The Human Among Wolves Chapter 61

Aurora

“Oh my God, did I just hear that right?” Mira gasped, abandoning her own makeup bag to grab my hands. “You’re coming with us?”

“She’s coming,” Selene confirmed with a smug grin, digging through my closet like a woman on a mission. “No take-backs.”

Lira squealed, practically bouncing on her bed. “Finally! I thought we were going to have to drag you out by your hair.”

I laughed softly—the sound rusty, like it hadn’t been used in a while—and sank back down onto my bed as my roommates turned the dorm into a war zone of clothes, shoes, and makeup palettes.

“Okay,” Selene said a minute later, spinning around and holding something up. “No. Your closet is tragic. Good thing we planned for this.”

She crossed the room to her own wardrobe and pulled out a black garment bag I hadn’t noticed before. With a flourish, she unzipped it.

Inside was a costume that made my mouth go dry.

It was a black velvet bodysuit with a deep neckline, sheer sleeves covered in tiny silver moons and stars, and a short, layered tulle skirt that barely reached mid-thigh. Hanging with it were thigh-high socks and a thin silver choker.

“What… what is that?” I asked slowly.

“Your costume,” Selene said simply, like it was obvious.

I blinked. “Where did you even get this?”

“Amazon,” Mira said, grinning like the devil. “We figured one day you’d finally stop sulking long enough to come out with us, so we planned ahead.”

“You planned ahead for me to stop sulking?”

“Obviously,” Lira said, coming over to touch the fabric reverently. “You’re going as a celestial witch. It’s perfect. Pretty, mysterious, a little dark… basically your entire vibe.”

I stared at it for a long moment, my first instinct being to protest. The neckline alone made my cheeks heat, and the skirt was definitely shorter than anything I usually wore.

“Guys…” I started, but Selene was already shoving the hanger into my hands.

“Nope. No arguing. Tonight, you’re not Aurora the Sad Human. You’re Aurora the Badass Witch.”

“She’s right,” Riven chimed in, tossing a makeup brush onto my bed. “You don’t just show up at a party after forty days of hiding and look casual."

Her words made my stomach twist, but also… light a fire in my chest.

Maybe they were right.

Maybe if I looked good enough, strong enough, he’d regret every cruel word.

“Fine,” I muttered, standing up and clutching the costume. “But if I look ridiculous, I’m blaming all of you.”

“You’re going to look hot,” Lira said confidently. “Now go change before I lose my mind.”

I slipped out of the dorm room, heading to the bathroom with the costume. My heart was thudding as I shut the door behind me.

Changing felt weirdly symbolic—like shedding the last forty days along with my jeans and oversized sweater. When I finally pulled the bodysuit into place, it hugged my curves in a way that made me stare at myself in the mirror for a long moment.

The neckline dipped low, showing just enough cleavage to make me blush, and the skirt swished around my thighs when I turned. The socks made my legs look longer, and when I fastened the choker around my throat, I almost didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me.

She looked… confident. Dangerous, even.

I wasn’t sure if that was true, but maybe I could fake it for one night.

When I stepped back into the room, my roommates collectively froze—and then erupted into cheers.

“Oh my God, you look incredible!” Mira crowed, grabbing me by the shoulders and spinning me around so everyone could see.

“See?” Selene said smugly. “Perfect. Zayn’s going to choke on his drink when he sees you.”

“Good,” I said, my lips twitching into the first real smile I’d had in days.

Selene shoved me into the desk chair and started working on my makeup, Mira fussed with my hair, and Lira laid out jewelry and boots. By the time they were done with me, I looked like some sort of dark fairytale witch—smoky eyes, soft waves in my hair, and a touch of glitter dusted across my collarbones.

And for the first time in weeks, I felt… powerful.

Maybe tonight really could be different.

*** * ***

Selene was the first to grab her own garment bag from the closet, giving me a wicked grin as if to say, just wait.

“You didn’t think we were going to let you have all the attention tonight, did you?” she teased, laying the bag carefully on her bed and unzipping it.

Inside was a dark, flowing dress that looked like something out of a gothic painting—black silk with dramatic bell sleeves and a slit that would show just enough leg when she moved. A silver chain belt glimmered faintly where it rested against the fabric, and she set a matching crescent moon headpiece on the nightstand.

I blinked. “You weren’t kidding about authentic, were you?”

Selene just smirked. “You’ll see.”

Across the room, Mira was digging through her drawers, already pulling out pieces of her own costume. She had a cropped corset top the color of pale rose, delicate lace gloves, and a skirt made of sheer pink layers that looked like it belonged at some fae court.

“With the hair, I’m going full forest sprite,” she said proudly, running a hand through her bubblegum-pink hair. “I even got glitter for my cheeks. And wings. Real wings. Well, not real-real, but enchanted ones that actually flutter.”

She wiggled her eyebrows at me, clearly delighted with herself.

“Of course you did,” I said, unable to hold back a laugh.

Lira had already laid her costume on the bed, and I glanced over just in time to see it. It was stunning—a long gold dress that shimmered in the light, like it was made of sunlight.

She looked at me and smiled a little sheepishly, tucking one long golden wave behind her ear. “I’m going as a harvest goddess,” she admitted.

“It’s… perfect,” I said, and meant it. Lira had this quiet, warm presence that always made her feel like a walking sunbeam, and the costume only amplified it.

Finally, Riven—who had been unusually quiet, perched at the end of her bed with her legs crossed—stood and stretched before reaching under her bed for a sleek black box. When she opened it, my breath caught.

Her costume was simple but striking: a white silk wrap top, leather pants that laced up the sides, and a cloak that shimmered faintly, as though dusted with frost. She pulled out a pair of silver arm cuffs and slipped them over her wrists, her icy-blue hair glowing almost unnaturally in the light.

“You’re… what? A winter queen?” I asked.

“Close,” Riven said with a sly grin. “A snow huntress. And yes, the bow is real.”

“You’re bringing a weapon?” I blinked.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Mira teased. “This is the first Halloween party you’re going to. You have no idea. Everyone goes all out.”

For the next half hour, the room was filled with the sounds of laughter, zippers, and the occasional curse as Mira tried to get her wings to sit right. Glitter and fabric scraps littered the floor, the air thick with the scent of hair spray and perfume

I watched them all move around me, feeling a strange, warm ache in my chest. For the first time since… well, everything, I didn’t feel quite so heavy.

Even if tonight went horribly wrong—even if I saw him—at least I wouldn’t be alone.