must have taken you a lot of time to come up with such a complicated strategy."

"-You don't have to be so sarcastic," he retorted, clearly annoyed. "Do you have any better ideas?"

-"Not exactly my plan, you know," I responded with a shrug, the bite in my tone sharpening. "Trying to wake up Maximus wasn't on my to-do list. So, no, I don't have anything else to suggest because honestly, this whole idea sounds crazy to me."

Chris's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Finally! The little cat shows her claws. I didn't expect you to be so argumentative. Interesting!" He grinned widely.

-"I'm a wolf, not a cat," I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest in annoyance. "If I were you, I'd be more careful with labels."

Chris chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Touché. But seriously, you've got this. The bond between mates is strong. If anyone can wake him up, it's you."

I rolled my eyes. "I guess we'll see about that," I muttered, unsure whether to feel reassured or even more skeptical about the whole situation.

He laughed at my antics and moved closer to Maximus' bed. I followed behind him, a bit hesitant. Chris sat on the left side of the bed, while I settled down on the right. My eyes couldn't help but wander to Maximus' unconscious form. Seeing him like this—so fragile and vulnerable—was unbearable. I couldn't fathom how we had gotten here.

After taking a deep breath to steady myself, I finally managed to ask Chris the question that had been tormenting me for the last few minutes.

-"And now what, Mr. I-know-it-all?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

-"Take his hand, caress him, whisper some loving words to him, give him a kiss—hell, I don't know—just let the bond work," he answered nonchalantly.

-"Loving words? A kiss?" I almost gagged at the suggestion. "Really? What's wrong with you?"

-"Alright then," Chris sighed, clearly losing patience. "Just say something nice to him! Instead of criticizing everything, why don't you do something? Anything!"

I paused, trying to think of something that didn't make me want to cringe.

-"Give me a second to think of something," I snapped back.

-"Fine. I'll leave you to it. Have a good night." Chris rose from his seat and moved toward the door.

-"Wait... where are you going?" I asked, a hint of anxiety creeping into my voice.

-"There's only one armchair in here, and I get really grumpy if I don't sleep well. So, goodnight, kitten," he said with a smirk, winking at me.

-"Hmmm, kitten? Really? You never learn, do you? Whatever... Goodnight, Mr. Grumpy," I said, trying to hold back a smile.

Chris shot me a disapproving look before leaving the room. I could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation, as if that somehow made me feel better. He had pinned all his hopes on me and the bond, but I had my doubts. I wasn't sure his plan would work, but it didn't cost me anything to try. After all, this was the first time I had the chance to be completely alone with Maximus— to do what I'd always wanted to do without being ignored or brushed off. He would be completely at my mercy.