Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 452

Aurora’s P.O.V

I breathed in relief, the kind that almost buckled my knees, but before I could even begin to let myself settle, confusion started spreading around like wildfire. Voices overlapped, soldiers groaning as they tried to sit up, some clutching at their heads while others stared blankly at one another, clearly not understanding how they ended up here. One of them spoke up, his voice hoarse.

“Wait… how did we even get here? We were fighting, I swear I remember being surrounded, and then…” Another cut in, shaking his head furiously.

“No, no, I remember something else. We were losing ground, then the light… and now this? Where the hell are we?” More murmurs followed, desperate and rising, like they were all trying to piece together a shattered memory that didn’t want to align.

I turned quickly to Caleb, my own voice tight with the same question burning through all of us. “Caleb… How did you get here? When we were about to get into the portal— you got that warning about the rogue attack. So how did you end up back here again? None of this makes sense.”

Caleb looked at me, and for a moment, I thought he might crumble under the pressure of so many eyes staring at him, waiting for answers. He exhaled slowly, then shook his head. “Aurora… I know. I know it doesn’t make sense. But I promise you, we’ll explain everything. Just… not now. Not yet. First, we need to make sure everyone is alive, everyone is safe. We need to get them to the infirmary, check for wounds, make sure nobody is slipping away while we stand here asking questions. Can you trust me on this for a little while longer?”

I pressed my lips together, my arms tightening around Riley’s unconscious form as I glanced down at him. My throat tightened painfully.

“Fine,” I muttered, though it came out more as a breath than a word. “But Caleb, I swear, I need answers.”

He nodded, stepping closer. His eyes fell on Riley, and gently, he reached out, offering. “Here, let me carry him for you. You’ve been through too much tonight, Aurora. I can take him. You don’t have to…”

I cut him off before he could finish, shaking my head quickly. “No. No, I want to carry him myself.” My voice trembled, but I didn’t care who heard. “I need to reassure myself that he’s okay, that he’s still here with us. Please don’t take this from me, Caleb.”

For a second, Caleb just studied me in silence, then his hand slowly retreated. “Alright,” he said softly. “Alright, Aurora. He’s yours. Just… let me help you lift him properly. You don’t need to strain yourself.”

Together, we adjusted Riley in my arms, his head falling limply against my shoulder, his breath faint but steady. I held him close like he was my anchor, unwilling to let go. Around us, the soldiers were slowly being gathered, some limping, some helping each other, all of them still muttering questions under their breath, none with answers that satisfied.

One soldier stumbled up to me, his face pale. “Aurora… I, I don’t understand. One minute I was on the ground bleeding out, and now I feel like I’ve barely been touched. What happened? Did… did someone heal us?”

I looked at him helplessly, then at Caleb. He stepped forward, answering firmly, “You’ll know everything. I promise. But right now, listen to me, all of you.” His voice rose, carrying across the restless group. “We’re moving to the infirmary. One by one. Nobody gets left behind. Questions will come later, but survival comes first. Do you hear me?”

A chorus of tired affirmations followed, though not without grumbling. “Fine,” one muttered. “But this better not be another trick.” Another hissed under his breath, “If this is some kind of setup, I’ll…” but he cut himself off when Caleb shot him a look sharp enough to silence him.

I adjusted Riley again in my arms and followed Caleb’s lead, my steps heavier than they should have been but steady. Behind us, soldiers helped each other limp along, some leaning on comrades, others clutching at wounds that looked far worse than they probably felt now.

It was a slow, dragging procession toward the infirmary, every step echoing with unspoken fear and unanswered questions. I caught fragments of conversation along the way.

“What if we didn’t survive at all?” one soldier whispered.

“Don’t say that,” another snapped, his voice shaking. “Don’t you dare say that.”

“What if this isn’t real?” someone else muttered, their eyes darting around nervously.

And all the while, Riley’s shallow breaths against my shoulder were the only thing I focused on, the only proof that at least one thing was real. When we finally reached the infirmary, healers rushed forward immediately, ushering the wounded in, laying them down, and beginning to treat them one after another. Caleb directed them with authority, making sure nobody was overlooked.

When one of the healers reached out for Riley, Caleb looked at me, almost as though waiting for my permission. My grip tightened, and I shook my head faintly. “I’ll stay with him. Do what you have to, but I’m not letting go.”

The healer hesitated, then nodded, gesturing for me to follow. And so, I carried Riley inside, my heart pounding, knowing that a long night of explanations was waiting for all of us, one I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear, but one I would demand the moment Riley opened his eyes.