He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 9

Damon firmly orders Natalia to stay in her room, aware of her fragile emotional and physical state as warned by the doctor. Despite her pleading eyes, he shuts the door to protect her from any sudden shocks, especially from Andrei. Grace, tense and frustrated, tries to speak to Damon about Andrei, but he silences her, insisting Andrei lost his right to know when he abandoned Natalia while she was pregnant and alone.

Damon moves to the southern gates where his pack is already assembled, sensing the arrival of Andrei himself, who has come without envoys or scouts. Andrei arrives with Lilith, who poses as his Luna, a fact that irritates Damon. Their interaction is tense and filled with underlying hostility. Damon mocks Lilith, calling her a “dead woman,” and challenges Andrei’s sudden concern for Natalia.

Andrei reveals he is there because Natalia is missing and insists she is still his mate despite their divorce. Damon ridicules Andrei for abandoning Natalia, especially now that she is pregnant, and accuses him of moving on with Lilith. The conversation grows more heated as Andrei denies knowing about Natalia’s pregnancy until after the divorce and demands to know if Damon has seen her.

Damon coldly suggests Natalia may not have survived a dangerous cliff near the territory and criticizes Andrei for not stopping her when he had the chance. The tension between the two men escalates, with their packs ready for conflict, but Andrei insists he does not want a fight—he only wants to know if Natalia is there. Damon denies her presence, though Andrei’s doubtful gaze searches the compound for any sign of her.

DAMON

“Natalia, stay in your room.”

She looked at me like she wanted to argue, to press for answers, but I didn’t give her the chance. I closed the door softly but firmly, cutting off her wide, panicked eyes. Behind the door, I could still feel her wolf—agitated, alert, pressing against her skin like mine pressed against mine.

“She’s too close to the edge,” the doctor had warned me. “Emotionally and physically. Any sudden shock-”

I wasn’t about to let Andrei deliver one.

Grace was loitering near the hall, arms crossed, jaw tight with tension she didn’t bother to hide. She opened her mouth, but I cut her off.

“You will not speak to him. Not a word. Not unless I order it.”

Her lips curled in irritation. “He has a right to know-

“No,” I snapped. “He had the right. He gave it up when he let her walk away pregnant and alone.”

She glared at me, but under my Alpha tone, she dropped her gaze. “Yes, Alpha,” she muttered.

I brushed past her and headed toward the southern gates. My pack had already assembled, standing at the ready. I hadn’t even needed to summon them. They could sense it–the shift in air, the weight of power approaching.

Andrei.

He hadn’t sent envoys or scouts this time.

He’d come himself.

Of course he had.

The SUV was sleek and black, the engine still humming faintly as he stepped out. He looked exactly as he had the last time I saw him–rigid, immaculately dressed, coolly detached. Every step he took was measured, Alpha through and through.

And beside him, Lilith. Dressed in soft winter–white, her hair pulled back in a graceful twist, her smile shallow and poised. She clung to Andrei’s side like she was already Luna.

I resisted the urge to bare my teeth.

“Alpha Andrei,” I said coolly. “You’ve brought company.”

He didn’t smile. “You’ve been hard to reach.”

I gestured at the pack behind me. “We’ve been busy. My pack doesn’t run itself. Apologies for missing your engagement celebration.”

Chapter B

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Lilith’s lips twitched, but she said nothing.

“Lilith,” I said. “You look well. For a dead woman.”

She looked scandalized but Andrei stepped forward before I could insult the woman further, his expression hardening. “I’m here for Natalia.”

Straight to it, then.

I tilted my head. “Now? After all this time? Isn’t it a little late for husbandly concern?”

“She’s missing.”

“You divorced her.”

“She’s still my mate.”

I laughed. “Now she’s your mate? After you let her walk away, after you chose Lilith?” I gestured casually to the woman beside him. “Seems you’ve moved on, brother.”

Lilith didn’t like that. I saw the flash in her eyes. Good.

Andrei’s jaw flexed. “She’s pregnant.”

“Already?” I said, misunderstanding which woman he was talking about on purpose. “I offer you congratulations,

Lilith.”

“Not Lilith,” Andrie spit. “Natalia. Natalia is pregnant.”

My brow lifted. “Your mate was pregnant and you divorced her?”

I was vexing him on purpose, which wasn’t kind, but I couldn’t help myself.

“She didn’t tell me,” Andrei snapped. “Not until after. I didn’t know when I signed the

I sucked in a breath. “Sounds like a personal problem.”

His wolf stirred visibly beneath his skin. “Have you seen her?”

“No.”

“She was last seen near your territory.”

papers.”

I shrugged. “She probably didn’t survive. That cliff was steep. The sea was cold. Happens.”

The muscles in his jaw clenched. “Don’t speak of her like she’s already dead.”

“You didn’t stop her when you had the chance. Why mourn now?”

The air between us was crackling with tension. His warriors behind him shifted, sensing it. Mine did the same.

“We’re not here to fight,” Andrei said lowly. “I just want to know if she’s here.”

“I told you she’s not.”

He didn’t believe me. That much was clear. His eyes were scanning every corner of the compound lik will her to appear from the shadows.

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The chapter closes on a tense standoff charged with unresolved pain and fractured loyalties. Damon’s fierce protectiveness over Natalia reveals the depth of his care, even as he struggles with anger and bitterness toward Andrei’s absence and choices. The emotional weight of Natalia’s disappearance and pregnancy hangs heavily between the two Alphas, underscoring themes of loss, regret, and the complexities of love intertwined with power.

Amidst the charged atmosphere, the chapter captures the raw vulnerability beneath the surface of these strong, commanding figures. Their confrontation is not just about possession or pride, but a desperate search for truth and connection in the face of uncertainty. The fragile threads of family and loyalty are stretched taut, leaving the reader suspended in the emotional storm that will inevitably demand resolution.

The next chapter promises to deepen the simmering tension between Damon and Andrei, two alphas bound by a complicated past and a shared concern for Natalia. As Andrei’s unexpected arrival stirs the already fragile atmosphere, emotions will run high, and loyalties will be tested. The uneasy truce between the packs threatens to unravel as secrets and unresolved grievances come to the surface, forcing Damon to confront not only Andrei but also his own protective instincts.

Meanwhile, Natalia’s absence looms like a shadow over everyone, raising questions about her fate and the truth behind her disappearance. The revelation of her pregnancy adds another layer of urgency and vulnerability to the situation, hinting at challenges that could redefine relationships and power dynamics. Readers can expect a charged encounter filled with raw emotions, subtle power plays, and the looming possibility of confrontation that could change everything for the characters involved.

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.