From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114

“Exactly! I kept catching myself thinking in Alpha mode–assessing

threats, planning contingencies–when I should have just been

enjoying her company.” I shook my head at my own ridiculousness.

“But then… she smiled. A real smile, not the polite one she gives at

pack meetings. And suddenly, I felt like I’d accomplished something

more important than any Alpha duty.”

As we talked, I remembered how Julia had gradually relaxed

throughout dinner, her shoulders lowering, her laugh becoming more

frequent. The way she’d leaned forward when discussing her research,

eyes bright with passion. How different she was from the guarded,

tense woman who’d first arrived at Spring Valley.

“The strangest part,” I said more quietly, “was realizing that thoughts

of Rachel didn’t bring the usual knife–twist of pain.”

James went still, his joking manner fading. Rachel had been his friend

too.

“I still felt her absence,” I clarified. “But it was… gentler somehow.

Like a sad echo rather than an open wound.” I struggled to explain

the complex emotions. “With Rachel, everything was instinctive–the

mate bond guided us. With Julia, there’s no mystical connection

telling me what to do or how to feel. Every moment is a choice, every

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Chapter 114

connection something we have to build ourselves.”

“And that’s… good?” James asked carefully.

“It’s real,” I replied. “It’s earned. There’s something precious about

that.”

I didn’t tell him about the walk after dinner–how carefully I’d

measured the distance between us, close enough to talk easily but not

so close that Julia might feel trapped. How the moonlight had filtered

through the trees, painting silver patterns across her face when we’d

stopped by the stream.

“I rehearsed asking for that kiss about fifty times in my head,” I

admitted. “I was terrified she’d say no. More terrified I’d offend her by

asking.”

“And?” James prompted.

“And none of your techniques mattered,” I said with a small smile.

“There was no calculated angle or perfect pressure. Just… her. Just

us.”

The moment her lips had met mine, Hati had practically danced with

joy inside me. Not the desperate howling relief of a mate bond, but

something quieter and just as powerful–a connection forged through

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Chapter 114

choice rather than fate.

“I walked her back to her quarters afterward,” I continued. “The whole

time I wanted to reach for her hand, but I didn’t want to push.” I’d

settled for a gentle kiss on her knuckles at her door, savoring the soft

intake of her breath.

James studied me with an unusually serious expression. “You know,

for all your overthinking and preparation, it sounds like things went

perfectly.”

“They did,” I agreed. “But not because of my planning. It worked

because it was her. Because it was us.”

We reached the end of the hallway, where James would head to the

nursery to check on Olivia and the baby, and I would continue to my

office.

“Rachel would be happy for you,” James said quietly. “She’d want this

for you.”

I nodded, throat tight. “I know.”

As James turned to leave, he called over his shoulder, “Next time,

maybe skip the five outfit changes, though!”

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