Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 250

Aurora’s P.O.V

The night air was crisp as I stepped onto the terrace, the familiar scent of pine and the faint trace of Caleb’s cologne mixing in the breeze. He was already there, leaning against the railing, his dark eyes thoughtful as they lifted to meet mine. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and I felt the familiar warmth in my chest, the kind only he could spark. 

“You wanted to talk?” I asked, stepping closer, my fingers brushing against the cold metal railing beside him. 

He exhaled, his gaze flickering to the sky for a brief moment before settling back on me. “Yeah.” His voice was steady, but there was something behind it, something almost uncertain. Caleb was rarely hesitant about anything, and that alone made my stomach tighten. 

I waited, giving him space to say whatever was on his mind, but the silence stretched, filled only by the distant sounds of the night. Then, finally, he turned fully toward me, his hand reaching for mine, his fingers curling gently around them. 

“I want you to move in with me,” he said. Just like that. No hesitation now. No buildup. Just the raw, unfiltered truth of what he wanted. 

I blinked, caught off guard by the suddenness of it. “Move in?” The words felt foreign on my tongue, not because I hadn’t thought about it, but because hearing him say it made it real in a way that sent a rush of heat to my cheeks. 

His lips quivered at my reaction, amusement flickering in his expression. “Yeah,” he murmured, stepping closer, so close I could feel the warmth of his body even with the space between us. “I want you with me. Not just for a night or two, not just when it’s convenient. I want you there, always.” 

A part of me wanted to tease him, to make a joke about how he’d get tired of me stealing his shirts or taking up too much space in his closet, but the way he was looking at me—so open, so completely serious—made the words die in my throat. 

“You’re blushing,” he noted, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. 

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the heat crawling up my neck. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all.” 

Caleb chuckled, his thumb grazing over the back of my hand in slow, deliberate strokes. “I figured. But just so you know, this isn’t about sex or… anything like that.” His voice softened, growing almost reverent. “I just want to be near you. To wake up with you, to have you beside me at the end of every day. I want to feel your warmth next to me, to know you’re there. I know we’ll move in eventually…I just want it a bit—sooner.” 

The sincerity in his words sent something sharp through my chest, something both terrifying and exhilarating. I had never doubted his feelings, never questioned the way he cared for me, but this… this was something different. Something deeper. 

I swallowed, my voice quieter than before. “You really mean that?” 

His fingers tightened around mine. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.” 

The honesty in his eyes, the sheer weight of his words, made my heart stutter. There was no pressure in his voice, no expectation—just the simple truth of what he wanted. And the thing that scared me the most? 

I wanted it, too. But…

“Riley is still so young, Caleb…he need me next to him.”

In fact, part of me agreed with him. It made sense to move in, since we were mates. But Riley needed consistency, and with the new sleeping arrangements, he had to get used to sleeping in his own bed without sneaking into my room in the middle of the night like he sometimes did. But at the same time, I couldn’t ignore the gnawing worry inside me.

“What happens when he has a nightmare?” I finally asked, my voice quieter than I intended, almost as if I was afraid of the answer. “What happens when he wakes up in the middle of the night, scared, and wants to come to me? Right now, he just has run next door. But if we move further away, and your room is down the hall… Caleb, he’s five. That’s a long walk for a little kid in the middle of the night.” 

His jaw tightened slightly, and I could tell he was considering my words, letting them settle in. Caleb was always the more practical one between us, but he had a soft spot when it came to Riley. He exhaled through his nose and gave me a small nod. 

“You’re right,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get it. If he wakes up scared, he should be able to reach you easily.” He hesitated for a second, then glanced at me with a raised brow. “Then I’ll move into your room.” 

I blinked, caught off guard. “What?” 

“If it’s about proximity, I’ll just move into your room,” he repeated, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. 

I stared at him, momentarily speechless. It wasn’t a bad idea, but the thought of it unsettled me for a different reason. Not because I didn’t want him there—I had long since stopped fighting that part of myself—but because his room was his space. His memories, his comfort. Taking that away from him just to make things easier for me didn’t sit right. 

I shook my head, biting my lip. “Caleb, your room is bigger. It has everything you need, and—” 

“And?” he pressed, arching a brow. 

I exhaled, my chest feeling heavy. “And it’s your space,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to uproot you from it.”