The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Aurora

After a while, I turned toward Zayn. “About your mother-”

He cut me off, voice low but even. “Not now, Aurora.”

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There was no anger in it, just exhaustion. A line drawn quietly in the sand.

Kael’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I shouldn’t have said that,” he murmured. “Not like that. I was… pissed. It wasn’t fair

to you.”

Zayn didn’t look at him. “Forget it.”

Kael didn’t. I could tell by the way his jaw clenched that he wouldn‘

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

When the academy gates came into view, I almost didn’t recognize them. Everything looked too normal–students walking across

the courtyard, sunlight spilling through the windows, the faint echo of laughter from somewhere near the cafeteria.

Kael pulled up by the entrance. “You’ll be safe here,” he said..

“Will you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

His lips curved, just a little. “Always.”

Zayn opened his door first. “Come on,” he said, voice rough. “Let’s not draw attention.”

We stepped out, and the car engine faded behind us as Kael drove away.

Inside the academy, the light was soft, ordinary. The kind of morning glow that belonged to breakfast trays and lectures and

everyday life. But as soon as we crossed the hall, something in my chest tightened.

Zayn’s dorm was on the left. Mine was down the opposite corridor. We stopped at the corner, both too drained to pretend we knew

what to say.

“I’ll find you later,” I said quietly.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Then he turned away, his shoulders stiff, and disappeared through the door to the right.

I made my way to my dorm room, the quiet pressing against my ears. When I reached the door, I hesitated, bracing myself for the

noise–Mira’s voice, Selene’s questions, a dozen versions of “where the hell have you been?”

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Chapter 188

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I eased the door open, just a crack at first, half–expecting the room to be empty or–worse–silent in that eerie way the cabin had

been. But the soft chatter of hair dryers and the rustle of clothes instantly grounded me.

My roommates were already up, moving around the room in their usual morning chaos. Mira was digging through her makeup bag.

Lira was standing on her tiptoes in the mirror, fixing her eyeliner. Riven was pacing between her closet and the hamper, muttering

about something she’d misplaced. Selene wasn’t there–obviously. She was with her mate again, probably hadn’t even slept here.

For a moment, none of them noticed me lingering in the doorway. It felt surreal, watching them go on like everything in the world

was normal. Like I hadn’t just crawled out of days of darkness and fog.

I cleared my throat.

Mira spun so fast her ponytail whipped her shoulder. Her face lit up. “Rory!”

Before I could blink, she was rushing toward me–and the other two right behind her. Riven’s braid swung wildly, and Lira slammed

straight into Mira’s back because she hadn’t slowed down in time.

They crashed into me in a tangle of arms and perfume and warmth.

“Holy shit, you’re alive,” Mira mumbled against my shoulder before pulling back to actually look at me.

I let out a breathy laugh I didn’t really feel. “Sorry I didn’t call. We had no signal, and we were trapped in that fucking cabin for

days and 1-”

“Wait–what?” Riven cut in, blinking. “Days? Rory, it’s Thursday.”

I stared at her, the floor tilting a little under my feet. “What?”

“It’s Thursday morning,” she repeated slowly, like she thought I was oking.

I shook my head, the words slipping out before I could catch them. What do you mean it’s Thursday? “We left on Wednesday

morning. You’re telling me it’s been eight days? That we were gone for a week?”

Her brows pulled together. “What? No! Not a week.” She exchanged look with Lira. “You left yesterday. Literally yesterday.”

“What do you mean yesterday?” My voice came out louder than I intended, raw around the edges. “We weren’t gone for a day. We

weren’t gone for a night. We were in that cabin for days. We didn’t sleep once without waking up to the same damn darkness.”

Mira’s smile faded. Lira’s face sobered. Riven stepped back like she suddenly didn’t know where to put her hands.

“Rory… what do you mean?” Mira asked softly.

There was no judgment in her voice–just worry. The kind that crept under the skin and made my throat tight.

I inhaled slowly, bracing myself. My hands were shaking a little, I realized only when I tried to push my hair behind my ear and

missed. “Okay,” I whispered, “just–sit. All of you.”