Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 265

Caleb’s P.O.V

I step in front of Aurora without thinking, my body moving on instinct to shield her from the view as I fix my gaze on the man standing before us. My chest tightens as I lock eyes with Shane, his presence stirring a whirlwind of emotions inside me. His expression flickers with something unreadable—surprise, amusement, maybe even irritation. But I don’t waver. My voice comes out firm, steady.

“What are you doing here?” 

Shane exhales sharply, a smirk tugging at his lips as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Not even a little happy to see me, Caleb?” His tone is light, teasing, but I catch the edge beneath it. A test. A challenge. As if he’s waiting to see whether I’ll acknowledge the years, the past, the history between us. 

I feel the weight of Aurora behind me, her quiet presence grounding me even as my emotions threaten to spiral. I want to tell Shane that I don’t have the energy for this right now, that I have bigger things to worry about. But the truth is, I don’t know how I feel.

Shane and I—we were never enemies, not really. But we weren’t exactly friends either. And after everything that happened, after the way he had treated Aurora on my birthday, after he was sent away to the detention center for juvenile wolves, a part of me thought I’d never see him again. Maybe I even hoped for it. 

A soft rustle behind me pulls me from my thoughts, and I glance back at Aurora. Her eyes meet mine, steady, reassuring. “I’m alright,” she says quietly, her voice carrying the kind of strength that shouldn’t belong to someone who has been through what she has. My throat tightens.

Shane had been locked away, sure. But Aurora—she had suffered far worse than any of us could have ever imagined. 

That’s why, after a lingering moment, I exhale and step aside. I let her walk out of the elevator beside me, no longer shielding her. She doesn’t need it. She doesn’t need me to fight her battles for her. She’s stronger than that. Stronger than I ever realized. 

Shane watches the exchange carefully, his eyes flicking between the two of us before settling back on me. His smirk fades, and for the first time, I see something real beneath the bravado. Maybe even regret. But I don’t have the time or patience to untangle the knots of our past right now. 

I stare at Shane, my arms crossed tightly over my chest as I finally ask, “What are you doing here?” My voice comes out harsher than I intended, but I don’t take it back. There’s a stiffness in the air between us, an old wound ripped open the moment our eyes met again. “And how long are you planning on staying?” 

Shane lets out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as if he can't believe what he just heard. “You’re serious?” His jaw tightens, his eyes narrowing at me like I just spat in his face. “You really never expected me to come back, did you?” His voice drips with something that’s not quite anger, but not far from it either—resentment, maybe. Disappointment.  

I exhale sharply, already regretting the way this is going. “That’s not what I meant,” I say quickly, but Shane is already shaking his head. 

“No, Caleb,” he cuts me off, his voice rising. “That’s exactly what you meant. You and the rest of this damn pack are acting like my absence was some fucking blessing. Even my own parents didn’t want me back. They sent me straight to the packhouse, and said my cousin moved into my room like I was never even a part of that house to begin with.” He lets out a humorless chuckle, but I can see the pain underneath it. “Guess it’s easier to replace me than deal with me, huh?”  

Guilt gnaws at my insides, but I can’t let myself drown in it. Not when I still remember what he did. Not when I still see Aurora in my mind, broken and hurt because of him. Shane might have been my friend once—hell, he was family in every way that mattered—but that doesn’t erase the past.  

He must see the hesitation in my eyes because his expression shifts, his shoulders stiffening like he’s bracing himself. But instead of throwing another accusation at me, he turns his gaze away. And then his eyes land on her. 

Aurora. 

She hasn’t said a word this entire time, just standing there, silent, her fingers twisting together like she’s trying to make herself smaller. The moment Shane looks at her, her whole body tenses, but she doesn’t back away. I step slightly in front of her on instinct, and that’s when Shane speaks again. 

“Aurora,” he says, his voice quieter now. “Can I talk to you? Alone.” 

The way he says it makes something tighten in my chest. He sounds… tired. Like he already knows she’s going to say no, but he’s asking anyway. Like he has to ask. 

Aurora doesn’t answer right away. I glance at her, searching her face for any sign of what she’s thinking, but her expression is unreadable. Then, slowly, she lifts her chin, meeting Shane’s gaze head-on…as if she was about to give it a chance…

I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body stiffening at the mere suggestion. “No,” I said sharply, my voice leaving no room for argument. My wolf snarled inside me, pacing restlessly, itching to lash out. I didn’t like this. I didn’t trust him. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to just stand by while she talked to Shane like it was nothing. 

Aurora turned to me, her expression soft but firm, her gaze steady. “Caleb, it’s fine,” she murmured, reaching out to touch my arm, but I stepped back, jaw tightening. She sighed, undeterred. “I just need to talk to him, that’s all. You’d want to talk to him too, wouldn’t you?” 

No. I wanted to rip his throat out. But the way she looked at me, like she wasn’t asking for permission but trusting me to understand, made my resolve waver. My wolf howled in protest, furious at the idea of letting Shane get anywhere near her. I swallowed back the growl clawing up my throat, forcing my breathing to steady. She was right—whether I liked it or not, this conversation was happening. The least I could do was be there. 

My jaw clenched. “Fine.” The word was bitten out, reluctant. “But I’m standing nearby. Close.” 

Aurora gave me a small nod, one that carried more weight than it should have. Then, without another word, she turned toward Shane, who had been standing there, watching the exchange with unreadable eyes. The bastard had the audacity to look calm. 

Shane tilted his head slightly, then nodded once. “Alright.” His voice was even, unreadable. He understood exactly what he was agreeing to. 

I exhaled sharply through my nose, stepping aside just enough to let them move past me. Every fiber of my being screamed against it, my wolf clawing at the surface, demanding I do something—anything—but I held my ground. Barely. 

Aurora and Shane walked ahead, moving toward the lobby, their voices too low for me to make out. I watched them go, my fingers twitching at my sides. My wolf’s growls turned to a deep, threatening rumble inside me, my body thrumming with restless energy. 

I hated this. But I stayed.