Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 270

Caroline’s P.O.V

I looked at Caleb, then at the Jade, all of us momentarily stunned, our gazes bouncing between each other as we processed what Shane had just revealed. The weight of his words hung thick in the air, pressing down on us like an unseen force, our silence speaking volumes before I finally turned, my brows furrowed, as I finally spoke up. "Shane," I spoke, my voice carefully measured, hesitant yet laced with curiosity, "how… or rather, who is your mate?"

My emphasis on the word "who" wasn’t lost on any of us. Because as far as we all knew, that camp, the place Shane had been for so long, was filled with men. There were no women there. No chance of a she-wolf waiting for him, no hidden miracle waiting to be unveiled. Just men. And that realization rippled through me, through all of us, as we braced ourselves for the answer. 

Shane's expression didn’t change immediately. He simply held Caleb’s gaze, his lips pressing into a firm line before he gave a single, slow nod. The confirmation was subtle, yet it detonated like an unspoken bomb in the space between us. Caleb blinked, his jaw tightening for a moment as the full meaning settled into his bones.

Jade and I exchanged glances, before flicking back to Shane, as if recalibrating our understanding of the situation. There was no judgment in Caleb’s voice when he spoke again, just the need to understand, the weight of a brother trying to grasp the depths of something unfamiliar. "Is that… one of the reasons why you came back?" he asked, softer this time, his voice laced with something gentler, something that made it clear he wasn’t accusing, just trying to find the pieces of the puzzle Shane hadn’t yet put together himself. 

Shane exhaled, his shoulders rising before he finally spoke, his voice quieter, but steady. "Yeah," he admitted, his fingers twitching at his sides as if he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. "I needed to figure things out."

His voice was laced with something raw, something vulnerable, but not weak. He wasn’t ashamed, he wasn’t regretful—he was just lost. And I could see it in his eyes, that storm raging beneath the surface, that internal battle that had led him back here, back home.

"I know a mate is a blessing from the Moon Goddess," he continued, his voice firmer now, like he had already fought this war with himself and was still standing despite the damage. "I’m not rejecting it. I wouldn’t do that. But all my life… I’ve been into women. That’s what I’ve always known, always felt. And now, I have a mate… and he’s a man." His voice caught slightly on that last word, just a fraction of hesitation before he pushed through.

"I don’t know what to do with that yet. I don’t know how to feel. But I’m here. I’m adapting." 

Silence stretched between us again, but this time, it wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t heavy with tension. It was understanding, an acknowledgment of something real, something deeply human. I looked at Shane then, really looked at him, at the way he stood there, strong yet uncertain, unshaken but caught in a tide he never expected.

And for the first time since he returned, I saw him not just as Shane, the packmate we had lost for a while, but as a man standing at a crossroads, trying to navigate something he never thought would be part of his life. Caleb nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, but then he reached out, clasping Shane’s shoulder in a firm grip, a silent show of support. No words needed to be spoken at that moment. We understood. We would be here while he figured it out.

"Well, I have to say, I’m glad you’re adapting," I told him, watching as he stood there, arms crossed, a conflicted look flickering in his eyes before it faded into something more resigned.

"Yeah,” Caleb added with a nod. “I half expected you to fight it to the end." 

Shane scoffed, shaking his head. "You’re one to talk," he shot back. "Weren’t you the one who hated the idea of having a human as a mate? And now look at you. Not only are you ridiculously protective, but you’d probably tear the world apart if anything happened to her." 

Caleb let out a short laugh because he wasn’t wrong. "That’s true," he admitted without hesitation. "And you’d better remember that because I’m never going easy on you again. You might be adjusting now, but I haven’t forgotten how much of a stupid bastard you were." 

Shane smirked, rolling his shoulders as if he were unfazed. "If I wasn’t a wolf, I’d still have a twisted nose and a broken jaw from the last time, so you don’t need to warn me twice," he muttered, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. 

Before I could respond, Jade stepped forward, hesitating only for a second before he wrapped his arms around Shane in a firm hug. "I’m glad you’re alright now," he murmured. "You’re still going to have to earn our trust again, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re one of us. Family. Pack." 

Shane stiffened for a second, clearly caught off guard, but then he relaxed, something in his expression softening. 

Caleb and I exchanged a glance before stepping in as well, closing the gap and pulling him into a brief, but firm embrace. 

It was only a moment, but when we pulled away, Shane looked different. Lighter. As if the weight that had been pressing down on him for so long had finally lifted. His usual guarded stance was still there, but it wasn’t as rigid, not as distant.