Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 495

Natalia’s POV

The morning of the festival arrived with clear skies and warm sunshine. I woke early, before the kids, and lay in bed staring at the empty space beside me. Andrei had never come to bed last night.

Again.

I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. Hope was already awake and babbling to herself in her crib. I picked her up and carried her downstairs, where I found Andrei asleep at his desk in the study. His face was pressed against a stack of papers, and his mouth was slightly open.

I didn’t wake him. Just covered him with a throw blanket, then closed the door quietly and went to start breakfast.

Grace arrived around mid–morning with Damon trailing behind her. She was carrying a large bag and grinning almost impishly.

“I’m here to help you get ready,” she announced as she swept into the house.

Damon followed behind her, kissing my cheek, then Hope’s head. Hope gurgled up at him, reaching her little

hands out.

“Where’s Andrei?” he asked, letting Hope wrap her fingers around his thumb.

“In his study. He fell asleep at his desk last night.‘

Damon’s jaw tightened. “Right. I’ll go check on him.”

He left without another word, and Grace watched him go with her hands on her hips. “Men,” she muttered. Then she turned to me and clapped her hands together. “Alright. Let’s get you beautiful.”

“I thought I already was beautiful,” I laughed.

“You are. But today, you’re going to be devastating.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the stairs.” Come on. We have a lot of work to do.”

We spent the next hour in the bedroom. I pulled my golden dress, which had been finished by the seamstress a couple of day ago, out of the closet. Grace laid it out on the bed, along with some shoes and jewelry she’d brought from Ashmoor.

The dress looked even more beautiful than I remembered. The fabric shimmered in the light, and the embroidery along the hem was intricate and delicate.

“This is gorgeous,” Grace said, running her fingers over the material. “Andrei’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in this.”

“I hope so.”

Grace looked at me. “Things still rough between you two?”

I sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. “Yeah. He’s been distant. Won’t talk to me. Throws himself into work and avoids coming to bed. Last night he didn’t come to bed at all.”

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Chapter 495

+25 Bonus

“Did something happen?”

I thought about the journal. About the therapy session Andrei had walked out of. About the way he’d kissed me in the kitchen, apologizing for everything, only to disappear into his study for the rest of the night at the first mention of us sharing a bed.

“I don’t know anymore,” I admitted. “I thought we were getting better. We had a moment yesterday, and I really thought things were turning around. But then he just… shut down again.”

Grace sat beside me and put her arm around my shoulders. “He’s struggling. You know that.”

“I know. But I don’t know how to help him when he won’t let me in.”

“You can’t force him to open up. All you can do is be there when he’s ready.” She squeezed my shoulder. “And in the meantime, you have to take care of yourself. When’s the last time you did anything on your own and weren’t in ‘Mom‘ mode?”

I paused, glancing at myself in the vanity mirror. I supposed I did look a bit disheveled. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had shaved my legs.

I had plenty of help around here, of course. But I supposed, while Andrei was throwing himself into his work to battle his demons, I was doing the same with motherhood. Maybe an afternoon to pamper myself wouldn’t hurt.

Grace, noticing my expression, smiled softly. “Are you excited about your mating ritual tonight?”

My cheeks flushed as I picked at the embroidery on the dress. “I’m honestly kind of nervous. We haven’t been intimate since before Hope was born. What if it doesn’t work? What if he still pulls away?”

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