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-"

father will ki-kill you if he finds ou-out you married T-Toran," I insist, my eyes pleading with her

hanging open

don’t want him to

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

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

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

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

best to remain calm

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

"We'll be fine."

brave face and looks me in the eye, leaning

love you," she

come back to me

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

you at the cars in one

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

usually calm face falters slightly, softening as he looks up

"Ri..."

ignores him entirely, turning on her

my mothers slams the door behind her, and his thoughts slowly trickle into my

himself before the man of stone returns, his face neutral and

walking out with Tylen at his

Talia smoothing back his hair

he whispers as he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and waves

ruffling

Talia," Queen Aurora

a few hours as well." My heart sinks to

family

deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

try to be back as soon

family?" I ask.we are

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

Zane.Talia, Kota, Rionna, and Agnes

Aurora continues.

for the time

shouldn’t be any

Talia tries to

look," she says

surrounded by wolves.We'll

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

on, I'll help you

murmurs, interlocking our hands and

part of him wishing Talia would get on her knees and beg us to

her head held high as she walks me out of

listen in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step

strong smile

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

there, standing just beside Rionna with an envelope in his

on their own so we walk past them up the stairs to our

searches for my bag and she begins searching for my

as Talia folds some t-shirts and

chirps with a little

she says, pointing to the dresser on the far side of the

brings Talia two pairs of my

me, humming quietly to herself as she

scanning

your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing

toiletries

forget to put this on.It’s hot

over her face and tears gather

as it becomes evidently clear Talia is just trying to cope.I can’t seem to find the right

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

Kota suddenly asks, climbing on the bed to

on a

as she returns with