Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 109

**He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 109**

**Chapter 109**

**Natalia**

I stood there, a mere spectator, as Andrei effortlessly lifted the heavy beam onto his shoulder. It was astonishing how he made it seem weightless, his muscles rippling beneath the snug fabric of his shirt. My heart raced, and I had to summon every ounce of willpower to keep my thoughts from drifting back to how those very muscles had pressed against me not long ago, igniting a fire within me that I desperately wanted to extinguish.

“I had it,” I muttered under my breath, forcing myself to look away, as if avoiding eye contact could somehow shield me from the magnetic pull he had on me.

“Oh, sure you did,” he replied, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

I huffed in response, turning my back on him, but not before catching that infuriating smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. What an insufferable jerk, I thought. He was relishing this moment, wasn’t he? Showing off, basking in my flustered state as I felt myself melting under his gaze. For him, this was a game of control, and I was just a pawn in his little charade.

Yet, despite my best efforts to look away, I found myself drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He climbed the ladder with one hand, the beam resting effortlessly on his shoulder, and I couldn’t help but admire the flex of his thighs straining against his pants, the way his broad back narrowed down to a trim waist. Each movement was a blend of raw power and effortless grace, laced with an arrogance that made my heart race.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. A vivid memory surged forth unbidden—his body, strong and commanding, moving over mine, his hips nestled between my thighs, fingers gripping my wrists, his mouth hot against my skin.

Heat crept up my ears, and I shifted uncomfortably, cursing under my breath. What was wrong with me? It felt as if I was in some primal state of longing, a creature in heat.

“Dammit,” I whispered to myself, turning away and snatching a hammer from the nearby toolbox. I needed to concentrate on anything—anything at all—other than Andrei and that infuriatingly perfect physique of his.

“It’s not infuriating,” my wolf, Onyx, chimed in, her voice ringing in my head. “It’s perfect because he’s our mate. Our bodies are designed to fit together.”

I rolled my eyes internally, exasperated. Onyx had been increasingly vocal lately, especially in Andrei’s presence. She was relentless in her conviction that he was still ours, despite everything that had transpired between us.

I froze, hammer mid-swing, the weight of her words settling heavily on my shoulders. The thought of Onyx going dormant sent a shiver down my spine. For all her annoying persistence, she was an integral part of me. She had been by my side since childhood, not just an animal but my friend, my companion, my spirit guide.

A wolf was as crucial to our kind as our dominant hand or our lungs. Losing one’s wolf was akin to a death sentence. Many who had lost their wolves had succumbed to despair, unable to bear the pain.

But the idea of returning to Andrei felt equally impossible. I had the twins to consider, and I couldn’t trust him any more than I could throw that heavy beam I had just held, which was practically a feather in his capable hands.

“I’m not going back to him,” I declared to Onyx with conviction. “That night was a one-time mistake. End of story.”

Onyx huffed, a sound filled with skepticism. “And yet, here you are, getting all flustered just watching him carry a piece of wood.”

I slammed the hammer down again, my face burning with embarrassment at the undeniable truth in her words. I hated that my body betrayed me so easily in his presence, a traitor to my resolve.