Novel & Cerita Silence Natasha Preston

The whispers grew louder, more insistent. " I... have come... for you…" I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. Monica had always taught me to trust my instincts, and right now, my instincts were telling me to listen. As I gazed around the field, I noticed some movement far in the distance, coming from the canopy of trees just at the edge of the forest. It was a fox as white as snow, almost blending into the sunlight filtering through the trees. Curiosity overwhelmed me, so I stalked closer cautiously. The fox stood still as I approached, its bright eyes watching me intently, as if it was waiting for me. There was something almost magical about it, something that drew me in.

Unused to such friendliness, I fumbled awkwardly, pulling out my notepad to scribble my response. The room filled with stifled laughter. "She can't talk! She's mute!" someone blurted out. For a brief moment, Harvey looked stunned, even a little regretful. He scratched his head sheepishly, unsure of what to say. A girl sitting in front of us turned around and added loudly, "Not just mute—she's a wicked mute. You sure you want to sit with her?" I nervously twisted the paper with my name in my hand. Harvey shot her a sharp glare before sitting down beside me. He grabbed the note from my hand, read it, and greeted me with, "Nice to meet you, Raelynn."

I muttered under my breath before pushing the phone farther away from myself. Hours passed. Working hours ended, yet there was still nothing from Natasha. No reply. No call. Nothing. I leaned back in my chair and loosened my tie slightly before glancing toward the untouched phone again. The silence felt ridiculous now. I had handled billion-dollar negotiations with less tension than this. A quiet scoff escaped my lips. “Unbelievable.” Most people rushed to answer me. Natasha Berlin, however, seemed perfectly comfortable pretending I didn’t exist. Unfortunately… that only made me think about her more.

Hands finally touching a cold object on her table she grabbed the hearing aids and put them in and was in her way to the kitchen slowly when the light of the corridor came on and now she was faced with two ugly looking men. Rogues. Looking at them for a moment Natalia thought she could go invisible but nope, she wasn't a witch, she was a werewolf and as luck would have it she had her hearing aids on. "Hello there little one" the ugly looking man said as he made his way closer to her frozen in fear, the man's hand controlled her to make movements towards him. "What is your name?" "Mummy? Daddy?" She tried to mind link but no answer. "Daddy, please answer me" she mind linked one more time, sti

I glare at him, my brows frowned. "She most certainly does. See I pretty much know everything about our students except her. She doesn't talk about her family and nobody at The Academy seems to know anything either. Even the information given to the school after she joined was vague...” He takes a sip of his beer, his eyes trained on me, “All the school knows about the Silent Student is that she comes from a rich family that possibly has connections to the chairman and that her name is Atlas Winters. She's practically a ghost at The Academy. Did you know that her age isn’t even in our system?"

Alexander stands beside her with his jaw set and his hand gripping her shoulder in a pose that screams solidarity and heartbreak. Behind them are the rest of the family. Camilia’s lips pursed in feigned sorrow, my father eyes cold and unreadable, and Gregory Westfield radiating smug satisfaction. I hit play. “I…” Natasha’s voice quivers, every syllable calculated for maximum effect. “I know what everyone must think of me,” she begins, dabbing delicately at her eyes. “That I’m the villain in this story. The other woman. The home-wrecker.” She pauses, letting her words hang in the air while soaking up the attention.

I tell myself that means I’m doing the right thing. If being quiet makes Daddy happy, then I can be quiet forever. I stop telling him when I have bad dreams, I stopped telling him when I miss him and also when my chest hurts. Because strong girls don’t need to be told they matter. They already know…Don’t they? **** The tension finally snapped the following Tuesday afternoon. Ethan was away settling a border dispute, leaving the pack house under Natasha’s careful, smiling supervision. She spent the morning walking its halls, her gaze sharpening at every reminder of the woman who had lived, and been loved, there before her.

I looked out the window, my reflection staring back at me, unrecognizable. If it had to end that way, then so be it. ___________________________________ Sylvester’s POV. After the door slammed behind Carol, the silence that followed was strange. It wasn’t peaceful or calm; it was heavy. Natasha sat on the couch, her hands resting on her lap. Her eyes were distant, and she looked like she was struggling to stay composed. I sat beside her, but I didn’t know how to reach her. The words I wanted to say were all stuck somewhere between guilt and fear.

She stared at me for a moment, torn, then finally nodded. “Okay… just… no one can know.” “No one will. You can trust us.” I gestured at the others in the room. Alessa gave a small nod of agreement, still rubbing Natasha’s back, who hadn’t stopped trembling. Amber left with Stanley. The door shut behind her like a seal closing over everything she just said. The silence after was heavier than before. Natasha sat frozen, her face streaked with tears, staring at nothing. Alessa stood still, staring at the board like it had just shifted its shape.

If they wouldn't listen to her words, she’d have to give them something they couldn't ignore. After thinking it over, Natasha decided she had to make her move. She started by cutting all the landline connections she could find, making sure the house was isolated. Then, she went into the bathroom and turned the shower on full blast, standing under the cool water, shivering and yet not giving up on whatever idea was brewing in her mind.