Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 384

Aurora’s P.O.V

The hallway stretches ahead of us, dimly lit by the low, flickering light of the lamps along the walls. Caleb and Caroline walk beside me, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet air. I can feel the weight of the silence between us, the tension pulling at the edges of my thoughts. We’re headed to Alice’s room, but something in the air feels different, heavier now, as if we’re walking toward something we’re not quite prepared for. I glance at Caleb, and then Caroline, noticing their faces, the subtle shifts in their expressions as we move forward.

“Hold up,” Caleb says suddenly, his voice low and cautious, and I see him freeze mid-step. Caroline, a few paces ahead of me, halts too, turning back with furrowed brows.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my own heart picking up speed. My mind races through a hundred possibilities, but I can’t settle on any of them.

They don’t answer at first. Caleb and Caroline stand still, like they’re listening to something only they can hear, their eyes narrowing, focusing on something I can’t quite see. I feel the tension mount between us, like something has shifted, something has finally clicked.

“It’s… it’s back,” Caleb says, almost like he’s trying to convince himself, his voice thick with disbelief. “We’ve got our senses back.”

Caroline nods slowly, a look of relief flashing across her face. “We can feel everything again. All the pieces, all the connections… it’s back.”

My heart skips a beat. I can’t help it; the weight of it is too much. I blink at them, trying to make sense of what this means. "Does that mean... you can contact Shane now?"

Caleb looks at me, his eyes soft but serious. “Already did. He’s on his way. He’ll be here soon.”

I don’t have time to dwell on it. Something else—someone else—needs our attention. “Good,” I murmur, nodding, though my mind is already racing to Alice, to what we need from her, to what this whole situation means. We continue walking down the hallway, my thoughts tangled, unsure of where to go next.

As we round the corner, the door to Alice’s room comes into view, standing just ahead. I take a deep breath, ready for whatever comes next. And as if the universe had decided we weren’t going to wait any longer, Shane steps into the hall right in front of us, appearing like a shadow, his face stoic but his presence undeniable. He’s here.

“Well, that was quick,” I say with a small sigh, trying to push past the tightness in my chest. I hate feeling like we’re running out of time.

Shane gives me a brief nod, his dark eyes scanning the hallway before settling on Alice’s door. “I was already on my way,” he replies, his voice quiet but carrying an edge of urgency. “What are we doing here? Are you better now?”

“I am.” I tell him. “Are you?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” He says, but there is a slight hesitation in his tone, as if he’s holding something back. “But…why are we here?”

I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I turn to Caleb and Caroline, both of them silently acknowledging the weight of this moment. Caleb gestures for me to take the lead, and I feel the push to go first. It’s my turn to speak.

I step forward and knock gently on Alice’s door, the sound too loud in the quiet hallway. There’s a long pause, then the sound of footsteps approaching from the inside. The door creaks open, and Alice appears, her appearance weary and worn, the lines of exhaustion etched deep into her features. Her eyes meet mine, and despite everything, there’s a flicker of something soft behind the guarded walls she’s built around herself.

“Hey,” I say, my voice softer than I intended. “Can we talk? Just for a minute?”

Alice stands there for a moment, her gaze flicking from me to Caleb and Caroline, then to Shane. She steps back, pulling the door open wider, and waves us inside with a tired smile. “Of course. It’s not like I’ve got much to do anyway,” she says, her voice a little wry, though there’s a trace of something heavy underneath. She leads us into the room, her movements slower than usual, like she’s trying to push through something that’s dragging her down. Once we’re inside, she closes the door quietly behind us.

Alice leans against the back of her chair, her posture stiff. "Okay," she says, her voice a little hoarse. "I’m guessing this is important, so... go ahead. What’s on your mind?”

I take a breath, the air thick with the unsaid things that weigh down on all of us. We all want answers, but right now, it’s me who needs to speak. “We need your help, Alice," I start, my voice steady despite the swirling tension. "There’s something we’ve been tracking. A creature—and I think you’re the only one who can help us identify it.”

Alice takes a deep breath, her eyes weary. “I’m not an expert on supernatural beings, magic is my main forte. But…if I can help, I’ll definitely try. So…tell me. What does it look like?”

“It’s…this dark being,” I began. “Shrouded in shadows, floats like it’s part of the air itself. Sometimes, it feels like it’s wearing a robe of darkness and underneath it, its body… it’s skeletal, hollow. It’s hands are bony and it’s eyes are red, vacant. And it’s dangerous. I don’t know how…but I have this feeling that it can invade my dreams. I just…I need you to tell me that I’m not hallucinating, Alice. That something really is wrong here."

The moment I mentioned it, Alice froze. Her body went rigid, like a deer caught in headlights, and her eyes shot up to meet mine, sharp and calculating. It was a subtle change, but I noticed it immediately.

Something about the way she held herself now felt… different, almost as if she was on the verge of a decision, a choice to make. The air seemed to thicken between us, the tension crackling just beneath the surface.

But why? Why did Alice have such a visceral reaction to something like that? What was it that made her look…scared?