The Silent Alpha

***Zane*** 

Talia orders a pizza and the three of us sit by the fort and watch Shrek in Spanish.I can’t follow most of what is being said but the subtitles help.

Talia seems restless as we watch, glancing at me from the corner of her eye every so often and shifting on her pillow over and over again.

I know there’s something on her mind but I cannot bring myself to invade her privacy, so I timidly place my hand over hers, Talia flinching as the sparks ignite between us.

Ashamed, I pull my hand away but she takes it in hers and interlocks our fingers, muttering an apology under her breath.

"Sorry...it'll just take a little getting used to," she blushes, her thumb caressing mine.

"Your hands are...warm..." she smiles nervously.

She says nothing more, turning her attention back to the movie.

I want to ask her what is on her mind but before I can figure out a way to communicate, there’s a knock at the door.

A bit of dread settles in the pit of my stomach when I see Evan standing in the doorway.

He tries to hide his worried face with a smile, but his eyes give him away.

"The Queen wishes to speak to both of you about today’s… incident," he says, carefully picking his words.

"Zane didn’t do anything wrong,"

Talia huffs, taking a Grayson practically swoons over the gesture and like a love sick puppy, demands to come out and mark her on sight.

Is that all you can think about right now? I snap at him, knowing we are very likely going to get kicked off the territory for his behavior.

No, I'm definitely thinking about her t**s too, Grayson replies nonchalantly.

Just look at how she’s puffing out her chest.

They look great in this top...

I despise you, I sigh, knowing there is no way to trade wolves at this point.

Trust me, I'd trade humans in a heartbeat, he retorts.

"I never said Zane did anything wrong,"

Evan explains calmly, though I can see the fear flicker in his eyes as he backs away from my small Latina mate who glares furiously at him.

""Trust me, I would have loved to piss on Benoit Perrault years ago."

"So then why-"

"Things are more complicated than you think and unfortunately, Zane and his wolf only made things worse,"

Evan interrupts.

"Please, just come to the Pack house so Aurora can speak to you both."

Seeing that we would have to face Aurora sooner or later, we grab Kota and head to the pack house where Evan takes Kota out to play with Rio on the lawn while Talia and I head upstairs to Aurora’s office.I don’t smell the visiting Alphas anywhere, meaning they nervous.

Talia must be nervous too because she holds my hand as I open the door to the office, giving it a tight squeeze as we enter.

The tension in the room is thick, Aurora resting her head in her hands as she focuses on her breathing while her mate, Oliver, gives me a murderous look.

Carter, their Beta, seems to be the only one not upset at the moment, greeting both Talia and I with a smile.

A spine tingling fear washes over me when Oliver opens his mouth to speak.

"Do you have any idea what you two have done?"

Oliver growls, his blue eyes flickering between sapphire and silver.

"Do you have ANY idea how much you f****d up-"

"Oliver, stop it..."

Aurora warns, her face stern as she looks at her husband.

"Let them speak for themselves before you place blame on anyone."

"You know as well as I do that it does not matter what the reason was.Zane had no right to pee on an Alpha visiting my territory!"

"Our territory,"

Aurora corrects him, Oliver’s mouth closing instantly.

"You forget, Zane and Talia are my guests here and Benoit, as a visitor, should have respected me by respecting my guests.You and I both know he has not!"

"So what do you propose we do?"

his

just let Zane get away with throwing away everything we've worked hard on building because he can’t "You’re one to

Carter coughing to

gives him a deadly look, Carter

I

mutters, storming past

pausing at the door and taking a deep

sighs, closing the

the bridge of

Talia says when the suffocating silence becomes too

was just-" Aurora holds up her hand,

know what happened," She mumbles, finally

memories as soon as you

her fingers through her hair and leans back in her chair with

not make

Talia asks for

just

"What’s the issue?"

laughs sarcastically,

the Alpha title and has been managing the shares from France.He is set to take the title next month,

stops to rub

the partnership.They came to an agreement this morning until Grayson so graciously pissed on Benoit Perrault.Now, not only are all the negotiations off the table, but Lune de Minuit has declared River Moon and, by proxy, my kingdom,

looks like her head might explode with frustration and for a brief moment, she appears overwhelmed

3 months and I’m about to enter

a little credit," he

Witches and you took them down in less than 3 weeks.You can handle a snobby Alpha and his son with your hands tied behind

but his words seem to have given her

guilt washes

fault," Aurora says

trouble with

it have to be

was

the f**k up? I

cae bien tu lobo, {I like

face once

disagree, Grayson replies before I shove him to the back

still have something to discuss with both of you," Aurora says, her

we being kicked out?" Talia asks,

a

you safe and I have failed you

now it looks like the time of peace in

her waist and pull her close to remind her

know you have your reservations about wolves, so

always make arrangements to place you somewhere else while Gwen completes her mission...But I would really

moment, wrapping her arms around my stomach and burying her nose

it here," Talia whispers to herself, though we all

pups need to be around other wolves.He’ll have questions that I don’t know the

looks like she has more to say before now, that

Aurora asks with a hopeful

Talia murmurs, slowly tilting her head to look

"Should we stay?"

andI blink ather.She's asking me? No, Zane.She’s asking your shadow,

you protect Kota and

her thick lashes

my head at her, a small but beautiful

we'll stay..." Talia replies, turning to look at

"might like it."

see River Moon is slowly changing your

Talia’s cheeks

young Queen rummages through her drawers and plucks out

be initiated into River Moon as official pack members.We would be most honored if you would join us in this celebration.It will take place on the Buck Moon, perfect for the pups to test

your Majesty," Talia replies quietly, taking the envelope from my

free to leave

one more question

to her feet and switches to

could do.Would you be at all interested in guard training? Now that we have a new enemy on the horizon, it would be nice to have another silver wolf helping to protect the pack.You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to and you don’t have to give mean answer right now

reply almost too quickly, Grayson rolling his eyes at me for my eagerness to be useful."I mean, yes, your Majesty.I would

"Great!"she says aloud.

6 am sharp.Evan can pick you up and he'll

fog over and she heaves

apparently late for a

I collect Kota from the lawn and

***Natalia*** 

an impending

my reign as Luna and I'd only ever seen one rogue attack.It was small and luckily

me, however, puts my

protect