The Human Among Wolves Chapter 186

Aurora

Before I could find my voice, he spoke first.

“Long time no see, princess.”

His voice was smooth, almost amused, as he stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him. The sound echoed louder than it should have. He didn’t rush. He never did. Every movement was slow, deliberate, like he knew there was nowhere for me to go. Instinct took over and I stepped back, my spine brushing the edge of the bed.

“Where am I?” I demanded. My chest felt tight, breath coming too fast. “What did you do to me? What did you do to Zayn?”

The fear was there, sharp and undeniable, but so was the anger. It crept into my voice, made it tremble.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me like this was all deeply entertaining. “Probably sleeping beside you as we speak,” he said calmly, as if we were discussing the weather.

My stomach twisted.

“If you haven’t figured it out yet,” he continued, taking another step closer, “this is a dream.”

I stared at him, trying to find the crack in his words, the lie. “A dream?” I repeated slowly. “And why would I dream about you?”

That was when he laughed. Not loud. Not dramatic. A low, ugly sound that crawled under my skin.

“Because I wanted you to,” he said. “Zayn’s mind was too strong.” His eyes flicked over me, sharp and knowing. “But you… you didn’t even realize I was there. You just let me right in.”

The room seemed to close around us, the shadows stretching, the air thick and heavy. My heart pounded as I took another step back, even though I knew there was nowhere left to go. His presence pressed against me, not physically, but in a way that made my skin prickle and my thoughts feel too loud.

“You don’t get to do this,” I said, forcing the words out. “You don’t get inside my head.”

He smiled then, slow and cruel. “I already did.”

The lamp flickered, the light wavering, and for a moment the room felt unreal—like it might dissolve if I blinked too hard. But he remained solid. Watching. Waiting.

“What do you want?” My voice came out low, controlled, even though my heart was trying to claw its way out of my chest.

His mouth curved, not into a smile but something close enough to mock one.

“You broke our agreement,” he said. “I told you to stay away from Zayn. You didn’t listen.”

He moved as he spoke, unhurried, pacing a slow circle around me. Every step felt deliberate, calculated.

“Now Father’s been searching for him across the country,” he continued. “I knew he’d be with you. He always would be.”

He stopped directly in front of me. Too close. His eyes locked onto mine, sharp and intent.

“So tell me, princess,” he said quietly, each word spaced with care. “Where are you?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“No.”

The answer sat between us, firm and unyielding.

If he was disappointed, he didn’t show it.

Instead, his expression shifted into something almost entertained, as though my refusal had been expected—planned for.

“Right on time,” he said softly. “You were never going to give me anything willingly.”

He took a step closer. I felt the air change, the pressure building, but I stayed where I was. I wouldn’t give him that inch.

“You think this is a negotiation,” he went on. “That your consent matters.” His head tilted slightly. “It doesn’t.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides.

“You don’t scare me,” I said, forcing the words out.

That earned me a quiet laugh. “That’s what makes you interesting,” he replied. “You confuse courage with immunity.”

His gaze swept over me, slow and assessing, like he was studying the edges of something fragile.

“Dreams are easy to slip into,” he added. “Thoughts leak through them. Even the strongest minds let their guard down when they’re asleep.”

A sharp pressure formed behind my eyes, subtle but unmistakable, like fingers brushing against the inside of my skull. I focused on one thing—one name—and held onto it like an anchor.

“You won’t get to him,” I said. “Not through me.”

His eyes darkened, just slightly.

“We’ll see.”

The small lamp on the nightstand flickered, shadows warping along the walls, stretching where they shouldn’t. He leaned in just enough for his voice to drop.

“Rest while you can, princess,” he murmured. “This was only the beginning.”

The room fractured—light, shadow, sound collapsing inward—

and everything fell into black.

*** * ***

I woke up with a sharp gasp, air tearing into my lungs like I’d been underwater too long.

Zayn was awake instantly, pushing himself upright beside me, one hand already on my arm.

“Rory,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep. “What’s wrong?”

I turned to him, my heart still hammering, my body tight like it hadn’t realized yet that I was awake. The dim light of the room caught his face—concerned, alert now, fully here.

“I saw him,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could slow them down. “I saw Zade.”

Zayn stilled. Completely. “Where,” he asked carefully, “where did you see him?”

“In the dream,” I whispered. My throat felt dry, scraped raw. “I—he knew. He knew where we were, or at least that we were together. He said your father is looking for us. Both of them are.”

Zayn’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as the last traces of sleep vanished. He leaned closer, grounding, solid, but it didn’t stop the unease coiling in my chest.

“How,” I continued, my voice shaking despite my effort to steady it, “how could he enter my dream, Zayn? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know,” he said finally, and the simplicity of the answer somehow made it heavier. “Last time I checked, werewolves can’t do that. Only vampires can… and witches.” He let out a slow breath, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “But werewolves? No. Not that I’ve ever heard of.”

That didn’t help. If anything, it made the knot in my chest tighten.

He glanced at me again, searching my face.

“But you didn’t tell him anything, right?”

I shook my head. The movement felt weak, like my body was still half stuck in that other place. I eased myself back down onto the mattress, the thin padding creaking softly beneath me. Zayn followed immediately, lying down beside me as if leaving even a sliver of space between us wasn’t an option.

I turned onto my side to face him. In the low light, his features looked sharper, more tired. “I’m fine,” I said quietly, even though I wasn’t sure it was true. “I’m sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, like the words were already on his tongue, but after a moment he stopped himself. He just nodded once and turned onto his side, facing away from me. Still close. Still there.

But sleep didn’t come back to me.

My mind kept replaying Zade’s voice, his eyes, the way he’d looked at me like he already knew the ending. My heart wouldn’t slow down, no matter how hard I tried to breathe evenly.

Carefully, so I wouldn’t wake Zayn again, I reached and grabbed my phone from the floor beside the mattress. I’d left it there earlier without thinking. I half-expected the screen to light up with nothing—no signal, no connection—but when I turned it on, my phone vibrated in my hand.

Messages started pouring in.

One after another. My roommates. Are you okay? Where are you? Please call me back. You disappeared. The timestamps blurred together, panic threaded through every line. Guilt pricked at my chest, sharp and immediate.

Then one message stood out.

Older. Two days ago.

Kael.

We need to talk. It’s urgent.

My fingers tightened around the phone as my pulse picked up again, a different kind of unease settling deep in my stomach.