Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 411

Chapter 411

+25 Bomm

Natalia’s POV

My teeth samle into the flesh of the band covering my mouth before I could think. My attacker released me with a grunt, and I spun, finding a man standing behind me in a guard’s uniform. Placing myself between him and the twins, I reached for the letter opener in my pocket–the only thing I had to defend myself and lunged.

But he sidestepped me before I could reach him, and a familiar voice hissed, “Natalia, stop!”

Hroze. That voice. I knew that voice,

The guard yanked off his helmet, revealing raven hair with gray at the temples.

Andrei.

No. No, it couldn’t be. I’d already fallen for this trick once. The Winter King was wearing Damon’s face. He could be wearing Andrel’s, too. Had he caught Andrei? Was he hurting him, just as he was hurting Damon?

“Get away from me,” I snarled, backing toward the bed. “I know you’re not him.”

“Natalia, it’s me-”

“The real Andrei is marching here with an army. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to sneak in alone.”

“Unfortunately, I am that stupid.”

The voice in my mind was like silk dragging across the inside of my skull. Andrei’s voice echoed through our bond, pure and strong and him. I gasped, and my knees immediately gave out.

“Andrei-”

He closed the distance between us in two long strides and caught me before I could collapse, pulling me into his arms. I sank into him, feeling his warmth, his solid presence. He was here. He was really here.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered into my hair. “When I found the room empty, when I saw the blood-”

“I’m okay.” I pulled back enough to look at him. “The twins are okay. But Andrei, this place is dangerous.”

“I know. I saw the guards. They’re armed with rubies. I tried reaching out to you through the bond, but it’s… dulled here. Muted. I think the walls of this place are lined with something that makes it difficult to commune through the bond unless we’re in the same room.”

((

“Nevermind that. There are a whole hell of a lot more here than just guards.” I gripped his arms tightly. Andrei, he’s got a room full of soldiers. Three hundred and forty–seven of them. He aged them too fast, turned them into empty shells.”

Andrei furrowed his brow. I stepped away, dragging a hand through my hair. “I watched him create one. Watched a baby turn into a full–grown man in minutes. It was-“My voice cracked. “Andrei, it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen. He’s going to do it to our baby. To the twins.”

“Where is he? The Winter King?”

“I don’t know. Probably in his chambers. But Andrei-” I pulled the explosive ruby from my pocket. “Damon

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Chapter 411

+25 Bonus

gave me this.”

His eyes widened. “Damon’s alive?”

“Barely. He’s in the cells below. The King has him surrounded by rubles that are draining his life force. It’s allowing him to wear Damon’s face.”

“What?” Andrei’s expression went dark. “He’s impersonating my brother?”

“Yes. And he’s been planning this for years. Decades, even.” I shook my head. There was no time to explain the minute details. All that mattered was that we got the hell out of here.

“You have to go,” I whispered. “Take the twins.”

Andrei’s eyes widened. “What about you?”

I held the ruby up. “I need to destroy the soldiers before he can use them. This is explosive. If I can just place it, break it, and get out, the room will crumble, along with his army.‘

I could see the horror on Andrei’s face. Then the realization. He knew I wasn’t going to back down from this. “You need to get out and get the army,” I said. “I know where the chamber is. I’ve already been inside.”

“Natalia-”

“We don’t have time to argue.” I glanced at the twins, still sleeping peacefully. “Can you get them down the mountain on your own? Their wolves put them in stasis. They won’t wake up.‘

Andrei looked at the twins for a long moment. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

Then, in a quiet voice, he murmured, “No. Keep them here.”

“What?”

“Keep them here,” he repeated. “It’s safer than trekking down the mountain with them–it’s too treacherous out there. And what if he comes in here, looking for them? If he sees they’re gone, he’ll immediately know.”

P

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