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 from my

up at me, his eyes scanning

you hurt?" he repeats, standing up

war waging outside and the chaos of the tent, there is a calmness in his

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

shaking his head in refusal despite his injuries still oozing

argues, attempting to climb out

just need to

you’re

sitting back on

Zane alive and made sure no one made it through

"Am I being punished?"

Tylen suddenly retorts.

you punished Rionna? We’ve done our job and now you don’t

to lose you too! Don’t you understand?" Toran

chance to live the rest of your life with your mate.I never 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?"

from me and my mistakes.Learn when to walk away from a fight.Learn to be something other than a soldier and stay

to have a father who cares if you live or

that right there is your problem,"

doesn’t love you, but because you took her choice away and

They're divorcing? 

not discussing this any further,"Toran says, turning towards the tent

"Fine," Tylen scoffs.

staying put either.I’m not

stop acting like one," Toran

are fully healed, you may offer your help again and I will gladly accept it. But not before you

Toran gestures to

"Follow me."

know what to expect from the Alpha but I follow him out to another

spread out and several men gathered around it, each discussing different points of

Zane

snarls, his eyes narrowing

Luna, Silas," Toran

that may come in handy and he’s

was correct...The Scarlett heir did indeed survive the night of our attack,

wolf asks, his gray eyes studying me closely as

of his memories tells me he is

and you did kill his mother, even if she revived herself by the grace of our

can assure you, he wants nothing

gentlemen, what do we have? What do we know about the Scarlett

spreads across Toran’s face and I realize the men

my walls, I listen in, Toran carefully waiting for me to react to the disrespect on my

will not speak before a

mind-links, Grayson growling with

my face," Grayson sneers through

reason not to show you what this Scarlett

all stare at me in shock, Silas’ face flushed with embarrassment

skills, skills that can be

adds, circling the table while the

mistake.And remember, gentlemen, I never bring in

face suddenly vanishes, the

ever question

men reply, their eyes

the report.What are

demands, growing

out of the main island.Our scouts on the west inform us

sir, is Scarlett Haven’s

the perimeter of the Harbor, making it

map of the

on either side of the bay.It is

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

Sebastian out of hiding and distract him,

appears Toran shares