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-"

he finds ou-out you married T-Toran,"

hanging open in

y-your place.I-I don’t want him to h-hurt y-you

her life with my father.It does not matter to me, however.I remember...and I do not

hands tightly and I feel the slight tremor in her touch but she does not utter a word as I beg to take my mother’s place

hair and I sense the

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another

"It’s okay..."

best to remain

okay.Kota and I are going to be okay, so you don’t have to worry

"We'll be fine."

a brave face and looks me

you,"

to

get the chance to exchange them as Toran reminds us of

the

as he Sebastian launches his attack and we need

falters slightly, softening as he

"Ri..."

entirely, turning on her heel

slams the door behind

sorry, my love," he thinks to himself before the man of stone returns, his face neutral and

before walking out with

tiredly, Talia smoothing back

Evan," he whispers as he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and

ruffling

Queen Aurora

afraid Oliver and I will be leaving in a few hours as well." My heart sinks to the pit of

will protect my family while I am away?

to deal with

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

family?"

Oliver explains.

begins to beat a little faster and I question if

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

Aurora continues.

for

be any

Talia tries

weak as I look," she says with a

surrounded by wolves.We'll

cannot let my mother face my father

I'll help you

interlocking our hands and pulling me towards

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

walks me out

her thoughts, hearing her count each step she takes in "Left, right, left,

chants, keeping a strong

we reach the house, Agnes is sitting at the dining table with Rionna, pouring

just beside

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

down on the bed while she searches for my bag and

Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts for

Talia chirps with a little

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

pairs of my socks which she

She ignores me, humming quietly to herself

Talia’s eyes scanning the

your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing off to

a few moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle of

to put this on.It’s hot

look washes over her face and tears gather in

a sound as it becomes evidently clear Talia is just trying to cope.I can’t seem to find the right 4 words to soothe her fears, the uncertainty of this

I whisper quietly, Talia nodding her head

you going?" Kota suddenly asks, climbing on the bed

is going on a

me as she returns with the jar