The Silent Alpha

***Natalia’*** 

I can feel myself slipping away as blood pours out of my neck area and I make peace with the thought that this may be the end for me.

Zane reluctantly pulls his hands away from the wound and leans forward to kiss my forehead, his lips leaving lingering sparks on my skin and I try to savor them as he turns to leave.

"I- I'll be back," he murmurs.

This may be the last time we speak to each other, so I reach out my hand and hold onto his wrist a little longer.I want him to know how glad I am we met.

"Zane..." I croak, struggling to find my words.

"I-I love you." He does not reply but I see the anguish swimming in his eyes and it hurts.

My sweet mate is breaking inside.I just hope when this is all over, his heart is still intact.

Zane storms out of the car and Rionna kicks into action, reaching her hand over me to unbuckle my seat belt.

"Don't worry, dear.We'll get you help," she reassures me, grabbing Agnes'‘s hands and placing them over my wound.

"We just need to get you into the passenger seat," she grunts, jumping out of the car and adjusting the passenger seat so that it rests all the way back.

Dakota screaming in the background for me.

"Mommy! Mommy!" he wails, Rionna, and Agnes shifting me onto the passenger seat.

"Please help my Mommy," he sobs.

"Help her!"

I open my mouth to calm him down but only incoherent mumbles escape my lips, frustration bubbling in my chest.

Instincts take over, however, and I do my best to keep calm and slow down my breathing.If I want to survive, I need to stay calm.

Agnes tears off her shirt, ripping the fabric into strips and tying it around my shoulder and over my collar bone to stop the bleeding.

Instant pain shoots across my chest, my nails imprinting half moons into the car seat as I bite on my tongue to hold back my screams.I don’t want to scare my baby.

Rionna jumps into the driver seat, restarting the car and turning it back towards River Moon.

"Stay with us Talia.Just stay with us," she orders me as we speed down the road.

"I linked Toran and he’s getting help from the Queen.Just hang on.Don’t go.Kota and Zane still need you." I can feel myself slipping into the darkness, a coldness filling my body as more blood pools around my chest.

"Mommy!" Kota screams, my eyes struggling to stay open.

"Mommy wake up!"

But the exhaustion is only growing stronger, its claws fight to stay conscious but as we drive through what appears to be a portal, I feel myself fall into the cold pitch black, the pain subsiding and the world giving way to the abyss.I do not feel fear as I wander aimlessly for what feels like hours into the void.

The dark is quiet but in a soothing way.I must have died...I tell myself, my heart breaking a little at the thought but the memory of Kota and Zane watching the butterflies calms my fears.

Even in my absence, my son will know love.

His father will make sure of that.

Peace settles into my being and as I take a step forward, I feel the ground give way and a flutter fills my heart as I fall into the pitch black.

My arms and legs instinctively search for something to grab onto as I fall when the black nothingness suddenly fades to blue skies and fluffy clouds I can almost touch with my fingers.

Just as suddenly as the sky appears, I feel myself gently fall into a body of water, small waves washing over me until I'm fully submerged.I react instantly and swim to the water's surface, taking a huge gulp of air to fill my starving lungs.

and I find myself in the middle of a lake,

Natalia....

Natalia...

it and

moves between eyes gazing intently

the light hits it and air of dominance lingers around the wolf. The wolf feels familiar and as I crawl onto the shore, it rushes to help me, its tail wagging with pup-like excitement.I carefully inspect myself, realizing

moments ago is

wolf" I murmur as I get up on my feet and dust off the sand from my

when it replies

Natalia," it murmurs, turning its body

hurry.She’s waiting

the wolf does not answer, running off into the

avoiding small stones and branches

while of running, the dense forest gives way to a clearing with

chairs around a table, and the wolf takes a seat on

body against a stone, inhaling deeply

behind the tree, hair black as

simple yet elegant white dress with blue embellishments

lips and her dark eyes

jumps off the stone and bows its head before the woman, the beautiful

do with myself, I stand up immediately and awkwardly

reply softly, the woman

ask how I know your name?" she asks, her

right?" I answer with

lead me to the afterlife...?

woman taking a seat on a stone with

not dead," she murmurs, petting the

yet.Zane

doing here?" I ask, looking around at the

hums to herself

you do not

know who or what you are so how can I ask

at least I like to

mate bond with Zane? You wanted to make your own fate?" I raise an eyebrow at

you?"

Moon, the Mother of the Wolves, the Daughter of the Night, Selene, Diana,

given me so many names that it does not matter what you call me. All that matters is

Goddess," I say in realization, my eyes flickering to the wolf

assume that’s your

Goddess giving the wolf a stern

of my wolves, is a product of my love, my own creation, my child," the Goddess

contain a spirit, a soul that I

who paired me with not one but two wolves," I mumble, shaking my head at the

much for that, by the way.You’ve given me two head aches.

course not," I huff,

a mistake.Why did you do that? Why did you match me with a man who was incapable of

me! You both broke me! And then you screwed me over by giving me another mate.I didn’t ask for one! I didn’t ask for any of this,

the heavenly Goddess remains very quiet, gently petting Devina’s snout with so much love and affection, I start to believe she may be

very angry..."

am I..."

the hope that one day my wolves will find peace again.I chose Christian and Jack for you because I could see he was slowly slipping away and he needed someone to ground him, someone to neutralize his temper.You were that person.Your level headedness, your intelligence and straightforward thinking, your patience made you an ideal candidate.I had hoped that with you by his side, Christian would see the ways of his errors, but I

for but sometimes life is just simply out of our

crossing my hands over my chest

"So what now?"

Goddess thinks for a moment in silence,

and rises to her