Christina’s POV
I woke up feeling weirdly empty. The bed was exactly the sa size as always, but sothing was missing.
Hudson hadn’t co to my room last night.
After that hot make-out session in his car, I’d waited like an idiot.Spent twenty minutes primping in the bathroom before sliding into bed wearing my sexiest nightgown.
And then... nothing.
"God, I’m pathetic," I muttered to the ceiling.
Akira stirred inside . "You’re the one who kept getting up to check if there were footsteps in the hallway. Just admit you wanted him to co in."
"I did not," I lied, throwing the covers off,"I appreciate that he’s respecting our agreent."
"Sure," Akira scoffed. "And I’m actually a poodle. You’re just disappointed he turned out to be a gentleman when you wanted him to be anything but."
"Whatever," I grumbled, but she was right.
My body still tingled with frustration from our unfinished heated lovemaking.
After a quick shower, I headed downstairs, unsure how to face Hudson. Would he ntion our car sex or pretend nothing happened?
He sat at the dining table looking annoyingly perfect in his dark suit, reading sothing on his tablet while sipping coffee. Those strong hands holding the cup made rember where they’d been last night.
"Morning," he said without looking up.
"Morning," I replied, sliding into my chair.
The housekeeper brought my usual breakfast. I poked at my avocado toast, trying to ignore the awkward silence filling the room.
The quiet between us felt like a ticking bomb. I stabbed my egg and watched yellow yolk flood my plate.
"Can I ask you sothing?" I finally blurted out.
Hudson looked up, his intense gaze focusing completely on . "Of course."
"I went to LGH that day, and Dominic said you were out with Octavia Grey. But she told last night you two are just friends." I paused, feeling stupid but unable to stop myself. "So who was this mystery woman you were really seeing?"
Hudson choked on his coffee, coughing violently before composing himself.
"There was no date with any actress," he said firmly, wiping his mouth. "Dominic was talking nonsense."
"Right," I replied, unconvinced. Sothing felt off. Dominic seed too uptight to invent celebrity hookups for fun.
A curious thought struck .
Wait, is it soone forbidden? Did he fall for soone else’s mate? Or sothing more taboo?I heard he have a stepmother...
Akira imdiately jumped in. "Since you love making up stories so much, maybe you should beco a screenwriter. You could write so steamy Alpha/stepmom content for pornhub. Or better yet, start an OnlyFans with Hudson and act it all out."
"Shut up. When did you learn about dirty content online?" I ntally snapped back at her.
Seriously, what kind of wolf did I end up with?
I’d heard that a wolf’s personality reflected their human’s to so degree.
My personality must be worse than I thought.
"What are you thinking about?" Hudson asked suddenly,watching zone out. "Having so private conversation with your wolf that I’m not allowed to hear?"
My face burned. If he knew I was ntally creating porn scenarios starring him...
"Just work stuff," I lied smoothly. "Thinking about Octavia’s necklace design."
"Speaking of which," Hudson said, thankfully changing subjects, "did you send those sketches to her? Was she happy with them?"
"Yeah, sent them last night. She loved them." I set down my fork. "I need to finalize so details today so we can start sampling tomorrow. Only..."
I trailed off, reality hitting . I couldn’t exactly waltz back into Nyx Collective to use their equipnt. Not with Violet lurking around every corner.
Hudson studied my face. "Problem?"
"I need equipnt. Casting machine, wax injector, laser welder. Can’t exactly make jewelry with just pretty drawings."
"I have a solution," he offered imdiately. "A friend owns a small jewelry studio. Not as fancy as Nyx, but it’ll work for what you need."
My mood instantly brightened. "That would be perfect. Thanks."
It wasn’t just Violet I wanted to avoid. If Savannah discovered I was designing red carpet jewelry for Octavia Grey, I’d be labeled a traitor faster than you could say "backstabbing bitch." My contract clearly stated I was a freelancer, but Violet would twist it into sothing nasty.
After breakfast, I headed to the studio Hudson recomnded. Moss & Fla was hidden behind a bakery in a neighborhood where parking tickets multiplied like rabbits.
The owner, a thin redhead in her fifties nad Lorna, greeted like a long-lost relative.
"You must be Christina! Hudson called ahead. Co in, co in!" She waved enthusiastically, leading inside.
She toured through the compact but well-equipped space, pointing out tools and materials with obvious pride.
"If you need anything at all, just holler," she insisted twice.
I thanked her, though I noticed her expression change weirdly when I ntioned my connection to Hudson. She smiled knowingly, making wonder about their history.
The studio had everything I needed. They’d even cleared out a small office space with a worn leather chair and coffee machine.
I lost myself in work all morning. Started with CAD adjustnts to refine the angles, then ran a 3D print in wax. The resin ca out a bit rough but good enough for molding.
For the complex pieces like the lattice settings and that hinged clasp Octavia wanted, I cast a brass prototype to test functionality. Used a micromotor to clean the edges, then soldered a sample setting to see how the curves held under heat.
Not perfect, but definitely taking shape.
My stomach growled, reminding it was past lunchti. The studio was too far from Hudson’s place, so I went to a nearby mall food court and ordered jerk chicken with rice and plantains.
Just as I sat down, fork in hand, I looked up and nearly choked.
Serenna Oakley.
We hadn’t seen each other since The Sabreridge pack gathering. You know, the one where I’d punched her in the face.
I stared intently at my food, hoping she hadn’t noticed .
No such luck.
Stilettos clicked across tile. A shadow fell over my table. Her overpowering perfu hit my nose seconds before her voice reached my ears.
"Well," Serenna purred, "what are you doing so far from Nyx Collective?"
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