Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 263

Aurora’s P.O.V

It was past evening when Caleb and I return from the beach, our steps light yet hurried as we glance around; making sure no one notices us sneaking in. The salty breeze still clings to my hair, the taste of the ocean lingering on my lips. Caleb moves with exaggerated caution, creeping along the walls as if he’s part of some grand heist, and I bite back a laugh. He looks ridiculous, but the way his eyes gleam with mischief makes it impossible to say anything. 

"Caleb, you do realize that we live here, right?" I whisper, a teasing lilt in my voice as I nudge his arm. "You’re acting like a criminal breaking into his own house." 

His grin is wicked, full of amusement as he casts a glance over his shoulder before whispering back, "I have good reason to be careful. If Caroline catches us, we’re doomed." 

That does it—I laugh, pressing a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound, but the mere thought of Caroline’s reaction sends another fit of giggles through me. "Oh, you mean if she finds out what we were doing at the beach?" I tease, leaning in just enough to see the way his face twitches in playful exasperation. 

Caleb groans dramatically, rubbing a hand over his face. "Exactly. She’ll never let me live it down. And she already had enough ammunition against me before this." 

I tilt my head, curiosity piqued. "Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that?" 

For a moment, he hesitates, then sighs as if already regretting his next words. "She reached out to me once. You know… during that time we were…" He trails off, eyes flickering to mine, and I know exactly what he means. 

My stomach flips, my face heating up despite the cool air around us. Caleb and I weren’t always like this—this secret, unspoken thing between us was still so new, so uncertain, but undeniably intense. I can still feel the remnants of our time at the beach clinging to my skin, the imprint of his touch lingering in ways that make my heartbeat a little too fast. 

"You blocked her, didn’t you?" I ask softly, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway. 

"Of course, I did," he says, voice firm, unwavering. His gaze locks onto mine, and in that moment, the teasing fades, replaced by something heavier, something real. "She doesn’t get to interfere when we are together." 

I swallow, nodding, but my mind is already racing to what this means for us. Because if Caroline had any inkling of what we’d been doing tonight, she would have a field day. The teasing would never stop. She’d pester me endlessly, and worst of all, she’d be right. 

Caleb must sense my thoughts because he nudges my shoulder with his own, his smirk creeping back. "Relax, Aurora. No one saw us. We’re in the clear." 

I arch a brow, doubtful. "You say that now, but wait until tomorrow morning when Caroline suddenly knows everything without us even saying a word." 

His expression falters, just for a second, and I can tell he’s considering the terrifying reality of my words. "Okay, yeah, maybe we should just prepare for the worst." 

I laugh again, shaking my head as we step inside the packhouse, fully expecting to be caught in the act. But surprisingly, the coast is clear. The hallway is eerily quiet, not a single soul in sight. I exhale, relief flooding through me, but Caleb still looks suspicious, peeking around like we’re in enemy territory. 

"See?" I whisper, nudging him. "No one’s here." 

"Too quiet," he mutters, crossing his arms. "It’s like the calm before the storm." 

I roll my eyes. "Or maybe, just maybe, we got lucky for once." 

He hums, unconvinced, but finally relaxes. And as we slip further inside, I can’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—this moment is ours to keep, untouched by prying eyes and teasing words. At least for now.

I watched as Caleb ran a hand through his hair, his eyes lingering on me with that familiar mix of amusement and affection. “Go shower and get changed,” he said, his lips twitching as if he were holding back a teasing remark. “Then we can all meet in the game room and pretend like nothing happened.”

I sighed dramatically but nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing. My body was sticky from the day’s events, and the thought of warm water washing away the exhaustion was tempting enough. “Fine, bossy,” I muttered, rolling my eyes, but I didn’t miss the way his lips curled into a satisfied smirk.