From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Julia’s POV

I ran my finger along the edge of my laptop screen, the blue glow illuminating the small corner of the Star Shadow medical center I’d claimed as my

workspace. Three days of meticulous data entry had yielded disturbing results–this werewolf influenza strain was spreading twice as fast as previous

outbreaks. Worse, it seemed to target our accelerated metabolism, using our natural healing abilities against us.

The temporary medical center–really just a repurposed community hall–was quiet this early. Perfect for thinking without Nathan breathing down my neck. My daily reports to him had been exercises in restraint, each meeting a delicate balance between providing enough information to keep him satisfied while

enduring his smug superiority.

I pulled up the infection rate graphs one more time. The pattern was unmistakable: without intervention, we were looking at a 70% infection rate within two weeks. I printed the data, organizing it into a presentation folder. The medical committee met before the monthly pack meeting–my chance to propose comprehensive prevention protocols.

John Garcia, the pack’s lead medical tech, arrived as I was finishing.

“Those the numbers?” he asked, glancing at my folder.

I nodded. “It’s worse than we thought.”

“Nathan won’t like this,” he murmured, looking nervously toward the door.

“Nathan doesn’t have to like it,” I replied, more confidently than I felt. “He just has to implement it.”

I should have known better.

The medical committee meeting had gone reasonably well. Three of the five members agreed with my isolation and prevention recommendations, though none would openly endorse them at the pack meeting. I understood their reluctance–challenging an Alpha, especially one as volatile as Nathan, wasn’t

something done lightly.

Now I stood before the entire pack in the community center, my folder clutched against my chest, as Nathan’s derisive laughter cut through the room.

“Masks? Canceling gatherings?” His voice dripped with mockery. “Are we humans now, cowering from a little fever?”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I kept my voice steady. “This isn’t just a fever, Alpha. The data shows-

“The data.” Nathan’s eyes narrowed. He snatched the folder from my hands, flipping through it carelessly. “Fancy charts from our visiting nurse. Tell me, Julia, did Matthew Collins help you with these? Or is this Spring Valley propaganda you’re bringing into my pack?”

Heat rushed to my face, but I refused to be baited. “These are Star Shadow numbers, from our own clinic. If we don’t implement prevention measures-

“Enough.” Nathan’s voice dropped dangerously low. “You were allowed to stay to help treat patients, not to spread panic and undermine my authority.”

He turned to address the pack. “We are werewolves. Our bodies heal. This so–called ‘crisis‘ is being exaggerated.” He tossed my folder onto the floor, papers scattering. “I won’t have fear dividing us. All scheduled gatherings will continue as planned–including next week’s Moon Gathering.”

My wolf Kaia snarled inside me as Nathan’s dismissive gaze returned to me. And as for Nurse White, she is hereby restricted from any involvement in pack medical policy. She will treat patients under supervision and nothing more.”

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10:26 am Ppp

Chapter 178

The public humiliation burned, but I kept my expression neutral as I knelt to gather my scattered pagers.

“Het wrong. You know he’s wrong

The whispered words came from Hannah Jensen, a pack mother with three young children, as she closed my apartment door behind her. It was two days

after the meeting, and she was the fourth pack member to secretly seek my advice.

“We heard you have masks, the continued, glancing nervously at the window. “And instructions for staying safe.”

I retrieved a small package from beneath my kitchen sink–masks and printed prevention guidelines. “Wear these is crowds. Keep windows open. Samtice

surfaces.” I handed them to her. “And avoid the Moon Gathering if you can.”

“Nathan made attendance mandatory,‘ she replied grimly. “Called it a show of pack solidarity.”

After she left, I barely had time to hide my supplies before a soft knock came again. This time it was Eric.

“Here,” he said gruffly, thrusting a flash drive at me. “The real infection numbers. Medical staff’s been ordered to report only severe cases.”

I stared at him in shock. “Why are you helping me?”

He shrugged uncomfortably. “Maybe I don’t want Mom to get sick. Maybe I’m tired of Nathan’s bullshit. Just… be careful, Jules.

The Moon Gathering was exactly the scenario I’d warned against–over a hundred werewolves packed into the community center’s main hall, breathing the same recirculated air for hours. I stood near the back, counting the faces I recognized wearing masks despite Nathan’s ridicule. At least thirty pack members had found a way to follow my guidelines without openly defying their Alpha.

Nathan spotted me from his elevated position at the front. His eyes narrowed at the small cluster of mask–wearers near me.

“Brothers and sisters,” he announced, tonight we stand united as a pack, showing our strength in the face of adversity. Some would have us cower in isolation his gaze locked on mine, but true wolves face challenges together, not hiding behind fear and fabric.”

Several people shifted uncomfortably. I saw Hannah Jensen pull her children closer, masks firmly in place despite the Alpha’s words.

Nathan continued his speech, but I tuned him out, watching instead the undercurrents moving through the crowd. More than fear of the virus, I sensed growing doubt. Pack members exchanging glances, noticing who was masked and who wasn’t, calculating risks and loyalties.

As I left that night, John fell into step beside me.

“You made your point without saying a word, he murmured. “People notice.”

“It won’t matter if they get sick,” I replied.

His hand briefly touched my arm. It matters that they had a choice.”

One week after the Moon Gathering, the infection numbers exploded exactly as I’d predicted. The medical center overflowed, emergency cots lining the hallways. I worked eighteen–hour shifts, treating coughs, fevers, and the distinctive purple–tinged pneumonia unique to werewolf influenza.

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