The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 318

Chapter 318

Aurora

About fifteen minutes later, the buses slowed and finally came to a stop.

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I leaned forward slightly, peering through the fogged window-and any lingering exhaustion faded just enough for awe to sink in.

The hotel stood tall against the snowy night, its exterior glowing warmly beneath soft golden lights. Dark wood beams framed wide glass windows, and thick layers of snow rested along the roof like untouched silk. Balconies lined the upper floors, each dusted white, iron railings etched with delicate frost. It looked like something torn straight out of a winter postcard-elegant, old-world, and impossibly

calm.

We got off the buses, the cold biting at my cheeks again as my boots hit the snow-covered pavement. Above us, the sky was deep and

dark, stars faint but present, and the air carried that unmistakable alpine stillness.

Inside, warmth rushed to meet us.

The lobby was breathtaking.

High ceilings supported by wooden beams arched overhead, chandeliers casting a soft amber glow across polished stone floors. A massive fireplace dominated one side of the room, flames crackling behind a wide iron grate, radiating heat that seeped straight into my bones.

Plush sofas and armchairs were scattered around thick rugs.

I took a few steps in-and froze.

There were far more students than I had expected.

They filled the lobby in clusters, voices overlapping in different accents, different languages. Uniforms varied slightly in cut and color, but

the energy was the same.

All from different academies.

But the same species.

The realization settled heavily in my chest.

This wasn’t going to be a quiet trip.

This was going to be long.

Professors were already organizing lines near the reception desk, keys in hand, calling out names and room numbers with practiced efficiency. Groans and laughter rippled through the crowd as students compared assignments.

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Chapter 318

As expected, the rules were strict-no mixed-gender rooms.

รพ

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Mira and I exchanged a look and wordlessly agreed to share. Selene, Lira, and Riven decided on a triple, already arguing lightly over who’d

get which bed.

By the time everything was sorted, nearly forty minutes had passed. The lobby slowly emptied as students dragged suitcases toward elevators and staircases, exhaustion finally winning over excitement.

I turned just in time to see Zayn glance down at the key in his hand.

Single room.

Of course.

He met my gaze, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly as if he’d expected nothing else. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my

lips.

“I’ll see you later,” he murmured.

I nodded, watching him disappear into the crowd as he headed off to find his room.

Mira immediately grabbed my hand. “Come on,” she said, already tugging me forward. “If I don’t lie down in the next ten minutes, I might

actually die.”

She’d barely taken two steps when I felt it.

A hand closed around my shoulder.

Not rough. Not gentle either.

Both of us stopped.

I turned slowly.

Kael stood there, eyes fixed on me.

And just like that, the warmth of the hotel vanished.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

His voice was calm, almost gentle, and paired with that small, careful smile he used when he didn’t want to push too hard. It made something ugly twist in my chest.

I wanted to hit him.

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Chapter 318

:

Instead, I curved my lips into a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“About what?” I asked.

He hesitated, just for a second, then said,

“About what we talked last time”

The words settled between us, heavy. My exhaustion suddenly felt sharper, pressing behind my eyes, down my spine. The warmth of the lobby, the voices around us, the dragging wheels of suitcases-it all felt too loud, too close.

“I’m tired,” I said, keeping my tone light, casual. “Maybe tomorrow?”

His smile faltered. He studied my face a little too closely, like he was searching for cracks. Of course he was. He always noticed things-

things I wished he wouldn’t.

“You okay?” he asked quietly. “You look… pale.”

I swallowed. I could feel it then-how obvious I was being, how badly I was failing at pretending everything was fine. My shoulders tensed, my pulse picking up for no good reason.

Before I could think of an answer, Mira’s fingers wrapped around my hand, firm and grounding.

“Rory, we have to go,” she said, not unkindly, but with no room for argument.

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R Visitor

next chapters please

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11:32 Sat, Jan 31

The Human Among Wolves

Chapter 319

I didn’t argue.

I let her pull me away, turning my back on him without another word. I didn’t look over my shoulder as we walked across the lobby, past

clusters of students, toward the elevators and the promise of quiet.

I could still feel his gaze on me though.

And I hated how much it lingered.

After we entered our room, the door clicking softly behind us, the sudden quiet felt almost suffocating. The chaos of the lobby-the noise, the crowds, the murmurs of students from across the world-faded behind the walls, leaving only the soft hum of the heater and our own

footsteps on the polished floor.

The room was simple but cozy, warm despite the frost creeping along the edges of the window. Two beds were set along opposite walls, neatly made with thick blankets and soft pillows. A small nightstand with a lamp rested between them, and a wide closet stretched across

the far wall, its sliding doors already labeled with our names.

Mira didn’t wait for a moment to settle. She dropped her bag onto her bed, arms crossed, pacing just a little, her voice rising with each

word.

“Can you believe him?” she demanded. “I mean, he’s acting like everything’s okay. Like nothing. Like-like he didn’t betray you in the

worst way possible.”

I moved slowly, methodical, unpacking my suitcase. Clothes folded, sweaters stacked, socks tucked into corners. My hands worked almost on autopilot as her words washed over me. I nodded occasionally, murmured soft agreements, but my mind wasn’t in the room. Not really.

I trusted him. Or at least, I had. And now, the realization that I’d been so completely blind made my chest tighten. Maybe I trusted too

easily. Maybe the fault was mine entirely.

“I’m going to take a shower,” I said finally, needing the excuse to escape, to be alone.

The bathroom was small but modern, pale stone tiles reflecting the light softly. The shower, enclosed in glass, steamed almost instantly. I let the hot water wash over my shoulders, my back, trying to scrub away the tension, trying to pretend that the last few days hadn’t upended everything I thought I knew. But of course, they had.

And no amount of steam could hide it.

When I emerged, wrapped in a towel, Mira followed shortly after, still talking, still furious on my behalf. We moved through our routines almost silently after that, brushing teeth, washing up, changing into pajamas. I chose the bed by the window, where the cold glass pressed faintly against my shoulder, and Mira took the other.

My phone buzzed.

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11:32 Sat, Jan 31

Chapter 319

Zayn.

I smiled despite everything, small and fleeting. His message was sweet, teasing almost-good night, that he’d already kissed me enough for the night, that he was thinking of sneaking me into his room tomorrow. I laughed quietly to myself. If we could manage it in the academy, a hotel in the middle of the mountains would be nothing.

I placed the phone on the nightstand and tried to relax, but the shadows on the ceiling didn’t offer comfort. My mind refused to stop. I

turned onto my side, pulling the blanket up to my chin, willing sleep to take me.

Then it buzzed again.

I frowned, expecting Zayn’s name, but it wasn’t him.

It was Kael.

come to my room. please

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My chest tightened immediately. His tone-soft, insistent-was impossible to ignore. But beneath the words was something else. A subtle… confidence. He had no idea I knew. No idea that the trust I had once given him had already shattered. No idea that I understood exactly what he’d been doing, the little ways he’d wormed himself into my life, the careful manipulations I hadn’t caught at the time.

I stared at the screen for a long moment. My fingers hovered, tense. A part of me wanted to slam the phone shut, to ignore him completely. Another part… another part was too curious, too burned by the need to see what he had to say, to face him knowing that the power balance had shifted.

Slowly, deliberately, I set the phone aside, leaning back against the pillow, forcing myself to breathe. I wasn’t going to reply-not yet. Not

until I decided how I wanted this to play out.

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R Visitor

next chapters please

2 hours ago