The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63

“Right,” I breathed out, already standing. “I’ll be down in a minute. Sorry.”

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I hung up quickly before she could say more, shoving the phone back into my pocket. My pulse was still racing when I looked at Zayn. His eyes met mine, calm but knowing, as though he already understood.

“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I have to go. Family thing. We’ll continue tomorrow?”

He gave a single nod, the faintest flicker of disappointment crossing his features before he smoothed it away. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”

I nodded, though the word felt heavier than it should have. Without another word, I hurried to the door, pulling it open and slipping out into the hallway. The cool air outside his dorm prickled against my skin, reminding me just how little I had prepared for this meeting. Jeans and a plain t–shirt–casual, thoughtless. Not exactly how I wanted to show up after weeks of silence and

unanswered questions with my parents.

Still, there was no time to go back to my dorm, no time to change or fix myself up. I took the stairs quickly, every step echoing louder than I wanted, my heart caught somewhere between the grimoire upstairs and the family waiting outside.

By the time I reached the ground floor, my nerves were humming louder than my footsteps. I shoved my phone into my back pocket and slipped out of the main doors, the late afternoon sun already dipping toward the horizon. The courtyard was still dotted with students wandering in pairs, laughing, carrying bags from town, but my eyes went straight to the gates.

There they were.

The car–a sleek black sedan I knew as well as I knew my own hands sat parked just beyond the gates. My father was behind the wheel, his posture straight and controlled even from a distance, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other elbow propped

near the window. He hadn’t seen me yet.

My mother–Isobelle–was waiting just outside the car, leaning lightly against the passenger–side door. Her arms were folded across her chest, but when she spotted me, she immediately straightened, her face softening with relief.

For a moment, I slowed my pace, nerves tangling with guilt in my stomach. I hadn’t seen them since… since everything. Since the truth about who I really was came crashing down and shattered the agile sense of belonging I thought I had.

And now, here they were, waiting for me like nothing had changed.

I forced my legs to keep moving, crossing the courtyard until the wrought–iron gates loomed in front of me. As I stepped through, my mother’s smile deepened, though there was worry in her eyes to the kind of worry she always tried to hide from me but never

quite managed.

“Aurora,” she said softly, her voice almost breaking on my name. She reached out as if to touch me, then hesitated, her hand

hovering in the air between us.

I stopped in front of her, shifting the strap of my bag on my shoulder, feeling suddenly too aware of my plain jeans and t–shirt, too underdressed, too unprepared. “Hey,” I managed, my voice small.

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12:00 Thu, Jan 29 BBB.

Chapter 63

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Behind us, the car engine gave a soft hum, and I could see my father glance at me briefly through the windshield before his gaze

returned to the road ahead.

“Come on, honey,” Isobelle said gently, lowering her hand but giving me an encouraging nod toward the car. “We’ll talk over lunch.

Okay?”

I swallowed, forcing myself to nod even though my chest felt tight. With one last glance at the academy looming behind me, I

followed her to the car.