Chapter 3 Alexei

From the very first second Natalia stepped through the door, I knew.

It wasn’t her face. Not the way she walked. Not even her voice.

It was something deeper. Instinctive. Primal.

Like something inside me woke up the moment it recognized her.

She was our fated mate.

The bond didn’t suggest itself… it demanded recognition. It ignited in my chest like a silent blaze—fierce and precise.

And I couldn’t ignore it.

Because Natalia wasn’t like the others. And I don’t say that just because of her beauty—though she had it. She was stunning. But there was more. Something you couldn’t explain.

A different kind of energy. A light that didn’t blind, but revealed.

A warmth that had never belonged to us.

She was sunlight.

And we... we had been forged in shadow.

Her outfit was simple—a neutral-toned suit, flawless, discreet. As if designed not to draw attention. And yet, on her, it was impossible not to look.

She approached the supervisor with ease. Her voice was steady, polite, confident. The woman gestured for her to sit.

Then Natalia turned to us.

"Good afternoon."

We all stood at once. Not because we had planned it—but because our bodies reacted before our minds did.

Pavel gave her a small nod, dry but respectful. I followed, and so did our younger brothers.

"Pavel."

"Alexei."

"Roman."

"Leon."

"Sergei."

All of us with the same last name—Yakovlev.

She nodded again. Not a flicker of nervousness. Nothing. She seemed perfectly at ease beneath our gaze, which—on some level—unsettled me.

But what unsettled me more… was the way she ignored me.

I wanted to speak. To ask something. Anything. Just to make her look at me.

But I didn’t.

And that made me feel like a spectator.

Invisible.

And it pissed me off.

The supervisor resumed her speech.

"Due to an incident during a previous session, intimate questions will be restricted today. However, if both parties agree, a second meeting may be scheduled to address more personal matters."

Pavel nodded wordlessly.

We started with general questions.

Pavel asked about her childhood.

Natalia answered with calm, without drama. She’d grown up in McAllen, Texas—surrounded by work, community, and responsibility from an early age.

Her story wasn’t ours, but there were echoes. Familiar undertones.

I nodded and shared how we had grown up in Alaska: the ice, the discipline, the endurance.

To my surprise, Natalia didn’t just listen—she asked.

Real questions. Intentional. Curious.

I saw how Leon couldn’t stop watching her. Sergei too.

I didn’t blame them. Natalia had that kind of beauty that didn’t shout—but demanded attention.

And yet, it wasn’t her appearance that was driving me insane.

It was the connection.

That invisible, feral pull that made me want to throw her onto the table and mark her.

Make her ours. Forever.

The bond was animal, ancient as blood.

And I wasn’t a man ruled by impulse...

Except when my wolf was awake.

And Natalia had awakened more than just desire.

Roman, maybe to break the tension, went straight to the point.

"Natalia, what was it that caught your attention in our profile?"

Natalia gave a faint smile.

"The fact that you were raised in a small town… and that your mother was a midwife. I found it... interesting."

Her answer was simple. But genuine.

Then she turned the question back.

"And you? What did you like in my profile?"

The silence was brutal.

Because none of us had really read it.

And saying so would’ve been a slap in the face.

As always, Pavel took the lead.

"That you’re truly beautiful."

I saw the shift in her expression. Natalia didn’t get angry, but it was obvious she’d heard that word far too often. "Truly beautiful." It didn’t impress her.

It bothered her.

I knew it.

We all did.

"Of course. I understand," she said with a smile that never reached her eyes.

Silence fell like a hammer.

"You must know it. You're beautiful," Pavel added again.

"I know," Natalia replied. Not arrogantly. But with restrained sadness.

Another silence.

This time, Sergei tried to steer the conversation back.

"What brought you to Chicago?"

"My family sent me here. My parents thought this would be a good opportunity for me, since options are more limited in Texas."

Before Sergei could continue, Pavel leaned forward slightly.

"We want a woman who knows how to ignite a home, raise strong children, and meet the intensity each of us carries when night falls. We’re not just looking for companionship. We want someone who can surrender without fear—when desire demands more than just—"

"Mr. Yakovlev, excuse me," Natalia interrupted. Her voice was firm, composed, but sharp.

I had never seen anyone cut Pavel off like that.

And certainly not so elegantly.

"I believe I understand your expectations quite clearly. And frankly, I don’t believe I’m capable of meeting them."

Her tone wasn’t aggressive—but there was something in her gaze I couldn’t quite read.

"I studied nursing, but the nation won’t allow me to practice unless I’m bonded to a clan. And while I was told most elite clans don’t allow their women to work, I thought... after reading your profiles and seeing where you came from, and what your mother did... maybe you’d understand my needs."

We went silent.

Not because there was nothing to say—

But because none of us knew how to stop the impact of what we’d just heard.

"I’m not what you're looking for. And you’re not what I’m looking for either. The system must’ve made a mistake. You’ll do much better with a different kind of woman. One more beautiful. One who’s interested in just being a housewife."

She said it gently. Courteously.

But it was a clean shot. Precise. Lethal.

"I think that’s all. Thank you for your time."

Leon, clearly confused, broke the silence.

"You mean… there won’t be another meeting?"

Natalia smiled.

And damn it— It was the warmest smile I’d ever seen.

"I think you should consider meeting a candidate more aligned with what you’re looking for. As for me..."

Pavel frowned.

"As for you. What?"

A flicker of sadness crossed her face.

Just for a second.

"I’ll be leaving, with your permission."

And she left.

Just like that.

No drama. No slammed doors.

Just a clean exit.

Elegant. Untouchable.

We sat in silence.

And I felt a pressure in my chest. A void I couldn’t name.

I looked at Pavel and the rest of my brothers.

Had our fated mate… just rejected us? Why?