Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 391

Chapter 391

Natalia’s POV

We arrived in Bloodmoon before the end of the second day of traveling. Andrei said it was because we traveled quickly with our numbers, those in front creating a path through the Thornwood for those behind, but we really knew the truth.

The rogues were gathering their forces north. Therefore, we faced no major obstacles on our journey. There were no skirmishes, no obstacles in the way other than gnarled trees and thorny underbrush.

The Bloodmoon that I left before and the one I returned to now were two entirely different places. I gasped as we approached the compound, finding the walls partially crumbled, the courtyard filled with debris, the once- formidable structures reduced to ash and silence.

But when we entered the compound proper, there was no lack of people despite the subdued atmosphere. Bloodmoon’s warriors were gathered in their full strength, awaiting our arrival with stoic expressions on their faces. Civilians milled around the plaza, albeit with less happiness than before, but no less spirit. They gathered around us as our caravan made its way in, watching us curiously and warily, murmuring amongst themselves and pointing.

“We’ll rest before our meeting tonight,” Andrei said, addressing our allies once everyone was gathered. “Make yourselves comfortable. Enjoy it while it lasts. In two days‘ time, we’ll be marching north, and the conditions will be far less hospitable.”

While the newcomers began looking around in fascination and confusion, Andrei took my hand and led me away from the hubbub. My heart lurched as we approached the banquet hall where I once shared dinner with my father and watched him oversee the pack with an expert hand.

I knew what waited for me within. Andrei had warned me of my father’s condition many times. I had already had nightmares about his twisted form, aged far beyond his years.

“Are you sure you want to see?” Andrei asked softly, squeezing my hand. “It’s… A lot.”

I looked up into my mate’s eyes, older than they once were, and nodded, “I won’t avoid it.”

Andrei nodded firmly and opened the door for me. I strode inside and froze.

There sat my father. The handsome, formidable Alpha I had only briefly known–now a mere ghost of his former self. I hardly recognized him anymore, sitting there in that wheelchair in a shaft of sunlight streaming in through the window.

“… Father?” I whispered, stepping forward. My legs trembled beneath me, but I walked over to him anyway.

He didn’t seem to notice my presence. His eyes were glassy and unseeing, fixed on nothing in particular. He merely chewed his gums and sat still, his limbs too thin and gnarled beneath clothes that were made to fit a larger, younger man.

I might have collapsed had it not been for Andrei beside me. “We’ll find a way to reverse it,” he said softly. When I looked up at him, I found a firm conviction in his gaze that provided me with an ounce of strength. “There must be some way.”

I looked back at my father. Back into those cloudy eyes that saw nothing. I crouched in front of him and placed my hands on his knees, trying not to wince at the sensation of bony joints beneath my palms, and held his gaze even if I was certain he couldn’t sense me.

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Chapter 391

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“We will find a way,” I reasserted–to myself, to Andrei, and to my father, whether he understood me or not. “I promise, Father. Our time won’t be cut short.”

Celeste’s POV

I tried to run before he saw me. But my broken body wouldn’t allow me to move quickly enough, and Karl rounded the corner before I could hobble away on the fucking cane that I had to lean on now.

“Celeste!”

He ran after my limping form. I kept going. I refused to look at him. Refused to show him what I had become.

It was no use. He grabbed me, nearly toppling me over with the mere touch, and forced me to look at him.

“I don’t want to see you,” I bit out, although my voice wavered. “Just… look away. I’m disgusting.‘

“Disgusting?” There were tears in Karl’s eyes, but he refused to let me go. “Disgusting, Celeste? I’m just glad you’re alive-”

“This isn’t living.” I wrenched my arm away with some effort, but it only made me stagger backwards, losing my balance. Karl caught me in his arms and pulled me flush against his body.

I gasped, pressing against his chest, but I lacked the strength. I lacked the conviction. Karl held me fast, pressing kisses to the top of my head, to my face, my neck. My body instinctively melted into his even though I knew I shouldn’t–I didn’t deserve it.

Finally, Karl pulled back just enough to look at me. His hands hovered close to my face as if afraid to touch me, but when he finally rested his palms against my papery skin, I couldn’t help but lean into his touch.

“She did this to you,” he whispered, thumbs brushing across my cheekbones–protruding now more than ever before. Anger flickered in his eyes. I’d never seen him angry before. Never.

My throat bobbed. “She’s dead.”

“It’s not enough of a punishment for what she did. Too merciful.”

I felt a pang in my chest at his words. Pulling away, I said, “You don’t have to be here. With me. I’m a monstrosity to look at.”

“Monstrosity?” Karl caught my wrist before I could turn away. “Celeste, you’re still just as beautiful as the day I met you. I only worry about your health, and the time we’ve lost together.” His gaze flicked over my twisted bones, my hunched spine, my weathered skin.

“Fifty years,” I whispered, staring at my feet. “She took fifty years from me in the blink of an eye. My bones grew all wrong, broken and twisted…”

My voice trailed off. I couldn’t even bring myself to recount that horrible experience. It was too painful. Those moments when my body had been twisting and changing too fast for any mortal to experience had been the most agonizing of my life. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Karl to understand–I didn’t want to relive it by talking about it.

Karl seemed to understand. He always did. Drawing me closer again, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, lips lingering on my stringy white hair.

“We will find a way to fix this,” he whispered. “We will get those years back. And we will spend them together.” I wanted to tell him that it was impossible. That I had made my decision–we were finished. We couldn’t get back

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together; none of this absolved what I had done to him in the past. He needed to move on, to find another woman to love. One younger and kinder and without all of the fucking baggage.

But the words wouldn’t come, no matter how much I tried to force them out..

For a few minutes, at least, I would allow myself to imagine that the future could be different. Even if I knew it was nothing more than a sweet fantasy.

D

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Chapter 392

Chapter 392