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

hanging open

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

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

touch but she does not utter a word as I beg to take my mother’s place in

her face in Kota’s hair and I sense

"Ta-Talia..."

another

"It’s okay..."

doing her best to remain calm in

are going to be okay, so you don’t have to

"We'll be fine."

on a brave face and looks me in

you,"

to

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

the cars in

his attack and we need

slightly, softening as he

"Ri..."

entirely, turning on her heel to storm

can only watch in distress as my mothers slams the door behind her, and

before the man of stone

before walking out with Tylen

tiredly, Talia smoothing back his hair and kissing

he lays his

ruffling up Kota’s

Talia," Queen Aurora

hours as well." My heart sinks to the pit

protect my family while

summoned to France to deal with Alpha Jacque and

a representative.But don’t worry.I’ll try

pro-protect my family?" I

Oliver explains.

stern look.My heart begins to beat a

Rionna, and Agnes

Aurora continues.

Pack for the time being so they are

shouldn’t be any

tries

weak as I look," she says with

wolves.We'll be

away with her words but I also cannot let my mother face my father now that she has built a new life

on, I'll

murmurs, interlocking our hands and pulling me towards

part of him

as she walks me out of the office, her face resting in

in on her thoughts, hearing her count each step

strong smile on

the house, Agnes is sitting at the dining

standing just beside Rionna with an envelope in

them seem to be caught in a conversation all on

sets Kota down on the bed while she searches for my bag and she begins searching

as Talia

sweetie," Talia chirps with a little

dresser," she says, pointing

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

quietly to herself

repeat, Talia’s eyes scanning the room

toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing

later with my toiletries and waves a bottle of sunscreen

not forget to put this on.It’s hot and you’re

over her face

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

her head and running

on the bed

going on

me as she returns with the jar of hair gel