The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Aurora

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My breath caught, but I didn’t move.

His grin turned a little sharper, almost daring. “You know, you don’t have to keep pretending you don’t want to be here with me.”

“I’m not pretending-” I started, but his hand slid up my side, warm even through the fabric of my hoodie, and whatever excuse I

had died right there on my tongue.

“Sure you’re not,” he murmured, voice low enough that it felt like a secret meant only for me.

My pulse hammered so hard I could hear it in my ears.

And just like that, I was pulled back into a memory I hadn’t let myself think about–Halloween night.

The party. The music. His lips on mine..

It felt the same now–the same rush, the same dizzy spin of heat curling through me. Like I was reliving it, only slower this time,

clearer.

He leaned in, giving me every chance to pull away. I didn’t. I couldn’t.

By the time his lips brushed mine, my hands had already found their way up to his shoulders, then around the back of his neck,

pulling him closer.

He kissed me like he’d been waiting for it since that first time–slow and deep, coaxing, until it grew hungrier, rougher.

My body remembered what to do before my brain caught up. My legs hooked around his waist, and his hands slid under my thighs to hold me there, pressing me back into the tree like I was weightless in his arms.

Everything else–the campfire glow in the distance, the trip, even the sharp ache I carried around because of Zayn–melted away.

It was just Kael.

His mouth, his hands, the solid, grounding warmth of him.

A sharp wave of déjà vu hit me again, stronger this time. The woods. His body pressed against mine. My heart racing so hard I

couldn’t tell if it was fear or want or both.

It was like Halloween hadn’t ever ended. But only this time… I didn stop him.

I barely noticed the sound of footsteps crunching through the leaves behind us until someone cleared their throat–loud, deliberate.

We broke apart instantly, breathless, flushed.

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Chapter 106

Kael didn’t let go of me though. He shifted just enough to glance lazily over his shoulder, his tone rough from kissing, his smirk

sharp as ever.

“Really?” he drawled, not even pretending to be guilty. “You couldn’t wait five more minutes?”

I turned my head slowly, dread crawling up my spine.

Of course it was him.

Zayn stood a few feet away, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, is expression unreadable at first glance. But I saw it–the sharpness in his jaw, the storm brewing in his eyes. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.

The sight of him hit me like ice water, colliding so violently with the heat still buzzing through me from Kael’s kiss that I almost

felt dizzy.

Kael, on the other hand, didn’t look fazed at all. If anything, his smirk deepened as he finally set me back down on the ground,

though he didn’t step away. His hand stayed on my hip, casual, deliberate.

“Well,” Kael drawled, his voice low and mocking, “look who decided to go for a midnight stroll.”

Zayn’s gaze flicked briefly to Kael’s hand still resting on me, then back to my face.

The weight of it made my chest tighten until it was hard to breathe.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” he said finally, his voice cutting, cold enough to make me flinch.

Kael didn’t miss a beat. He tilted his head, his smirk sharpening into something almost taunting.

“Interrupt?” he echoed, his voice lazy but edged. “Trust me, you weren’t exactly invited.”

Zayn’s jaw flexed. His hands stayed in his pockets, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he was holding himself

back. “You think this is a game, don’t you?”

Kael arched a brow, still grinning like he’d already won. “What else would it be? You had your shot, and you blew it. Don’t be bitter

just because someone else knows how to appreciate her.”

Zayn finally stepped forward, closing the space between them in two strides. His voice dropped low, dangerous. “Say another word,

Kael. Go ahead. See what happens.”

Kael didn’t flinch. “You gonna hit me?” he asked, almost daring. “Right here, in front of her?” His grin widened, all teeth. “Do it.

Prove me right.”

Zayn’s fist connected with Kael’s jaw before I even processed what was happening.

The crack of it echoed through the trees, startling the quiet night. Kael stumbled back a step, his hand flying up to his face, his grin

twisted now into something sharper, more dangerous.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” My voice tore out of me, louder than I meant, rough at the edges. “Why do you keep doing

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Chapter 106

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Zayn’s head whipped toward me, his expression flickering for the briefest second, like he hadn’t expected me to turn on him.

I stepped closer, my hands balled into fists at my sides. “No. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t you dare.” My chest burned, my

throat raw. “You literally told me today–you made it perfectly clear that you don’t care about me. That what we had was nothing.

That I was just-” My voice cracked, but I forced it out. “Convenient.

I let out a shaky laugh, ugly and hollow. “So tell me, Zayn. Why? Why punch him? Why get in his face? Why pretend to give a shit

when you’ve spent two months proving over and over again that you don’t?”

Kael stood a few feet away, still rubbing his jaw, watching us with narrowed eyes but not saying a word. For once, he wasn’t

smirking. He was just… there.

But Zayn–Zayn looked like he was holding a war inside his chest. His fists still clenched, his breathing rough, his gaze flicking away

from mine like the trees and the dirt and the shadows were suddenly the most fascinating things in the world.

I swallowed hard, my voice dropping lower but cutting sharper. “You can’t have it both ways, Zayn. You can’t treat me like shit, tell

me I was just some mistake, and then act like this when someone else actually wants me.”

His eyes snapped back to mine then, storm–grey and burning. For a second, I thought he might finally break–say something,

anything–but he didn’t.

He just stood there. Silent.

And that hurt worse than anything he’d said before.

So I shook my head, my chest tight and aching, and took a step back “You know what? Forget it. Forget all of it.” My voice cracked, but I forced the words out anyway. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

The silence that followed was heavier than any scream.

Kael finally let out a low whistle, like he was breaking the tension on purpose, and muttered, “Well… that was something.” He shot Zayn a look, then glanced at me. “Come on, princess. Let’s get back before someone else comes looking.”