Claimed By My Bully Alpha

Aurora's P.O.V

Monday. The very mention of the day always left a sour taste in my mouth, but today, it was worse than most. It had started off badly-with me waking up on the living room floor after my father had smashed a bottle on my head; I had to skip breakfast, and to top it all off, I had just gotten an F on a test that I thought I had done well in.

I should have known the day would spiral further into disaster when Mr. Hemming fixed his cold, scrutinizing gaze on me the moment I entered his classroom.

The man had always unsettled me, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it was the way his lips curled up in a way that never quite reached his eyes, or the way his fingers would drum against the wooden surface of his desk, slow and deliberate. He was unpredictable-one moment calm, the next sharp and biting. Today, he seemed particularly keen on making me his target.

I stood there, clutching the torn paper in my hands, the remnants of the test I had worked so hard on, now practically useless. The classroom was silent, except for the heavy thudding of my heart in my chest as I tried to collect my thoughts. I had thought I was imagining things when I first saw the marks-there were several answers on that test that I knew for sure were right. But when I checked again, I was certain. The mistakes were on the teacher's part, not mine.

I couldn't just let it slide. I had to say something. This wasn't just about a test-it was about standing up for myself for once. Maybe this time, someone would listen. Maybe Mr. Hemming would admit it, or at least acknowledge that he was wrong.

I took a deep breath before stepping up to his desk. He didn't even look up when I approached, his back turned as he packed his things away.

"Mr. Hemming," I began, my voice shaking slightly but determined, "I've looked over my test, and I think you marked several of my answers wrong when they're actually correct. Could you...explain why?"

He slowly turned to face me, and his eyes-cold, almost predatory-locked onto mine. For a split second, I felt my confidence waver, but I steadied myself, forcing my breath to stay even.

His lips curled into that thin smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I marked them the way I did because *I say* they're wrong. I don't care what you think, Aurora. It's not up to you to question my grading."

My stomach tightened. It was as if his words punched me in the gut, leaving me breathless. My hands trembled slightly as I held out the paper, hoping-no, begging-that he would just look at it, take a moment to see where I was coming from.

But instead, his gaze darkened, and his voice dropped low, a simmering anger just beneath the surface. "A scholarship student like you thinks you can lecture *me* about what's wrong and right?" His words cut into me like daggers, and I felt my skin prickle with a sense of dread.

I stumbled back a step, my heart racing. "I just thought-"

Before I could finish, he grabbed my test paper, his fingers digging into the edges, and with one quick motion, he tore it even further. The sound of the paper shredding in his hands was so loud it echoed in my ears.

"You *thought*?" He spat the word like venom. "Well, here's the reality for you, Aurora. If I say something's wrong, it's *wrong*. Don't forget that no one gives a shit about you." His voice had risen, and I instinctively took a step back, my back hitting the front desk. The sharp edge of it dug into me, but I didn't dare move.

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step toward me, closing the distance between us with unsettling calm. "I *almost* let this go because you're a quiet, obedient little student who doesn't cause trouble. But if you keep challenging me like this, you won't just be failing my class-you'll be failing every class."

I wanted to scream, to shove him away, but my feet were frozen on the floor. The more he came closer, the more I wanted to run, to escape this suffocating tension. I tried to back up, but the desk was behind me, trapping me in place.

His presence loomed over me, an oppressive weight that made it hard to breathe. I could feel his anger radiating off of him, the way his body language was aggressive and dominating. He was invading my personal space, towering over me as if daring me to move.

"Don't test me, bitch," he hissed, his voice a low growl. "You've got nothing, no one to back you up. So what I say, goes. Do you understand?"

I nodded frantically, my breath was shallow as I tried to steady myself, still trapped between Mr. Hemming's looming figure and the desk behind me. The tension in the air was suffocating, and I could feel every nerve in my body screaming at me to escape.

"Don't think you're safe just because I let this slide," he hissed, his face inches from mine, his words dripping with venom. "I can cancel your scholarship anytime I want, you understand that? You'll have nothing. No money, no place here." His words slithered into my ears, sinking deeper with each passing second.

I wanted to say something, to fight back, but the fear kept me frozen. What could I say to that? Nothing I said would make a difference. I was powerless in his eyes. I was nothing.

Just as he took a step forward, his cold eyes locked onto mine with determination, ready to corner me, something broke the tension in the room.

The door swung open with a soft creak, and Caleb stepped inside, followed closely by Caroline. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Caleb, tall and confident, his presence taking over the room in a way that made Mr. Hemming instantly pull back. I didn't know why, but his arrival sent an immediate wave of relief washing over me.

Caleb didn't even glance in my direction as he walked past me, his usual confident swagger not shaken by the situation at all. But then, Caroline spoke.

"Mr. Hemming," she said, her voice calm but with an edge of purpose. "I forgot something in class. I thought I'd come back and grab it."

The teacher, who had been inches away from me, visibly recoiled, as if Caroline's presence had an immediate effect on him. His whole posture shifted, and his anger seemed to deflate like a balloon. He quickly stepped back, almost too eagerly.

Caroline smiled at him, but it wasn't warm-it was calculated, sharp, as if she knew exactly how to manipulate him. "The whole school is nearly empty now. It's been a long day, Mr. Hemming. Maybe you should go home."

The teacher, clearly caught off guard by her sudden arrival, stammered in response. "Y-yes, of course... you're right."

Mr. Hemming smiled at Caroline, before he turned to me. "Leave, Miss Valentine, before I change my mind. You're dismissed. And remember that if you fail next week's test...there's no redemption for you."

I didn't need to be told twice. I gathered my bag quickly and rushed out the door, past Caroline and Caleb, without looking back. I was so frightened and horrified by what just happened that on the first few steps, my legs almost gave away from under me.

Luckily, I was able to steady myself and did not stop running until I was out of the school gates, feeling like I had just escaped something terrible.

If Caroline and Caleb hadn't shown up today...I had no idea what would've happened...