Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 157

Andrei

The twins were in the back yard when I arrived. Jane immediately bounced over, grinning from ear to ear, while Max remained where he was crouching by the swingset, digging in the dirt with a stick.

He only glanced up at me over his shoulder with a wary look before he returned to his work. Meanwhile, the guard standing sentry nearby–Natalia thought I didn’t notice that she always kept eyes on me during these visits- simply kept his gaze straight ahead.

“Uncle Andrei!” Jane threw her arms around my legs and beamed up at me. “Did you bring us something?”

“Maybe.” I ruffled her hair, then pulled out a stuffed wolf that I’d picked up on the way. “What do you think?” Her eyes went wide. “He’s perfect! What’s his name?”

“That’s up to you,” I said, offering her a smile.

While Jane hugged her new wolf and babbled about potential names, I approached Max slowly. He didn’t look up. “Hey, buddy,” I said, crouching down beside him. “I brought you something, too. Want to see it?”

Max’s hand stilled in the dirt, but he didn’t spare me a glance.

I pulled out a bunch of differently shaped building blocks and set them next to him “It thought you might like to build something. Maybe a castle? Or a spaceship?” I picked up two of the blocks and stacked them.

Max finally looked at the blocks, and for a moment, I thought I saw something like intrigue flicker in his green eyes. But then his gaze shifted to me, and his expression hardened like he hated me and my gift.

“I don’t want them,” he said quietly, looking away.

“Are you sure-

>>

“I. Don’t. Want. Them.” He snapped his head toward me and bared his tiny fangs. A small growl vibrated in his chest.

I leaned back on my heels, stunned. The kid was five years old and already showing serious protective instincts, and for what? I had been nothing but nice to him. Natalia said he was just slow to warm up to people, but this felt different.

“Max!” Jane rushed over and stomped her foot, waggling her finger. She looked an awful lot like Natalia when she scolded her brother like that. “You’re being rude again! Mommy says we have to be nice! I’ll tell on you!”

“It’s alright, Jane,” I said quickly, standing up. “Your brother just wants to be alone, that’s all. Let’s give him his space.”

While Max scampered off to climb a nearby tree, Jane turned toward me, cupping one hand around her mouth to whisper to me. “Max doesn’t like you,” she said matter–of–factly. “He said you’re not a good person.”

My jaw ticked. Somehow, I had a feeling Natalia had something to do with that. “Did he say why?”

Jane shrugged. “He just doesn’t want Mommy to get married.”

The words left me taken aback. Married? But Natalia and Damon were already-

Wait.

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Chapter 157

+25 Bonus

“What do you mean?” I asked carefully. “Your mommy is already married. To my brother.”

Jane’s face scrunched up. “No, she’s not. They’re just friends-” Suddenly, her eyes widened. She clapped her hand over her mouth like she’d just said something she wasn’t supposed to, then shook her head. “I–I mean… Nevermind! I’m gonna go play now. Bye!”

Damon and Natalia were not married.

The possibility sent my thoughts spinning as I watched Jane run off to join her brother in the tree. Were Damon and Natalia really not married after all? Just friends? What the fuck did that mean?

This felt like another piece to the puzzle–if Damon and Natalia weren’t really married, then that was just another lie to add to the pile, and it was all the more reason to suspect that the twins were mine.

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