Secret 270 - Claimed by My Bully Alpha

Aurora’s P.O.V

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, a knot forming in my throat. Violet was gone. I could see her absence in the space where she should’ve been standing, and she was nowhere to be seen in the group. The air around us felt empty without her presence.

“Violet!” I shouted, my voice cracking with panic. The chant faltered for a moment, but I quickly pushed forward, trying to concentrate. “She’s not here!”

Ashton’s eyes shed with rm as he noticed our hesitation. He nced around, his expression hardening. “Where is she?” he demanded, his tone cold, but it did nothing to hide the tension that coiled in his shoulders. “Oh god…did we…leave her behind?”

Before I could answer, a high–pitched cry broke through the noise. Silvia, her white hair glowing like a beacon in the fading light, was wailing uncontrobly. Her small body trembled as she reached for the house that was crumbling to the ground. “Mama!

Grandmama!” Her sobs tore at my heart.

Alpha Jackson was quick to act, pulling her into his arms with surprising gentleness, though the tension in his jaw told a different story. His eyes met mine briefly, his expression a mixture of concern andmand. “Keep the shield up,” he ordered, voice low but firm. “You can’t let anything through.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something–someone–was slipping away from us. “Ashton,” I started again, my voice tight. “What do we do? Violet’s missing.”

Ashton’s face darkened as he scanned the group. “We need to focus. We can’t go back inside any longer. The st wille, and when it does, we need to protect everyone.” He clenched his jaw, frustration and fear swirling behind his eyes. “Keep chanting,

Aurora. We’re not done yet.”

I tried to nod, but the unease gnawed at me. My chant became more desperate as I forced the words from my mouth, but my eyes were still searching, roaming the crowd for any sign of Violet.

9:18 Thu, Sep b4 /bbG /b

…

Had we really left her behind? Had we really lost the little child? Oh…god! What now? There was no way she could survive this…

The eclipse was ending, the light diminishing as the powers that collided began to fade, but it was still too dangerous. Too much was at stake.

“Where is she?” I whispered to myself, the panic creeping into my bones.

I couldn’t breathe. My heart raced as I scanned the surroundings, looking for any sign of

Violet. Panic surged through me like a tidal wave, crashing over every rational thought.

My voice was barely a whisper, shaky and broken.

“Violet… Where is she?” My eyes darted back to the house, the looming dark silhouette

of the ce where she should have been.

Caleb’s handnded on my shoulder, his grip firm, as though he was trying to ground me, but it felt more like a vise than afort.

“Aurora, calm down. You need to focus.”

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “No, I can’t–she’s still in there! She’s in danger!” My breath came out in desperate bursts.

“I have to go back. I can’t leave her behind!”

Ashton stepped in, his usually steady face shadowed with a grimness I hadn’t seen

before.

“Aurora, it’s toote. We can’t go back now.”

“No,” I choked out, my voice hoarse with fear. “I won’t leave her! She’s my sister, our sister, I can’t-i” /i

Alpha Camden’s voice rang through the chaos, strong andmanding. “Aurora! Listen to me.” He stood firm, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that cut through the panic. “We don’t have time. If you run back in there, you’ll be walking into a trap. The

shield-”

9:18 Thu, Sep 4 B

I grabbed his arm, frantic. “The shield? The shield won’t work without Violet!” My voice cracked, each word a jagged stone in my throat. “We need her. You don’t understand.

She’s one of us.”

Caleb, his face tense, looked back at the others. “We can’t wait. The barrier has to be raised now or we risk everything.”

It was like the world was closing in around me, the suffocating weight of it pulling me down. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t leave Violet. But without her, the shield wouldn’t hold, and we’d be vulnerable. And I… I had no idea how to fix this.

That’s when I heard a voice, calm and unwavering, cutting through the noise of my spiraling thoughts. Caroline stepped forward, her eyes meeting mine with a quiet determination. Her presence seemed to fill the space, as if the air shifted around her. “I can help.”

I blinked, unsure I heard her right. “What?”

“I’m your Lunar Sister,” she said, her voice as steady as the ground beneath us. “I have the power toplete the circle.”

I shook my head, my mind a swirling mess of confusion and urgency. “No…that…it…”

She nodded, her gaze unwavering. “It’s going to work, Aurora. And I can help. I know you’re scared. But right now, we need to act fast.”

The words felt like they didn’t quite make sense, but the trust in her eyes–the certainty -told me everything I needed to know. I could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the moment pressing down on all of us. We didn’t have time to question it. Not

anymore.

Caleb nced at Alpha Camden, who nodded solemnly. Ashton looked between us, his expression a mixture of wariness and hope. Then all of their eyes turned back to

Caroline.

“Aurora’s right,” Caleb said, his voice low. “We need one more person to make the shield work. Caroline, if you’re sure-”

…

9:18 Thu, Sep 4 G.

“I am,” Caroline said, stepping into the circle that had already begun to form. Her presence seemed to amplify the strange energy in the air, making the earth beneath us

hum.

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. But at that moment, I had no choice.

We were in this together, and Caroline had just given us a chance to save all of us.

As the circlepleted and the energy swirled around us, I locked eyes with Caroline onest time. “Thank you,” I whispered. It was all I could say.

She didn’t need to answer, her eyes already focused on the task at hand. And with that, the shield began to form.