Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 421

Aurora’s P.O.V

I let out a long breath, rubbing the back of my neck before I finally turned to Care. “You’re right,” I said quietly, my voice sounding a little more tired than I wanted it to.

“I’ll talk to Caleb. It’s just… the past few days have been a lot. Every second has been about either chasing answers or stopping problems before they spiral. I guess I’ve just been… using up all my time and energy on that.”

Care’s brow softened, and she tilted her head a little, giving me that look she always gave when she thought I was pushing myself too hard.

“Aurora, you don’t have to do everything alone,” she said gently. “I’m here. The whole pack is here. You’ve got an entire family at your back, whether you like it or not.”

I felt my throat tighten, and I had to blink a few times to stop the sting in my eyes from turning into full-on tears.

“I just…” I swallowed. “I don’t want them to get hurt, Care. Especially Riley. I don’t think I could handle it if the wraiths—” I broke off, shaking my head because the thought alone made my chest hurt.

Care reached out and pulled me into a hug, holding me tight. “Hey,” she murmured against my shoulder. “There’s nothing a good conversation can’t fix. And I’m not going anywhere. You hear me? You’re stuck with me.”

I let out a shaky laugh, clinging to her for a moment longer before we finally pulled apart. And then I froze, realizing where we were. The sound of waves crashing hit my ears all at once, the scent of salt and sea breeze curling around us. I glanced around, frowning slightly.

“We’re… at the beach?” I asked, scanning the horizon.

Care followed my gaze, her expression curious. “Yeah… looks like it. Why?”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to see past the glare of the sun on the water. “I just… I wonder if there’s anything out there we can spot in the daylight.”

She stepped beside me, both of us staring at the endless stretch of blue, the sound of the tide filling the silence between us.

Caroline’s voice broke through my thoughts as she leaned a little closer to me. “Aurora… what exactly are you looking for here?”

I glanced at her, brushing the dirt off my hands. “Ashton and Maggie. They disappear here every single night.”

Her brows pinched together. “Disappear? What do you mean disappear? You’re saying no one can find anything?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I replied, meeting her eyes so she would understand I wasn’t exaggerating.

She tilted her head, studying the ground like maybe the answer was written in the soil. “But… have the soldiers even searched this place? I mean properly searched?”

I gave a short, humorless laugh. “Care, not only have the soldiers searched it—every inch of it—but the wolves have scouted the entire area clean.”

She blinked. “And they found nothing?”

“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “Alice and I have been here the whole time too, watching, searching, waiting for something—anything—that might give us a clue about where they go.”

Caroline’s lips parted slightly, like she was trying to wrap her head around it. “So you’re telling me…the guards have been here every night, and still… no tracks? No scent trail? Not even a broken twig?”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Not a single thing. It’s like they vanish into thin air the moment they step into this place.”

She looked around again, her voice lower now. “That’s… not possible.”

I gave her a look. “I thought the same thing. But here we are.”

I stood there with my arms crossed, staring out at the wide stretch of beach, the salty air clinging to my skin. Caroline was beside me, looking around like she still thought there was something we were missing.

“Maybe,” she said slowly, her voice hesitant but steady, “maybe we just haven’t found the right place yet.”

I turned my head to look at her, a frown pulling at my brow. “Caroline, that’s impossible,” I said, my tone firmer than I meant it to be. “We’ve searched this whole area, every inch of it. And Alice was with me on this as well, we both doubled back. There’s nothing.”

She didn’t look convinced. Her eyes kept darting down the beach, scanning the sand like it was hiding secrets from us. “I’m just saying… what if we overlooked something?” she murmured.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Caroline, what exactly do you think we overlooked? It’s a beach. Sand, water, some shells, a few rocks. That’s it. There’s no—”

“Tell me something…what exactly are you even looking for?”

Her question caught me off-guard. I blinked, as if realizing this for the first time. What were we truly looking for?

“I don’t know, Caroline.” I finally told her on a defeated sigh. “I honestly don’t know what exactly we are looking for, but…it’s just not there! Nothing! Nothing at all!”

“Then tell me,” she cut me off, pointing suddenly toward the far edge of the shore, “why is there something right there?”

I followed her finger, squinting against the sunlight. “Where?” I asked, taking a step forward.

“There,” she said again, more urgently this time. “That small rocky patch… right next to the waterline.”

I stared, trying to see what she was talking about. But all I saw was the shimmer of the tide rolling in, a few scattered stones glistening with moisture.

“Caroline, I don’t… I don’t see anything,” I admitted, glancing back at her.

Her expression was unreadable, but her hand didn’t lower. “It’s right there, Aurora. I can see it clear as day. You really don’t see it?”

I shook my head slowly, an uneasy chill creeping up my spine despite the warm sun. “No. I don’t see anything at all.”