Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 525

Andrei’s POV

The corpse grew heavy and rotten in my mouth. It tasted like foul meat and the tang of congealed blood and the lingering flavor of terror.

It was supposed to feel wrong, having the body of a man I’d killed clenched between my wolf’s jaws. The sort of thing any sane person would gag and retch over.

And yet I couldn’t seem to make myself hate it.

It felt… Right. Like it was what I was meant to do.

Wasn't it?

My wolf's paws hit the ground in a steady rhythm. I hadn’t stopped running all night. Trees blurred past, turning more and more tangled and full of brambles the closer I loped toward the Thornwood. The rain had stopped long ago, and yet I didn’t feel tired.

Was this his doing? The Lord of Hell? Had he given me this extra strength, this power, this stamina?

It was… delicious.

But the ritual wasn’t complete yet. Only then could I receive my true blessing.

North. I needed to go north. To the mountain.

Wait. My footsteps slowed, and I drew my brows together. Why did I have to go to the mountain?

Oh. The ritual. The offering. The Lord of Hell demanded it.

I stumbled as I went to pick up my pace again, and nearly dropped the body. My mind felt split in two. One half was screaming at me to stop, to drop Isaac and run back to Natalia. The other half was pushing me forward, whispering that this was the only way to save my family.

Save them from what?

From me. From the demon. From—

The thought scattered like smoke. I shook my head and kept running. North.

"I don't want this," I said. My voice sounded strange. Hollow. I looked at my hands, fingers splayed wide, and studied the crusted blood.

"Of course you do. Power. Protection. The ability to keep your family safe from anything." The voice laughed. "That's all you've ever wanted. And I'm giving it to you."

"By making me kill people."

"Just one person. A traitor who deserved to die. Is that so terrible?"

I looked at Isaac's body. His eyes were still open, staring lifelessly up at the sky. Deep holes had formed in his flesh where my fangs had been.

To be fair, he had tried to kill Natalia. He had tied her up and put a knife to her throat. He deserved this.

Didn't he?

After gulping down some water from a nearby spring, I shifted back into wolf form before I could think too hard about it. Then, I grabbed Isaac's body again and kept moving.