From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 158

Julia's POV

I squinted at the infection rate charts blurring before me, forcing myself to focus on the numbers until they made sense again. Three weeks of protocols, emergency coordination, and data analysis had paid off—the epidemic across northwestern packs was officially contained. Everyone else had gone home hours ago.

Good. Work was good. Work kept my thoughts anchored, prevented them from drifting across miles of forest to Spring Valley. To him.

My wolf, Kaia, stirred restlessly in my consciousness, a low whine echoing through my mind. She missed Matthew's wolf, Hati, with an intensity that sometimes made it hard to breathe. I pushed her emotions down, focusing instead on the screen before me.

*Just a few more reports*, I told myself. *Then sleep*.

Sleep. Another battlefield. Another place where memories of Matthew ambushed me with ruthless precision.

I stretched my neck, feeling vertebrae pop with satisfying relief. The medical center was silent save for the soft hum of computers. I'd volunteered for these late shifts, claiming dedication. Nobody questioned it. They'd grown accustomed to my extended hours since Matthew had returned to Spring Valley.

When my assistant finally left, murmuring a concerned goodnight, I allowed my shoulders to slump slightly.

A knock startled me, and I quickly straightened, arranging my features into professional neutrality.

"Come in," I called, expecting a night nurse with questions.

My brother Eric stepped through the door instead. As our pack's new Alpha, he carried himself differently now—shoulders squared, movements deliberate—but his expression was gentler than I was used to seeing. The mantle of leadership had matured him in unexpected ways.

"Still working?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

I gestured at my screen. "Just finishing the epidemic response reports."

Eric studied me with unusual intensity, then closed the door behind him. "There's something we need to discuss."

My stomach tightened. "What is it?"

"The Alliance is organizing a cross-pack meeting next week to share epidemic response protocols." He paused, watching me carefully. "Spring Valley will be sending representatives."

My heart stuttered painfully. Matthew. Just the possibility sent warmth and dread coursing through me simultaneously. I busied myself arranging papers, hoping Eric wouldn't notice my suddenly trembling hands.

"That's good," I said evenly. "Sharing protocols will improve future responses."

Eric's eyes narrowed slightly. Through our sibling mind link—something we'd rarely used—I felt him gently probing my emotional state.

*Your heart rate just doubled, little sister*, his voice whispered in my mind.

I immediately reinforced my mental barriers, but not before Kaia's yearning leaked through, a flash of longing so intense it made Eric flinch.

"Alpha Collins might attend personally," he said aloud, his tone deliberately casual.

I dropped the file I was holding, papers scattering across my desk. Damn it.

"As medical director," Eric continued, taking the seat across from me, "you should represent our pack's response strategy."

I gathered the fallen documents, using those precious seconds to compose myself. "You could handle it. You worked closely with me throughout the crisis."

"But it was your containment strategy that saved lives," Eric countered, surprising me with his praise. "Your isolation protocol innovations are what everyone wants to hear about."

He leaned forward, expression softening further. "Julia, if you don't want to go because of Matthew, I understand. No one would question if I go there instead."

The genuine understanding in his voice—so different from the dismissive brother I'd grown up with—broke through my carefully constructed walls. I stopped pretending to organize papers and met his gaze.

"I don't know what I want," I admitted quietly. "Part of me thinks seeing him, speaking face-to-face... maybe it would give me closure. End this..." I gestured vaguely at my chest, where the ache had become a constant companion.

Eric nodded. "If you want to go, I'll notify the organizers immediately."

I stood and walked to the window, staring out at the forest bathed in silvery moonlight. Kaia whimpered in my mind, longing to run through those trees toward Spring Valley, to feel that connection with Hati again. My throat tightened with emotions I refused to name.

"Maybe it would help," I whispered, half to myself. "Or maybe it would just reopen wounds that are barely starting to heal."

The silence stretched between us as I wrestled with my thoughts. Pride told me to stay away, to not give Matthew the satisfaction of seeing how his departure had affected me. But something deeper—something that felt like Kaia's influence—pulled me toward the possibility of seeing him again.

After a long moment, I turned back to Eric and shook my head. "No. I won't go."

My voice came out tighter than intended. "I won't chase after someone who chose to walk away. I won't sit there pretending everything is fine while he plays the dignified Alpha. I have too much self-respect for that."

My fingers gripped the edge of the file folder so tightly my knuckles turned white, betraying the emotion behind my decisive words. Kaia growled low in my mind—not at Eric, but at the situation, at the pain, at Matthew's absence.

Eric's eyes flashed with protective anger. "If I see him, I could punch him for you," he offered, half-joking but with an undercurrent of genuine threat.

I looked up in surprise. "Don't you dare! You're an Alpha now, you can't just—" I stopped when I realized I was defending Matthew, and the knowledge twisted something inside me.

Eric leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. "Sometimes I really don't understand how you all choose your mates. Lisa and I never have these problems."

The mention of his mate softened his features instantly. Their mind-bond was so natural, so uncomplicated. They simply fit together, no cosmic intervention required.

"It's different," I said softly. "You and Lisa found each other naturally. You don't have to guess what she's thinking or wonder why she does things. You just... know."

I couldn't keep the envy from my voice. Eric studied me for a moment, then stood.

"For what it's worth, I think you're making the right call," he said. "But if you change your mind, even at the last minute, the pack will support whatever you decide. We've got your back, Julia."

The sincerity in his words—so different from our entire childhood relationship—caught me off guard. This was the brother I'd always wanted—supportive, respectful, treating me as an equal.

As Eric left, I turned back to the window, my reflection ghostly against the darkness beyond. Maybe someday the ache in my chest would fade. Maybe someday I'd be strong enough to face Matthew without feeling like I was breaking apart inside.

But not yet. Not next week. I had my pride, my work, and a pack that finally valued me. That would have to be enough.