From Rejected Mate to Luna Chapter 97

Julia's POV

I woke gradually, warmth surrounding me like a cocoon. The steady rise and fall of Matthew's chest beneath my cheek was better than any alarm clock I'd ever known. Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting golden patterns across the rumpled sheets. For a moment, I just breathed him in—pine and earth and something uniquely *him*—feeling a contentment that seemed almost foreign after years of anxiety.

My wolf, Kaia, stretched lazily inside me. *Good morning,* she purred.

I tilted my face up to find Matthew already awake, watching me with soft eyes.

"How long have you been awake?" I whispered, not wanting to break the spell of this perfect morning.

His fingers traced lazy patterns on my shoulder. "A while. I like watching you sleep."

"That's not creepy at all," I teased, feeling his chest rumble with quiet laughter.

His arms tightened around me, and I melted further into his embrace. Yesterday had been perfect in the most unexpected way. I'd planned to study at the university library, but the thought of spending hours away from Matthew had made my chest ache. So instead, I'd brought my textbooks to his apartment.

We'd spent the day in comfortable silence—me sprawled on his couch with my nursing texts, him reviewing security reports at the dining table. Occasionally he'd bring me tea or I'd read him an interesting medical fact. It was so simple, yet I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so... at home.

"What are you thinking about?" Matthew's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Yesterday," I admitted. "How nice it was, just being in the same space with you."

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "My wolf agrees. Hati kept saying, 'She's here, she's safe, all is right.'"

"Kaia too," I said. "She's usually so restless, but yesterday she was just... content."

Matthew's hand traveled up my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. "And how about you?" His voice deepened slightly. "Were you content too?"

I pressed a kiss to his collarbone, loving how his breath caught. "Very."

It still amazed me how comfortable I'd become with him so quickly. Last night, getting ready for bed, I'd spotted two new toothbrushes in his bathroom—one already used (his), one still in its packaging (for me). Such a small thing, but it had made my heart swell. He hadn't mentioned it, hadn't made a big production. He'd simply made space for me in his life, assuming I'd want to stay.

And I had stayed, curling up beside him in bed, talking late into the night about everything and nothing. No pressure, no expectations—just connection.

I looked up to meet his eyes, finding them bright with emotion. The kiss that followed was gentle, unhurried—a promise rather than a demand.

When we finally pulled apart, I glanced at the clock and groaned. "I have to get up. Early class."

"Skip it," he suggested, trailing kisses down my neck.

I laughed, reluctantly pulling away. "Nice try, Alpha. Some of us still have degrees to finish."

With a dramatic sigh, he released me. "Go on then. Abandon me for education."

I rolled my eyes and headed for the bathroom, grabbing my overnight bag on the way. The warm water felt heavenly as I tried to wake up fully, my mind drifting to the day ahead. I had Pathophysiology at nine, then clinical rotations at—

"Julia?" Matthew's voice came through the bathroom door, interrupting my mental scheduling. "You have a phone call."

I frowned, shutting off the water. "Who is it?"

"The caller ID says 'Luna Emma'."

My stomach dropped. Luna Emma—Nathan's mother. Why would she be calling me?

"I'll be right out," I called, quickly wrapping a towel around myself.

When I emerged, Matthew held my phone with a concerned expression. "You don't have to take it."

"No, it's okay." I reached for the phone, trying to ignore the dread pooling in my stomach. "I'll see what she wants."

Matthew nodded and stepped away to give me privacy, though I knew his enhanced hearing would pick up both sides of the conversation regardless.

"Hello?" I said, keeping my voice neutral.

"Julia, dear." Emma's voice was warm but strained. "I hope I'm not calling too early."

"It's fine. Is everything... okay?"

She paused, and I could almost picture her perfectly manicured nails tapping against something as she considered her words. "We need you to come back to Star Shadow. Alpha Reynolds and I have important matters to discuss with you."

My grip tightened on the phone. "What kind of matters?"

"It's best we speak in person," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument despite its surface politeness.

I closed my eyes, fighting the instinctive urge to agree immediately. I didn't owe them immediate obedience.

"I have classes," I said finally. "I could come this weekend."

Another pause. "Saturday morning would be acceptable. We'll expect you by nine."

"I'll be there," I promised, suddenly exhausted despite just waking up.

"Thank you, Julia. This is important." With that, she disconnected.

I stared at the phone in my hand, feeling oddly disconnected from my body. Whatever Emma wanted, it couldn't be good. After everything with Nathan, after his attempt to force a mating mark on me—what could they possibly want to discuss?

"You okay?" Matthew asked, moving back to my side.

"I don't know." I set the phone down and finished drying off, slipping into the clothes I'd laid out. "She wants me to come back to Star Shadow on Saturday. Wouldn't say why."

Matthew's expression darkened. "I don't like it."

"That makes two of us." I ran a brush through my wet hair, movements sharper than necessary. "I don't even understand why I have to go running back every time they snap their fingers. I'm an adult. I've made my own life."

"You don't have to go," he said quietly.

I sighed. "Yes, I do. If I don't, they'll just keep calling. Besides, I need to know what they want."

Matthew hesitated, then stepped closer. "You know," he began, voice careful, "if we marked each other, you'd officially be part of Spring Valley. They'd have no claim on you at all."

The suggestion hung in the air between us. My heart raced at the thought—being Matthew's, belonging to Spring Valley permanently. Part of me wanted to say yes immediately, to let him claim me right then and there.

But another part held back.

"I need more time," I admitted softly. "Not because I don't want it. I do. I just... there's so much happening, and I'm still figuring out who I am without Nathan's shadow hanging over me."

Instead of disappointment, Matthew's face showed nothing but understanding. He cupped my cheek gently. "I'll wait as long as you need. There's no rush."

Relief washed through me. "Thank you."

"Just promise me you'll be careful on Saturday," he said. "Take Jason with you—he's requested to be your security detail specifically. Says he owes you for not believing you about Nathan."

I nodded, grateful for the protection but still uneasy about the upcoming meeting.

"I don't like that pack," I confessed. "I never felt like I belonged there, even before Nathan rejected me. Something about it always felt... off."

Matthew pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Trust your instincts. And remember, no matter what they say, you have a place here now. With me."

The words wrapped around me like a blanket, offering security I'd rarely felt before. Whatever Luna Emma wanted, whatever was waiting at Star Shadow, I would face it knowing I had something precious to return to.

Someone who chose me, even when fate hadn't.