The Human Among Wolves Chapter 75

Aurora

Kael and I started heading back, his arm brushing against mine, when it happened.

“Aurora.”

Zayn’s voice cut through the quiet, low and sharp. My feet stopped on instinct before I could stop myself.

Kael stiffened beside me, his hand flexing at my hip like he was ready for round two.

I didn’t turn around. Didn’t want to. “What?” I asked.

There was this long pause. I could hear him breathe, steady but heavy, like the words were caught in his throat.

Then he finally said it. Cold. Flat. “Don’t kid yourself into thinking Kael actually cares about you.”

Kael laughed under his breath, but it wasn’t amused—it was sharp, dangerous. “Bold talk, coming from the guy who just tried to break my jaw over her.”

Zayn ignored him completely. His eyes were on me—I could feel it without even looking.

“You matter to him?” Zayn’s voice didn’t even rise. If anything, it was worse because it was calm. Detached. “You don’t. To him, you’re just a distraction. Something to keep him entertained until he gets bored.”

“Fuck you!” Kael snapped, ready to step forward, but I shoved a hand against his chest to hold him back.

I finally turned, my throat dry, my voice shaking but sharp anyway. “And what was I to you, Zayn?”

His gaze caught mine. For a second—just a second—I swore I saw something flicker there, something that almost looked real.

But then he blinked, and it was gone.

“You really want to know?” he asked, voice rough.

“Yeah,” I shot back, even though part of me already wished I hadn’t.

His gaze locked on mine, colder than ice. “You were easy. That’s it. You threw yourself at me, and tell me—what guy in his right mind would turn that down?”

The ground dropped out from under me.

My chest burned, my throat closing up, but I stood there, frozen.

He didn’t stop. “Don’t act like it meant something. Don’t act like I tricked you. You made it easy, Aurora. Too easy.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms just to keep me upright.

“You are a fucking asshole,” I whispered, my voice shaking so hard I hated myself for it.

Zayn tilted his head, that mocking little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No, Aurora. I’m just honest."

Kael didn’t hesitate. His fist connected with Zayn’s jaw so hard the sound cracked through the clearing.

Zayn staggered back, hand flying to his face, but the look he gave Kael wasn’t shock. It was pure fury, sharp and dangerous.

“Say that again,” Kael snapped, his chest rising and falling fast. He was already squaring up for another hit.

I lurched forward, grabbing Kael’s arm before he could swing again. “Kael—stop. Just stop.”

He turned his head toward me, eyes blazing, jaw tight. “You heard what he said.”

“Yeah,” I said quickly, tugging hard on his sleeve, my voice low and shaking. “I heard it. But I’m not letting you get in trouble for him.”

Zayn wiped at the blood on his lip with the back of his hand, that mocking little smile twisting his face again. Like he was proud of the damage he caused even when he was the one bleeding.

I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a second glance.

“Come on,” I hissed, pulling harder on Kael’s arm until he finally let me drag him back toward camp. His fists were still clenched, his whole body tense like he was one breath away from lunging again.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath, voice rough. “The way he talks to you—”

“I know,” I cut in fast, not trusting myself to say more.

By the time we slipped back into camp, the fire had burned down to a low, glowing pile of embers. The place was quiet, almost too quiet, except for the soft rise and fall of everyone’s breathing. Most of the tents were zipped shut, and the ones who had their bags out were already curled up inside them.

Kael slowed down beside me, his jaw still tight, knuckles raw and swollen from where he’d hit Zayn. I could tell he was still buzzing with anger, the kind that doesn’t burn out right away.

We didn’t say anything, though. We couldn’t. One loud word and a professor would be on us in seconds.

So I just nodded toward the rows of sleeping bags, and he gave me a look that was half apology, half something else I couldn’t quite name. Then he jerked his chin toward the far side of camp where his friends were knocked out, and padded off in that direction.

I exhaled slowly, trying to let my heart calm down. My legs still felt shaky, like they hadn’t caught up with everything that had just happened.

Picking my way carefully through the maze of bags, I finally found Mira, her pink hair spilling out of her hood. She was dead asleep, breathing slow and even. My sleeping bag was right next to hers, half-unrolled from when we’d set up earlier.

I dropped down quietly, tugging off my boots and sliding into the bag as silently as I could. The fabric was cool at first, but the warmth of camp and Mira beside me helped.

Lying on my back, I stared up at the dark, the faint glow of stars peeking through the branches.

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

*** * ***

The morning came way too fast.

Someone’s alarm went off around six, that annoying little chirp that felt way too loud in the quiet woods. One by one, people started stirring, groaning, dragging themselves out of their bags. The smell of damp earth and leftover smoke from last night’s fire clung to everything. My hair was a mess, my back ached from the ground, and all I wanted was five more hours of sleep.

But professors didn’t care about that. We had to pack up and head back to the academy.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, and caught Mira already folding her sleeping bag into a neat roll. She gave me a sleepy smile. “Morning.”

“Barely,” I muttered, dragging myself out. Lira and Riven were bickering quietly over who stole whose socks, Selene was tucked under Alex’s, arm and it made me smile—seeing her in love.

By the time we all had our stuff together, the camp looked like we’d never been there at all. Everyone carried their own bags, shuffling toward the two big buses waiting at the edge of the trail.

The professors stood nearby, calling names and double-checking lists.

“Freshmen and sophomores on this bus!” one of them barked, pointing to the first one. “Juniors and seniors over there!”

I glanced at Kael before I could stop myself. He was leaning against a tree with his hands shoved in his pockets, talking to one of his friends, his jaw still looking a little too sharp from what happened last night.

He caught my eye for half a second and gave the smallest tilt of his chin. Just enough for me to know he’d seen me. Then he turned back to his friend.

I swallowed hard and followed Mira onto our bus.

The bottom floor was already packed, so we climbed up the narrow steps to the second floor, slipping into the middle rows. Mira sat by the window, and I slid in next to her. Behind us, Lira and Riven grabbed a pair of seats, still laughing at their own inside joke. Selene had, of course, found a spot with Alex.

And then… I saw him.

Zayn.

He was near the back with Charlotte, sprawled in his seat like he didn’t have a care in the world. His arm draped over the back of her chair.

But his face told a different story.

Even from a few rows up, I could see the faint purple bruise already blooming along his jaw where Kael’s fist had landed.

My chest tightened, but it wasn’t just that.

It was his hands.

His knuckles looked raw, angry red, the skin split in a couple of places. Not the kind of bruising that came from one punch. These looked… worse.

I swallowed hard and forced my gaze away, pressing it back out the window like I hadn’t noticed.

It wasn’t my business.

Not anymore.