Free Web NovelChapter 212: Chapter 212 What Your Heart Wants
Christina’s POV
My phone buzzed again before I could finish reading Hudson’s last message.
Hudson: [If I ask properly this time—can we go public?]
The screen lit up with those words, simple but heavy with meaning.
I could practically feel him through the text—tense, holding his breath, waiting for my answer.
I just sat there staring at my phone like an idiot.
A minute ago, I’d been complaining about event organizers and telling him to stay away from Rowan Hale.
I was ready to say goodnight.
And now this?
I read his message again, my brain scrambling to catch up.
My whole body felt sluggish, like I’d just walked through thick mud.
The phone buzzed again.
Hudson: [Would you be okay if I tagged you in my next post? As my wife?]
Well, that was pretty clear.
After what felt like forever, I managed to type: [Let me think.]
Hudson: [Okay.]
I tossed my phone onto the bed, gave my cheeks a light slap, and sat up straight.
Did I want to go public?
Yeah, I liked Hudson. More than liked him, if I was being honest.
I wasn’t embarrassed about us.
I didn’t care if people knew we were together.
But going public online wasn’t the same as telling Ysolde or my coworkers at the jewelry studio.
"This isn’t just about telling a few friends," Akira whispered in my mind. "This is about stepping up as Luna of the Sabreridge pack."
Yeah. Going public meant putting everything out there—my past, my mistakes, my very rejection with Niall. Every messy detail of my life would get dragged into the spotlight and tied to Hudson’s name.
If Hudson were just some regular guy, I wouldn’t think twice.
But he wasn’t.
He was Alpha Hudson of the Sabreridge pack, the most powerful werewolf in the Northern territories. And I was the woman who got dumped by Niall Granger.
The internet would eat that up.
"Oh, she’s the reject who landed the richest Alpha up north."
"Talk about an upgrade!"
"First Niall Granger, now Hudson Laurent? Girl’s definitely got a type: loaded Alphas."
I groaned and buried my face in my hands.
The image of Hudson standing next to Rowan popped back into my head. My chest got tight and hot.
"You’re jealous," Akira stated bluntly.
"No shit," I muttered back.
Fine. If I was being totally honest, I was crazy jealous. In my head, Hudson was already mine. Seeing him next to another woman, especially someone as gorgeous and successful as Rowan, made me want to punch something.
I didn’t want to share him. Not even in a stupid headline.
I got up and walked to the bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. I pictured Hudson’s face next to mine, where it should be.
"What if everyone finds out about Niall?" I whispered to Akira. "About how he rejected me? They’ll think I’m damaged goods. That Hudson’s just my rebound."
"Since when do you care what other people think?" Akira shot back.
"I don’t," I said quickly. "But..."
"But what? You’re scared."
I glared at my reflection. "I’m not scared."
"Then why are you hesitating?" Akira pushed. "After everything with Niall, after his rejection tore us apart, can you really accept Hudson as your mate?"
The question hit harder than I expected.
"But Hudson isn’t my fated mate," I whispered.
Akira went quiet for a second.
"I feel a special connection with Hudson," she finally said. "More than I ever felt with Niall. When we’re with Hudson, I feel that bond—the one we should’ve had with Niall. But it’s stronger. More natural."
I blinked, surprised.
"Really?"
"Yeah," she said simply. "But I’m not sure if it’s fated or not, sometimes it’s confusing, but anyway. So what do you feel for him?"
I thought about Hudson—his annoying confidence, his unexpected sweetness, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room.
"I like him," I said slowly. "Actually, more than that. I..."
My heart started pounding. Did I love him? The thought scared the hell out of me, but I couldn’t ignore the way my chest hurt when I pictured him with someone else.
I stared at myself in the mirror, hands gripping the bathroom sink.
My reflection didn’t look away.
Neither did I.
If staying quiet meant watching Hudson’s name get linked with other women—any women—I wasn’t having it.
I’d rather deal with a thousand nasty comments than see that again.
Bring it on.
Let them call me a gold digger. A social climber. The reject who landed a better Alpha.
They could dig into my past, trash my jewelry designs, criticize my outfits.
They could compare our bank accounts and count the zeros between us.
I’d survive it.
"I won’t be doing this alone," I said out loud. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"No," Akira agreed. "Hudson will have our back."
I walked back to the bedroom and grabbed my phone: [Let’s go public.]
I stared at the screen, waiting.
And waiting.
No response.
I checked the time. Past midnight.
Maybe he fell asleep?
I put my phone down, feeling deflated.
Then—
Hudson: [Open the door.]
I stared at the message: [???]
A sharp knock made me jump. freēwēbnovel.com
My heart hammered as I slipped off the bed and crept to the door, opening it just a crack.
"What—what are you doing here—"
Hudson pushed inside before I could finish, moving like a man on a mission. The door slammed shut behind him. His hand found my waist, spinning me around and pressing me back against the door.
Then his mouth crashed into mine, hungry and desperate.
There was nothing gentle about this kiss—no hesitation, no holding back. He crushed me against the door, one arm locked around my lower back, the other braced beside my head.
He tasted like mint and something darker, something that was purely Hudson.
I gasped into his mouth, my fingers fisting in his shirt like he was the only thing keeping me upright.
My legs went weak.
He caught me before I could collapse, lifting me with one arm while the other slid under my thigh.
"Hudson," I breathed against his lips.
He carried me across the room and dropped me onto the bed, following me down without hesitation.
