The Human Among Wolves Chapter 90

Aurora

I tightened the towel around my waist, took a deep breath, and cracked the door open. The apartment outside was quiet, lit only by the golden glow from a lamp near the couch. Kael was sitting there, leaned back, scrolling on his phone. He looked too relaxed for someone who’d just gone through what we had.

Perfect. Maybe he wouldn’t even look up.

I stepped out quietly, my bare feet cold against the floor. Every step made my heart beat faster, the air outside the bathroom cooler against my still-wet skin. My backpack was right there—on the couch. Just a few more steps.

I crouched down, trying not to make a sound, and started unzipping it.

Kael’s voice came out of nowhere. “Forget something?”

I jumped, my hand slipping, the zipper making a loud, sharp sound that echoed in the room.

“I—uh—no!” I stammered, eyes wide.

He tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You sure? ’Cause you look kinda guilty there, Princess.”

My face burned. “I’m fine. I just—”

And then it happened.

The towel slipped.

It started slow, just loosening around my waist, and before I could grab it—before I could breathe—it fell.

Straight to the floor.

For one horrifying heartbeat, I froze. My brain completely stopped functioning. Then I gasped, dropped to grab it, and in a full panic, did the dumbest thing imaginable.

I snatched the towel off the floor and threw it—straight at Kael’s head.

It hit him square in the face with a soft thud, wrapping around him like a wet ghost.

“Don’t look!” I yelled, mortified, clutching my underwear from the bag and bolting toward the hallway.

From under the towel, his muffled voice came through, startled and half laughing. “What the—?”

“I said don’t look!” I screamed again, my voice high and breathless as I sprinted toward the bathroom.

He started laughing—actually laughing—his shoulders shaking under the towel as he tried to peel it off.

“Oh, come on,” he managed between chuckles, “you could’ve just wrapped it back around yourself—”

“Shut up!” I screamed. “Do not—do not—say a single word!”

I sprinted back into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and pressed my back against it, breathing hard. My heart was racing, my skin burning, my dignity completely gone.

On the other side of the door, Kael’s voice came through—amused, calm, absolutely insufferable.

“You know, Princess,” he called lightly, “I wasn’t looking.”

“Good!” I yelled back. “Keep it that way!”

There was a pause. Then his voice again, teasing, low.

“Shame, though.”

“Kael!”

His laughter echoed through the apartment again, easy and warm, and despite my humiliation, I couldn’t stop the small, strangled laugh that escaped me.

I buried my burning face in my hands, shaking my head.

“Oh my God,” I whispered to myself. “I’m never living this down.”

*** * ***

By the time I’d finally managed to pull on my clothes, my face was still burning. The oversized T-shirt hung loosely on me, the hem brushing against my thighs, and my damp hair clung stubbornly to my shoulders. I took one last look in the mirror, trying to convince myself I didn’t look like someone who had just launched a towel at a guy’s head while completely naked.

I failed miserably.

“Get it together,” I muttered under my breath, exhaling hard.

When I cracked the bathroom door open, the apartment was quiet again. The only sound came from the soft hum of the fridge. For a second, I thought maybe Kael had gone to his room—maybe he’d decided to let me live this down.

I should’ve known better.

As I stepped into the living room, I spotted him exactly where I’d left him—lounged on the couch, one arm draped casually over the backrest, the towel I’d thrown at him now hanging neatly around his shoulders like some kind of victory prize.

He looked up when he heard me, and that stupid smirk spread across his face immediately.

“Well,” he said, voice low and teasing, “that was quite the show.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Don’t.”

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence, though the sparkle in his eyes ruined the act completely. “I’m just saying—if you wanted my attention, you could’ve just asked.”

I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “I hate you.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said easily, leaning back with that infuriating grin. “That’s why you threw a towel at me instead of putting it back on.”

I glared at him. “It was a panic reaction.”

“Looked more like a personal attack.”

“Kael.”

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “Relax. I didn’t see anything.”

I raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “Promise?”

His smirk softened just a little, eyes flicking briefly away before he said, “Promise.”

I crossed my arms and mumbled, “Good. Because if you did, I swear I’d—”

“Kill me?” he offered, still half smiling. “You say that a lot.”

I sank down onto the couch beside him, curling my legs underneath me. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Oh, absolutely,” he said without hesitation.

“I’m serious,” I said, glaring, but it didn’t hold for long. A reluctant laugh escaped me, small but real.

He looked over at me, eyes softening a bit at the sound. “See? There’s that laugh,” he murmured. “Was starting to miss it.”

My breath caught for half a second, my chest tightening unexpectedly. I looked away, pretending to study the flicker of light from the window. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” he said quietly, leaning back again. “But you like me anyway.”

I snorted, more to cover the weird warmth in my chest than anything else. “Keep dreaming.”

He smiled—an actual smile this time, not a smirk—and for a moment, neither of us said anything. The silence between us wasn’t heavy anymore. It was easy. Comfortable, even.

“Hey,” Kael said after a while, his voice softer now. “For what it’s worth… you handled tonight better than most people would’ve.”

I glanced at him. “You mean aside from flashing you in your own apartment?”

He grinned. “Aside from that, yeah.”

I laughed again, shaking my head. “Thanks, I guess.”

He nudged my shoulder lightly with his. “Anytime.”

I reached for my phone on the coffee table, the screen lighting up the dim room in a cold blue glow. 4:55 a.m.

“Seriously?” I muttered under my breath, rubbing a hand over my tired face. “We should probably go to sleep—it’s… either really late or really early.”

Kael, who’d been half-slouched on the couch across from me, stretched his arms over his head with a quiet groan. “Yeah,” he agreed, voice low and rough from exhaustion. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I feel like it,” I said, forcing a small laugh. “But, uh… where should I—?”

He didn’t even let me finish. “You’ll take the bed,” he said simply, already pushing himself up.

“What?” I blinked at him, startled. “No way. I can sleep on the couch, it’s totally fine.”

He gave me that look—that annoyingly confident, no-room-for-argument kind of look. “Not a chance, Princess.”

I frowned, my voice soft but stubborn. “Kael, seriously, I don’t want to take your bed—”

He was already walking toward the hallway, glancing back over his shoulder. “Relax. I made it while you were in the shower. Clean sheets, fresh blankets. I’m not about to make you sleep on a couch.”

That stopped me for a second. “You… made your bed?”

He smirked faintly. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m capable of adult things.”

I snorted quietly, standing up and grabbing my phone. “Right."

The apartment had gone quiet again, except for the faint hum of the city beyond the windows. The lights in the hallway were dim, the air warm and faintly scented with cedar and soap—him.

He stopped at the last door, pushing it open with an easy nudge of his shoulder. “Here,” he said, stepping aside to let me in.

The room was spacious but simple, like the rest of his apartment—dark walls softened by the glow of a single bedside lamp, clean gray sheets tucked perfectly over a king-sized bed. The bed looked soft enough to sink into and never wake up again.

I lingered in the doorway, hesitating. “You’re sure?” I asked quietly. “I can seriously take the couch.”

He shook his head once, that stubborn edge back in his tone. “I said no, Princess. You’re exhausted. Get in the bed before you fall over.”

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “You’re really bossy, you know that?”

“Yeah,” he said, smirking. “Get used to it.”

I rolled my eyes but stepped past him into the room, the warmth wrapping around me like a blanket. “Fine. But if you sleep on the couch and end up with a sore back, that’s on you.”

“I’ll survive.” He leaned against the doorframe, watching me quietly for a moment. “Goodnight, Aurora.”

The way he said my name—softly, like it meant something—made something tighten in my chest. I swallowed hard, pretending not to notice.

“Goodnight, Kael,” I murmured, climbing into the bed. The sheets were cool and smelled faintly like him.

He lingered for a moment longer, then nodded and turned away, closing the door halfway behind him as he went back down the hall.

For a few minutes, I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the faint sounds of him moving in the living room—the soft thud of a blanket being unfolded, the sigh of the couch springs, and finally, silence.

Only then did I let out a slow breath and close my eyes.