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 with

can’t hanging open in

place.I-I don’t

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

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

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

"Ta-Talia..."

another squeeze

"It’s okay..."

whispers, doing her best to remain calm

don’t have to

"We'll be fine."

face and looks me in the eye, leaning forward to kiss my

love you," she

to me

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

you at the cars

and we need to prepare for what he might have up

usually calm face falters slightly, softening as

"Ri..."

him entirely, turning on her heel to

slams the door behind her, and

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

walking out with Tylen

smoothing back his hair and

whispers as he lays his head

ruffling

Queen Aurora

I will be leaving in a few hours as well." My heart

protect my family while I am away?

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

try

family?" I ask.we

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 the right

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

Aurora continues.

Blanca Pack for the time being so they are in good hands," she smiles kindly at

shouldn’t be

Talia tries to

as weak as I look," she says with

by wolves.We'll be

my mother face my father now that she has

on, I'll help

our hands and pulling me towards

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

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

her thoughts, hearing her count

keeping a strong

sitting at the dining table with Rionna,

is also there, standing just beside Rionna with

on their own

on the bed while she searches

I help?" Kota asks as Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts for

chirps with a little too much

Zane’s socks from the dresser," she says, pointing to the dresser on the far side

skips over and brings Talia two pairs of my socks which she

ignores me, humming quietly to herself as

Talia’s eyes scanning the room for things to

and razor," Talia gasps, rushing off to the

few moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle

put this on.It’s hot and

her face and

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

gel," I whisper quietly, Talia nodding her head and running back

on the bed to play

is going on

as she returns with the jar of hair gel in her