The Human Among Wolves Chapter 93

Aurora

I didn’t know what to do. Or how to feel.

My brain completely short-circuited the second he pulled away. This was the third time he’d kissed me—and yet, somehow, it felt different.

Panic and confusion tangled in my chest, and before I could think, before I could even look at him, I reached for the door handle and pushed it open. The cold morning air rushed in, sharp against my flushed skin.

“I—uh—bye,” I managed to stammer, my voice barely more than a whisper.

And then I was out.

I practically bolted from the car, slamming the door behind me and heading straight for the academy gates. I didn’t dare look back—not once. My pulse thundered in my ears as I fumbled with the latch, slipped through the gate, and hurried up the path leading toward the main building.

The courtyard was empty. Of course it was—it was Sunday morning, early enough that most students were still asleep or nursing hangovers from whatever underground party they’d gone to the night before. The air was damp, the sky heavy with gray clouds, the world quiet except for the soft squelch of my shoes against the wet pavement.

By the time I reached the dorms, my heartbeat still hadn’t slowed. I slipped inside the warm hallway, my steps echoing faintly off the walls. Everything looked the same as always—the worn carpet, the faint smell of coffee and cleaning supplies—but I didn’t feel the same. Not even close.

I climbed the stairs two at a time and pushed open the door to my dorm room, half expecting my roommates to be there, but the room was empty, sunlight spilling through the curtains.

I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, clutching my backpack like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

He kissed me. Again.

*** * ***

After a long, hot shower, I slipped into a loose T-shirt and climbed straight into bed. The second my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. No dreams, no thoughts—just sleep. I don’t know how long I was out, but when I finally woke up, the light in the room had shifted, and my brain felt like it was still trying to reboot.

I blinked at the ceiling for a few seconds before groaning quietly and rolling over. The dorm room was quiet, too quiet. That didn’t last long.

A few seconds later, the door burst open, and all the noise of the outside world came rushing in.

Riven was the first one through, juggling a ridiculous number of shopping bags, followed by Mira, who somehow managed to balance three coffees in one hand, and Lira, trailing behind, laughing about something I couldn’t quite catch.

Of course. Sunday shopping. Their favorite hobby.

When they noticed me sitting up in bed, their eyes widened.

“You're back!” Riven said, grinning.

“Yeah,” Mira added, setting the coffees down on the desk. “We figured Kael must’ve worn you out or something.”

I threw a pillow at her. “Oh my god, shut up,” I said, laughing despite myself.

“What?” she said innocently. “You went off with him last night, and you haven’t texted us at all. What were we supposed to think?”

I groaned, running a hand through my messy hair. “Nothing happened. Well—okay, something happened, but not that kind of something.”

They all froze, turning to me in perfect unison.

“Spill,” Lira demanded, dropping her shopping bags and plopping down on the edge of my bed. “Start from the beginning. What did the witch say? What did you find out?”

I sighed and sat up properly, tucking my legs under the blanket. “Okay, fine. But you’re not gonna believe me.”

Mira smirked. “We’re literally living in a school full of Lycans and werewolves. Try us.”

So, I told them.

Everything—from Seraphina and the creepy cabin in the woods, to the truth about my mom, Cecilia. The coven. The kidnapping. My father. The fact that I wasn’t even fully human.

By the time I finished, the room was quiet—really quiet.

Riven blinked at me like I’d just told her I was secretly a dragon. “Wait… so you’re part witch, part wolf?”

“Yeah,” I said, exhaling slowly. “Apparently, my mom’s some kind of super-powerful elemental witch, and my dad’s an Alpha king. Which is just… great.”

Mira let out a low whistle. “Damn. You win the award for most dramatic family reveal ever.”

I laughed weakly. “Yeah, not exactly the kind of ancestry I was expecting.”

Lira reached over and gave my knee a soft squeeze. “Well, whatever you are, you’re still you. That doesn’t change anything.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

Riven started unpacking her shopping bags, Mira handed me one of the iced coffees, and Lira began talking about some new store that opened downtown.

And even though my world had basically been flipped upside down in the last twenty-four hours, sitting there with them—listening to their laughter, their chatter, their familiar energy—I finally felt a little more grounded.

Maybe things weren’t normal anymore. But this—this right here—still felt like home.

“Oh, and by the way…” I started, pretending to sound casual, though my heart was already beating faster. I took a slow sip of my iced coffee, trying not to meet anyone’s eyes. “Kael and I… kissed. Again.”

That got their attention.

The room went dead silent.

Riven froze mid-unpacking, Mira stopped halfway through pulling a pair of boots out of a bag, and Lira’s mouth literally dropped open. Three sets of eyes snapped toward me like I’d just confessed to murder.

“You what?” Mira finally asked, eyes wide.

I shrugged, trying so hard to play it cool. “Yeah… it just kind of… happened,” I mumbled. “We were talking, and then… he kissed me.”

Riven blinked, crossing her arms. “Wait, hold on. What about Zayn? Weren’t you—like—pining after him?”

The mention of his name made my stomach twist a little. I sighed, sinking back against the headboard. “I was,” I admitted quietly. “But things are… different now. I don’t know. I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.”

Mira raised a brow. “Different how? Because from where I’m sitting, it kinda sounds like Kael swooped in, all mysterious and hot, and your brain just went poof.”

I groaned, covering my face with a pillow. “Can we not psychoanalyze my love life right now?”

“Oh, we’re absolutely going to psychoanalyze your love life,” Riven said, grinning. “That’s what friends are for.”

Lira plopped down beside me, hugging a bright pink throw pillow to her chest. “Okay, but… was it a good kiss? Like, good good?”

“Lira,” I groaned.

Her grin widened. “That’s a yes.”

I peeked at them through my fingers, cheeks burning. “It doesn’t matter, okay? It’s complicated. Everything’s complicated.”

“Of course it is,” Mira said, smirking. “You wouldn’t be you if it wasn’t.”

“Oh—speaking of Zayn…” Mira said suddenly, in that tone that always meant brace yourself. She was digging through one of her shopping bags, totally casual, like she wasn’t about to drop another bomb on me.

I looked up from my phone. “What about him?”

She glanced at me, almost hesitant. “He was looking for you yesterday.”

I froze, blinking. “…Excuse me? And you’re only telling me that now?”

Mira’s head shot up, eyes wide. “Relax! I didn’t think it was that big of a deal!”

“Not that big of a—” I stopped myself before I raised my voice. “Why was he looking for me?”

She shrugged, still sorting through her pile of new clothes like this was the most casual conversation in the world. “He didn’t say. Just showed up, asked where you were, and when we told him you were with Kael…”—her mouth curved into a small smirk—“…let’s just say, he didn’t exactly look thrilled.”