From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 221

Chapter 221

Julia’s POV

I woke to the sensation of fingers tracing lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. Sunlight streamed through the bedroom

window of my apartment, casting a golden glow across the rumpled sheets. Before I even opened my eyes, I could feel

Matthew’s presence–not just physically beside me, but inside my mind, a warm, steady pulse of contentment and love.

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My hand instinctively moved to the place where my neck met my shoulder. The mark he’d left last night was tender, but

not painful. More like a pleasant reminder of what had passed between us. I turned my head and found Matthew watching

me with amber–flecked eyes, his face softer than I’d ever seen it.

“Morning,” I whispered, voice still rough with sleep.

He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead, then my cheek, then finally

my mouth. Through our newly formed bond, I felt his happiness wash over me–bright and overwhelming, like standing in

direct sunlight after months in shadow.

“I can feel you,” I said with wonder, tapping my temple. “Not just your emotions, but… you. It’s like you’re everywhere.”

Matthew smiled, pulling me closer until I was nestled against his chest. “That’s the matebond. It’ll settle some over the

next few days, become less intrusive.”

“I don’t mind,” I admitted, relaxing into his warmth. “It feels right.”

His arms tightened around me, and I felt a rumble of satisfaction in his chest that was more wolf than man. Through our

connection, I sensed his relief–the deep–seated fear that I might regret the mark had been gnawing at him even as I slept.

“Never,” I murmured, answering his unspoken worry. “I chose you, Matthew. No regrets.”

Matthew responded by pulling me even closer, his arms tightening around my body as he captured my lips in a deep,

tender kiss. Through our bond, I could feel his gratitude and love washing over me like warm waves.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were glowing with an intensity that made my heart race. The security of being in his

embrace, the gentle strength in his touch–it felt like coming home after being lost for years. I nestled against him,

savoring the contentment that settled over us both.

We lay that way for nearly an hour, limbs entangled, heartbeats synchronized. I could have stayed forever, but eventually

my stomach growled loudly enough to break the spell.

“Breakfast?” Matthew suggested, though he made no move to release me.

“Mmm, coffee first,” I replied, attempting to disentangle myself.

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Chapter 221

To my surprise, Matthew’s arms tightened. “Five more minutes,” he said, nuzzling into my hair.

I laughed. “I thought Alpha wolves were early risers. Shouldn’t you be up running the pack or something?”

“Pack can wait,” he growled softly. “My mate needs attention.”

The possessive edge in his voice sent a shiver down my spine–not unpleasant, but unexpected. Through our bond, I

sensed a new intensity to his emotions, a fierce protectiveness that hadn’t been there before.

“Matthew,” I said gently, pushing against his chest. “Coffee. Now. Please.”

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With obvious reluctance, he loosened his hold just enough for me to slip free. I grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on, feeling his eyes track my every movement as I padded toward my small kitchen.

As I measured coffee grounds, I heard him approach from behind. Before I could turn, his arms encircled my waist, and he pressed his face into the crook of my neck, directly over his mark.

“You’re being very clingy this morning,” I observed, trying to reach the coffee filters with him attached to my back like a

second skin.

“Mmm, he acknowledged without apology. “Side effect of the marking. It’ll ease up in a day or two.”

I turned in his arms, raising an eyebrow. And you didn’t think to mention this before?”

His sheepish smile made it hard to be truly annoyed. “Would it have changed your mind?”

‘No, I admitted, reaching up to touch his face. “But a little warning would have been nice. I do need to actually move around today.”

Matthew caught my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. “I know. I’ll try to behave.”

“Try harder,” I said, but softened it with a smile.

Somehow, we managed to prepare breakfast with Matthew never more than arm’s length away. Every few minutes, he would find some excuse to touch me–tucking hair behind my ear, brushing his fingers across my lower back, stealing kisses between sips of coffee. While part of me found it endearing, another part worried about how we’d function in public if he couldn’t stop touching me for even five minutes.

“I should shower, I announced after finishing my toast. ‘Alone, I added when his eyes lit up.

Matthew’s disappointment pulsed through our bond, but he nodded. I’ll clean up here.”

The hot water was heavenly against my skin, washing away the pleasant soreness of the previous night. I took my time, savoring the rare moment of solitude. As much as I loved Matthew, the intensity of his focus was overwhelming. I needed

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Chapter 221

these few minutes to just be Julia, to remember where I ended and he began.

When I emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I found fresh clothes laid out on the bed–my favorite jeans and a

soft blue sweater Matthew had seen me wear countless times before. The domesticity of the gesture made my heart swell.

“Thank you,” I called out.

“Anything for you,” came his immediate reply from the living room.

I dressed quickly and found him waiting by the door, leaning against the frame with an easy grace that still made my heart

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