Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 101

**He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 101**

Natalia

“Damon!” Panic surged through me, propelling me forward as I pushed past the bewildered warriors. I dropped to my knees beside him, my heart racing. His face was eerily slack, and a thin stream of blood trickled from the gash at his temple where Andrei had struck him. The sight sent a jolt of fear through me.

I pressed my fingers against his neck, desperately searching for a pulse. It was there—steady and reassuring. A wave of relief washed over me, but it was quickly overshadowed by a searing anger as I glanced up to find Andrei looming over us, a smug expression plastered on his face.

“What the hell did you do?” I spat, my voice low and dangerous.

“He’ll be fine. Just knocked out,” he replied nonchalantly, as if that made everything alright.

Two of the Ashmoor guards stepped forward, their movements careful as they lifted Damon between them. He began to stir, a groan escaping his lips, which was a small comfort. Yet, the possibility of a concussion lingered in the back of my mind, and I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet.

“Get him to the infirmary,” I commanded, rising to my feet and brushing the dirt from my knees. The guards nodded, their expressions serious as they carried Damon away, his head lolling against one guard’s shoulder like a rag doll.

I turned my ire back on Andrei, who was now basking in the congratulations of his fellow warriors, their hands slapping him on the back in a show of camaraderie. Lilith had wrapped her arms around his waist, her eyes sparkling as she cooed over him like he was some kind of champion.

It was infuriating. Here he was, celebrating, while I was left to deal with the aftermath of his reckless actions. He had just knocked his supposed “ally” out cold during what was meant to be a friendly spar.

“A word,” I snapped, my tone leaving no room for argument. Without waiting for his acknowledgment, I stalked a few paces away from the group, my heart pounding with a mix of frustration and concern.

To my surprise, Andrei followed, peeling himself away from Lilith’s grasp. He approached me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something like guilt in his eyes, though it was quickly masked by his usual bravado.

“Was that really necessary?” I growled, my voice low but fierce. “Knocking him out? You’re supposed to be brothers.”

“It was a fair fight,” Andrei replied, his voice steady. “He knew what he was getting into.”

“You could have given him brain damage with that move,” I shot back, my anger flaring once more.

“He’s fine. I know how to pull my punches,” he insisted, but I could hear the underlying defensiveness in his tone.

I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Right. Because you’ve always been so concerned about Damon’s wellbeing.”

“Nothing? It could get infected!” she exclaimed, tugging insistently at his arm. “Come on, let me clean it up for you.”

Andrei hesitated, clearly reluctant, but he allowed himself to be led to a nearby bench. Lilith took charge immediately, barking orders at one of the warriors to fetch her some water and a cloth. Viktor complied, returning moments later with a small basin of water and a clean rag.

“I’ll take care of this,” Lilith declared, dipping the cloth into the water and wringing it out with determination.

I watched with a mix of amusement and secondhand embarrassment as she approached Andrei with the cloth. Her movements were clumsy and uncertain, a stark contrast to the haughty confidence she usually exuded.

After a minute of futile dabbing, she seemed to realize she was getting nowhere. “This is too dry,” she complained, her brow furrowing in frustration. “I need something to soak it with.”

Alina, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly piped up, “There should be some antiseptic in the first aid kit in the barracks.”

“I’ll get it,” Lilith said quickly, rising to her feet and shoving the cloth into Alina’s hands. “And I’ll find a proper nurse while I’m at it, if there are even any trained professionals around here.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “This needs stitches.” With that, she hurried off toward the barracks.

As soon as she was out of sight, I rolled my eyes, exasperated. “Let me see it,” I said, snatching the cloth from Alina and stepping closer to Andrei. He looked surprised but didn’t protest as I tilted his head to get a better look at the cut. It was deeper than I had initially thought, slicing cleanly through his eyebrow, and I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of irritation and concern for him.