The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 419

Chapter 419

Aurora

I pushed myself back into position before he could say anything else, my palms pressing into the cold ground again while my arms already trembled in protest, every muscle in my body screaming at me to stop, to sit down, to do literally anything else except what he was asking.

“Again,” he said.

“I just did that.”

“Do it again.”

I lowered myself halfway before my arms gave out and I dropped back down with a frustrated breath, turning my head sharply toward him.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“I’m really not.”

“You are,” I insisted, pushing myself up just enough to sit again, brushing dirt off my hands like that was somehow the most offensive part of this whole situation. “This is revenge.”

“For what?”

“For… everything,” I waved vaguely at him, at the world, at whatever this was. “You just waited for the perfect moment to torture me.”

He let out a quiet breath through his nose, something dangerously close to a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“If this is torture, you’re handling it pretty badly.”

I narrowed my eyes,

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the way my legs protested immediately, my balance slightly off as I stepped closer to him.

“I am doing everything you’re telling me to do.”

“You collapsed after one and a half push-ups.”

“That second one counted.”

“It didn’t.”

“It did.”

“It really didn’t.”

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Chapter 419

“Oh my god,” I snapped, throwing my hands up before letting them fall back to my sides. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re weak.”

The words hit instantly.

Sharp.

Intentional.

I went still.

“Say that again.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“You’re weak.”

Something in my chest snapped a little at that, not the same way it had in Russia, not violent or uncontrollable, but sharp enough to make my jaw tighten.

“You don’t get to say that after everything I just-”

“After everything you survived?” he cut in.

“Yes.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

I stared at him.

“You’re unbelievable,”

“No,” he said, stepping closer now, his voice still calm but harder, more grounded. “You survived because you had to. That’s not strength. That’s instinct.”

“That is strength.”

“It’s not control.”

The word hit deeper than I expected.

I looked away for a second, my chest rising and falling faster than it should have, before looking back at him again

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Yeah,” he said simply. “And you’re still standing here instead of walking away.”

I opened my mouth-

then stopped.

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11:15 am

Chapter 419

Because he was right.

I was still there.

Still arguing.

Still trying.

Still not walking away.

1 exhaled sharply and stepped back, dragging a hand through my hair.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I really do.”

“You really don’t.”

“God, you’re annoying.”

“And yet you’re still listening to me.”

I rolled my eyes so hard it actually hurt, but I dropped back down to the ground anyway, my hands pressing into the dirt again, my arms shaking before !

even started.

“Count,” I muttered.

He didn’t say anything for a second.

Then-

“One.”

I went down slower this time, forcing my body to hold, to not collapse halfway, my arms trembling violently as I pushed back up.

“Two.”

Barely.

But I did it.

I stayed up for a second, breathing hard, before dropping back onto the ground completely.

“See?” I muttered into the dirt. “Not weak.”

There was a pause.

Then-

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