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

hanging open in

don’t want him to h-hurt y-you

for being unable to remember her life with my father.It does not matter to me, however.I remember...and I do not want my father to

in her touch but she does not utter a word as I beg to take my

her face in Kota’s hair and I

"Ta-Talia..."

gives my hand another squeeze and shakes her

"It’s okay..."

doing her best to remain calm in Kota’s

so you don’t have to worry

"We'll be fine."

me in the eye, leaning forward

you,"

come back to me

not get the

at the cars in

says as he Sebastian launches his attack and we need

softening as he looks

"Ri..."

entirely, turning on

slams the door behind her, and his thoughts slowly

thinks to himself before the man of stone returns, his face

he mutters aloud before walking out with Tylen

Talia smoothing back his hair

Evan," he whispers as he lays his head on Talia’s shoulder and waves "Hey

ruffling

Talia," Queen Aurora

few hours as well." My heart sinks to the pit of my

family

deal with

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

family?" I

Oliver explains.

beat a little faster and I question if I am making the right decision to leave my family here while

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

Aurora continues.

the LLuvia Blanca Pack for the time being so they are in good hands," she

shouldn’t be any

tries

as I look," she

surrounded by wolves.We'll be perfectly

let my mother face my father now that she has built

on, I'll help you

our hands and pulling me towards

part of him

held high as she walks me out of the

walls to listen in on her thoughts, hearing her count each

a strong smile on her

Agnes is sitting at the dining table with Rionna, pouring a cup of

is also there, standing just beside

on their

bed while she searches for my bag and she

asks as Talia folds

Talia chirps with a little too

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

pairs of my socks which

me, humming quietly

repeat, Talia’s eyes scanning the room

need your toothbrush and razor," Talia gasps, rushing off to

my toiletries and waves a bottle of sunscreen in

forget to put this

stunned look washes over her face and tears

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 this war clouding my

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

you going?" Kota suddenly asks, climbing on

on a little

me as she returns with the jar