Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 386

Aurora’s P.O.V

“But… wraiths? What kind of creatures are they?” Caleb asked finally. “What exactly are we dealing with here, Alice?”

I felt a cold shiver crawl down my spine as Alice spoke those words—wraith. It didn’t sound like a word I should’ve heard at that moment, like it carried too much weight for someone like me to understand. My breath hitched, and I instinctively glanced at Caroline, whose expression mirrored my own confusion. The rest of the group seemed equally puzzled, their brows furrowing in sync, but it was Alice's eyes, those sharp, intense eyes, that held the truth that made my pulse quicken.

“Alice, what do you mean by ‘wraith’?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My throat felt tight, as if something was constricting around it, trying to choke the words out of me. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or just the gravity of the situation weighing me down. The others, who had been quietly watching, now looked at Alice, waiting for her to explain.

Alice didn't answer right away. She took a moment, scanning each of us with a look that seemed to measure our understanding, or maybe our readiness. Then, she sighed, a long, drawn-out breath that seemed to carry all the weight of the knowledge she was about to share.

“A wraith is the result of a death left unfinished, unresolved,” Alice began, her voice soft but tinged with something dark. “It’s a spirit, yes, but not the kind you might think. It’s not a simple ghost. A wraith is born from agony—pure, uncontrollable anger and resentment. When someone dies in such a way, with so much hatred and pain in their heart, they don’t just fade away. They linger. They transform into something... else.”

I felt the air around us thicken as Alice's words hung in the space. Caroline’s grip tightened on my hand, and I could see her swallowing hard, trying to process what Alice was saying. “But... What exactly does that mean? What is it?” she asked, her voice growing more urgent now. The others leaned in, waiting for Alice’s next words, afraid of what they might hear but unable to pull away.

Alice’s gaze shifted, and for a split second, I could’ve sworn there was a flicker of something cold in her eyes. “A wraith is neither dead nor alive, not truly. It exists in a state of constant unrest. It’s a shadow, a creature of darkness and hatred. It feeds on that pain. That’s why they look like... well, like what you saw, Aurora,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, the weight of the knowledge heavy in the air.

“So, that thing... that shadowy figure we saw?” I asked, my voice trembling. “That was a wraith?”

Alice nodded gravely. “Yes. But it’s worse than you think. A wraith can possess someone, just like a ghost. It’s not like being haunted. It takes over, controls them, and when it does, the person who’s possessed has no memory of it. They won’t even remember the things they did while the wraith was in control.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. My hands were clammy, and I couldn’t look away from Alice. “That’s... terrifying. So, they just... take over? And we wouldn’t even know?”

“Exactly,” Alice confirmed, her voice low, like she was trying to drill the truth into our minds. “But it gets worse. A wraith doesn’t just take possession of anyone. It waits. It looks for someone who is weak-minded, someone with potential. And when it finds them, it waits for the perfect moment—the Witching Hour. The full moon. Those are the perfect times when a wraith will be at its strongest.”

There was a long silence after Alice’s words. The tension was unbearable. I glanced at the others; some were shifting uncomfortably, others frozen in disbelief. I could see the fear creeping into their eyes as they processed what Alice had just told us.

Finally, I broke the silence, my voice barely a whisper. “So... what you’re saying is that if a wraith finds someone vulnerable, someone with power, it can take them? For good?”

Alice nodded once, her expression darkening. “Yes. But a wraith can’t just take any body. It needs a perfect form, someone with an easily controlled mind, or someone who is weaker by genetics. And once it’s settled in, there’s no getting it out. The wraith becomes the person, entirely. It’s like a parasite, feeding on the life force, making the host its permanent vessel. The person... they’re gone. It’s no longer them.”

My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt my breath become shallow. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my mind around what Alice was saying. “So, there’s no way to stop it?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Once the wraith takes over, there’s no getting them back?”

Alice’s eyes softened, but the gravity of the situation was still there. “It’s incredibly hard to stop a wraith once it’s found a host. You’d need something powerful, something to force it out—an exorcism, or... something along those lines. But in the end, the damage is done. The person you once knew, they’re gone.”

Caleb cursed under his breath, clearly shaken. “That’s... that’s insane. And you’re telling me this thing could be looking for someone right now?”

Alice didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she glanced at each of us, her face serious. “If it hasn’t already found someone. That’s why we need to be careful. Watch everyone, especially those who seem... off. If someone starts acting strange, or you feel like something isn’t right, trust your instincts.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of Alice’s words sinking in. There was no escaping this. We were all in danger. And what’s worse, we might already be too late.

The Witching Hour…a full moon…those were the criteria for a wraith to take over. I could feel it deep in my bones, the unease that only grew as the clock ticked closer to the fateful hour. Avery had warned me about Ashton and Maggie, their strange disappearances during the Witching Hour, and now, as I glanced at Alice, I couldn’t shake the growing sense that something was terribly wrong with them.

“Alice,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended, “A few days ago, Avery had told me something about Ashton and Maggie. She was concerned about how they vanish every night when the Witching Hour comes around. Do you think that…something is happening to them?”