Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 278

Caleb’s P.O.V

“Aurora was only with him for three days,” I went on, my voice quieter now, but no less firm. “Three days, and it scared her so badly that she still wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. I’ve seen it happen. She’s terrified, Dad. She flinches in the shadows, she can’t stand being alone for too long, and even when she’s with people she trusts, she still can’t shake the fear that he’s going to come back for her.”

I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists against my thighs as I forced myself to say it. “But Ashton and Maggie? They act like nothing happened. Like they weren’t trapped in hell for half a decade.” 

Silence stretched between us for a moment, heavy and suffocating. I could see the flicker of understanding in my father’s eyes, the way his gaze shifted slightly as if he, too, had noticed it but hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it. 

Finally, my father’s lips twitched upwards just slightly—almost a smile, but not quite. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Caleb. And you’re right to ask questions. We’ll take it one step at a time.”

The tension in my shoulders eased just a little, and I allowed myself to settle back against the couch. I had my answers, but I knew this was just the beginning of something much bigger.

“So…you think he did something to them,” he finally said, his voice low. It wasn’t a question. It was a realization. 

I nodded, my throat tightening. “I don’t know what, but… yeah. I think he did…or may have.”

I knew throwing accusations in the air was dangerous, especial when it involved Aura’s heart and the fragile bond she was creating with her supposed half-siblings. But no matter how much she cared about them…she was my very heartbeat. And I couldn’t let anyone harm her, not again…not after I’d been so close to losing her once.

“Actually,” she said, cutting into the conversation with a tilt of her head, “they were able to access their powers pretty quickly too. It was almost like they had years of practice.” 

I watched Alice carefully, my brows knitting together as her words registered in my mind. Her voice was firm, almost casual, but the weight of what she had just revealed sent a ripple of unease through me.

Her statement lingered in the air, heavy and undeniable. My gaze flickered toward her, then back to my father, Alpha Camden, who stood across from me with his arms crossed over his chest. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, the same unease creeping into his expression that had already settled deep within me. I could feel my heart beginning to race as a thousand questions formed in my mind. 

That wasn’t normal. It shouldn’t be normal. 

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “That doesn’t sit right with me,” I admitted, my voice lower now, tinged with a quiet urgency. “If Ashton and Maggie really had no memory of their past lives before coming here, how did they pick up on their powers so easily? It takes months, years, even decades for some witches to fully harness what they’re capable of.” My father remained silent, contemplating my words, so I pushed further. “I think we need to look deeper into this.”

Alpha Camden let out a slow breath, his features hardening with thought. “It won’t be easy,” he finally said, his voice carrying the weight of his responsibility. “They claim to remember very little of their lives before joining us. If they aren’t lying, then that means there’s very little to go on.” He shook his head slightly, rubbing a hand over his chin.

“But for the safety of the pack… for Aurora’s safety… I’ll do whatever I can to uncover the truth.” 

A cold sensation twisted in my gut. There was something wrong here, something just beneath the surface that we weren’t seeing. I had trusted Ashton and Maggie. They had never given me a reason to doubt them before. But Alice’s words had cracked open a door to uncertainty, and now I wasn’t sure if I could close it again. 

I met my father’s gaze, nodding slowly. “We can’t afford to ignore this,” I murmured. “If there’s even the slightest chance that something’s off, we need to find out what it is before it’s too late.” 

His jaw tightened, and I could tell he felt the same. “I’ll start looking into it,” he assured me. “But Caleb…” His voice lowered slightly, almost as if he were trying to soften the weight of what he was about to say. “If we find something we don’t like, you know what that means.” 

I swallowed hard, the unspoken words settling over me like a shadow. If we found something that threatened the pack, if we discovered a truth too dangerous to ignore—then Ashton and Maggie wouldn’t just be questioned. They would be dealt with. 

I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that possibility. But I knew one thing for certain: We couldn’t let our guard down. Not now.