The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Aurora

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By the time we were all finally ready, the room looked like a whirlwind had passed through–makeup brushes scattered across the desk, glitter shimmering on the floor like tiny stars, and stray bits of ribbon and lace sticking to the carpet.

Mira fluffed her pink hair one last time, her wings fluttering behind her like they were alive, before spinning in a circle and grinning at us. “Okay,” she said, voice buzzing with excitement. “Let’s go before all the good drinks are gone.”

I blinked, glancing at the clock on my nightstand.

10:07 p.m.

The realization hit me like a splash of cold water. “Wait.” I frowned, looking from one girl to the next. “How exactly are we… leaving? The gates close at ten. Aren’t there like, wards or whatever that keep everyone inside?”

“Oh, there are,” Selene said casually, as though we were discussing the weather, while she adjusted the silver chain around her waist. “But curfew’s more of a suggestion if you know what you’re doing.”

I stared at her. “A suggestion?”

Lira, ever the calm voice of reason, offered me a small smile. “We’re not the only ones going tonight, Aurora. Half the school will be there. You don’t think an entire pack of wolves is going to skip the only night of the year they get to run under a full moon with

bonfires and music, do you?”

My stomach flipped, both at the thought of wolves running free through the forest and at the idea of us sneaking out like we weren’t supposed to. “So what, we just… walk out the gates? The guards won’t notice?”

“They’ll notice,” Riven said with a shrug, pulling her cloak over her shoulders. The motion made her look taller, sharper somehow- almost dangerous. “They just won’t stop us.”

Something about the way she said it made a shiver crawl down my spine.

Selene caught my expression and laughed softly, looping her arm through mine. “Relax, newbie. It’s tradition. The professors pretend they don’t know, the guards look the other way, and everyone goes to the woods for one night. Nobody talks about it after.”

“That doesn’t sound suspicious at all,” I muttered, but I let her guide me toward the door.

The hallway outside was unnervingly quiet, the usual hum of the dorms completely gone. It was as if the entire building was

holding its breath, waiting for us to step out.

Our footsteps echoed softly against the polished floors as we made our way to the side entrance, Mira humming under her breath,

her wings twitching with every step.

When we finally reached the door that led to the courtyard, Riven placed her hand against the handle and glanced back at us.

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Chapter 87

“You ready?” she asked, her voice low but carrying.

No one answered out loud, but one by one, the girls nodded.

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I hesitated, my pulse quickening. My body screamed that this was and idea–that nothing good ever happened in the woods after

dark.

But then Selene squeezed my hand, grounding me.

“Trust us,” she said softly, her amber eyes glinting in the dim light.

I took a breath and nodded.

Riven pushed the door open, and cool night air rushed in immediately, curling around my legs and lifting the fine hairs on my arms.

Outside, the campus was completely still, bathed in silver moonlight

And somewhere in the distance, faint but unmistakable, was the sound of drums.

The sound of the drums grew louder the moment we stepped outside a steady, rhythmic pulse that seemed to sink into the ground

and crawl up my spine.

The courtyard felt different at night–darker somehow, even with the moon overhead. The usual warm glow of the lamps lining the paths felt distant, pale, swallowed by the shadows between them.

“Stay close,” Lira murmured, her voice soft but carrying easily in the silence. Her golden hair shimmered in the moonlight, making

her look almost unearthly as she led the way.

I followed, my steps quiet against the stone path, but no matter how soft I tried to walk, every sound seemed to echo. The air was cooler out here, sharp against my bare arms, and I found myself clutching my light jacket tighter around me.

The closer we got to the outer gates, the more my heart pounded–not just with nerves, but with something else. Anticipation,

maybe. Or dread.

The gates loomed ahead, tall and black, and for a moment I half expected someone to step out from the shadows and stop us. But

no one came.

Mira reached the gate first and glanced back at me, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. “First time sneaking out?”

“Not really,” I whispered back, thinking about Zayn and our visit to the ‘library.‘

Comments

R Visitor

it’s an act to protect her.

7 days ago