He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 60
Andrei confronts Natalia with a desperate and determined question about whose body was actually burned during his funeral years ago. The moment is tense and heavy, set against the quiet backdrop of the forest where they have just laid a young deer to rest. Natalia feels the weight of the question and the emotional history between them, recalling Andrei’s grief and pain over past losses, including the disappearance of Lilith and the death of his Luna and their unborn child.
Natalia admits that the body burned was that of a rogue female who resembled her, explaining that she had to use her wedding ring and scarf to deceive Andrei into believing it was her. This revelation deepens the emotional complexity between them, as Andrei processes the truth with a mix of pain and disbelief. The silence that follows is thick, filled with unspoken feelings and the burden of hidden truths.
Andrei then asks about the accident that led to Natalia’s abortion, a question that stirs painful memories for her. She senses a deeper significance behind his inquiry but refuses to reveal anything that might expose the secret of the twins, Max and Jane. Natalia’s sharp refusal and decision to move on with the patrol highlight her determination to protect her secrets and maintain a cold distance.
The chapter ends with Natalia signaling to continue their duties, aware of Andrei’s intense gaze but unwilling to engage further. The unresolved tension and the guarded nature of their interaction underscore the theme that some secrets are safer left in the shadows.
Natalia & Andrei
Natalia
“Whose body was actually burned during your funeral all those years ago? I have the right to know,” Andrei’s voice broke the quiet, his eyes locked on mine with a mix of desperation and determination.
I sank back onto my heels, the weight of his question settling heavily around us. It wasn’t entirely surprising—after all, he was bound to ask eventually—but the moment caught me off guard. We had just laid a young deer to rest, a small creature Andrei had been forced to end mercifully with his own hands. The forest around us was still, the late afternoon sun filtering through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Perhaps, in a strange way, it was the perfect moment to confront death. Death had a way of forcing difficult conversations, making us face truths we’d rather avoid.
Andrei waited patiently, his gaze unwavering and sincere.
I toyed briefly with the idea of lying, but what good would it do? He already knew I hadn’t truly died. The specifics of how I managed to fake my death were less important now. What mattered was that he never uncovered the secret of the twins—or that I suspected him of being involved in attempts on my life. So, why lie?
A flicker of guilt stirred inside me. I remembered watching Andrei from afar as he stood by the funeral pyre, his face crumpling with grief. I recalled the way he had drowned his sorrow in alcohol afterward. Even if his anguish was more for the loss of his pup than for me, it had still been painful to witness. He had endured so much already—Lilith’s disappearance years ago, then the heartache of losing his Luna and their unborn child. It was the kind of nightmare most males dreaded.
“It was a rogue,” I finally admitted, rising and brushing the dirt from my palms. “A female who tried to kill me. She had the same height and build as I do.”
Andrei’s jaw twitched, his voice surprisingly flat. “So you put your wedding ring on her finger and let me burn her body?”
I looked away, a pang of guilt tightening my chest. “My wedding ring and my scarf. I did what I had to do.”
Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. After a long pause, I glanced back at him. His expression was unreadable, but in his eyes, I thought I caught a flicker of pain—quickly masked, but there nonetheless.
“Were you badly hurt in the accident?” he asked, rising to his feet. “Is that why you had the abortion?”
My stomach twisted in response, nerves prickling beneath my skin. Of course he would ask that. Even after four years, the memory of the car plunging over the cliff was vivid—the terror, the suffocating pain as water filled my lungs. Though it was water, it burned like fire inside me.
I winced involuntarily. Andrei tilted his head, studying me closely.
But why bring this up now? Did he somehow know about the twins? Had he uncovered a clue, or heard whispers?
I couldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t hand him anything that might lead him to Max and Jane. I had to keep up the façade of cold detachment.
“That’s none of your concern,” I said sharply, turning away. “We should finish the patrol. The eastern quadrant still needs covering, and I want to be home before sundown.”
Without waiting for his reply, I started walking again, signaling to the Ashmoor warrior to follow. I could feel Andrei’s gaze burning into my back, but I didn’t dare look over my shoulder.
Some secrets are safer left buried in the shadows.
The weight of unspoken truths hangs heavily between Natalia and Andrei, a silent testament to the pain and sacrifices they both have endured. Their shared past, marked by loss and betrayal, shapes the fragile trust that now cautiously begins to form. In the quiet of the forest, amidst the remnants of death and survival, they confront the shadows of their intertwined lives—acknowledging the scars without fully revealing the depths beneath.
Yet, even as Natalia shields her most guarded secrets, the emotional undercurrents ripple with a bittersweet tenderness. The chapter closes on a delicate balance of vulnerability and restraint, where love and pain coexist in the spaces left unspoken. It is a poignant reminder that some wounds heal slowly, and some truths are too fragile to expose, but the door to the soul, once opened, can never be fully closed again.
The next chapter promises to deepen the tension between Natalia and Andrei, as unspoken truths and buried emotions threaten to surface. Their fragile truce will be tested, and the delicate balance between trust and suspicion could tip in unexpected ways. As they navigate the shadows of their pasts, readers will be drawn into the silent battles waged beneath their guarded interactions, wondering how much longer Natalia can keep her secrets hidden without shattering the fragile connection they share.
Emotions simmer beneath the surface, hinting at unresolved pain and lingering doubts that may soon erupt. The weight of loss, guilt, and unanswered questions looms large, promising moments of vulnerability and confrontation. Will Andrei’s growing suspicions bring them closer, or will the walls they’ve built around their hearts become insurmountable barriers? The next chapter will invite readers to explore the complexities of loyalty and deception, leaving them eager to uncover what lies beyond the next door.
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.