Claimed by My Bully Alpha (by Anna Kendra) novel Chapter 287

Chapter 287

Aurora’s P.O.V

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It had been a month since the incident, a month since we all left the horrors of the past behind. Now, sitting in the dining room with Caleb, Caroline, Jade, and Damien, I felt a rare sense of peace settle over me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t running, wasn’t hiding, wasn’t looking over my shoulder waiting for the next

inevitable disaster to strike.

Instead, I was here, surrounded by people who had become my family in every way that mattered. I glanced around the table, my heart swelling with gratitude. It was a luxury I never thought I’d have again—a life where I felt safe,

where I was loved, where I could just be.

Caleb, sitting beside me, offered me a small but reassuring smile, one that I had come to rely on more times than I could count. “No matter what happens, Aurora, you’ll always have us. We’re your family,” he said, his voice steady

and full of conviction.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and returned his smile, though mine trembled slightly. “You guys are the only family I want,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Not my abusive stepfather, and definitely not my lunatic biological father who nearly killed me. I don’t care what blood says I choose you. I chose this.” I inhaled sharply, my fingers tightening around the silverware. “Honestly, if being an orphan means getting to leave all of that behind, then I’m grateful for it. I just…” My voice wavered for a

moment before I forced myself to steady it.

“I just wish my mom were here.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Caroline reached over and squeezed my hand, her warmth seeping into my skin, anchoring me. “She would have been proud of you,” she said gently. “I bet she always was.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together. I wasn’t sure if I believed that, but it was nice to hear.

Then, Jade, who had been quiet up until now, leaned forward, his sharp eyes flickering to the pendant resting against my collarbone. “That pendant,” he said slowly, almost as if he was hesitant to bring it up. “I’ve seen it glow

sometimes.”

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. My fingers instinctively reached for the small, circular piece of jewelry. It felt cool against my skin, unremarkable, harmless. But Jade wasn’t wrong. There had been moments–brief, fleeting moments–where I swore I saw it shimmer with an unnatural light. I had chalked it up to exhaustion, to paranoia, to my mind playing tricks on me. But now, hearing Jade say it out loud, I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Especially when I had seen it glow in that very room, in the depts of all that horror.

Damien straightened in his seat, his gaze darkening with concern. “Have you noticed anything… strange when it happens?”

I hesitated before shaking my head. “I don’t know. Maybe? It’s not like I’ve been paying attention. I just assumed it

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20:58 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 287

was nothing.”

:

Jade exchanged a glance with Caleb, and my stomach twisted uncomfortably. “I don’t think it’s nothing,” Jade said carefully. “I think you should start paying attention. Maybe it still has traces of your mother in it.”

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I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their eyes on me. This was supposed to be over. We were supposed to be safe. But suddenly, it felt like the past wasn’t done with me yet.

I stared down at the old, weathered necklace in my hand, my fingers tracing the intricate design that had always felt like a part of me. It was my mother’s–there was no doubt about it. She had given it to me the day she left, to be kept safe at all costs. The memories flooded back like a wave crashing against the shore. I could still remember her soft voice, whispering to me just before everything went wrong. But this wasn’t just any memory. It felt… different.

“I think it connects me to my mother somehow,” I said, my voice thick with the weight of those words. My eyes flicked up to Jade, who had been watching me intently from across the table. “I don’t think she was… a normal

human.”

Jade didn’t blink. He was waiting, patient as always. But I could feel his curiosity brewing beneath his calm exterior, just like everyone else’s. It was as if he had been expecting me to say something like that.

“I know it sounds crazy,” I continued, my fingers tightening around the necklace as I spoke, “but I heard her voice, Jade. In the middle of everything, when we were all in trouble, when it felt like we were going to lose…” My voice faltered for a second, but I pushed through. “She urged me to fight. To not give up. She… she told me I was stronger

than I knew.”

Jade leaned in, his expression shifting to something more… searching. “You heard her voice?” he asked, his words slow, as though he were considering every possibility. “Like, really heard it?”

I nodded. “It wasn’t just in my head, Jade. It felt real. I felt her presence, like she was right there with me, guiding

me.”

Just then, the door creaked open, and Ashton and Maggie stepped into the room, both looking like they had been through hell and back. Ashton’s eyes met mine, and Maggie was right behind him, looking as if she was holding something back. They both exchanged a look before Ashton took a step forward, his voice low but firm.

“Aurora,” he began, his eyes intense. “You’re not half human.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I froze, my mouth going dry. “What?” I whispered, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

“You’re half priestess,” Maggie added, her voice steady but serious. “Your mother… she wasn’t just some ordinary woman. She was a priestess, someone with power and purpose. And that power… it’s in you.”

I blinked, my heart racing as the weight of their words settled in. “Priestess?” I repeated, my voice a mere rasp. “But… I don’t understand, I’m not… I can’t be.”

Jade rose from his seat, his gaze never leaving mine. “No, you’re not half human. You’re more than that. We’ve all

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