The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Aurora

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His lips were warm and steady, not rushed or demanding like I’d expected–just firm enough to make me melt into him.

I clutched at the front of his shirt, feeling the hard lines of muscle beneath, the steady beat of his heart. Kael deepened the kiss slightly, his thumb brushing my cheekbone in a way that made my knees feel unsteady.

And then, almost absently, he reached up with his free hand and tugged the mask from his face, letting it fall to hang from his

fingers.

I saw him–really saw him–for the first time.

The moonlight caught the sharp planes of his face, the faint scar cutting across one brow, the slight curve of his mouth. But it was his eyes that made me freeze.

They were silver. Not gray like a storm, not warm like the firelight we’d left behind, but liquid silver moon, as if they could see straight through me.

He was beautiful in a way that was hard to look at.

But as I stared up at him, something inside me shifted.

–

almost glowing under the

It wasn’t Zayn.

Zayn’s storm–gray eyes had burned into me since the first moment I saw them, wild and unsteady, like the sky before a hurricane. Kael’s gaze was different–steady, calm, a mirror reflecting me back at myself.

And suddenly, I didn’t want to see myself.

The kiss that had felt like a distraction just moments ago now felt like a lie I was telling both of us.

Kael felt the change in me instantly. He stilled, though he didn’t pull away, just waited, his silver eyes searching my face.

“Aurora?” he asked softly, his voice low, careful.

My chest tightened. I swallowed hard, shame clawing up my throat.

“I… I can’t,” I whispered, pulling back until the night air rushed between us again.

Kael didn’t try to stop me. He stepped back immediately, giving me space.

For a moment, the only sound was the wind threading through the branches overhead.

“I thought I could,” I said finally, my voice thin, brittle. “But it just–t feels wrong.”

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12:04 Thu, Jan 29 G BB

Chapter 92

Kael nodded once, slow and deliberate, like he’d expected that answer.

“No apology needed,” he said gently. “You don’t owe me anything, Aurora.”

Something in his voice–so calm, so unbothered–made my chest ache.

I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling suddenly cold. “I just… I wanted to forget,” I admitted.

Kael’s mouth curved, not quite a smile. “Yeah,” he said softly. “But forgetting isn’t the same as healing.”

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The words hit like a strike to the ribs, sharp and true.

I couldn’t answer, couldn’t do anything but stare at him, the moonlight glinting in his silver eyes.

He tucked the mask into his pocket and took a small step back. “We should get you back before someone comes looking for you.”

I nodded, unable to find my voice, and followed him through the trees, back toward the faint glow of the bonfire.

When we stepped back into the clearing, the noise of the party washed over me all at once–the music, the laughter, the crackle of the bonfire. It felt louder now, almost jarring after the quiet of the woods.

Kael glanced at me once, gave me a small nod, and then melted back into the crowd, leaving me standing at the edge of it all.

For a second, I just stood there, my pulse still racing, the silver of his eyes burned into my mind. I dragged in a deep breath, then another, grounding myself before moving deeper into the clearing, scanning for familiar faces.

I spotted Mira first, her pink hair practically glowing under the firelight. She was laughing, a drink in hand, swaying to the music with Lira beside her. Riven stood close, looking her usual cool, collected self–arms crossed, her icy–blue hair glinting every time the

flames flared.

But Selene was nowhere in sight.

I made my way over to the three of them, weaving between people until I reached them.

“Where’s Selene?” I asked, raising my voice over the music.

Mira grinned, a little too wide. “Last I saw her, she was heading toward the far side of the clearing with some guy.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Looked like she was about to have a very good night.”

That tugged a reluctant smile out of me, though my chest ached a litle too. Selene always did whatever she wanted, completely unapologetic about it–something I secretly admired.

“Of course she was,” I muttered, shaking my head.