Christina’s POV
I made it back to my office at Nyx Collective quickly. My lips still felt tingly from Hudson’s kiss. I touched them without thinking. The mory made my cheeks turn red.
"That was sothing," I said to myself as I sat down in my chair.
The feeling that went through when we kissed was clear. It was like electricity shooting through my body. Every nerve felt alive. Akira was practically purring with happiness.
Why did that feel so familiar?
The thought hit like cold water. That feeling was sothing I had experienced before with Niall. When I found out he was my fated mate, that sa electric feeling had run through . It was part of why I loved him so much. It was why I stayed even when he ignored . The pull of a mate bond was almost impossible to fight.
But how could I feel that with Hudson?
"Akira," I whispered. "What’s happening?"
She replied, "You know what this ans."
"But you didn’t tell he’s my mate. When I t Niall, you practically yelled it at ."
"I don’t know either, Chrissy," she said vaguely.
That made sense. Akira still hadn’t fully recovered since Niall’s rejection.
Could Hudson be my second chance? I had heard stories about wolves finding another mate after rejection. But they were rare. The idea made my heart beat faster.
I shook my head. "We have a contract. This is just business."
The thought of our contract made feel bad right away. When Hudson ntioned it in the car after kissing , it hurt more than I wanted to admit. Was that all I was to him? Just part of our deal?
I tried to push thoughts of Hudson and mate bonds away. I had work to do.
By the ti I got ho that evening, I was tired. The design eting had gone on too long. I took off my heels and fell onto the couch. I flipped through TV channels without really watching.
That’s when I saw a small white box on the coffee table.
Geoffrey ca to the living room doorway. "Alpha Hudson asked to tell you that it’s for you, Luna Christina."
"For ?" I picked up the box. I was curious and forgot how tired I felt. When I opened the lid, I stopped moving.
Inside were two platinum wedding rings.
Hudson walked into the room. His tall body filled the doorway. "They’re our wedding rings."
I looked at the rings. Each one had a thin line of diamonds set in the platinum. When I looked closer, I could see our initials engraved inside. There was a ’C’ and an ’H’.
"What happened to the rings we wore to your grandfather’s party?" I asked. I didn’t reach for the new rings.
"Those were just props, bought in a hurry," he replied, moving closer. "They weren’t good enough."
"They fooled everyone just fine."
"But not good enough for you."
I sighed. "I’m not sure about this, Hudson. We’ve already exchanged gifts once—the black gold ring I gave you and that ridiculously expensive pendant you gave ."
Which I’d worn exactly once before locking away in my safe, terrified I’d lose it.
"Those were gifts to mark the beginning of our arrangent," he said. "Wedding rings are different."
"Exactly my point." Wearing these rings would transform our paper marriage into sothing visible, sothing everyone could see. Sothing that felt real.
"A ring would save you from having to explain yourself," he pointed out.
I rolled my eyes. "I don’t have to explain myself to anyone."
"Including Alpha Finn?"
"Finn?" I straightened. "What about him?"
Hudson stared down at , his silence pressing heavily until I felt compelled to fill it.
"Finn’s just a friend," I said defensively. "That’s all."
"That’s not what he thinks."
"You think he’s into ?" I laughed, genuinely surprised. "Just because he took to lunch doesn’t an he wants in my pants. I paid, by the way. And FYI, it was lunch, not so candlelit dinner with wine."
I stood up on the couch, towering over him for once. "I don’t appreciate you throwing accusations at my friend. And I really don’t like that you’d doubt my commitnt to our contract." The word tasted bitter. "I said I’d be your wife for a year, and I keep my word. I’m not going to date anyone else until our contract ends. Good enough guarantee for you?"
Hudson remained quiet for a long mont. Finally, he said, "I didn’t an to anger you."
"Well, you succeeded without trying," I snapped.
"Perhaps I wasn’t clear," he said, his voice softening. "I wasn’t suggesting you’re interested in Alpha Finn—only that he might be interested in you."
"I can’t control what other people think."
"No, but wouldn’t it be better if such thoughts never had a chance to arise? Wouldn’t you prefer avoiding the scenario where he confesses his feelings, only for you to reject him? He’d be hurt, and you might lose a friend."
I narrowed my eyes. "You’re trying to manipulate ." And damn him, he was good at it.
"I’m trying to make both our lives easier," he countered. "There are she-wolves who keep pursuing despite my rejections. I don’t want that distraction, and I’m sure you don’t either. Rings make all that clear."
I climbed down from my perch on the couch.
Hudson pressed on. "And it would help convince your parents, who I understand still haven’t accepted our marriage."
"Yeah," I smiled ruefully. My parents found the idea of marrying the Alpha of the Sabreridge pack so unbelievable they assud I was just using his na to avoid their matchmaking attempts.
"Married couples wear rings," Hudson stated, as if reciting a universal law.
"Most do," I mumbled. "So don’t."
I wasn’t sure why I was resisting. I’d played along with everything so far, hadn’t I? I’d even started enjoying our kisses. If Hudson knocked on my bedroom door one night, I knew I wouldn’t turn him away.
But putting on his ring made it feel too... real. Too final. Like a commitnt I couldn’t easily escape.
Hudson took one of the rings, knelt before , and slid it onto my finger.
The sight of him, powerful Alpha on his knees in front of was jarring.
I should have protested. I should have pushed him away.
Instead, I just stared.
He held out his left hand expectantly.
Moving like a robot, I picked up the other ring and slid it onto his finger. It fit perfectly, as if made for him. Which, of course, it had been.
The rest of the evening passed in a haze. We ate dinner together, watched a movie, but I felt disconnected from everything.
That night, lying in bed, I lifted my hand and stared at the ring. The diamonds caught the moonlight filtering through my window. Through the small gap between my fingers, I could almost see him kneeling before , his eyes never leaving mine.
I ran my thumb over the smooth tal and reached for my phone to check the calendar.
Just over a month had passed since Hudson and I got our marriage license.
Ten more months until our year was up.
Ten more months until our divorce.
The end seed inevitable.
I closed my eyes. I tried to stop the thoughts spinning in my head. But one thought wouldn’t go away. That electric feeling and that strong connection I felt when Hudson kissed .
"Could he really be my second chance?"
Akira didn’t answer. But I could feel that she was restless just like .
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