From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 75

Julia's POV

Nathan continued his elaborate courtship over the following days, turning it into a spectacle that left the entire pack buzzing. On Wednesday morning, I was helping in the community center office when I heard a commotion in the main hall. Curious, I stepped out to investigate and froze in the doorway.

A delivery truck had pulled up outside, and four men in uniforms were unloading what seemed like an endless stream of exotic flower arrangements. Orchids, lilies, roses in colors I'd never seen before—they filled the entire hall with an overwhelming fragrance that made my head swim.

"What's happening?" I asked one of the office workers beside me.

Before she could answer, the delivery foreman approached me. "Are you Julia White?"

My stomach dropped. "Yes..."

"All of these are for you." He handed me a cream-colored envelope with my name written in elegant calligraphy.

My fingers trembled as I opened it. Inside was a card that read: "For the most precious wolf in all the territories. Every bloom pales next to your beauty. — Nathan"

The office workers around me gasped and cooed with delight, but I felt nothing but cold dread washing over me. This wasn't romance—it was a public demonstration of ownership. Each flower was another strand in the web he was weaving around me.

"You're so lucky," whispered Emma, a young pack member who worked in administration. "No one has ever done anything like this for anyone in our pack."

I forced a smile, though it felt like my face might crack from the strain. "It's... overwhelming."

Throughout the day, as word spread about Nathan's grand gesture, I tried repeatedly to find a moment alone with Matthew. I needed to tell him the truth, to explain that this wasn't what it seemed. But each time I caught sight of him across the community center or near his office, he was either surrounded by security team members in urgent discussion or mysteriously disappeared down a hallway before I could reach him.

By mid-afternoon, I was certain he was avoiding me. The few times our eyes met across a room, he quickly looked away, his expression unreadable. Was he angry with me? Disappointed?

As pack members continued to congratulate me on Nathan's "romantic gesture," I smiled mechanically while scanning every doorway, hoping for a glimpse of Matthew and a chance to explain.

The following evening, Nathan arrived at my door in a tailored Italian suit, a sleek black car with tinted windows idling behind him. He presented me with a small velvet box containing a diamond bracelet that caught the light in dazzling rainbows. "Nothing is too extravagant for my fated mate," he announced loudly enough for nearby pack members to hear, while his eyes remained cold and calculating.

"It's beautiful," I managed to say, feeling the weight of watchful eyes all around us.

"Only the beginning of what you deserve," he replied smoothly, then whispered so only I could hear, "Wear it tomorrow or I'll assume you need another demonstration of my sincerity."

"How romantic!" gasped Natalie, a young wolf from the security team. "I've never seen anything like this."

"He must really love her," whispered Samantha to her friend Kaitlyn. "Why does she look so hesitant? I'd die for a mate who treated me like that."

Their whispered comments reached my ears easily with our enhanced hearing, and Nathan's satisfied smirk told me he heard them too.

I smiled and thanked Nathan appropriately, playing my part in this elaborate charade while my stomach churned with anxiety. Each public display made it more impossible to explain the truth—that I was being coerced, that every smile was forced, every acceptance given under duress.

"You're quite the actress," Nathan said through our mindlink as he escorted me through the community center, his arm possessively around my waist. *"But your eyes give you away. Work harder on that loving gaze, or someone might get hurt."*

I leaned into him as expected, wondering if anyone could see the trembling in my hands or hear the rapid beating of my heart. The fear wasn't just for myself anymore—it was for every person Nathan might harm if I failed to convince everyone that this reconciliation was real.

"When do you think you'll accept his formal courtship?" asked an older pack member, her eyes misty with romantic notions. "It's been so long since we've had a proper mating ceremony."

"We're... taking things slowly," I replied, feeling Nathan's fingers dig painfully into my side at my hesitation.

*"Not too slowly,"* his voice warned in my head. *"The pack is expecting an announcement soon. Very soon."*

Nathan continued his elaborate courtship over the following days. He brought me coffee exactly how I liked it, spoke about our future together in public with convincing emotion, and even volunteered to help in the community garden, winning over the older members with his charming smile and strong back.

By the end of the week, most of the pack seemed to hope I would accept Nathan's apology and embrace our fated bond. They saw only his public persona—humble, devoted, and contrite. They couldn't hear the threats he whispered in my mind when no one else was listening, or feel the possessive grip of his fingers when he held my hand for all to see.

The noose was tightening, and I had no idea how to escape it.

On Monday afternoon, I finally saw my chance. Our research team had just finished a project meeting, and as everyone filed out of the conference room, I noticed Matthew lingering behind, reviewing some notes. With my heart pounding, I closed the door and approached him.

"Matthew, I need to talk to you," I said quickly, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's about Nathan."

He looked up, surprise flashing across his face before his expression turned guarded. "What about him?"

"He's threatening me," I blurted out, glancing nervously at the door. "Through our mindlink. Everything you're seeing is just an act. The courtesy, the gifts, the apologies—it's all a performance. I only agreed to let him stay because he threatened me through our bond where no one else could hear."

Matthew's eyebrows drew together, confusion and concern battling in his expression. "Wait, what? Julia, why didn't you say something that first day? When you suddenly changed your mind about him?"

"Because he had his hand on Jason's neck! He was ready to—" I started to explain, the words tumbling out desperately.

The door swung open, cutting me off mid-sentence. Jason stepped in, his expression apologetic but urgent.

"Sorry to interrupt, Alpha, but we have a situation at the northern border that requires your immediate attention. Two rogues have been spotted."

Matthew hesitated, his gaze moving between Jason and me. I could see him weighing the urgency of the border situation against what I'd just told him.

"Matthew, please," I whispered. "Just five more minutes."

Jason stepped further into the room. "It's urgent, sir. The scouts report the rogues are armed."

Matthew's jaw tightened. "I'll be right there." He turned to me, conflict evident in his eyes. "Julia, we'll continue this conversation as soon as I return."

As they headed for the door, Jason paused and looked back at me with a smile. "Oh, Julia, I almost forgot. Nathan mentioned he has a special surprise planned for you tonight."

The door closed behind them, leaving me alone in the sudden silence of the conference room. I sank into a chair, my legs no longer able to support me.