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

can’t hanging open in

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

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

and I feel the slight tremor in her touch but she does not utter

I sense the deep fear in her fast beating

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and

"It’s okay..."

her best to remain calm in Kota’s

so you don’t have to worry about us,"

"We'll be fine."

looks me in the eye, leaning forward

love you," she

to me

do not get the chance to exchange them as

at the cars in one

attack and we need

falters slightly, softening as he looks up at

"Ri..."

turning

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

before the man of stone returns, his face

before walking out with Tylen at

Talia smoothing back his hair

whispers as he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and

ruffling

Queen

few hours as well." My heart sinks to

will protect my family while I am

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

don’t worry.I’ll try to be back as soon as

pro-protect my family?"

Oliver explains.

gives him a stern look.My heart begins to beat a little faster and I question if I am making the right decision to leave my family here while

Kota, Rionna, and Agnes will be

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

tries

look," she says with a forced

surrounded by wolves.We'll be perfectly

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

I'll help you

and pulling

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

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

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

keeping a strong smile on her

sitting at the dining table

beside Rionna

be caught in a conversation all on their own so we walk past them up the stairs to our

sets Kota down on the bed while she searches for my

asks as Talia folds

sweetie," Talia chirps with a little

she says, pointing to the

of my socks which she carefully folds and stuffs into my

quietly to herself as

eyes scanning the

razor," Talia gasps, rushing off

a few moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle

to put this on.It’s

washes over her face and tears gather in

evidently clear Talia is just trying to cope.I can’t seem

Talia nodding her head and running back to the bathroom to

Kota suddenly asks, climbing on the bed to play with

on a little

with the jar