Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 79

**He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 79**

“She’s my fated mate,” I declared, the words rolling off my tongue with a weight I hadn’t anticipated. “There has never been a moment in my life when I didn’t care for her, even if it was just a flicker of concern.”

Damon’s expression shifted, his eyes widening as if my admission had taken him by surprise. “Even after everything that’s happened?” he asked, incredulity lacing his voice.

“Even then,” I replied, my gaze drifting away, feeling a wave of discomfort wash over me at the raw honesty of my statement. “A fated mate bond isn’t something you can simply switch off, Damon. Especially not when you two haven’t marked each other yet.”

His mouth twisted into a grimace, a bitter smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Well, maybe fate is a relentless force that’s hard for any of us to escape,” he muttered, the resignation in his tone echoing in the stillness around us.

With that, he turned on his heel, leaving me standing alone in the dimly lit hallway, the chill of his words lingering in the air.

I frowned, mulling over the cryptic implications of his parting statement.

For five long years, they had lived together, bound by the vows of marriage, yet they hadn’t solidified their connection with a mark. Now, they found themselves in separate rooms, and here was Damon, speaking of fate as if it were a tangible thing, looming over us all.

Could it be that my suspicions were right? Was their relationship merely a façade? Was it possible that Natalia couldn’t return Damon’s affections because her soul remained tethered to mine?

I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel the troubling thoughts that threatened to spiral out of control. I needed to find Lilith; she was my first priority. I needed clarity about the events of the night. Something about my earlier encounter with her had left a gnawing sense of unease in my gut.

As I approached her door and knocked softly, a sense of urgency gripped me, but there was only silence in response. I turned the handle, only to find it locked.

This was unusual behavior for Lilith, who often left her door ajar, an open invitation for me to join her—though truthfully, I had never taken her up on it. My visits to her suite had always been driven by reasons far removed from intimacy.

I took another sip of the whiskey, tilting my head back against the headrest, allowing the warmth of the alcohol to trace a fiery path down my throat. When I closed my eyes, her face materialized in my mind. I could envision her eyebrows softening in slumber, her hair cascading across the pillow like a silken waterfall.

She looked so serene. So peaceful.

I was so engrossed in my reverie that I didn’t hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching until one of the floorboards creaked beneath the weight of someone nearby. I had anticipated it might be Lilith returning or perhaps Damon, coming back to challenge me once more.

But when I turned, it was Natalia standing in the center of the room, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow on her pale skin and soft hair. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light, steady and clear, no longer clouded by the remnants of whatever had held sway over her.

She gestured toward the empty chair beside me, her voice gentle yet firm. “Can I sit?”