The Silent Alpha novel Chapter 52

***Zanet** 

After Talia’s former Gamma called last night, Talia went into a frantic terror, shaking violently with both rage and fear that her ex-mate was trying to locate our son.

It was not until I brought Kota in to stay with us for the night that she finally calmed down enough to go to sleep.

Grayson, however, was too enraged to stay quiet, so I let him out to patrol around the house while our mate and pup slept soundly.

Now as the dawn breaks over the horizon, I shift into my human form, changing into a pair of shorts and stumbling back into the room.

"Tell Christian he can go to hell.My son already has a Dad and I have an Alpha who I am going to love.I am going to love him and I am going to be happy because after all these years spent being angry and full of hatred, I deserve to have my happily ever after,"

Talia snarls into the phone before hanging up and huffing loudly to herself.She looks up to see me standing in the doorway, her cheeks heating up as she curls back up in bed with our sleeping pup.

I don’t know what to say as a kaleidoscope of butterflies flutters about from my stomach to my head.

Talia pats the empty space beside her, coaxing me to come to bed with her as she pulls the covers open for me.I crawl into bed, She interlocks our hands and brings them to her lips, kissing my knuckles gently as she speaks.

"Christian wants to make me his Luna and take Kota as his next heir," she murmurs, her other hand brushing away Kota's hair from his face.

A low growl rumbles through my chest, Talia chuckling softly to herself at Grayson’s possessiveness.

"And it appears my sister ended up in a coma after attempting to turn," she sighs.

I rest my chin on her shoulder and pull her closer to my chest.

"A-are you al-alright?" I ask, Talia shrugging to herself.

"I have let Vanessa and Christian control my life for several years now," she whispers.

"And for a long time, I’ve been living in fear of my own heart, too afraid to let anyone else get close enough to hurt me again.It’s so much easier being alone; it’s comfortable.No one can hurt you," https://novelebook.com/she adds with a small shrug.

I hold my breath as she guides my hand to her chest and presses it over her heart.

"Do you feel my heart racing?" she asks, the thumping of her heart drumming against the palm of my hand.

"y-yes."

"It hasn’t done that in a long time," she murmurs in breathy whispers.

"But my heart races every time I’m with you...And I realize...I never want to stop feeling that." to live, to grow, to fight intensifying as she speaks her truth.

"I want to be yours, truly and completely yours," Talia whispers, turning to look at me with tears tugging at her eyes.

"So I will give you my heart and my soul...even if it terrifies me.Even if I feel I’m not good enough.I’m done letting Christian and Vanessa win.I want to stop running.I want to be happy...and that starts by accepting your mark."

My eyes widen in shock and I can’t help the giddy smile that stretches across my face.

"R-really?" I ask, Grayson wagging his tail enthusiastically.

What are you doing? Don't question her, he snaps.She might change her mind! 

"Tonight," she murmurs.

"Mark me tonight."

I lock eyes with her, trying to decipher if this really is what she wants or if it's just the fear taking over again.

All I find in her eyes, however, is something no one but my mother has ever looked at me with: acceptance.

I am flawed and tainted by my past, but this perfectly imperfect human still wants me to be the father of her child and the man of her life.What more could I want? 

"T-tonight," I nod, a smile curling on her lips in response as I lean in for a kiss.

"One more thing, Zane," Talia adds, teasing me by pulling away from my lips.

"How would you feel about asking Queen Aurora if we can stay in River Moon...indefinitely?" She asks, biting on her lower lips as she waits for my reply.

There is nothing to think about, however, as I already feel right at home here, more so than I ever did at Scarlett Haven.

As I part my lips to answer, Kota suddenly sits up, his eyes filing with tears as he looks at us.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Talia asks, sitting up and opening her arms for him.

"I dream of a bad wolf," he whines, burying his face in her chest.

"And red water. Lots of red water on you, mommy."

"Red water?" She asks, turning to look at me in confusion.

" What red water?"

"Red water everywhere!" He cries.

"He was mean to Daddy.Why was he so mean to Daddy?!"

"Okay, okay," Talia soothes, rubbing his back as she kisses his head.

"Daddy’s okay now.See?"

"NO!" He screams, shaking his head at us.

Talia holds onto the crying pup, whispering soothing words to calm him down.

"K-Kota," I whisper, leaning into him.

"Do y-you want to see the bu-butterflies?”

 "NO!" Kota snarls, aggressively wiping his tears and hiding his face from me.

An idea pops into my head and I grab the little stuffed wolf I "W-wolfie, wo-would y-you like to go see the bu-butterflies with me?"

I ask the stuffed wolf, Talia picking up on my redirect tactic and smirking at me.

In a much lower voice, I respond to my own question.

"Y -yes, Za-Zane, I-I want to see the bu-butterflies."

"W-what about y-you, Ta-Talia? Wo-would y-you like to go see the bu-butterflies with me?" I ask, Talia nodding happily.

"I would love to come," she giggles.

"Kota, do you want to come with us?"

"Nuh-uh," he mutters, shaking his head.

"Well then K-Kota can stay here all b-by himself and we can g-go see the bu-butterflies," I say in my deep voice through the wolf.

"That’s a great idea," Talia adds, gently sliding Kota off her lap.

"Let me just brush my teeth and get dressed and then we can go." We both start to get up when Kota very timidly crawls to the edge of the bed.

"Can I come?"  he asks, wiping his tired face.

"Of c-course y-you can," I say, shoving the wolf in his face and peppering him with wolf kisses.

"I-I love y-you K-Kota.Y-You’re my b-best friend and I-1 will never let an-anyone hurt y-you."

The little boy gives into the wolf’s kisses and allows himself to be washed and dressed by his mother, but his dream lingers in my mind.

haunting my son’s dreams and why was Talia covered in blood? I don’t get much time to dwell on the dream as the three of us make our way downstairs for breakfast where we find Agnes already hard at work over the stove.