Christina’s POV
Hudson hit the marble floor hard. The sound cut through the ballroom chatter.
"Hudson!" I scread, abandoning Daniel mid-conversation.
I ran across the hall, heels sliding on the floor as I dropped beside him.
Heat radiated from his skin.
His eyes fluttered briefly before rolling back.
"Soone call an ambulance!" Panic seized my chest.
Akira whimpered in my mind. "His temperature is too high. Sothing’s wrong with the wound."
Daniel appeared beside , phone already at his ear. "On it."
"Hurry," I snapped, pushing Hudson’s damp hair from his forehead. "Hudson, can you hear ? Stay with ."
A circle of onlookers ford around us, their designer gowns and tuxedos creating a wall of wealth. Their whispers buzzed like flies.
"Isn’t that the Sabreridge Alpha?"
"After that boating accident..."
"I heard he’s marrying that Lea woman..."
I glared up at them, baring my teeth. "Back up and give him air!"
The crowd shifted backward, though their eyes stayed fixed on us. I turned back to Hudson. His breathing was labored. His bandaged hand lay swollen at his side.
"I’m right here," I whispered, taking his good hand. "Just breathe."
When paradics arrived, they had to pry away from him.
"I’m going with him," I announced.
The ambulance ride was hell. Flashing lights and urgent dical talk.
I sat huddled in the corner, clutching Hudson’s hand while paradics worked around his fever-wracked body. Even unconscious, his presence filled the small space.
My Alpha. My mate.
"This is my fault," I thought.
Akira growled. "Don’t start that. You didn’t stab him."
"I took him diving. I pushed him too hard."
"He chose to go with you. He always chooses you."
At the hospital, they wheeled him through double doors, leaving in the sterile corridor.
The antiseptic sll burned my nose as I collapsed into a plastic chair, staring at the speckled floor.
Fragnts of conversation drifted from nearby doctors.
"Infection’s spreading despite antibiotics..."
"Concerning swelling around the tendons..."
"Potential permanent nerve damage..."
My stomach dropped. Permanent damage. Because of . Because I dragged him into the ocean.
I pressed my fist against my mouth to stop a sob.
If I’d just stayed and not gone to Paris, we would have gotten married, and he’d be whole now. Not broken. Not fighting an infection that could cripple him.
I couldn’t leave again. Not now. Not ever.
I squared my shoulders, dried my eyes, and planted my feet firmly. This ti, I would stay and fight for him.
Hours passed in a blur of waiting room coffee and whispered prayers. When Dominic appeared, his usually perfect appearance was rumpled, tie loose and hair disheveled.
"Luna Christina," he said, the formal title strange on his lips. "How is Alpha Hudson?"
"Stable for now," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "The fever’s broken, but he needs complete rest."
Dominic shifted uncomfortably. "I understand, but Laurent Global Holdings is in chaos. The shareholders are panicking, the press is circling like vultures, and Miss Lea—"
"No." I cut him off. "You will not disturb him with business matters until he’s recovered. Is that clear? Tell everyone that Alpha Hudson is unavailable. Period."
Dominic studied , probably wondering when I’d grown a steel backbone. To my surprise, he bowed his head respectfully. "As you wish, Luna."
After he left, I returned to Hudson’s bedside, watching his chest rise and fall. The monitors beeped steadily, a chanical lullaby in the quiet room. His bandaged hand rested on the white sheets like a silent accusation.
Lea’s words from our café confrontation echoed in my mind. She’d smugly sipped her latte and declared she would risk everything for Hudson, even kill for him.
What was I willing to risk?
The answer ca instantly: Everything.
When Daniel appeared in the doorway the next morning with coffee, I didn’t imdiately tell him to get lost.
"Heard about what happened," he said, leaning against the doorfra. "Figured you might need help."
"I don’t need you," I replied bluntly. "But I do need that eting with Deputy Commissioner Haldane you ntioned."
His eyebrows shot up. "I can arrange it. But my offer hasn’t changed."
"I know," I said flatly, crossing my arms.
His face brightened. "So you’ll go on a date with ? Just dinner, maybe a movie. No funny business, I swear."
I stared at him hard. "Your pack has dozens of eligible females. Why are you so fixated on ?"
He grinned, dropping the act. "Because Niall still howls your na in his sleep. It’ll hurt him more if you’re with ."
"So this is about getting back at your brother."
"Partly," he admitted with a shrug. "But I also find you attractive. It’s a win-win."
I considered my options carefully. Hudson lay unconscious behind , his company under threat. If the moratorium passed, Laurent Global Holdings would crumble. I needed access to Haldane.
"I won’t date you," I stated firmly, "but I can offer sothing better. You’ve been fighting with Louisa at the company, right? She’s blocking your path to leadership while protecting Niall. If I talk to her, convince her to stop undermining you, you’ll have a clear shot at taking control."
For once, his cocky smirk vanished.
"You’d really do that for ?"
"I will," I promised. "If you deliver Haldane."
Akira huffed. "Are we really making deals with a Granger?"
"For Hudson," I answered silently. "I’d deal with worse."
Daniel studied , calculating his odds, then nodded slowly. "Deal."
I extended my hand. He took it, sealing our pact.
For Hudson, I would make deals with the devil himself.
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