Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 424

Aurora’s P.O.V

The silence in the room was almost suffocating, but we all knew that tomorrow night was inevitable. Once the moon was full in the sky, we will have to enter the portal and face whatever was on the other side, and I could already tell what it was going to be about.

A showdown with the wraiths, with Lucas and Harmona, and with Ashton and Maggie. It was inevitable. But I hoped that Jade’s conditions may have caused enough of a rift between Maggie and Ashton that we could still use it to our benefit.

I turned to Caleb, my voice low but steady as I asked, “Do you think it’ll be possible to have wolves stationed at the portal? I mean… while we go inside to face Ashton and the wraiths. Just in case something unexpected happens.”

Caleb nodded almost immediately, his expression calm, but I could tell he had already been thinking along the same lines. “I’ve already spoken to my father,” he said, meeting my eyes.

“He’s agreed to keep our forces strong and ready, right at the entrance. If there’s even the slightest chance of another attack like the previous one, we’ll be prepared.”

I let out a slow breath. “That means a lot. We can’t afford another surprise like last time.”

Before Caleb could respond, Damien stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said firmly. “My packmates and I will be there too. We’ll fight with you until the very end. This time, we end it once and for all.”

I glanced between the two of them, feeling a sudden warmth rise in my chest despite the heaviness of what lay ahead. “Thank you. Truly. We’re going to need every bit of help we can get,” I admitted, shaking my head. “If a whole coven of witches wasn’t enough to stop Lucas and Harmona, then…” My voice trailed off as I thought about what we were walking into.

Caleb leaned closer, his tone softer now. “That’s why none of us are taking chances. We’ll be ready. And when you go through that portal, you’ll know we’ve got your back.”

Damien gave a short nod, his gaze unyielding. “And you won’t be facing Ashton alone. Not while we’re still breathing.”

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the unease curling in my stomach. “Then I guess it’s decided,” I said quietly. “We face what’s inside… and you hold the line outside.”

Caleb’s mouth twitched into the faintest smile. “Exactly.”

Damien added, almost under his breath, “This time, no one walks away unfinished.”

I drew in a shaky breath and finally found my voice, my eyes sweeping over every single one of them as I said, “Listen to me… I need all of you to understand something. My half-siblings… Ashton, Maggie… you cannot trust them. Not easily, not blindly. It could all be a trap, every single word, every single act of kindness.” I looked at Caleb, then Damien and finally at Shane; staring them right in the eye so they knew I was dead serious. “They’ve proven before that they don’t care if others are the ones who get hurt as long as they get what they want. So be prepared for anything and everything, expect the unexpected.”

Shane narrowed his eyes at me, his tone cutting as he suddenly asked, “And what’s gotten into you, Aurora? You used to fight me tooth and nail whenever I warned you about them. Do you remember? You once stood right in my face, accusing me of stirring misunderstandings among your siblings. And now, here you are, spitting their names out like venom. So tell me… why the change?”

I froze for a moment at his words, and guilt twisted inside me. I swallowed hard before answering quietly, “You’re right. I did fight you. I blamed you for things you never did. I made you into the villain when you were only trying to protect the pack. And I… I owe you an apology for that, Shane.”

His brows lifted, surprise flickering across his face. “You’re actually apologizing? To me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, nodding. “I used to think they were my family. My blood. I thought that meant something, that it meant I had to protect them no matter what. But now…” My voice cracked, and I turned my head slowly, looking at everyone standing beside me—Shane, Caleb, Damien, Caroline, even the ones I had once doubted.

“Now, I see things differently. I realize that family doesn’t have to mean blood. Family means saving and protecting each other, not using one another as shields, not putting each other in danger.”

Caroline tilted her head at me, her voice soft. “You finally see it? You finally realize that we’re family?”

I met her gaze with a small, sad smile. “Yes. You are. All of you. Because when it mattered the most, you stood by me. Ashton and Maggie… they’ve done nothing but endanger everyone else. They’ve played games with lives. They brought the wraiths into this pack. And that isn’t what family does.”

Shane folded his arms across his chest, his expression unreadable as he muttered, “Huh. Never thought I’d see the day you admitted I wasn’t the problem.”

I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. “Neither did I. But I see it now, and I’m not going to ignore it anymore.”

Damien gave a short chuckle, glancing between us. “Well, it’s about time. Took you long enough to figure that out.”

I rolled my eyes at him, but deep down, I felt a warmth I hadn’t in a long time. “Yeah… it did. But I won’t forget it again.”

Caroline leaned forward, her tone serious now. “Then we stick together. Against Ashton, Maggie, whoever else. Blood doesn’t matter. Loyalty does.”

I nodded firmly, gripping her hand. “Exactly. From now on… it’s us. Always us.”