Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 498

Natalia’s POV

Grace pulled me toward the bonfire, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Come on. You’re not going to mope all night.”

“I’m not moping.”

“You’re totally moping.” She grabbed my hands and started swaying to the music. “Dance with me. Forget about your worries for five minutes and just have fun.”

I tried to resist, but Grace was persistent. She spun me around, and despite myself, I started to move with the music. The beat was fast and upbeat, and the warmth from the bonfire felt good against my skin.

“There we go!” Grace grinned. “See? This isn’t so bad.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling. “Damon is rubbing off on you.”

“Excuse you? I was the original concept. Not Damon.”

“Right.”

We danced together, spinning and laughing. Other pack members joined in, forming a circle around the bonfire. Jane appeared at some point, tugging on my dress and begging to dance too. I pulled her into the circle, and she giggled as Damon lifted her up and spun her around.

For a little while, I forgot about my worries. Forgot about the distance between us and the journal and the way he’d been avoiding me for months. I just danced and laughed and felt normal for the first time in forever.

Then I felt a hand on my waist.

I turned and found Andrei standing behind me. He looked tired, but he was smiling. A real smile that actually reached his eyes, unlike all the other fake ones he’d been giving me since the war.

“Mind if I cut in?” he asked.

Grace stepped back immediately, winking at me. “She’s all yours.”

Andrei pulled me close, and we started swaying to the music. It was slower now, a gentle melody that made the rest of the world fade away. His hand was warm on my waist, and I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt.

“You look beautiful,” he said quietly.

“Thank you.” I looked up at him. “Why were you late?”

“Lost track of time doing paperwork. I’m sorry.” He brushed a curl away from my face. “I should have been there to escort you.”

I studied his expression, searching for any sign that he was lying. There was something in his eyes. Something he wasn’t telling me. But before I could push, he spun me around, making me laugh despite myself.

I wanted to demand the truth. But the way he was looking at me made my resolve crumble, and I decided to let it rest–for tonight, at least.

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Chapter 498

+25 Bonus

We danced for what felt like hours. The music changed from slow to fast to slow again, but we never stopped moving. Andrei’s hands never left my body, and for the first time in months, I felt connected to him.

At some point, Damon brought us drinks. Strong, homemade wine that one of the pack members had made. It burned going down in a way that wine probably shouldn’t, but it made everything feel lighter and less serious.

We toasted to the packs, to the end of the war, to new beginnings. Andrei laughed at something Grace said, and the sound made my chest ache in the best way possible.

This was what I’d been missing. This version of him. The one who smiled and joked and pulled me close like he never wanted to let go.

We ate food from the tables. Roasted meat and fresh bread and sweet pastries that melted on my tongue. Jane and Max ran circles around us, high on sugar and the heat from the fire. Andrei scooped Jane up and put her on his shoulders, and she squealed with delight.

“Higher, Daddy! Higher!”

He bounced her gently, and she laughed so hard she snorted juice out her nose. Max tugged on Andrei’s sleeve, demanding his turn, and Andrei obliged without hesitation.

I stood there watching them. I didn’t dare to break this moment. It was times like this that had become more rare lately, and I wanted to cherish them. Even more than the times of tenderness that were just the two of us, I wanted to see Andrei and the twins being happy together. Hope, too.

As the night wore on, the crowd started to thin. Parents took their tired children home. The music grew softer, and the bonfire burned lower, but the younger pack members lingered, still high on the excitement of the evening.

The moon rose high in the sky, full and bright. My heart pounded. It was a perfect time for the ritual.

I took Andrei’s and pulled him away from the bonfire. “Come with me,” I said.

He stumbled after me. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere quieter.”

I let him into the forest, away from the noise and the light. The trees closed in around us, and the only sound was our footsteps on the soft earth and the distant music from the festival.

We stopped at a large oak tree, and Andrei, sensing what I wanted, pressed me against the trunk. His lips found mine, and I melted into him. The kiss was deep and hungry, like he’d been starving for me.

His hands slid down my sides, tracing the curves of my body through the dress. I arched into him, wanting more. Needing more.

“Andrei,” I whispered. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. “Don’t be mad.”

“Just tell me.”

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Chapter 499

+25 Bonus

I took a deep breath. “I… I talked to a witch doctor from Bloodmoon. She told me about a ritual. She called it… The Joining. It’s supposed to strengthen our bond. Clear away the darkness between us.”

He went still. “A ritual?”

“A mating ritual. Tonight. Under the full moon.” My face heated. “I know things have been hard. I know we’ve both been struggling. But I think this could help. I think it could bring us back together.”

For a moment, he didn’t respond. I feared he might decline the offer, that it was too much or not the right time.

But then he kissed me again.

“Yes. Yes, let’s do it.”

Relief flooded through me. “I need to prepare. Give me just a minute.”

I stepped away from him and moved behind a nearby tree. My hands were shaking as I reached for the zipper on my dress. The fabric slid down my body, pooling at my feet, and a moment later, I stood there in the lingerie Grace had given me.

The cool night air raised goosebumps on my skin. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, then stepped out from behind the tree.

“What do you think?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips. I smirked and leaned against the tree, arching my back. “Like it?”

There was no answer. I frowned, realizing that he was gone, and pushed away from the tree. “Andrei?”

Still no answer. My voice echoed in the forest, mingling with the distant sound of the festival.

I stood there for a long moment, expecting him to come out from behind another tree, maybe stark naked and grinning. But he never came.

“Andrei?” I turned slowly. “Andrei, this isn’t funny!”

He never responded. I heard no voices, no footsteps, no indication that he was there.

Just the sound of wind through the leaves and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

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