From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 85

Julia's POV

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as moonlight filtered through my curtains. My thoughts kept drifting back to Matthew—his smile, his laugh, the gentle way he'd held my hand. It had been less than a week since our dinner date, but each day since had brought new moments that made my heart flutter.

How different things were now compared to my time with Nathan. With Nathan, every interaction had been calculated, every word measured for potential traps. Being around him had exhausted me. But with Matthew... I felt like I could breathe. For the first time in years, I felt safe enough to simply be myself.

I smiled, remembering how our goodbye embraces had grown longer each night. First just a quick hug after dinner at the community center, then a lingering hold after our walks around the grounds. Last night, we'd stood outside my door for nearly five minutes, neither of us wanting to let go.

*He smells like home,* Kaia sighed contentedly within me.

*He's just being nice,* I argued half-heartedly.

*Nice? Is that what you call it when his heart races every time you touch him?* Kaia teased. *You can hear it too, don't pretend you can't.*

I rolled onto my side, burying my face in the pillow to hide my smile from no one but myself. Kaia was right. My wolf had always been more honest about my feelings than I allowed myself to be.

*Just admit it,* Kaia pushed. *Your heart is already his.*

The memory of last night's goodbye kiss flooded through me. Matthew's technique was improving daily—not that he'd been bad before, but now he seemed to know exactly how to make my breath catch. The way his hands cradled my face, the gentle pressure of his lips that deepened just enough to make me...

I blushed, remembering the small moan that had escaped me. I hadn't meant to make that sound, but I couldn't help it. His kiss had sent waves of warmth through my entire body.

Matthew had frozen when he heard it, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. The moonlight had caught the gold flecks in his eyes, turning them almost luminous. The desire there had been unmistakable, primal yet controlled. He'd swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly against my cheeks.

"Julia," he'd whispered, his voice rough with restraint.

But he hadn't pushed further. He'd simply pressed his forehead to mine, taken a deep breath, and stepped back. Always respectful. Always letting me set the pace.

I wondered what would happen after our research project ended tomorrow. Would we continue seeing each other? Would our relationship deepen? The thought sent a thrill of both excitement and nervousness through me.

---

I woke the next morning with butterflies in my stomach. Today marked the official end of our research project at Spring Valley. After weeks of data collection, interviews, and analysis, we'd be presenting our findings to the committee and wrapping everything up.

Standing before my closet, I bit my lip, considering my options more carefully than usual. I finally selected a professional navy blue dress that hugged my curves without being too obvious. Then, after a moment's hesitation, I opened my underwear drawer and pulled out the matching lace set I rarely wore.

*Just in case,* I told myself, ignoring Kaia's knowing chuckle.

The day passed in a blur of activity. Final team meetings, data compilation, a long conference call with Professor Andrews about our findings. Through it all, I kept glancing at doors and hallways, hoping to catch a glimpse of Matthew. But he was nowhere to be found.

By late afternoon, a knot of worry had formed in my stomach. Had I misread things? Was he avoiding me now that the project was ending? Perhaps he'd just been polite all along, and now that his obligation to host our research team was concluding, he was pulling away.

*Don't be ridiculous,* Kaia scolded. *You know that's not true.*

But doubt is a persistent shadow, especially for someone who's been rejected before.

After dinner, I made a decision. I'd go find him. I could use the research report as an excuse—we did need Alpha approval before submitting our findings. It was perfectly reasonable for me to seek him out.

I walked to the administrative wing where Matthew's office was located, trying to appear casual, as though I were simply taking an evening stroll. I passed his door once, then twice, pretending to admire the artwork hanging in the hallway.

Half an hour later, there was still no sign of him. I considered knocking, but what if he wasn't alone? What if I seemed too eager? What if—

*You're overthinking again,* Kaia interrupted. *Just knock.*

I raised my hand, hesitated, then let it fall back to my side. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should just go back to my room and wait until tomorrow. If Matthew wanted to see me, he knew where to find me.

With a sigh of defeat, I turned and headed back toward the residential wing, my heart heavy with disappointment.

---

As I rounded the corner to my hallway, I stopped dead in my tracks. There, standing in front of my door with his hand raised as if about to knock, was Matthew. His back was to me, and he seemed to be having some sort of internal debate, his hand moving forward and then pulling back uncertainly.

My heart suddenly raced, and Kaia practically spun in circles inside me. Without thinking, I hurried forward.

"Matthew?" I called.

He turned, surprise registering on his face, followed by a warm smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. Before I could overthink it, I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around him.

He caught me easily, strong arms wrapping around my waist as he lifted me slightly off the ground. His scent enveloped me—pine and earth and something uniquely him.

"I thought you were inside," he said as he set me down gently. "I've been standing here trying to decide if I should knock or if it was too late."

I looked up at him, taking in his slightly rumpled hair and the way his ears had turned pink at the tips. "Too late? It's barely past eight."

He laughed, a deep rumble I could feel through his chest. "I know, but I wasn't sure if you'd be tired after your big presentation today. How did it go, by the way? I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"It went well," I said, not wanting to waste time on research talk. "Where were you all day? I looked for you."

"You did?" His expression brightened, then turned sheepish. "I had to handle a situation at the northern border. One of the neighboring packs had some questions about territory markers. Nothing serious, but it took longer than expected."

I nodded, still acutely aware that we were standing very close, his hands resting lightly on my hips. "So... you were about to knock on my door?" I asked, a teasing note entering my voice. "If you thought I was inside, why were you hesitating?"

Matthew's ears turned an even deeper shade of red. "I... well..."

"You what?" I pressed, enjoying his flustered state.