Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 128

Was he really trying to mark me, I wondered? In the moment, it had certainly felt like it.

But Andrei had never marked me during our years of marriage. I doubted he would want to now, not after everything that had happened. If he was contemplating it, it was likely just the effects of the full moon.

Besides, he still loved Lilith. He always had.

Last night was just another mistake.

I shook my head to dispel the thoughts. The full moon had passed, taking with it the overwhelming urgency of the mate bond. At least I could think clearly again.

And, I realized as I rotated my wrist, at least one more good thing had come out of not taking the contraceptive last night. My wrist was still sore, but the swelling had gone down considerably. It would likely be fully healed within a day or two.

“Thank you,” I whispered to Onyx, who just yawned in response. The contraceptive and the full moon had taken a lot out of her already, and yet she had still used her remaining energy to heal me in my sleep.

I had to make it up to her.

I reached for the bedside drawer where I kept the contraceptive, intending to dispose of it.

But the vial wasn’t there. I frowned, sitting up and patting my pockets, then searching around the bed. I was still in my clothes from last night, which were caked in mud and debris, dirtying the sheets. There were plenty of twigs and pine needles in the bed, but no vial.

Had I lost it at the festival? I vaguely remembered something falling when I’d tripped, but I hadn’t stopped to check what it was. I was too busy running away from Andrei.

Well, it didn’t matter now. I wasn’t going to use it again anyway. I’d find another way to deal with my wolf’s urges during full moons. Perhaps more training with Alina, or meditation, or…

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Natalia? Are you awake?” Damon’s voice came through the door.

“Yeah. Come in.”

The door opened, and Damon entered carrying a tray with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes and… Suddenly, memories flashed through my mind–screaming for my mate, clawing and snapping at Damon when he wouldn’t let me go. I buried my face in my hands, even more mortified now.

“I’m so sorry about last night,” I whispered. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do.” Damon sat on the edge of the bed. “It was the mate bond.”

I peeked at him through my fingers, surprised by the lack of anger in his voice.

“You’re not mad?”

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“I was at first,” he admitted. “But then I realized… this isn’t something you can control. It’s not a choice you’re making.”

I lowered my hands cautiously. “I still shouldn’t have let it happen. I should have been stronger.”

“Maybe. But I shouldn’t have expected you to fight it alone, either.” He handed me the glass of water. “I’m sorry, Natalia. For everything–for making you feel guilty for all of this. I didn’t understand before.”

I took the water, sipping it slowly. My throat was so dry it almost hurt to swallow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve been acting like you’re the bad guy for not wanting me in a romantic sense. Like if you just tried harder, you could stop wanting Andrei and would choose me instead.” Damon ran a hand through his hair. “But that’s not how it works, is it? The mate bond doesn’t care about convenience or logic or what anyone else wants. It just… is.”

I stared at him for a moment, surprised. Suddenly, he stood up, surprising me once more with a small smile. ” Anyway, I didn’t come in here to rehash last night. I came to tell you to pack a bag.”

I blinked at him, confused. “What? Why?”

“Because we’re going to see the twins today.”

My heart leapt.

I was out of bed before he’d even closed the door behind him, all thoughts of Andrei and last night’s mistakes temporarily forgotten. We were going to see the twins! My children! After weeks of separation, I was finally going to hold them in my arms again.

The drive to the cottage seemed to take forever, even though it was only a couple of hours away. I kept checking the time, fidgeting in my seat, asking Damon if we were almost there.

Finally, we turned onto the familiar gravel road that led to the vacation house. It was a small, charming place nestled in the woods, far enough from any pack territories to be safe but close enough that we could reach it quickly if needed.

As soon as the car pulled up in front of the cottage, the front door burst open. Two small figures came barreling down the steps.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Jane cried, throwing her arms wide. Max’s smile was infectious, too, and… had he lost that tooth overnight? The gap was as clear as day.

I was out of the car before it had fully stopped, running toward them with my arms outstretched. I practically collapsed with joy as my children barrelled into me, a whirlwind of laughter and tears and limbs and sweet- smelling dark hair.

And for a moment, everything felt alright.