The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 93

Chapter 93

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“You should have fun too,” Lira said, her golden hair catching the light as she turned toward me. There was no judgment in her

voice, just quiet encouragement.

“Yeah,” Mira agreed, bouncing slightly to the music. “You’ve been brooding for weeks, Aurora. Come dance with us. Forget him.”

I hesitated, glancing around the clearing again–half–expecting to see Zayn’s eyes watching me from somewhere in the shadows.

But if he was here, he wasn’t looking at me.

Maybe that was the point.

Maybe this was my chance to stop looking for him too.

“Fine,” I said, surprising even myself with how steady my voice sounded. “Let’s dance.”

Mira’s grin widened, and before I could change my mind, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the throng of bodies near the

fire.

The music thumped through the ground, through my shoes, until it was in my chest, syncing with the beat of my heart.

At first, I moved stiffly, self–conscious, aware of every pair of eyes around me – of the way my skirt swished around my thighs, of

the chill of the night air against my skin.

But Mira didn’t let me stay in my head. She twirled me once, then twice, laughing when I stumbled into Lira, who just caught me

with a smile and spun me back again.

Little by little, the weight in my chest loosened.

The music got louder, the fire brighter, the cold night air warmer.

For one perfect, fleeting moment, I forgot about Zayn. Forgot about Charlotte. Forgot about the words that still sliced me open

when I remembered them.

I was breathless by the time the song changed, my hair sticking to my temples, my chest heaving. Mira was laughing at something Lira said, already pulling her toward the firepit to grab drinks, and Riven followed with that quiet, amused look she always wore

when she was pretending she wasn’t having fun.

I stayed where I was for a second, letting my heartbeat settle, my fingers brushing the hem of my skirt absently. The air out here felt cooler now, sharp against my flushed skin.

That was when I saw him.

Kael.

He was leaning against one of the big pine trees at the edge of the clearing, half in shadow, his mask dangling from his fingers now.

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Chapter 93

His silver–gray eyes caught the firelight and seemed to hold it, bright and unblinking

He caught my eye before I could, and that easy, lopsided smile curved across his mouth.

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1 took a slow breath and made my way over, weaving through the crowd until I stood a few feet from him. “You hiding over here?” I

asked, tilting my head.

“Not hiding,” Kael said, straightening lazily. “Observing.”

I arched a brow. “Observing what?”

“You,” he said simply, and it was so blunt, so unbothered, that heat crept up the back of my neck before I could stop it.

“I was dancing,” I said, like that explained anything.

“I noticed.” His mouth curved a little higher, his voice dropping just enough to make it feel like we were suddenly in our own little

corner of the world. “You looked like you were actually enjoying yourself.”

I shrugged, trying for casual, though my heart was still hammering. “Maybe I was.”

Kael’s smile softened a fraction, his gaze steady. “Good. You deserve to.”

Something about the way he said it made my throat go tight.

I glanced away, toward the fire where Mira and Lira were still laughing about something, then back at him. “You’re not much of a

party guy, are you?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “But… I’m glad I came tonight.”

He didn’t have to say why. The way he was looking at me said enough.

I swallowed hard, suddenly too aware of how close we were to the trees, how quiet it was here compared to the chaos of the party.

Kael’s gaze flicked to my mouth, just for a second, before returning to my eyes. “You want to walk a little?” he asked, nodding toward the darker stretch of forest behind him.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “Let’s walk.”

Kael pushed off the tree, slipping his mask into his pocket, and fell into step beside me as we left the firelight behind.

The woods were darker this time, quieter, the sound of the music fading until all I could hear was the crunch of leaves under our feet and my own pulse in my ears.