From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 151

Julia's POV

The pale moonlight filtered through the medical center window, casting silver shadows across Matthew's sleeping form. I woke at six in the morning, my mind pulling me from restless dreams. Matthew's arm still wrapped protectively around me, his breathing deep and steady against my neck. I shifted carefully, not wanting to disturb him or aggravate the wound on his side where Nathan had attacked him.

My nurse's instinct took over as I gently lifted the bandage covering his injury. To my surprise, the stitches Ryan had placed were holding well, with new pink skin already forming along the edges of the wound. The accelerated healing of our kind never ceased to amaze me. My fingers lightly traced the outline of the new scar, feeling the steady pulse beneath his warm skin.

As my hand lingered on his abdomen, I noticed his breathing change subtly. My eyes followed the defined muscles of his torso downward, suddenly aware of his body's unmistakable reaction beneath the thin sheet. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I looked up to find Matthew's eyes open, watching me with an intensity that made my heart race.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I whispered, not removing my hand. "Your wound is healing remarkably fast."

Matthew caught my hand and pressed it against his chest. "Hati's been working overtime on it," he murmured, referring to his wolf. Through our connection, I could feel his wolf's energy, satisfied and protective. Matthew's eyes darkened with a mixture of tenderness and desire. "Though I think your touch is triggering an entirely different reaction now."

I felt drawn to him, leaning forward to cup his face in my hands. His lips met mine with equal hunger, but when my hands began to wander down his chest, he gently grabbed my wrists.

"We shouldn't," he said softly, his voice strained with restraint. "Not now."

Confusion and a flash of hurt crossed my face. Matthew sighed, explaining, "It's not that I don't want you, Kaia knows I do. But my wound may look better on the outside, but the internal tissue still needs time to heal completely. And besides..." he paused, "you've just become temporary Alpha. We both have responsibilities to our packs. We need clear heads to figure out our next steps."

I nodded in understanding, though my body still hummed with unmet desire. He was right, of course, but that didn't make the ache any less.

Suddenly, a voice cut through my mind, shattering our intimate moment.

"*Julia, where are you? I need you to come back immediately.*" Eric's voice echoed in my head, tense and urgent through our mindlink.

"*What's happened?*" I responded, instantly alert.

After a brief silence, Eric's voice returned, heavy with shock: "*Nathan's dead. Emma and Grace too. You need to come to the base of the cliff right away.*"

"What?" I gasped aloud, sitting bolt upright.

Matthew immediately sensed my distress. "What is it?" he asked, sitting up beside me, wincing slightly at the movement.

"Eric says Nathan is dead. Emma and Grace too. We need to go to the cliff base."

We dressed quickly, Matthew ignoring the lingering pain in his side. During the drive to the cliff, I tried to get more details through the mindlink, but Eric only gave short responses, insisting I needed to see for myself.

"What do you think happened?" I turned to Matthew, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel.

Matthew's expression was grave. "Based on my conversation with Emma... she knew Nathan killed Robert. Her wolf Astrid woke up after hearing Nathan's confession."

"You think Emma did something to Nathan?" I asked, shocked.

"Or Nathan did something to her," Matthew added. "But that doesn't explain why Grace would be there."

The moonlight cast eerie shadows through the trees as we drove along the winding forest road, creating an ominous atmosphere that matched my growing dread.

When we arrived at the cliff base, several pack members had already set up temporary lighting. Eric stood to one side, his face grim as he directed others to keep their distance. He nodded briefly when he saw Matthew and me.

"Over there," he pointed toward a rocky area where three bodies lay not far from each other.

I stepped forward, but when I saw the scene clearly, a wave of dizziness hit me. Nathan's body lay twisted on the rocks, clearly from a fall from height. Several meters away, Emma lay still, her face surprisingly peaceful, almost smiling. Most puzzling was Grace's body, collapsed beside Nathan, one hand seemingly reaching toward him, her expression frozen in terror and pain.

I involuntarily stepped back, bumping into Matthew's chest. He steadied me, one arm wrapping around my shoulders.

"I... don't understand," I whispered.

Eric approached us. "I found out through Emma's mindlink. She... she contacted me before it happened, told me Nathan had murdered Father and that she was going to make him pay."

"According to Emma's final messages," Eric continued, his voice low and tight, "she lured Nathan to the cliff edge for what she claimed was a ritual, then confronted him with evidence of his patricide. They struggled, and both went over the edge."

"But Grace?" I asked, still trying to process everything.

"We believe," Eric paused, "she died from the pain of the mate bond breaking. Though we don't know why she'd appear at Nathan's body."

Matthew knelt to examine Emma's body, his expression complex. "Look at her face. She knew what she was doing. This was a calculated revenge—she chose to take Nathan with her, even if it cost her own life."

As more pack members arrived, whispers and anxiety spread. Some questioned if there was an external threat, others worried about what this meant for the pack's stability.

Eric looked at me, his voice low but clear: "Star Shadow has no Alpha now. We need a real leader to get us through this crisis."

All eyes turned to me, waiting for direction from the temporary leader. I felt Matthew's presence behind me, giving me silent strength and support.

"We need to maintain calm and order," I finally said, my voice steadier than I expected. "First, we'll respect the dead, regardless of what they did in life. Then, we'll call an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the future of the pack."

As others began following my instructions, I looked again at the three bodies, contemplating how fate had brought them to this moment. Nathan had chosen a path of betrayal and murder, Emma a path of revenge, and Grace—for whatever reason—had followed Nathan to the end.

"This is the price of power and deception," Matthew said quietly, as if reading my thoughts.

I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. If I accepted becoming the formal Alpha of Star Shadow, what would that mean? I glanced at Matthew, aware this could further complicate our relationship.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this," I whispered.

Matthew gently took my hand. "No one is ever truly ready for the responsibility of leadership. But sometimes, the person who wants power least is the one who should hold it most."