The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Aurora

The next morning came quietly.

No alarm.

No rush.

No responsibilities clawing at the edges of my mind.

Just a soft, pale light leaking through the curtains and the distant hum of heaters kicking on somewhere in the building.

It was Sunday.

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I blinked awake slowly, the room still wrapped in early–winter silence. For a moment, I didn’t move. My head felt heavy, my chest dull and sore, as if the weight of yesterday hadn’t lifted even a little

I lay on my side, staring at the wall, trying to pretend I hadn’t seen the thing I kept replaying over and over again.

Charlotte.

Zayn.

Her mouth on his.

His face too close to hers.

I squeezed my eyes shut–as if that could erase it.

It didn’t.

Across the room, Mira was curled into a ball under her blanket, only mess of pink hair visible. Lira slept on her back, hair spilled around her like soft gold. Riven was tucked deep under the covers, only the faintest bit of icy–blue hair sticking out. Selene wasn’t

in the room. Again.

Eventually, I pushed myself upright, stretching my stiff shoulders. My body ached like I’d run miles in my sleep. Maybe I had- mentally, emotionally. Whatever it was, exhaustion pooled in my bones.

I grabbed my hoodie, pulling it over my tank top and moving quietly so I wouldn’t wake anyone.

I needed air.

Or movement.

Or something other than the four walls of this room.

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Chapter 200

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I stepped into the hallway. It was quiet, most students still asleep or pretending to be. The academy always felt softer on Sundays-

slower, like the whole place was taking a long breath.

I walked aimlessly for a while, warming my hands in my pockets, trying to let my mind go blank.

It didn’t.

Every corridor, every window, every shadow had a way of stirring up yesterday.

I hated how easily hurt replayed itself.

How quickly doubt dug its claws in.

How hard it was to breathe when I thought too long about it.

By the time I wandered back into the dorm around noon, the room was alive with noise.

Mira sat cross–legged on her bed, brushing her hair.

Lira was humming softly while applying mascara.

Riven was on the floor, flipping through what looked like a fashion magazine she definitely stole from someone else.

“What’s going on?” I asked, closing the door gently behind me.

“Winter dance prep,” Mira said dramatically, tossing her brush onto her blanket. “It’s literally next Saturday. We need outfits. And a plan. And emotional support from each other.”

Lira rolled her eyes. “She’s been awake for twenty minutes and already said ‘winter dance‘ five times.”

“It’s a major event!” Mira protested.

Lira laughed softly. “Are you going, Aurora?”

“I don’t know yet,” I said, kicking off my shoes.

And I didn’t.

Not after everything.

Riven lifted a brow, unimpressed. “You? Not going? Please.”

I smiled weakly. “We’ll see.”

The truth was, the idea of a dance made my stomach twist–not because I hated dancing, but because pretending everything was

normal felt impossible right now.

The moment stretched, and suddenly the room felt too warm–too bright, too alive, too full of things that didn’t match the dull

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Chapter 200

But I couldn’t answer him.

Zayn’s stare pinned me where I stood. He didn’t speak–not a single word.

He just turned and walked away, footsteps sharp against the ice, shoulders tense enough to crack.

And even from a distance, I could feel it.

Something between us had shifted.

Broken.

Or maybe it had been breaking for days.

“Aurora?” Kael’s voice was soft beside me. “Are you alright?”

I swallowed, throat tight.

“I… need a moment,” I whispered.

Because suddenly the cold didn’t feel cold at all.

It felt like fire.

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