Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 271

Chapter 271

That was because I was the only one who survived.

Without another word, Mother swept away, gown trailing across the cobblestones, and disappeared. I pressed my hand to my bodice, feeling the hard outline of the key within.

This was getting risky. Natalia was a formidable fighter, not to mention her so–called ‘mate‘ had eyes like a hawk and a tempter to boot. If I got caught by either of them, I’d be doomed.

And now that she was back, Stepfather and David wouldn’t dote on me like they used to. I couldn’t screw up anymore. Not with them, and especially not with Mother.

If I did… I didn’t want to wind up like my siblings. Being useless to Mother was as good as being dead.

Once I composed myself, I slipped out of the alcove I was standing in and looked around. The festival was still in full swing–in the distance, I could still make out Karl and Natalia chatting with each other. Andrei was standing beside them, smiling faintly along to their conversation.

My previous tactic to scare her into leaving after the attack didn’t work. Then, my attempts to cause an argument over that stupid kiss and make Andrei force her to leave hadn’t worked. This had better do the trick.

If there was one thing I’d learned lately, it was that Andrei was overprotective of Natalia. If he thought she was unsafe or unfit to be here, then he’d have no choice but to drag her away. Hopefully they would both finally get the hint and leave with their children and not come back before Mother made me take more drastic measures.

I took a deep breath and scurried across the plaza, making sure I looked as nonchalant as possible. The guards didn’t so much as pay me a second glance, too drunk from the festival wine, when I slipped into the barracks where the prisoners were being held.

A few minutes later, I located the cage I was looking for. The rogue inside was dirty and disheveled with a wild look about him, and shot to his feet when I approached, gripping the bars.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he cooed, flashing me a mouthful of rotten teeth. “Come to visit me, eh?”

“Shut your pig mouth.” I reached into my bodice and withdrew the key, along with the small lock of hair I’d taken last night. I held the hair up so he could sniff it. “Is this scent familiar to you?”

The rogue’s nostrils flared, then his pupils dilated. He stepped back from the bars with a grimace. “It’s from the head of that girl. The one who killed my bunkmate. He was a good buddy of mine, you know.”

“I want you to cut her,” I said, waving the hair in front of the bars. “Not too much, but enough to hurt. If you can do that, I’ll set you free,”

The

rogue tilted his head, uncertain. Just to encourage him further, I slipped a small pouch of jewels out of my pocket and tossed those through the bars. They scattered out of the pouch as it fell, and the rogue scrambled around to pick them up. I pulled out my earrings–which were inlaid with rubies–for good measure, too, and

tossed those into the mix.

“There are more where those came from. Enough to get you out of the Thornwood and start a new life in the territories. All you have to do is track her down and hurt her. Cause a little chaos while you’re at it, too. Scare people. Scare the kids, especially.”

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