The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Aurora

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The cabin came into view like something half–remembered–its outline rising out of the fog, the lantern glow leaking faintly through the cracks in the shutters. I hadn’t realized how much my legs were shaking until we reached the steps.

Zayn’s hand stayed in mine until the last possible second. He let go only when I reached for the door.

Kael opened it before I could knock.

His eyes went straight to me first–scanning for blood, for anything broken–then to Zayn. His shoulders eased, but only a fraction. The lamplight threw harsh shadows across his face, carving sharp lines under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t blinked since I left.

“You found him,” he said softly.

“Yeah,” I breathed, my voice coming out rougher than I meant.

His gaze flicked to the trees behind me, scanning the dark like he half–expected something to follow. “Did anything follow you?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I don’t think so.”

He gave a short nod, stepping aside so we could come in. “Good. Get inside before the fog decides otherwise.”

The warmth of the fire hit me first–thick and smoky, wrapping around the sharp chill clinging to my skin. The door closed behind

us with a soft thud, shutting the night out again.

Kael didn’t say anything else right away. He moved back toward the hearth, checking the flame, adjusting the wood like it gave him something to do with his hands. The sound of it filled the silence–low, rhythmic, safe in a way that almost didn’t feel real.

Zayn sat heavily on the chair near the wall, his elbows braced on his knees, head lowered. The exhaustion clung to him like a

shadow.

Kael glanced at him once, then at me. “You shouldn’t have gone alone,” he said quietly.

“I told you I had to,” I reminded him.

He didn’t argue. Just nodded once, resigned. “I know. That’s why I didn’t stop you.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten. He hadn’t been angry when I told him I was going–just tired, like he

understood the kind of fear that made you reckless.

The fire popped, sending sparks curling into the air. Zayn’s eyes flicked up, unfocused, then drifted back to the flames.

Kael leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed, gaze sweeping the room out of habit. His knife sat on the table within easy

reach. “We’ll take shifts again,” he said finally. “But if the forest stays quiet, I might actually let you sleep this time.”

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Chapter 186

That almost sounded like humor, though his face didn’t show it.

“I’ll take first,” he added after a beat. “You both look ready to drop.”

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I didn’t argue. I could barely keep my eyes open, and the moment I sank down by the hearth, the heat started pulling me under. My body still buzzed from adrenaline, but it was fading–leaving only the heavy, hollow kind of exhaustion that came after fear.

I lay down, curling toward the fire. Zayn stayed where he was for a while, silent, before he slid down from the chair to the floor

nearby, his back to the wall. His breathing evened out before mine did.

The last thing I saw before sleep dragged me down was Kael–sitting near the door, the firelight catching the edge of his profile. His

eyes were fixed on the window, on the unmoving mist outside.

When I opened my eyes again, everything felt… different.

Still. Warm.

The air didn’t bite anymore. My skin wasn’t cold. For a second, I thought I was dreaming -until I saw it.

Light.

Real, golden light slipping through the cracks in the shutters.

I pushed myself upright, blinking against it. My pulse quickened before I could stop it. “Kael?”

He was already awake, sitting in the same spot by the door. Only now, his knife was sheathed and his face was pale in the faint

glow. He didn’t look at me when he spoke.