From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Julia’s POV

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The sting of the woman’s slap lingered on my cheek, but I didn’t flinch or raise my hand to the spot that surely showed her handprint. I

deserved it. I deserved much worse.

From her words, I recognized the couple standing before me as Daniel’s parents, Claire and Richard Wright. Daniel had mentioned them before, saying they would surely like me. I never imagined our first meeting would be under these circumstances.

“Our son never had a single problem until he met you,” Claire continued, her voice dripping with venom. “Coming home reeking of

alcohol, God knows what else you’ve been doing.”

I stood there in the sterile hospital hallway, accepting every word like penance. My disheveled appearance-wrinkled sweatpants, tangled hair, and yes, probably the lingering smell of whiskey-only reinforced her accusations. What kind of person shows up to a hospital like

this? The kind who drove her boyfriend right into danger’s path.

“Claire.” Richard placed a restraining hand on his wife’s arm. He was tall with Daniel’s green eyes, but they lacked the warmth that made

Daniel’s gaze so comforting. “Not now. Daniel is what matters.”

His voice was quiet but carried the unmistakable authority of a businessman accustomed to being obeyed. Despite his calm demeanor, I

could see the worry etched into the lines around his eyes.

Claire shot me another venomous look before allowing herself to be guided to a row of uncomfortable-looking chairs outside the operating room. I sank down on a bench opposite them, my body trembling with exhaustion and guilt.

He’s fighting for his life because of you, I told myself.

We don’t know that, Kaia responded, trying to comfort me. Nathan might not have-

Stop. Just stop. I cut her off. I didn’t deserve comfort or excuses.

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, harsh and unforgiving. Minutes stretched into hours as we sat in that frozen tableau-Claire’s eyes burning holes through me whenever she looked up, Richard typing occasional messages on his phone with mechanical precision, and me, curled into myself on the hard bench, shivering despite the hospital’s warmth.

Outside the windows, night gradually gave way to dawn. The soft pink light filtering through the blinds seemed obscene in its beauty, a cruel reminder that the world continued turning while Daniel fought for each breath behind those operating room doors.

He was only out there because of me. My thoughts circled like vultures. He went for a run because I threw myself at him. Because I was drunk

and desperate and pathetic.

I remembered how gently he had pushed me away, how he had refused to take advantage of my vulnerability. He’d gone out to clear his head, to run off the tension so he wouldn’t cross a line. And what had he encountered out there in the darkness? Nathan? A rogue?

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Chapter 46

Whatever it was, it had torn into him because of me.

Check on him, Kaia urged. Use the mindlink.

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I closed my eyes, reaching out through our tentative connection. Daniel? Can you feel me?

There was nothing but the faintest flutter, like the pulse of a dying butterfly’s wings. He was still there, but barely.

The sudden appearance of a surgeon in blue scrubs jerked me to my feet. Dr. Martinez, according to his name tag, looked exhausted, his surgical mask hanging around his neck. Before I could step forward, Claire was there, pushing past me with enough force to send me

stumbling backward.

I caught myself against the wall and stayed there, not daring to approach. But I strained to hear every word.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wright, your son is stable,” the doctor began, and I nearly collapsed with relief. “The surgery was successful, but his injuries were extensive. He had multiple lacerations across his torso and back, three broken ribs, and a minor lung perforation. The injuries were severe enough to overwhelm his natural healing abilities, but after the surgery and some recovery time, his body should gradually heal

itself.”

Claire let out a sob, her composure finally cracking as she sagged against Richard’s chest.

“The wounds are… unusual,” Dr. Martinez continued, his voice dropping slightly. “The pattern suggests some kind of large animal attack.

Has your son mentioned hiking or camping recently?”

Animal attack. The doctor’s euphemism for what we all knew-claw marks from another wolf.

“Can I see him?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

Three pairs of eyes turned to me-the doctor’s professional and neutral, Richard’s assessing, and Claire’s still blazing with hatred despite

her tears.

“He’s being moved to ICU now,” Dr. Martinez explained. “Family can visit in about twenty minutes, two at a time, for short periods only.”

I nodded and took a step back. “His parents will go,” I said quietly.

Claire’s expression shifted slightly-the hatred remained, but now mixed with something like confusion. Perhaps she’d expected me to

fight for my right to see him.

After the doctor left, I moved to the large window overlooking the ICU ward. From a distance, I could see nurses preparing a bed, attaching monitors and IV stands. Twenty minutes later, they wheeled Daniel in.

My heart clenched painfully at the sight of him. His normally tan skin was ashen, stark against the white bandages wrapped around his torso. Tubes and wires connected him to various machines, each beep and flash a reminder of how precarious his condition was.

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Chapter 46

If I lose him too… The thought was too painful to complete.

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He will live, Kaia growled fiercely. And whoever did this will pay.

I watched as Claire and Richard entered the ICU, hovering at Daniel’s bedside. Claire stroked his hair with trembling fingers, while Richard stood stiffly at the foot of the bed, his knuckles white where he gripped the railing.

When a nurse-Melissa, according to her badge, the same one who had called me-exited the ICU, I intercepted her.

“Who brought him in?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Who found him?”

Melissa glanced around before answering quietly. “A young man named Eric. Said he was out for a late-night drive and found him on the

side of the road.”

Eric. My brother. The shock hit me like another slap.

“He was covered in blood,” she continued. “Looked injured himself, but he refused treatment. Just made sure Daniel got admitted and then

left.”

I stared at her, trying to process this information. Eric had saved Daniel? The same Eric who had been furious about our relationship, who

had threatened to tell Nathan?

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