The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Aurora

The forest was quiet when we reached the last clearing–too quiet.

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We’d been walking for what felt like forever, following the map’s final set of twists and turns until the trail ended here. The clearing

was bigger than the others, framed by tall, dark pines that seemed to lean inward like they were watching.

At the center stood another pedestal, this one taller, carved from dark stone. On its face was a round, hollow indentation–perfectly

sized for the lantern we’d been hauling around since checkpoint three.

Chris jogged ahead and dropped his pack with a dramatic sigh. “Finally,” he groaned. “If I had to carry that thing one more mile, I

was going to leave it for the wolves.”

“You’d never make it back without it,” Marcus said, pulling the map from his pocket. “This is the last task. Whatever happens here

finishes the course.”

Zayn had already taken the lantern out, setting it carefully in the hollow. It fit perfectly, like it had been waiting for us.

“Okay,” I said, stepping closer. “Now what? Do we… light it?”

There was a pause before Marcus nodded. “Try it.”

My heart thudded as I crouched next to the pedestal, feeling for the lint hidden at the lantern’s base. My hands shook as I struck it

once, twice–then with a soft hiss, the wick caught.

The flame that sprang to life wasn’t normal. It was blue, bright and cold–looking, casting strange shadows across the clearing.

For a second, no one spoke.

Then the pedestal gave a low, groaning sound and split down the center. Slowly, the top half rotated open, revealing what was

inside.

This time it wasn’t a clue, or a map, or a bundle of trail markers.

It was an hourglass.

Small, delicate, its glass filled with fine silver sand that glowed faintly in the lantern light.

Nova gasped softly. “Whoa.”

Chris whistled. “That’s… definitely not your average school prize.”

I reached for it carefully, half–expecting it to be warm, but it was cold–almost too cold–and heavy for something so small. As soon

as I lifted it free, the pedestal slammed shut with a sound like a stone door.

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Chapter 102

The lantern’s flame flickered once, then went out, plunging us back into normal light.

“Guess that means we’re done,” Zayn said quietly, brushing dirt off His hands.

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Marcus nodded. “Yeah. We just have to make it back to camp before sundown. The first team back wins.”

I tucked the hourglass gently into the pouch with the pendant and the other strange objects we’d collected along the way. I couldn’t

shake the feeling that they were connected somehow–like pieces of puzzle we hadn’t been shown yet.

“Alright, Team Seven,” Chris said, slinging his bag over his shoulder with a grin. “Race you back.”

Chris was the first to take off, yelling something about “claiming victory” as he sprinted toward the trail. Nova and Laura

immediately scrambled after him, laughing breathlessly.

“Idiots,” Marcus muttered under his breath, but he jogged after them anyway, Selene following at a slower pace with a roll of her

eyes.

Just like that, it was only me and Zayn.

The clearing felt too big, too quiet without everyone else.

I tugged the straps of my backpack tighter and forced my feet to move. “We should go,” I said, my voice coming out lower than I

meant.

He didn’t say anything at first, just fell into step beside me.

The forest swallowed us up, the light fading into a soft, golden haze through the trees. The air smelled sharp and cold, like rain might come later. My boots crunched against the path, and every sound felt too loud, too close.

We didn’t say anything for a while. Not one word.

And it was almost worse than yelling.

The silence stretched, pulling tight between us until it felt like it might snap.

I kept my eyes on the trail ahead, on the way the sunlight broke through the branches in thin, golden slants. Anything to keep from looking at him.

It had been almost two months since I’d last been this close to him without someone else around. Two months since that night.

And then Halloween had happened.

And he’d been there, watching me dance with Kael like I’d just betrayed him–like he still had any right to look at me like that–and then he’d gone right back to acting like I didn’t exist.

The memory made something sharp twist in my chest.

I opened my mouth to say something–anything–but he beat me to.

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Chapter 102

“You can stop glaring at me,” Zayn said suddenly, his voice low and rough. “It’s pathetic.”

I froze for half a second before snapping my head toward him. “Excuse me?”

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“You heard me.” His eyes stayed fixed on the trail ahead, his expression unreadable. “If you hate me, just get over it already. You’re

making it obvious.”

Anger flared so fast it almost burned away the hurt sitting heavy in my chest. “Obvious? You think I’m the problem here?”

He gave a humorless laugh–short, sharp, and cold. “Yeah, I do. You’re still clinging to one night that never should’ve happened.”

The words hit like a slap.

I stopped walking. “Wow,” I said, my voice shaking.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his voice sharper now. “You’re the one who turned a mistake into some fairytale in your head.”

I felt my throat tighten, but anger kept me standing. “A mistake?”

He shrugged. “What did you expect, Aurora? That I’d hold your hand after? That we’d be something? You were just-” His mouth curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “-convenient.”

The air left my lungs all at once.

“And you went back to Charlotte the next day?” I said, my voice shaking. “Was that convenient too?”

He didn’t even flinch. “Charlotte knows the rules. She knows where she stands. You?” He let out a short laugh. “You let one night

ruin you.”

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice not to break. “You’re unbelievable”

“And Kael?” he added suddenly, his tone sharp enough to cut. “What’s he supposed to be? Your rebound? Or were you hoping I’d get

jealous and come crawling back?”

“That’s not-” My voice cracked. “He’s not-”

Zayn tilted his head, almost amused. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

My chest felt tight, hot, raw–but I refused to cry in front of him.

“Fine,” I said, my voice sharp even though it shook. “You win. I’m done.”

“Good,” he said flatly, already turning back toward the path. “Then maybe we can finally stop pretending there’s something here

worth talking about.”