Chapter 31 "No one touch my mate and walk away "

Hudson POV

Hudson’s expression softened as Selena’s voice trembled, each word laced with the pain of her past. His heart clenched at the vulnerability in her eyes, the way her lips quivered as she tried to hold back the flood of emotions.

“I didn’t want you to judge me,” Selena whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. “I don’t want you to reject me. I was scared- scared of what you would think of me after knowing about my past. I’ve always believed that my mate would reject me, that I was worthless. The people here forced me to believe that nobody would ever want me.”

Hudson's jaw clenched as he listened, the ache in his chest growing with every word. He had known she carried scars, but hearing the depth of her pain, of her belief that she was unworthy, made his blood boil. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down those who had broken her and make them pay.

“When I first heard that I was going to be sold to you by my father,” Selena continued, her voice cracking, “I thought it would be