The Alpha's Burning Flower

Chapter 1

Daddy Dearest 

Annabella POV 

7 Years Later 

“Hey Bella Rose, how was training?” My dad asks me as I hop into his black Chevy SUV. 

You see, since before I can remember, my dad has had me in multiple sports where I learn how to fight. He has me in Tae Kwon Do and Judo classes where I learn form and sparring and throws. He also has me working with a private trainer for Boxing so I can learn a more freestyle type of fighting. My dad calls these activities my “tactical training.” My life is pretty much go to school then go to sports. I don’t mind it though, I’m way ahead of my class at school, my dad just won’t let me skip grades and I don’t do school sports at his request either so I pretty much keep to myself. On top of the sports, my dad and I go running every Saturday and Sunday morning at dawn in the woods behind our home and then get breakfast at a local diner. It has become my favorite part of every week. 

“It was pretty good. All my trainers have upped the program a lot this year,” I tell him while chugging from my water bottle. He chuckles and shifts the car into drive. 

“Well it is the start of the new programs and you are turning eleven tomorrow so it should start getting harder.” He replies evenly. 

“I know I’m just exhausted. It was a hard week.” 

“Well I ordered pizza for us tonight and maybe you should get to bed early tonight.” My mouth starts watering at the mention of pizza and I start daydreaming about the warm gooey cheese filling my empty stomach. Less than a minute into my daydream though, we pull up into the small Donatos parking lot. I am practically bouncing in my seat as I watch him walk into the store. He returns quickly after with two large boxes and a smaller container – probably breadsticks. I lower my window to take them from him and he hands me the steaming boxes, the aroma immediately filling my senses as I take a big inhale and place them on my lap. 

“Annabella Rose! You could wait the 10 minutes until we are home,” my dad scolds me as I stuff a steaming breadstick into my mouth. 

         “Buh iyu harbing!” I try to say with my mouth full of bread. 

         “Could you repeat that again after you have swallowed and speak like a lady?” dad says laughing at me. I swallow down the delicious food and lick my lips before speaking again. 

         “Sorry daddy, I'm just so hungry!” I whine.

         “Well you can wait until we are home.” 

         “Uhg!” I pout crossing my arms on my chest and staring out the window. Immature I know but cut me a break, I'm only ten and it's been a hard week. After what feels like forever, we finally pull into the garage. As soon as he puts the car into park, I fly out of the door carrying the pizza, using my foot to open the garage door. I barge loudly into the house.

“Pizza’s here!” I yelled through the house to my step-family. My dad married Sarah Jones when I was four and she moved in immediately after they got engaged. With her came her three kids: Austin, Claire, and Leah. Austin is now 13 while Claire and Leah are twins and are only six months older than I am but a grade above. They are all spitting images of their mom with mops of blonde hair and emerald green eyes. It’s obvious that Sarah doesn’t see me like she sees her own kids and the four of us kids would definitely not be considered friends but we are all civil and dad seems happy so it works out well enough. 

I set the pizza boxes in the middle of the table along with the paper plates and napkins they gave us and walk to the fridge to grab myself a cherry coke.

“Do you guys want something to drink?” I ask the twins when I see them walk to the kitchen. 

“Water,” they both respond in sync. I nod and disappear into the kitchen grabbing two cups from the cabinet and fill them with water from the Brita. Dad comes into the kitchen as I’m pouring the water and grabs two beers from the fridge. We walk back to the dining room together and he sits handing a beer to Sarah. 

“Austin do you want something to drink?” I ask him now that he’s sitting at the table. 

“Yeah you but I don’t think I can take that,” he mutters so quietly I’m not sure I actually heard it. I glance around the table and no one else seems to have heard except dad. He shoots a glare Austin’s way and his eyes seem to flash ... black? 

No way. Impossible. I think and shake my head. 

I sit down taking Austin’s silence as a no and dig into my dinner. As usual, conversation is simple and boring, no one really volunteering influxes of personal information about their days. After stuffing four pieces of pizza and another breadstick into my mouth, I am finally full. I am able to eat as much as any boy my age, I can even eat as much as Austin does. Dad says that it's good I have a healthy appetite and that it’ll help make me strong. Plus, with the amount he has me working out, I burn off just as much as I am eating. 

“I think I am going to turn in for the night guys. If I can be excused?” Dad and Sarah both nod in approval for me to go, so I wipe my mouth with a napkin and stand up. 

“You know it's only eight o'clock right?” Claire asks me. 

“I know but it's been a hard week and I'm tired.” I don’t mention having to get up early. I'm honestly not sure if anyone even knows that dad and I get up every weekend to run and if they do then they don’t acknowledge it and I want to keep it that way. So I just shrug my shoulders at everyone and trot up the stairs to brush my teeth. 

I spit then grab my hairbrush to run it through m hair. Dad says I look just like my momma with my light blue eyes and blonde hair. 

I walk into my room and hop into bed at the same time that my dad slips into my room, shutting the door behind him. 

“I have a very special story for you tonight, princess,” he tells me softly. Since mom died, every night my dad would come into my room to tuck me in and many of those nights he would also tell me legends of wolves and stories of the moon. They were all better than anything Dr. Suess could think up. That’s what led me to my obsession I have now with wolves. 

“What’s it about?” I ask excitement rising in my chest. 

“The Great White Wolf.”

“Woooooah.” I am practically giddy now. 

“Once the werewolves were created, it didn’t take long for them to become the dominant species. With their extra strength and speed and their ability to gauge emotion, it was no issue for them to quickly rise to the top in businesses and sports. However, the male werewolves also were quick to get greedy and malicious, not caring about others. So the Moon Goddess Selene gifted the wolves with mates. A wolf’s mate is their other half, once found, they cannot live without them. The goddess pushed wolves together so that everyone could continue to live in harmony and peace, with mates balancing each other out. Where one is too greedy, the other may be just selfless and stubborn enough to lessen the greed. 

But still, Selene’s children were disruptive. They started wars with other packs and killed for no reason. So the goddess created a new kind of wolf. She gifted a young she-wolf with a purest of heart with some of her own power. So, this wolf was born white as the purest snow. With the goddess’s power came  control over the elements. Most were born with control only over one single element. 

But, it is said that an alpha she-wolf will be born with the goddess’s gift. She will grow up as a light to all the encounter her and the goddess will give her a strong alpha mate. Their love will be pure and they will rule together, her with open arms and him with an iron fist. To them, a daughter will be born. Their daughter will grow up wiser, smarter, and stronger than her years. She is said to be fated to the strongest of all alphas, but before she can fulfill the purpose the goddess gave to her, she must first become one with her mate in mind, body, and soul.” 

“What happened to her daddy?” I ask him eager and wanting him to talk faster. 

“Well, legend says that this child was born– ”

“NO!” I gasp, accidentally interrupting him. I slap a hand over my mouth and vigorously nod my head telling him to continue. He smiles at me and rubs my head. 

“Yes, this little girl was born. But her father took her away from that world. You see, he worried for her safety because the white wolves were hunted. Humans wanted them for their fur, vampires wanted them because their blood was said to contain the goddess’s magic, and many wolves wanted them, some to kill and some to mate. When wolves mate, their energies mix and their powers can become one so many power-hungry wolves tries to forcibly mark and mate the white wolves for their power. But every time they tried, the white wolf died. Other wolves, simply wanted to kill the white wolves because of the threat they poised to their own power. 

So this little girl is said to be the very last white wolf in existence. So her father took her away to hide and protect her until the day she is able to find her mate and fulfill her duties. No one knows where she is today but she is searched for all over the world.”

“Wow,” I have no other words. My dad chuckles at my lack of a response.

“Be right back.” He gets up and leaves me to think about that story. 

I can't believe he waited so long to tell me that one! I think to myself. 

“So, Bella Rose, I have an early gift for you,” my dad says when he comes back into my room carrying a very large wrapped gift. 

“But you never give me something early?” I say this as a question. Dad has never failed to give me a birthday present. They’re always something small and meaningful. When I was little he would get me stuffed wolves or books about wolves and nature. For my ninth birthday he got me a shiny gold charm bracelet with a sparkly white wolf and an equally sparkly silver wolf. For Christmas that year he got me another four charms: a blood red heart, a white full moon, gold praying hands, and a gold princess crown. They are all so sparkly and full of gems that I refused to take it off for days. Now I take it off when I shower and sleep. For my last birthday, he got me a gold necklace with a large crescent moon charm full of diamonds. It rests right in the center of my collar bones. Those are the only pieces of jewelry I wear.

“I did this year, just open it princess,” he tells me sliding the gift towards me. I kneel in front of it and gently peel off the white wrapping paper. When it's all gone, all I can do is sit there and stare at it, my jaw on the floor. 

“Daddy, this is amazing! It's so pretty.” I sit and admire my new picture. It's nearly as tall as I am on its side and about half my height in width. The picture is of a dense forest but in the very center of the forest is a beautiful wolf, with fur as white as snow. She is sitting in the forest leaves, her head tilted slightly. It almost looks like she is smiling. I slide my eyes across the picture to what she must be looking at and see a very large silver wolf. His head is low to the ground but his eyes are on the beautiful white wolf. 

“It's the white wolf and her mate! From the story!” I tell him excitedly. 

“Yeah, princess, it is. That’s why I decided to give it to you early. It goes with the story I told you.” I tear my eyes away from the picture to look at my dad. His eyes have a far-away look to them. He looks so sad. I frown at him. 

“Daddy, why are you so sad?” I ask scooting over to his side. 

“It just makes me miss your mom. She would have loved to tell you that story,” his voice is barely a whisper now. I cuddle up against his side trying to help him feel better. After a moment, he sighs and lifts me into his arms and lays me back in bed. “We will hang this up tomorrow, Bella Rose. For now, just have a wonderful night sleep my princess.” He kisses my forehead and turns to walk out. 

“Dream of wolves, daddy!” I tell him, hoping it will make him smile. 

“Always do, baby. always do,” he whispers then walks out of my room.