The Human Among Wolves Chapter 67

Aurora

Something about the way he said it—like it wasn’t a big deal, like it wasn’t some obligation—made me just nod instead of arguing

We cut back across the field, leaving the glow of the fire behind. The further we walked, the more the night seemed to swallow us up.

By the time we reached the Academy gates, my body felt heavy with exhaustion, like the weight of the night had finally caught up to me. The campus was still and quiet, all the windows dark except for one or two glowing faintly in the distance.

No one stopped us as we crossed the courtyard—no guards, no professors.

“They really don’t care tonight,” I whispered, half expecting someone to step out of the shadows and call us out.

We slipped inside the dorm building, the door clicking softly shut behind us. The hallway was dim, lit only by the soft glow of wall lamps. Our footsteps were quiet against the carpet as we made our way up the stairs.

When we reached my floor, I slowed, glancing toward my room at the end of the hall. The building was completely silent—no voices, no doors creaking, no one coming out to catch me sneaking in.

I stopped outside my door and turned to face him.

“Thanks,” I said softly, feeling suddenly awkward. “For walking me back. For… everything tonight.”

Kael leaned his shoulder against the wall, his hair falling into his eyes as he watched me. “Anytime.”

“Where are you staying tonight?” I asked.

“My best friend’s dorm,” he said. “He’ll be passed out by now, but I’ll crash there. Easier than going all the way home.”

“Must be nice. Having your own space.”

“It is.” His mouth curved into the faintest hint of a smile.

I turned back to the door, finally sliding the key into the lock. The handle turned with a soft click, and I stepped inside, glancing back over my shoulder one last time.

“Goodnight, Kael.”

“Goodnight, Aurora,” he said, his voice low and warm enough to linger long after the door closed between us.

I leaned against it for a moment, breathing out slowly into the dark room. My roommates were asleep, their soft breathing filling the space.

*** * ***

The first thing I felt was the light.

It slipped through the thin curtains in soft golden stripes, cutting across the floor and warming my face. I groaned and rolled onto my back, blinking against the brightness. My jaw cracked as I yawned, stretching my arms above my head until my spine popped.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the quiet hum of the dorm fill the room.

It had been a week since the Halloween party. A week since the bonfire, the fight, the look in Zayn’s storm-grey eyes when he told me to go back to the Academy.

And I hadn’t spoken to him. Not once.

It wasn’t easy—avoiding him. In a place like this, with its endless halls and crowded classes, it was like trying to avoid gravity. But I’d done it. Or at least, I’d tried. Changing when I'm going to the canteen. Ducking out of rooms early. Pretending to be busy when I saw him at a distance.

But today?

Today I wouldn’t be able to avoid him.

Because today was the big field trip—the one everyone had been talking about for weeks. All years, all students, all of us crammed together on buses like one big happy family.

I sighed, dragging a hand over my face before sitting up. My hair was a mess, sticking out in every direction, and I shoved it out of my eyes as I glanced at the clock on my nightstand.

6:15 a.m.

Too early to be awake, too late to go back to sleep.

I swung my legs out of bed and sat there for a second, staring blearily at the floor. My roommates were already up and moving, packing their bags with the kind of energy only morning people—or psychopaths—had at this hour.

Well, three of them, anyway.

Selene’s bed was empty, her blanket kicked to the foot of the mattress, her pillow abandoned. No surprise there. She hadn’t been in our room much this week.

Ever since the Halloween party, she’d been with… Alex? I think that was his name. Or Alec. Something like that.

They’d hooked up that night, and apparently the universe had decided that was enough to officially stamp them as mates. Which, you know, was great for her. I just hadn’t quite wrapped my head around the fact that she suddenly had a boyfriend and a whole new life orbiting around him.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and scrolled through a few messages, my thumb hovering before locking the screen again without replying to anything.

Another sigh.

Time to get ready.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face and changed into some comfortable clothes—some sweatpants and a hoodie. I grabbed my own backpack from the chair by my desk. I packed what we were told to: an extra hoodie, water bottle, snacks, notebook, and flashlight, even though I doubted I’d need it. It still felt strange to think about spending a night in the woods with the entire academy, but that was what this field trip was for: “team bonding” and “resilience training.” Whatever that meant.

By the time I finished packing, my roommates were already zipping their bags closed and pulling on their boots. I shoved my hair into a ponytail, grabbed my hoodie, and followed them out the door, the hallways buzzing with freshmen trying to look awake and excited at the same time.

When we got to the main entrance, the scene was already hectic. Students from every year milled around the courtyard, grouped together by grade. The air was crisp enough to sting my nose, and I tucked my hands into the sleeves of my hoodie as we made our way through the crowd.

The two buses were parked by the front gates, gleaming in the pale morning light. They were bigger than I expected, both with two levels, and the professors were standing near the doors making sure everyone went to the right one.

Selene was there after all, standing with her boyfriend—Alex, I decided, pretty sure now. They were holding hands, talking lowly to each other, and I had to fight a smile because Selene never held hands with anyone.

My smile faded when my gaze shifted, landing on Zayn.

He was with the other sophomores, laughing at something one of his friends said. Charlotte stood close beside him, her perfectly brushed hair catching the morning light. Whatever she was saying made him grin, and that stupid, hollow ache opened in my chest again before I forced myself to look away.

The juniors and seniors were gathered near the second bus. That’s when I spotted Kael, standing a little apart from everyone else. His hands were shoved into his jacket pockets, his head tipped slightly back like he was just waiting for this whole thing to be over before it even started.

I blinked at him, surprised.

Kael was mostly never in the academy—he barely showed up to class most weeks.

As if he felt me staring, his gaze slid lazily across the crowd until it caught mine. That small, knowing curve of a smile tugged at his mouth, quick and easy, before he turned back to whoever was talking to him.

I swallowed hard and looked away, following my roommates toward the freshmen bus.

The first level was already filling fast, so we climbed the narrow stairs to the top deck and claimed a row of seats near the windows. I dropped my bag onto my lap and leaned against the cool glass, watching through the window as the courtyard slowly cleared out.

Selene climbed onto the bus with her boyfriend, and I gave her a small wave as she passed. She grinned at me before sliding into a seat with him toward the back.

From my window seat, I could still see Zayn down below. He didn’t glance my way, not even once—which shouldn’t have mattered, but somehow it did.

The bus shuddered slightly as more people boarded, and I pressed my forehead to the glass, watching as the juniors and seniors began loading onto their own bus. I spotted Kael one last time before he disappeared inside.

I let out a slow breath.

This trip was going to be long.