Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 397

Andrei’s POV

The first rays of dawn had just barely broken over the mountains, but I was already pacing the courtyard and had been doing so for hours. The warriors had already assembled, boasting over three hundred strong–warriors from Moonshadow, Ashmoor, Bloodmoon, Aspen, Oakshield, and Green Ridge. An army united by a single goal.

Find Natalia. Find Damon.

And kill the Winter King.

I had barely slept–maybe I had managed to rest for an hour at most, but sleep eluded me for the most part. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Natalia’s face smiling beside me. The twins sleeping peacefully in their beds. And then I would open my eyes and find the empty room. The blood on the floor. The fantasy never lasted outside my dreams, and thus rest refused to come.

But I couldn’t afford to think about what might be happening to them right now. For now, I had to focus on what I could control–getting to them as fast as possible. We were set to march within the next half hour. Hopefully, if all went well, we’d be halfway to the stronghold by nightfall. The rogue we’d captured had agreed to lead us there in exchange for a place in one of our packs and protection. Mostly, I think he was just glad not to have his throat slit by my blade.

“Alpha Andrei.”

I turned. Celeste was approaching, leaning heavily on her cane. I tried not to cringe openly at the sight of her.

Karl was walking beside her, one hand hovering near her elbow, but not quite touching her as if either he feared doing so or she had told him she didn’t want the help. Knowing her, it was the latter. But it was the scene behind them that truly caught my attention; several Bloodmoon warriors were carrying wooden crates that they set down by my feet.

“What’s this?” I asked, cocking a brow at Celeste.

Celeste gestured to the crates with her free hand. “We salvaged whatever rubies we could from my mother’s stash.” The warriors opened the lids, revealing piles of ruby–embedded weapons. Knives, daggers, a few swords, even arrows. I’d thought we’d already had enough with the current equipped Bloodmoon warriors, but this would equip many of our own as well.

Curious, I reached into a crate and lifted one of the knives. The ruby in the hilt pulsed at my touch, like it was alive, hungry and awaiting the taste of blood that would bind it to its new master.

It made me instinctively reach for the stolen scimitar that I still kept at my hip, and shudder at the same time.

These were the weapons that had controlled Bloodmoon. That had aged people to death. That had caused untold suffering. If there were ever a doubt in my mind that these were indeed creations of devils like the stories told, it was gone now. After what I saw during that last battle… I didn’t want to touch these fucking things with a ten foot. pole.

But now they might be the only thing that could help us win.

“You’re sure about this?” I asked Celeste, glancing up at her.

“No,” she said bluntly. “I’d rather cast all these vile things back to hell where they belong, but we don’t have

much of a choice right now, do we? The Winter King has possibly been stockpiling these things for years. If you go up there with only steel, you’ll be dead in a minute.”

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I nodded slowly. She was right. Even if I loathed these weapons that never should have existed, I was no fool. We needed every advantage right now; the Winter King more than likely had an army equipped with them and we’d be sitting ducks if we didn’t take them.

“Distribute them to the best warriors,” I ordered the nearest Gamma. “Make sure everyone knows how to use. them. And for Goddess‘ sake–be careful. If I find out anyone has lopped someone else’s head off before we leave, I’ll make each and every one of you run the entire way to the mountain.”

The Gamma saluted me and began handing the weapons out. Warriors crowded the crates, handling the weapons with awe and wariness. I winced at the sight of a few eager youths already slicing their fingers with the blades, excitedly creating connections to the weapons that might never be fully severed.

Despite all this, I turned back to Celeste and nodded politely. “Thank you.”

She pressed her lips together, creating more creases around her mouth. “Don’t bother. I did what needed doing. That’s all.”

Karl stepped forward then. “I’m staying here, by the way. With Celeste.” I lifted a brow at that, never having really considered bringing him along anyway–he was a scholar, not a warrior. But I realized he was saying it to her and

not to me.

Celeste flushed faintly and looked away, but didn’t protest.

I clasped Karl’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, then turned to the army. It was time. Packs were shouldered, weapons raised, columns formed. I took my place at the front–David, Catherine, and the other Alphas and Lunas on either side.

Just before we set off, Grace shoved in beside me in her medic’s uniform with a pack on her back, shooting me a sidelong glance that seemed to say, “Try and stop me from going.” I didn’t.

As we passed through Bloodmoon’s gates, I glanced back just once. Celeste and Karl were still standing in the courtyard, watching. Karl’s arm was around her waist. She lifted one frail hand in farewell.

And then the gates closed, and we marched into the Thornwood.

The first day was brutal but uneventful. We followed the captors‘ trail–Natalia’s scent and the twins‘ was still lingering, although it was losing its potency by the hour. We pushed hard, stopping only to eat quickly and sparingly. No one complained.

The second day was worse. Forest turned to rock. Snow began to fall and the air grew frigid. We climbed higher, and with each hundred feet of elevation gain, the wind turned into more and more knives against our skin.

It was by sunset of the second day–it was slow going, far slower with an army as opposed to what our trackers believed to be only a small traveling party that had taken Natalia and the twins–when we finally reached the mountain.

The jagged peak reached high overhead, stark white against the darkening blue sky. A cloud had formed around the summit, shielding what lay beyond. I couldn’t see all the way to the top, but I knew this peak. I knew it all too well from nights spent laying awake, thinking of the mountain that housed the so–called Winter King and his

army.

And I knew now, as I looked up at it, that Natalia was there. Somewhere.

Likely within the stronghold already, waiting for me to find her.

“We’ll make camp for the night here,” I said, addressing my allies. “Come morning, we’ll march forward–to

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Chapter 397

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battle, death, or an avalanche. For now…” I turned back to the peak and steeled my resolve. “I’m going up alone to retrieve Natalia, the twins, and my brother.“.

ར ་ ་ ༤༠

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