From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Eric’s POV

ଝନ୍ତ (72.

I drove toward home with trembling hands, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. The metallic tang of blood-Daniel’s blood- filled the car, clinging to my clothes, my skin, my hair. I’d tried scrubbing my hands in the hospital bathroom, but rust-colored stains

remained embedded in my cuticles and the creases of my palms.

My mind kept replaying the events of the last few hours in horrifying detail. Lisa’s questions about Julia’s symptoms. My growing suspicion. The sickening realization that had settled in my gut like a stone.

“What if Julia is Nathan’s mate?” Lisa had asked, her voice gentle but insistent. “Think about it, Eric. The timing after her awakening ceremony, her depression, how she flinches when he’s near…”

I’d refused to believe it at first. Nathan was my best friend, had been since we were pups. He would never-

But he had.

I’d kissed Lisa, my mind already racing. “I need to talk to Nathan,” I’d told her, my voice strained. “I need to know the truth.”

“Be careful,” she’d whispered, worry clouding her eyes. “If he did reject Julia, he’s not who you thought he was.”.

The memory of opening that mindlink made my jaw clench. It had been immediate, razor-sharp after years of friendship.

I hadn’t bothered with preamble. “Julia is your fucking fated mate, isn’t she?”

The silence had stretched, broken only by a wave of shock that wasn’t mine. Then came a cold fury that sent chills down my spine.

“Who told you that?” His mental voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Was it her? That little bitch promised she’d keep our secret.

Maddox had growled deep in my consciousness. “So it’s true,” I’d pressed. “You rejected my sister. Your mate.

“She’s not worthy to be my mate,” he’d spat back, contempt dripping from every word. “Never was. I deserve better than damaged goods like

her,

Rage had coursed through me, hot and blinding. “You’ve been torturing her for years. Making her life hell. My sister-

“Your sister,” he’d cut me off, “should have kept her mouth shut. And if she can’t, maybe I need to shut it permanently.”

The threat had been unmistakable. My blood had turned to ice.

“Are you threatening to kill her?” I’d asked, unable to believe what I was hearing. “Do you know what you’re saying? Killing a wolf from your

own pack?”

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17:24 Tue, Jan 27

Chapter 50

His laughter-cold, calculated-had echoed in my mind. “You remind me of something Interesting, Eric. She is from our pack, yes. But not everyone is. A pause, heavy with malice. “There’s someone on my territory right now who needs to be taught a lesson about boundaries. Someone who should know better than to touch what’s mine.”

Daniel. He meant Daniel.

I severed the link instantly, panic surging through me. “Lisa!” I shouted, already running for the door. “I have to go. Daniel’s in danger!”

Her face paled with understanding. “Go,” she urged, pressing her keys into my hand. “My car’s faster than yours.”

I kissed her once more, fierce and desperate. “I’ll call you when I can.”

72

I barely remember the drive to our territory borders, my hands shaking on the wheel, mind racing with terrible possibilities. The moment I reached the forest edge, I abandoned the car, stripped, and shifted into my wolf form in one fluid motion. My paws hit the earth

running, desperate instinct driving me forward.

The forest blurred around me as I raced through familiar paths, scenting the air frantically for any trace of Daniel or Nathan. Nothing at first-just the usual forest smells, pine needles and damp earth. Then a faint copper note caught my attention, making my hackles rise.

Blood. Fresh blood.

I changed direction, following the strengthening scent toward the eastern boundary, where our protective markings began to thin. The smell grew stronger with each stride, my heart pounding against my ribs in dreaded anticipation of what I might find. As I cleared a dense thicket of undergrowth, the full coppery wave hit me like a physical force.

What I found there would haunt me forever.

Nathan’s massive black wolf hunched over Daniel’s broken human form, jaws wet with blood. Daniel’s chest barely moved, each shallow breath pushing more red onto the fallen leaves beneath him. The scene had frozen me for one horrifying second-my best friend, my future Alpha, trying to kill an innocent male wolf whose only crime was loving my sister.

With a roar of fury I hadn’t known I possessed, I’d launched myself at Nathan. The impact had sent us both rolling through the underbrush, snapping and snarling. In my rage, I’d forgotten he was bigger, stronger. But I’d had surprise on my side.

Nathan had shifted back to human form, standing naked and unrepentant while Daniel bled out on the forest floor. Blood matted his hair, streaked his chin. He’d wiped it away almost casually.

“He wandered out of the safe zone,” Nathan had said with a shrug. The lie had been so obvious it made my fur bristle.

I’d shifted too, uncaring of my nakedness, pointing at Daniel’s wrist where the temporary marking tattoo was clearly visible. “He’s a registered guest with full access to our territory,” I’d snarled. “You know that,”

Nathan’s smile had turned cruel. “She’s my property. Everything about her belongs to me.”

In that moment, the friend I’d known since childhood had vanished. The person standing before me was a stranger with familiar features.

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Chapter 50

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I’d turned my back on him-something you never do to a dominant wolf-and rushed to Daniel. His pulse had been thready, his skin gray beneath the blood. Multiple gashes tore across his chest and abdomen, one dangerously close to his throat. Without immediate help, he

would die.

I’d lifted him as gently as possible, his blood soaking into my skin, and ran for my car. The drive to the hospital had been a blur of red lights and prayer, my hand pressed against his worst wounds, willing him to keep breathing.

A deer darting across the road snapped me back to the present. I swerved, heart hammering, and realized I’d almost missed the turn to

our house. My father would know what to do. He had to.

I pulled into the driveway, killed the engine, and sat for a moment, gathering my strength. My muscles ached from carrying Daniel, from the brief fight with Nathan. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the crushing weight of my guilt.

For years, I’d helped Nathan control Julia. I’d been an accomplice in my sister’s suffering, all because I’d been too blind, too loyal to the

wrong person, to see the truth.

The porch light flickered on. Dad must have heard me arrive. With a deep breath, I pushed open the car door, the smell of Daniel’s blood

rising from my clothes in the cold air.

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