From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Julia’s POV

It was 4 AM when I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Matthew who had finally fallen into a deep sleep after days of helping organize our chaotic

response to the crisis. The floorboards creaked slightly as I tiptoed to the makeshift desk we’d set up in the corner of our temporary quarters.

The soft glow of my laptop illuminated the darkness as I logged into the medical center’s database. I rubbed my eyes, fighting the exhaustion that had become my constant companion over the past week. Since accepting the role as Star Shadow’s temporary leader during this crisis, sleep had become a luxury

I could rarely afford.

My fingers moved mechanically over the keyboard, pulling up the latest infection reports. I held my breath as the data populated the screen, But as the numbers materialized, I couldn’t stop the small smile that formed on my lips.

“Down,” I whispered to myself, scrolling through the charts. “Down for the third consecutive day.”

afraid to hope.

New cases had dropped by nearly thirty percent. Hospital admissions had plateaued. The experimental treatment protocols were working. For the first time since this nightmare began, I allowed myself to feel something other than dread. Hope–fragile and tentative–unfurled in my chest.

You did it, Kaia, my wolf, rumbled with pride.

We did it, I corrected her. All of us.

Matthew is awake, she alerted me.

#

I turned to find Matthew watching me from the bed, his eyes reflecting the blue light from my laptop screen. I didn’t need to tell him–he already knew

from my expression.

Good news? he sent through our mind link, his mental voice warm and intimate.

The best, I replied, feeling tears of relief prick at the corners of my eyes.

Hours later, after we’d both managed a few more hours of desperately needed sleep, Matthew spread a stack of papers across the breakfast table. His hair was still damp from the shower, and despite the exhaustion lingering in his eyes, there was a fresh energy about him.

“I’ve reorganized the volunteer shifts,” he explained, pointing to a complex chart. “The 12–hour rotations to six–hour shifts with twelve hours between rotations.”

I studied his work, impressed by the elegant efficiency. “This is brilliant.”

were burning people out too quickly. I’ve switched

“And look at this,” he continued, sliding the

document toward me. “I’ve implemented a new tracking system for medication dispersal. Every dose is accounted for, with priority triage codes determining distribution when supplies are limited.”

My eyes widened as I flipped through his detailed system. In just days, Matthew had revolutionized our resource management. While I’d been focused on treating patients and developing protocols, he’d quietly built an infrastructure around me that maximized every resource we had.

“How did you come up with all this?” I asked, genuinely impressed.

Matthew shrugged, but I could see the pride in his eyes. “Similar challenges in Spring Valley last year when we had those wildfires. Different emergency, same logistics problems.”

1/2

16:05 Wed, Apr 29 ****

Chapter 188

I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “This is why we make such a good team. I treat the patients-

*~and I make sure you have what you need to do it,” he finished, interlacing his fingers with mine.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify