High Alpha's Risen Mate

Chapter 2: The Rise

"The scariest moment is always just before you start."

- Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the

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Chapter 2: The Rise

POV: Sierra

I am so sick of moving. I don't want to move, we just got here. I don't care if I sound like a toddler throwing a fit, I'm not going.

I breathe in and out through my annoyance at Uncle Blake's announcement. "What?! We just got here." Why do we have to move again and so soon? "The job isn't working out," Devon says calmly.

"Why can't we just stay?" I ask in desperation. My birthday is in three days. Why can't they wait? When they say we're moving, that means we leave that same day. There is never any packing, there is only grab your go bag and get in the car.

"Sierra, we have to leave now," Archer says with great urgency. You would think someone is about to shoot up the place, the way they act when it comes to moving. "No!" I'm not having it this time. I refuse to go. This is the last time.

"We all knew this day was coming. The day she gets fed up with it all." Devon says. Landon shoves him. "No one asked you. Get in the car right now, Sierra." He points towards the door full of impatience.

I glare at him and cross my arms over my chest. "No! I'm not going. Why can't you go, and Aunt Heather and I stay?" This would be a great compromise. "No, Sierra. We have to go." Aunt Heather refuses.

"Then I'll stay by myself," I argue. Why are they so intent on leaving so suddenly? "Sierra Grace Moonchild, get in the car right now or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out there." Archer loses his patience. He's never had much patience to begin with. Pissing him off is futile.

Knowing my fate, I still refuse. My anger begins to bubble inside as if I would burst into flames. Sometimes in my anger, that is exactly how it feels. "I'm. Not. Going. You. Can. Drag. Me. Kicking. And screaming for all I care. I understand you have to work, and that's fine, but you don't have to drag me everywhere."

I stare Archer right in the eyes, challenging him. He wants to play dirty, fine. I can play just as dirty. He returns the challenging stare.

Suddenly, a loud clashing sound is heard in the living room, catching everyone's attention. Devon curses under his breath. Heather shoves me behind her. What is happening? What was that sound?

"Get her in the car now." Archer pushes me to Aunt Heather. I find myself being rushed outside, only to be stopped in our tracks towards the car. A huge figure of flames stands in front of us. What is that? The figure resembles that of a giant dog.

Heather gasps. "No, you can't have her." What?! This thing wants me? What is happening?

My heart pounds in my chest. "Get back inside," Heather tells me. I don't hesitate to run back into the house only to find two more fiery dogs inside the house.

They slowly stalk towards me. I visibly swallow, backing up away from them until my back hits the wall. "Sierra, don't move," Landon yells out. Don't move? Panic takes over me. I'm going to die.

"Help me!" I cry. Flames start to surround the room, coming closer to me. No, this is how they died. I'm going to suffer the same fate as my parents. "Landon, help me!" I cry out in fear. Why is he just standing there watching?

"We're surrounded!" I hear someone say. Surrounded? By what? More of these monsters? "Sierra, trust yourself. Let it happen." Landon says. What is he talking about? Tears stream down my face as the flames and monstrous dogs near me more and more.

When the flames are inches from touching my skin, one of the dogs pounces on the other one. I close my eyes as the flames engulf my body, burning my skin. Only I thought the fire was burning my skin.

Just when I thought I was dead, I opened my eyes to find my skin unphased by the burning of the flames. There I stand in the middle of a fire unharmed. My hand reaches into one of the flames, waving through it completely unburned.

A calmness overcomes me. I sit crisis cross in the middle of the fire, embracing its fury around me. "Trust yourself," I hear Landon's voice in my head. My family. They're in danger.

I suddenly find myself with this purpose and strength pulsing through me. I know what to do. Instinct rushes through my body as a wave pulses through my body and out through the fire. A bow made of fire appears in my hands. I shoot arrows made of fire towards each of the beasts that came to attack my family.

Once the beasts have fallen, all that remains is smoke and ash. My family stands there looking at me proudly. Then they do the last thing I'd expect them to do. They all kneel on their knees to me. "You have risen."

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Third Person Point of view:

A rolled-up scroll sits on a podium in a dark room. The ribbon on the scroll has remained dark until now. The ribbon glows golden like the sun, signaling the phoenix has risen.

The sworn protector of the scroll is given hope for his kingdom. The long-awaited Phoenix has finally risen. The king grabs the scroll, keeping it close to him in anticipation of the phoenix's arrival.