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.

you hurt?" Toran asks, his voice

see the Alpha staring up at me,

hurt?" he repeats, standing up

chaos of the tent, there is a calmness in his voice.I look down

nurse to bring me some shorts and turns back to his son, giving his hand another

shaking his head in refusal despite

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

just need to catch

said you’re done!" Toran

sitting back on the

completed your task.You kept Zane alive and made sure no one made it

"Am I being punished?"

Tylen suddenly retorts.

Rionna? We’ve done our job and now you don’t need us?" What the hell

f***s sake, Tylen.I don’t want to lose

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

when to walk away from a fight.Learn to be something other than

cares

that right there

think you can make decisions for us.That is 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 without consulting her.Without asking

They're divorcing? 

any further,"Toran

"Fine," Tylen scoffs.

not staying put either.I’m not a

stop acting like

help again and

me, Toran

"Follow me."

don’t know what to expect from the Alpha but I follow him out to another tent set

a map spread out and several men gathered

Zane

eyes narrowing to slits as

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

skills that may come in handy and

correct...The Scarlett heir did indeed

eyes studying me

of his memories tells me he is a skilled soldier by the name

all, the Scarlett bloodline runs through his veins and you did kill his mother, even

you, he wants nothing to do with that beast," Toran explains, clasping his hands

know about the Scarlett mutts?" The men

amused smile spreads across Toran’s face and I realize the men are

carefully waiting for me to react to the disrespect

will not speak before a

mind-links, Grayson growling with

my face," Grayson sneers through our

good reason not to show you what this Scarlett mutt

Silas’ face flushed with embarrassment and

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

valuable resource," he adds, circling the

remember, gentlemen, I

face suddenly vanishes, the room

don’t ever question

the men reply, their eyes

the report.What are we

growing noticeably

on the west inform us that the channel is blocked by debris so the women and

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

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

study the map of the harbor, attempting to understand Sebastian's

the bay.It is the only place boats can access the island safely to

supplies...I observe, noting that the

their movements and if we can lure Sebastian out of hiding and distract him, it'll allow the

appears Toran shares the