Alpha - Forever #1 (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 1 - Part 2

Scarlett

It contained photo albums of my parents. I didn't open any of them because it hurt too much to look at the photos and be reminded of what I was missing in my life.

All the big portraits of my parents, I had put into the attic. Someday, I hoped that I'd be able to display them in the house and look at them without feeling the heartbreaking loss of their deaths.

I was relieved when I finished unpacking the albums and I moved on to the next one. I was determined to finish by lunchtime. The next couple of boxes were filled with my personal books, which took forever to get through. By the last box—which was filled with clothes, like underwear and pajamas—I was tired and hungry.

All the boxes were now empty, although there were still items on my bed when I heard a knock on my door.

"Time for food," Gary announced through my closed door.

"I'm nearly done. I'll see you downstairs as soon as I'm finished," I replied, folding my silk pajama top.

"You'd better hurry up or there may not be any food left," he teased.

I just laughed in response.

I turned my concentration back to finishing up my unpacking. Once I was done, I felt relieved as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. There was a massive dining room but I liked to eat at the table in the kitchen; it had a more casual atmosphere.

Gary had already started to eat when I dropped into the chair next to him.

"You unpacked all four boxes?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, all four boxes," I confirmed triumphantly as I surveyed the food in front of me. On the kitchen table, spread out in front of us, was a variety of sandwiches and salad. I selected one and placed it on my plate.

"Wow, that was quick," he murmured as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"I hate moving," I muttered as I dished up some salad onto my plate.

"At least everything is done," he reminded me. He was right. Everything had been unpacked. The only thing I was still waiting for was my new car.

"And I don't know why you're complaining about moving. This was your idea, remember?" he reminded me.

It had been my idea. From the time I'd turned sixteen, I'd begun to develop a need for nature and the wilderness. This had coincided with my senses becoming more powerful.

So, here we were.

"When is my new car arriving?" I asked as I took a bottle of water from the table and opened it to pour into a glass.

"I phoned to check and they said it was on its way. They guaranteed it would be here before the end of today."

I was so excited, I was like a little child on Christmas Eve and I couldn't wait to open my presents.

"Are you looking forward to starting your senior year tomorrow?" Gary questioned.

I shrugged.

"Not really."

I wasn't excited about my senior year or starting a new school. It was simply a task that had to be completed. I hadn't quite thought about what exactly I wanted to do once I graduated.

The thing was, I had more money than I could probably spend in a lifetime, so I had the time and money to take my time deciding.

When I'd gotten emancipated, I'd started learning about finances from Gary. It was crucial to keep track of how my inheritance was being invested and I'd learned a lot. Initially, Gary had sat in on the meetings with my financial advisors, but nowadays I held those meetings without him.