The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 11

11

Autora

The dream hit like a wave I didn’t see coming–fast, heavy, and impossible to escape.

#5

I was back on that bridge.

This wasn’t some fuzzy memory or a half–remembered dream–it felt way too real. The old wooden floor creaked under my feet, like it was tired and didn’t want me there. The air felt heavy, like it was holding its breath. Up above, the sky was thick with clouds, the kind that tell you something’s on its way, even if it hasn’t arrived yet.

And at the other end of the bridge… was Zayn.

Just standing there.

Watching me.

Like he’d been waiting.

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t move. But there was something about the way he stood–arms tense at his sides, eyes unreadable–that made my stomach twist. Like part of him wanted to

come closer, and the rest of him wasn’t letting it happen.

I tried to speak. I don’t even know what I meant to say, but nothing came out.

And when I took a step forward, the wood beneath me cracked–not just creaked, but cracked, like it had finally had enough.

Then I was falling.

Fast.

Not screaming, not struggling. Just… falling, with that weird weightless drop in your stomach, like the moment on a roller coaster before you realize you’re not in control

anymore.

But the worst part wasn’t the fall.

It was the look on Zayn’s face right before I slipped–like he knew. Like he’d seen this before. Like some part of him had already accepted it.

And still… he didn’t move.

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Chapter 11

I woke with a jolt.

A

The room was pretty dark, with just a bit of

like it hadn’t gotten the memo that the nightmare

King in through the curtains. I was sweaty, and my heart was still racing

I sat there for a minute, breathing. Trying to shake the feeling that something had followed me out of the dream. But it lingered–Zayn’s

voice, the look in his eyes, the quiet

desperation I hadn’t imagined.

Another day at Moonbound.

Dragging myself out of bed, I threw on clothes and did my best to push the dream–everything–down. But my chest was tight. The memory of Malric’s glare, Zayn’s sharp command, Charlotte’s threat… they all followed me like shadows as I left the dorm and headed

toward first period.

History of the Territories. Just what I needed–royal bloodlines and ancient grudges. A perfect reminder that I didn’t belong here.

The hallways were already buzzing, and I felt the shift in energy the second I stepped into them. Some people laughed; others whispered. Most barely glanced at me. But the ones who did? Their stares were quick, curious, and cautious. Like I was a question mark they didn’t

know how to answer.

I walked slower than usual, like my body was trying to buy time my mind didn’t have. Every step felt deliberate. Like I needed to prove to myself that I had a place here–even if t

didn’t believe it.

And beneath it all, one name kept circling in my head like a thread I couldn’t stop tugging.

Zayn.

I pushed open the classroom door and slipped inside, sliding into a seat near the back. 1) more than I did. I opened it anyway, trying to act normal, trying to be invisible.

But my thoughts kept drifting

The dream

The cafeteria.

That moment–Zayn stepping between me and Malric like it meant something

Why did he do it?

of me looked like it weighed

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Chapter 11

I wasn’t anyone to him. He’d barely looked at

But yesterday… he’d defended me. No hesit

4. and when he did, it was usually like I was a bug crawling across his shoe,

nd one cracked wrist.

Charlotte’s voice rang in my head, sharp and bits

part of your world. You’re not part of his

She wasn’t wrong.

Three days in, and I already felt like the ground under me was shifting. Like I’d walked into a story where I wasn’t supposed to be a

character.

And the dreams–God, the dreams. They weren’t just weird. They felt real. Like memories from a life I never lived, or maybe a warning about something coming that I didn’t understand yet.

My thoughts were spiraling, and I hadn’t even made it to second period.

The classroom door opened with a soft click, and the room quieted. A tall woman stepped inside, silver hair twisted into a severe bun that somehow made her presence even sharper. She didn’t need to speak–everyone just sat up a little straighter. Even me.

I blinked, trying to refocus as she started organizing her notes.

Don’t attract attention. Just get through the day.

I opened my notebook with slightly shaking fingers, pretending I wasn’t dying from the inside. Everyone else looked so at ease, like this was normal. It was normal for them.

But to me?

I didn’t belong here.

And yet, somehow, I was still here.

Trying to survive another day in a place that already felt like it had it out for me.

*** * ***

The class dragged on, each minute stretching longer than the last, my mind wandering between the professor’s dry lecture and the weight of everything else invading my thoughts.

I kept my pen moving across the page, but it felt more like a distraction than actual note–taking.

When the bell finally rang, relief washed over me. I quickly began packing my things back into my bag, eager to escape the classroom and the stares from other students that never quite left me alone.

Just as I reached the door and stepped toward the exit, a voice stopped me in my tracks. “Miss Wells? Could you stay for a moment?”

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Chapter 11

It was the professor’s voice–calm, but carrying

down on my chest.

ority. My breath caught in my throat. I froze, a sudden weight pressing

Slowly, I turned back toward her desk, forcing a polite mie onto my face even as panic bubbled beneath the surface. Inside, my heart hammered against my ribs, a chaotic storm of nerves and dread swirling through me.

What did she want? Was I in trouble? Was I about to be called out in front of everyone? The questions spun relentlessly in my mind as I swallowed hard, steeling myself for whatever was coming next.

Comments

R Visitor

so far its a good read

2 days ago