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

can’t hanging open

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

head in her hands, cursing herself for being unable to remember her life

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

and I

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

to remain

you don’t have to worry about us,"

"We'll be fine."

a brave face and looks me in the eye, leaning

you," she

come back to me in one

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

you at the cars in one

says as he Sebastian launches his attack and we need to prepare for what he

slightly, softening as he looks up at my

"Ri..."

entirely, turning on

as my mothers slams the door behind her, and

man of stone returns, his face neutral and stoic once

before walking out with Tylen

tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair

as he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder

grins, ruffling up Kota’s

Queen Aurora

hours as well." My heart

will protect my family while

to deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

try

family?" I ask.we

Oliver explains.

begins to beat a little faster and I question

Rionna,

Aurora continues.

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

shouldn’t be

Talia tries to

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

wolves.We'll be

words but I also cannot let my mother face my father now that she has built

I'll help

hands and pulling me

sulks, a part of him wishing Talia would

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

lower my walls to listen in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step she takes in "Left, right,

a strong smile on

dining

also there, standing just beside

in a conversation all on their own so we walk

Kota down on the bed while she searches for

asks as Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts

with

she says, pointing to the dresser on the far side

two pairs of my socks which

She ignores me, humming quietly to herself

eyes scanning the room for things

toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing off

returns a few moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle of

forget to put this on.It’s hot and you’re

over her face and

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 war

whisper quietly, Talia nodding her

suddenly asks, climbing on the

is going on a little

as she returns with the