The Silent Alpha

*** Trigger Warning: Physical and emotional child-abuse ahead*** 

***Zanet**

 It feels strange to see the man I've feared for so long kneel before me, trembling like all the times I stood before him while I recited my poems.

But even as he bleeds, even as he sits at my mercy, I still see the look of disgust flicker in his eyes when I speak to him for the first time in almost 20 years.

"H-Hello, father," I snarl, my fists clenching at my sides as I fight to contain my anger.

How can he hate his own son so much!? Around me, the Scarlett Haven wolves gawk at me, unable to believe I just called their Alpha, ‘father’.

"You’re....You’re no son of mine,"

Sebastian pants, his brown eyes turning blue as the wolf within takes over.

"You’re nothing more than a weak, pathetic-" I swing my arm back, punching him in the jaw and nearly knocking him flat on his back before he can finish his sentence.

"E-Enough!" I growl, my father’s mouth clamping shut while his eyes widen in shock that my commands work on him.

"T-that’s enough! Y-you think y-you’re so strong and so t-tough? W-well look at y-you now, father! Wh-what good is y-your strength now?"

"How dare you speak to me that way!"

Sebastian roars.

"y-you have silenced m-me all of my life.Y-you do not get to silence m-me before my own p-pack!"

"Your pack?" He scoffs.

The Ravenstone wolves growl at his disrespect, proving that they are now loyal to me.

"My p-pack," I repeat.

"De-despite how little y-you think of me, not only did I-I find a p-pack that accepts m-me as I-I am, but I-I also managed to ou-outlive m-my replacement."

Sebastian laughs and opens his mouth to speak only to be silenced by a slap to the face as Grayson takes over.

"Did I say you could speak?"

Grayson roars, Sebastian’s eyes widening in shock at Grayson’s confidence.

A cold amused smile curls on Sebastain’s lips.

"Pack?" he laughs.

"The man who stands beside you killed your mother and your brother and yet you proudly show your loyalty to him," my father scoffs.

"H-he didn’t k-kill Jonathan-"

That's when I see it, the flicker of fear in his eyes when I mention my dead brother.He's hiding something...Lowering my walls, I allow the river of thoughts to flow between us.He can’t know about Jonathan.

There’s no possible way he would know! I hear him say to his wolf.

"W-what don’t I know?" I ask, my father stiffening with surprise that I know what he’s thinking.

"What?" he asks, bemused by my question.

"I -I said, 'W-What don’t I-I know about Jonathan?"

I repeat, this time taking a menacing step forward.My father tries to crawl back but winces when he tries to move his legs.

"W-What don’t I-I know about Jonathan?" I snarl, dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

My father stares back defiantly at me, refusing to speak so I take matters into my own hands.

Closing my eyes, I listen in to his subconscious, following the voices in his memories.

A coldness envelops me in the darkness before a bright light blinds me for a moment.

Like a movie projection, Sebastian’s memories begin to unfold on the dock in front of him for all to see.

Scarlett Haven and Ravenstone wolves alike fall silent to watch, allowing me to focus on the many rivers of thought trying to drown me.

In the first memory I find, all I see is Sebastian sitting at his desk, staring at a hairbrush in his hand.He does not use it, just carefully caresses it for a few moments before stuffing it into a drawer and returning to his work.

For a moment, he almost looks human...until he carefully hides all his pain behind a mask of stone.I dig a little deeper, unlocking another memory where my father berates Wyatt for questioning him.

"Zane will not take the title because he doesn't have what it takes to look his opponent in the eye and lead his soldiers in war," he snarls.

"He will always be weak...He’s useless...I showed mercy to him as a favor for Elenore.He was her son, but he was never mine."

Despite the venom in his voice as he says those things, I feel a smile curl on my face and a sense of relief wash over me as I realize something amazing.

His words no longer hurt me and I am now free of the chains that bound me to him.We are not family, just two strangers at war.

I continue scouring his memories, stumbling upon memory after memory of him ignoring the cruelty of his own pack against Agnes and I.I travel back many years until I find myself seeing the night of my mother’s death through his own eyes.I stand back and watch my mother leave the car to grab a snack for me, trailing behind Sebastian as they enter the King’s party.

Together they greet guests and slowly make their way towards the snack bar, smiling and laughing like the perfect couple.

To an outsider, they look like your average, happily married Alpha and Luna, but on the inside, I know my mother was screaming.

"’I’m leaving you," my mother murmurs as she grabs a plate of food for me.

"And I’m taking my baby with me."

never left Sebastian, believing perhaps their bond was just too hard to break free

someone hurting your child.I was hidden away partially for

my mother feared I would be hurt without Scarlett Haven’s protection...just like

of pride washes over me as I recognize my mother’s strength to choose me over

have been an easy decision

that I need

me raise him.You never treated him like

back in the direction of the car, only

begins and as the memory drifts away, I hear the most blood curdling scream, a scream that both shatters my heart and

but Sebastian only turns the other cheek and runs

stop the projection, unable to understand howSebastian could abandon his mate when

angry

mind-linked y-you for help...and

voice trails off as I try to contain

mate like he promised to the day he married her.I could have lived a good life with just my mom somewhere far from all the wars and abuse.I could have learned to be happy with myself...but Sebastian robbed me of

an ounce of

"She was Wyatt’s responsibility,"

retorts in a low

who are you to judge me? You stand with the man who ordered

through to the surface, taking

bullets

Sebastian watching in horror as his hands move involuntarily towards his

"What- No! No!"

to disobey the command but failing, his fingers plunging into the wounds to push

he growls with strained agony, blood pouring from the open

"Areal Alpha doesn’t scream,"

Sebastian’s face seething

Alpha never shows weakness.Isn't that what you always say

growls in response, his breaths ragged as he holds back his

Grayson snarls, taking a step

man again, I get down on one

y-you," I whisper in a

never will be." I close my eyes, once again finding myself in

I stumbled upon one I have no memory

call this an heir?" my grandfather, Alexander,

"It can’t even speak."

the old Alpha, his face contorted in disgust

a name," my mother snarls, pushing me behind her to shield me

of yours

me to do it for

make a realization.He feared his father...just like I feared him.He hides it well behind an emotionless face, storming over to my mother

her face but she keeps her body in front of me

only if you are spoken

apologize for my wife's behavior." My grandfather only grunts in response, an

sure it never

"Yes sir,"

Sebastian cower before another Alpha.I had been too afraid my whole life

here," my grandfather's voice booms,

come here." My father grabs my mother’s wrist and yanks her away from me, hissing in her ear, "If you care about

myself, watching my younger self tremble as I take timid steps towards the Alpha towering

me opening my mouth but

‘speak’ boy!" he snarls, tears springing to my

"He-hello, gran-gran-grandpa-"

the elder Alpha’s eyes glow turquoise, the look on

begins to scream, my little hands clawing

"Father- Sir, please,"

floor, writhing and kicking from the agony burning across

Alpha Alexander to let me

"I-I’ll fix him,"

says, getting

fix him.Just let the

self suddenly stops screaming, passed out from all

elder Alpha stares coldly at his kneeling son,

YOUR KNEES, BOY!" my

never kneels,

with his booming voice, and he turns to leave

I see that boy," he

better be fixed." The memory fades away

chair, nursing me while little Jonathan plays with a crinkly foil

in the old cottage by the waterfall, away

pushing himself onto his feet and crawling over to his father to

Johnny

over his shoulder, my mother nodding haphazardly as she caresses my

under all his bitter hatred.I follow them on their

standing in the middle of the road and by the time Sebastian sees them, it's already too late.He swerves off the road and into a

windshield is completely shattered and the smell

the truck, blood trickling from

back seat, little cuts on his

circle the truck, snarling and growling at Sebastian,

his belt, quickly discovering that it is stuck and trapping him in

he shifts into his human form, revealing himself to

the sound of his father’s voice and claws himself out of his belt, breaking a window with his elbow to crawl

he presents himself before

him

None of this mumbling s**t," his father snarls, Sebastian nodding