Claimed by My Bully Alpha (by Anna Kendra) novel Chapter 277

Chapter 277

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Aurora’s P.O.V

I don’t know how to answer him. The words sit on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t bring filled myself to say them. Riley is watching me, his blue eyes so much like our mother’s, with quiet expectation. And maybe that’s what makes it worse. He doesn’t know–he has no idea about the truth that has weighed on my shoulders for the past few days. He doesn’t know that we’re more than what he assumes us to be, that the blood running through our veins is the same, tangled in a history neither of us asked for.

I should tell him. Maybe, in some twisted way, he deserves to know. But what good would it do? The past won’t change. Our mother’s suffering won’t be undone just because the truth is spoken aloud. And so, I keep my mouth shut, my fingers curling against the fabric of my sleeve as if that might somehow anchor me in place.

Riley tilts his head slightly, waiting. I need to say something. Anything. But my throat is dry, my mind blank, and I think he notices–because his brows draw together, confusion flickering in his gaze. Before he can press further, a voice cuts through the thick, suffocating silence.

“Aurora’s got new friends now,” Ashton says smoothly, stepping forward like he was always meant to. His presence is steady, grounding in a way I desperately need. “And we’ll be staying nearby, if you’re okay with that.”

I glance at him, grateful beyond words. He doesn’t push, doesn’t question, just fills the space I can’t. I should thank him later–maybe I will, when I can breathe again.

Riley is silent for a moment, processing. His gaze flickers between Ashton and the others before finally settling on me again. There’s something unreadable in his expression, and for a second, I brace myself for resistance, for hesitation, for the questions I still won’t have the answers to.

But then he smiles, warm and unguarded. “That’s great!” he says, nodding

enthusiastically. “I’m really glad you’re making new friends, Aurora. You guys should stay as long as you want.”

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6:58 Mon, Sep 8

Chapter 277

I exhale, my chest tightening with something I can’t quite name. Relief? Guilt?/ complicated mix of both? I don’t know. What I do know is that I’ve been given chance to bury the truth a little deeper, and for now, I take it. I return Riley’s smile, ev though mine feels just a little bit hollow.

“Thanks, Riley. I’m glad you like my new friends.”

The moment Maya steps closer, her presence radiating warmth and authority, my hear

clenches.

“Take Ashton and the girls to their rooms,” she instructs, her voice firm but kind, ensuring they are given a place to rest, a place to finally breathe. “Alpha Camden will speak to them later.”

The weight of everything presses on me–the fear, the uncertainty, the overwhelming relief of standing here, outside that wretched place I never thought I’d escape. Before I can process it, Maya moves, closing the space between us, her arms wrapping around m in an embrace so tight it forces the air from my lungs. For a second, I freeze, unaccustomed to such an open display of affection after all the years since I had lost m mother, but then, I melt into her warmth.

“I was so worried about you,” she murmurs, her voice trembling slightly, as if she’s been carrying the weight of my absence just as much as I have.

I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting back the lump in my throat. “I never thought I’d make i out,” I whisper, my voice breaking despite my best efforts to sound strong. I thought I would die there. If Caleb and the others hadn’t found me when they did–I cut off, unable to speak of the horrors any longer.

The confession is raw, torn from the depths of my soul, and I feel her tighten her hold on me as if she can piece me back together just by sheer force of will.

“But you did,” Maya says fiercely, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes, her own gaze filled with determination. “You broke free, Aurora. You’re safe now, And not just you–your siblings, too. You’re finally home, my child.”

Home. The words feel foreign, like something I can’t quite grasp. It feels strange to hear that word after what I had endured. The pack was more of a home to me than my real

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