Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 388

Chapter 388

Natalia’s POV

By now, the house was quiet.

The kids were tucked in, The pyres–thank the Goddess–had been dismantled without a flame ever touching them. Andrei and I made our way upstairs to our bedroom, his arm slung over my shoulders like he needed the support. Or maybe I was the one who needed it.

The door clicked shut behind us, and Andrei let go of me and sank onto the edge of the mattress, his head dropping into his hands. He looked exhausted, battered–his shirt torn in places, dried blood flaking off his skin. But it was the way he avoided my gaze that was the most upsetting.

“Andrei,” I said softly, crossing the room to stand in front of him. I reached out, tilting his chin up so he had to look at me. Those green eyes were now framed by creases that hadn’t been there yesterday. The gray at his temples caught the light, silver threads weaving through the black. He tried to pull away, but I held firm.

“Don’t,” he muttered. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m… broken. Old.” His voice cracked on the word, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “That fucking ruby. I feel it, Natalia. In my bones. I’m not the same.‘

I knelt down in front of him and placed my hands on his knees. “You think I care about a few gray hairs? Or some wrinkles?” I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. “You’re alive, Andrei. That’s all that matters. I thought I’d lost you. Again. Do you know what that did to me? The pit inside of me–it was swallowing me whole.”

He searched my face, like he was waiting for the lie, the pity. But there wasn’t any. Goddess, I’d take him gray and wrinkled and aching over an empty pyre any day. I leaned in, pressing my forehead to his. His breath was warm against my lips, carrying the faint scent of sweat and blood.

“I love you,” I whispered. “Not your hair or your face. You. The man who came back to me.”

His hands came up then to cup my cheeks. His thumbs brushed away the tears that I hadn’t realized were falling. ” I’m sorry,” he rasped. “For making you think… for all of it.”

“Shut up,” I said, half–laughing through the tears. “Just be here. With me.”

We stayed like that for a while, just breathing each other in. The mate bond hummed between us, warm and steady now that he was close. It had been so cold earlier, so empty. I could feel his shame through it, as if it were somehow his fault that he was older now, but underneath, there was relief too. And love. Always that.

Eventually, I pulled back and stood, offering him my hand. “Come on. You stink like blood and mud. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He managed a weak smile, taking my hand and letting me pull him to his feet. We headed to the bathroom, where I turned on the shower. Steam started to fill the room within a few moments. I turned to find Andrei staring at himself in the mirror.

“Strip,” I ordered, already peeling off my own clothes. My shirt hit the floor, followed by my pants.

Andrei hesitated. I stepped over and helped, pushing his leathers off his shoulders. His skin was marked with bruises, fresh cuts that were already healing thanks to his wolf. But the muscles underneath were tense. I ran my hands over his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breaths. “You’re still you,” I murmured. “Still mine.”

Chapter 388

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He let out a shaky breath and finished undressing, then stepped under the spray with me. The water was hot, almost too hot, but it felt good. Cleansing. I grabbed the soap, lathering it between my hands, and started on his shoulders.

He stood there, eyes closed, letting me work. I massaged the suds into his skin, digging my thumbs into the tight spots along his shoulders. He groaned softly, leaning into my touch.

I worked my way down his arms, feeling the corded muscles relax under my fingers. His biceps, his forearms. I soaped up his chest next, tracing the lines of his ribs, the flat plane of his stomach. Water streamed over us, rinsing away the grime, revealing the man I knew. The gray hairs didn’t change that. If anything, they made him look… distinguished. Battle–worn. Sexy, in a way that made heat pool in my belly.

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