From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 76

Matthew's POV

I hurried after Jason, my mind still ringing with Julia's warning about Nathan's threats. The conference room door swung shut behind us with a definitive click that seemed to seal off her desperate words. Inside my mind, Hati paced anxiously, urging me to turn back.

"Jason, what's the situation at the northern boundary?" I demanded as we strode down the corridor. "How many rogues? Any casualties?"

Jason maintained a brisk pace, his expression unreadable as he led us around a corner and into a secluded alcove. Once there, he stopped abruptly and turned to face me, his posture relaxing in a way that instantly set off warning bells in my head.

"There is no situation at the northern boundary, Alpha," Jason said, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

I froze. "What?"

"I made it up." His casual tone contrasted sharply with the gravity of his admission. "I needed to get you out of that room before she filled your head with more lies."

Rage surged through my body, my hands curling into tight fists at my sides. Hati snarled ferociously in my mind, demanding retribution for this blatant deception. My wolf's anger mirrored my own, making it difficult to maintain control.

"You deliberately lied to your Alpha?" My voice dropped dangerously low.

Jason seemed to notice my barely contained fury but pressed on regardless. "With respect, sir, I did what was necessary. Why does one mention of her have you dropping everything? The research project is almost complete, yet you continue these private meetings with Nathan's mate."

"Watch yourself, Jason." The warning in my tone was unmistakable.

"I've seen how you look at her," Jason continued, either brave or foolish enough to challenge me directly. "It's more than protection in your eyes. Something else is there... something inappropriate for someone else's fated mate."

I took a step forward, my authority radiating outward in waves that made Jason instinctively step back. "That bond is Moon Goddess-given, Alpha," he added, his voice softer but still insistent. "Nathan is trying to honor it. He's doing everything right."

"You're crossing a line," I growled, feeling Hati pushing against my control.

For the first time in years, I questioned whether our pack's relaxed hierarchy had become a liability. When I took over as Alpha, I'd deliberately moved away from the old-school dominance displays, believing respect should be earned through actions rather than fear. But now, watching Jason's brazen challenge, I wondered if I'd been too lenient.

When an Alpha becomes too approachable, apparently everyone believes they can question his authority and decisions. Even a mid-ranking security team member felt entitled to lecture me about propriety and tradition. Perhaps there was wisdom in the older ways—sometimes the pack needed clear boundaries and consequences to function properly.

Jason swallowed hard but held his ground. "Many of us have noticed. The security team... we've seen how hard Nathan is working to make amends, to honor tradition. Yet you allow his mate private audiences with you. People are talking."

The implication hung in the air between us. I could feel my Alpha power surging, demanding release, but I forced myself to think strategically. Jason wasn't acting alone—he'd mentioned others in the security team. This suggested Nathan had already begun influencing pack members, building a support base.

I inhaled deeply, forcing Hati to retreat from the edge of my consciousness. A direct confrontation now would only validate Jason's concerns and potentially fracture the pack's unity when we might need it most.

"As Alpha, I have a responsibility to hear every pack member's concerns," I said, my tone shifting to one of professional detachment. "You're right that I should be more careful about how these meetings might appear."

Jason's expression brightened, clearly not having expected this concession.

"I appreciate your... loyalty to tradition," I continued, noting how Jason's praise of Nathan seemed almost rehearsed. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"No, Alpha." Jason straightened his posture. "I just wanted to ensure that Nathan and Julia won't be interrupted. He's planned something special to reconnect with his mate."

I nodded curtly. "I have reports to review. You're dismissed."

As Jason walked away, I maintained my composed expression until the younger wolf disappeared around the corner. Then I headed straight for my office, locking the door behind me before finally releasing the rage I'd been containing.

With a sweep of my arm, I sent the neatly arranged papers on my desk flying. Hati howled in my mind, demanding action, protection—demanding that I keep Julia safe from the threat Nathan posed.

I moved to the window, looking out at the pack grounds where members went about their daily lives. In the distance, I could see Nathan chatting amiably with a group of security team members, his posture open and friendly. The perfect picture of a reformed wolf.

*Rachel.*

Her name came unbidden to my mind—my lost mate, taken by rogues years ago. The pain of that severed bond had nearly destroyed me. I pressed my palm against the cool glass, remembering the overwhelming agony that had followed her death. That was what the mate bond was supposed to be—so powerful that losing it could break you.

How, then, could Nathan reject Julia as his mate? How could he threaten her, use her, manipulate her? It defied everything I had been taught about fated mates and the sacred bonds created by the Moon Goddess.

"Does the Moon Goddess truly want someone forced into a bond that brings nothing but pain?" I whispered the question to the empty room.

I recalled the fear in Julia's eyes earlier, the tension in her shoulders whenever Nathan was mentioned. It contrasted sharply with how other pack members seemed increasingly impressed by Nathan's supposed redemption arc.

*She wouldn't lie about this,* Hati insisted. *Not after everything she's done for the pack. Remember Olivia and the baby? A person like that doesn't make false accusations.*

I turned from the window, mentally cataloging what I knew: Julia's warning, Nathan's perfect performance, Jason's unusual behavior, and James's injuries from Nathan's initial attack.

The evidence pointed to a calculated deception that threatened not just Julia, but potentially my entire pack.