The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 328

Chapter 328

Aurora

As we stepped into the hotel restaurant, the noise hit me first.

It wasn’t loud exactly-just full. Dozens of voices layered over each other, hughter bouncing off wooden beams and stone walls, chairs scraping softly against the floor, cutlery clinking against plates. The space was war and golden, lit by hanging lights that reflected off polished wood and wide windows frosted at the edges from the cold outside.

There were already so many students.

Some were seated in tight clusters, hunched over plates piled high with food, others still moving through the buffet line, trays balanced on their arms. I caught snippets of conversations as we passed-languages I recognized, and many I didn’t. Accents twisted around words I couldn’t place. For a moment, it felt overwhelming, like the whole world had decided to gather in one room and pretend this was normal.

I grabbed a tray automatically, my body moving on autopilot. Eggs, toast, uit-things I barely registered as I placed them on my plate. Mira chatted beside me, pointing something out I didn’t quite hear. I nodded when it felt appropriate, my mind already elsewhere.

We spotted Riven and Lira near one of the longer tables and headed over. They greeted us easily, making space as we sat. A few minutes later,

Selene arrived with Alex at her side, their presence calm and familiar.

But I couldn’t relax.

I tried to focus on the conversation, on the normalcy of it all-the teasing the casual complaints about the early hour, the plans for the day- but my attention kept drifting. My gaze slid across the room again and again, scanning faces, tables, corners.

Looking for him.

I told myself I was just curious. That it didn’t mean anything. That I was overthinking.

Then I saw him.

Zayn was sitting far in the corner of the restaurant, partially obscured by wooden pillar. If I hadn’t been looking so hard, I might’ve missed him entirely. But the moment my eyes landed on him, everything else faded into the background.

He wasn’t alone.

An unfamiliar girl sat beside him-dark hair pulled back neatly, features soft but striking. She looked Asian, though I couldn’t place where

exactly from. She was leaning slightly toward him, her posture relaxed, comfortable.

And Zayn was smiling.

Not the small, restrained smile he wore when he was being polite. This on was easy. Open. Relaxed.

Like nothing was wrong.

Like yesterday hadn’t happened.

My chest tightened.

Chapte

I stared for a second too long before I forced myself to look back down at y plate, my appetite suddenly gone. My fork hovered uselessly in

my hand.

What.

The.

F**k.

He laughed at something she said, shaking his head slightly, and the soun-though I couldn’t hear it over the noise-felt like a punch to the ribs. He looked rested. Calm. Like he’d slept just fine.

Unlike me.

A thousand thoughts collided in my head all at once. Who was she? How long had they been sitting there? Had they come together? Had he sought her out-or had she found him?

And why did it bother me this much?

I pressed my lips together, forcing my expression to stay neutral, even as something sharp and unpleasant twisted low in my stomach. I hated how fast the jealousy flared, how irrational it felt-and how impossible it was to ignore.

1 told myself not to assume anything. Told myself I was being ridiculous. Told myself I had no right to feel this way after the choices I’d made last night.

But none of that stopped the slow burn creeping through my chest.

I glanced back once more, just briefly.

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