Chapter 82: Tell Your Father
"The moon never argues with the tide. It simply pulls."
~ Rebel Beast
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Maverick Nightshade wiped away the layer of steam clouding the vanity mirror and studied his reflection. The man staring back at him no longer resembled the one from earlier.
The madness had retreated from his eyes. His breathing was steady, his shoulders relaxed, and every trace of the turmoil that had threatened to consume him after Feral’s move had been carefully buried beneath expert restraint.
At least, that was what anyone looking at him would think.
Today had tested him in ways he hadn’t believed possible. Even now, whenever he closed his eyes, Aria’s face surfaced uninvited. Worse still, every breath reminded him of her. Lavender and mint. Such an innocent scent, yet somehow it had become the most dangerous thing he’d ever encountered.
The realization settled heavily inside his chest. It had only been two days, and he was already obsessed with his mate. Not intrigued or merely attracted, but obsessed. That frightened him more than any enemy ever could.
If merely standing beside Aria had pushed him this close to losing control, then allowing Feral any freedom around her would be nothing short of catastrophic.
His wolf wouldn’t simply chase her. He would claim, devour, and consume every part of her until there was nothing left for the rest of the world.
Maverick shut his eyes briefly.
No. That could never happen.
After ensuring Aria had safely settled into House Therion, he’d run for hours through the forest surrounding Bestiaris until every muscle in his body screamed in protest. Only then had Feral finally quieted. The wolf still lingered beneath the surface, restless and alert, but no longer clawing relentlessly at the walls of his mind.
Unfortunately, another thought crept into his mind before he could stop it. She was only downstairs, close enough that if anything happened, he could reach her in minutes.
The thought brought an unexpected sense of relief.
And fear.
He could reach her whenever he wanted.
Maverick stepped away from the mirror with a sharp jerk, as though putting distance between himself and his reflection might somehow drive the thought from his mind as well.
He drew a slow breath, roughly drying his damp hair with the towel before tossing it carelessly onto the rack, then stepped out of the bathroom and into the quiet of his quarters.
He hadn’t even reached the living room before another familiar presence brushed against his senses.
Dimitri.
Maverick didn’t need to see him to know he was there. Nor did he need telepathy to guess exactly what his uncle was doing.
Dimitri’s mind had always been impossibly loud, a constant stream of thoughts that never seemed to pause for breath. After growing up together from infancy, Maverick had become so accustomed to that relentless mental noise that he could practically sense it before they were even in the same room.
If the average mind was a gentle murmur, Dimitri’s was a marketplace at midday.
"You’re quite a difficult man to keep track of," Dimitri remarked, sniffing the air the moment Maverick stepped into the room. "Where have you been?"
"I went for a run," Maverick said, walking over to the wardrobe. He pulled out a black polo shirt and a pair of shorts before beginning to dress.
Dimitri waited until he’d finished before speaking again.
"So."
Maverick looked at him.
"So... what?"
"Don’t play innocent with me." Dimitri folded his arms. "You know exactly what I’m asking."
Maverick released a tired sigh, tilting his head back for a brief moment before answering.
"I’ll apologize to Aria for what happened earlier. Then I’ll stay away from her until I’m certain Feral won’t lose control again."
"Maverick—"
"I don’t want to hear it."
He turned away, searching the room for where he’d left his phone.
Dimitri ignored the interruption.
"Feral isn’t going to hurt her. He knows she’s his mate just as much as yours. Our wolves may be animals, but they’re still driven to protect what’s theirs."
Maverick finally looked back at him.
"No," he muttered. "You’re right. He probably won’t hurt her physically. But Feral is still ruled by instinct."
Maverick’s jaw tightened.
"All he understands right now is possession. If he surfaces again, he won’t stop to think whether Aria is ready or not. He’ll simply take what he believes belongs to him."
The thought alone made something twist violently inside his chest.
"I refuse to let that happen."
Seeing how resolute he was, Dimitri changed tactics.
"Then tell your father."
Maverick didn’t answer.
"At least tell Asher. Out of everyone, he’s the one most capable of keeping this quiet. He’s gone through the same difficult mating situation before. If anyone can help you navigate this, it’s him."
Maverick stopped searching. For several seconds, the room remained completely silent. Then he slowly raised his head.
"No."
His voice was calm but left little room for argument.
"My father has never gone through this."
He met Dimitri’s gaze.
"He didn’t have his wolf violently forced into manifestation years before it was supposed to happen."
He added, "And I’m no longer a child. If I’m expected to lead the wolves one day, then I need to learn how to solve my own problems instead of running to my father every time something goes wrong. After all, Father Asher became Alpha while he was still young."
"Through my father’s help," Dimitri cut in immediately. His patience was beginning to wear thin.
"Need I remind you that Ezra practically stood beside him every step of the way? And he still does."
Maverick regarded him without flinching.
"Then I’ll do better."
There wasn’t even the slightest arrogance in his voice, only absolute certainty.
"I’m Maverick Nightshade, after all."
He bent down, finally retrieving his phone from where it had become tangled in the bedsheets.
Dimitri shut his eyes briefly.
Goddess save him from this one.
The stubborn fool sounded exactly like Asher whenever someone offered him help. Apparently, hardheadedness ran in the bloodline.