Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 135

Caleb’s P.O.V

I slammed the car door behind me, staring up at Aurora’s house, feeling the weight of the situation press down on me. The old, rundown house loomed ahead of us, containing mysteries yet to be deciphered. I looked over at Damien, already halfway out of the car.

"You can wait here," I muttered, trying to keep my voice even. "I’ll investigate inside. This doesn’t involve you."

Damien paused and shot me a look, like he wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easily.

"Caroline told me we’re doing this together," he said as he got out of the car and came to stand in front of me. "She wants us to bond over this mission. She’s counting on us, for our future."

I felt my blood start to boil, frustration bubbling up like a wave. I grabbed Damien by the collar, yanking him closer with a firm grip before slamming his back against the car, unable to hold back my anger any longer.

"Look, I’ve let you fuck around with our situation long enough, but this is my mate’s house," I hissed through clenched teeth. "I don’t want anyone fucking with this. Not you, not anyone else."

Damien didn’t flinch. He didn’t even seem bothered by the way I had him pinned against the car. Instead, his eyes locked onto mine, unshaken.

“Exactly why Caroline sent me with you," he said, his voice low and calm, like he was trying to talk sense into me without making it worse.

"She knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your emotions in check once we went inside. As soon as you see something that sets you off, you’ll lose it. And when that happens, it’s going to cloud your judgment. Caroline wanted me to keep you focused."

My hand tightened on his collar, my knuckles white. "So, you’re here to be my fucking distraction?"

Damien nodded, his expression unchanged. "Yeah. So you don’t lose your shit and make things worse for both of us." His voice dropped even lower, like he was giving me a warning I didn’t want to hear.

"I’ll keep you focused. I’ll take the heat. You keep it together. For Aurora."

I wanted to argue, to lash out at him for undermining me, but something about the way he said it—so matter-of-factly, like he already knew how this was going to go down—made me hesitate. I let go of his collar, shoving him back, and took a step away, trying to steady my breathing.

"Fine," I muttered, gritting my teeth. "But you better not get in my way."

Damien gave me a small nod, the calm still there in his eyes. "I won’t."

For once, I can't argue with that. Damien’s words hang heavy in the air, but there’s no fighting it. I knew the house was going to bear signs of Aurora’s past traumas, of how unfairly she had been treated by her own family, and I knew that the instant I saw that, I would lose my mind. Maybe Caroline had known this before hand, and that’s why she had insisted on sending Damien.

So I took a deep, calming breath and turned around to face the house that seemed to carry a thousand secrets.

Aurora’s house is just as I remember it—run-down, decaying. If anything, it seemed even worse. I can’t believe it’s still standing. The walls are crumbling, barely holding on to the skeleton of the house. Ivy and god-knows-what-else crawl up the sides like they’re trying to strangle the house.

It’s a sad sight, and yet, I can’t tear my eyes away. The garden, once filled with flowers and life, now a mess of weeds and abandoned flower pots turned upside down. It’s as if time had forgotten this place, just like I almost had.

I reach the front door, and I’m relieved to see it locked. This lock was probably what had prevented someone from looting the place—taking what little was left. But we needed to get inside now, to see what secrets had been kept buried.

I pull at the door handle, but it’s no use.

“Dammit.” I yank harder, my frustration boiling over. It won’t budge, so the only way to go about it now was to break down the door. It was a pity, since I had wanted to keep this place intact for Aurora.

Taking a deep breath, I plant my palm on the door and use my strength to yank it back. The wood cracks with a sickening snap, and the door gives way, swinging open with an eerie groan.

The smell hits me instantly. It’s so overpowering I almost choke on it. Stale alcohol mixed with the unmistakable stench of rotting meat—like something died here and was left to rot for weeks. I hold my breath, stepping inside, the floor creaking under my boots.

I pause, scanning the dark interior. There’s nothing, just the stale air and decay. No sign of anyone. The place feels like a ghost town, like it was abandoned long ago. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched, even if it’s just the house itself, holding its secrets.

I kicked aside a few empty bottles and food containers that littered the hallway, the remnants of whoever had been here last.

"What the hell happened here?" I muttered to myself, my eyes scanning the disarray.

Damien, who had been following me, wrinkled his nose. "Must be a rat or something, maybe a lizard. Something died around here." His voice was calm, but I could hear the slight edge of discomfort.

I nodded, but something didn’t sit right. The smell was too strong, too specific. As I moved deeper into the living room, my eyes fell on the couch. There was a dent in the cushions, like something heavy had been laying there for an extended period. I stepped closer, and the stench was worse. Way worse. Especially in this area.

I stopped dead in my tracks, the realization slamming into me like a punch to the gut. "Damien, it's not an animal," I said, my voice low and controlled, but inside, I felt the weight of something darker.

Damien frowned and came closer, his gaze shifting between me and the couch. "What do you mean, not an animal?"

"I think... I think someone died here," I said, stepping carefully around the dent, my eyes fixed on it. The more I thought about it, the more the idea settled into my gut. Something was off.

"Aurora’s dad—he could’ve died right here. And someone did something to his body after."

“Fuck! The symbol!” Damien hissed, looking at the couch in dismay. "Who would want to do anything to a corpse, Caleb?"

I shook my head, pushing down the unease that was starting to crawl up my spine. "Someone severely mentally ill. Someone who sees a body as nothing more than an object—something to be disposed of or tampered with. This isn’t just some rotting stench from a dead animal. There’s a reason this place feels like a damn graveyard."

Damien seemed to consider it for a moment, before running a hand through his hair, clearly unsettled. "The front door was locked. You really think someone broke in here to do shit to a corpse?"

"Yeah," I replied, swallowing hard. "I think Aurora’s dad was long dead when the intruder came. And whatever he did…it’s fucking sick."