Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 428

Aurora’s P.O.V

I turned to Caleb, my voice low but sharp as the thought suddenly cut through me. “Caleb, tell me something… did anyone know that tonight was the lunar eclipse?”

He blinked, caught off guard. “The lunar eclipse?” he repeated, almost as if the words didn’t sit right in his mouth. He shook his head slowly, running a hand through his hair. “No. No, we didn’t… we were all so focused on the full moon tomorrow. Everything—every plan, every watch, every step we’ve taken has been around that. The eclipse… it slipped right past us.”

I stared at him, my heart racing in my chest as the realization hit me like a blow. “Oh my God,” I whispered, backing a step away as my thoughts scrambled together. “We’ve been going about this all wrong. Completely wrong.”

Caleb frowned, his brows knitting. “What do you mean wrong? Aurora, what are you talking about?”

I pressed my hands into my temples, shaking my head. “Ashton and Maggie… They weren’t waiting for the full moon. We thought they were, but we’ve been thinking like witches. Caleb—like witches.” I dropped my hands and locked eyes with him. “But they’re not just witches, they’re dark witches. We should’ve been thinking like them.”

His mouth parted slightly, as though he wanted to argue, but then he stopped himself. “Wait… so you’re saying all of this, all of their waiting, their movements—it wasn’t for tomorrow’s full moon?”

“No,” I said firmly, my voice trembling with urgency. “It was for the eclipse. The one happening right now.”

Caleb cursed under his breath, dragging his hand over his face. “How the hell did we miss that? How did none of us see it?”

“Because we’re not them,” I snapped, then softened, because I wasn’t angry at him, I was angry at myself. “We don’t think like they do. We’ve been preparing for a battle that was never going to happen tomorrow. They’ve been playing us from the start.”

I felt my throat tighten as I looked up at the sky, where the shadow was already creeping across the moon’s surface. I swallowed hard, meeting his desperate eyes. “We have to think like them, Caleb. Right now. Because if we don’t, then we’ve already lost.”

I froze for a moment when Caleb turned to me with that sharp look in his eyes and asked, “What do you mean, Aurora? What exactly are you saying right now?”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to meet his gaze. “Caleb… Don't you remember what happened with Lucas and Harmona? They didn’t wait for the full moon. They tried to sacrifice us during the solar eclipse. It’s not the full moon that gives them power—it’s the eclipse. Which means…” I paused, my voice shaking slightly, “everything we thought was supposed to happen tomorrow… it’s actually happening today.”

Caleb’s eyes widened, and I could see the realization hit him like a blow. “No,” he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to process it. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m absolutely sure,” I said quickly. “I can feel it. It’s the eclipse. That’s what they’ve been waiting for all along.”

He clenched his jaw, his whole body stiffening, then without another word, his expression shifted into that cold, commanding look I had seen only a handful of times before. I felt the ripple of his power as he sent mental commands out across the bond. “Everyone, now. The date has been moved up. We’re on alert. Gather by the shore immediately.”

I barely had time to catch my breath before Caroline came rushing up, her hair wild, eyes darting. “What’s going on? You pulled me out so fast I almost thought you were under attack.”

“It’s today,” Caleb said flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “They’re moving tonight. The eclipse.”

“Fuck! How did we miss this!” Alice’s voice was urgent as she rushed towards us, a bag held tightly in her hands.

Shane came up last with Damien close behind him, both of them breathing hard as if they’d been caught mid-training. Shane’s brows furrowed. “Are we sure about this? Because if we’re wrong and we strike early, we’ll be exposing ourselves.”

I stepped forward before Caleb could respond. “I’m the one who figured it out,” I said quickly, my voice steadier now. “Lucas and Harmona tried to sacrifice us on the solar eclipse, remember? That’s their source of power, not the full moon. I know it sounds insane, but I swear it’s the truth, one of the coven members told us that, that dark witches get their powers when the whole world is plunged into darkness.”

Damien’s eyes flicked over me, calculating as always, before he nodded slowly. “She’s right. It makes sense. We’ve been through this before while finding Aurora.”

Alice looked pale, her lips pressed together. “I messed up…shit.” She whispered, but I could hear the guilt in her voice.

Caroline crossed her arms, glaring at Caleb. “I say we strike first. If we wait, they’ll corner us again like last time.”

Shane shook his head firmly. “That’s suicide. You don’t even know how many of them are moving tonight.”

“Enough,” Caleb snapped, raising his voice so that it cut through all of us. “This isn’t up for debate. We defend the shore. That’s where they’ll hit first. We hold the line, no matter what.”

I could feel the tension thick in the air, all of us exchanging uneasy glances. My chest was tight, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. “Then we don’t have a choice,” I whispered. “It’s today. It has to be today.”

Caleb looked at me, and for a fleeting second, I saw the weight of it all in his eyes. Then he turned back to the others. “Everyone, prepare yourselves. We fight at the eclipse.”

The silence that followed was heavy, but it was enough. Within moments, all of us were standing at the shore, the water black under the dimming sky, waiting for the attack we knew was coming.

I watched Alice’s face twist with regret, her voice low as she said, “Aurora, I’m so sorry… I should have caught that, I should have noticed it sooner. I can’t believe I missed such a crucial detail.”

I shook my head quickly, not letting her carry all the blame. “No, Alice, don’t do that to yourself. We all missed it. Every single one of us. You can’t put it all on your shoulders.”

Her eyes darted away, filled with guilt, but I pressed on, needing answers. “Is Jade alright? Please tell me he’s okay.”

Alice hesitated, then sighed. “He’s still unconscious. They’re keeping him under, drugged… it’s for his own good, Aurora. His system is too weak to handle waking up right now.”

My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay steady. “We can’t wait any longer. Do you hear me? The eclipse is coming fast, and if we don’t get to Riley before it peaks, we risk losing him forever.”

Alice finally looked at me, her expression shifting, as if she had been waiting for me to say that. She reached to her side, pulling a small sheath from inside the bag she had been holding. My eyes widened as she slid out a dagger, the blade glowing faintly with a strange green light that shimmered against the dim room.

She held it out to me. “Then take this. You should be the one to do it.”

I blinked, taken aback. “What? Alice, what are you talking about?”

Her hand didn’t waver. “Lucas and Harmona. There’s only one chance to kill a wraith, Aura. No ordinary strike will kill them, Aurora. Only blood can.”

I felt my throat dry. “Blood?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “Only a strike from their own bloodline can finish them. And that means you.”

My fingers hovered over the hilt, trembling. “You’re saying… I have to be the one to take them out?”

Alice nodded slowly, her eyes steady on mine. “Yes. No one else can. You’re Lucas’s blood, Aurora. You’re the only one who can end them.”

I stared at the dagger, its green glow reflecting in my eyes, and for the first time, I truly felt the weight of everything pressing down on me.