Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 412

Chapter 412

My throat clenched so tightly I almost couldn’t breathe. I sank onto the edge of the bed, still clutching the letter opener in my hand. “He wants to use the ruby on them,” I whispered. “There’s no way to reverse it, Andrei. if he gets ahold of them-”

“Here.” Andrei pulled something out of his belt–a slender dagger. Not mine, nor one I’d seen before, but it had a small ruby in the handle. It was small enough to slip into my sleeve without being detected. “Keep this on you if you can. Use it if you must, and don’t hesitate. You know where to strike.”

I nodded, my hand shaking as I took the dagger. It was lighter than a pencil.

“I’m going to go back down the mountain,” Andrei said then, cupping my face in his hands. “Wait for my signal -three howls means thirty minutes remaining. Place the ruby, then get back here as fast as you can, and barricade the door. I’ve memorized where your room is; I’ll send a Bloodmoon warrior to come and protect you from the corridor. I’ll find you after the battle.”

I wanted to insist on joining the battle, but I knew that was insane. I couldn’t fight in my condition, and the twins needed me. It was better to hide here. To wait out the storm.

I just hoped that this wasn’t a death sentence for all of us.

“Okay.” I grabbed Andrei’s hand and stood. “But we need to move now. Before the King realizes you’re here.”

Andrei nodded. He moved to the twins, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. Then he turned back to me.” Remember: three howls will mean that the army is close and ready to attack. Thirty minutes to place the bomb, and then we’ll storm the castle.”

“Three howls,” I repeated. I walked over to my window and flung it open, shivering at the cold spray of snow from outside. But at least this way, I’d be able to hear it. “Got it.”

“Natalia.” He grabbed my shoulders. “If something goes wrong-

“Nothing will go wrong.”

“}

“If it does,” he continued, ignoring me, “I want you to run. You get the twins and you run. Don’t wait for me. Don’t look back. Just survive.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You will if you have to.” His eyes were hard as emeralds. “Promise me, Natalia.”

“Fine.” I forced the words out through grit teeth. “I promise.”

He studied my face for a moment, like he could tell I was full of shit. But he didn’t call me out on it. Just pulled me in for one more kiss. It was desperate and hard, like he thought it might be the last one. Maybe it was.

When we broke apart, I was breathless and my cheeks were streaked with tears.

“I love you,” he whispered. His hand splayed across the swell of my belly.

“I love you, too.” I placed my hand over his, memorizing the feel of his skin beneath my palm just in case, and pressed my forehead against his. “Now go. Hurry. I’ll be waiting.”

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25

He nodded and pulled his helmet back on. The guard’s uniform made him blend in perfectly. No our would question him walking through the halls.

At the door, he paused and gave me one last look over his shoulder. I only saw the flash of green in his eyes through his helmet. And then he left without another word. The door clicked shut behind him, and I was alone again.

I looked down at the explosive ruby in my hand. It was warm, waiting, hungry. Thirty seconds. That was all the time I would have once I broke it. Thirty seconds to get out of the room before it turned that entire chamber into an inferno.

Could I do it? Could I really destroy all those people?

“They’re not people anymore,” Damon had said.

He was right. I had seen their blank faces, their empty eyes. Whatever they’d been before, it was gone now. The Winter King had stolen the life from their souls before they’d even had a chance to know what it meant.

And if I didn’t do this, then so many more would wind up just like them.

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