Christina’s POV
An hour later, Dominic delivered a red Ferrari to the driveway.
I couldn’t resist taking it for a test drive.With the wind in my hair and oversized sunglasses perched on my nose, I gripped the steering wheel like it might fly away from .
"Excellent handling, Luna Christina," Geoffrey comnted from the passenger seat, beaming like I was setting lap records instead of crawling down the street at embarrassingly low speeds.
I barely rembered how to drive, inching along at what felt like walking pace. But after a few blocks, sothing clicked.
My hands relaxed, I leaned back into the leather seat, and let the powerful engine do its thing.
By the ti I pulled back into Hudson’s driveway, I was actually smiling.
***
That evening after dinner, I was heading upstairs when Hudson’s voice stopped .
"My grandfather’s eightieth birthday celebration is next weekend. We’ll need to attend together as Alpha and Luna of The Sabreridge pack."
I paused midway up the stairs. "Right, I rember you ntioning that. Don’t worry, I’ll be the perfect fake Luna."
Hudson leaned against the wall, his expression serious. "The pack mbers aren’t fools. If we slip up even slightly, they’ll know sothing’s off. And if anyone suspects I’m using this marriage to manipulate my grandfather’s position..."
"I get it," I said, descending the stairs and dropping onto the sofa across from him. The Ferrari high still lingered, making unusually cooperative. "What do I need to do?"
I’d been receiving all the benefits of this arrangent—designer clothes, jewelry, a ridiculous monthly allowance I still hadn’t touched. It was ti to hold up my end of the bargain.
Hudson studied thoughtfully before answering. His long legs crossed at the ankles, his posture effortlessly elegant. The man could have been on a magazine cover without trying.
"We should practice," he finally said.
"Sure," I nodded. "Run through our backstory, maybe morize a few key details about your family?"
"There’s more to it than that." Hudson stood up."As Alpha and Luna, we’ll be expected to open the celebration with a traditional dance."
I blinked. "A dance? You an like, actual dancing?"
"Precisely."
Before I knew it, we were standing side by side at the front door like actors about to ss up their big scene.
"We need to practice our entrance first," Hudson said seriously.
I stared at him. "You’re joking."
He wasn’t.
Thankfully, the house was empty. Geoffrey and the staff had cleared out for the evening, so no one would witness stumbling around in my fuzzy socks and worn hoodie.
I looked down at my casual attire. "I’m hardly dressed for a formal ball."
"The formal attire will co later," Hudson replied, missing my sarcasm completely. "You’re too stiff. They’ll see right through us. Co closer."
I took a hesitant half-step toward him. Without warning, his hand landed firmly on my waist, pulling against him. My chest collided with his, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe.
Looking up, I opened my mouth to make a joke about personal space, but the words died on my lips. His eyes were intense, focused entirely on .
I looked away quickly, but his hand only tightened at my waist.
"Focus," he murmured.
"Fine," I muttered, staring at the floor.
His arm slid more securely around my waist as he guided forward, leading as if we were entering a royal ball rather than walking across his living room.
We made two circuits from the door to the sofa and back. Each ti, I beca increasingly aware of his body heat, the firmness of his grip.
Hudson stopped abruptly. "This isn’t working. We’re too stiff. Everyone will know we’re faking."
"What do you suggest?" I asked, wetting my lips nervously.
"We need chemistry. Real intimacy." His voice dropped lower. "And that requires practice."
Inside my head, Akira purred with approval."Finally getting close to him. Took you long enough."
"Shut up," I thought back. "This is just rehearsal."
"Your heart rate says otherwise," she replied smugly.
"Since your entrance was so stiff, you need to practice dancing to loosen up," Hudson continued. "The Alpha and Luna always open with the first dance."
I tensed. "I should warn you, I dance like I have two left feet."
"I’ll lead." He positioned my left hand on his shoulder, took my right hand in his, and placed his other hand firmly on my lower back. "Just follow my movents."
We began moving slowly across the floor. One-two-three, one-two-three. I stared at our feet, concentrating hard not to step on his toes.
"Look up," Hudson instructed.
I raised my eyes to et his, and sothing electric shot through . His gaze was intense, focused entirely on . We moved together, our bodies in perfect sync despite my inexperience.
As we continued dancing, my body relaxed into his lead. When he pulled closer, my breath caught. The heat of his body against mine felt right in a way I couldn’t explain.
Akira was practically purring. "It feels so safe being with him. Like ho."
I tried to ignore her, but she was right. Sothing about being in his arms felt natural, like I belonged there.
When Hudson spun out and back into his chest, my hand landed against his heart. I could feel it pounding beneath my palm, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.
"We need to look like a real couple," he said softly. "People will be watching every interaction."
His hand slid from my waist to the small of my back, drawing closer until there was no space between us. My lips parted involuntarily as I looked up at him.
God, I wanted to kiss him.
The realization hit . I wanted to press my mouth against his, to taste him, to feel those strong arms tighten around .
Panic flared in my chest. I’d felt sothing similar with Niall in the early days—that sa flutter of attraction, that sa loss of control. But this was different. Stronger. This was like being pulled underwater by a current I couldn’t fight.
Hudson’s eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to my lips. For one breathless mont, I thought he might actually kiss .
"We need to practice more," he said, his voice rougher than before. "The closer we appear, the more convincing we’ll be."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
He was right. We needed to convince everyone at that party we were madly in love. But as his thumb traced a small circle at my back, I wondered who I was really trying to convince,his family or myself.
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