Christina’s POV
Hudson stepped forward, putting himself between Emtt and Cassian. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, like sothing bad was about to happen.
"As Alpha of the Sabreridge pack," Hudson said, his voice full of authority, "I cannot allow harm to co to Cassian Langford, Alpha of the Moonstone pack. This stops now."
Emtt finally looked up, his eyes dark with anger. "This is between the Carlisle pack and the Moonstone pack. With all respect, Alpha Laurent, this isn’t your business."
"You’ve made it my business," Hudson replied calmly. "Cassian is my ally, and my mate is friends with your sister. And Cassian is bleeding badly and needs a doctor. Whatever happened, letting him suffer won’t fix it."
"He’s not dying," Emtt said without looking at Cassian. "I was careful. He brought this on himself, sneaking into my sister’s bed like a thief. He’s lucky I let him keep breathing."
"Barely," I said quietly, looking at the blood trail across the marble floor.
"He didn’t sneak anywhere!" Ysolde snapped. "I invited him. I’m a grown woman, not your property. I don’t need you checking my relationships."
Emtt’s jaw got tight but he said nothing.
Hudson tried again, staying remarkably calm. "They’re adults making their own choices. Let him get dical help first. Then deal with your problems properly."
Emtt jumped to his feet in one quick motion. His shadow stretched across the room.
"Making their own choices?" His voice got dangerously quiet. "I trusted her safety to him when I traveled. I treated him like family. Then I walk in and find him half naked in my sister’s house. That’s not a misunderstanding. That’s betrayal." He stepped closer to Hudson. "You’re friends with him, Hudson . You know his reputation. If he was sleeping with your sister, would you be this calm?"
Good point, I thought.
Ignoring the tension, Hudson moved to Cassian and lifted him up by one arm. I quickly grabbed the other side. Cassian barely responded. He just let out a weak sound, his breathing rough.
We started pulling him toward the door. The blood had soaked through his shirt, making the fabric stick to my hands.
Emtt didn’t stop us. He just stood watching, his chest moving up and down heavily.
Ysolde hurried after us.
"Stay right there!" Emtt’s command rang out. "He goes to the hospital, fine. But you’re not going with him. Sit down. Now."
"Emtt, please!" Ysolde’s voice broke. "I just want to make sure he’s okay! I’ll co straight back after."
"No."
"You broke his nose and probably cracked his ribs! Soone should go with him. I can at least do that much."
Emtt stepped forward, his voice getting low and threatening. "So now you’re going against for him?"
"No, I just... he’s really hurt."
"Ysolde Carlisle," he said through tight teeth, "if you walk out that door with him, you can forget you have a brother."
Ysolde stopped in the doorway, her face going pale.
Hudson and I were already outside, getting Cassian’s weak body into the back seat. Blood was flowing from his nose again, dripping onto the leather.
Ysolde straightened her shoulders, turned, and followed us anyway.
"Emtt, don’t be so dramatic. I’ll be back in twenty minutes."
She got into the car before he could say anything.
"I hope she knows what she’s doing, "Akira whispered in my mind.
" too, "I answered silently.
***
The hospital visit showed what I thought. Cassian’s injuries looked worse than they really were.
The blood had co mostly from his broken nose and split lip, plus so cuts from falling. Emtt’s fists had done surface damage. It was painful, but not deadly.
No broken bones except the nose. No damage inside his body. Just a face so swollen and bruised he would be hard to recognize for weeks.
While a doctor fixed him up, I pulled Ysolde into a nearby stairwell.
"When did this start? You and Cassian? Why didn’t you tell anything?" I asked.
She looked like she wanted to disappear into the ground.
"My birthday," she said quietly, not looking at .
My stomach sank. Her birthday party. I rembered that night clearly. Ysolde was completely drunk, barely able to speak properly, trying to help get ho even though she could barely walk straight.
I had taken a cab. Cassian had offered to drive her back.
"But you two weren’t even talking to each other at the party," I said, looking at her closely. "You’re telling sothing happened after I left?"
"Yes." She looked relieved I wasn’t shouting at her. Yet.
"So you two have been together for months and I had no idea?"
"Well, we’re not exactly together..." she said quietly, playing with the sleeve of her hoodie.
"Was it a one night thing?"
Ysolde nodded. Then added, "Well, more like several one night things. We et up when we have ti, you know?"
I stared at her, suddenly feeling bad. "I shouldn’t have let you leave with him. You were completely drunk."
"Don’t feel bad. He didn’t try anything. That night, I threw up on him in the hallway." She gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "He stayed to clean up. Took a shower. I saw him without a shirt and... liked what I saw."
I raised an eyebrow.
"He didn’t pressure ," she said quickly. "I started it. It was supposed to be just one night. That’s why I didn’t tell you. It wasn’t ant to be serious."
"And now?" I asked slowly.
She shrugged, but her eyes told the truth. "I think I like him."
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache starting. "Ysolde..."
"I know what you’re going to say. That he’s a player. Emtt already gave that lecture. I’ve heard all the stories."
"I’m not trying to break you up," I said carefully. "But he’s not exactly boyfriend material. Hudson told about him on the drive over. Said Cassian’s loyal to his friends and generous when it matters, but he goes through won faster than he changes clothes. He’s usually with soone new before the last one is even gone. That’s probably why Emtt got so angry."
Ysolde nodded. "I know his reputation. But he told he’s done with all that. It’s been over a month since my birthday, and he hasn’t been with anyone else."
I lightly hit the back of her head. Not hard, just enough to hopefully make her think clearly.
"And you believed that? You, who could have literally anyone, decided to hook up with a notorious playboy?"
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