Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 537

Natalia’s POV

Five years passed after that fateful night.

Some days, it felt like Andrei had only been gone for a few weeks. Other days, it felt like a lifetime. Most mornings, I would wake up reaching for his warm body, only to find cold sheets beside me. I would hear footsteps in the hallway and think it was him

coming home, but it was always just one of the kids or a pack member.

Hope was five now. She had Andrei’s dark hair, just like the twins, and my eyes, and she didn’t remember her father at all. Sometimes she would ask about him, and I would tell her stories about how much he loved her, even now.

I never said he was dead, even though many people claimed he was by now. I just said he was… gone.

The twins were eleven. Max had grown tall and lean, already showing signs of the Alpha he would become. He trained every day with the other young wolves, pushing himself harder than anyone else. He rarely talked about Andrei anymore, but I knew he thought about him. I could see it in those wide eyes every time he looked at me. Mirroring my own anguish.

Jane was different. She’d developed an interest in herbalism thanks to Grace’s influence and spent most of her time with the healers who had settled with us from Bloodmoon, learning about their trade. She was quieter than she used to be, and a lot more serious. She always seemed more comfortable acting like a Bloodmoon girl than a Moonshadow girl, although deep down, I think she always loved Ashmoor the most.

As for me, I’d become the leader Moonshadow needed. After Andrei disappeared, there had been challenges. Other Alphas started circling once he’d been gone for about six months and thought he would never return. But I’d proven myself over and over. Our pack remained peaceful and prosperous.

I was respected now. Even feared, by some.

But I was also alone.

Damon was the only one who still believed Andrei was alive. He’d spent years researching, trying to find a way into the underworld. He’d consulted with Karl, with other scholars, with anyone who might have information. But there was nothing. No portal. No demon. No trace of Andrei anywhere.

I’d stopped believing in the Moon Goddess’s vision a long time ago. It had to have been a hallucination. Because if it had been real, wouldn’t she have appeared again? Wouldn’t she have given me more guidance?

No. The truth was simpler and more painful. Andrei had suffered a psychotic break from the lingering effects of the fumes and the trauma. He’d killed Isaac and Ellen in a fit of madness, then wandered into the wilderness and died somewhere we would

never find him.

It was easier to accept that than to believe he was trapped in hell.

Today was the summit. Pack leaders from across the region were gathering to discuss territory boundaries, trade agreements, and alliance terms. It was the kind of political maneuvering I’d gotten good at over the years, even if I hated every minute of it.

I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of my shirt. I’d chosen something professional but not too formal–a dark blue button–up tucked into black slacks. If I wore dresses, the men would start to jeer at me, claiming that I was a frivolous woman who shouldn’t be leading a pack. So I hardened myself, dressed like a man, cut my hair to my chin.

I looked nothing like the woman who used to cry herself to sleep every night. I felt less and less like myself with each day.

“Mom!” Jane’s voice called from downstairs. “We’re going to be late!”

“Coming!” I grabbed my jacket and headed down.

The twins were waiting by the door. Max was tugging at his tic, and Jane had on a simple dress with her hair braided down her back. They both looked so much older than eleven. When had that happened?

Chapter 537

“You both look great,” I said.

Max ripped off his tie and started to reknot it. “I hate this thing.”

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