Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 427

Natalia’s POV

I stared at the ruby in his hand. In Andrei’s hand. The hand of the man I loved, twisted and turned into a tool for this monster. And meanwhile, my children were in that case behind him, asleep and vulnerable; one flick of his wrist and they would be aged into broken, empty husks.

But if I obeyed…

“Well?” The Winter King tilted Andrei’s head, waiting. “What’s your answer?”

I wrapped my fingers around the explosive ruby in my pocket. He still didn’t know about it; I could use it now. Blow us all to bits and end his reign of terror.

But I couldn’t do that. I had to try to save my children. I needed to think, to be strategic and practical. It was always one of my strong suits; I could find a way. Even if I couldn’t save myself, maybe I could save them.

Maybe these thoughts made me selfish, but I didn’t care. My children were always my first priority–above myself, above Andrei, above the world.

I would not let anything happen to them.

So I released my grip on the stone in my pocket and straightened.

“I’ll do it,” I said quietly.

The Winter King’s brows lifted. “Really? That easily?”

“Yes. When it comes to my children, every decision is simple.” I struggled to my feet and forced myself to look into the mask of the man I loved. It sickened me to look at this monster wearing Andrei’s face, but if he was still wearing it, then that meant Andrei was still alive. Which meant that not all was lost. “I’ll marry you. I’ll bear as many children as you want. I’ll be your queen, your wife, your fucking slave. Whatever you want, so long as you spare my children.”

His lips curved. “Ah, there it is. I knew you would pull through, Natalia. Loving your children has always been your strong suit.”

I sneered at him. “I know it has.”

He pocketed the aging ruby and moved toward me. He offered me his arm, and I took it, although my skin crawled at the contact. He led me to stand in front of the priest.

Up close, I could see the dead eyes in all three of our witnesses. None of them was conscious, whole. This felt like a mockery, like a humiliation, being wed by one of these creatures.

The priest began mumbling in a language I didn’t understand, gnarled finger tracing the page of the book. The ceremony had begun.

I reached inward, searching for my wolf. She’d been quiet and weak since we got here, subdued by everything, but I knew she was there. There was no time left to waste.

“We need to locate our Bloodmoon ability,” I thought to her. “I know you’re tired, but we need to do it now. Please. Just… try.“.

She stirred uncertainly. My ability hadn’t emerged yet since I’d been marked; maybe it never would because I had waited so long.

But if it was in there, I needed to use it. I just hoped it was a useful one. One that could help me now. I’d take anything. Anything.

Chapter 427

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The priest was still droning on. The Winter King grinned beside me like the cat that got the cream. As if he were actually winning this and not about to lose everything–his “title“, his palace, his life, his precious children.

“Please,” I begged my wolf. “Our children need us. Andrei needs us.”

She pushed forward then, lending me her strength. I felt her consciousness brush against mine. For the first time in a long time, I felt something… more.

It was like a well of power I’d only felt in snippets before, but nothing quite like this. It was buried deep, hidden beneath layers of fear and self–doubt and all the trauma I’d endured. But it was there. Alive, pulsing, hungry like the rubies but more intelligent and more fierce.

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