Christina’s POV 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Hudson hit the marble floor hard. The sound cut through the ballroom chatter.

"Hudson!" I screamed, 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.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Panic seized my chest.

Akira whimpered in my mind. "His temperature is too high. Something’s wrong with the wound."

Daniel appeared beside me, phone already at his ear. "On it."

"Hurry," I snapped, pushing Hudson’s damp hair from his forehead. "Hudson, can you hear me? Stay with me."

A circle of onlookers formed 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 paramedics arrived, they had to pry me away from him.

"I’m going with him," I announced.

The ambulance ride was hell. Flashing lights and urgent medical talk.

I sat huddled in the corner, clutching Hudson’s hand while paramedics 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 me in the sterile corridor.

The antiseptic smell burned my nose as I collapsed into a plastic chair, staring at the speckled floor.

Fragments 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 me. 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 time, 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 me, 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 mechanical 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 came instantly: Everything.

When Daniel appeared in the doorway the next morning with coffee, I didn’t immediately tell him to get lost.

"Heard about what happened," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Figured you might need help."

"I don’t need you," I replied bluntly. "But I do need that meeting with Deputy Commissioner Haldane you mentioned."

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 me? 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 me?"

He grinned, dropping the act. "Because Niall still howls your name in his sleep. It’ll hurt him more if you’re with me."

"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 me, 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 something 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 me?"

"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 me, 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.