From Rejected Mate to Luna (Julia White) novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63

And it was. Amber’s excitement was the first genuine warmth I’d experienced in weeks that didn’t come with strings attached or hidden

agendas.

Amber flopped onto my bed, watching as I continued unpacking. Her eyes scanned the room, and I saw the moment she noticed something was different.

‘Hey, where’s that cute photo frame Daniel gave you? The silver one with the wolves?” She pointed to my empty desk where it had once

stood.

I swallowed hard, keeping my back to her as I folded a sweater. “I needed to… clear some things. Clear my head.”

“Oh.” The single syllable held understanding. That was the thing about Amber-for all her chatter, she could be remarkably perceptive.

“Bad Christmas break?”

“You could say that,” I mumbled, grateful that she didn’t push.

“Well, my break was insane. My little brother got a drum set-a DRUM SET-and my parents expected me not to lose my mind.” She launched into a story about her family’s holiday chaos, giving me time to compose myself.

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Eventually, she circled back to the topic I’d been dreading. “So how did it go with Daniel meeting your family? Was your brother as much

of a jerk as you expected?”

My fingers froze, tangling in the shirt I was folding. I could feel my hands begin to tremble slightly, and I set the garment down before

Amber could notice.

“We, um…” I took a deep breath, the words sticking in my throat. “We broke up.”

Amber sat bolt upright, her mouth dropping open. “What? When? Why?” Her shock quickly morphed into anger. “What did he do? That asshole! I knew he was too perfect! Did he cheat? Is there someone else?”

Kaia growled low in my mind, bristling at the unfair accusations against Daniel. I shook my head quickly.

‘No, nothing like that. He didn’t do anything wrong.” My voice cracked slightly. “It was my decision.”

Amber’s eyes narrowed skeptically. “Your decision? But you were crazy about him. You never shut up about him-in a good way! What

happened?”

I twisted my fingers together, staring at my hands.

“We just…” I struggled to find words that weren’t complete lies. “We wanted different things. His family needs him back in their pack. It was for the best.”

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17:28 Tue, Jan 27

Chapter 63

Amber studied my face, and I knew she could tell I was holding back. But after a moment, she simply reached over and squeezed my hand.

“I’m sorry, Jules. Whatever happened, I’m here if you want to talk about it. Or if you want to never talk about it and just eat ice cream and

watch terrible movies instead.”

Relief washed through me, and I squeezed her hand back, grateful for her understanding. “Thank you.”

Amber, sensing my need for a subject change, brightened suddenly. “Oh! Did you hear about Professor Andrews’s special research project

for this semester?”

‘He sent me an email about it during break,” I said, grateful for the diversion. “How do you already know the details? Classes don’t start

until Monday.”

Amber grinned, tapping her nose conspiratorially. “I have my sources. Plus, I’m friendly with his TA.”

“Of course you are,” I said, managing a small genuine smile.

“It’s supposed to be amazing-working with this community health initiative at Spring Valley. They’ve got some innovative programs at

their medical facilities.”

My heart skipped a beat. Spring Valley. My father had mentioned it was far enough from Nathan’s territory to be safe.

“When does it start?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

“Probably in about a week,” Amber replied, leaning back on my pillows. “That’s how these things usually go-let everyone get settled into

the new semester first.”

“You always know more than me,” I said, the teasing tone almost feeling natural.

“I’m just more socially skilled than some book nerds I know,” she retorted with a playful wink,

My phone chimed with an email notification. I glanced at the screen to see Professor Andrews’s name: “Research Project Details-Meeting

Friday 2 PM.”

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17:28 Tue, Jan 27