Claimed by My Bully Alpha (by Anna Kendra) novel Chapter 3

Aurora’s P.O.V

My eyes closed on their own accord, and I braced myself for the impact, my heart pounding in my chest like a drumbeat. The screech of tires filled my ears, swallowing every other sound. My body locked up, frozen in place, as I waited for the inevitable.

But… nothing happened.

No sharp pain. No crushing weight. Just the distant hum of an engine rumbling to a stop.

I couldn’t move. My muscles refused to cooperate as if my body was still convinced I was moments from being flattened. My breath came in shallow gasps, and my fingers curled into fists against the rough pavement beneath me. My brain screamed at me to open my eyes—to move—but I couldn’t.

A second later, rough fingers grabbed the back of my collar and yanked me to my feet like I weighed nothing. I gasped, eyes snapping open in shock, and found myself face-to-face with none other than Caleb Blackburn.

His blue eyes, cold and cutting, locked onto mine as if I’d personally offended him by existing. His messy black hair fell just above his sharp jawline, and even with his expression twisted into irritation, there was no denying he was ridiculously good-looking. But it wasn’t the kind of beauty that comforted you. No, there was something dangerous about it. Like a storm on the horizon—beautiful but destructive.

“Never stand in my way again,” he said, his voice low and smooth, but edged with a threat that made my skin crawl. His hand released me with a shove, sending me stumbling backward.

I barely caught myself before falling again, but he was already turning back toward his car as if I wasn’t worth another second of his time. The sleek black vehicle—expensive and clearly custom—hummed beneath his touch as he slid back into the driver’s seat.

Without another glance in my direction, he drove through the gate and into the school’s designated lot—his lot. Because, of course, he and his friends had their own place. Untouchable, like always.

I stood there, heart hammering in my chest, still too shaken to move.

Of course, it had to be him. Caleb Blackburn—the guy everyone knew not to mess with. And not just him. Where there was Caleb, the others weren’t far behind. That group. The one everyone at school either admired or feared—sometimes both.

But it didn’t matter, did it?

Because everyone at school was convinced he was dating Caroline, the only person in that group who was both friendly and charming. And to be honest, they made a perfect match. Caroline was beautiful and popular, the kind of girl who could light up any room. She and Caleb were the ultimate power couple in the eyes of everyone. If you asked anyone, they’d tell you they were meant to be together, that Caleb only had eyes for her.

Not that I had any reason to believe that Caleb would be interested in someone like me. He barely acknowledged my existence, except to shove me out of his way. I was just another face in the crowd. Another girl to ignore.

And I couldn’t ignore the way he looked at me, either. It was as if I was nothing more than an inconvenience. As if my mere presence irritated him. Maybe I was just imagining it, but every time he looked at me, it felt like I was a bug under a microscope, waiting for him to squish me.

Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts aside and turned toward the school. I had no choice. I had to survive this day, like every other. Every day was a cycle of avoiding trouble, staying out of the way, and trying to blend in. A repetitive routine that felt like I was just moving through life on autopilot, trying to make it to the next day.