Chapter 52: Sweet Silence
Chapter 52: Sweet Silence
"Every creature fears the hand that can reach its heart, because not every touch bruises the skin. Some unravel the soul."
~ Rebel Beast
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"I’m going to step closer now," Maverick warned quietly, giving her one final opportunity to object.
"Huh?" Aria mumbled incoherently.
Then he closed the distance between them.
One step. That was all it took. Then he was standing right in front of her, towering over her until he blotted out everything else. The girls, the common room, the murmurs around them, they all disappeared behind the broad frame of Professor Maverick Nightshade.
He was all she could see, and every instinct inside Aria screamed at her to move.
Run.
Step back.
Do something.
Anything.
Yet her feet remained rooted to the floor as though they’d betrayed her. Or perhaps, she was the one betraying herself. Aria hadn’t realized she’d been staring until his deep voice pulled her back.
"I’m going to touch you now."
The words should have sounded professional. A simple warning before he used his ability. Instead, they landed like a death sentence.
Run.
The warning echoed louder inside her head.
Something deep within her soul recognized this moment for what it was. Not dangerous because he intended to hurt her, but dangerous because she had the strange feeling nothing between them would remain the same afterward.
Every sensible part of her begged her to pull away. Yet another part, one she hadn’t known existed until Maverick Nightshade walked into her life, wanted to know what his touch felt like.
The realization terrified her.
Around them, the strange tension hadn’t gone unnoticed either. The common room had fallen unusually quiet, every pair of eyes fixed on the two of them.
"Wasn’t he averse to touch or something?" Liv whispered, her brows knitting together in confusion.
Brittney immediately hissed for silence while Alek and Trisha shot Liv matching death glares. None of them were about to let anyone ruin this moment.
The three girls stood completely captivated, watching the invisible thread stretching between Aria and Maverick as though they had been waiting for this moment all along.
As if she were something delicate meant to be treasured, Maverick gently cupped her face with both hands. His palms were warm against her skin, rough enough to remind her they belonged to a warrior, yet impossibly gentle in the way they held her.
It was only a touch. It shouldn’t have affected her this much. Yet a million chills raced through her body, and Aria stiffened on the spot.
He must have felt the tension seize her because his next words were little more than a whisper.
"Relax."
The single word brushed over her like a lover’s caress. She did relax, especially when his scent drifted into her nose.
Dear Father lord in heaven, the man smelled insanely good.
Aria’s eyes fluttered shut as she caught his scent again. With her sense of sight gone, it became even more distinct. Deep, dark and smoky, like freshly roasted dark coffee over an open fire.
It should have smelled harsh and intimidating, matching the severe man standing before her. Instead, hidden beneath all that darkness was the faintest trace of vanilla. So subtle she almost convinced herself she’d imagined it.
Thus, Aria found herself breathing in again just to be sure. It was still there. Warm, smooth and dangerously comforting. It didn’t suit him. Or perhaps, it suited Professor Maverick Nightshade far too well.
Everyone saw the sharp edges. Right now, however, she could almost sense the softness hidden beneath all that rigid self-control.
Maverick closed his eyes and reached for her mind. As expected, nothing happened. There were no scattered thoughts or emotions brushing against the edge of his consciousness waiting to be pieced together.
It was as though the moment his ability reached Aria Aspen, it stepped into an endless field of untouched snow where not a single footprint existed. It should have bothered him, but instead, Maverick found himself savoring it.
For as long as he could remember, the world had never truly been silent. Every person he encountered carried thoughts, memories and emotions loud enough to leave impressions behind. Even when he wasn’t trying to read them, they were always there, scratching at the edge of his mind like an endless chorus he could never quite escape.
Standing before Aria, however, there was only silence. Beautiful, uninterrupted silence.
The quiet settled over him like cool rain after years beneath an unforgiving sun, easing a weariness he hadn’t even realized he carried. It was strangely addictive, making him wonder if this was what ordinary people experienced every single day.
His thumb drifted across her cheek almost absentmindedly. The movement had nothing to do with searching her mind anymore. He simply wanted to know what she felt like.
Maverick Nightshade had spent years avoiding unnecessary touch. Aside from his mother and sisters, physical contact had always been something to endure rather than enjoy. It was invasive and unpleasant.
Yet Aria’s skin beneath his fingertips was impossibly soft, the warmth of her face settling against his palms as though she’d been made to fit there. Instead of the familiar discomfort, an unfamiliar calm spread quietly through his chest.
It made no sense. Almost as though his body had decided Aria Aspen wasn’t someone to push away. Without thinking, he drew a slow breath.
Lavender and fresh mint.
The fragrance was clean and delicate, wrapping around him with effortless grace. It wasn’t loud enough to demand attention, yet somehow he couldn’t stop himself from breathing it in again.
For the first time, Maverick understood why people sought the comfort of another person’s touch because he found himself reluctant to let go.
Unfortunately, Maverick couldn’t afford to let that show. If he suddenly admitted he couldn’t read Aria Aspen’s mind, every ounce of authority he’d built over the last few minutes would crumble before the girls.
So he continued the performance.
His brows drew together in concentration while his thumb traced slowly along her cheek. A thoughtful hum vibrated low in the back of his throat, the sort of sound someone made when piecing together fragments only they could see.
To everyone watching, Professor Maverick Nightshade was reading Aria Aspen’s mind. To Maverick, he was simply buying himself time.
To Aria, it was an entirely different kind of torture. Each slow stroke of his thumb burned against her skin as though his touch carried a warmth of its own.
The sensation spread from her face down the length of her neck before settling somewhere beneath her ribs, leaving her strangely breathless.
He hummed again, and the deep vibration rolled over her, slipping beneath her skin until a slow warmth unfurled low inside her.
Dear Lord, did the man have any idea what his voice was doing to her?
"I’m close now," Maverick murmured, never breaking the illusion.
The words struck her harder than they should have. A shiver traveled through her body, followed by another wave of unbearable warmth that left her clutching desperately to what little composure she had left.
Meanwhile, Maverick remained completely absorbed in his performance until his nose twitched. Without thinking, he drew a slow breath, and every muscle in his body suddenly locked.
His wolf stirred. No, it surged. A low growl rumbled deep within his chest before he could stop it.
Aria’s lashes fluttered open, and she looked directly into his eyes. Whatever she saw there sent fear crashing through her.
The calm was gone. Something wild, predatory, hungry and untamed stared back at her. Her breath caught, and she jerked backward, breaking the contact between them.
"I..." Aria’s voice came out smaller than she’d intended. "I think that’s enough."
The warmth vanished with the distance.
Maverick blinked as awareness slowly returned. He took one careful step back, putting the space between them that should’ve been there from the beginning.
"You’re right."
His voice had turned rough, the words dragged over gravel.
"I’ve seen enough."
For once, Professor Maverick Nightshade wasn’t talking about memories.