The Silent Alpha

***Zane*** 

"Please marry me,"

Talia repeats, her eyes full of tears as she sets Kota down on the floor.

"W-what?" I ask, unsure if I just imagined her proposal.

She steps on the tips of her toes, cupping my cheeks in her warm, soft hands and repeating the most wonderful words to ever leave her lips.

"I love you," she murmurs, my heart pounding against my chest as I struggle to hold back my own tears.

"And I just realized that I’m going to wake up tomorrow...And you won’t be there," she shrugs with a sad smile on her face.

"And that scares me," she whimpers softly.

"Because I-I don’t ever want to wake up without you.I want your face to be the last face I see at night and the first one I see every morning...for the rest of my life." I can’t seem to gather my thoughts and for once, Grayson is as useless as I am.

"I used to be so afraid of your love," she whimpers.

"But now I fear living without it.Please marry me, Zane,"

Talia whispers, gently brushing her lips against mine as sparks tingle across my face.

"I want to be your wife."

No words seem sufficient enough to express the blissful joy I feel in my heart right now as my mate kisses me with all her heart, begging to be mine for the rest of our lives.

I grew up thinking the and now it seems surreal to have a mate love me enough to give me her broken heart.

Despite all her fears, Talia loves me and I love her with all of the light of my soul.

"Y-yes," I reply, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Y-yes.I-I’ll marry y-you."

She smiles against my lips as I accept her over and over again, forgetting the horrible truth of our reality to share a single moment of true happiness with my mate.

She's going to be my wife! Thank Goddess! Grayson howls ecstatically.

I thought we were going to die alone at this rate! lignore my wolf’s commentary, lifting my beautiful mate in my arms as I deepen our kiss.

"Come back to me, Zane," Talia murmurs between kisses.

"You have to come back so I can be your wife." I nod emphatically as I set her down, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I-I promise.I-I promise I’ll come back to y-you and Kota." I cup her cheeks and shower her head with kisses, Kota hopping up and down with excitement.

"Ewww!" Kota squeals, a huge grin on his face as I kiss his mother.

"No more kisses," he shouts, running up to us with his hands in the air.

I bend over and pick him up, Kota placing his hand over my mouth to stop me from kissing him. Aren’t you forgetting something? Grayson says, his tail flicking side to side.

What? I ask, completely confused.

Must I do everything, he sighs tiredly.

A ring, you gump! You need a ring for our mate! Oh! Right! I gasp, realizing I don’t own anything that remotely resembles a ring.

I’ll have to improvise.Pushing his little hand aside, I whisper instructions in Kota’s ear, the little boy nodding obediently and running off to complete his task.

"Zane, we have to go," Tylen insists.

"We don’t have a lot of time-"

"I-l know," I interrupt him, lifting my hand to silence him.

"J-just give m-me one more minute, p-please."

Tylen eyes Talia and I, sighing tiredly to himself as he gives in.

Just then, Kota returns with the four bead bracelet he made for me a while back.

"Here you go, Daddy," Kota says, placing the bracelet in my hand.

I untie the string, removing the pink and blue beads from the bracelet and handing the blue one to Talia.

"K-Kota made this for m-me.It's our family," I explain, pointing to each bead.

ho-holding a piece of m-me and I-I’m holding a piece of

ring for y-you yet but I-I promise to c-come back so w-we can put our fam-family bead in

"I promise."

"Zane! Now!"

I kiss Talia one

sir," I nod, pecking Talia on

love you

"I love you."

turn on my heel, grabbing my bag and following Tylen towards the door when he suddenly halts, his jaw

growl leaves his lips and he turns around, storming towards Agnes who stares at

a word and for what seems like an eternity, they simply stand before each

Interesting...

leaving me to be oblivious on my

answer me

in and kisses her gently on the cheek

he snaps, pushing past

of us staring at

before I can ask questions, Tylen once again

and hurriedly kiss my pup and mate goodbye once more before running out of the "Ty-Tylen!"I

"Ty-Tylen wait!"

time," he shouts back without looking at me

have to move.Sebastian’s troops will mobilize soon and we have to prepare the

"B-but Agnes-"

about Agnes?" He says, stopping in his tracks and looking at

kissed her,"

"And?"

walking past

mate.Why can’t I

widen in

I ask, completely blindsided by

me," he

does not satisfy me and I clear my throat to demand a proper explanation, when Tylen slows down and sighs

is not an afterthought

all I think

turns to face me,

hurt her.I just thought

greeting his father who is

his son’s obvious hatred and gestures

a change

just

opening a

gift has its

I have been and I do not know Ravenstone.The airport is as far as I can take

appreciate your help,

gesturing for us to

an honor to

the compliment with a nod, Toran stepping into the portal with

and I take a deep breath

resembles a small office, with luxurious leather seats gathered around a table and a large

create a sophisticated atmosphere and

settle down for a meeting, Toran pulling

Scarlett Haven are located along

woods and ocean but Ravenstone is very remote, positioned across five small islands almost three miles off the

the pack lives and equipment, food, and the training

middle of the island ring, there is an abandoned missile silo located on a fifth island and a series of underwater tunnels connect the

has been converted into a fortified bunker and is perfectly camouflaged on the island, buried nine stories underground with layers of concrete and steel protecting

uninhabited but it contains an impenetrable fortress my

has mobilized his soldiers on the eastern side of the island near the bluffs," Toran explains,

I know this is likely a distraction and he will have a smaller crew jump along these islands here," he adds, pointing to a trail

he reaches our main dock on the western front for

as they study the map intently in search for a solution to this

greatly outnumbered," Tylen

will have to utilize guerilla warfare if we want

"Precisely,"

Torans smiles.

islands.We'll have teams stationed here, here and here,

weeks but are still figuring out

he thinks for

on the bunker island and make sure Sebastain’s men don’t find the bunker entrance.Zane, due to

your gift does your father understand?" Tylen asks, keeping his

gift