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-"

if he finds ou-out you married T-Toran," I insist, my eyes

can’t hanging open

don’t

remember her life with my father.It does not matter to me, however.I remember...and I do not want my father to ever touch her

slight tremor in her touch but she does not

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

"Ta-Talia..."

hand another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

to remain calm

are going to be okay, so you don’t

"We'll be fine."

me in the eye, leaning forward to kiss my

love you," she

back to

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

the

attack and we need to prepare for what he might

slightly, softening as he looks up

"Ri..."

him entirely, turning on her heel to storm

in distress as my mothers slams the

love," he thinks to himself before the man of stone returns, his face neutral and stoic once

hour," he mutters aloud before walking

smoothing back his hair and

he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and waves "Hey

grins, ruffling up Kota’s

Talia," Queen

few hours

protect my family

to deal with Alpha Jacque and Benoit," the

try

family?"

Oliver explains.

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

Zane.Talia, Kota, Rionna, and Agnes

Aurora continues.

kingdom from the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being

shouldn’t be

tries

as weak as I look," she

surrounded by wolves.We'll

away with her words but I also cannot let my mother face my father now that she

on, I'll help

our hands and pulling me towards

eager to get rid of us, Grayson sulks, a part of him wishing

walks me out of the office, her

thoughts, hearing her count each step she

keeping a strong

at the dining

there, standing just beside Rionna with an

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

on the bed while she searches for my

Talia folds some t-shirts

chirps with a little

Zane’s socks from the dresser," she says, pointing to the dresser on the far side

Talia two pairs of my socks which she carefully folds

quietly

scanning the room for

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia

toiletries and

forget to put this on.It’s

her face and tears gather

is just trying to cope.I can’t seem to find

Talia nodding her head and running

Kota suddenly asks, climbing on the bed to play with the zipper of

is going on a little

me as she returns with the