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-"

married T-Toran," I insist, my eyes

hanging open

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

and 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 father to ever touch her

I feel the slight tremor in her touch but she does not utter a word as I beg to take my

I sense the deep fear

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and

"It’s okay..."

best to

going to be okay, so you don’t have to worry about us,"

"We'll be fine."

me in the eye, leaning forward to kiss

you,"

come back to

hang in the air but we do not get the chance to exchange them as Toran reminds us of the severity of

meet you at the cars in one

attack and we need to prepare

slightly, softening as

"Ri..."

him entirely, turning on her

only watch in distress as my mothers slams the door behind

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

walking out with Tylen at his

tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair and

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

ruffling up

Talia," Queen Aurora

afraid Oliver and I will be leaving in a few hours

will protect my family while

been summoned to France to deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

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

pro-protect my family?"

Oliver explains.

Oliver gives him a stern look.My heart begins to beat a little faster and I question if I am making the right decision

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

Aurora continues.

the kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they

be

tries to

I look," she says with a forced

wolves.We'll be

uneasiness does not fade away with her words but I also cannot let my mother face my father now that she has built a new life

I'll

interlocking our hands and pulling

sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would get

however, keeps her head held high as she walks me out of the office, her face resting in

in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step she takes in

strong smile on

Agnes is sitting at the dining table

there, standing just beside Rionna with an envelope in

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

bed while she searches for my bag and she

can I help?" Kota asks as Talia folds some t-shirts

Talia chirps with a little too much

socks from the dresser," she says, pointing to the

my

quietly to herself as she

eyes scanning the

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing

with my toiletries and

not forget to put this on.It’s hot and you’re

over her face

trying to cope.I can’t seem to find the right 4

m-my hair gel," I whisper quietly, Talia nodding her head and running back to the bathroom

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

going on a

answers for me as she returns with the jar of hair gel