From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 170

Julia's POV

I smiled at his eagerness. "Yes. You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

"Mind?" His voice dropped to that deep timbre that always sent shivers down my spine. "Julia, I can hardly wait."

"Well then," I said, reaching up to brush my fingers against his jaw, "once you've got your things, we can have dinner together tonight when my shift ends."

Matthew nodded, and I could feel his emotions shift through our bond—a mixture of excitement at the prospect of bringing his things to my apartment, yet still tinged with reluctance at the thought of even a few hours of separation. "That's reasonable," he conceded.

As we stepped into the hallway, Matthew's arms immediately wrapped around my waist from behind. I tried to create some space between us, gently tugging at his fingers, but he only tightened his hold.

"Matthew," I whispered, "we're in public now."

"Just one more minute," he murmured against my ear. "Once we're out of the building, I'll behave. Promise."

I was about to argue when a familiar scent made me freeze. I looked up to see Eric stepping off the elevator, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of us.

"Eric!" I exclaimed, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

The effect on Matthew was immediate and almost comical. He straightened like he'd been shocked, his arms dropping from my waist, though he remained close enough that our shoulders touched. Through our bond, I felt a mix of embarrassment and reluctance that made me want to laugh.

Eric's face broke into a wide, mischievous grin. "Well, well... don't stop on my account. 'Just one more minute,' right?" he mimicked in a poor imitation of Matthew's deeper voice.

To my utter amazement, Matthew's cheeks flushed red. In all our time together, I'd never seen the Alpha blush before. This was a first, and I found it utterly endearing.

Eric sauntered closer, sniffing the air dramatically before his grin widened. "So it's official, huh?" His eyes darted to the mark on my neck. "No wonder you're so clingy with my sister. You're a proper brother-in-law now!" He crossed his arms, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "So what should you call me now?"

I watched with interest as the two men faced each other. There was clearly some history here I hadn't been aware of. Matthew seemed to be fighting an internal battle, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Brother," Matthew finally said, the word coming out strained but sincere.

I couldn't hide my shock. Did Matthew Collins, Alpha of Spring Valley, just voluntarily call my brother "brother"? The Matthew I knew guarded his pride fiercely, especially with other dominant wolves.

Eric threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway. "I'm never going to get tired of hearing that!" He clapped Matthew on the shoulder with enough force to make him step forward. "Take care of her, or I'll have to remind you of that tidbit."

Matthew's face went from pink to crimson. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Eric challenged with a wink, then turned to me. "He's all yours, sis. Good luck—Alphas are the worst patients when they're in love." With that parting shot, he strolled back toward the elevator, still chuckling to himself.

When the elevator doors closed behind Eric, I turned to Matthew with raised eyebrows.

"Tidbit?" I asked innocently.

Matthew groaned. "Not now. Not ever."

"Oh, I'll get it out of you eventually," I promised, linking my arm with his. "I had no idea you two were so... familiar with each other."

"There are many things about me you don't know yet," Matthew said, recovering some of his composure. "We have a lifetime for me to reveal them all."

As we walked toward center, I couldn't help smiling to myself. Seeing this new side of Matthew—slightly embarrassed, vulnerable in the face of brotherly teasing—only made me love him more. The matebond between us hummed with contentment, and I realized that for all the challenges ahead, we were going to be just fine.

"What are you smiling about?" Matthew asked, his hand finding mine.

"Just thinking about how much I love you," I replied honestly.

His smile in return was worth everything we'd been through to get here. "I love you too. More than I can ever express."

As I stood there in Matthew's arms, I realized how much my life had changed overnight. I was no longer just Julia White, nurse and daughter of the Beta. I was the mate of an Alpha, with all the responsibilities and complications that entailed. There would be politics to navigate, two packs to balance, and a whole new identity to forge.

But feeling Matthew's steady heartbeat against mine, sensing his love and commitment flowing through our bond, I knew we would figure it out together. Soul bound, our destinies were now permanently intertwined—and for the first time in my life, that didn't feel like a limitation, but a liberation.

"I should go in now," I murmured against his chest as we stood at the entrance of the medical center. I glanced quickly, noticing it was relatively empty—hardly anyone was around to witness our embrace. The realization made me relax slightly in his arms. For all the changes the marking had brought, I wasn't quite ready for the public attention that would inevitably come with being an Alpha's mate.

Matthew groaned dramatically, but loosened his hold. "Fine. But I'm picking you up afterward, and then you're all mine for the rest of the night."

"Deal," I agreed, reaching up to kiss him softly.

I stepped into the Star Shadow pack medical center, my ID badge swinging from the lanyard around my neck. The mark on my throat was tucked away beneath the collar of my scrubs, but I couldn’t stop the smile that kept sneaking onto my face. Through the fresh matebond, I could feel Matthew’s contentment and joy radiating like a warm glow in my chest.

I caught myself touching my neck again—third time in five minutes, damn it—my mind drifting back to last night. The way Matthew had looked at me, touched me, marked me as his. The way I’d claimed him right back. My heart did a little flip just thinking about it.

"Focus, Julia," I muttered under my breath, glaring at the patient chart in my hands. But it was like I was floating in a haze of pink bubbles, wrapped in this stupid, giddy happiness that made concentrating impossible.

"You look different today," a voice said right beside me.