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-"

ou-out you married T-Toran," I insist,

can’t hanging

go in y-your place.I-I don’t want

eyes and she holds her head in her hands, cursing herself for being unable to remember her life with my father.It does not

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

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

"Ta-Talia..."

another squeeze and shakes

"It’s okay..."

doing her best to remain

you don’t have to worry

"We'll be fine."

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

you,"

back to me in

we do not get the chance to exchange

meet you at the cars in

his attack and we need to prepare

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

"Ri..."

however, ignores him entirely, turning on her heel to

my mothers slams the door behind her, and

the man

aloud before walking out

back

he whispers as he lays his

ruffling

Talia," Queen Aurora

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

will protect my family while I

deal with Alpha Jacque

don’t worry.I’ll try to be back as

pro-protect my family?" I ask.we are

Oliver explains.

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

Zane.Talia, Kota, Rionna, and Agnes

Aurora continues.

twin, Celina, will be taking charge of the kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they are in good hands," she smiles kindly at my

be

tries to

as I look,"

surrounded by wolves.We'll

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

on, I'll

murmurs, interlocking our hands and

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

her head held high as she walks me out of the office, her

her count each step she takes in "Left, right, left,

strong smile

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

standing just beside

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

she searches for my bag

asks as Talia folds some t-shirts and shorts

Talia chirps with a little

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

of my socks which she

me, humming quietly to herself

eyes scanning the room for

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps,

few moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle

this on.It’s hot

her face and tears gather in

to cope.I can’t seem to find

nodding her head

on the

going on a

with the jar of