The Silent Alpha

***Zane*** 

The Elders are brought in almost immediately and I undergo the uncomfortable procedure of venom extraction for the transfer of power.

"Just breathe through your nose,"

Toran instructs me as I am forced to bite down on a glass jar so that my canines protrude while an Elder squeezes the base of my jaw.

Tiny droplets of dark venom spill into the jar until I produce enough to fill two vials with my venom.

My jaw aches by the time I’m finished.

Tylen arrives with the pack tablet made of black stone with two wolves and a moon carved into the face of the stone.

Between the two peaks of the crescent moon, is an indentation with runes along the edges leading up to the carvings.

I get a good look at Tylen, the rightful heir to the title, but he does not seem the least bit concerned about the title going to me instead.

"Don’t worry about me," he says when he notices me staring.

"I’ve never wanted this. I hate pack meetings and diplomacy."

He pats my back to show no hard feelings and takes his place beside the other pack members in the tent.

"Are you ready?" Toran asks, his eyes flickering with confidence.

My mind drifts off to my mate and our pup.

Talia has no desire to be Luna again and I promised we would make this decision together when the time came.

The circumstances have changed, Grayson says, his tail flicking back and forth with pride.She Anows we will worship the very ground she walks on should she ever take her place beside us as Luna.She knows we will value her expertise and her guidance regarding all matters of the pack and she will understand why we came to this decision without her.

Trust her.She deserves our trust.

With Grayson’s reassuring words, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and nod.

"Then let’s do this," Toran smiles.

He leads me to the table where the tablet sits and the Elder begins the ceremony.

There is no time to waste so he gets right to the point.

"Zane White, repeat after me: I, Zane White, do solemnly swear to preserve, to protect, and to serve the members of the Ravenstone Pack.I swear to put the needs of the pack before my own and to uphold the values of this pack.I swear to lead with strength and courage to the best of my abilities and to lead by example and stand with my fellow wolves through times of hardship and times of prosperity.I swear to guard the lives of every member of my pack until my final breath, so help me Moon Goddess."

I do my best to speak slowly, replaying Talia’s words of encouragement when I stumble through some of my words in order to calm my racing heart.

No one seems to notice or care about my stutter, reiterating that it was my father’s own prejudice that stood in my way, not my own capabilities.

When I’ve finished reciting my oath, the Elder takes a vial of my venom and injects it into the tablet, the green venom flowing through the runes to the carved wolves.

Toran then takes a dagger and slices the palm of his hand, a pool of blood quickly forming in his cupped hand.He pours a few droplets of blood into the small indentation and then hands me the dagger.

Without hesitation, I slice my own palm, watching as the blood travels along my fingers.

My heart pounds in my ears as the blood spills onto the tablet and into the indentation, mixing with Toran’s blood.

This is it, I sigh.

My time as Alpha has come.

Together, Toran and I press our bloodied palms against the carvings of the wolves.

before the mindlinks between all the pack

first, my temples throbbing from the overstimulation but the pain very

I look up at Toran and the other pack members, a look of pride washes over them and they salute me with an ‘R’ sign

kneeling down on one

heard welcoming me, but their song is kept short and brief for our

gather around me, all of

Alpha?"

at the

we take

***Sebastian*** 

heart of the Harbor, setting up our guns around the perimeter to keep the Ravenstone mutts away while we figure out our

attack the East have failed as

control of the Harbor but it seems the Ravenstone mutts are determined to

of the channel and the inner island only proves my theory that the bunker

this time.I have thought of her all night since discovering her existence, unable to understand

about it, the more it makes

were savages on the night of their attack and virtually no bodies were

severely damaged corpse roughly her size and shape and having felt her fade

was.But it does not

and I plan on

thoughts, entering my boat where

channel?" I snarl menacingly, Earl shaking his head at

Earl stepping back in fear as

so we have been unable to break through Ravenstone’s lines of defense.The other channels are mine fields of gas canisters and explosives and we can’t seem

for any other clear paths to the center of the island

existence of the Raven tunnels via sonar

main entrances to the tunnels.It’s infuriating knowing that bastard still has the upper

about Zane’s existence and my wolves can’t find his stupid tunnels! Just as I’m about to order the scouts to start yet another search for tunnel entrances, a symphony of howls ripples through

and I wonder in unison, our ears straining to

suddenly come to a halt, leaving me to wonder if they ever

into space, equally puzzled by the sounds

could Toran be celebrating? I think to

pack hostage.I don’t have time to think about

his

body was floating by the docks.My condolences, sir," he adds, avoiding Beta Earl’s

nothing, but I notice the tremor in his

Weakness, Arden sneers.

witnesses nearby.Several of the soldiers reported seeing James fight with a silver

have been that bastard Toran

wolf as either the Alpha or the heir.Many witnessed General Taryn fall to her death

raise an eyebrow at the soldier

I also highly doubt Toran has a second son I don’t know about.Who

don’t pay you

at the

out who this silver wolf is and bring him to me.I want his head for killing Scarlett Haven’s future

sir!" the soldier salutes me, storming off the boat with the other

as Earl struggles to

with honor," I mutter, a bitter taste filling

say the same about

my Beta

I sigh, walking over to my bar

it’s a necessary evil to get what we want.Mark my words, your son’s death will not be in vain.We

break the silence, this time much closer

is immediately on edge and I storm out onto the docks to find my soldiers

silhouette of a single wolf.I cannot make out who it is