Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Natalia & Andrei

Natalia

The house was too quiet without the twins in it.

It had only been a few days since they’d left with Grace, but it felt like an eternity. I kept catching myself listening for their footsteps, or turning around expecting to see one of them standing there only to find the space empty.

Damon was out today, which made the quiet even more unbearable. I needed a distraction.

Before I could think twice, I changed into a pair of loose pants and a tank top, then headed to the training grounds behind the barracks. The Moonshadow warriors had set up there, and even from afar, I could spot Alina from her eye patch. Her one good eye widened slightly when she saw me approaching; I had rarely come to see them since they’d gotten here.

I rarely came here at all.

“Luna Natalia. What brings you here?”

“I was hoping to train,” I said, shifting uncomfortably as the other warriors turned to look at me. “It’s been a while, but I thought maybe you could help me get back into it.”

“Of course. Always happy to assist.” She led me over to the sparring ring. “Let’s see what you remember,” she said, stepping into the center of the ring.

I followed, trying to recall the defensive stances I’d been taught years ago. But my body felt stiff and awkward. When was the last time I’d trained properly? Before the twins were born, certainly. At least five years ago.

“Attack me,” Alina instructed, dropping into a perfect fighting stance.

I hesitated, then lunged forward with what I hoped was a decent jab. Alina sidestepped it effortlessly, her hand closing around my wrist and using my own momentum to flip me onto my back. I hit the ground with a painful thud that knocked the air from my lungs.

“Again,” she said, helping me to my feet.

This time I tried a different approach, feinting left before aiming a kick at her side. But Alina saw it coming even with only one eye. She caught my leg and swept my other foot out from under me. Once again, I found myself on my back, staring up at the sky and gasping for breath.

Snickers erupted from the edge of the ring this time. I turned my head to see several Ashmoor guards watching. When they saw my glare, they quickly whirled around, pretending to be suddenly interested in the clouds above.

“Well, that’s embarrassing,” I muttered as Alina helped me to my feet. “I guess I’m rustier than I thought.”

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“Don’t apologize,” Alina said firmly. “You’ve got the foundations down, but you just need to brush up.” She eyed me critically. “But before we work on technique, we need to build your strength back up. Do you exercise often?”

My face reddened, and I shook my head. Aside from walking and occasionally running, I rarely exercised. Certainly not enough to build muscle.

For the next hour, Alina put me through a series of exercises that left my muscles screaming. Push–ups, squats, lunges, and more, until sweat poured down my face and my limbs trembled.

By the time we moved to the punching bags, I was exhausted. But there was something strangely cathartic about hitting something. Each impact of my fist against the heavy bag seemed to clear my head of all thoughts.

“Harder,” Alina instructed. “Put your whole body into it. Imagine it’s someone you hate.”

I hesitated for a moment, then pictured Lilith’s smug face on the bag. My next punch was harder than I expected.

“No one will ever believe you anyway.

Another punch.

I pictured Andrei as he’d been during our marriage–cold, distant, always thinking of Lilith and never of

1. me.

My fists flew faster.

I thought of the car crash, the freefall over the cliff, the water burning my lungs.

Each image I pictured drove my fists harder against the bag. My knuckles began to sting, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. It felt too good to finally release all the rage I’d been carrying for years.

“Natalia.”

I barely heard Alina’s voice over the roaring in my ears.

“Natalia, that’s enough.”

A hand on my shoulder finally broke through my haze. I stopped, chest heaving, and realized my knuckles were bleeding.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Alina said gently, taking my hands and examining the raw skin. “You did well.”

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