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-"

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

can’t hanging open in

place.I-I don’t want him to

fill Rionna’s eyes 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

tremor in her touch but she does not utter

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

"Ta-Talia..."

gives my hand another squeeze

"It’s okay..."

to remain calm

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

"We'll be fine."

on a brave face and looks me in

love you,"

to

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

meet you at the cars

attack and we need to prepare for what

softening as he

"Ri..."

however, ignores him entirely, turning

in distress as my mothers slams the door behind her, and his thoughts

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

before walking out with Tylen at

tiredly, Talia smoothing back

he whispers as he lays his

grins, ruffling

Talia," Queen Aurora

a few hours as well." My heart sinks to the pit of my

family while I

deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

try to be back as

pro-protect my family?" I

Oliver explains.

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

Rionna, and Agnes

Aurora continues.

taking charge of the kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they are in good

shouldn’t be any

okay," Talia tries to reassure

I look," she says

by wolves.We'll be perfectly

cannot let my mother face my father now that she has built a new life in

on, I'll help you

our hands and pulling

too eager to get rid of us, Grayson sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would get

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

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

chants, keeping a strong smile

at the dining table with Rionna, pouring a

standing just beside Rionna with

conversation all on their own so we walk past them up the stairs

she searches for my bag and she

as Talia folds some

chirps with a little

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

pairs of my

quietly to herself as she

I repeat, Talia’s eyes scanning the room for things

razor," Talia gasps, rushing off to the

moments later with my toiletries and

to put this on.It’s hot and you’re

stunned look washes over her face and

seem to find the right 4 words to soothe her fears, the uncertainty of this war clouding my every

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

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

is going on

as she returns with the jar of hair