Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 388

Aurora’s P.O.V

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling cold despite the fire crackling not far from where we stood. The flames danced in the corner of my vision, casting long shadows that made the forest seem more alive than it should have been. My voice hovered at the back of my throat, tight and hesitant. I wanted to say it—I needed to say it. That maybe, just maybe, all the misfortune that had rained down on our pack lately had one common denominator: me. Maybe I was the storm, not just caught in it.

But before the words could form, before the guilt could shape itself into sound, Shane’s voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.

“This is ridiculous,” he snapped, pacing with frustration. “If we know they’re here—if we know the wraiths are among us—why the hell aren’t we hunting them down and exterminating them right now?”

His words hung in the air like smoke, sharp and choking. Caleb stiffened but didn’t answer, his gaze still locked on the walls, as if expecting the shadows to reply instead.

“It’s not that simple,” Alice said softly, but there was a firm edge to her voice. She stepped forward, her tired eyes locking onto Shane’s. “You can’t kill what you can’t catch. And you can’t catch a wraith in its spirit form.”

Shane turned on her, anger burning in his eyes. “Then what do you expect us to do? Sit here and wait for them to strike again?”

Alice didn’t flinch. “Do you think I want to wait? You think I haven’t tried everything I know?” Her voice trembled—not with fear, but fury. “This isn't my first time meeting these creatures. Wraiths can vanish in a breath. Slip into the shadows. Possess anyone. They’re parasites, Shane. They can hide in plain sight, and we’d never know—until it’s too late.”

Shane scowled, but said nothing. The fire cracked again, louder this time, as if punctuating her words.

“But there’s one thing,” Alice added, softer now, glancing around the circle, her eyes lingering briefly on me. “When a wraith enters a person’s body, when it possesses someone completely… that’s when it’s most powerful. But it’s also when it’s most vulnerable. Because then it’s trapped. Flesh and blood is a cage. And cages can be broken.”

I felt a chill creep up my spine. My hands clenched tighter around my arms.

“So, what?” Shane muttered. “We just wait until one of us gets taken over and then—what—hope we notice in time to kill it before it kills us?”

“Sometimes that’s the only option,” Alice said bitterly. “Sometimes we don’t get perfect solutions. We get blood, and consequences, and hope that we’re strong enough to endure it.”

The group went quiet after that. No one had anything more to say. What could we say?

I swallowed thickly, guilt knitting tighter in my stomach. I glanced at Caleb again, and this time he looked back. For just a second. Just long enough for me to see the exhaustion in his eyes. Long enough to know that he was carrying the weight of all of us, and maybe mine was the heaviest burden of all.

And I couldn’t even say sorry.

“I don’t understand,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper as I stepped forward, my gaze locked onto Alice.

“You said we can’t kill the wraiths by any normal means… but is there a way? Something that can actually destroy them? Permanently?” My throat tightened as the words left me, because even just the thought of Lucas and Harmona still lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again, made my chest feel like it was caving in.

Alice looked up from the fireplace, where she had been staring into the distance. Her expression was solemn—too calm. That eerie stillness that always meant whatever she was about to say would change everything.

“There is,” she finally said, looking at one of the books that lay on her study table, amid several herbs and potions. Everyone turned toward her—Caleb, Caroline, even Shane, who usually pretended not to care about anything. “But it’s not simple.”

“Of course it’s not,” Caleb muttered under his breath.

Alice ignored him, her eyes settling on mine. “The only way to kill a wraith is by plunging a magic dagger into its heart.”

I blinked, horrified. “A dagger?”

“Yes. But not just any dagger,” she added. “It has to be forged from the blood of five different species. Each blood must be willingly given, and each must carry magic in its lineage. Without that… the dagger won’t hold the enchantment long enough to pierce a wraith’s soul.”

The silence that followed was heavy. I could feel the weight of every breath, every stare as it settled over us like a curse.

“Five different species?” Caroline repeated, frowning. “That sounds like something out of a bad prophecy.”

“Where do we find that kind of blood?” Shane asked. “We’re already on borrowed time here, Alice.”

She exhaled slowly. “Some of it we already have. My own blood—witch. Then there’s yours, Aurora,” she said, turning to me again. “You’re half-priestess, which is rare and powerful enough to count as a second. We’ll also need werewolf blood, so any of you can volunteer. But…we still need two other species.”

“Wait…” I blinked, the pieces falling into place with every word she said. “Maggie and Avery.”

“Yes.” Alice’s face tightened. “They’re hybrids. And not just any hybrids. Their bloodline is tangled with spells and curses—old ones. Perfect for the enchantment. But there’s a problem.”

Of course there is.

“Avery and Maggie are too close to Ashton,” she continued. “If we approach them the wrong way, or if they even suspect what we’re doing, Ashton will know. And if he knows…” She didn’t have to finish. We all knew what that meant. Ashton would never let us take their blood willingly. Or worse…it’ll warn Lucas and Harmona’s wraiths that we’re after them.

They’d vanish again, only stronger this time, and maybe next time, we wouldn’t survive it.

“Then we don’t approach them the wrong way,” I said firmly, the anger starting to build like a flame in my chest. “We found a way. We find a damn way to get that blood because I’m tired of running. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder every time the wind howls. We have a chance to end this, Alice. For good.”

Her gaze softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt pass through her. “The blood has to be collected before the next full moon,” she said. “That’s when the wraiths will be at their strongest. If the dagger’s not ready by then… we won’t stand a chance.”

I nodded. “Then we don’t waste time. I don’t care what it takes—we’ll get that blood. Even if I have to look Maggie and Avery in the eye and lie through my teeth, I will. Because it’s time we ended this nightmare. Lucas. Harmona. All of it.”

Caleb stepped closer beside me. “You’re sure about this? That you’ll be able to get their blood.”

I looked him dead in the eyes. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

And in that moment, I think we all felt it—that shift. That tremble of fate settled around us like storm clouds before lightning. We weren’t just surviving anymore.

We were going to war.