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

hanging open in

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

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

hands tightly and I feel the slight tremor in her touch but she does not utter a word as I beg to

and I sense the

"Ta-Talia..."

gives my hand another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

to remain calm

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

"We'll be fine."

a brave face and looks me in the eye, leaning forward

you," she

come back to me

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

you at the cars

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

usually calm face falters slightly, softening as he looks up at

"Ri..."

him entirely, turning on her

the

himself before the man of stone returns, his face

mutters aloud before walking out with

back his hair

his head

ruffling up Kota’s

Talia," Queen

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

family while

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

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

pro-protect my family?"

Oliver explains.

with 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 will be

Aurora continues.

Blanca Pack for the

be

tries

not as weak as I look," she says with a

by wolves.We'll be perfectly

let my

I'll help

hands and pulling me towards the

Grayson sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would get on

her head held high as she walks me

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

strong smile on

dining table with Rionna, pouring a

also there, standing just beside

a conversation all on their own so we walk past

Kota down on the bed while she searches for my bag and she

as Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts

sweetie," Talia chirps with a little

me some of Zane’s socks from the dresser," she says, pointing

over and brings Talia two pairs of my socks which she carefully folds and

quietly

I repeat, Talia’s eyes scanning the room

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps,

my toiletries and waves a

not forget to put this

over her face

makes a sound as it becomes evidently clear Talia is just trying to cope.I can’t seem to find the right 4 words to soothe her fears, the uncertainty of this

m-my hair gel," I whisper quietly, Talia nodding her

you going?" Kota suddenly asks, climbing on

is going on

with the jar of hair gel in