Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 457

Aurora’s P.O.V

As Caleb and I stepped out of Alice’s room, her words still echoed in my ears. Have faith… the wraiths are gone… Riley will be fine, he has priestess blood in him… She sounded so certain, so calm, so completely unshaken by the storm that still raged in my chest. I tried to cling to that certainty, but my heart wouldn’t let me. My mind kept replaying everything over and over again, and even though I nodded when she told us to trust, deep down I knew I wasn’t ready to let go of my worry.

Caleb must have noticed it, because as we walked down the hallway of the infirmary in silence, he brushed his hand lightly against mine, whispering. “Aurora, she wouldn’t lie to us. You heard her. Riley’s safe. He’s stronger than you think.”

“I know,” I whispered back, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my lips. “But knowing and believing are two different things, Caleb. I can’t shake it… I just… I keep feeling like somehow…I failed him.”

Before he could answer, shouts erupted from the next room, sharp and loud enough to jolt us both. Caleb’s entire body stiffened beside me, his eyes going wide in recognition. “That’s Jade,” he said quickly, and without hesitation, we both rushed toward the noise.

The door swung open violently as Caleb pushed it, and the scene inside made my breath catch. Maggie was sprawled on the ground, her palms pressed to the floor as if she had just tried to get up but couldn’t. Standing above her was Jade, his chest heaving, his fists clenched, his eyes wild with fury.

“Stay away from me!” Jade roared, his voice cracking with something raw and dangerous.

“Jade!” Caleb stepped forward immediately, holding his hands up. “Calm down…”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Caleb!” Jade snapped, his eyes never leaving Maggie. “Do you have any idea what she’s done? Do you even know?”

I didn’t wait, I rushed to Maggie’s side, kneeling down to help her up. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes shimmering with tears that hadn’t yet fallen. “Maggie,” I whispered, sliding my arm under hers, “are you okay? What happened?”

But Jade didn’t let her speak. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “Don’t ask her that, Aurora. Don’t you dare pity her. She doesn’t deserve it.”

“Jade…” Caleb tried again, his tone firm but pleading.

“No, listen to me, both of you!” Jade’s face twisted, and he jabbed a finger toward Maggie, who flinched at the motion.

“She took advantage of me. She poisoned me. She knew exactly what she was doing. She made me into a lovesick fool, dragging me around like some pathetic dog, begging for scraps of her attention. And all the while she knew…” his voice cracked, his breath shaky but heavy with rage, “...she knew we weren’t mates. I told her! I warned her over and over, but she didn’t care. She just wanted me near her, no matter what it cost me.”

I felt my mind go blank at the accusations, my eyes wide in shock.

Maggie’s lips trembled as she finally whispered, “Jade, that’s not…”

“Don’t!” he barked, and his voice was so sharp it cut the room into silence. “Don’t you dare say my name like that. Don’t you dare try to twist this again. You think I don’t remember the way you poisoned me? The way you put that sick spell on me? You knew what it was doing to me! And you let it happen!”

Caleb took a cautious step toward him, voice low and controlled. “Jade, please calm down. You’re shaking. Just take a breath. We’ll talk about this—”

“Talk about this?!” Jade rounded on him, fury spilling over. “You weren’t the one drowning in it, Caleb! You weren’t the one being held against your will by some sick spell that you believe you were madly in love with the wrong person! You don’t know what that’s like!”

I looked at Maggie, still too stunned to speak as she broke down in sobs. “I never wanted to hurt you,” she choked out, her voice muffled but desperate. “I just… I just wanted you near me… I didn’t know how else to…”

“Don’t lie!” Jade’s voice thundered again, and this time, his eyes shone with tears of his own.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Maggie. You knew exactly what you were doing. And I was too stupid to stop it. Too weak. I let you chain me with your games, and I… I can’t forgive you for that.”

The room felt heavy with his words, thick with anger and pain. Caleb tried to reach him again, voice gentler now. “Jade… I know you feel betrayed. I know you’re hurt. But this isn’t the way…”

“Then what is the way, Caleb?” Jade shot back bitterly. “Tell me. How do I get rid of this? How do I even look at her again and see past the manipulation?”

“It wasn’t manipulation,” Maggie lifted her head, her eyes swollen with tears, and whispered, “It was real to me…”