Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 436

Aurora’s P.O.V

“Ashton…” my voice slipped out before I even knew it had formed. Everything was still, like even the air itself was holding its breath. He stopped mid-chant, his lips curling into that eerie half-smile as he turned his head toward me.

“What did you just say?” His tone was sharp, dangerous, like a knife pressed to the edge of my throat.

I stepped forward, my heart hammering but my voice steady. “I said… I’ll do it. Take me instead. Let Riley go, and I’ll be your new vessel.”

Ashton frowned, but didn’t say anything; just studied me as if trying to determine if I was bluffing.

“You don’t want him,” I pressed on, ignoring the sting in my chest at Riley’s writhing form. “He’s just a child…weak, powerless. I’m not. I’m part witch, part priestess. And best of all, I carry Lucas’s blood in my veins. I’m strong enough for what you want. Strong enough to hold your wraith.”

Ashton tilted his head, his eyes glinting with sick amusement. “Oh? Offering yourself so freely… How noble. But why should I believe you won’t resist me?”

“Because I know what I am,” I shot back, taking another step closer. “I was made for this day, but not Riley. You want power? I can give you that. He can’t. He doesn’t even have magic in his veins.”

“No!” Alice’s scream tore through the night as she struggled to rise. Her eyes burned into me, frantic. “Aurora, don’t you dare do this! Don’t you dare!”

I turned my head slightly toward her, my throat aching with unspoken words. “Alice, please.”

But Ashton flicked his hand, murmuring something under his breath, and Alice’s body lifted off the ground before being hurled violently against a jagged boulder. The crack of impact made me gasp. Blood spilled from her lips as she slumped, coughing and choking.

“Alice!” I cried out, but Ashton only laughed low, savoring the chaos.

“You see?” he taunted, his voice calm, mocking. “Your friends are powerless against me. And yet you think giving yourself will change anything?”

“It’s not about them being powerless,” I hissed, glaring at him. “It’s about you being greedy. You’re wasting your time on Riley when I’m standing right here. You know I’m the better choice. The stronger choice.”

Caroline’s voice broke as she called out, desperate. “Please don’t, Aurora! Don’t leave us! Don’t do this!”

My chest twisted, but I forced myself not to look at them. If I looked, I’d break. “I have to,” I whispered, more to myself than to them, “this is the only way.”

Ashton studied me, silent now, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. Then, slowly, his lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps you are the perfect vessel.”

Alice coughed out blood, struggling to push herself up, her voice raw. “Aurora… no… don’t…”

But I held Ashton’s gaze, steady and unflinching. “Do it,” I told him. “Take me.”

Ashton tilted his head, lips curling like he was amused. "You’re sure about that, Aurora?" His eyes flicked toward Riley, whose body was still trembling violently.

"Because once I set him free, there’s no turning back for you."

"I said let him go," I shot back, my voice cracking but steady enough to make my point. "I don’t care what it costs me."

He raised his hand slowly, then turned toward the wraith as it slithered deeper into Riley’s chest. "Are you satisfied now?" Ashton asked it, his tone mocking.

The wraith let out a sound so sharp and broken it made my ears ache. It was like a scream and a cry twisted together. Riley gasped, his body arching, and I reached forward instinctively. "Riley! Hold on, please!"

Caroline gripped my wrist. "Aurora, don’t."

But I yanked free, stepping closer as the wraith began to peel itself out of Riley, a dark shape stretching and pulling until Riley collapsed to the ground, shuddering but free.

My breath caught when the thing turned toward me. Ashton’s smile widened. "Looks like father likes you better."

The wraith floated closer, and my stomach knotted. "No, wait…" I tried to take a step back, but it was useless. Its gaze, or whatever counted as its gaze, was locked on me.

"Don’t fight it, Aurora," Ashton drawled, almost lazily. "This is what you asked for. You wanted Riley free, didn’t you?"

I clenched my fists, swallowing hard. "I promised I’d protect Riley. I promised our mother. If this is the way, then so be it."

The wraith gave another guttural screech and then, almost hungrily, it pressed into me. My knees buckled as I gasped. "God…" The air ripped from my lungs, cold pouring through every inch of me.

"Aurora!" Caroline cried, reaching for me, but Ashton held out his arm to stop her.

"Let her take it," Ashton said smoothly, his eyes glittering. "This is her choice."

Caroline’s voice cracked. "You’re killing her!"

My voice came out ragged, shaking as the wraith sank deeper. "Caroline… don’t… don’t interfere… please…"

I felt like I wanted to throw up. My stomach twisted violently and bile burned at the back of my throat.

“No… no, not this,” I whispered, clutching at my sides as the strange heaviness spread through me. It wasn’t just a presence, it was him. My father. I could feel him clawing his way inside, taking hold of my body like it belonged to him and not me. My legs buckled, and when I tried to move, nothing responded.

“I can’t… I can’t feel my legs,” I choked, panic breaking through my voice.

Ashton’s eyes were already closed, his lips moving rapidly, spilling words in a language that cut through the air like shards of glass. His focus was absolute. His brows furrowed, his jaw set, and his voice carried the weight of finality.

“Ashton, look at me!” I screamed, forcing every shred of willpower into the words. “If you go through with this, there’s no coming back. You know that, don’t you?”

Finally, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face, though his eyes remained shut. His muttering quickened, almost desperate now.

“Damn it, Ashton!” I pushed, even as my chest tightened and my lungs felt too small. “You think he’ll love you for this? You think doing this will make you anything more than a pawn?”

That caught something. His jaw twitched, just slightly, but it was there.

“You don’t get it,” he whispered hoarsely, breaking rhythm for the first time. “You’ve never understood. This is bigger than you, bigger than me. It’s the only way.”

“It’s not the only way!” I cried, tears stinging my eyes. “It’s the coward’s way! Look at me, Ashton. Look at what’s happening to me!”

His lids fluttered, just a second, but he forced them shut again.

For a moment, silence. His lips stopped moving. My heart thudded painfully in the stillness.

And then, his whisper again, so soft it nearly broke me: “I can’t stop now, Aurora. If I do… everything we’ve worked for, everything, it’s gone.”

My body convulsed, my knees collapsing under me, but I kept my gaze locked on him. “If you ever cared about me, Ashton, if you ever saw me as more than just another body to sacrifice… then prove it. Prove it by stopping.”

His muttering faltered again, lips trembling. The air around us seemed to hold its breath.

But then he whispered, “You’ve already made your choice.”

And I knew I had lost him.