The Silent Alpha

*** Trigger Warning: this chapter depicts a miscarriage*** 

***Vanessa***

 It feels as though my soul has shattered into small insignificant little pieces scattered across the cabin floor.

Blood trickles from my bruised nose and lips and my stomach feels as though it is being torn apart, but the numbness in my heart drowns out the pain.

Jack does not allow me to say goodbye to my mate, dragging his body away to dispose of it despite my pleas.

"Stay here and watch the kid," Jack snarls as he moves to close the door.

"And don’t even think about leaving.A beating is nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you disobey me."

I blink at him, time slowing down as I struggle to register what he says.Jack slams the door shut, a silent sob escaping my throat when I feel pain rip through my belly.

Beside me, the mysterious little boy Jack brought seems distraught but upon seeing the tears rolling down my cheeks, he stops his crying to soothe me.

"Don’t cry, lady," the little boy says as he wipes my tears with his small hands.

"It’s gonna be okay, okay? My mommy is coming.She promised!"

My wolf whines and whimpers at the loss of her mate but the little boy’s soft voice helps her calm down.He points to the blood on my chin "Uh-oh! You have red water on your chin!"

He cries, lifting his shirt over his head and wiping it away for me.

"Does it hurt, lady?" I fight the urge to burst into tears at his kindness and shake my head at him.

"Thank you," I say with a sheepish smile and kiss his hand.

"I-I’m Vanessa.What is...what is your name?" I ask with a forced smile, resting my hand on my belly when I feel a severe cramp ripple down my abdomen.

The little boy seems hesitant to reply but he reluctantly answers, "Kota," with his thumb in his mouth.

"That's a lovely name," I murmur, the little boy grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you hungry, Kota?" I ask, Kota nodding his head.

He helps me to my feet, pulling me with all his little might and I take him into the kitchen where I was preparing pupusas [Salvadoran dish] before Christian showed up.

Kota stands on a stool to watch me roll a ball of masa [dough] in my hands and then stuff it with a meat and cheese paste I had already prepared.I then dip my fingers in olive oil and press the dough and paste into a flat tortilla shape and begin to cook it on a pan.

"Do you know what pupusas are?" I ask the little boy and he nods gingerly at me.

"Mmmhmm," he says.

"My mommy makes them all the time."

"What’s your mommy’s name?" I ask and he shrugs innocently at me.

"Her name is mommy," he replies.

"But sometimes, daddy calls her Ta-Talia."

My smile widens as I realize I’m speaking to my own nephew and I study his features to memorize them.His nose is just like Talia’s and mine, narrow and a little lifted towards the tip.He has thick lashes shading blue and brown eyes and his toothy grin reminds me a lot of my little sister.

"You have your mommy’s nose," I tell him, and he smiles happily.

Ignore the pain in my abdomen, slowly coming to terms with what is happening to my body and focusing on saving Natalia’s pup from Jack.

Flipping Kota’s pupusa, I serve it to him on a plate when it’s ready.I notice the welts on the backs of his bare thighs and he winces with every step as he walks to the table.

Tears spring to his eyes when he tries to sit down.

"It hurts," he hiccups as he gently taps his butt.

"Come on," I say, leading him to the bathroom so I can inspect his wounds more carefully.

I instruct him to turn around and slowly pull down his underwear and gasp when I see that his cheeks are bruised and swollen in belt-shaped welts.To my relief, there is no broken skin or blood but it seems his underwear is soiled.

Christian didn’t bring any clothes for the little boy so I quickly handwash his underwear and wring it out as best I can before blow drying it with a hair dryer.

Searching the cabinets for any medicine and grabbing some ice and paper towels from the kitchen, I lay Kota on my lap and gently rub the ice wrapped in a towel on his welts.

He begins to cry in pain but I squeeze his little hand to let him know he’s not alone and he calms down enough for me to work.I find some ointment and rub it on his wounds before carefully wrapping his legs with some gauze and bandages and putting on his now clean underwear.

"You’re going to be okay," I murmur as I finish up, my wolf howling in pain when I feel something trickle down my inner thigh.

"I have to pee. Do you mind waiting in the kitchen for me?" I ask the little boy.

He walks away and I hover over the toilet for a moment, refusing to shed any tears as I feel the life inside me slip away.I can’t bring myself to look into the toilet bowl, unwilling to see the damage that monster did to me, but I stay there for a few moments to grieve in silence.

wolf sobs to herself and it brings me comfort to know I am

blood,

kitchen to find Kota standing by the table, too afraid to sit down.I find a cushion and help Kota into his seat so that his legs don’t hurt as much while he eats.He takes big mouthfuls, chewing happily

Kota is quite chatty, willing to talk about almost

happy?"

the whole wide

smile at the little boy, grateful to know that despite everything I did, Natalia is

my favorite,"

is your daddy?" Kota’s eyes light up with

"He’s a superhero!"

"Oh," I laugh.

what does he do that makes him a

he fights bad guys and he loves my mommy and Egg-ness and Nonna and me!" He cries

your family?" I

my daddy," he says, tapping his thumb to

then there’s my mommy," he adds,

I ask,

dead," he shrugs, my eyes widening in shock before

he replies, tapping his

suddenly begins to pout with sadness

Mommy and Daddy.Can I go home now? My heart breaks with his distress and I pull him into my lap,

get you home

I whisper, "I promise."

and carry Kota to the living room, curling up on the couch with him.In his exhausted state, Kota immediately falls

my belly continue, the potential to have

realize I’ve been

Moon Goddess would have spared my mate

slowly, and when we were both free to love each other.I'll never know now what it feels like to have his skin pressed against mine, to have his lips worship my body, to have

to me and Natalia, I snarl, my

it kills

I plot my revenge, Kota begins to stir and he suddenly sits up and stares at me for a moment.I remain still, unsure

turn up into a smile and he points at my

Nanessa?" He asks, pointing to the top of my

to respond but he doesn’t seem to mind, placing

a dragon who needs you. I raise an

"What pretty lady?"

yawns, curling up

"Bye bye."

lightly snoring before I even have time to process what he said to me but

pull out my phone and call the only person I know who might be willing to

***Natalia*** 

call my mate for the 20th time with no

phone! Christian took Kota! He took our baby! For f***s sake, answer the phone!"I cry into the phone, Rionna tapping on my shoulder to calm me down as we

battlefield.They are a distraction or could get them caught if they’re on a mission,"she

call as soon as he can.Let’s just get to Silver Crest and bring back our little boy." I

could only take us to a place she has traveled to

a kid, she had gone to the tip of

is located in the

we would have the element of surprise to give

toward the TSA agents, Jordan’s

eyebrows raising when a familiar voice answers

"Vanessa?"

puts the phone on speaker

you

phone.I haven’t heard my sister’s voice in over four years and just the sound of it makes my blood boil

you have my

Vanessa replying with a

I will hunt you

listen for a minute, please!" she

time for your mental breakdown

my lips pursing

him as best I could.He’s sleeping on my lap now and I’ve done everything I can

l ask, my heart sinking to

wrong with

don’t know.Christian brought him in like this but I assume he hit him with a belt,"

ice on them to bring down the swelling and wrapped his

see?" I plead, pulling the phone away from my

body naked except for a pair of underwear and the gauze wrapped around his legs.My

to be okay.With any luck, he won’t remember," Vanessa says with an awkward

camera to herself and I audibly gasp as

much thinner than I remember, her cheeks hollow with bags clinging to her under

and lips and there are a number of bruises still healing all over her face.She grows self-conscious about my silence and quickly

out at the moment, but he’ll be