The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299

Aurora

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After our talk, things didn’t magically feel better–but they felt quieter. Less sharp. Like we’d both decided to place the weight of everything down for a moment, even if it was just temporary.

We showered, got dressed, and left the room together. The halls were still mostly empty, winter break doing its job. A few students passed us here and there, familiar faces but no real conversations. I was grateful for that. I didn’t have the energy to explain myself to anyone.

The cafeteria was open, though quieter than usual. Long tables half–empty the hum of machines and low chatter filling the space instead of voices. We grabbed breakfast–nothing special, just whatever was available and sat near the windows.

For a while, we didn’t talk much. We ate in silence, the kind that wasn’t awkward, just thoughtful. I watched the snow outside, the way it softened everything it touched, and tried not to think too far ahead.

Zayn broke the quiet first.

“We should go into town after this,” he said casually, like it was just another errand. “Get you contact lenses.”

I paused, my fork hovering for a second before I nodded. “Blue ones.”

“I figured.”

I leaned back slightly in my chair, letting out a slow breath. “I really don’t want attention right now. Not stares. Not questions.”

He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “You don’t owe anyone anything.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “But I also don’t want to deal with it.”

He nodded, understanding without pushing. That was one of the things Ived about him–he didn’t try to fix me. He just stood there with me.

We finished eating, cleared our trays, and left the cafeteria together. The academy felt almost hollow as we walked through it, like it was

holding its breath until everyone returned.

Going into town felt like the right next step. Something normal. Something small.

And right now, that was enough.

After we bought the contact lenses, I thought we were done.

We weren’t.

Zayn glanced at a boutique window as we passed it, then slowed. Then stopped. Then turned fully toward me with that look–the one that meant he’d already made a decision and my opinion was more of a courtesy than a requirement.

“You need new clothes,” he said.

1/3

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Chapter 299

1 stared at him. “I do not.”

“You absolutely do.”

“Rude.”

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He smiled like he enjoyed that. “Come on.”

By stepping into a few boutique shops, I really meant Zayn gently–but persistently–dragging me inside each one, ignoring my protests like

they were background noise.

He picked things out with alarming confidence, holding pieces up against me, tilting his head like he was genuinely evaluating them.

Somehow, against my better judgment, I ended up liking a few of them.

A sweater. A jacket. A pair of boots I definitely didn’t plan on buying.

Traitorous, really.

When we finally left the last shop, we stopped at a small restaurant tucked between two narrow buildings. Nothing fancy. Warm lights. Wooden

tables. The kind of place that felt quiet even when people were inside it.

Lunch was easy. Comfortable. We talked about small things–nothing heavy, nothing sharp. I laughed more than I expected to. For a little

while, it felt almost normal. Like the world wasn’t cracking open beneath our feet.

Afterward, we drove back to the academy.

The closer we got, the heavier my chest felt. Not because I didn’t want to be there–but because reality had a way of catching up the moment

you stopped moving.

When we parked and stepped out of the car, I hesitated.

“Zayn,” I said quietly.

He looked at me immediately. “Yeah?”

“I need a little space for a bit.”

His brows drew together, just slightly.

“Space?”

“I need to make some calls,” I explained. “Talk to my parents.”

That part wasn’t a lie. I really did need to call them. I’d been putting it off and guilt had a way of settling in when you ignored it long enough.

But it wasn’t the whole truth.

There was someone else I needed to talk to.

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Chapter 299

Kael.

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The thought of his name alone made my stomach twist. I hated keeping things from Zayn. But every time his name even came close to my lips, I felt Zayn’s mood shift. It was subtle, but it was always there. Tension tightening his shoulders. His jaw setting like he’d tasted something

bitter.

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The Human Among Wolves