Chapter 86

• Aurora POV
• I return to the hotel and sink down onto the edge of the bed, staring at the plain carpet beneath my feet. My stomach twists with hunger, though the idea of leaving this room makes me uneasy. Food is what I need, I tell myself. That is the most reasonable thing I can do right now. Still, the thought of being surrounded by strangers, of sitting at a table where people might glance over at me or ask me questions, makes my chest tighten.
• Instead, I reach for the phone on the nightstand and call down to order something simple. Once it’s done, I set the receiver back in place and fold my hands in my lap, waiting. The silence in the room presses close, reminding me how little I understand about this world outside the pack. I was never taught how to live among humans, never shown how they manage their days or what rules they follow. Yet here I am, alone, and if I want to survive then I have no choice but to learn.