Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 354

Aurora’s P.O.V

I sat in the dimly lit room, the silence pressing down on me like a weight, my thoughts swirling in chaotic circles. My fingers traced the edges of the table absentmindedly, but my mind was miles away, replaying every moment with Ashton. I couldn’t stop thinking about him—about the way he had brought back that damn turtle, looking so proud of himself, so convinced that he’d made some sort of difference.

I had wanted to trust him, to believe in the good that he claimed to still possess. But in this world, there was no room for naivety, no place for a misplaced trust. And Ashton... he wasn’t just another pack member, he was something else entirely, something that, if left unchecked, could become a threat. After all…he had spent far too much time with Lucas than any of us had.

I bit my lip, staring at the shadows on the wall as my thoughts spiraled into darker, more dangerous territory. Did I do the right thing by telling on him? Was I able to stop him before it was too late? Was I…a horrible person for what I had just done?

But then I imagined the pack, all of them—my brother Riley, Luna Maya, Caroline, and the others. Would they understand what I did to my own half-brother? Would they see it as a betrayal, as a sign that I couldn’t protect them the way I promised? Or would they stand beside me, recognizing the need to make the hard decisions, the ones that hurt but were necessary for survival? The weight of the pack’s lives hung heavy in my chest, each of their faces flashing in my mind, their eyes full of hope and trust, expectant of me to lead them.

But what if I made the wrong decision? What if saving Ashton was the right thing to do? Could I really risk everything, could I really risk all of them, just to save him? Could I bear the guilt if something happened to Riley, or Luna Maya, or anyone else because I had chosen to protect someone who might very well be our undoing? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shut out the thought of Ashton, the way he had looked at me that day, the way he made me question myself. He wasn’t just a threat, though. He was also a reminder of everything we had lost. A reminder that sometimes, darkness can lurk right around the corner without us noticing it, and if we don’t take action…it might swallow us whole.

But at what cost?

"Aurora," a voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, and I looked up, startled. Luna Maya stood in the doorway, her eyes soft, but I could see the worry flickering in them, the same worry I had felt gnawing at my insides. "You okay?" she asked gently, stepping into the room, her presence grounding me.

I forced a smile, but it felt weak, hollow. "Just... thinking," I muttered, looking down at the table again, not meeting her gaze.

She moved closer, sitting beside me, her warmth radiating like a shield against my growing doubts. "You’re not just thinking," Maya said softly. "You’re battling yourself, and I can see it. Is it about Ashton?" She didn’t have to say his name aloud; I knew she knew. Alpha Camden never hid anything from his mate, but that aside, she was also like a mother to me, and with that uncanny ability to read me like an open book, there were hardly any secrets I could keep from her.

I nodded slowly, the weight of her words sinking deep into my chest. "I don’t know if what I did was the right thing. If I had protected him, if I had stayed quiet, we might all have had to pay the price for it. But I ousted him to everyone... what happens now? He’ll be a target, and it might drive him further into whatever darkness he’s hiding. I can’t even be sure where his loyalty lies anymore."

Maya’s hand rested on mine, her touch both comforting and grounding. "I know you care about him," she said softly. "But you care about this pack more, and that’s why you did what you had to, Aurora. You’ve always known that becoming a Luna would come with great responsibilities, but now, you’re slowly learning to prioritize who you really need to protect." Her words cut through the fog of indecision, and I felt the sharp pang of truth strike me right in the gut.

"I can’t... I can’t lose them," I whispered, my voice cracking under the pressure. "I can’t risk Riley, or you, or anyone else for him. But how do I live with myself if Ashton isn't guilty of what I had ousted him for? How do I live with the guilt of casting someone out, especially someone who’s still... sill my family in some way?"

Maya’s eyes softened, understanding more than I could express. "It’s not about saving one person at the cost of the others. You’re not responsible for what Ashton chooses to become. But you are responsible for this pack, for all of us, and one day, everyone will look up to you to keep them safe, sweetheart. And sometimes, the right thing isn’t always the easy thing. It’s the thing that protects everyone. Even if it breaks you in the process."

I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the tears threatening to spill over. Luna Maya was right. As much as it tore me apart to think about it, I had made a choice. And I had chose to protect the pack, my pack. Because if I didn’t, we would all fall—one by one—like dominos, until there was nothing left but ashes and regret.

"I know," I said quietly, finally meeting her eyes. "I just... I feel so guilty...of failing everyone, of failing him. I don’t know if I can live with the consequences of choosing everyone else over him."

Maya squeezed my hand tighter. "You’re not alone in this, Aurora. We’ll figure it out together. But in the end, you have to protect what’s worth protecting. And sometimes, that means letting go of what hurts to keep everyone else safe."

Her words echoed in my mind long after she left the room, and as I sat there in the silence, I realized that the hardest decision wasn’t the one I had to make. It was the one I would have to live with.