Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 430

Aurora’s P.O.V

I shot to my feet the moment Ashton appeared, and Alice and Caroline were right there with me, our shoulders brushing as we instinctively drew close. He just stood there, smiling like this was some kind of game.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” he said, his voice calm, too calm. “I won’t harm you. Not if you stay out of my way. It’s that simple.”

“Where is Riley?” I demanded, my voice sharp. “If you give him back, then we won’t have to hurt you either.”

Ashton laughed, the sound low and mocking. “Hurt me? Aurora, even if you trained for a thousand years, you wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on me.”

Alice stepped forward, her fists clenched. “Try us.”

“As tempting as that sounds,” Ashton said, tilting his head, “I’m afraid there’s no negotiating. Riley isn’t mine to give back. Our father has chosen him.”

My stomach dropped. “Chosen him? Chosen him for what?”

Caroline’s voice trembled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s been chosen as the vessel,” Ashton replied, his smile widening. “Our father’s new vessel. You should feel honored. He’ll be remembered.”

“Honored?” I snapped, my voice breaking. “You think we’ll let you use him like that?”

“You don’t have a choice,” Ashton said. “None of you do.”

I turned my head, desperate, and that’s when I saw it behind him, just a few feet away, an altar. And there was Riley. His body laid out, his eyes closed, his face peaceful like he was only sleeping.

“No…” I whispered.

Alice gasped. “Riley!”

Caroline’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God…”

Ashton chuckled again. “Don’t worry. He won’t feel a thing. By the time you blink, it will all be over.”

I stepped forward, my voice raw. “If you touch him, I swear I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Ashton cut in smoothly, his grin never fading. “Fight me? Kill me? Save him? You can’t. And the sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for all of you.”

Alice’s voice cracked with fury. “We’re not letting you take him. Vessel or not, he’s ours.”

“And family,” Caroline added, her voice steadier now when mine faltered. “We don’t abandon our own.”

Ashton’s eyes flickered with amusement. “Such noble words. But in the end, words won’t change fate.”

I met his gaze, my chest heaving. “Then we’ll change it ourselves.”

I broke away from our circle and stepped forward, ready to sprint towards Riley.

“No! Wait!” Alice’s voice cracked behind me, sharp with panic.

"I have to get to him!" I shouted, my chest burning as I pushed forward.

"Aurora, don’t!" Caroline’s scream followed, but I didn’t care.

I was already sprinting, my eyes locked on Riley, my heart slamming against my ribs, until Ashton stepped right in front of me. His lips curled into a smirk as he snapped his fingers.

The world tilted. I was airborne before I even realized what had happened, crashing down hard on my back. Air tore out of my lungs. I gasped, clawing at the ground, trying to steady myself.

"Ashton, please!" My voice was ragged, desperate. "Let him go! He has nothing to do with this, Riley is innocent!"

He chuckled low in his throat, tilting his head at me. "Innocent, hm? Interesting choice of words, sister."

"Shut up! Riley is my brother!" I cried, staggering to my feet, my body trembling. "You can’t do this to him!"

"And yet," Ashton’s grin widened as his eyes glittered, "I am your brother too. Strange, isn’t it? You never begged for me. Never pleaded for me. But for him? Suddenly, you’re on your knees."

"This isn’t about you!" I spat, shaking my head. "This is about Riley! He doesn’t deserve this!"

"It’s always about Riley," Ashton sneered, taking a step closer. "You tried to intimidate me, tried and failed to use your power, but it didn’t work, did it? So now…" he gestured mockingly at me, "now you’re begging. Desperation suits you, Aurora. Almost makes you look human."

"I will never stop fighting Riley," I said, voice trembling but steady enough. "I’ll never let you take him."

"You’re not in a position to stop me," Ashton murmured, his laughter curling around me like smoke. "But beg, Aurora. Beg louder. Maybe I’ll enjoy it."

I stared at him, my chest heaving as the words tumbled out before I could stop them. “Why are you doing this, Ashton?” I cried, my voice breaking with the weight of it. “You don’t have to let the wraiths control you like this. You’re stronger than that. You can break free, you can fight them, just like I’m fighting them right now!” My hands shook as I reached out toward him, desperate for something, anything, that would make him snap out of it.

But instead of anger, instead of the faintest flicker of doubt, all I got was that damned smile of his. Calm. Cold. Detached. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “And what makes you think,” he asked quietly, almost like he was amused, “that I’m being controlled at all?”

The words knocked the air out of me. “What?” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “No… no, you’re lying. You have to be lying. This isn’t you. I know you, Ashton, I’ve always known you, this isn’t who you are!”

He chuckled under his breath, stepping closer until I could feel the chill rolling off him. “Aurora,” he murmured, “you keep painting me as some tragic victim, some poor soul dragged into darkness against his will. But what if…” He leaned in, his smile widening, “what if I was never the victim?”

My throat tightened, my chest burning as I tried to hold on to the boy I used to know. “No. No, you didn’t choose this. You wouldn’t…you couldn’t.”

His eyes glinted, sharp and unyielding. “You have too much faith in me, don’t you?” he asked, his tone cruelly soft. “That’s where you’re dead wrong, little sister…because the wraith never had any control over me. What I did for them…I did of my own free will…”