Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 353

Aurora’s P.O.V

“Ashton…he…brought something back from the dead…” the words slipped out before I could stop myself.

“Wait—what?” Caroline blurted out, unable to process it at first. “He... brought someone back from the dead? Like, really? That’s... that’s impossible, Aurora!”

“No! It’s not like that.” I said quickly, trying to fix the damage that was already done. “Not a person. Not a wolf, either. It was a turtle.”

Caleb’s expression turned incredulous “A turtle? Really?”

I nodded, trying to keep my tone calm and reassuring. “Yes, a turtle, a tiny hatchling. We found it on the beach a couple of days ago. It had died, washed up by the tide. I... I just…I saw him perform a simple spell. Borrowed some energy from the earth to bring it back. It wasn’t dangerous, he promised.” I looked up to see the shocked expression on everyone’s face. “He told me that he had practiced it before but it drains him of too much energy.”

At that time…even I had believed that what he was doing wasn’t harmful…that it was just a simple trick, a simple exchange of energy from the earth to the turtle…But after learning the way Alpha Camden described the rogues, the ones who had seemingly been brought back…I couldn’t help but feel like there was some kind of a connection here. Something we weren’t seeing yet.

My heart pounded with confusion, fear, and something else—guilt. I had always known that my half-brother Ashton was... different, but I never imagined things would take such a dangerous turn. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, as Alpha Camden's gaze fixed on me, unwavering and full of authority.

"Aurora," he said, his voice stern but not unkind, "You know as well as I do that no magic can revive the dead. And something’s off with this whole situation."

I wanted to protest, to argue that maybe—just maybe—Ashton was just someone who had been misled. But the words stuck in my throat. Deep down, I knew. I had seen it with my own eyes…the way my mother’s pendant had reacted to the magic, as if repelled by it…But to say it aloud, to admit that Ashton had crossed a lone, that his powers had spiraled beyond control… I couldn't. Not when it would shatter the last thread of hope I clung to.

Caleb, standing off to the side, looked at me with a mix of concern and urgency. "Dad's right, Aurora," he added, his tone surprisingly serious for someone so young. "Shane and I both felt it. There's something off about Ashton. We need to investigate, now."

I turned my head to Caleb, my mate, my protector. He was always so calm, so level-headed, and yet there was a tension in his posture I hadn't seen before. I could tell this wasn’t just about his suspicions. This was personal for him too.

"But if we investigate and find something... dangerous... something that could hurt him or anyone else, what then?" I asked, my voice shaking just a little. "What if we're wrong?"

Alpha Camden stepped forward then, his eyes softening, but there was no mistaking the weight of his words. "Aurora, this isn’t about being wrong. It’s about the safety of everyone in this pack. Including your brother." He paused, looking at me with a deep, knowing gaze. "I know this isn’t easy. But a Luna’s first responsibility is to her pack, to everyone around her. And sometimes that means making hard choices. This isn’t about ratting out your half-brother. It's about ensuring no one else gets hurt. Do you understand that?"

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for the first time, I felt a deep pang of clarity and discomfort all at once. I wanted to fight it. I wanted to push back and find a way to keep Ashton’s secret. But Alpha Camden was right. A Luna’s role was never about personal feelings. It was about the pack, about the bigger picture, even if it meant sacrificing something precious.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm my racing thoughts. When I opened them again, my voice was barely a whisper. "Will he be okay, Alpha Camden? Ashton, I mean. Will he be alright?" The question hung between us, as fragile as glass.

Alpha Camden gave me a somber look, his expression unreadable for a moment. "I can’t promise you that, Aurora. What I can promise is that we will do everything in our power to figure out what happened to him. To make sure no one else gets hurt in the process."

The weight of his words settled on my shoulders like a cloak of inevitability. This wasn’t just about me anymore, or about Ashton. It was about the safety of everyone in the pack, about protecting the people I cared about. I had to let go of my personal attachments, my desire to shield Ashton, and face the harsh truth.

I nodded slowly, my throat tight with emotion, but my resolve firming. "Okay," I said, my voice steady now. "Let’s investigate. Let’s make sure this doesn’t spiral out of control."

For the first time, I felt the true burden of what it meant to be a Luna. It wasn’t just about standing by my pack—it was about making the tough calls, even when it meant letting go of something I loved.