The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

“Now. If you don’t mind.” I said, my voice tougher translating that book tomorrow.”

you can leave my dorm and head to your own. We’ll start on

For a heartbeat she just stood there, still, like she was deciding whether to argue or ignore me. Her eyes caught mine, and there was something in them–questions she hadn’t asked yet, words she’d bitten back. She wanted to push. I could tell. She always wanted to push.

But this time… she didn’t.

Aurora gave the smallest nod, sharp and restrained, like she was locking her curiosity away for later. Then she turned, her long brown hair

swaying lightly as she crossed the room. Her hand hovered over the doorknob for a second, almost like she was giving me one last chance

to say something more, to let her in. I said nothing.

The door clicked shut behind her, and the silence that followed was deafening.

I dragged in a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, then let it out in one long exhale. My body felt heavy all at once, weighted with memories I didn’t want. I collapsed back onto the bed, the springs groaning under me. My arm flung over my eyes, trying to block out everything–her questions, my father’s voice, and Charlotte’s face.

My thoughts scattered when the sharp buzz of my phone cut through the quiet. I groaned under my breath and reached blindly for it on the nightstand, ready to ignore whoever thought now was a good time. The screen lit up in my hand, and the second I saw the name flashing there, everything inside me stopped.

Zade.

My oldest brother.

For a moment, I just stared at the caller ID, my thumb hovering over the screen but not moving. Zade never called me. Not once. Not for birthdays, not for holidays, not even when I… screwed up bad enough that Father dragged me through the mud for it. If Zade wanted something, he usually sent someone else to deal with me. That was how it had always been.

So why now? Why this?

A cold rush went through me, leaving my hands clammy. I shot upright in bed so fast the mattress c

the sudden movement,

my pulse hammering in my throat. My chest felt tight, like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t, except I hadn’t done anything.

Not yet.

Still… I knew better. Zade’s name on that screen couldn’t mean anything good.

My thumb hovered over the screen, the little green circle glowing like a trap.

Answer. Don’t answer.

The phone kept vibrating in my palm, steady and relentless, the sound drilling into the quiet of the room. My heart was beating so hard it

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Chapter 32

almost drowned it out, but not enough. Never Enoug

Zade.

The name alone was enough to drag me backward–to childhood hallways where his shadow stretched longer than mine, to his voice snapping orders, to lists clenched just tight enough to remind me where I stood. The eldest son. The one the king trusted most. The one who knew exactly how to make me feel small.

He never called. Not when I bled in training. Not when Father dragged me in front of the court to humiliate me. Not when I nearly lost

control for the first time.

So why now?

The screen kept buzzing in my hand, the light flashing, demanding. I swallowed hard, a bitter taste in my mouth, and suddenly I hated how clammy my palms felt. I hated that a single call from him could make me feel like I was ten years old again, standing in that damned castle, waiting for punishment.

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R Visitor

I am so pleasantly surprised with this book so far!

2 days ago

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