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-"

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

hanging

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

she holds her head in her hands, cursing herself for being unable to remember her life with my father.It does not matter to me, however.I remember...and I do not want my

but she does

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

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and shakes

"It’s okay..."

doing her best to remain calm in

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

"We'll be fine."

brave face and looks me in the eye,

you,"

to me

do not get the chance to exchange them as Toran reminds us of the

at the cars in

we need

face falters slightly, softening as he looks

"Ri..."

however, ignores him entirely, turning

slams the door behind

man of stone returns, his face neutral and

he mutters aloud before walking out with Tylen

tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair and kissing his

whispers as he lays his

ruffling up

Talia," Queen

I will be leaving in a few hours as

family

deal with Alpha

don’t worry.I’ll try

will pro-protect my family?"

Oliver explains.

him a stern look.My heart begins to beat a little faster and

Zane.Talia, Kota, Rionna, and Agnes will

Aurora continues.

the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they are

be any

Talia tries

I look," she

by wolves.We'll be perfectly

cannot let my mother face my

I'll help

murmurs, interlocking our hands and pulling me towards

too eager to get rid of us, Grayson sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would get on her knees and beg us to

head held high as she walks me out of the office, her face

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

chants, keeping a strong smile on her

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

also there, standing just beside Rionna with an envelope in

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

searches for my bag and she begins searching for my

help?" Kota asks as Talia folds some

sweetie," Talia chirps with a little too

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

of my socks which she carefully folds and stuffs

ignores me, humming quietly to herself as she

eyes scanning the

razor," Talia gasps, rushing

my toiletries

not forget to put this on.It’s hot

face and tears gather in her

can’t seem to find the

whisper quietly, Talia nodding her head and running

climbing on the bed to

on a

as she returns with the jar of hair gel in her