Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 460

Aurora’s P.O.V

I watched as the gates of the pack creaked open, two weeks having gone by far too quickly, and there stood Alice, her face calm yet unreadable. Beside her, Maggie’s eyes were red, her lips trembling as if she had spent every night crying in silence, while Avery… Avery’s little face was glowing with excitement, her eyes shining brighter than the morning sun.

My heart twisted at the contrast between them, the weight of goodbyes pressing heavy on us, and yet Avery ran straight to me without hesitation.

“Aurora!” she squealed, her arms wrapping tightly around my waist. I laughed softly, leaning down to hug her back, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair as if trying to keep it with me forever. Before I could say anything more, she darted past me and threw her arms around Riley, who had been hiding behind my leg, unsure and pouting.

“Riley!” Avery said, squeezing her like she never wanted to let go.

Riley’s lips trembled as he looked up at her, his voice small but aching. “Avery… will I… will I ever see you again?”

The words hung in the air, fragile, breaking my heart in two. Avery pulled back, holding Riley’s tiny hands in hers, her expression suddenly more serious, like a child forced to grow older than her years.

“Of course you will, silly,” Avery said softly, brushing Riley’s hair back from his face. “Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day… When I’m more grown up, I’ll come and visit you again. And when I do, we’ll play all the games we didn’t get to finish, okay?”

Riley blinked at her, then sniffled, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. “Promise?”

“Promise,” Avery said firmly, pressing her pinky out. Riley immediately hooked his around it, sealing it like the most sacred of vows.

I felt my chest tighten painfully, watching how much love these two little souls held for each other. And then Avery turned back to me, her smile quivering though her eyes were bright.

“Thank you, Aurora,” she said, her voice trembling but determined. “For everything.”

I tilted my head, trying to smile through the lump in my throat. “For what, Avery? I didn’t do anything for you.”

Avery shook her head fiercely, her curls bouncing as she held my gaze. “That’s not true! You gave me a home… a real home. You gave me a family. A real family. And I’ll never forget that, ever. But most importantly, you saved me, Aurora. You protected me and made me realize just how a big sister should be.”

I swallowed hard, my vision blurring for just a moment as I reached out to cup her face in my hands. “Oh, Avery… you’re going to make me cry. But listen to me, alright? You study well. You learn everything Alice teaches you. Become the greatest witch you can be, one who can do good for people, who can bring them hope and light when they have none. You can do that, can’t you?”

Her little chin lifted proudly, her eyes glittering with determination. “I will, Aurora! I’ll be a great witch, the best one there ever was! And I’ll bring people happiness, just like you brought me.”

My heart swelled at her words, and I couldn’t help but lean forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. She giggled, holding onto my hands tightly as if she never wanted to let go.

“That’s my girl,” I whispered softly. “That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

Maggie’s quiet sob broke the moment, and I looked up to see her biting her lip, trying to be strong even though she was falling apart inside. Alice gave me a small nod, a silent thank you in her eyes, but it was Avery’s fierce smile that stayed burned into me, as if she already knew her destiny was going to be something far greater than any of us could imagine.

As Avery got into the car, I turned to Maggie with a small smile and whispered, “Goodbye, Maggie. Take care of yourself, alright?” But Maggie didn’t say a word. She didn’t even look at me. She just slipped into the back seat of the car and shut the door behind her. The sound of it closing felt heavier than it should have, and for a moment, my chest tightened. I tried not to dwell on it, but the silence she left behind stung more than I expected.

Alice, standing by my side, touched my arm gently. “Aurora,” she said softly, her voice steady and reassuring, “don’t overthink it. You made the right choice. No matter what anyone says or thinks, you did the right thing asking me to help train them. And I promise you, I will never let you down. Not now, not ever.”

I blinked quickly, trying to hold back the tears that suddenly threatened. “Alice,” I murmured, turning toward her and pulling her into a hug so tight I was sure she could feel how much my heart was racing.

“You have no idea how much that means to me. You’ve been… you’ve been everything I didn’t even know I needed. Thank you…for believing in me, for making me believe in magic again when I had lost all hope.” My voice cracked, and I buried my face into her shoulder.

She hugged me back firmly, her arms warm and grounding. “I know what it’s like,” she said after a moment, her tone heavier, more personal than I’d ever heard it. “I know that pain. I lost my family to wraiths too, Aurora. Every single one of them. I know how it feels when the world just… takes everything away from you and leaves you hollow inside. I carried that weight for so long, and I thought I would never be able to breathe again.”

I pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. “Alice… I didn’t know.”

She gave me a small, sad smile. “I don’t talk about it much. The memories still hurt. But the thing is, I survived. And so did you. And now, now you’ve got something I didn’t have back then. You have a family that backs you up. People who will fight for you, stand with you, and never let you fall.” She brushed away a tear I hadn’t realized had escaped down my cheek. “Aurora, one day… one day you’re going to be an amazing Luna. You already have the heart for it. You just need to trust yourself.”

I swallowed hard, my throat burning with emotion. “Do you really believe that? That I can be that strong?”

Alice’s expression softened into a certainty that almost made me want to cry again. “I don’t just believe it. I know it. I’ve seen it in you already, Aurora. You just don’t see it in yourself yet.”

I laughed shakily, even as I hugged her again. “Thank you. Thank you for everything. For not giving up on me when I gave up on myself.”

She squeezed me tighter. “I’ll never give up on you. Not now, not ever. You’re not alone anymore.”

The car engine rumbled to life, and I knew it was time. Slowly, I let go of Alice, though my heart ached to stay.

As the car pulled away and I watched the pack grounds slowly disappear behind me, I exhaled a long, shaky breath. For the first time in so long, I felt like something was closing inside me, not in a way that hurt, but in a way that brought peace. This chapter of my life… it was finally over. And maybe, just maybe, I was ready for the next one.