Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 405

Aurora’s P.O.V

The door shut behind Jade with a low thud that seemed to echo longer than necessary, and then… silence. Ashton stood with his jaw clenched and hands slightly trembling at his sides, a mixture of guilt and anger in his eyes. I could see it — the way he wrestled with the weight of things he couldn’t control. I let the silence sit for a few seconds longer, because even though I wanted to break it, I also didn’t want to rush into the moment and startle him.

“I don’t blame you,” I finally said, my voice low, careful. “What happened… it’s not your fault.”

He looked at me, startled, maybe even a little relieved, but still struggling. “Aurora, I—” he started, but I raised a hand gently, stopping him.

“It’s Jade. He’s the one who’s changing,” I said, pressing the truth between us like a blade laid bare on the table.

“Lately, it almost feels like…” I paused, searching for the right word, something that wouldn’t give too much away without alerting Ashton. “It almost feels like he’s possessed.”

The reaction was immediate. Ashton’s breath hitched, sharp and sudden, as though I’d yanked something buried deep inside him to the surface. His eyes darted away for a second, avoiding mine, and when they came back, they were clouded — not with disbelief, but something closer to… fear. Recognition, maybe?

He opened his mouth as if to respond, but the words never came. Instead, he turned to Avery, who’d been quietly standing next to him with her arm still slightly wrapped around herself.

“We should go,” he muttered, more to himself than to us. “There’s nothing more to say here.”

He was about to take a step toward the door when Demitri, the healer, suddenly appeared from the corridor like a ghost who chose the perfect moment to be inconvenient. “Hold on,” he said, his tone calm but firm. His eyes went straight to Avery. “I just wanted to check in. How’s the wound healing? Has the pain subsided?”

Ashton tensed like a spring next to her, instantly shifting to a protective stance. “She’s fine,” he snapped before Avery could even respond. “You already checked her. There’s no need to poke around again.”

Demitri raised an eyebrow, unbothered. “She took quite the hit. I just want to make sure there aren’t any lingering effects, Ashton.”

“She’s doing alright,” Ashton said again, his voice louder this time, more pointed, and his hand gently wrapped around Avery’s arm like he needed to shield her from something he didn’t want us finding out.

I stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Ashton’s arm. His muscles were taut beneath my fingers, like he was ready to bolt or explode — I couldn’t tell which. “Hey,” I said softly, coaxing his attention back to me. “It’s alright. He’s just concerned.”

Ashton glanced at me, his features tight. “I don’t like the way he looks at her.”

I looked over at Demitri, who now seemed genuinely confused and a little amused by the tension. “He’s a healer, Ashton,” I reminded him gently. “If anyone has good intentions in this place, it’s probably him.”

I watched Ashton for a moment, my arms crossed tightly against my chest as I leaned slightly against the wall, doing my best to mask the fatigue clawing at my limbs. He was still tense, his sharp gaze flicking between Alice and the others in the room as if any one of them might lunge at Avery again. His jaw was clenched, the muscle twitching ever so slightly, and his grip on Avery’s hand hadn’t loosened one bit since we stepped in here. There was a storm in his eyes—one I knew well.

"Ashton," I said softly, trying not to make it sound like I was asking for something, just... suggesting. I took a step forward, giving him a small nod.

"You should take Avery home. It's been a long day, and you’ve both been through enough. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I promise."

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes stayed locked on Alice for a beat too long, then drifted over to me. I could see the weight behind his hesitation—see the way his chest rose and fell with slow, controlled breaths. But eventually, he nodded. A stiff, almost reluctant nod, as if his instincts still screamed at him to run. Then he turned to the doctor, voice curt but respectful.

"Thank you."

The doctor gave a small nod in return, saying nothing as Ashton turned on his heel and practically dragged Avery out the door with him. I waited until their footsteps faded down the hallway before I finally let out a sigh and pushed off the wall.

My gaze immediately shifted to Alice, who hadn't moved an inch since Ashton left. She was too still. Too calm. That eerie calm that made your skin crawl, like the quiet before something cruel. I walked over to her, not even bothering to hide the edge in my voice anymore.

"Was it you?" I asked. There was no softness, no hesitation. Just the cold clarity of someone who’s done dancing around the truth.

"Did you cause Maggie’s accident?"

She looked up at me slowly, and for a moment, I thought I saw the tiniest flicker of guilt in her eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came. She tilted her head slightly, her voice low and unapologetic.

"I did what I had to do."

I felt my stomach twist. "You needed her blood that badly?"

She nodded. Not an ounce of remorse. "Yes. And if you hadn't interfered, we could've had Avery's too. You think I enjoyed any of it? That I wanted things to go that way? No. But I don’t have the luxury of choices anymore, Aurora. Not when the future of everything we're fighting for is at stake."

"You nearly killed her, Alice!" I snapped, my voice echoing off the walls. "You don't get to pretend you're doing this for the greater good when you're out there orchestrating accidents and harvesting blood like some goddamn butcher!"

She didn't flinch. Didn't argue. Just stared back at me like she was tired of having to explain herself to people who wouldn't understand.

"You think I’m the villain here. Fine. Be angry. Hate me. But remember this—when the time comes and you're standing at the edge of something you can't control, you’ll realize that sacrifices were always going to be part of this. Even the ones we couldn’t bear to admit."

My fists clenched at my sides. I wanted to scream, to shake her, to make her see the damage she was leaving behind in her pursuit of whatever twisted salvation she believed in. But instead, I just stared at her, silent, breathing hard, wondering when the hell we had all lost sight of who the real enemies were.