The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Aurora

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The next morning, I woke to soft sunlight slipping through the curtains, warming the sheets around me. My body felt heavy,

boneless, a lingering ache in my muscles reminding me of everything that had happened last night.

I shifted slightly under the blanket and became very aware of my own bare skin, the cool air brushing over it, and the deep, quiet

sense of satisfaction thrumming through me.

But when I reached out to the other side of the bed, my hand found only cool sheets. My eyes opened slowly, blinking against the

light, and the first thing I noticed was the silence. Zayn wasn’t there

sat up a little, glancing around the room–the bed was messy, clothes still scattered across the floor from the night before–but the

space felt empty without him. A tiny knot of disappointment tightened in my chest.

The quiet felt louder the longer I sat there, the room almost too stil My fingers twisted the blanket in my lap as my mind began to

race. Where did he go? Did he just… leave?

I bit my lip, forcing myself to take a slow breath. No–this was Zayn. He wasn’t the type to disappear without a word. At least, I

didn’t think he was. and it was his dorm room after all…

Just as the unease started to settle in my chest, I heard it–the faint click of the door unlocking, followed by the soft creak of

hinges.

My heart leapt.

Zayn stepped inside, a gust of cooler air following him, his dark hoodie damp around the edges like he had been outside. He paused

when he saw me sitting up in bed, sheets gathered around me.

“You’re awake,” he said quietly, shutting the door behind him.

I nodded, still clutching the blanket a little too tightly. “Where were you?” My voice came out softer than I meant, almost unsure.

He kicked off his shoes before crossing the room toward me. “Went for a run,” he said simply, as if it was the most normal thing in

the world. “Clears my head.”

The air between us felt heavy, too heavy. I expected him to climb back into bed, to pull me against him the way he had last night,

but instead, he stayed standing, his jaw tight, his hands shoved deep in the pocket of his hoodie.

Something was wrong.

I sat up straighter, clutching the blanket closer. “What happened?” asked quietly. “You look like someone just-”

“Don’t.” His voice was sharp, cutting me off.

I froze, startled.

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Chapter 78

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his tone colder now. “Like you think you know me. Like last night meant something.”

My breath caught. “It… it didn’t?”

He gave a short, humorless laugh, running a hand through his hair. Then he turned, finally looking at me–but his eyes were

different. Guarded. Hard.

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“You actually thought I cared about you?”

The words landed like a punch, and I felt my stomach twist painfully, I wanted to tell myself I’d misheard, that I’d misunderstood, but then came the smirk–sharp, mocking, nothing like the gentle boy from last night.

“You’re just a pathetic little human,” Zayn said, each word slow and deliberate, like he wanted them to hurt. “Spreading your legs

for the first guy who bothers to notice you.”

Heat flared in my face, hot and humiliating. My chest ached–not just from his words, but from the realization settling like lead in my stomach. I had trusted him. I had let myself believe he was different, that there was something real between us.

I was so, so stupid.

The tears came so fast I barely had time to blink them away before they blurred my vision. My throat felt tight, burning as I pushed myself off the bed, the blanket slipping uselessly to the floor. I didn’t even care that I was completely exposed, standing naked in

front of him.

My fingers shook as I reached for my clothes from the night before, scattered across the floor like a cruel reminder of what we had shared. I bent down to grab my jeans, my hair falling in a messy curtain around my face, hiding the tears that finally spilled over

and slid hotly down my cheeks.

I tried to pull my shirt over my head, but my hands were trembling too hard, and the fabric caught on my damp cheeks, on my

tangled hair. A frustrated sob escaped me before I could stop it.

Everything felt too loud–the sound of my breathing, the rustle of my clothes, the pounding of my heart. And behind me, Zayn was

still silent. He didn’t stop me. He didn’t say anything.

That hurt worst of all.

I yanked my shirt down and blinked furiously, willing myself not to fall apart, not here, not in front of him. My legs felt heavy as I

shoved my feet into my shoes, not even bothering to tie them properly.

My hand froze on the doorknob. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Leaving suddenly felt impossible. The weight in my chest was too heavy to carry out the door.

Slowly, almost against my will, I turned back to face him. My vision was still blurry with tears, but I didn’t bother wiping them

away. I wanted him to see them.

“Why?” My voice was so quiet it was almost swallowed by the silence between us.

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Chapter 78

His brows drew together, like he didn’t understand, or maybe he didn’t want to. “Why what?”

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I took a shaky step toward him, my arms wrapped around myself like I could hold myself together that way. “Why did you do it?” I asked, my throat tight and raw.

He said nothing, so I pushed forward, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

“Why did you help me with the book?” My voice cracked, and I hated how desperate it sounded, but I couldn’t stop. “Why did you-”

I swallowed hard, the word catching like glass in my throat. “Why did you sleep with me?”

For a moment, the room was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat hammering in my ears.

“I just… I need to know,” I whispered, my voice breaking completely this time. “Was it all some kind of game to you?”

Zayn finally turned to face me, his expression unreadable for a moment. I almost thought he might explain, might apologize.

But then he smirked–sharp and cruel.

“You want to know why?” His voice was low, dangerous.

I nodded once, my throat tight.

He stepped closer, each movement unhurried, deliberate, until he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his bare chest. His eyes met mine, hard and cold.

“You actually thought any of this meant something?” His words were soft but merciless, dripping with contempt.

My breath caught, my chest tightening.

“You’re nothing special, Aurora. Just a lonely little girl who got lucky that I was bored enough to play along. The book, the spell–it was just something to pass the time.”

His tone didn’t rise, didn’t falter. If anything, it got quieter, forcing me to hang on to every syllable as my heart cracked apart.

“And last night?” He added, his smirk deepening into something almost cruelly amused. “You practically begged me for it. You think

I’d say no?”

Comments

R Visitor

what an interesting turn of events. The turntables done twisted and fell over my gawd

4 hours ago

5