The Human Among Wolves Chapter 91

Aurora

The sound of rain was what pulled me out of sleep.

At first, I didn’t even open my eyes—I just lay there, listening to it. The steady tap against the window, the faint rush of cars passing far below. It was soft, rhythmic, the kind of sound that almost made you want to go right back to sleep.

Eventually, I blinked awake and squinted at the room around me. It took me a second to remember where the hell I even was. The clean sheets, the warm light filtering in through gray rain clouds—it wasn’t my dorm room. It wasn’t the Academy at all.

Then it hit me.

Kael’s apartment. Last night. The witch. The books. Everything.

“Right,” I mumbled to myself, rubbing my face with both hands. “That actually happened.”

I reached for my phone on the nightstand, the bright screen nearly blinding me in the dim light.

10:32 a.m.

Great. Five and a half hours of sleep and I still felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

I pushed the blanket away and sat up, stretching until my back popped. My body ached in that bone-deep, emotional kind of way. Outside, rain ran down the glass in fat streaks. It wasn’t just raining—it was pouring.

With a groan, I got to my feet and padded toward the door, my hair a mess, my socks barely on right. I hesitated with my hand on the doorknob when I heard something faint—metal clinking, a soft scrape, the low hum of… music?

I cracked the door open just a bit and peeked out.

Kael was in the kitchen.

He was standing at the stove, his back turned to me, moving around like he’d done this a hundred times before. He had a pan in one hand and was flipping something in it, the smell of coffee and toast instantly filling the air. His shirt was dark and plain, his hair a little messy, and there was an ease in the way he moved that made the whole scene weirdly domestic.

I blinked.

Kael. Making breakfast.

That was… unexpected.

For a second, I just stood there in the doorway, watching him, trying not to think about how comfortable he looked or how completely out of place I felt in his space.

“Morning,” I finally said, my voice still thick with sleep.

He glanced over his shoulder, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Hey. You’re up.”

“Barely.” I rubbed at my eyes, shuffling a few steps closer.

“You were out cold. Figured I’d let you sleep.”

I yawned. “You could’ve woken me.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “You looked like you needed it.”

I walked toward the counter, the smell of whatever he was cooking hitting me full force. Eggs. Coffee. Butter. My stomach made an embarrassing sound.

“Are you… cooking breakfast?” I asked, half-teasing, half-genuinely shocked.

“Someone’s gotta keep you from passing out,” he said, flipping the eggs with a flick of his wrist.

I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head as I turned away from him and padded down the hall toward the bathroom. My feet made almost no sound on the polished floor, just the faint tap-tap echoing under the rain’s steady rhythm outside.

The bathroom light was soft and golden when I flicked it on, spilling over cool marble counters and a mirror so clean it almost startled me. I set my phone on the sink and leaned forward, bracing my hands on the edge, taking a long look at myself.

Yeah. I looked like hell.

My hair was a tangled mess, my eyes puffy from too little sleep, and my skin looked as pale as the storm outside. I groaned under my breath and turned on the faucet, letting the water run until it warmed.

I splashed my face a few times, the cool water waking me up just enough to feel 'human' again. Then I grabbed my toothbrush from where I’d left it on the counter last night and brushed my teeth slowly, staring blankly at the mirror. The minty taste hit my tongue and, for some reason, made me think of normal mornings—the kind I hadn’t had in a long time.

When I was done, I pulled my hairbrush through my hair, wincing a little at the knots. The storm outside grew louder, a low rumble of thunder rolling through the air, making the window tremble faintly. For a moment, I just stood there, listening to it, breathing in the faint scent of Kael’s cologne that still lingered in the air.

Weirdly enough… it was kind of comforting.

After one last glance in the mirror, I sighed, grabbed my phone, and headed back out into the hallway.

When I walked in the kitchen again, Kael was already done cooking. The stove was off, a few pans cooling on the counter, and he was just setting two plates down on the kitchen island. Steam curled lazily up from them, and for a moment I couldn’t do anything but stare.

Scrambled eggs, toast, maybe even bacon—actual food. He’d made enough for both of us.

Kael glanced up when he heard me, that usual half-smirk tugging at his mouth. “Took you long enough.”

I rolled my eyes lightly but smiled despite myself as I walked closer. “Some of us don’t wake up looking like we walked out of a movie, you know.”

He chuckled, turning back toward the counter to pour two mugs of coffee. “Guess not.”

I slid onto the stool, the cool marble pressing against my arms as I pulled the plate toward me. Without waiting, I picked up the fork and took a bite.

Okay. Wow. It was actually good. Like, really good. The eggs were soft, the toast perfectly crisp, and I could’ve sworn the coffee smelled better than anything I’d ever had at the academy.

Across the counter, Kael was leaning on his elbows, mug in hand, pretending not to watch me but completely failing. His hair was still a little messy, like he hadn’t bothered to fix it, and he looked… unfairly good for someone who’d probably had the same five hours of sleep as me.

“What?” I asked, mouth half-full.

He raised a brow, sipping from his mug. “Didn’t take you for someone who eats like she hasn’t seen food in a week.”

I glared at him, cheeks warm. “It’s good, okay? You can drop the smug look.”

He grinned. “Didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t have to,” I muttered, poking at the eggs with my fork just to have something to do.

Silence settled between us again—not awkward this time, just quiet.

After a few bites, I cleared my throat. “So…” I began, glancing at him. “Could you take me back to the academy after breakfast? I mean, if you’re not busy or anything.”

Kael looked up from his mug, eyes meeting mine across the counter. He didn’t say anything right away, and for a second I thought he was going to make some kind of joke, but instead, he just nodded once.

“Yeah,” he said simply. “I’ll take you.”

I nodded back, trying not to smile. “Thanks.”

He shrugged lightly, turning back toward the sink. “Don’t mention it. Wouldn’t want my favorite pain in the ass to get kidnapped or something".”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped me. “You’re such an idiot.”