The Human Among Wolves Chapter 68

Aurora

The bus lurched as the engine growled to life, vibrating faintly under my feet. Mira slid into the seat next to me, yawning so wide I could practically hear her jaw pop.

“Wake me up when we’re there,” she mumbled, tugging her hoodie over her face.

“Sure,” I said softly, though I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep even if I tried.

The chatter around us slowly began to settle as the professors counted heads, making sure no one was missing. The smell of too-strong coffee and too much perfume hung in the air.

Finally, the doors hissed shut, and the bus pulled away from the academy gates.

I leaned my head against the glass, watching the buildings grow smaller until they were swallowed by the trees.

The world outside was quiet and washed in gold, the road cutting through the dense forest like a dark ribbon. The early morning mist clung to the trunks and branches, and every so often, the bus would round a bend and the sunlight would flare across the windows, momentarily blinding me.

Behind me, I could hear Riven and Lira laughing about something, and Selene’s soft voice a few rows back as she whispered something to Alex.

And then—

I heard Zayn.

His laugh—warm and low and far too familiar—floated from somewhere behind us, close enough to make my stomach tighten.

I didn’t turn around. Didn’t dare.

Instead, I stared hard out the window, focusing on the blur of trees and the occasional flash of sky.

This was fine. I could do this. A few hours on a bus, a day in the woods, and a night around a campfire—it wasn’t impossible. I just had to keep my distance, stay with my friends, and pretend like he wasn’t there.

Easy.

Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

The bus ride stretched on, long and winding, until the landscape finally opened up. The trees thinned, giving way to a clearing big enough to hold both buses, and a wide field beyond that.

The moment we rolled to a stop, everyone started stirring—grabbing their bags, stretching their legs, and pressing to get to the door first.

Mira groaned as I nudged her awake. “Already?” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

“Yeah,” I said, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. “Come on.”

The stairs were narrow and crowded, everyone shoving forward to get out, and by the time we spilled into the clearing, the other bus had already arrived. Juniors and seniors were unloading nearby, their voices carrying over the cool morning air.

I spotted Kael almost immediately.

He stood off to the side, arms crossed loosely over his chest, watching the chaos with a look that was somewhere between bored and mildly amused.

When his gaze landed on me this time, he didn’t look away right away.

Instead, his mouth curved into the faintest smirk, like he knew something I didn’t—or maybe just that I was watching him again.

Heat crawled up my neck, and I quickly busied myself with adjusting the strap of my backpack before following my roommates toward the front of the crowd where the professors were gathering everyone.

The air smelled clean here, sharp with pine and damp earth. The forest rose up on all sides, tall and endless, the canopy whispering faintly with the wind.

One of the professors stepped forward, clapping her hands to get our attention.

“Alright, everyone! Welcome to the start of your field trip,” she called, her voice carrying easily over the chatter. “You’ll be split into mixed-year teams shortly for the first challenge. We’ll go over rules and safety in a few minutes, but for now, stay with your groups and grab some water. It’s going to be a long day.”

Mira bumped my shoulder, grinning. “You ready for this?”

I gave Mira a small shrug, trying to push down the nervous flutter in my stomach. “I mean… it’ll be fine. Just… a lot of people, a lot of walking, and probably some weird trust exercises or whatever.”

She snorted, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “We’ll survive. Worst case, we make a new set of blisters and tell everyone we’re heroes.”

I laughed softly, and for a moment, the tension eased.

“You’ll be split into mixed-year teams,” the professor continued after a few minutes. “Each team will be given a map with a series of checkpoints. At each checkpoint, you’ll find either a puzzle, a riddle, or a clue that leads to the next location. The goal is to work together to find all of them and return before sundown. The first team back wins. And yes, there will be a prize.”

That last part made everyone stand a little straighter.

I felt my heart start to pick up speed. Teams. Please, please let me be with at least one of my roommates.

The professors handed out small sheets of paper, each listing names and team numbers. My hands trembled slightly as I unfolded mine. I scanned the names quickly, trying to make sense of the group.

My stomach sank.

I wasn’t with any of my roommates. Instead, my team was a weird mix of everyone from different years. Seven people in total.

I frowned as I read the list: Zayn, a sophomore; two juniors—one was Kael’s friend—Chris, a tall guy with messy brown hair and an easy smirk, and the other, a girl named Selene (not my selene), quiet and sharp-eyed; and one senior, a boy named Marcus. And two freshmen, both girls—Laura and Nova, one shy and twitchy, the other bubbly and chattery

I chewed my lip, glancing around the clearing. That meant… yes, I was stuck with Zayn. The same Zayn I’d been avoiding all week.

My heart thudded against my ribs, but I forced myself to take a slow, steadying breath. Focus on the task, I told myself. Don’t think about him. Don’t think about that stupid, hollow ache in your chest.

The professor blew the whistle again, and our team—Team Seven—was called. One by one, we stepped forward, introductions quick and awkward.

“Hi,” I said softly to Zayn as we fell into a line.

He glanced at me, his storm-grey eyes catching the sunlight for just a second, and gave a small nod. No words. That was… fine. That was okay.

Chris smirked. “So, first field trip together, huh? This should be fun.”

Marcus laughed. “Yeah, ‘fun’ is one word for it.” His gaze flicked to me briefly, and I forced a polite smile and nodded.

The other girls shuffled nervously behind us, whispering to each other.

The professor handed each team a map and a brief list of tasks. The first challenge would take us deep into the woods, split into checkpoints. Each team had to complete a set of puzzles, carry supplies, and track our progress back to the main clearing.

I unfolded the map, trying to keep my focus on the winding trails and markers instead of the pounding of my own heart.

“Alright,” Chris said, stepping forward with exaggerated confidence. “Let’s figure out our strategy. We split the tasks, work together, and try not to get eaten by anything scary.”

I couldn’t stop the small shiver that ran down my spine. The woods were dense, the shadows deepening as the sun climbed higher.

“Okay,” I said, trying to sound steady. “I think we should… assign who does what at each checkpoint, so we’re not wasting time.”

The group murmured their agreement, the senior boy scribbling notes while the freshmen nodded eagerly. I kept my eyes forward, sneaking quick glances at Zayn. He was calm, methodical, tracing the map with one finger as if memorizing it by touch.

We set off toward the first checkpoint, the forest swallowing us almost immediately. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, and the only sounds were the crunch of leaves under our boots and the distant chatter of other teams.

Walking beside him, I felt the familiar tightness in my chest. But I shoved it down, focused on the team, on the map, on keeping pace.

Zayn caught my glance once, briefly, and for a fraction of a second, I thought I saw a hint of something—curiosity? amusement? annoyance?—in his eyes. But then he looked away, and I swallowed hard, focusing on the path ahead.

The woods were vast, the trail twisting between towering trees. Sunlight filtered through in pale beams, dust motes floating lazily in the air. Every sound seemed magnified: the snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves, even our own voices echoing softly.

“Let’s take the left path first,” Marcus suggested, pointing at a fork in the trail. “It looks shorter, less likely to be crowded.”

I nodded, trying not to notice Zayn falling in step beside me. My heart raced. This was going to be… interesting.

Very interesting.