The Silent Alpha (Natalia)

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 head

throwing away everything we’ve worked hard on building because he can’t “You’re one

retorts, Carter coughing to hold back

look, Carter holding up his

think I need

mutters, storming past

Aurora calls after him, Oliver pausing

you too,” he sighs, closing the door after him as he

lets out a large breath of air, pinching the bridge of her nose

says when the suffocating

her hand, Talia

She mumbles, finally

saw your memories as

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

not make this

is the issue?” Talia asks for both of

just

“What’s the issue?”

sarcastically,

the heir apparent to the Alpha title and has been managing the shares from France.He is set to take the title next month, so we planned to have a formal meeting with him next week to discuss the future of our partnership.His father, however, decided to show

rub her

Jacque all week to come up with a finalized plan to end 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, an

might explode with frustration

than 3 months and I’m about to

little credit,” he

like 5 minutes before we went to war with the Witches and you took them down in less than 3 weeks.You can handle a snobby Alpha and

does not smile but his words seem to have given

of guilt washes over the

Aurora says

to cause trouble with or without Grayson’s

did it have to

was either

you shut the f**k up? I snap,

lobo, {I like your

before her face

wholeheartedly disagree, Grayson replies before I shove him to the back

of you,”

we being kicked out?” Talia asks,

depends entirely on you,” Aurora responds with a shrug as she rests her hands

I would keep you safe and I have failed you now on two occasions,”

looks like the time of peace

shifts nervously on her feet so I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close to remind her she

know you have your reservations about wolves, so I

could always make arrangements to place you somewhere else while Gwen completes her mission…But

arms

it here,” Talia whispers to

had forgotten how much pups need to be around other wolves.He’ll have questions that I don’t know the answer to…And there are some good

more to say before now, that is all she

is that a yes?” Aurora asks with a hopeful

Zane?” Talia murmurs, slowly tilting her head to look up at

“Should we stay?”

cheeks andI blink ather.She’s asking me? No, Zane.She’s asking your shadow, Grayson grumbles, the desire to punch my own wolf

protect Kota and

her thick lashes

life, Iwant to say but I only manage to nod my head

stay…” Talia replies, turning to look at

“might like it.”

that he’s enrolled.I’m glad to see River Moon is slowly changing

chuckles, Talia’s cheeks turning

rummages through her drawers and plucks out an envelope, holding it out for me to

than a month, there will be a Night of Melodies ritual.Four of our pups will receive their wolves over the next few weeks and will 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,

you, your Majesty,” Talia replies quietly, taking

we free to leave

just have one more

to

work here in River Moon and I think I have something you 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

rolling his eyes at me for my eagerness to be useful.”I mean, yes, your Majesty.I would

“Great!”she says aloud.

am sharp.Evan can pick you up and he’ll

eyes suddenly fog over and she heaves a

everything, I’m apparently late for a meeting with the other

and I collect Kota from the lawn and head back to

***Natalia***

an impending war

was small and luckily no one got

and Grayson with me, however, puts

would protect Kota without