Hudson’s POV
The lakeside was packed with people when I arrived. Police officers sward the area, creating a barricade around the water’s edge.
I grabbed Dominic’s arm. "Get divers. As many as possible. Call Cassian and Ryan."
"On it." Dominic nodded.
Without hesitation, I ripped off my jacket and dove straight into the lake.
"Hudson!" Dominic shouted from the bank.
The freezing water hit like a thousand knives, but I barely noticed. Police and professional divers yelled at to get out, their voices muffled by the water closing over my head. I ignored them all.
I had to find Christina.
Images flashed through my mind of the last ti she’d been in water—how terrified she’d been after soone pushed her into the pool. How she’d trembled against , gasping for help.
I’d failed to protect her then.
I wouldn’t fail her now.
Swimming deeper, I strained to see through the murky water. Weeds tangled around my legs, and visibility was almost zero. The lake was vast and deep, making my search feel impossibly futile.
When my lungs burned for oxygen, I reluctantly surfaced.
Cassian stood on the shore, looking furious. "Get out of there, Hudson! Are you insane?"
"Get more divers!" I shouted back before plunging underwater again.
The next ti I ca up for air, I saw Ryan had arrived with his pregnant wife Naomi.
"Hudson?" They stared at in shock as I treaded water.
Several police officers waded in and physically dragged back to shore despite my resistance.
"I understand she’s your wife," one officer said firmly, "but you’re making our job harder. Let the professionals handle this."
He tossed a thick towel. "You a friend?" he asked Cassian.
"Unfortunately, yes," Cassian confird.
"Keep him out of the water."
"Consider it done."
"Hudson, what happened?" Naomi’s voice was tight with anxiety. "They said Christina fell into the lake?"
I shook my head, water dripping from my hair. "I don’t know."
The police had called fifteen minutes ago. Soone reported seeing a person fall or jump into the lake. Christina’s phone was found abandoned on a nearby bench.
Search boats soon dotted the water’s surface, teams mobilized by my network responding to Dominic, Cassian, and Ryan’s calls.
I moved toward the water again, but Cassian yanked back.
"Don’t even think about it!" he growled. "The water’s freezing! You’ll die of hypothermia before we find her. What good are you to Christina dead?"
With Cassian, Ryan, Dominic, and several officers blocking my path, I had no choice but to stand helplessly on the shore.
Naomi clutched Ryan’s hand. "Do you think sothing’s happened to Christina?"
Ryan put his arm around her shoulders. "Let take you ho. Standing in the cold isn’t good for the baby."
"No. I’m staying."
"At least wait in the car," Ryan urged. "I’ll update you the second we hear anything."
Naomi rubbed her lower back and finally nodded. "Fine. But promise you’ll tell imdiately."
"The second I know anything," Ryan assured her.
Watching them, my chest tightened painfully. Christina and I should have had that future—a family, children. Now I might lose her forever.
I refused to believe she would take her own life or that she’d accidentally fallen in. Christina wasn’t careless or suicidal. Soone had pushed her—I was certain of it. But there were no caras near the lake, and the anonymous caller who reported the incident wasn’t answering their phone anymore.
I knew Christina was angry with about Genevieve. She thought I was hiding sothing, protecting soone who’d hurt her.
She was right.
But I couldn’t explain until I had the whole truth. And now I might never get the chance.
Hours passed. The search continued relentlessly.
"Maybe we should call it off," Cassian finally said what everyone was thinking. If sothing had happened to Christina, it was likely too late.
"What if soone pulled her out?" Ryan suggested carefully, noticing my murderous expression.
"Wouldn’t we have heard by now?" Cassian countered. "No one’s co forward saying they rescued anyone."
The temperature had dropped dramatically. Between my soaked clothes and the biting wind, I was shivering uncontrollably.
"At least go change into dry clothes," Ryan urged for the tenth ti.
I shook my head stubbornly.
As darkness fell, the lake beca a black mirror, reflecting my worst fears.
"Let’s go back," Cassian said gently. "Standing here freezing isn’t helping anyone."
I swayed on my feet.
"Hudson!"
Soone shouted my na as everything went black.
***
I woke up in a hospital bed, the harsh lights burning my eyes.
Cassian exhaled heavily. "Before you ask—no, they haven’t found her."
My head pounded rcilessly, and my body burned with fever. I lay there for a mont, feeling utterly helpless.
"Where’s Dominic?"
"Outside making calls. Want to get him?"
I nodded.
When Dominic entered, I said, "Put out a reward. Twenty million dollars for information about Christina. Anyone who knows anything, tell them to call imdiately."
Dominic nodded. "I’ll handle it."
"Wait," I stopped him before he could leave.
"Check all hospitals. If soone pulled her out, they might have taken her to the ergency room. And keep the search teams going."
"Understood, Alpha."
After he left, Cassian placed a hand on my shoulder. "You need to eat sothing. If you collapse again, who’s going to lead the search for Christina?"
I ignored him.
Later, Dominic returned to report he’d distributed the reward notice, but no one had called yet. He’d also checked the hospitals—no sign of Christina.
Morning ca with no news.
"Get my release papers," I told Dominic.
"No!" Cassian blocked the door. "I’ll tie you to this bed if I have to. Jumping back into that lake won’t help. It won’t find her."
I glared at him silently.
He sighed. "Hudson, you can’t throw your life away over a woman. What good will that do?"
"I need so ti alone," I finally said.
"Fine. I’ll be right outside."
After he left, I closed my eyes. Was Christina truly gone? Had I lost her forever?
"She’s not dead."
Lycaon’s voice cut through my despair, startlingly clear.
"How do you know?" I whispered.
"I can feel her. Our bond with her and Akira is still there. Weak, but present."
"Where is she?" I demanded.
"I don’t know. But she’s alive, Hudson. She’s fighting."
For the first ti since I’d received that terrible phone call, I felt a glimr of hope.
Reviews
All reviews (0)