The Silent Alpha

***Zane*** 

My chest burns as we rush through the woods, the toxins inhaled before putting on my mask scorching my lungs.

"Come on, Zane, we gotta move fast.The training grounds are just down there for us to resupply," Tylen instructs, leading the way through the thick forest.

I follow him silently, my mind drifting off to Taryn. It was so close! So close.

I just needed to reach a little more and she would have been safe! We reach the training grounds, Tylen raiding the weaponry cabinets for supplies, not once mentioning what just happened and carrying on like his aunt didn’t just fall to her death.

How can he be so cold? He hands me a new rifle and its accompanying bullets, snapping his fingers at my face when I don’t immediately grab them.

"Hey, snap out of it," he barks.

"I need you here. I don’t have time to babysit you or your feelings."

"S-she’s dead..."

I murmur, the image of her last soft smile flashing in my mind.

"D-doesn’t that bother y-you? "Of course it does,"

Tylen snaps with indignation.

"But we don’t have time to mourn right now.All we can do is honor her sacrifice and make it out of this war alive.That is what she would have wanted.That is what I plan to do," he adds, loading up his rifle.

"This is war, Zane.It does not care about your feelings.It does not care if your heart or your body hurts.It does not care for your conscience, it wants blood.It brings death and destruction.There will come a time where you will have to make an ugly decision and you have to remember: there are no good and bad guys here, there’s just them and us and the sooner you make peace with that, the easier it will be to handle."

He takes my rifle and inspects it to make sure I’ve loaded it right.

"Let’s go."

His stonecold face tells me he’s repeated these very words to himself over and over again throughout the years to get through each day and it worries me to think I might ever become like him.

Tylen takes me to the edge of the island and instructs me to lay flat on my stomach among the brush to camouflage.

Through binoculars, we scope out the Scarlett Haven boats as they enter the channel.

"The Eastern part of the main island is stable, but the west is f****d," Tylen mutters to himself.

"Those Scarlett mutts have managed to take control of the harbor and it won’t be long before they make it into the inner circle of the islands and onto the bunker island.I’ve called for some of the reserved troops from the two northern islands to mobilize, but most will be going to the main island and the few that are coming here will take some time to get here, sol need you to focus.We need a plan to block off the mouth of the channel so that the Scarlett mutts don’t touch the bunker.Any more brilliant ideas?" He asks, turning to me.

I’m surprised he’s asking me, but I focus on my task at hand and scan the waters.With the fog clearing away, it is much easier to see the tactical movements of the Scarlett Haven wolves.They appear to be moving in groups of two, maneuvering at a snail’s pace in single file through the channel.

To my relief, they barely move a few feet at a time in the untouched waters where mines of gas canisters are still hidden.From the cliffs above, Scarlett Haven troops monitor for any attacks coming from our island.

"W-what exactly is y-your gift?" I ask, my brain trying to come up with a plan.

"Molecular combustion," Tylen shrugs.

"I can turn any object into a bomb."

Why is he only mentioning this now? Grayson mutters.

"The issue is I have a limit.Charging the bombs is energetically draining.The bigger the object, the more energy it takes for me to convert it," he explains.

"The silver beads my father gave me were a solution to that problem.They are small enough to not require a lot of energy but still pack a punch when used," Tylen adds.

"I still have some energy left but I’m all out of beads." He turns back to the water.

"Your gift is...what exactly? I thought you were a telepath."

"M-mind manipulation. Th-that’s my gift," I reply.

"I-l.can see y-your thoughts and memories and show them to p-people and I-I can control minds-"

"So Professor X but on a smaller scale?" he asks, rolling his eyes when I stare blankly at him.

"Please tell me you know Professor X?"

He barely knows how to masturbate, Grayson laughs.He's basically an oversized toddler.

Ignoring my wolf, I try to focus on the idea formulating in my head.

Scanning the cliff face and the wolves just above and below, I notice a weak spot on the cliff caused by erosion and my plan begins to materialize.

"Is it me or are they not moving?"

Tylen suddenly blurts out, nudging me to look through my scope.He's right.They’re not moving...Grayson observes.

They must be waiting for something...

Knowing time is not on our side, I try to focus on my idea.

"H-how many b-big explosions do y-you think y-you can make?" I ask, Tylen calculating in his head.

I would be

hum to myself, suddenly very nervous to present my

what if we..

the time to be

you have an

Graysonsnarls.

Stop talking.

snap, trying to

tells me

a deep

I ask, Tylen raising

look, I

rocks and w-we aim for that we-weak spot on that cliff, w-we can cause a collapse

remaining gas canisters with the movement to wipe out both

might actually

bands a-at the training grounds," I offer

I'll find the rocks," Tylen

the forest with the clearest

for the slingshot, I tie the end of a thick resistance band

Tylen loads the first rock, placing both hands on the top and bottom of the stone and pulls back as far as

of my

"Go left."

stone, my breath hitching as I watch it

with the explosion, bullets flying in our direction in

I take cover behind the trees, counting to five before returning

load another rock, Tylen charging it up before releasing it.We do this

it’s working," Tylen hisses as we take

on the way.They’ve cleared the east and sent soldiers to the west.We just need to hold them

stone onto the slingshot in hopes of finishing the job, when we suddenly hear the hum of an

whispers under his breath, his

charged stone from his hand and pulling

"What are you doing?"

the plane," I reply, my eyes searching the dark skies

listen for it and release the stone, counting the seconds and

5...

4...

3...

2...

followed by flares of red and yellow

the dark smoke, we see the plane fly out of control, crashing

the ocean, several of the

can’t even hear their screams as a number of canisters burst open

did it," Tylen whispers

celebrate our victory as Tylen receives

from the harbor and they need us," He mutters, staggering slightly on his

I ask, getting up

fine," he pants, taking long deep

as he takes a step forward, he nearly collapses

just need a second to

his arm around my shoulder and wrapping my arm around his waist when he suddenly yelps

he winces as I walk him to a tree and prop him up against the

quick inspection, I find a bullet wound

did

clean shot," I reply, searching my utility

groans, attempting to push himself off the

"We gotta go."

b-bullet wound," I mutter, pushing him back

taking a few deep breaths to

"Now let’s go."

m-myself?" I retort as we

an actual fleet of soldiers," he mumbles,

it looks like we'll have to

race through the tunnel, the thought of coming face to face with my old pack

freeze when I’m forced to fight one? Would I be proving my father right? I spent years silently

time has come to show them all who

only for

teach you a lesson and then when Agnes came into your life, he let

an

as we approach the exit of the tunnel, focusing

should shift," Tylen

hell up there." We slow down, Tylen

he sighs, unbuckling his

healing." We finish undressing and I hand control over to Grayson as

it’s showtime, Grayson chuckles.

Please stop, I groan.

of the tunnel, Tylen taking the lead and peeking out to make sure the

head forward, indicating it's safe