Christina’s POV
Thirty seconds later, the massive screen in the center of the ballroom illuminated, crystal-clear as a Hollywood premiere, every detail sharp enough to catch the sweat glistening on Beatrice’s arms.
From my position near the open door, I had the perfect view of the disaster unfolding downstairs.
Niall whipped around to glare at Beatrice, his Alpha presence intensifying with his anger. "You said Christina was stirring up trouble, pulling the tablecloth and trying to bla it on you. So explain to why, in that footage, it’s your hand yanking the cloth, and Chrissy’s nowhere near it?"
Beatrice burst into tears on cue, trembling so violently her diamond earrings rattled against her neck.She stamred helplessly,"Maybe I, I tugged it by accident? Christina kept provoking , and I panicked, I thought..."
No one in the room was buying her performance.
Beatrice clutched at Niall’s sleeve. "Niall, I didn’t an to cause trouble! Chrissy set off! You know how she gets when she’s jealous of us!"
Hudson cut in."Miss Vance, the caras record audio too. If you insist on your innocence, I can have them pull the full footage from when you arrived. Let’s all hear exactly how Christina ’provoked’ you, shall we?"
"No!"Beatrice yelped.
She fell silent after that, likely realizing no amount of ugly crying would salvage this disaster. Her mascara was sliding down her face in greasy black rivers, but Niall wasn’t even looking at her anymore.
He stood rigid, breathing like he wanted to tear sothing apart, before forcing himself to calm down. His regret hit from across the room like a neon sign flashing "EPIC FAIL."
He was probably wishing he could rewind five minutes and take back every foolish accusation he had hurled at Hudson.
Finally, in a voice so stiff it could snap in half, Niall muttered, "Beatrice made a... a mistake. She didn’t an to wreck the party. It was... an impulsive lapse of judgnt." He turned to her, command in his tone. "Beatrice, apologize to Alpha Hudson. Now."
Beatrice’s eyes widened at Hudson’s na, the realization dawning on her features. She stared at Niall in disbelief, then at Hudson.
The implications finally registered,she’d just humiliated herself in front of the most powerful Alpha in the Northern territories.
She scrambled to throw out a flurry of "sorry’s" in Hudson’s direction, her neck tilted submissively.
He cut her off, "You’re apologizing to the wrong person."
Beatrice froze. Her gaze slid reluctantly to , her sister, the one she’d been trying to fra.
I could feel her resentnt.
Yep. Ti for her to kiss the ring. Judging by that pinched expression, she’d rather swallow razor blades than offer an apology.
"I..." she stamred, the words choking in her throat.
"Looks like Miss Vance isn’t exactly drowning in remorse," Hudson said, flashing a look at the doorway.
The bodyguards moved in. Two n in black suits rushed in and grabbed Beatrice by both arms.
She barely had ti to blink before they started dragging her toward the staircase, her status as Niall’s mistress aning nothing here in the territory of the Sabreridge pack.
"Wait! I’m sorry! I’ll apologize! Christina, I’m sorry!" she howled.
The bodyguards didn’t even slow their pace.
Hudson watched her with all the warmth of a security cara, completely unfazed by her ltdown. "Too late."
"Niall! Help !" Beatrice shrieked, kicking her heels against the floor,Niall clearly more loyal to her than to , his ex-mate.
Niall twitched like he was about to sprint after her, but stopped dead when Hudson said, "Walk out now, Alpha Niall, and you make her cause yours. Your na on tonight’s ss. And the Sabreridge pack will rember. Is that what you want for the Frostpelt Pack’s future?"
"No! I swear, I didn’t know anything!" Niall blurted, realizing the greater threat to his pack’s standing.
For a second, I thought he might still throw himself at the door, trying to protect Beatrice despite everything.
Instead, he just looked at my sister screaming and scraping her heels over marble, then looked away.
He had never looked so cowardly, so unworthy of his Alpha status.
Niall shuffled over to Hudson, fake smile stretched so tight it looked painful. "Alpha Hudson, I actually ca here tonight to discuss a potential alliance between our packs. I’d never dream of causing trouble at your gathering. If you might have a mont...?"
He was actually bowing his head slightly. His pathetic groveling was nauseating.
Hudson didn’t even look up. He lounged in the armchair, scrolling his phone like Niall was background noise, the way a dominant wolf dismisses an unworthy challenger.
The silent treatnt hit harder than a physical blow. Niall’s face flushed a shade of red I’d never seen before.
Finally, he gave up trying to talk business and leaned toward instead, whispering, "When did you et Alpha Hudson?"
I shrugged, no longer interested in his questions. "That’s none of your business. Now scram."
His jaw ticked,clearly displeased with my dismissal. "Since you know Alpha Hudson... maybe you could, you know, put in a good word later? I’ve got a territorial proposal I want to pitch."
I shot him a look. "And what’s that got to do with ?"
He grabbed my hand. Annoying grip, not painful, but it made want to deck him. "Co on, even if we’re broken up, we’re still pack-allied, right? We grew up together, after all. Besides, whether I mate with you or your sister, we’d still end up as family. Our pack interests align, don’t you see?"
Sotis the sheer stupidity of Alphas who think with their ego rather than their brain is so overwhelming you have no choice but to laugh.
I snorted right in his face.
"Niall Granger, even if we were still together, which newsflash we’re not since you formally rejected , you think I’d give a damn about your pack’s prosperity? Our interests align? I don’t see my na in your pack registry anymore. You lot could be swimming in gold, and I still wouldn’t see a benefit. Why should I help you after how you treated ?"
Niall opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
Smart for once.
I yanked my hand free and snatched a tissue off the table, scrubbing my wrist.
His face twisted, his pride wounded. It took him so monts before he found speech again.
"I know you’re still upset about... our falling out," he said, pretending to sound reasonable. "How about this? I’m free tomorrow. I’ll take you shopping for a reconciliation gift. Maybe look at marking ceremony dresses."
He glanced at Hudson, then lowered his voice. "The pack alliance announcents are already made. The mating ceremony is happening, Chrissy. You can fight it all you want, but it’s not getting canceled. Not till my mother... you know."
I just stared at him, completely indifferent to his manipulations now.
Apparently tired of talking to a brick wall, Niall grabbed my arm and started dragging towards the door. "Let’s talk outside."
"Stop." Hudson looked up from his phone, his words like commands that others would have to obey. "Christina is my guest. You can leave. She stays."
The ssage was clear: get lost, lesser loser."
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