The Silent Alpha

"*Zane*** 

"Are you fighting with me or staying out of this war?" Toran asks, a crippling fear grasping onto me.

My gaze shifts between my mate and mother, my heart unable to decide what to do.

I can’t bear the thought of leaving Talia and Kota alone knowing that her wolf will soon emerge for its first shift but I had already lost my mother once and I don’t have the strength to lose her again.

As I struggle to find my answer, Rionna replies for me.

"You will not drag my son into this," she declares, standing protectively in front of me.

"I am Ravenstone’s Luna and it’s me Sebastian wants.I’ll go back.You just leave my son out of this."

Toran eyes my mother with an emotionless expression plastered on his face and he sighs tiredly as he formulates a response.

My mind, however, drifts off to the memories of my mother and father when I was a child.

My father aimed most of his anger towards me but my mother was never exempt from his abuse.

He would not hesitate to slap or hit her if she stood in the way of my punishment and she always did.

"Why did you stop?"

My father snarls, slowly unbuckling his belt from his waist.He rises to his feet, towering over me as I hold my book with trembling hands.

"I didn’t say you could stop." I stare at the word "colonel" from the poem I am reading, tears springing to my eyes as I realize I will inevitably stutter through it. I purse my lips and shake my head, preferring to take my punishment now rather than anger him more with my failure.

"Say it," my father commands as I hold my breath, close my eyes, and start to count.

1...2...3...4...

I hear his swift footsteps start to charge towards me, the sting of his belt rippling behind my thigh.

At once, the breath I’ve been holding is released with a scream as I receive a second lick to the back of my knees.

"Dadd-"

"I told you to speak!"

My father roars, raising his hand above his head to hit me again.

"Sebastian, stop it!"

My mother begs, tugging at his shirt in a weak attempt to get him to stop whipping me.

"Stop it! Stop it, don’t hurt my baby!"

She beats her fists against his shoulders to make him stop and he shoves her away from him absent-mindedly to hit me again.

When she doesn’t stop attacking him, he turns against her, pinning her to the ground with his large thighs and grabbing at her belt, my mother begging for him to let her go.

She calls to his wolf but it seems my father is in complete control, beating her over and over again until he draws blood.

Horrified, I pick up the book again and search for my place through my tears.

"Col-co- colo-" I stammer through hiccups as my father snarls at me.

"Say it right and I'll stop," he challenges me, my legs shaking so severely, I have to kneel to keep from falling over.

"I-It’s okay, Zane," my mother wheezes.

"You can-"

"Shut up!"

My father roars, grabbing my mother by the throat before turning to me.

"You better speak up, boy or I’ll hurt her.It was the longest day of my life that day, my mother taking the blows without ever getting angry with me.Even as I failed over and over again, she did not scream at me, nor did she ever blame me for her hospital visit that day.I cannot let my mother face that monster again.

"N-no..." I protest, shaking my head at my mother and pushing her aside.

"N-no...y-you can’t go."

"Zane, it’s my pack-"

ki-kill you if he finds ou-out you married T-Toran," I insist, my eyes

hanging open

place.I-I don’t

in her hands, cursing herself for being unable to remember her life with my father.It does not matter to me,

but she does not utter a word as I beg to take

face in Kota’s hair and I sense the deep fear in her fast

"Ta-Talia..."

another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

whispers, doing her best to remain

I are going to be okay, so you don’t have to worry about us," she says through a forced

"We'll be fine."

a brave face and looks me in the eye,

love you," she

back to me

get the chance

at the cars in one

attack and we need to prepare for what he might

calm face falters slightly, softening as he

"Ri..."

entirely, turning on her heel to

as my mothers slams the door

love," he thinks to himself before the man of stone returns, his

hour," he mutters aloud before walking out

yawns tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair and kissing

as he lays his head on Talia’s

grins, ruffling up

Talia," Queen Aurora

in a few hours as well." My heart sinks

protect my family while I

summoned to France to deal with Alpha Jacque

can’t send a representative.But don’t worry.I’ll try to be back

family?" I ask.we

Oliver explains.

stern look.My heart begins to beat a little faster and I question if I am

worry Zane.Talia, Kota, Rionna, and Agnes will

Aurora continues.

taking charge of the kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they are in good hands," she

be any

Talia tries to

as weak as I look," she says

wolves.We'll be

her words but I also cannot let my mother face my father now that she has built

I'll

murmurs, interlocking our hands and pulling me towards

eager to get rid of us, Grayson sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would

walks me out of the office, her

walls to listen in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step she takes in

a strong smile on

at the dining table with Rionna, pouring a cup of tea for

also there, standing just beside Rionna with an

seem to be caught in a conversation all on their own so we walk

bed while she searches for my bag

Talia folds some

Talia chirps with a little too much

me some of Zane’s socks from the dresser," she says,

brings Talia two pairs of my socks which she carefully

humming quietly to herself as she

Talia’s eyes scanning

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia

returns a few moments later with my toiletries and waves a

not forget to put this on.It’s

face

evidently clear Talia is just trying to cope.I can’t seem to find

gel," I whisper quietly, Talia nodding her head and running back to the bathroom to get

on the bed to play with the zipper

on

she returns with