Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 305

Chapter 305

Celeste’s POV

The door slammed shut behind Alexander and the others, and I barely had time to set down my needlework before Mother’s hand cracked across my face.

The blow was so hard that it knocked me sideways off the chair. I hit the floor with my hands and knees, my cheek burning where her palm had connected. My cars rang from the impact.

“You stupid, worthless girl,” Mother hissed, grabbing my hair and wrenching my head up. “Do you have any idea what you almost cost us?”

I blinked hard against the sting of tears and pain. “Mother, I didn’t-”

Her foot connected with my ribs before I could finish. The air rushed out of my lungs and I doubled over, gasping

“Shut your mouth.” Mother slapped me again, still gripping my hair so tightly that I could feel several strands coming loose from my scalp. “You were going to confess, weren’t you? I saw it on your pathetic face.”

“I wasn’t-”

Another slap. This one split my lip.

“Don’t lie to me.” Mother’s grip tightened on my hair, forcing my head back at an uncomfortable angle. “You were going to tell them about the poison. About what I told you to do.”

Blood trickled down my chin from my split lip. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. The pain was too great.

“Fortunately for you, that Gamma was stupid enough to take the blame. But you almost ruined everything with your weakness.”

She released my hair so abruptly that I slammed back against the floor, skull cracking on the hardwood. I didn’t get up–just laid there in agony, looking up at my mother through my tears and tangle of hair.

“Look at you,” Mother said, her lip curling in disgust. “Pathetic. Weak. Just like your father said you’d be.”

That stung worse than the slaps. I’d grown used to Mother’s hatred, but I had always secretly hoped to please my father, even though we never saw each other. I only ever wanted to perform the duties he expected of me. “I’m trying to fix this,” I finally managed, pushing myself up to a seated position with great effort.

“Fix this?” Mother laughed, but there was no humor in it. “The only way to fix this is to finish what you started. That girl needs to disappear, and her bastard children with her.”

“But she’s pregnant.”

“Oh, for the love of…” Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mother shook her head, exasperated. “Fine. Since you’re too weak to handle this properly, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

With that, she turned and stormed over to her desk and began to write a note.

“What are you doing?” I asked weakly.

Chapter 305

+25 Bonus

“What should have been done weeks ago.” Mother finished writing and folded the paper carefully. “Natalia is going to have an unfortunate accident in the Thornwood. A rogue attack, perhaps. Very sad. Very tragic.”

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. “You can’t-“.

“I can, and I will.” Mother tucked the letter into her dress. “Unlike you, I’m not an emotional wreck who takes issue with the idea of handling a pregnant bitch and her little pups.”

“Wait.” I looked up at her wildly, even as her form swam before my eyes. “You’re not saying you’re going to hurt the children, too. They’re only six-”

“You’ve grown too tender, Celeste. It’s clear that all of the training has been lost on you.” She walked to the door and paused with her hand on the handle. “You will stay in this room until I return. And if you even think about trying to warn anyone, I’ll make sure you end up in that forest with them.”

The door closed behind her with a soft click, followed immediately by the sound of the lock turning.

I was alone.

I sat there for a long moment, touching my swollen lip and trying to process what had just happened. Mother was going to kill Natalia and the twins. She was going to lure them into the forest somehow and let the rogues tear them apart.

And there was nothing I could do to stop her.

Finally gathering the strength to stand, I stumbled to the door and tried the handle, although I already knew it would be locked. It didn’t budge, of course. I pressed my ear to the wood, listening for any sound of movement in the corridor outside, but heard nothing.