The Silent Alpha novel Chapter 48

***Rionna*** 

"M-mom?" the man stammers, his face pale as he gawks at me.

I turn my head to see if there is anyone behind me but just find a closed door in my path.

Who is he calling Mom?I wonder.

Toran chuckles softly to himself and I frown at him for teasing me before turning back to the frightened man.

A single tear rolls down his cheek but he does not move any closer to me, as if he is afraid I might disintegrate should he so much as breathe near me.

He looks so familiar...I tell myself though I can’t quite make out where exactly I have seen him.

"Look harder, Ry," Toran mind-links me.

"You know him."

"I do? “ I ask, squinting my eyes at the mysterious man.I study his features, taking in his dark hair, his smooth pale skin and his warm brown eyes.

Those eyes...Where have I seen those eyes....

"I think we should sit down first, Ry," Toran says, getting up to offer me his chair.

I step towards my husband only for the young man to whimper.

A memory suddenly pops into my head of a little boy with a stutter doing his best to recite a poem, a few sad tears trickling down his cheeks as he stumbles through his words.

"You're the little boy from my dreams..." I murmur, a soft smile curling on my lips as I turn to face him.

"You used to read poetry to me...You would get so frustrated with yourself when you couldn’t say a word right..." I mutter to myself, snapping my fingers in thought.

"You’re all grown up now, aren’t you?" I add, my excitement growing about meeting someone from my past.

...Perhaps he can tell us more about you than Toran can… my wolf, Senara whispers.

The man’s eyes glaze over with tears, his silence making me mildly uncomfortable, but I push onward, determined to figure out who he is.

"You're very handsome," I chirp, holding up my smile despite the man’s silent stare.

Am I making him uncomfortable?

 "Is she your mate?" I ask, turning to the young woman beside him clinging to his arm.

"She’s very beautiful," I smile, hoping to get a reaction from either of them.

The young woman smiles at me but I can tell she and I have never met by the way she looks at me.I turn to the small older woman who has her brows furrowed in anger at Toran and I, my heart skipping a beat at her clear Had I upset her in my past life?

 "And who are you?" I ask her, the small woman shaking her head at me.

"Honey, will you sit down, please?" Toran sighs, ushering me towards the chair.

He gestures at the young man to sit as well, but he refuses to move an inch, completely paralyzed by his emotions.

The longing in his eyes awakens something within me, something so loving and pure yet so familiar, like sitting by a fireplace on a cold winter's night, the glow of the flames touching every inch of me, enveloping me in the safety of its warmth.

"Who am I to you?" I whisper, a nauseating feeling growing in my belly when a pained look flashes in his eyes.

"Y-you don’t ....Y-you don’t know w-who I- I am?" he whispers after a long silence, his words cutting into my heart with their anguish.

Guilt washes over me as his despair grows with my silence and I close my eyes to concentrate, willing my memories to come back to me, but all I see is an empty abyss.

"It’s okay, Rionna, " Toran murmurs via mind-link, his voice soft and soothing.

"Don’t push yourself.Your memories will come back when you are ready."

This is why I love my husband so much.He is the voice of reason when I feel so completely lost and useless.He’s my anchor, my home, my love.

Tylen and I.

Toran wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to his side, the young man watching us in utter shock.

"This is my wife, Rionna and my son, Tylen," he smiles at us.

"Rionna, this is Zane, his mother Agnes, and his mate, Talia," he adds, pointing to the man, his mate and his mother.

Toran then points to a beautiful woman with long white hair and gorgeous honey eyes.I feel the urge to pay respect to her and bend over in a low bow along with Tylen.

"And that is Her Majesty, Aurora and her King, Oliver," Toran explains.

"Pleasure," I smile at everyone.

The Queen studies me carefully for a moment but ultimately gives me a warm welcome and urges me to take a seat.

Zane opens his mouth to speak but decides against it, pursing his lips and clenching his fists at his sides as he sits with his mate and mother.

"I think it's best if my wife tells her story to you, Zane, before you ask any questions," Toran explains, turning to me.

"Is that okay, hun?"

I have grown used to explaining myself to Toran’s allies before, so this is not out of the ordinary for me, but Zane’s pained stare makes this more difficult than usual.

Clearing my throat, I start with my very first memory.

"Unfortunately, I don’t remember much, but several years ago, I woke up in a hospital with no memories of who I was or how amnesia, I think," I shrug apologetically, hoping Zane’s sadness will fade away as I explain myself to him.

"Toran was there when I opened my eyes for the first time.He didn’t like me very much and was quite angry at me for being awake," I chuckle, Toran smirking mischievously and kissing my hand.

"He told me I had died, but for some reason, I came back..." I add, still unable to wrap my head around the story myself.

Toran sighs heavily and explains in further detail the events of my rising.

"After I ordered the hit during King Arthur's birthday party, I requested that my wolves bring me back her body as proof of her death.As she was being transported to Ravenstone, she sat up in the back of the van, the wound on her neck completely healed," Toran adds with emphasis.

"My wolves told me she was awake for a while, but it was as if she were in limbo, not really ‘here’ at all.She said nothing, just sat up like a stone the entire ride to Ravenstone.My wolves were terrified of her so they didn’t even try to touch her until they arrived at the pack hospital.A doctor came to check her out and she fell into a deep coma a couple minutes into the examination," he shrugs.

"I was tempted to kill her..."he adds with a chuckle as I smack his arm playfully, Zane watching curiously.

"But then I realized Moon Goddess would not have bestowed the gift of life to her again without good reason.She must have a bigger plan for her.So...rather than kill her, I kept Elenore, or rather Rionna, as my prisoner until I could figure out what that reason was," he says, pulling out my smoky quartz had Rionna wear this fae enchanted stone to mask her appearance whenever she leaves the pack house.It’s kept her safe from being spotted for the last 20 years."

I chance a glance at Zane and find him looking at me with so much emotion, hanging on to every word of my story.

"I didn’t feel much like a prisoner, however," I add with a smile.

"I was given a comfortable room after I woke up from my coma and was allowed to explore the pack house whenever I pleased.I even had company with Tylen.He would visit me every day to share a meal with me or play board games," I explain, patting Tylen’s shoulder, though he appears lost in thought, his eyes focusing on Agnes.

How odd...I sigh.

"Toran would also come to visit a lot, asking me if I could remember anything about my past but never giving me much information about myself."

"The doctors told me it was best not to force you to remember," Toran grumbles grumpily.

"I was only doing what I was told."

"And I thank you very much for protecting me," I reply, leaning over and pecking him on the lips to Zane’s horror.