The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Aurora

90%

I took my time in his bathroom, letting the soft hum of the fan and the faint smell of his shampoo ground me. I brushed my teeth with the spare toothbrush he gave me–and splashed cool water across my face. Droplets clung to my skin, running down my neck as I leaned over the sink, breathing in the faint scent of his soap.

When I finally looked up, the mirror showed me something I hadn’t seen in weeks–a version of myself that didn’t look exhausted, hollowed out, or frayed at the edges. I almost didn’t recognize the softness in my own reflection. I still had puffy eyes from crying,

sure… but I looked better than I did yesterday.

I pulled on yesterday’s clothes slowly, smoothing the fabric as if that could make me look less rumpled, less out of place. By the time I stepped back into the room, Zayn was already waiting by the door, hands in his pockets, his gaze finding mine like it always did. Without a word, we left his dorm together, the morning air cool against my still–warm face.

The walk to the canteen felt… different. Normally, I took this path half–asleep, earbuds in, hoodie up, invisible to the world. But now, with Zayn walking beside me, hands shoved casually in his pockets like he owned the damn place, I felt every set of eyes on us.

Or maybe that was just in my head.

He didn’t seem bothered at all–didn’t even glance at anyone. Meanwhile, I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, like I was on some

kind of mission.

“Relax,” Zayn muttered, leaning down just enough so only I could hear.

“I am relaxed,” I lied, way too quickly.

He snorted softly. “You look like you’re walking to your own execution.”

“I’m not used to… this,” I said under my breath.

“This?”

“Walking in here with you.”

That earned me a small smirk. “Why? Afraid it’ll ruin your reputation?”

I shot him a look. “What reputation? And no. It’s just… weird.”

He didn’t say anything else, just pushed the door open for me, and the warm, food–scented air of the canteen hit us. The place wasn’t packed–it was still early–but there were enough people around to make me feel exposed.

We grabbed trays in silence, and I was hyperaware of how he moved confident, quiet, unbothered–while I tried to keep my hands from fidgeting. When we finally sat down at one of the tables near the windows, I caught a couple of girls at a table across the room glancing at us before quickly looking away and whispering to each other.

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Chapter 70

I stabbed my fork into my eggs. “I hate this.”

“Hate what?” Zayn asked around a bite of toast, like he had no idea what I was talking about.

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“People staring.”

“Let them stare,” he said simply, not even bothering to look up from his plate.

“That’s easy for you to say,” I muttered, picking at my food.

He finally looked at me then, one brow raised. “You’re acting like I dragged you out here.”

I sighed, feeling ridiculous. “I know. It’s just… weird, okay?”

Something softened in his expression, barely noticeable, but it was there. “You’ll get used to it.”

I looked down at my plate again, trying not to think too hard about what he meant by that–or why the idea of “getting used to it”

made my chest feel tight in a way that had nothing to do with panic

We ate in silence for a few minutes, the low hum of chatter around us filling the space between us. I kept my eyes on my plate, but I

could still feel him there, solid and quiet, like some immovable presence that made it impossible to focus on my scrambled eggs.

Finally, I set my fork down and looked at him. “Can I ask you something?”

He didn’t look up, just took a slow sip of his coffee. “You just did.”

I gave him a flat look, and he smirked like he couldn’t help himself. What is it?”

I hesitated, then blurted it out before I could lose my nerve. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

That got his attention. His dark brows pulled together slightly. “Ask you what?”

“Why I showed up at your door crying like a lunatic.” My voice came out softer than I expected, and I hated how vulnerable it

sounded.