Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 62

Natalia

For a brief moment, I seriously contemplated telling Andrei exactly where he could take his stubborn “meal.” The urge to snap back was strong, but I knew better. Our fragile new alliance was hanging by a thread. One careless move, one wrong word, and everything could come crashing down—leaving Ashmoor exposed and vulnerable once again. I couldn’t let that happen, especially since it was my mistake that had put us in this precarious position to begin with.

“Fine,” I said at last, crossing my arms firmly across my chest. “Meet me in town. I’ll give you a tour of Ashmoor, and then we’ll go to the tavern.”

Andrei raised a single eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his dark eyes. “I thought you’d invite your new ally back to the pack house.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, managing only to suppress it. “I’d rather go out,” I replied coolly.

“Fair enough,” he said with a nod. “I’ll see you in town.”

A short while later, I pulled up alongside Andrei’s sleek black car in the heart of Ashmoor. The town square was alive with activity, the evening crowd bustling as most people had finished their day’s work. We exchanged a few curious glances from passersby as we approached each other, but neither of us commented.

“Natalia,” he greeted me with a nod, a teasing edge to his voice. “I was starting to think you’d leave me waiting.”

I chose to ignore the jab, focusing instead on the task at hand. “The tavern isn’t far, but I thought you might want to see the rest of Ashmoor first.”

“Lead the way,” Andrei said, falling in step beside me as we crossed the lively square.

As we strolled through the main part of town, I pointed out important landmarks—the training grounds where our warriors honed their skills, the communal gardens flourishing with vegetables and herbs tended by pack members, and the small school where our pups learned and played.

“The houses look newer than Moonshadow’s,” Andrei observed as we passed a row of modern cabins with clean lines and sturdy wood.

“They were mostly rebuilt by Damon two years ago,” I explained.

“And how did the pack take that? I imagine it cost a pretty penny.”

“Much better. She asked me to give you this,” Emily said, pressing a small package into my hands. I carefully unwrapped it and gasped—a beautifully knitted lilac scarf revealed itself. “She’s knitting again now that her hands don’t hurt. The first thing she made was for you, of course.”

My heart swelled with gratitude, and I couldn’t help but grin as I wrapped the soft scarf around my neck. It was warm and plush, the wool feeling luxuriously smooth against my skin. “Please tell her I said thank you.”

“No need. This is her way of thanking you.”

As Emily walked away, I caught Andrei watching me with a raised eyebrow. Goddess, he looked so much like Max when he did that.

“Why do you look so surprised?” I asked, settling into my seat.

“You just seem to have made quite an impression, that’s all,” Andrei replied, pouring wine from a bottle he’d ordered earlier. The rich red liquid caught the light, making my mouth water—I loved red wine. “They seem to adore you. Or should I say, Luna Mira.”

I bristled slightly at the title but softened quickly. “I care about my pack,” I said simply, taking a sip. The wine was dry and full-bodied, warming me from the inside out.