The Alpha's Burning Flower

Chapter 6

Saying Farewell 

Annabella POV 

“Good morning Bella Rose,” my dad says when he sees me. We both slept in today, tired after our day in the woods. 

“Morning,” I respond still a little sleepy. 

“Let’s go for a drive, there is somewhere I want to take you,” he tells me then walks right out the door without another word. 

“Um okay?” I say to the now empty kitchen. I run upstairs and pull on a pair of jeans and a pink sweater and matching pink flats then run outside after dad who is waiting in the car. I hop in and he pulls out onto the road immediately. We drive for about ten minutes in silence until we reach the highway. 

“Where are we going?” I finally ask. 

“I’ll explain when we get there,” he responds. He seems nervous. He keeps looking at me out of the corner of his eye like I might vanish any second. 

“Please at least tell me something,” I whine. He sighs and gets off at the next exit. I have no idea where we are but he just keeps driving until we stop at a red light at a big intersection. 

“Okay Annabella, you know all of the wolf stories I've always told you?” 

“Duh,” I reply wanting him to get to the point. 

“What if I said that it's all true?” My jaw hits the floor and then I start laughing.

“That’s funny dad.” 

“I’m serious. Everything is true Annabella. I'm one of them. Your mom was. And so are you.” I just sit there and stare at him, totally at a loss for words. The light turns green and he starts driving again. I'm about to speak until I see two lights coming very fast toward us. The next ten seconds happen in slow motion. 

The lights come closer. A hard impact throws our car to the side. A white bag and glass fly into my face. Then we’re rolling. My body painfully crashes against something. We roll again. More pain. Roll. Pain. I lose track after the sixth roll and find myself enveloped in darkness. What feels like moments later, I see a bright light. It's quiet expect for a high-pitched ringing in my ears. My head hurts.  

Am I dying? 

I can't decide if I want to go to the light or away. I feel something throbbing in my head, trying to push through. The light hurts. I go further into the darkness. 

“Wake up Annabella! Be strong!” I hear ring through my mind and I am thrust toward the light. It gets brighter and the ringing goes away, turning into many muffled sounds. Everything hurts. Suddenly, I remember my dad and everything comes rushing back. My eyes fly open only to be bombarded with lights and sounds. I'm lying on the ground, I think in the street. People are everywhere. I think they're trying to talk to me but I can't make out what they're saying. I turn my head and see my dad. He's lying on the ground several feet away from me. He’s not moving. A woman standing over him shakes her head and I fall back into the darkness. 

*     *       *

“I'm not sure when she’ll wake up,” a woman’s voice says quietly. 

“Well is she okay? Will she be okay?” I think that’s Sarah’s voice now. 

“She was bleeding into her chest. She has broken bones and cuts and bruises all over her body. Her surgery was successful and her vitals are all where they should be. She just needs rest.”

“It's been three days. Will she be normal when she wakes up?” 

“We won't know for sure until she wakes. But her memory might be impaired from the shock.” My memory? Where am I? I c***k open my eyes and have to squint. I'm in a hospital room. Wait no, I was in the car. Me and dad were taking a trip. What happened? 

“Crash,” a voice quietly reminds me. Oh no. We crashed. Where is dad?  I hear the machines beeping faster and then Sarah and the other woman – probably a doctor – are next to my bed. 

“Annabella, can you hear me?” the doctor asks. I nod. “Okay, follow my finger with your eyes.” I do. She places her hands in mine, “squeeze my hands,” I do but it feels weak. Her eyes go down to my lower half, “wiggle your toes for me now.” I manage to do this too. “Okay, last thing Annabella. I need you to talk. I am going to ask you some questions and I need you to answer them out loud for me.” I nod. “What's your full name?” 

“Annabella Rose Daniels,” I croak out. Sarah hands me a cup of water and I greedily gulp it down. 

“What day is it?” Well, we crashed on Sunday and she said it's been three days so I guess it's Wednesday. 

“Wednesday?” she nods in confirmation. 

“Do you remember what happened?” 

“A crash. Where’s my dad?” The doctor looks at Sarah then they both look back at me. 

“Annabella, your father died in the accident.” 

No. No, impossible, no. we were just talking. What were we talking about? Why can't I remember? I can't breathe. I feel tears falling down my cheeks. I haven’t cried since mom died. My dad Is dead. I have no parents. I break down into sobs. I see the doctor come around and put something into my IV then I am quickly falling back to sleep.