The Silent Alpha

***Zane*** 

"You have to get out here ," Tylen groans, attempting to put weight on his injured front paw but wincing in pain.

I turn back to the harbor, seeing many wolves trying to escape the poisonous gas dispersing across the docks in small green clouds.

Tylen can’t walk...and !won’t leave him.

"Shift. Pii Carry you," I urge him, Tylen opening his mouth to protest.

"Shift now!" I growl, Tylen’s wolf morphing into its injured human.

It’s only when I see Tylen’s mangled body that I realize the severity of his injuries.His shoulder is torn open while claw and bite marks litter his chest.He won't make it unless we get him help now! Grayson hisses.

"Get on my back and hold on tight.I’m getting you out of here," instruct Tylen, Grayson lowering himself so he can climb on easier.

Once he’s on our back, I follow the other escaping the harbor.

"Where to?" I ask.

"I’m only going to slow you down," Tylen grumbles.

"Where to? " I demand, Tylen letting out a frustrated groan.

"There’s a medical tent just beyond the pack house," Tylen says through gritted teeth.

"You can take me there.Grayson picks up the pace, Tylen tightening his grip on my neck to keep from falling off and muttering that he’s going to be sick under his breath.I swear to Moon Goddess, if you vomit on me, I’m throwing you off the cliffs, Grayson mutters as he jumps over stones, vines, and fallen tree trunks.

"f**k you," Tylen moans.

As we arrive at the medical tents, I shift, throwing Tylen over my shoulders like a sack of potatoes much to his annoyance and running towards the guards standing outside the tents.

They let us through without a second thought.

Inside, we see c*****e everywhere, men and women alike lying in cots with wounds all over their bodies.

Medics run to and fro with supplies, stitching up silver wounds and injecting serums into the injured soldiers who begin to scream and cry for mercy.I find an empty cot and toss Tylen on it, several medics rushing to help the Alpha’s son.

A medic injects a black and golden fluid into Tylen and he does his best to hold back his screams of pain, his face flushing red while the veins on his neck and temples bulge furiously.

"The serum counteracts the effects of silver and wolfsbane," Toran explains, the Alpha’s voice startling me as I turn around to find him standing behind me.

"After years of war and research, we realized the answer to our silver problem was quite simple.Silver slows down our healing, but gold speeds it back up."

Tylen lets out a strained scream, Toran frowning in response.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to figure out how to reduce the pain."

Tylen continues to writhe in agony, making it difficult for the medics to stitch up his wounds.

Toran taps on my shoulder and gestures for me to help him hold down Tylen’s legs so the medics can stitch up the gashes on his torso and arm.

When Tylen does not appear to calm down, Toran takes his son’s hand, wrapping his fingers around Tylen’s thumb in a tight embrace and leaning in close to his face.

"You can do this, Ty," Toran whispers.

"Remember, pain just means you’re not dead.You're not dead, do you hear me? You’re not dead which means you’ve won your battle.You get another chance so don’t spoil it.You’re not dead.You have a chance.It hurts.I know it hurts, but you are not dead!"

For the first time since the battle began, the stone wall around the two alphas begins to crumble, revealing a bond between them I had never known before Kota, the bond between a father and his son.

"Aunty’s dead," Tylen whimpers through his cries of pain.

"I know," Toran soothes.

"But she’s with Toby now.He took her home."

I watch in envy as Toran calms his son, talking him through his pain until the serum begins to take effect.

Even when at odds with his son and in front of a crowd of war-hardened veterans, Toran chooses to be a father first and an Alpha second.

Anger and pain fills my heart as I realize I never truly had a father, just a dark figure casting his shadow of misery over my existence.

his voice pulling me

to see the Alpha staring up at

you hurt?" he repeats,

a calmness in his voice.I look down at myself,

Toran instructs a nurse to bring me some shorts and turns back to his

done," he says to him, Tylen shaking his head

fight," he argues, attempting to climb out of the cot

need to

you’re

back on

and made sure no one made it through the channel.You’re done.

"Am I being punished?"

Tylen suddenly retorts.

We’ve done our job and now you don’t need us?" What the hell is that supposed to mean? I

want to lose you too! Don’t

had that.I lost mine and now I’ve lost the only other woman I’ve ever loved because I lied to her.I LIED and she hates me.Look around you, son.What do you see?" he asks, gesturing to the devastation in

my mistakes.Learn when to walk away from a fight.Learn

be nice to have a father who cares if you live or

there

why Rionna hates you.Not because she doesn’t love you, but because you took her choice away and you’ve done it yet again by handing her those divorce papers.You made assumptions and decisions

They're divorcing? 

discussing this any further,"Toran

"Fine," Tylen scoffs.

not staying put

like one," Toran

may offer your help again and I will gladly accept it. But not

Toran gestures to

"Follow me."

but I follow

sits a large table with a map spread out and

Zane White,

his eyes narrowing to slits as he

the son of your Luna, Silas," Toran replies calmly, though

a very particular set of skills that may come in handy and

heir did indeed

gray eyes studying me closely as he

memories tells me he is a

his mother, even if she revived herself by the grace of our Mother

not his father and I can assure you, he wants nothing to do with that beast,"

Scarlett mutts?" The men glance at me,

across Toran’s face and I

Toran carefully waiting for me to react to

not speak before a

Grayson

to my face," Grayson sneers

reason not to show you

stare at me in shock, Silas’ face flushed with embarrassment and anger that I

said, Zane has a very particular set of skills, skills that can be useful to us if you set aside your

resource," he adds, circling the table while the men

not make the same mistake.And remember, gentlemen, I never bring in

face suddenly vanishes, the room feeling colder without

ever

Alpha," the men reply, their eyes watching me

the report.What are

demands, growing

scouts on

sir, is Scarlett Haven’s control of the Harbor," Isaac

around the perimeter of the Harbor, making it hard for us to

study the map of the

large ‘L’ shape, man-made bay with several docks parallel to each other on either side of the bay.It is the only place boats can access the island safely to

he plans to cut off our supplies...I observe, noting that the harbor

out of hiding and distract him, it'll allow the other soldiers to go in

appears Toran shares the same