Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 254

Chapter 254

Across the table, I heard a scoff. We all turned to see Celeste picking at her cake with her lips puckered as if she’d Just tasted something sour.

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Something to say, Celeste?” David groaned, bumping my knee with his under the table as if to indicate that he’d been putting up with her bullshit for years.

Celeste shrugged and waved her fork around. “I just agree with Father, that’s all. A proper lady should have a mating mark by now. By having pups before being marked and thus bringing out her abilities, Natalia might have doomed her children to being ordinary forever.”

I opened my mouth to bite back a retort, but nothing would come.

Ordinary,

Celeste’s words struck me deeper than I wanted to admit. I knew she was just trying to hurt me and get under my skin because of petty jealousy, but… fuck. All this talk of being unmarked was making it even more painful than usual.

Had I really “doomed” my children to a life with no abilities? I supposed that I wouldn’t have felt that way until mere days ago, when I didn’t even know that such abilities existed, but now that I did…

I couldn’t deny that it soured my mood a bit even though I wished it didn’t.

“That’s enough, Celeste,” Alexander finally said, setting down his now–empty wine cup and standing, extending his hand to his wife. “I think we should all go to bed now. The wine seems to be getting to all of us.” Helena huffed and stood, taking Alexander’s hand and letting him lead her away. David gave me another curious look before he trailed behind them, leaving only me and Celeste in the grand dining room.

Celeste didn’t look at me as she pushed her chair back and hurried to leave. But before she could get far, I swallowed my pride and jogged after her.

“Celeste. Wait.” She didn’t slow, but I kept pace beside her. “I heard that Karl was once supposed to be my betrothed. But I hope you know that I have no interest in him in any capacity.” Celeste froze, and I went on, with Andrei. My fated mate. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m

“Worry? About you?” Celeste whirled on me, face twisted with hatred. “I’m no more worried about you than I am about a bug squashed beneath my shoe. Why don’t you focus on getting marked by your baby daddy instead of making assumptions?”

With that, Celeste turned and stormed off, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.

“Well. So much for making nice,” I muttered, shaking my head and walking in the other direction.

A few minutes later, I found myself wandering through the library again, trailing my fingers across the spines of the books in search of something to read before bed. I wasn’t looking for Karl, but I also wasn’t surprised to find him hunched over a large tome when I rounded a corner.

He jerked his head up at the sound of my throat clearing. I caught a glimpse of something purple and ugly on his face before he quickly looked away.

Chapter 954

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“Oh. It’s you,” he said.

I took a step forward. “I saw your note. Are you alright? Is Celeste ”

“She’s just… stubborn,” he said with a wistful smile. “But thank you for your concern.”

I furrowed my brow. “Stubborn and abusive are two different things, Karl.”

Karl’s face crumpled. I pulled out the chair beside him and took a seat, gently touching his face so he turned his head to reveal the bruise to me. I hissed through my teeth when I saw the mark where she’d hit him.

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