The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Aurora

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“You scared me,” I said, my voice coming out softer than I meant.

He tilted his head slightly, like he found that funny. “Didn’t mean to

I turned back toward the fire, trying to pretend my heart hadn’t just kicked up a notch. “You’re really good at sneaking up on

people, you know.”

“It’s a gift,” he said casually, then leaned down just enough that I could feel the warmth of him at my back. “Want to take a walk?”

The words were barely louder than the crackle of the fire, but they sent a little shiver through me anyway.

I blinked, twisting toward him again. “What?”

He nodded toward the shadowy line of trees just beyond the circle of tents. “The woods. They’re quiet now. It’s better than sitting here listening to everyone argue over who burned their marshmallow”

I hesitated, glancing around automatically–like a professor might appear out of nowhere and catch us. “They told us not to wander

off after dark-”

Kael’s mouth curved into a slow, easy grin, and he crouched down until he was level with me. “Relax, princess,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear it. “We won’t go far. No one’s gonna care.”

I swallowed, glancing toward the professors, who were busy laughing at something one of the seniors said near the fire.

My pulse skipped.

“You coming?” he asked, standing again and offering me a hand.

For a second, I just stared at it, my thoughts a tangled mess.

I shouldn’t.

But the idea of sitting here, still feeling like the ground had been kicked out from under me, while Zayn sat across the fire looking

perfectly fine–that felt unbearable.

So I slipped my hand into Kael’s, letting him pull me to my feet.

“Good girl,” he said with that same quiet grin, before jerking his chi toward the tree line. “Come on.”

The firelight faded behind us as we stepped off the grass and onto the narrow dirt path leading into the trees. The woods swallowed

us quickly, the night air cool and damp, the sounds of the camp muffled until it felt like we’d stepped into an entirely different

world.

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12:05 Thu, Jan 29 GBB

Chapter 104

Kael walked just a step ahead, close enough that I could smell the far leather and let us of him.

“You’re quieter than I thought you’d be,” he said after a moment, cing at me over his churches,

I shrugged, shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, “Just red, 1 puss

He hummed like he didn’t believe me but didn’t push.

“So…” I finally said, my voice breaking the quiet that had settled between in

Kael hummed, a sound low in his throat, like he’d been waiting for me to talk.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, then quickly looked away, focusing on the way the moonlight soiled senses the dis path. “What are you even doing here today?”

He arched a brow, not answering right away, which only made me keep going

“I mean…” I gestured vaguely with my hands, the words spilling out a little too quickly, “Yours said it yourself you’s someti class, you barely even show up at the academy, and suddenly you’re dut here doing field trip team challenges the kind I trailed off, searching for the right word. “Random.”

Kael’s mouth curved into a slow grin, like he found me amusing

“You were paying that much attention to me, huh?”

My face heated, and I scowled at him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Sure it isn’t.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning slightly toward me as we walked. “You sound suspicions. What, you think I showed up just to annoy you?”

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” I muttered, trying to keep the corner of my mouth from twitching

Kael chuckled under his breath, the sound low and warm in the dark. Relax, princess. I’m here because my professor practically bribed me to get some credits in before the semester ends. And maybe…” He glanced at me, his grin turning a little sharpen. “Mayte I was curious to see who you’d get paired with.”