Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 285

Chapter 285

Natalia’s POV

I was mid–kick when I spotted Karl approaching the training grounds the next morning. My foot connected with the practice dummy’s midsection with a satisfying thud, and I lowered my leg slowly, watching Karl nervously pick his way through the maze of sparring warriors.

“Morning,” he said, stopping a few feet away. “Do you… Do you think you could spare some time for another lesson?”

I turned and looked at him, taking note of the fact that he’d actually come today in training attire. And without a book under his arm, which was both surprising and a little disconcerting.

“Sure,” I said, gesturing for him to come over. “What do you want to work on?”

“Everything.” He managed a small smile. “I’m terrible at all of it.”

“You’re not terrible. You just need practice.” I handed him a pair of gloves. “Come on. Let’s start with defensive stances.”

We spent the next hour going through the basics. Karl was a quick learner, which came as no surprise given his special ability. He watched carefully when I demonstrated a movement, then mimicked it with near–perfect

accuracy.

His biggest problem was that he second–guessed himself constantly, always looking to me for confirmation before committing to a strike or block.

“Stop thinking so much,” I told him after he hesitated for the third time during a simple combination. “Your body knows what to do. You just have to trust it.”

Karl nodded and tried again. This time, when I came at him with a slow punch, he blocked without hesitation. His face lit up.

“See?” I said, grinning. “You’ve got this.”

We continued drilling, and I could see his confidence growing with each successful block and counter. The other warriors training nearby occasionally glanced our way, but most were too focused on their own work to pay us

much attention.

After about an hour, I called for a water break. We sat on the edge of the training circle, both out of breath and sweating. My ribs were still a little sore from the rogue attack at the festival, but the healers had done good work. I barely felt it anymore.

“I did it, by the way,” Karl suddenly said. “Broke up with Celeste. Well, sort of.” He took a long drink from his water flask, then stared down at his hands. “I told her I wanted to end things unless something changed. We’re taking a break. Officially.”

I recalled Celeste’s mother’s little visit, but didn’t mention that to Karl. “That’s good. You did a good thing,” I said.

“Is it?” He glanced at me, clearly uncertain. “Everyone thinks I’m crazy. Helena cornered me yesterday and spent twenty minutes listing off all the reasons why I’m making a mistake.”

Chapter 245

+25 Bonus

I snorted. “Helena can shove her opinions where the sun doesn’t shine.”

That got a laugh out of him. “I wish I could say that to her face.”

“You could. I believe in you.”

“Maybe someday.” Karl’s smile faded a bit. “Celeste didn’t take it well. She cried and begged me to reconsider. Said I was throwing away our future together over nothing.”

“Over nothing?” I shook my head. “She hits you, Karl. That’s not nothing,”

“I know. I told her that. Told her I couldn’t marry someone who treats me like that.” His jaw clenched. “She said I was being dramatic. That because my nose is always in a book, I don’t understand how real relationships work.”

“That’s bullshit. You know that, right?”

“I do now.” Karl looked at me properly then. “Thank you, Natalia. For making me see it. I don’t know how much longer I would have put up with it if you hadn’t said something.”

I reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “You deserve to be happy. And if you ever need to talk, I’m here. Alright?”

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