Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 294

Aurora’s P.O.V

I watched the way Caleb's brow arched, his lips parting slightly in confusion as he turned to look at me. His expression was almost comical in its surprise, and if I wasn’t so thrown off myself, I might’ve laughed. Instead, I just shook my head, arms crossed tightly over my chest as I leaned against him once again, staring blankly out the window like I might find some answers in the falling leaves outside.

“She just… asked me for help,” I said, my voice coming out softer than I expected. “Not even in that condescending, fake nice way she used to. It was real. Genuine. And I swear to the Moon, Caleb, I don’t understand how that happened. A few months ago, Mia hated my guts. Like, full-blown loathing. Every time I walked into the room, she either rolled her eyes or found a way to comment on my 'fragile human energy' like I wasn’t standing right there.” I turned to look at him, meeting his gaze, searching his face for some kind of explanation. “Now she’s asking for me stay by her and even when she broke down, she wanted me there, to see her at her most vulnerable. What the hell happened?”

Caleb smiled softly, his shoulders relaxing as he placed his hand on the small of my back. He didn’t say anything right away—just sat beside me for a moment, like he was letting my words settle between us, giving them the space they needed. That was something I’d grown to love about him. He didn’t always rush to speak. He listened. Really listened.

“A lot’s changed in the last few months, Aurora,” he finally said, his voice low, warm, and grounding. “You’ve changed. And I think… so have they.”

I raised an eyebrow, not convinced. “That doesn’t explain why. People don’t just wake up one day and stop seeing you as the problem.”

“No, but people do change when they’re forced to face the truth,” Caleb replied gently. “At first, yeah, they saw you as the outsider. The human girl fated to the future Alpha. And they didn’t know what to do with that. You didn’t shift with them. You didn’t grow up with them. You didn’t follow the same rules they lived by. It made you… different. And different scares people.”

I let out a breath, my shoulders slumping as I dropped my head forward. “So what, they just don’t see me as different anymore?”

“They see you,” he emphasized, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Not just as my mate. Not just as a witch. Not just as the girl who survived hell and came back stronger. They see you. Aurora. The one who didn’t back down when faced with dangers unknown. The one who stood in front of a maniac witch and didn’t flinch. The one who helped make me a more capable and better man, and the woman who is one day going to be a great Luna in her own right.”

I blinked at him, throat tightening. “I didn’t do all that so they’d like me.”

“I know,” he said, and there was something so proud in his eyes it made my chest ache. “You did it because it’s who you are. And now… they know that too. Including Mia.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Mia was the worst, though. You remember that time she told me? That I was going to bring you down and that pack wasn’t going to accept you as the next Alpha because you now had a human mate?”

“Yeah,” Caleb chuckled. “And then she saw you coming back from unimaginable horrors and still managing to keep your head held high and having the power to forgive those who wronged you.”

I sighed, finally leaning into him, my forehead resting against his shoulder. “It still feels… weird.”

“It’ll pass,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’ve carved your place here, Aurora. Not just beside me. But in this pack. In this family. You’re not on the outside anymore. You never really were, not to me. And now… everyone else sees it too.”

I couldn't help but smile, my heart practically fluttering as Caleb's words reached my ears. "I love you, Aurora," he had said, his voice so sincere, so filled with the kind of warmth that made my entire body melt. There was something in the way he spoke—something that grounded me, made me feel safe. It was like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders, and all that mattered was him. Without thinking, I reached out, throwing my arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you," I murmured into his chest, my voice filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside me. "I love you so much, Caleb."

His arms wrapped around me in return, holding me close, and I could feel his steady heartbeat against my cheek. The warmth from his body seemed to radiate through me, filling the empty spaces inside. I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, searching for any sign of hesitation, but there was none. Caleb was here, fully present, and that was all I needed.

"Caleb," I started, the thought of Mia creeping into my mind again, pulling at my heartstrings. "I still feel bad for Mia. She hasn't found her mate yet, and now with everything that's happening with Shane, I can't help but worry about her."

He tilted his head, the corner of his lips curving into a soft, reassuring smile. His hand gently cupped my cheek, lifting my face to his. "I know you're worried about her," he said quietly, his thumb gently brushing my skin. "But things will turn out alright, Aurora. Mia is strong. She's been through so much already, and I believe that the right person will come into her life when the time is right.”

My heart lightened at the thought, even if just for a moment. Now that Shane had found his mate, Mia felt left alone, abandoned.

"I hope you're right," I whispered, my voice soft with hope. "She deserves happiness. After everything, she deserves it so much."

“Trust me, she will,” Caleb reassured me. “And that’s why she’s going to the Autumn Equinox Ball. If she is to find her mate, then that would be her best bet."