Hudson’s POV

The lakeside was packed with people when I arrived. Police officers swarmed 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 me like a thousand knives, but I barely noticed. Police and professional divers yelled at me 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 time she’d been in water—how terrified she’d been after someone pushed her into the pool. How she’d trembled against me, 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 time I came up for air, I saw Ryan had arrived with his pregnant wife Naomi.

"Hudson?" They stared at me in shock as I treaded water.

Several police officers waded in and physically dragged me 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 me a thick towel. "You a friend?" he asked Cassian.

"Unfortunately, yes," Cassian confirmed.

"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 me fifteen minutes ago. Someone 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 me 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 something’s happened to Christina?"

Ryan put his arm around her shoulders. "Let me take you home. 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 me immediately."

"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. Someone had pushed her—I was certain of it. But there were no cameras near the lake, and the anonymous caller who reported the incident wasn’t answering their phone anymore.

I knew Christina was angry with me about Genevieve. She thought I was hiding something, protecting someone 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 something had happened to Christina, it was likely too late.

"What if someone pulled her out?" Ryan suggested carefully, noticing my murderous expression.

"Wouldn’t we have heard by now?" Cassian countered. "No one’s come 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 time.

I shook my head stubbornly.

As darkness fell, the lake became 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!"

Someone shouted my name 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 mercilessly, and my body burned with fever. I lay there for a moment, feeling utterly helpless.

"Where’s Dominic?"

"Outside making calls. Want me 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 immediately."

Dominic nodded. "I’ll handle it."

"Wait," I stopped him before he could leave.

"Check all hospitals. If someone pulled her out, they might have taken her to the emergency room. And keep the search teams going."

"Understood, Alpha." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

After he left, Cassian placed a hand on my shoulder. "You need to eat something. 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 came 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 some time 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 time since I’d received that terrible phone call, I felt a glimmer of hope.