Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 347

Aurora’s P.O.V

The next few weeks blurred into a haze of sleepless nights, endless spell drills, and textbooks so dense with ancient language that I swear they were written to drive us mad. My fingers were stained with ink and herbs, my hair constantly smelled like sage and burnt chamomile, and my head throbbed with the weight of enchantments and formulas I could barely keep straight. I don’t even remember finishing the last exam—just that when I finally stumbled out of the examination hall, my legs almost gave out underneath me.

“Whoa, whoa, I got you,” Caleb said, catching me by the elbow as I swayed on the steps. Caroline was already waving over the car, her brows furrowed in concern as she glanced back at me. “Aurora? Are you okay? You look like you just got run over by a cursed carriage.” I gave them both a weak smile and nodded, letting them guide me into the passenger seat. “I’m fine. Just…” I leaned my head against the window, my voice coming out barely above a whisper, “Just dead inside. But like, in a passed-all-my-exams-so-it-was-worth-it kind of way.”

I closed my eyes briefly, sighing as the cool glass calmed my overheated forehead. “It’s break time now. No more runes, no more combat training, no more getting up at dawn to chug down chemistry and algebra…only a few spars with an overenthusiastic Alice. Graduation is later. For now... we can finally breathe.”

Caleb slid in to the driver’s seat beside me and placed a warm hand on my knee. “You need to relax,” he said, his voice soft but suggestive, a smirk playing on his lips. “Maybe I’ll give you a massage. Work out all those tense little knots in your back.” I didn’t even have the strength to roll my eyes. But Caroline, bless her soul, was not having it. “Oh my god, Caleb,” she groaned from the back seat, moving forward to glare at him.

“Seriously? Can you not be horny for like five minutes? She’s about to pass out and you’re already trying to get her naked under the pretense of being helpful.” Caleb held up his hands in mock defense, laughing.

“It was just a suggestion. I am very good with my hands, you know.”

“Yeah,” Caroline said dryly, “and I’m very good at gagging. Like I’m doing right now. Gagging. On your bullshit.”

I let out a tired laugh, my chest aching from the effort. The banter was oddly comforting—familiar, chaotic, and so wonderfully us. I didn’t say it out loud, but in that moment, sandwiched between their bickering and the soft hum of the car engine, I felt a flicker of peace. Maybe I was still running on empty, maybe my future after graduation was still foggy and overwhelming... but for now, I was with them. And that was enough.

The sun was barely hanging onto the horizon, spilling golden light into the car as I sat in the passenger seat, watching Caleb and Caroline bicker like they always did. At this point, I was more than convinced they might be siblings separated at birth, because who else bickers like this? Caleb had one hand on the wheel, the other lazily draped over the console, his smirk as cocky as ever.

“You shouldn’t be one to talk,” he said, glancing sideways at Caroline, his tone dipped in mockery, “considering you’ve been sneaking in past midnight pretty often… and let’s not ignore the little detail where you reek of Damien each time. Do I need to elaborate further?”

Caroline froze for a split second, but then her face twisted into that classic annoyed pout she always wore when she was caught red-handed. She whipped her head toward me, her eyes wide with theatrical offense. “Aurora,” she began, deadpan, “if you ever need a hit-man to take care of Caleb, just know—I’ll do it for free. Voluntarily. Happily.”

I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. “Tempting,” I grinned, leaning forward so I could drape my arms over Caleb’s shoulder and pulling him closer to me, as much as my seat would allow. “But for now, I think I’ll keep my boy-toy right where he is.”

Caleb’s brows shot up, a hand flying to his chest as he let out an exaggerated gasp of betrayal.

“Boy-toy?” he repeated with playful outrage. “Aurora, how could you? I have honor, you know. And I’ll defend it. Vigorously. In bed.”

“Oh my god,” Caroline muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You two make me sick.”

But before I could volley back something equally ridiculous, I noticed both of them stiffen. I mean really stiffen—like someone had poured concrete into their veins. Caroline’s body jerked slightly, her hand now gripping the armrest with white knuckles. Caleb’s expression had shifted completely. The cocky smirk disappeared in an instant. He wasn’t even blinking. Just… staring.

“What’s going on?” I asked slowly, my smile faltering. My heart kicked up a notch, a slow trickle of worry seeping into my chest as I scanned both their faces for clues. “Why are you two suddenly acting like ghosts just walked through the windshield?”

Caleb didn’t answer immediately. His jaw tightened, his fingers curling tighter around the steering wheel. Then, finally, he muttered under his breath, voice clipped and sharp, “We need to get home. Now.”

“What?” I blinked, sitting up straighter. “Caleb, what’s wrong?”

He pressed harder on the gas, the hum of the engine growing louder beneath us. “It’s Violet’s parents,” he said, his voice low and tense. “They’re at the packhouse.”

That name—Violet—sliced through the air like a blade. It felt cold, sudden, and unwelcome. I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling in fast.

My heart started to pound.

Why now? Why them?

Caleb didn’t offer more. He just drove faster, and the silence in the car grew heavier, wrapping around us like a shroud. Even Caroline, who was never one to shut up, remained quiet. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line, her eyes flickering nervously between the road and Caleb’s face.

Something was wrong.

Something was really wrong.

And whatever it was… I had a feeling it was about to change everything.