Claimed by My Bully Alpha (by Anna Kendra) novel Chapter 283

Chapter 283

Aurora’s P.O.V

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A small, delighted laugh escaped me. “Here, of all places? You do know this is my favorite spot, don’t you?”

His lips twitched into a ghost of a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course I do.” He poured me a cup of coffee, his movements precise but strangely tense. I watched as he placed a plate in front of me, serving me breakfast like it was the most natural thing in the world. Yet, something about the way he held himself, the way his hands briefly hesitated, made my stomach twist with unease.

I reached for his hand before he could pull away. “Caleb… what’s wrong?”

He exhaled sharply, looking down at our joined hands before his fingers curled around mine.

“I’m sorry, Aurora.”

My brows furrowed. “Sorry?”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he just stared at the table, as if gathering the courage to speak. When he finally did, his voice was low, laced with something heavy. “As your mate, I failed you.” He swallowed hard, his grip on my hand tightening. “I should’ve protected you. I should’ve been there when you needed me the most. And now –“He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “-now I’m sitting here, offering you breakfast like it somehow makes up for everything.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “Caleb…”

“I know it’s a sorry excuse.” His voice broke slightly, and my heart clenched at the raw emotion in his eyes. “But I still want to make it up to you. Step by step. If you’ll let me.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, my heart aching at the pain in his expression. I Knew Caleb by heart, had seen him in countless situations that beat the odds, and had watched him command with unwavering strength. But this–this vulnerability, this self–inflicted guilt–was something I hadn’t expected.

I squeezed his hand, grounding him. “You don’t have to make anything up to me, Caleb.” My voice was firm, unwavering. “You didn’t fail me. You couldn’t have-”

His gaze lifted to mine, searching, uncertain. “Then why does it feel like I did?”

I didn’t have an answer for that. But what I did know was that in this moment, despite his guilt, despite everything we had been through, he was here. And sometimes, that was enough.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hands trembling as I clutched Caleb’s wrist, holding him as if he were the only real thing in a world that had twisted itself into something unrecognizable.

“No one would have guessed what was happening,” I murmured, my voice barely more than a whisper. “No one saw it

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20:58 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 283

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coming. Not me, not them, not even the people who thought they knew everything. Harmona played us all, twisted reality until we didn’t know what was real anymore. She made sure we never even thought to question it.” My breath hitched as the weight of it settled over me again. “We were all just pieces on her board.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened, his eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite name. Regret? Anger? Maybe both. He pulled me closer, his warmth seeping into me like the first touch of sunlight after an endless winter. “But you’re here now,” he said, his voice steady, grounding. “And I’m never letting you go again, Aurora. No matter how much anyone tries to manipulate or threaten me again, no matter how much anyone tries to come between us…I’m never letting anyone

come between us.”

A sharp exhale escaped me, something between a laugh and a sob. “You’re right.” I squeezed his hand, as if that would somehow make it sink in. “And you know why you shouldn’t be feeling guilty about what happened?”

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