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.

little wolf sobs to herself and it brings me comfort to know I am not alone in my

is a pool of blood, a bitter

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 and nodding in approval of my cooking.I haven’t made pupusas in

willing to talk about

happy?" I

mommy is a princess.She is the most beautifullest princess in the whole wide world.And Daddy is her

that despite

my favorite,"

who is your daddy?" Kota’s eyes

"He’s a superhero!"

"Oh," I laugh.

do that makes him a

wolf and he fights bad guys and he loves my mommy and Egg-ness and

all your family?"

he says, tapping

he adds, tapping his thumb to his

that?" I ask,

is dead," he shrugs,

he replies, tapping his thumb again on

begins to pout with sadness and his large eyes fill with

and Nonna and Mommy and Daddy.Can I go home now? My heart breaks with his distress and I pull him into my lap, wrapping my arms around his back to

get you home to your

I whisper, "I promise."

carry Kota to the living room, curling up on the couch with him.In his exhausted state, Kota immediately falls asleep on my lap as I

heart as the cramps in my belly continue, the potential to have my own little Kota

as I realize I’ve been robbed of my happiness

I never taken Christian from Natalia, perhaps Moon Goddess would have spared my mate and my

mate with me, wanting to do things differently, slowly, and when we were both free to love each other.I'll never know now what it

to me and Natalia, I snarl, my

if it

to stir and he suddenly sits up and stares at me for a moment.I remain

up into a smile and

He asks,

how to respond but he doesn’t seem to mind, placing his little

says there’s a dragon who needs you. I raise an eyebrow

"What pretty lady?"

little boy yawns, curling up into a ball on my lap

"Bye bye."

me but I don’t dwell

person I know

***Natalia*** 

snap anxiously as I call my mate for the 20th time

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

are a distraction or could get them caught if

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

us to Maine but she could only take us to a place she has

kid, she had gone to the

located in the South near

not expect us until morning, so we would have the element of

the TSA agents, Jordan’s phone begins to

a familiar voice answers on

"Vanessa?"

speaker for all

you found

in over four years and just the sound of

have my

replying with a

I will hunt you down

a minute, please!" she warns in a

for your mental breakdown

mutters, my lips pursing with

part, fine.I fed him and changed him as best I could.He’s sleeping on my

ask, my heart sinking to the pit

with his

but I assume he hit him with a belt,"

ice on them to bring down the swelling and wrapped

away from my

I see Kota curled up beside her, his body naked except for a pair of underwear and the gauze wrapped around his legs.My eyes fill with

he won’t remember," Vanessa says with an awkward

herself and I audibly gasp as I look

much thinner than I remember, her cheeks hollow

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

at the moment, but he’ll be back any minute," she says after clearing her