The Silent Alpha

Fallen Heirs ***Wyatt?*** Korbin is eerily quiet as we drive the last leg of our trip home, staring off at the trees that we zoom past.

It's frightening.

He's never quiet.

(had not even set foot on the plane when Korbin called me the day of the attack, the fear thick in his voice as he demanded I return to the hotel.

He could not even explain to me what had happened, his words slurred as he incoherently begged me to come help him.

I did my best to calm him down and stayed on the line with him until I returned to the hotel where I got the shock of my life, finding Caine’s lifeless body stuffed in the back of the truck.

"What happened?” I demanded, unwilling to believe my own eyes as! stared at the body.

"H-he just went crazy!” Korbin hiccuped between sobs.

“I-I don’t even know what- what happened,” he cried.

“I tried to stop him.

I tried but he wouldn't listen to me! He wouldn't...

He just shot himself” he whimpered.

“He shot...

He shot himself.” It took several hours to calm Korbin down enough to make sense of what he was saying and even then, I could not make out the events of that day, unable to understand how Zane made Caine shoot himself without uttering a single word.

Caine is many things, but suicidal is not one of them.

He would have put up a fight before dying.

Something else must have taken place that day but I cannot get Korbin to tell me the truth. “Dad...” Korbin whispers, his eyes glossy as he looks over at me.

“I'm scared.” now, so I swallow them back and put on a brave face.

“Alpha will want to know the exact details of that day,” I sigh tiredly, looking over at Caine.

"So what should I tell him?” Korbin whispers to himself.

My hands tighten their grip around the steering wheel as I try to think of a good answer to that. Korbin can't lie to save his life so it is best to come clean with what happened.

“I regret to inform you, Alpha, that things took an unexpected turn while we were visiting California,” he says, his voice strong despite the fear laced within his words.

"Speak clearly.

You're not making any sense,” I snarl, barely hanging on to my patience as Wyatt stares blankly at me.

"Yes sir,” Wyatt nods solemnly.

“I took Caine and Korbin to speak with Zane one last time before we left and as we were approaching his new aimed at your son.” My blood boils hearing the news of Caine’s audacity to override my wishes and do as he pleases.

“Was Zane hurt?” I ask, a war waging in my head.

A part of me hopes that the boy was killed so I can be done with this ordeal while the other half prays no harm comes his way.

"He's alright,” Wyatt explains.

“But Caine continued to shoot and Zane reacted to the gunfire.

The two got into an altercation for control of the gun so I don’t exactly know who shot who but the gun went off, and Caine was shot.” In ablink of an eye, the world comes to a stand still, my own lungs pausing for a moment.

"Where is Caine?” I ask, my face stone cold as I wait for his response.

"He's dead, Alpha,” Wyatt announces very bluntly, the familiar pain of another lost son filling my heart.

Of course, this time, it's through no fault of my own.

"What?" a sharp gasp calls out from behind me.

Just then I hear footsteps approaching, Sara stepping out of the house as her lips quiver in anguish. “What did you say?” She whimpers through a sob.

“Sara, go inside,” I command, Sara ignoring me completely and staring at her Gamma.

"What did you say?” She repeats, her hand clinging to her chest as several tears roll down her cheeks.

"Where is my baby?” “I said, GO INSIDE," I snap, Earl stepping in her way and pushing her “No...” she whines, her face full of anguish as she pushes Earl's hands away.

“No.

no...

no!” She whispers, her voice growing louder.

“No! No! Not my baby!” She shrieks, Earl wrapping his arms around her as she cries.” My baby! My baby!” She screams, pounding her fists against Earl's chest in hopes of breaking free.

Wyatt climbs up the steps to the house to comfort his Luna, but she does not want his comfort. She wants his head.

"You were supposed to protect him!” she snarls, slapping Wyatt across the face when he tries to hug her.

“You spineless, insignificant, waste of space!” She sobs angrily, collapsing to the ground on her knees.

As she screams, I slowly approach the truck, finding a body covered in linen tucked tightly in the bed.

My hands shake as I untie the ropes keeping the body in place and I pull back the linen, closing my eyes instantly when I see Caines face with two gaping holes on the sides of his head.

No weakness, Iremind myself, quickly tucking in my emotions behind a face of stone as I cover Caine back up.

An Alpha never shows weakness.

Another thought occupies my mind, anger and shame filling my being.

Without Caine, that stuttering buffoon is now the sole heir to my pack.

That weakling will be responsible for this- for MY PACK.

How could this be my fate? My legacy? In the hands of a man who can't even say his own name without stumbling like an i***t? How? How could this have happened? My fury turns on Wyatt, the man I left in charge of this one simple task.

“How could you let this happen?” I snarl, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

“You had one f*****g job.

Where were you? Do you have any idea Stone was promised an heir and you let him die!” “I told you Caine was trouble.

Zane was only defending himself,” Wyatt tries to explain.

“I didn't even know the kid had a gun with him

I don't know how the f**k he got his hands on a silver revolver.” I freeze, realizing the only person who could have given Caine a silver revolver ..

was his own mother.

The weeping woman seems to know this