From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 16

Matthew's POV

I stood in the corner of the community center, nursing a glass of wolfsbane whiskey I hadn't taken a sip from. My eyes drifted to where she had been standing just minutes ago—the nursing student with those expressive brown eyes. Julia White.

The way her face had fallen when I dismissed her question about the scholarship exam still haunted me.

*What the hell was that, Collins?* I mentally chastised myself. I had meant to say something encouraging, something along the lines of "A student as bright as you shouldn't worry about the exam." Instead, what came out was cold, dismissive—bordering on rude.

I took a deep breath, the sounds of Edward's retirement celebration fading into background noise as I replayed our brief interaction. She'd looked so hopeful when Edward introduced us, a stark contrast to the wounded expression she wore as I walked away. I'd deliberately kept my distance, maintained that professional Alpha facade that had become second nature since Rachel died.

*You were an asshole,* Hati, my wolf, growled inside my mind. *The girl looked like you'd slapped her.*

"I didn't mean to be," I muttered under my breath, grateful no one was close enough to hear me talking to myself.

*Then why were you? She asked a simple question about a scholarship exam, not the nuclear launch codes.*

I sighed. "I can't appear too friendly. It would send the wrong message."

Hati's derisive snort echoed through my mind. *Wrong message? That you're capable of basic human decency?*

"You know what I mean." I scanned the room, my gaze automatically searching for Julia again. "I might be her potential scholarship supervisor. I'm an Alpha. There are boundaries."

*Boundaries, right,* Hati mocked. *Nothing to do with the fact that she's the first female to make your heart rate pick up since Rachel.*

The accusation hit like a punch to the gut. "That's not true," I hissed. "Rachel was my mate. My only mate."

*Rachel would want you to live, not just exist,* Hati countered, his voice softening slightly.

I shook my head, refusing to continue the conversation. Feeling anything for Julia—interest, attraction, curiosity—would be a betrayal of Rachel's memory. Two years wasn't nearly enough time to move on from losing your mate. Some wolves never recovered. Why should I be different?

Across the room, I spotted Julia standing alone in the corner of the garden patio, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. She looked lost in thought, and the slight downward curve of her lips suggested those thoughts weren't pleasant. I had caused that.

I should apologize. The realization came with surprising clarity. I began mentally rehearsing what to say: "I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier. I didn't mean to dismiss your question..." No, too formal. "Hey, I wanted to apologize for being short with you about the scholarship..." Too casual.

Before I could settle on the right words, I saw movement from the corner of my eye. Kevin, one of our younger pack members, was making his way toward Julia. He smiled confidently as he approached her, and I felt a strange tightening in my chest when she politely returned the gesture.

"I don't think we've met before," Kevin's voice carried across the patio. "I definitely would have remembered seeing someone as beautiful as you around our territory."

"I'm from another pack," Julia replied, her voice soft but clear to my enhanced hearing. "Star Shadow. My father and Edward are old friends, so we came for the ceremony."

For the first time in my life, I felt irritated by my wolf's heightened senses. Usually, being able to hear conversations from across the room was an advantage for an Alpha. Tonight, it felt like torture. I took an unconscious step forward, then stopped myself. What was I doing? Why did I care if Kevin was talking to her?

*Because you like her,* Hati supplied unhelpfully. *And if you don't apologize soon, that nursing student you're so interested in will be someone else's.*

"I don't like her," I insisted silently. "I don't even know her."

*Keep telling yourself that.*

"Alpha Collins?"

I turned to find Professor Andrews from the scholarship committee. He was a tall, thin human with wire-rimmed glasses and a perpetually apologetic expression.

"Professor," I acknowledged with a nod. "Enjoying the celebration?"

"Yes, quite. I apologize for discussing work at a social function, but I wanted to catch you about the scholarship exam. The timeline is rather tight this year."

I straightened, grateful for the professional topic. "What's the issue?"

"We have a few questions that still need your approval before we finalize the exam. Nothing major, just your expertise on the medical ethics section and the nursing scenario questions."

Perfect. Work was exactly what I needed right now. "I can look at them tonight if you'd like."

"That would be excellent." Andrews seemed relieved. "We have the materials in the small conference room if you have a moment?"

I glanced once more toward Julia, who was still engaged in conversation with Kevin. The security text would need attention too. I made a quick decision.

"James," I called through our mindlink.

*Yes, Alpha?* His response was immediate.

"Check the southern border. Security reported possible rogue activity. Take Kevin with you."

*On it. Everything okay at the ceremony?*

"Fine. Just need to handle some scholarship business."

I followed Andrews to the conference room, where three other committee members were already waiting. For the next hour, I immersed myself in reviewing exam questions, offering insights on medical scenarios, and suggesting alterations to make certain questions more challenging.

As we discussed the nursing curriculum questions, my thoughts kept drifting to Julia. Would she find these questions difficult? With her interest in herbal medicine, she might have an interesting perspective on the alternative treatments section.

I caught myself mid-thought and mentally shook it off. This was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid—connecting her to every aspect of my work.

*She's a nursing student. You're reviewing nursing exam questions. The connection is logical, not emotional,* I told myself, ignoring Hati's silent disapproval.

By the time we finished, the celebration was winding down. I stepped out of the conference room, rolling my shoulders to release the tension that had built there. My eyes automatically scanned the now-sparse crowd, but Julia was nowhere to be seen. Her family had likely already left.

James approached me, looking relaxed. "Southern border is clear. Just a lone wolf traveler who got disoriented. We gave him directions to the highway and sent him on his way."

"Good," I nodded, feeling a strange disappointment that had nothing to do with the security report.

"You missed most of the party," James observed.

"Scholarship committee needed help with the exam questions," I explained. "Thanks for handling the security check."

"That's what Betas are for," he grinned.

As I prepared to leave, Edward's booming voice reached me from across the room. "I told Julia her scholarship application looks promising! That girl has potential."

I froze, the implication hitting me immediately. If Julia won the scholarship, she would be working closely with me for a year.

*Well, well,* Hati's voice was smug in my mind. *Looks like fate isn't going to let you off the hook so easily.*

I left the ceremony with my mind in turmoil, torn between dreading and anticipating the possibility of seeing those brown eyes again.