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

the car and stares at me through the rearview mirror,

is your name?" he asks

close my eyes to concentrate because I knew if I kept staring at those cold angry eyes, I

"Z-Zane,"

my body stiffening in preparation for the

I'm met

up some courage, I open one eye and steal a glance at my

clenched but he says nothing as he opens

growls as he steps out of the

won’t be presenting yourself

towards the mansion, completely ashamed of myself

to soothe me but I am

and hang out for the rest of the evening.Just the two of us? I’m sure your father can handle the other

tears and she gives me her

chirps, reaching for the

we'll hide out until it's time

disappears into the crowd of wolves as I settle back into

windows of the car, I squint my eyes and stare at the guests as they

Haven was not the only Silver wolf pack in Crest Mane.I was curious

see another silver wolf shift or use their

many times, each time leaving any onlookers

the gift

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

has ever defeated him in

only hope on the night of my first shift that I would not disappoint my father and have a decent

the back of the car and peek through the rear view window just

the screaming overpowers the music playing from the Mansion, wolves rushing

and their pups are quickly whisked

Wyatt, had come with his family in a

my mother in time

heart pounding in my chest almost drowns out the sounds of death

by the terrifying screams, I climb out of the car and make a run for the trees near the house, hoping somehow to find

it is! who finds

and there amongst the trees, I hear a sickening

body stiffens with fear but upon hearing my mother’s voice,

horrifying scene that would

Ravenstone wolf, my mother struggles to free herself,

my eyes filling with

my direction, her neck now perfectly exposed

we maketo scream but my voice never leaves my lips as I watch the life drain from my mother's eyes.I flinch at the memory

groan in annoyance and

and I decide to get a head start on the day,

steam.I count my scars as I scrub my body, a habit

attack and my life is

father made the announcement that both my mother

sworn to secrecy while I was locked away in my room, left to mourn the loss of my only

and the maids were told to never speak to me when they attended

silent and

Gamma Wyatt informed me that my father had remarried and was expecting a son

would be passing his title to

stripped of my rank the day my half brother, Caine, was born and given an

more than 5 feet tall and

not the reason she was spared from certain death, for Agnes had one small

the day

my father came to see

.- FLASH BACK....

father's

unsure if

disdain in his eyes for me

as I stand before the man

standing behind him;

be moving to the

you

both Agnes and! remain frozen in

Get moving!" he commands, pushing Agnes into the

over her feet and collapses onto the ground in front of

eyes as she looks around

flinches, her

else to do, I reach over again and tap her shoulder, offering my hand

hurt her, Agnes slowly lowers her arms

her hands in front of

nose in confusion and she laughs

ears and shakes a

a pen

she writes, pointing again to her

Agnes.What is

off the shower and get dressed before the rest of the

building just south of the main Pack house where the Alpha and the Higher Ranks