Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 36

“The rules are simple,” Andrei went on. “No shifting until you’ve spotted the elk. No attacking other hunters. And absolutely no bloodshed between wolves–this is sacred ground. Hunters, take your positions!”

The crowd began spreading out along the tree line. Damon guided us toward the eastern section. I noticed Andrei moving in the opposite direction, although his gaze kept finding us through the crowd.

“Ready?” Damon asked, finally releasing his hold on my waist.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension. I couldn’t help but smile. “I can’t wait.”

A horn sounded, the sound so loud it echoed off the mountains. The hunt had begun.

Damon and I moved quickly into the forest together, fallen leaves and pine needles crunching beneath our feet. The morning sun barely penetrated the thick canopy, casting everything in a greenish twilight.

Other hunters crashed through the underbrush around us, their eagerness making them careless. I heard a howl as one person lost control and shifted, and then a shout: “Disqualified! Return to the main grounds!”

“Fools,” Damon muttered. “They’ll scare off every animal in a mile radius with all that ruckus.”

We picked our way more carefully, following a deer trail that wound deeper into the basin. I kept my senses alert, listening for any sign of the elk or of Andrei or Lilith. The calm sounds of the forest gradually returned as we moved away from the noisy main group. Birds chirped overhead, small creatures rustled in the undergrowth, and somewhere in the distance a brook babbled over rocks.

“This way,” Damon said, pointing to fresh tracks in the soft earth. “These are recent.”

We followed the trail for what felt like hours, although it was probably less than one. The terrain grew rougher, forcing us to navigate around fallen logs and dense thickets. At some point, I realized I could no longer hear the

other hunters.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from somewhere to our left, followed by excited howls. Someone had found the elk.

“Come on,” Damon urged, changing direction toward the sound.

g at my t

We rushed through the trees, branches

leathers. The howls grew louder, joined by the bellowing of the elk. Through the trees, I caught a glimpse of gray fur–wolves circling their prey.

Damon grabbed my arm, pulling me behind a large oak. “Wait. Let them tire it out first,”

But as we watched, more wolves appeared from different directions. What had started as one pack’s hunt was quickly becoming a free–for–all. The elk, a massive bull with an impressive rack of antlers, stood its ground in a small clearing, swinging its head at any wolf that came too close.

“This is about to get messy,” I said.

Damon nodded grimly. “We should-”

A wolf burst from the bushes right beside us, nearly bowling me over. I stumbled backward, catching myself against a tree. When I looked up, Damon was gone.

1/2

Chapter 36

+25 Bonus

“Damon?” I called out, but my voice was lost in the chaos.

More wolves poured into the clearing. I pressed myself against the tree, trying to spot Damon amongst the mess of fur and fangs. The elk bellowed again, the sound almost drowning out the growling wolves.

I needed to move. Standing here made me an easy target if things went wrong. I began circling the clearing, keeping to the trees, searching for any sign of Damon’s dark wolf.

Just then, a twig snapped behind me.

I spun around, relieved. “Damon, I thought-”

But it wasn’t Damon stepping out from behind the trees.

It was Andrei in his wolf form.