Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 482

Chapter 482

I took both jars and tucked them into my bag, then handed her some money. She refused it. “Is that all?” I asked.

“The spring equinox is coming up,” she said. “In two weeks‘ time. The full moon that night will be especially powerful. It’s the perfect time for the mating ritual, so I would suggest doing it then. Burn the paste, drink the tea, and finally…”

“Have sex,” I said. I almost wanted to laugh. It sounded too simple, just chasing away all of our problems with intimacy. But the woman’s face was completely serious.

She pulled out a small book from beneath the table and flipped through it until she found the page she wanted. “It’s more than just sex, my dear. It’s the most ancient ceremony of our kind: the Joining. It’s old magic, but it is what our ancestors did to seal the most precious of bonds. It’s what our kind has always done when they find their mate.”

She showed me the page. It was covered in diagrams of various sexual positions. A man and a woman tangled together in an array of poses. I blushed, but didn’t look away.

“Have you two been intimate since Hope was born?” she asked. I shook my head, blushing even more furiously.

It was true. After Hope was born, I couldn’t have sex for obvious reasons. My body needed to recover, as did my mind after that harrowing experience. Then we had to focus on rebuilding our home and returning to normalcy after so long spent in chaos.

There wasn’t much time after that for intimacy.

“You blame yourself,” the witch said softly.

I looked away. “I try not to. It’s no one’s fault. Life just got in the way, that’s all. And we both went through so much… I went through so much… I wasn’t sure if I could do it yet.”

“That’s understandable. But months without intimacy is hard on a relationship. And you and Andrei were always… Fiery.”

“That’s… one way to put it,” I admitted, laughing quietly.

Her expression softened, and she handed me the book. “Gather your people for the solstice. Feast together. Celebrate life and renewal, and soak in the positive energy of your pack. And then, when the moon is at its peak, you and your mate will complete the ritual together. Alone.”

My cheeks warmed even more. I cleared my throat. “Right. And this… ritual… It will help?”

“It will help rebuild what was broken. Clear away the darkness. Strengthen the bond between you two.” She smiled. “And I think you two could use a night to yourselves, anyway. Don’t you?”

The next morning, I threw myself into planning for the upcoming feast. I made lists of everything we’d need -food, decorations, musicians, space to set up tables. The town square would work for the feast, and I planned to hold a large bonfire in the center once the sun went down.

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Chapter 482

+25 BONUS

Jane found me in the kitchen, surrounded by papers and sticky notes. “What are you doing, Mama?”

“Planning a party,” I said, looking up at her. “For the spring equinox. It’s going to be big. Everyone’s invited. Including you.” I smiled and booped her nose with my finger.

Her eyes went wide. “A party? Like with dancing?”

“Yep. And music and food and everything.‘

“That sounds fun! But you need a new dress.”

I laughed. “I’ve got plenty of dresses, baby.”

“Nuh–uh. You can’t wear your old dresses. They’re all boring.” She crossed her arms. “You need something pretty. Something that… sparkles.”

“I don’t know if I have time to get a new dress, princess.‘

“You have to.” She grabbed my hand. “It’s a party. You have to look pretty. Daddy will like it.”

The way she said it, so matter–of–fact and certain, made me set my pen aside. “You think so?”

“I know so.” She tugged on my hand. “Please? Can we go look at dresses together? Please?”

I looked down at her eager face and couldn’t say no. Not just because of Andrei or the party, but because we needed this–a day just for the two of us.

“Alright. We’ll go look. Just you and me, hm?”

She squealed and threw her arms around my waist. “Thank you, Mama! Thank you!”

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