The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 122

Chapter 122

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I swallowed, suddenly hyper–aware of how close he was, how the air in the car felt a little too still, a little too charged. My hands fidgeted in my lap, and for once, I didn’t have anything smart or sarcastic to say.

“I–I was being honest,” I stammered, my voice breaking a little as the words left my mouth. My fingers twisted together in my lap, cold and tense, and I could feel the heat of his gaze even though I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at him.

Kael didn’t say anything right away. The only sound in the car was the faint hum of the engine and the soft rustle of the wind outside, brushing against the trees that lined the empty road. When he finally did speak, his voice was low–not sharp or mocking,

but calm in a way that made it sting even more.

“No,” he said quietly, turning his head toward me. “You haven’t, Aurora.”

My breath caught. The way he said my name–my real name–made my pulse stutter.

I turned to him, my throat suddenly dry. “What–what did you just call me?”

“Aurora,” he repeated, his tone steady but his eyes softer now, studying me like he was piecing something together. “Or…” He

hesitated, leaning back slightly. “Should I say Aurenya?”

“Stop it.”

Kael’s brows lifted slightly, that infuriating smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t smiling in the way he usually did- the half–teasing, half–charming grin that made people drop their guard. No, this was different. This one was colder. Amused.

Mocking.

“Don’t call me that,” I said, my voice lower now, almost a warning. I could feel my pulse in my throat, my hands curling into fists

on my lap.

He let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head a little like he couldn’t help himself. “Stop what?” he asked, voice dripping

with that infuriating mix of curiosity and condescension.

“You know what,” I said through my teeth. I finally turned to face him, meeting his eyes–and instantly regretted it. His gaze was

steady, too steady, the kind that made you feel like he already knew very word you were about to say.

The car was filled with the soft, distant sound of crickets outside and the hum of the cooling engine.

He tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. “It’s your name, isn it?” he said, voice quiet but cutting. “Aurenya.”

I flinched.

He saw it. And of course, he smiled wider.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you,” I said, my voice trembling just enough to give me away. “But you’re being mean.”

His lips twitched–not quite a smile, not quite a frown. Something in between. “Mean?” he repeated, his tone low and dark, almost

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Chapter 122

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amused. “Oh, Princess…” He leaned closer, and the sound of the nickname made my stomach twist. “…you haven’t seen mean.”

Before I could pull back, his hand shot out, fingers gripping my chin firmly, tilting my face up toward his.

*Kael—” I started, but he cut me off with a quiet scoff. His eyes glinted, sharp and unreadable in the dim light spilling from the

dashboard.

“When you need help with a witch,” he murmured, his thumb brushing the corner of my jaw, “when you need someone to drive you halfway across the damn city in the middle of the night–I’m good enough for that, huh?”

His voice dropped lower, each word slower, deliberate. “But when it comes to telling me the whole truth…” His grip tightened just slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to make me freeze. “…then I’m not good enough. That about right?”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding so loud I swore he could hear it. The air between us felt heavy–thick with something I

couldn’t name, something that made it hard to breathe.

“Kael,” I whispered, trying to pull my face back, but his gaze held me still.

He let out a quiet, humorless laugh and released me, his hand falling back to the steering wheel. “That’s what I thought.”

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