Christina’s POV
I could feel every single pair of eyes drilling into us.
Hudson was... well, Hudson. He looked like he’d stepped off a magazine cover. Not just handso. Dangerously handso. The kind that made you forget to breathe if you stared too long.
? I cleaned up pretty well too. Maybe less angelic than him, but definitely more than presentable.
But it wasn’t our looks that had stopped all conversation. It was how naturally I was linking arms with him. Easy, intimate, completely comfortable.
Thanks to our practice sessions (which, okay, had actually worked), we didn’t look like so random hookup. We looked like the real deal.
I could practically read the thought bubbles floating above every head in the room.
"Wait, isn’t that Christina Vance?"
"Wasn’t she engaged to Niall Granger?"
"Didn’t she make that scene at the last Sabreridge pack gathering?"
"How is she even here?"
But the biggest question was obvious,"What the hell is she doing with Alpha Hudson?"
"They’re all staring like we’re so freak show, "Akira muttered in my head.
"Good. Let them stare."
The whispers started up imdiately. We walked to the center of the room, and Hudson swept his gaze across the crowd.
Then he gave them The Look. The one that said, What exactly are you looking at? Find sothing else to do.
Like flipping a switch, the room snapped back to life. Conversations resud, but now everyone was pretending they weren’t desperate to know our story. Eyes kept sliding our way though.
Then, from across the room, a man stumbled toward us. Mid-forties, maybe older. Decent looking if you ignored the wine belly and bags under his eyes. His face was pure confusion and shock.
He opened his mouth like he’d forgotten how words worked.
"You said you were bringing your mate. This is her?"
Hudson didn’t even blink. "That’s correct. et my Luna."
The man looked like soone had just short-circuited his brain.
Everyone here knew about my engagent to Niall. The Frostpelt Pack had just cancelled my wedding to Niall, and now here I was, supposedly mated to Hudson Laurent like it was no big deal.
I leaned closer to Hudson. "Your father?"
He nodded. "Reginald Laurent."
Alpha Reginald’s hand flew to his chest like he was having chest pains. His face turned an impressive shade of red. "Hudson, how could you possibly mate with—"
I bead at him and stuck out my hand. "Alpha Reginald! It’s wonderful to finally et you!"
He froze completely. Even stopped blinking.
Was he about to pass out?
"Alpha Reginald, my dear father-in-law," I tried again, cranking up my sweetest innocent smile. "I brought presents for the whole family. I’ll have my driver bring them in soon."
His face went from red to deep purple. For a second, I genuinely thought he might explode. His throat kept working like he was trying to swallow a dozen questions at once, but they were all stuck.
Hudson frowned. "Chrissy spent weeks picking out those gifts. You could at least say thank you. And where’s your wedding gift for my new Luna?"
Alpha Reginald’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Wedding gift? But you didn’t even have a ceremony—"
"We’re officially registered with the Elder Council," Hudson said smoothly. "That makes it binding. I think the family heirloom jewelry collection would be appropriate. And the antique pieces from the vault."
Alpha Reginald started shaking. Whether from rage or shock, I couldn’t tell.
But I knew he wouldn’t cause a scene. Not here.
Hudson had filled in beforehand. He’d already moved most of the useless Laurent family mbers off the main board at LGH, sticking them in aningless side positions.
Alpha Reginald was currently stuck at Laurent City Estates, so subsidiary where he couldn’t do any real damage.And if necessary, he could be transferred sowhere even more remote. Like Antarctica.
Hudson held all the cards now, and Alpha Reginald knew it.
While he stood there torn between fury and surrender, a woman and younger man approached us. The woman was flawless. Designer dress, perfect hair, and a smile so fake it could compete with mine.
She stepped forward like she’d been waiting for this mont all evening.
"Hudson’s absolutely right," she said smoothly. "As your new in-laws, we should give a proper gift to his Luna. Though the jewelry collection seems a bit modest. Lucien—that’s Hudson’s half-brother—just got engaged, and his girlfriend received the entire eastern estate collection. I’m sure Hudson’s Luna deserves much more."
Hudson didn’t even glance at her. Didn’t say a word. Just let the silence stretch out, cold and cutting.
From how she clung to Alpha Reginald’s arm, I knew exactly who this was.
Gwendolyn Laurent. Alpha Reginald’s wife and Hudson’s stepmother.
Her words sounded perfectly polite, like she was defending , but I’d t enough wolves in designer clothing to spot the type. The kind who’d stab you in the back with one hand while patting your shoulder with the other.
No wonder Hudson hadn’t said much about her in our briefing. All I knew was she’d convinced Alpha Reginald to ship teenage Hudson off to boarding school overseas. Alone and unprepared, while her own son stayed safe and spoiled in Highrise City.
She reminded of my mother, Caroline. Different thods, sa venom.
"I want to claw her face off, "Akira snarled.
"Get in line."
That smile made want to punch her directly in the teeth.
I leaned toward Hudson while beaming at Gwendolyn. "Oh, that’s so incredibly sweet of you! You’re really going to give the estate collection? Though honestly, if it’s easier, cash works fine too. I’m not picky!"
"How about ten million dollars?"
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