The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 34

Another pause. I could almost picture him, sitting ba

disappointment carved into his face.

one hand pressed to his temple, that familiar expression of tired

“You’ve always been reckless, little brother,” he said finally, quiet but cutting. “But this time… you crossed the line.”

I swallowed, my throat tight, heart hammering. “Zade… I-”

“No excuses,” he interrupted, the words clipped, sharp as blades. “I don’t care about your feelings. The King doesn’t either.”

I flinched. Of course. The King never did. He didn’t care about me, about any of us, except as pawns in his endless game.

“I made a choice,” I forced out, trying to keep my voice steady. “A choice I had to make.”

“You made a choice,” Zade repeated slowly, almost savoring the words, “and it has consequences. Do you understand that?”

“Yes,” I said, tighter than I meant it. “I understand.”

“No, Zayn. I don’t think you understand,” Zade said, his voice low and deliberate, carrying that calm authority that always made my skin

crawl. “But it doesn’t matter now. The damage… it’s already done. The king is coming”

Those words hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened, and my stomach dropped. The King. Coming. Here.

“Wh–what do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Fear and disbelief tangled in my throat. I could feel my pulse hammering, my hands starting to tremble.

Zade’s tone didn’t soften. “At the Academy. He’s coming. He’s going to see you personally.”

My mind froze. Personal. Not a messenger, not an envoy, not some faceless enforcer like usual–him. T weight of those words pressing down, heavier than the stones beneath my feet.

“For… for what? To lecture me?” I asked, my throat tight. Every instinct screamed that it wouldn’t jus

ever was.

himself. I could feel the

sure. Nothing with him

Zade’s voice dropped, sharp and cutting, like a blade slicing through the air. “Not just a lecture. He’s going to get in your head, Zayn. Make you question everything you think you know. Make you… compliant. Or make you regret ever thinking you could defy him.”

I swallowed hard, my Adam’s apple bobbing, the words catching. My mind spun, racing through every possible scenario. Punishment. Exile. Worse. I couldn’t even picture what “worse” might mean.

“It’s never just a talk with him,” Zade said, like he could feel my panic creeping in. “It’s never only words. It’s a test, a challenge… a trap. And this time, little brother… you’re the one stuck in the middle of it.”

1/2

TU, JAN ZY

Chapter 34

I felt the air leave my lungs for a moment, the world

The book… Charlotte… Rault… none of it seemed r

me with those calculating eyes that always saw ton

BA

all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart. The Academy…

could prepare me for him walking through those gates, staring at

1 pressed the phone fighter to my ear, my knuckles whitening, my voice trembling. “W–what… what am I supposed to do?”

Zade let out a slow, almost amused sigh. “Do? You survive. That’s all. You endure. Keep your head low, your instincts sharp, and whatever

you do… don’t let him see fear. Because fear is weakness. And weakness, Zayn… is exactly what he preys on.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. My stomach churned, a mix of dread and defiance. I had never been good at hiding fear, and

yet I knew I had no choice. Not this time.

“He’ll be here soon,” Zade added, his tone softer now, but no less dangerous. “Prepare yourself.”

And just like that, the line went dead.

I sat there for a long moment, staring at the phone in my hand. Every muscle in my body was tense, my mind racing faster than I could follow. The King… coming to the Academy. Coming for me.

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