Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 291

Caleb’s P.O.V

I didn’t expect it to hit him that hard.

One minute, I was speaking — no, more like spitting fire — trying to drive a point home, my frustration boiling beneath the surface, and the next, I watched as Jade’s entire face shifted. His mouth parted slightly, like he wanted to say something back, like he had something—anything—to defend himself with, but nothing came out. His eyes, usually filled with that defiant glimmer, suddenly dulled, and then, just like that, he dropped his gaze. It was subtle, barely perceptible to anyone else, but I saw it.

The crumbling. The way his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, trying to swallow whatever emotions I’d just stirred up inside him. His fingers twitched at his sides, like he wanted to clench them into fists but knew he shouldn’t. Then he shook his head slowly, turning away from me as if the conversation — no, I — wasn’t even worth the breath anymore. And just like that, the anger that had given me so much heat moments ago felt like a weight in my chest. I hadn’t meant to crush him like that. Not like this.

Before I could move or speak, I felt Caroline’s hand on my arm — gentle, grounding. Her fingers pressed lightly into my skin, and when I looked at her, she didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. Her expression said it all. You went too far, Caleb. And damn it, she was right. I did. My frustration with the entire situation had gotten the better of me, and I lashed out at the one person who didn’t deserve it — not in the way I gave it to him.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose before slowly walking up behind Jade. I hesitated for a second. My hand hovered over his shoulder. I wasn’t even sure if I had the right anymore to touch him, to offer that small comfort, not after what I’d just said. But I did it anyway, gently placing my hand on his shoulder, and I felt the tension in his body under my palm, like he was barely holding himself together.

“Hey,” I murmured, my voice lower, more careful this time, as if it could make up for the tone I had used before. “I… didn’t mean to be so rude to you. That wasn’t fair.”

He didn’t say anything at first. He didn’t even look at me. But he didn’t pull away either, and that meant something.

“I just…” I swallowed hard, trying to put the right words together. “You need to understand where I’m coming from, alright? This isn’t just about you and Maggie. She’s not just some girl. She’s Aurora’s little sister, and whether you like it or not, that matters. Aurora is the future Luna —

she’s your Luna — and anything you do with Maggie now? It doesn’t just stay between you and her. It bleeds into everything. Into the future. Into the pack. Into her.”

I paused for a second, gripping his shoulder just a little tighter. “You’re not a lone wolf without ties, Jade. You’re part of this pack, you’re my future beta, and that means your choices… they ripple. If you hurt Maggie, even unintentionally, Aurora won’t just brush that off. She won’t be able to. And I don’t want to see any of you go down in flames because no one said this out loud.”

Finally, Jade turned his head a little, just enough for me to catch the side of his face — the shadow of conflict flickering in his eyes, the pain he was trying hard to bury under the surface. His lips were pressed together, his brow furrowed, and even though he didn’t say a single word, I knew he was listening.

“I’m not trying to tear you two apart,” I added, softer now, almost a whisper. “I just need you to think. To really think. Because love, desire, whatever it is you’re feeling — it’s not enough if it comes at the cost of everything else.”

The silence stretched between us, heavy and thick, but not the kind that smothered. The kind that gave space for reflection. Caroline still stood nearby, her hand now at her side, watching us both carefully. I looked at her for a second, then back at Jade, praying he understood that behind the anger was someone who genuinely cared. Maybe too much.

I watched him closely, the weight of the moment heavy between us as if the air itself had thickened with unspoken words and conflicted hearts. Jade had been quiet for too long, his jaw tense, his fingers fidgeting with the frayed hem of his shirt like he was trying to find courage in the unraveling threads. His chest rose with a long, tired breath—one that sounded like it had been stuck in his lungs for days—and then he finally looked at me, really looked at me. His eyes weren't stormy or angry, just tired. Understanding.

“I get it,” he said softly, voice low and rough, as if it cost him something to say. “I understand, Caleb.” He ran a hand down his face and exhaled again. “I guess… deep down, I always knew.”

I leaned back a little, surprised by the calmness in his tone. I had expected defensiveness or maybe even a denial, but there was none of that. Just a resigned clarity that made my chest tighten. He rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting my eyes now, and his mouth curved into a small, almost sad smile.

“From the minute I started feeling something for Maggie… I think I knew she wasn’t my mate. I knew. It wasn’t that pull, you know? That overwhelming, all-consuming thing we’re taught to recognize.” He finally met my gaze, and there was a flash of something sharp behind his eyes.

“But the heart’s a damn stubborn thing, Caleb. Even when your head’s screaming one thing, your chest—your heart makes its own rules.”

I nodded, slowly, not trusting myself to speak yet. Jade kept going, his voice more earnest now, like he’d been holding it in for far too long. “I don’t even know how it happened,” he confessed.

“How my friendship with her suddenly got so deep so fast. It feels like… like it was only last week when I offered to be her friend. Just her friend. I remember that moment so clearly. She looked so alone, trying to be strong and pretending like she didn’t need anyone. I didn’t want to push—I just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone.” He let out a humorless laugh. “And then somehow… We started spending more time together. More walks. More comfort from her nightmares. Sitting together during meetings, during meals, talking about the dumbest things… and before I knew it, I was looking forward to seeing her every day.”