The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 89

The Human Among Wolves

Chapter 89

Aurora

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I forced myself to keep moving, weaving deeper into the crowd. The music was louder here, some bass–heavy beat thudding through the clearing, and the smell of smoke and autumn leaves clung to the air.

If I just stayed here–surrounded by strangers–maybe I could forget the way Zayn’s eyes had burned into mine across the fire.

“Hey.”

The voice came from just behind me, smooth and warm enough to make me pause.

When I turned, the first thing I noticed was his smile–easy, confident, the kind of smile that made you feel like he had already decided to like you. He was tall, taller than me by a good head, with blond hair that looked almost gold in the firelight. A mask covered the top half of his face, painted black with silver accents that caught the glow of the flames when he moved.

“Don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” he said, raising his voice slightly over the music. “Which pack are you from?”

For a split second, panic flared in my chest. My pack.

I didn’t have one.

But I couldn’t exactly say that here, not when half the people at this party could probably smell it on me if they tried hard enough.

I hesitated for half a beat before squaring my shoulders and saying, Alpha–born.”

One of his brows arched–just slightly–like he found that interesting. “Alpha–born,” he repeated, slow, as if tasting the words.

“Which line?”

“I… don’t talk about that,” I said quickly, forcing a small shrug, hoping it made me look mysterious instead of like a liar.

His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile, like I’d just passed some unspoken test. “Fair enough.”

“And you?” I asked, partly to deflect, partly because I was genuinely curious.

He didn’t hesitate. “Kael Draven,” he said, and the name alone carried weight. “Crown Prince of the Fenris Dominion.”

My stomach flipped.

The Fenris Dominion. The most powerful Lycan kingdom in the north, feared and respected by every pack. We learned about them in the ‘Pack History.‘ And standing in front of me was its future king.

I tried not to gape, tried to play it cool, but something in my face must have given me away because Kael’s smirk widened.

“Relax,” he said with a low chuckle. “I’m not here to bite.”

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Chapter 89

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Aurora,” I said, offering my name because it felt like the polite thing to do.

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His eyes softened–just slightly–as he reached out and took my hand, bowing his head over it in an old–world gesture that sent a

strange thrill down my spine.

“You don’t look like you want to be here, Aurora,” he said, still holding my hand.

“You can tell that just by looking at me?” I asked, trying to keep my one light.

“I can tell a lot of things by looking at you,” Kael said, his voice low and velvet–smooth. “Like the fact that someone had to drag you

here. And that you’d rather be anywhere else–except maybe alone.”

My chest tightened at the truth in his words. “Maybe I just don’t like parties.”

“Or maybe,” he said, taking a small step closer, “you just haven’t been to one worth staying for.”

The music swelled around us, the fire crackling and spitting sparks into the night sky.

“Dance with me,” Kael said, not really a question, and before I could think twice, I nodded.

I let him lead me closer to the bonfire, where others were already moving to the beat. The flames painted his hair in gold and shadow, his presence commanding enough that people seemed to instinctively make space for him as we stepped into the circle.

How didn’t I notice him before?

Kael’s hand was warm and steady on my waist as we moved closer to the fire. The beat of the music vibrated through the ground beneath my feet, the crackle of the flames casting shifting shadows over his face.

He didn’t dance like the others–no drunken swaying or awkward hopping to the beat. His movements were smooth, controlled, every step deliberate, like he knew exactly how much space he occupied and expected the world to move for him.

I found myself matching him instinctively, letting him guide me, my hands resting lightly on his shoulders.

“You know,” I said after a moment, breathless from both the movement and his closeness, “I’ve been here for weeks, and somehow I’ve never seen you before. Which is… honestly kind of hard to believe.”

Kael’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, his gray eyes glinting in the firelight. “That’s because I don’t make myself easy to

find.”

I tilted my head at him, curious despite myself. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, spinning me smoothly and pulling me back against him, “I don’t spend my time in the cafeteria like everyone

else. And I barely go to classes.”

I blinked up at him. “Then… how are you even still enrolled here?”

He chuckled, the sound low and rich, the kind of laugh that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. “Because technically, I’m supposed to be here,” he said. “My father insisted I attend. Said it would be good for me–for the future King of Fenris to

understand the next generation.”

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Chapter 89

“Future King.” I repeated softly, the words still sinking in.

“Mm.” He leaned in slightly, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear as he added, “But what my

father doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I live outside the Academy grounds. Easier to come and go as I please that way.”

I stared at him, impressed despite myself. “So… you’re basically breaking the rules every day.”

“Basically.” His grin widened, wolfish now, a flash of teeth in the firelight. “But I’m good at not getting caught.”

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The music shifted, slower now, and Kael adjusted his grip, his hand siding just slightly lower on my waist as he drew me closer.

“So,” I said, my voice quieter now, almost swallowed by the crackling fire and pulsing bass. “If you don’t come to classes, and you

don’t eat in the cafeteria… why are you here tonight?”

Kael’s smile softened, just a little. “Because my best friend begged me to come. Said I spend too much time keeping to myself.” He shrugged, a subtle roll of his shoulders. “Guess he was right. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have met you.”

My chest tightened unexpectedly at that, something warm and strange settling just beneath my ribs.

1 looked away for a second, my gaze catching on the crowd at the other end of the fire–catching, despite my best efforts, on him.

Zayn.

He was watching us.