From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 42

Julia's POV

Dad and Eric exchanged confused glances as a heavy silence settled over the office. The weight of what I'd just said hung in the air between us, suffocating and final.

Eric carefully broke the silence. "Why? This is exactly what Nathan wants, Ju."

My emotions finally broke free. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I leaned against the doorframe for support, my breathing becoming rapid and shallow. The pain in my chest felt like physical wounds, matching what Daniel had suffered because of me.

"She said..." I gasped between sobs. "Claire said I would ruin him... She said Daniel deserves a real mate."

Kaia growled low in my mind, fighting against this decision, but I pushed her protests away. This wasn't about what either of us wanted—it was about what needed to be done.

Dad walked toward me, pulling me into his arms as I completely fell apart against his shoulder. The familiar scent of his aftershave—pine and citrus—reminded me of childhood moments when he'd comforted me after nightmares. But this wasn't a nightmare I could wake up from.

"They're taking him back to their pack... He'll be far from Nathan... far from all the danger I bring," I managed between ragged breaths.

Eric leaned against the desk, his face showing a mixture of guilt and anger I'd rarely seen directed at anyone but me. "This isn't your fault, Julia. It's Nathan's."

I shook my head against Dad's shoulder. "But Claire's right... Daniel deserves his own mate... not some broken girl whose own mate rejected her." The words Claire had used cut even deeper as I repeated them aloud.

Dad gently held me at arm's length, his eyes searching mine. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

I wiped the tears from my face, forcing my expression into one of determination despite the hollowness spreading through my chest. "No, it's not what I want. But it's the right thing to do."

"Then we'll support you," he said softly, and the gentleness in his voice nearly broke me all over again.

---

The ride to the hospital felt endless. Dad's black SUV cut through the darkness, headlights illuminating the empty road ahead. I stared out the window, barely registering the blurred landscape passing by.

In the rearview mirror, Dad's eyes kept flicking to me, his brows furrowed with concern. Eric turned in his seat to face me. "I'll go in with you, make sure Nathan doesn't show up."

I nodded mechanically. "Will he come back?" My voice sounded flat, detached, as if it belonged to someone else.

"He's not in the pack territory right now," Eric said, his jaw tight. "I can't sense him through our link, but I don't think he'll let this go easily. Nathan isn't one to back down when he thinks something belongs to him."

"When you found him... how bad was it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I'd only seen Daniel after the doctors had cleaned and bandaged him, but I needed to know the raw truth—needed to understand just how far Nathan's cruelty had gone. "I need to know what Nathan did to him."

Eric hesitated, clearly not wanting to add to my burden, but eventually sighed. "Bad. If I'd been even a few minutes later... he might not have made it."

I drew in a shaky breath, more convinced than ever that my decision was right.

*We can protect him,* Kaia whispered in my mind.

*No, we can't,* I answered silently.

Dad's voice cut through the tense silence. "Eric, don't leave your sister's side. If you see anyone suspicious—"

Eric nodded grimly as we pulled into the hospital parking lot.

The antiseptic smell of the hospital made my sensitive nose burn. The fluorescent lights seemed to highlight every shadow under my eyes, every trace of dried tears on my cheeks. We approached the ICU entrance where Claire and Richard stood waiting, the air instantly becoming charged with tension.

Claire's eyes flashed dangerously when she saw me, her body immediately shifting into a defensive stance. "You dare come back?" She stepped forward aggressively, forcing me to take a step back.

Dad moved between us, shoulders squared. "We need to talk about Daniel's safety. He needs to be moved to another facility immediately."

"Moved?" Claire slammed her palm against the wall, making a nearby nurse jump. "Absolutely not! My son needs rest and proper care. Moving him could compromise his healing. Who are you to make such decisions?" She moved closer, her face inches from my father's. "My son is fighting for his life because of your family!"

Eric stepped forward, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "The person who attacked Daniel might come back to finish what he started."

"You mean someone from your pack?" Claire sneered, jabbing a finger into Eric's chest. "I don't care who it is! Let them come! I'll tear their throat out myself!"

I could see the slight golden glow beginning to form in Claire's eyes as her wolf pushed to the surface. Richard grabbed her arm, pulling her back as she struggled against him.

"Claire, not here," he hissed, glancing nervously at the hospital staff watching our confrontation.

"Your pack, your rules, your protection," Claire spat, breaking free from Richard's grip and shoving Dad backward. "All lies! My son is lying in there because of you people!"

Dad's eyes flashed gold in response, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Watch yourself, Claire. We're trying to help."

"Help?" She laughed bitterly, her body trembling with rage. "Like you 'helped' when that monster attacked my son? Where was your protection then?"

I stepped around my father, placing myself between them. "Please, Mrs. Wright—"

She whirled on me, grabbing my wrist so tightly I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. "Don't you dare speak to me! This is all because of you!"

Eric moved with supernatural speed, breaking her grip on me and pushing her back. "Touch my sister again, and pack laws won't protect you," he snarled.

Richard moved between us, hands raised. "Enough! This isn't helping Daniel!"

The tension crackled in the air like electricity. I could feel Kaia pushing against my control, eager to defend against the threat, but I forced her down.

"What good would punishment do if Daniel dies?" Dad said, his voice cutting through the tension. "You can't watch him every second of every day. Nathan will be looking for any opening, any moment when your guard is down. He could slip in while you're resting or when the hospital staff changes shifts." Dad's eyes locked with Richard's. "None of us can afford that risk. I know you planned on taking him back, but the situation has changed. We have to act 'immediately', moving him before he's fully recovered. It's a risk, but leaving him here is a greater one."

Claire's breathing was heavy, her fists clenched at her sides. For a moment, I thought she might actually attack. Then Richard stepped forward, placing a gentle but firm hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Claire," he said softly but with authority. "They're right." He turned to face my father, his expression grave but composed. "We accept your suggestion. Daniel will be safer at our pack." He extended his hand to my father. "Thank you for your concern for my son, despite..." he glanced at me, not finishing the thought.

Claire shook her head in frustration but didn't object further as Richard continued.

"We'll make arrangements immediately," Richard said. "We will send escorts as soon as he's stable enough to travel."

The realization hit me like a physical blow—Daniel would be gone within hours, whisked away to a place I couldn't follow. This was it. My last chance to say goodbye, to do what needed to be done before he disappeared from my life forever.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I swallowed the lump in my throat. The walls seemed to close in around me as I thought of Daniel lying there, unaware of the decisions being made about his future—about us.

I stepped forward, shrugging off Eric's warning hand on my shoulder. My voice came out steadier than I felt inside.

"I need to see him," I said, meeting Claire's hostile gaze without flinching. "Just once."