The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 18

hapter 18

Aurora

Riven gave a rare smile. “Anyone messes with you, they deal with us.”

Selene leaned her chin on her hand, watching me closely. “So… what now?”

“I stay,” I said, voice firming up for the first time all day. “And I find out the truth. Even if I have to dig it out piece by piece.”

“So,” Selene said. “We’re in agreement, right? We keep this between us.”

Four nods. No hesitation.

“Good.” She straightened and pointed at me. “Then you’re going to have to learn to act like you belong here.”

“Act?”

Lira smirked. “You’re not exactly blending in, Aurora. No offense.”

“Plenty taken,” I muttered, which earned me a small laugh from Mira.

“She’s right,” Riven said, still leaning by the window. “You don’t know the rituals, the hierarchy, the whole… werewolf thing. If someone notices you slipping, they’ll start asking questions.”

“And if the wrong person finds out…” Selene let the thought hang, sharp and deliberate.

I swallowed. “Okay. So what do I do?”

“First thing tomorrow,” Riven said. “We’re starting your crash course. And you better catch on fast.”

“Wait, you’re all going to help me?”

“Obviously,” Mira said. “You’re one of us now

********

The rest of lunch passed in a strange, warm blur. I didn’t eat much, but I ate enough to satisfy their hovering glances. We didn’t talk about the memory thing again, not directly–thing the Academy could teach.

By the time we headed back to the dorms, the sun was already sinking, spilling gold over the rooftops and stretching the trees in the courtyard into dark, swaying shapes. I felt… lighter. Not okay–not really–but less like I was drowning.

1/4

0:08 Thu, Jan 29

Chapter 18

We went back to our room like nothing had changed. i

g had.

The others went about their evening like usual–Mira humming some song while she wrote in her notebook, Selene reading on her bed, Lira scrolling through her tablet, and Riven pretending not to watch all of us from her corner.

None of them pushed me. But their presence filled the room in a comfortable way.

I decided to go take a shower before I go to sleep.

The halls were quiet by then; the kind of quiet that only happened after curfew crept up and most of the students had already

disappeared into their rooms. I walked down the corridor barefoot, a towel slung over my arm, the stone floor cool under my feet.

The bathroom lights buzzed softly when I flipped them on. For a while, I just stood under the spray, letting the hot water beat down on

my back.

My thoughts drifted, the way they always did when I let my guard down. I thought about the book. The sealed pages. The way the sigils shimmered faintly when touched, like the magic inside was alive. I thought about the warden’s words. About the dreams. about Zayn.

I squeezed my eyes shut and let the water run until the steam fogged the mirrors and my fingertips pruned.

When I finally stepped out, wrapped in a towel, hair dripping, I felt… not better exactly. But less frayed.

By the time I returned to our dorm room, the lights were low. Mira had strung soft little fae–orbs along the curtain rod above her bed, casting the space in a silvery glow. Lira was scrolling through her tablet. Selene had kicked off her boots and was curled up with a book. Riven sat cross–legged in the window nook, staring out at the darkened courtyard like she was watching for ghosts.

None of them said anything when I came in.

I moved to my bed and dropped the towel on the end, tugging on a soft old t–shirt and pulling my blan! time in a while, I didn’t feel out of place.

my chest, For the first

Mira started humming–something quiet and low, almost like a lullaby–while she scribbled in her noteb yawned. Riven hadn’t moved, but I could feel her watching. Not judging. Just… aware.

ene flipped a page. Lira

My body sank into the mattress like it was remembering what rest felt like. I didn’t expect to fall asleep. Lately, sleep came slow and painful–twisted with dreams I didn’t want to have. But tonight, surrounded by the others, their quiet breathing and rustling blankets.

Maybe I’d sleep after all.

The woods were quiet.

Not the kind of quiet that came with peace, but the kind that pressed in on your ears. Too still. Too hushed. Like the world was holding

2/4

85

0:08 Thu, Jan 29

Chapter 18

its breath.

085

I stood barefoot in the trees. The ground was soft beneath me–damp moss and fallen leaves, cool against my skin. Mist curled around my

ankles like it had been waiting for me.

Somewhere ahead, a light flickered. Faint. Distant. Like a lantern swinging gently in someone’s hand,

I started walking.

I wasn’t cold. I wasn’t exactly me either. The air buzzed with something I couldn’t name, like static before a storm.

Branches pulled away as I passed. Not breaking–just bending, as if they recognized me. As if they were letting me through.

The light ahead stayed the same. Never closer. Never farther.

And then I heard it.

A voice.

Calling my name–not Aurora. Something else. A name I didn’t recognize but still knew was mine.

I turned sharply.

Behind me, the trees stretched taller. Shadows rippled like water. A figure stood among them–a woman, cloaked in silver, her eyes looking wide and bright in the dim glow.

She didn’t speak. She just lifted a hand and pointed.

I looked down.

The ground beneath my feet was cracked stone now–ancient, dark, etched with symbols I didn’t u surrounded me. A ward. A seal.

Magic.

I tried to move but couldn’t. My feet were rooted. My breath caught.

The woman’s voice came again–this time not a whisper, but a command.

“Wake up, Aurenya.”

The name hit me like a blade–not sharp, but ancient. Familiar in a way that made my chest ache.

Aurenya.