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," I insist, my eyes pleading with her to

can’t hanging open in

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

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

touch but she does

and I sense the

"Ta-Talia..."

gives my hand another

"It’s okay..."

to remain

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

"We'll be fine."

puts on a brave face and looks me in

love you," she

come back to

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

you at the cars in

launches his attack and we need to prepare for what he might have up

softening as he

"Ri..."

ignores him entirely, turning on her heel to storm

as my mothers slams the door

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

before walking out

yawns tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair and kissing his

lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and

grins, ruffling up Kota’s

Talia," Queen Aurora

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

protect my family while I am away?

to France to deal with Alpha

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

my family?"

Oliver explains.

us.Evan audibly groans but stops when Oliver gives him a stern look.My heart begins to beat a little faster and I question if I am making the right decision to

Rionna,

Aurora continues.

Pack for the

shouldn’t be

okay," Talia tries to reassure

as I look," she says with

surrounded by wolves.We'll be perfectly

my mother face my father now that she has built a new life

on, I'll help you

and pulling

part of him wishing Talia would get on her knees and

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

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

strong smile

at the dining table

also there, standing just beside Rionna with

three of 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 she

Kota asks as Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts for

sweetie," Talia chirps with a

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

skips over and brings Talia two pairs of my socks which

humming quietly to

eyes scanning the room for

your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps,

my toiletries and waves a bottle

to put this on.It’s hot and you’re

stunned look washes over her face

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

nodding her head and running back to

on the bed to play with

on a

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