Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 539

Natalia’s POV

A low growl cut through the space, and I turned to find Max on his feet.

For an eleven–year–old, he looked damn intimidating. Shoulders squared, back straight, eyes narrowed and glowing yellow. Through the familial bond we shared, I could sense his wolf bristling. Having emerged early, his wolf had always been powerful, aggressive, and territorial. It was impressive, but now was not the time.

“Max,” I said quietly. “Stand down. It’s alright.”

He hesitated, then slowly sank back into his chair. But he didn’t take his eyes off of Aurelius.

I turned back to the Alpha in front of me. Aurelius snorted. “I wasn’t aware you brought an attack dog with you.”

His jab made my own wolf snarl, but I refused to rise to the bait. I’d dealt with enough men like this to know that he just wanted to get a reaction out of me, that was all.

“I have no interest in finding an Alpha,” I said coolly. “I can lead Moonshadow on my own.” I smiled. “And while your marriage proposal is flattering, I’m eight years your senior and have seen men fall by my hands who were twice as conniving as you.”

“I wasn’t-”

“We would never be compatible. In fact, I think you’d be better off seeking companionship in a place where you have to pay for it. At least there, they’ll pretend you’re not completely insufferable for three minutes or however long it takes for you to finish.”

A few people snickered. Catherine covered her mouth to hide a smile.

Aurelius’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes. Anger and wounded pride.

“You think I would ever be interested in marrying you?” he snarled. “I’ll take your pack by force before I ever-”

“I think you’re wasting my time.”

With that, I turned, gesturing for the twins to follow. Max snarled at Aurelius again. I could practically feel Jane give him an evil stare as we passed. We made our way out into the common area, where I let out a small breath.

“Go get something to eat,” I said, ushering them toward the buffet table. “And don’t cause any trouble.”

I watched the twins scamper off, already arguing over what to eat. It was moments like that that reminded me, as much as they seemed like little adults, they really weren’t all that different from the six–year–olds they had been five years ago.

“Luna Natalia.”

I turned at the sound of the deep, gruff voice. One of the other Alphas, an aging wolf in charge of a small but prosperous territory

in the east, came to stand beside me.

“With all due respect, Alpha Aurelius has a point,” he said without preamble. “A pack without a unified Alpha and Luma duo is weaker. That is just a fact. If you want Moonshadow to continue prospering, you will need a male leader by your side.”

I turned to face him. “Your wife died decades ago, Alpha, and you never remarried. Why should I be any different just because of what’s between my legs?”

The old man pressed his lips together.

“Moonshadow has done just fine under my leadership,” I said.

“Because you’ve been lucky,” he pointed out, waggling a finger at me. “But luck runs out. Women are physically weaker than males, whether you want to be or not. And if a bloodthirsty male like Aurelius wishes to take you down, he’d do it with his little finger.”

Chapter 539

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“Andrei will rip him to shreds when he returns if he even tries,” I muttered.

The Alpha’s expression softened. “It’s been five years, Natalia. Andrei isn’t coming back.”

The words hit harder than they should have. I looked away, jaw clenching.

“We don’t know that,” I said.

“He’s been missing for half a decade. Look, I know it’s difficult, but at some point, you have to accept reality and move on.”

Move on. Like Andrei was just something I could forget about. Like five years was long enough to stop loving someone.

“My personal life isn’t up for discussion,” I said.

The Alpha sighed, then pulled out a business card and handed it to me. “Just consider it,” he said, pressing the card into my hand. “This is my son’s card. He’s a good man, smart and loyal. Not the most handsome, but he’d treat you well, and he could protect your pack.”

I stared at the card in my hand as the Alpha walked away. The moment he was gone, I tore it up and threw it in the trash.

As if I would ever remarry.

The summit continued for another few hours. Aurelius kept quiet throughout the meetings, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. On the way out, he trailed me to my car, and wiggled his fingers at me as we drove away.

The twins were quiet on the drive home. Jane had stopped knitting and was staring out the window. Max was in the front seat, arms crossed, still fuming.

“You okay?” I asked him.

“That guy was an asshole,” he muttered.

“Language.”

“But he was.”

“Yeah. He was. Doesn’t mean you have to say it.”

“Are you really going to let him challenge you?” Max turned to me.

“Of course not.”

“He might try anyway. And you could lose.”

I glanced at him. His face was drawn with worry. I knew he was trying to act tough, but he was still just a kid. Still scared of losing another parent.

“I won’t lose,” I said.

“But what if-”

“I won’t lose, Max.”

He went quiet after that.

When we got home, Hope was waiting on the front porch with her babysitter. She ran over the moment we pulled into the driveway.

“Mommy!” She threw her arms around my waist. “How was the meeting?”

“Long,” I said, ruffling her hair. “How was your day?”

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