Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 420

Aurora’s P.O.V

The next morning, I could feel the tension thick in the air. Caleb sat across from me at the table, his eyes fixed on his plate like it held the secrets of the universe. I didn’t even bother to look at him. I knew if I did, I’d probably say something sharp that I couldn’t take back. Even Damien and Caroline, who were usually all over each other and laughing about something, seemed oddly quiet.

Damien glanced between us a few times, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth, and Caroline’s eyes lingered on me like she was trying to read every thought running through my head. I just kept chewing, pretending like I didn’t notice.

Finally, breakfast was over. People started clearing plates, Damien muttering something to Caleb before walking off with him. Caroline stayed behind, her gaze still locked on me until she finally spoke.

“Aurora, come on, let’s take a walk.” Her tone wasn’t exactly a suggestion.

I sighed, but I followed her out of the house. The morning air was cool, the kind that bites at your cheeks just enough to wake you up, and the crunch of leaves under our boots was the only sound for a while. She didn’t say anything at first, just kept glancing my way, like she was giving me the chance to start. When I didn’t, she finally broke the silence.

“Alright, what’s going on with you?” she asked, stopping just short of the clearing. “You’ve been in a bad mood since last night. I could feel it the moment you walked into the dining room.”

I looked straight ahead, not really wanting to meet her eyes. “You noticed.”

“Of course, I noticed,” she said, folding her arms. “You’re practically radiating it. So? Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or are you going to keep making everyone tiptoe around you?”

I hesitated, then glanced at her. “Did you go to visit Jade this morning?”

Her brows rose slightly, like she hadn’t expected that question. “Yeah, I did.”

I nodded slowly, my hands tightening in my pockets. “Right. And did Alice… say anything?”

Caroline tilted her head, studying me. “She said a few things. Why? Is this about her?”

I didn’t answer right away. My thoughts were already tangled enough, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear what else she had to say.

I put my hands in my pocket while we walked down the path towards the beach, before I finally exhaled and said quietly.

“Since yesterday, Caleb’s been upset with me… because I didn’t tell him what I was going to do…when I went out trailing after Ashton and Maggie.”

She glanced at me, eyebrows slightly raised. “Well… that’s understandable, Aurora. He’s your mate. He’s going to worry.”

“I know,” I admitted, rubbing my hands together, “but this wasn’t something I could just… run by him first. I knew I had to do it alone. And if Caleb really trusted me, I wouldn’t have had to sneak around to make it happen.”

I looked at Caroline closely for her reaction, for the same disappointment, or maybe even understanding. But she did something unexpected instead.

Caroline shook her head slightly, a small smile on her lips, leaning toward me. “Aurora, this is pack. And pack is family. You can’t just shut them out when you feel like it, even for things that you feel like you need to do yourself.”

I frowned. “It’s not about shutting anyone out, Caroline. It’s about me needing to move without being second-guessed every step of the way. He would have tried to stop me, or maybe even tried to follow me without telling me himself.”

She gave a small shrug. “Maybe he would have. But that’s not because he doubts you. It’s because he doesn’t want to see you hurt. You have to understand that for us, being in a pack—it’s not just about trusting each other’s abilities. It’s about protecting each other, even if it means arguing over it.”

I sighed. “I get that, I do… but sometimes protection feels like a cage. And I can’t breathe in a cage.”

Caroline’s voice softened. “Then maybe instead of sneaking, you tell him you need air. Tell him you’re going to do it anyway, but you want him to trust you enough to step back. That’s how you build the balance.”

I shook my head, still feeling the frustration twist inside me. “Balance sounds easy when you’re not the one having to fight for it.”

“And trust sounds easy,” she countered, “when you’re not the one watching the person you love walk straight into danger.”

I paused for a bit, the sunlight streaming through the trees to fall over my face, crossing my arms as I looked at Care. “You know, I’ve been living with my little brother for years now. Just him and me. I had to figure everything out by myself—bills, groceries, fixing the stupid leaky tap—so I’m used to handling things alone. My father…step-father, only came around when he needed something.”

Care tilted her head, watching me carefully. “I know you’re used to that, Aurora. But you’re not alone anymore. You’ve got me now, and Caleb… that means we’re going to worry about you. That’s just how it is.”

I let out a slow breath. “But sometimes it feels like he’s hovering. Like you’re all waiting for me to mess up so you can step in. I don’t need saving, Caroline.”

She frowned, shaking her head. “It’s not about saving you. It’s about caring for you. If something happens to you, Caleb will want to be there. Not because you’re weak—God, you’re the most capable person I know—but because you matter to him. That’s what family does. We look out for each other.”

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands. “I guess I’ve never really had that before. The idea that someone’s just… there, without me having to earn it or prove I can handle things.”

Caroline bumped her shoulders with me almost playfully. “And Caleb has never been with someone as independent as you. He’s still figuring this out, Aurora, you both are. We’re young, and we’re both still learning how to be with our mates. That’s going to take time, and it’s perfectly natural.”

I sighed, meeting her eyes again. “So what do we do? Because I don’t want to feel suffocated, and I don’t want him to feel shut out.”

Caroline nodded slowly, a smile on her lips. “You talk about boundaries. What’s okay, what’s not. What you want him to do when you’re stressed, or when you’ve had a bad day. Communication is the key to a healthy relationship.”