The Human Among Wolves Chapter 130

Aurora

The next morning came quietly.

No alarm.

No rush.

No responsibilities clawing at the edges of my mind.

Just a soft, pale light leaking through the curtains and the distant hum of heaters kicking on somewhere in the building.

It was Sunday.

I blinked awake slowly, the room still wrapped in early-winter silence. For a moment, I didn’t move. My head felt heavy, my chest dull and sore, as if the weight of yesterday hadn’t lifted even a little.

I lay on my side, staring at the wall, trying to pretend I hadn’t seen the thing I kept replaying over and over again.

Charlotte.

Zayn.

Her mouth on his.

His face too close to hers.

I squeezed my eyes shut—as if that could erase it.

It didn’t.

Across the room, Mira was curled into a ball under her blanket, only a mess of pink hair visible. Lira slept on her back, hair spilled around her like soft gold. Riven was tucked deep under the covers, only the faintest bit of icy-blue hair sticking out. Selene wasn't in the room. Again.

Eventually, I pushed myself upright, stretching my stiff shoulders. My body ached like I’d run miles in my sleep. Maybe I had—mentally, emotionally. Whatever it was, exhaustion pooled in my bones.

I grabbed my hoodie, pulling it over my tank top and moving quietly so I wouldn’t wake anyone.

I needed air.

Or movement.

Or something other than the four walls of this room.

I stepped into the hallway. It was quiet, most students still asleep or pretending to be. The academy always felt softer on Sundays—slower, like the whole place was taking a long breath.

I walked aimlessly for a while, warming my hands in my pockets, trying to let my mind go blank.

It didn’t.

Every corridor, every window, every shadow had a way of stirring up yesterday.

I hated how easily hurt replayed itself.

How quickly doubt dug its claws in.

How hard it was to breathe when I thought too long about it.

By the time I wandered back into the dorm around noon, the room was alive with noise.

Mira sat cross-legged on her bed, brushing her hair.

Lira was humming softly while applying mascara.

Riven was on the floor, flipping through what looked like a fashion magazine she definitely stole from someone else.

“What’s going on?” I asked, closing the door gently behind me.

“Winter dance prep,” Mira said dramatically, tossing her brush onto her blanket. “It’s literally next Saturday. We need outfits. And a plan. And emotional support from each other.”

Lira rolled her eyes. “She’s been awake for twenty minutes and already said ‘winter dance’ five times.”

“It’s a major event!” Mira protested.

Lira laughed softly. “Are you going, Aurora?”

“I don’t know yet,” I said, kicking off my shoes.

And I didn’t.

Not after everything.

Riven lifted a brow, unimpressed. “You? Not going? Please.”

I smiled weakly. “We’ll see.”

The truth was, the idea of a dance made my stomach twist—not because I hated dancing, but because pretending everything was normal felt impossible right now.

The moment stretched, and suddenly the room felt too warm—too bright, too alive, too full of things that didn’t match the dull ache in my chest.

“I’m gonna go get some air,” I murmured, grabbing my coat again.

“Don’t freeze!” Mira called after me, already diving back into outfit plans.

I shut the door behind me, exhaling into the quiet hallway.

I didn’t expect to run into anyone.

Especially not him.

“Aurora?”

I turned.

Kael stood there, coat dusted with snowflakes, hands in his pockets, blond hair falling slightly over his eyes. His expression softened instantly, like he’d been looking for me on purpose.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

I swallowed. “Just… tired.”

He nodded, understanding in a way that made something tighten in my throat. “I was hoping to see you.”

My breath hitched—not romantically, but because Kael had always been steady. Safe. The opposite of the chaos grinding in my chest.

“Walk with me?” he asked.

I nodded.

We headed outside, the cold brushing against our cheeks, snow drifting lazily from a gray sky. The courtyard was quiet, only a few students wandering aimlessly or throwing snowballs half-heartedly.

Kael kept close but not too close. He always respected invisible boundaries.

“It’s almost the winter dance,” he said after a moment, voice calm but carrying something underneath.

“Yeah,” I murmured.

He hesitated. I could feel the shift in the air before he spoke.

“I wanted to ask if you’d go with me.”

I stopped walking for a second.

His breath fogged between us, waiting.

I opened my mouth—then closed it.

Kael liked me. I knew that.

And he didn’t know what happened with Zayn.

He didn’t know why my heart felt like a cracked piece of glass wrapped in skin.

But the way he looked at me…

It didn’t hurt.

“I’ll… think about it,” I whispered.

His shoulders relaxed slightly, a small smile forming. “That’s all I ask.”

We kept walking until we reached a quieter corner of the courtyard, untouched snow resting like a fresh, unbroken sheet.

Kael shifted, looking down at his gloves. “We never talked about the cabin.”

My stomach tightened, memories of freezing wood, breathless fear and endless night prickling along my spine. “No,” I said softly. “We didn’t.”

"I just wanted to check on you." He said.

"I'm okay," I have him a small smile.

He nodded, exhaling slowly. “I think about it more than I should.”

“So do I.”

Silence.

Then footsteps crunched on the snow behind us—sharp, fast, unmistakable.

I turned.

And my world stilled.

Zayn stood at the edge of the courtyard, winter wind catching his dark hair, snow melting against the shoulders of his jacket. When his eyes found me, something in his expression tightened—anger, jealousy, confusion, hurt, I couldn’t tell.

But he looked at me like I was the only thing in his field of vision.

His jaw clenched.

Kael didn’t seem to notice. “You’re shivering. Want to head back?”

But I couldn’t answer him.

Zayn’s stare pinned me where I stood. He didn’t speak—not a single word.

He just turned and walked away, footsteps sharp against the ice, shoulders tense enough to crack.

And even from a distance, I could feel it.

Something between us had shifted.

Broken.

Or maybe it had been breaking for days.

"Aurora?" Kael’s voice was soft beside me. "Are you alright?"

I swallowed, throat tight.

"I… need a moment," I whispered.

Because suddenly the cold didn’t feel cold at all.

It felt like fire.