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-"

married T-Toran," I insist, my eyes pleading with her

hanging open in

place.I-I don’t want him

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

and I sense the deep fear in her fast beating

"Ta-Talia..."

another squeeze and

"It’s okay..."

her best to remain calm

okay, so you don’t have to worry about

"We'll be fine."

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

love you,"

come back to me in

get the chance to exchange them as Toran

meet you at the

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

face falters slightly, softening

"Ri..."

him entirely, turning on

the door behind her, and his thoughts slowly trickle

he thinks to himself before the man of stone

he mutters aloud before walking out

yawns tiredly, Talia smoothing back

Evan," he whispers as he lays his head

ruffling

Talia," Queen

hours as

my family while I am away?

to deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

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

my family?"

Oliver explains.

be traveling 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

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

Aurora continues.

will be taking charge of the kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being

shouldn’t be any

Talia tries to reassure

not as weak as I look," she

surrounded by wolves.We'll be

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

I'll help

murmurs, interlocking our hands and pulling me towards the

sulks, a part of him

as she walks me out of the office, her

my walls to listen in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step she takes in

keeping a strong smile

the dining table with Rionna, pouring

there, standing just beside Rionna with an envelope

in a conversation all on their own so we walk past them

the bed while she searches for my bag and

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

sweetie," Talia chirps with

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

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

ignores me, humming quietly to herself

repeat, Talia’s eyes scanning the room for things to

and razor," Talia gasps,

moments later with my toiletries and waves a bottle of sunscreen in

not forget to put this on.It’s

her face and tears

us 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

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

climbing on

going on a

she returns with the