The Silent Alpha

***Zane *** 

"What is your name?" my father's voice booms, my shirt balled up in his fist as he holds me up against the wall.

I swallow the sob caught in my throat and blink away my tears as I try to concentrate on my words.

"Z-Z-Za-"

Before! can finish my attempt, my father's fist races towards my face, the blow connecting just below my jaw, sending a surge of pain to jolt my small body.I taste the blood instantly, the metallic lavor all too familiar against my tongue.

"Sebastian, please!" my mother cries pathetically, grabbing at my father's bicep to pull me free from his grip.

"Try again!" my father growls, slamming me against the wall.

Fear bubbles in the pit of my stomach as I stare at my father's cold eyes looking back at me with so much hatred, so much shame at having me for a son.

My mouth suddenly feels extremely dry as it hangs open.I could feel my name at the back of my throat but try as ! might, Isimply could not utter a single coherent sound.

At 6 years old, my stutter was no longer a cute little phase but a problem.

No matter how hard I concentrate, no matter how hard I try, I find stringing together a single sentence a daunting task, something pronounce my own name even to the maids.

lt was not a hard name either, Zane White.

Simple, or at least it should be.

To fix this problem, my father, the Silver wolf Alpha of the Scarlet Haven Pack, had the best speech therapists flown in, but none were successful in curing my defect.

I was incurable and in my father's eyes, this fact was unacceptable.

It had yet to be presented to the pack as the next Alpha and so far only two maids, the beta and my mother's Gamma knew what I looked like.

I was the hidden Heir of Scarlet Haven, locked away within the Pack mansion.

The one no one had ever seen before and for good reason too.

My father had a lot of enemies.

His first son, Jonathan, had been killed by our silver wolf rivals, the Ravenstone Clan just a few days shy of his first birthday and my father feared someone would try to kill me before I could take the title.

My incurable stutter only added to his need to hide me; for how could the next Alpha of one of the most prestigious Silver Wolf Packs on the West Coast have a stutter? Having given up on the professional therapist, my father took matters into his own hands, literally.

And that’s where I currently find myself now, in his hands and at his mercy.

Mom tries to help me, but she is too weak to stop the furious Alpha from taking out his frustrations on my face.

close my eyes and concentrate on my name dancing on the tip of my tongue.

I try to make a sound but the fear of my father’s fist makes my throat run dry.

Rather than my name coming out, a small squeak escapes my lips.

infuriated, my father's brown eyes begin to glow blue as his wolf makes his presence known.

His piercing eyes look at me with disgust and I suddenly fall to the ground as the Alpha tums on his heel.

"He's not even worth my time," the Alpha snarls over his shoulder.

He tums to my mother.

"Pick up your son and keep him quiet during the party.Make sure he doesn't embarrass me any further."

He slams the door on his way out and the sob I had been holding in finally breaks free.

My mother gently picks me up, cradling my head as she whispers soothing words to me.

"It's okay, Zane," she coos, "I know you're trying..."

"I-l'ms-s-orry,"I hiccup.

"H-he ha-tes me!"

"No he doesn’t,"

My mother protests, smoothing down my hair and kissing my forehead.

"He's just a little frustrated.There's just a lot on his plate right now."

She helps me to my feet and dusts me off "Come on, sweetie.Let's get you cleaned up."

After getting dressed, my mother walks me down to the car where my father waits impatiently for us.

It was the King's birthday today and all the Alphas of the Crescent Mane Kingdom and their families would be attending.

Unfortunately for me, this would also be Alpha of the Scarlet Haven pack.

I go over my lines in my head as we drive to the King’s territory where we find several guests already mingling outside of the King's Mansion.

"Hi, my name is Zane,"

to myself over and over again until I feel I could say

stops the car and stares at me through the rearview

he asks through clenched

staring

"Z-Zane,"

preparation for the

I'm met with

courage, I open one eye and steal

he says nothing as he opens the door to

disappointment," he growls as he steps out of

out.You won’t be

off towards the mansion, completely ashamed of myself and my

her best to soothe me but I

quiet place and hang out for the rest of the evening.Just the two

nod as I wipe my tears and she gives me

my love," she chirps, reaching for

us a snack and we'll hide out until it's

into the crowd of wolves as I settle back into my

the tinted windows of the car, I squint my eyes and stare at the guests as they arrive, trying to figure who

memorized all of the packs in the Kingdom and knew Scarlett Haven was not the only Silver wolf pack in Crest

get the chance to see another silver wolf shift

seen my father use his gift many times, each time leaving any onlookers in

had the gift

into a toxic gas, allowing him to avoid being injured by an attacker while

ever defeated

of my first shift that I would not disappoint my father and have a decent gift worthy of the Scarlet Haven

view window just in time

it's not long before the screaming overpowers the music playing

pups are quickly whisked away by

come with his family

finds my mother in time

in my chest almost drowns out the

by the terrifying screams, I climb out of the car and make a

is!

and there amongst the trees, I hear a sickening

with fear but upon hearing my mother’s voice, I force

horrifying scene that would forever haunt me in

a Ravenstone wolf, my mother struggles to free herself,

eyes filling

my direction, her neck now perfectly

life drain from my mother's eyes.I flinch at the memory of my mother’s lifeless body and fall off the edge of my bed with

annoyance and I quickly scramble

clock reads 5 am and I decide to get a head start on

water jets drum against my skin, the room quickly filling with steam.I count my scars as I scrub my body, a habit I developed after years of

years since the attack and my life is

announcement that both my mother and I had

while I was locked away in my room, left to mourn the

father never came to visit me and the maids were told to never speak to me when they

and soon,

me that my father had remarried and was expecting a son

son to whom he would be passing his title to when the

born and given an Omega

was a small woman, no more than 5

were not the reason she was spared from certain death, for

still remember the day I

my father came to see me before I left

.- FLASH BACK....

Agnes," my father's voice echoes across

I freeze, unsure if I heard him

eyes for me hadn’t faded after all this

as I stand before

behind him; she is also

the Omega

help you

Agnes and! remain frozen

moving!" he commands, pushing

trips over her feet and collapses onto the ground

she looks around

up and she flinches, her arms flying over her head to shield

what else to do, I reach over again and tap

her, Agnes slowly lowers her arms and takes

places her hands in front of her face, thrusting

my nose in confusion and she laughs

to her ears and shakes a finger at

a pen and paper

deaf," she writes, pointing

name is Agnes.What

and get dressed before the rest of the Omegas come rushing in to

a large building just south of the main Pack house where