False Expectations

Chapter 20 - Awaken

Adelina's pov:

As soon as our conversation with Chris ended, I headed straight to my office, knowing I had a lot of work waiting for me. But as soon as I entered, I was surprised to find Mario waiting for me. He informed me that he had heard about my overnight stay in Maximus' room. It seemed like my time there had spread quickly throughout the hospital—news of the day, apparently.

He suggested that I take some rest, and I realized that this was probably Chris' influence. I was grateful to him for thinking of it. Although I felt energetic when I first woke up, fatigue began to hit me as the minutes passed. I made a mental note to thank Chris for this later.

So, I followed Mario's advice and left for the pack's house. When I arrived at my room, I took a quick shower, changed into something comfortable, and collapsed onto my bed. I turned off my phone and, before I knew it, I had drifted into a deep sleep.

Chris' pov:

I couldn't shake the feeling that something should have happened by now. I had expected the bond to work its magic, to have a positive effect on Maximus' health, but nothing had changed. It didn't make sense. The bond was a powerful gift from the Goddess, meant to keep us together, to protect us from other species. Why hadn't it had any impact on Maximus?

Maybe Adelina had been right after all. Perhaps the effort had been futile from the start. I had tried everything I could, but now, I couldn't do anything else. It was time to focus on the things I could control.

As I walked toward my office, my mind shifted to the pressing matters at hand. First, securing our borders had to be a priority. The warriors needed to be reorganized, and the Council needed to be updated on Maximus' condition. They would have to make decisions about the future of our pack, including selecting a new Alpha. The thought of the Council getting involved in our affairs was uncomfortable, but there was no denying that it was time to face reality.

I entered my office, sank into my chair, and took a deep breath. One I didn't even realize I had been holding. I mentally prepared myself to reach out to the Council. But just as I was about to make the call, my mind link buzzed. It was Nathan, one of the warriors guarding Maximus' room.

-"Beta, about half an hour ago, three doctors and two nurses suddenly entered Alpha's room and have not allowed anyone inside. Not even us. They haven't updated us on Alpha's status, and I think, with all due respect, it would be wise for you to come here," Nathan's voice buzzed in my mind.

-"Okay, Nathan. I'm on my way. Stay at your post and do not let anyone enter or exit the room. Is that understood?" I replied, a sharp edge to my tone.

-"Crystal clear, Beta," Nathan confirmed.

What in the Goddess' name is going on? Why did the doctors suddenly bar the door? Has Maximus' condition worsened? I could only pray it hadn't. The Council would have to wait a little longer.

As I made my way to the hospital, I ran into Gina in the hallway. She wore a tight blouse with an overly revealing neckline, paired with a very short skirt and towering heels. The nauseatingly sweet scent of her perfume hit me like a wall. She stopped in front of me, blocking my path.

-"Beta, I demand an explanation. Why did you forbid me from entering Alpha's room?" she asked, her voice dripping with irritation.

-"Gina, this is neither the time nor the place for this kind of discussion. If you have nothing else to say to me, kindly excuse yourself," I said coldly.

-"How dare you speak to me like that? Who the hell do you think you are? You're just the Beta of this pack, and not for long. As the future Luna, I will take care of this," she sneered, her tone dripping with arrogance.

-"First, you aren't the Luna of this pack," I shot back.

-"Yet," she replied, her confidence unwavering.

-"And you never will be," I said firmly, locking eyes with her. "Second, I'm still the Beta, and you're just a pack member the Alpha is... well, entertaining. So do me a favor and keep your mouth shut. Now, get the hell out of my way, or I'll have you locked in the dungeons for disobedience. Am I understood?"

Her face turned crimson with fury, but she didn't dare argue. She spun on her heel and walked away, muttering under her breath. It served her right. I still didn't understand why Maximus let this parasite have any influence within the pack. She was beneath him in every sense. But now, I had more pressing matters to deal with.

I had to get to the hospital and figure out what was going on.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the hospital, anxiety gnawing at me. "Why the hell did the doctors take matters into their own hands without informing me?" I stormed down the hallway toward Maximus' room. Without bothering to knock, I flung the door open, catching the medical team off guard. They stopped what they were doing, staring at me in surprise. I returned their gazes with a hard look.

-"What the hell is going on here? What are you doing, and by what authority did you decide to bar everyone from entering? I want an explanation, now," I demanded, my Beta tone sharp and unforgiving.

One of the doctors stepped forward, attempting to calm me down while the others continued their work.

-"Beta, please calm down. There's nothing illegal or unethical happening here. Alpha has recovered from his coma, and we're running some tests to understand why he woke up and ensure his recovery is proceeding properly," the doctor explained, trying to reassure me.

-"Maximus is awake? When? How?" I wondered.

-"About an hour ago,  the emergency bell rang from his room. We thought his condition had relapsed and quickly came to check on him. But when we entered there was no one in the room except Alpha, who scolded us that we were late and then he passed out."

-"Did he sink back into a coma again?" I asked extremely worried.

-"Thankfully, no. He's just sleeping. His body needs rest. I must inform you that the healing rate has increased exponentially. By the end of the day he will be perfect. I must admit that we still do not understand the reason for this amazing improvement".

-"I think I might know the reason" I told myself. The doctor continued with his statement.

-"We did not change his medicine and nothing unusual happened in between. So we will do some more tests and monitor his condition which seems to stabilize at the moment".

-"Οk, doctor please keep me informed if anything else occurs".

I left the medical staff to do its job giving specific orders to the guards to not let anyone enter Maximus' room and always do backgrounds check to anyone who wants to enter even if he/she is wearing a medical uniform.

I have to take Adelina back to Maximus' room. If staying with him for one night managed to wake him up from the coma, it is best to stay close to him until he is fully recovered.

I tried to mind link her but she didn't respond. Then I called her but her mobile was switched off. So I decided to send one of my warriors to the pack house to find her and bring her here as soon as possible. From now on she will always be near him. I will personally take care of it at any cost.