Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 14

NATALIA

The corridor was dim and quiet, but my head was anything but. My heart still hadn’t slowed, and every breath tasted like ash.

Lilith’s voice echoed inside me. If you don’t finish this, I will.

I moved like a shadow through Damon’s packhouse, hands clenched, footsteps light. The cool air kissed my face as I slipped past closed doors and polished railings.

Somewhere behind me, Andrei was still in that room, probably standing among the shards of glass I’d left behind, unaware of how close he’d been.

Unaware that I was alive.

And unsure if he deserved to know.

I pressed my palm to the wall and tried to breathe. My thoughts felt splintered, whiplashing between fear and fury, grief and longing.

I should have run. I should have left the second she started talking on that call. But I hadn’t. I’d stayed. Listened. And now?

Now I didn’t know what to believe.

I was so lost in my own head that I didn’t notice Damon until I nearly collided with him at the top of the main

staircase.

He caught me by the arms, steadying me. “Whoa. Natalia.”

I blinked up at him, stunned. “I… I didn’t see you.”

He frowned. “You look pale.” His voice dropped. “Did something happen?”

I shook my head too quickly. “No. I’m fine. Just tired.”

His gaze narrowed. “You’re trembling.”

I tried to pull back. “I said I’m fine.”

Damon didn’t let go right away. His hand lingered at my elbow, protective and firm. He studied my face for a long moment before finally releasing me. “Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s walk.”

We made our way down the side hallway that led to the courtyard balcony. The night air was crisp, cool against my overheated skin. I welcomed it.

“You weren’t in your room,” he said.

I didn’t answer.

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Chapter 14

“I figured you’d want to know,” he continued, “Andrei’s leaving tomorrow. Early.”

That pulled my attention. “Tomorrow?”

He nodded. “Pack affairs are piling up. The Council’s breathing down his neck. He delayed as long as he could, but they’re forcing him back.”

I exhaled, slow and shaky.

“One more day,” Damon said. “That’s all you have to get through. After that, it’s over.”

I wrapped my arms around myself and stared down at the stone path below. A few guards walked the perimeter, their silhouettes barely visible against the hedgerows.

“He’ll be gone,” Damon added. “And you’ll be safe.”

“Will I?” I whispered.

He turned to me. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated. The words tasted strange on my tongue.

“Maybe… maybe it wasn’t him.”

Damon’s expression hardened. “You’re doubting that now?”

“I’m not saying he’s innocent,” I said quickly. “But what if… what if he really didn’t know? What if

“He’s playing you,” Damon snapped, sharper than I’d expected. “That’s what Andrei does. He plays both sides. He gets what he wants by pretending he doesn’t know what he’s doing. And everyone falls for it.”

I stared at him.

He stepped closer. “He’s been sniffing around like he still owns you. Sending scouts. Staring into the woods like he’s going to manifest you out of thin air. You think that’s romantic? That’s control. He’s not here for you, Natalia. He’s here because you’re carrying something that belongs to him.”

His words sank in like thorns.

“And now Lilith’s back,” he continued, voice low. “Right by his side. Do you really think you’d be anything more than a complication?”

I looked away.

“Stay hidden,” Damon urged. “Let him leave. Let this be over.”

But something had settled in my chest, heavy and unmoving.

A need. A fire.

“I can’t,” I said softly.

Damon frowned. “What?”

Chapter 14

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“I need to talk to him.”

“No,” he said, too fast. “That’s–Natalia, that’s not smart.‘

I met his eyes. “I need to know the truth. From him. If he’s lying, I’ll walk away forever. But if he’s not…”

“You still love him,” Damon said.

I didn’t answer.

He exhaled, the fight in him wavering. “Then make it quick,” he muttered. “Because if he hurts you again, I won’t hold back.”

I left before I could change my mind.

The hallway to Andrei’s guest room felt longer than before. Every step carried the weight of what this could become.

One conversation. One last confrontation. Either way, I’d leave knowing the truth–or at least enough of it to finally stop bleeding from the past.

I slowed outside his door.

Voices filtered through the crack.

Lilith’s.

I stiffened.

She was speaking softly but with urgency, her words threading together like silk over a dagger.

“…the pack can’t wait anymore,” she said. “You’ve been here for weeks. You’re the Alpha of Moonshadow, Andrei. Not a grieving widower on some romantic ghost hunt.”

A pause.

“Pack affairs are piling up. The council is restless. They’re whispering already about your judgment, about your ability to lead.”

Silence.

Then Andrei’s voice, low and tired. “I’m aware.”

“Then come home,” Lilith urged. “Come back. Let this go.”

Another pause,

Then she added, more quietly, “Unless you really do want Natalia to return.”

The words hung in the air like a blade.

“If you want her to be Luna again,” she continued, “if you want her back in your bed, back in our home–if you want her–I’ll go.”

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She sniffed. “I’ll leave. I won’t be your burden. Not again.”

My heart clenched.

There was a long silence before Andrei answered.

“It’s…it’s not that,” he said, sounding somewhat unsure.

“Then what is it?” Lilith asked, her voice suddenly cold.

Another silence. And then Andrei spoke.

“The child,” he said.

The words sliced straight through me.

“I can’t leave my heir unprotected in the world,” he continued. “Especially not with Natalia. She knows too much about the pack–our numbers, our defenses, our allies..”

I felt something rupture in my chest.

Andrei continued talking, but his words were quieter now and I’d heard more than enough.

My hands fell limp at my sides.

No rage. No sobbing.

Just silence.

He didn’t want me.

He wanted control.

Damon had been right.

I turned on my heel and walked away without making a sound. My limbs moved like they belonged to someone else. Like my body was carrying me because my soul had collapsed somewhere along the way.

By the time I reached the far staircase, I could barely see through the burn behind my eyes.

I sank onto the steps and pressed my palms into the wood.

He didn’t care.

Not about me.

Not really.

The man I had loved–the one I thought might actually love me–had spoken about me like a strategy. Like a chess piece. Like a problem.

I had held on this long because some part of me still wanted the dream: the three of us together. Me. Him. The child growing inside me. A family.

Chapter 14

But dreams were only that. And mine had been built on ash.

I wiped my face and stood.

Andrei was leaving tomorrow.

Good.

I wouldn’t stop him.

L

But I also wouldn’t let him take anything else from me–not my peace, not my child, not my strength.

I’d survive this.

I had to.

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