From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 101

From Rejected Mate to Luna

Chapter 101

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.

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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?

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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.”

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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 hésitation.

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“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.”

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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.

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