She's The Alpha!

Prologue.

The thick clouds surround the house, and the heavy pungent smell of smoke wafts in the air. I try to cough out the smoke from my lungs and peek out, only to watch a woman looking down from the bedroom window with an expression of anguish and despair. I see her frown and sense her fear and her anger. 

"My beautiful Crimson Shadow," she mumbles with a whimper. 

I move closer and force myself to call out, "Mom." 

The woman stares outside the window, and I notice her lips quivering and goosebumps on her porcelain skin. 

I ask, "Mom, are you okay?" 

She turns her head and shakes as she faintly smiles. It's warm. I don't find it in myself to even smile like that. 

"Everything will be alright, sweetie! Stay put!" with that, she looks away when the painful screams bring me to reality, and I stubbornly tilt to look over as bright orange flames spring into my vision, consuming everything in their sight. 

Everything is burning red and in ruins. 

It aches so much in my heart, and I feel the anger as the flames flicker and tease me for being helpless, watching my people race to fight the invaders and protect the defenceless while some are injured. I shiver and subconsciously cry out, "Mom, this is —" 

Shocked, I gasp and stare with my jaw open when a huge ceiling panel crashes into the ground, squashing a few people underneath it. My eyes well up seeing my people in misery.

Titus, come back safe.

I hear my mother's voice through the ability I learned when I was five. I look over and watch my mother clenching her jaw and clasping her hands with tears in her eyes, but suddenly, she falls to her knees with a thud, startling me. I move toward her when my dad's breaking voice makes me stop. 

I love you, Maryanne. I will always love you. Come, meet me soon. Dad? My mother clutches her chest and whimpers, and I know something is off or horrible because my tears surprise me by rolling down my cheeks. I slightly touch and feel the dampness as I stutter, "Mom, what happened?" 

She quickly looks over and moves to hide me in her bosom, holding me close. The moment my mother did that, I couldn't help but start bawling my eyes out. She caresses my head and mumbles, "Sshh, sweetie —" "What did dad mean by that? What happened to him? Mom!" Weeping, I try to shake her off for an answer. 

She sighs and leaves a kiss on my temple, but seeing her so weak is heartbreaking and painful, and I know what is happening. I have been told how strong a mate bond is where you can feel every emotion of the other, read their mind or talk to each other, and if a mate dies, the other suffers a fate worse than death. So, my mother feels pain because she lost her mate... my father breathed his last. 

Yet, I cry. Uncontrollably. "Mom, dad? Where is dad? He is coming back to us, right?" my voice comes choked when she loosens her grip on me, which catches my attention, and I turn my head to notice her moving toward the window, watching the bright flames beneath us. I call out, "Mom!" only to startle her and as if bring her back to reality. 

My mother blinks and looks at me with a horrid expression and cries, "Emmy." 

She caresses and cradles my face, sobbing. "Sorry, sweetie! How could I think of dying when I have you." I shake my head and cry my eyes out when she wipes my tears and says, "Sshh, dear! You shouldn't cry. Your father wouldn't want you to cry. Alphas don't cry. You must protect our world from those who mean harm —" but the woman pauses and freezes on her spot as I notice her shudder at a deep voice behind her.