Alpha by Forest Ostrander (books for 7th graders TXT) 📖

then escorted the two woman out of the store.

"They are the store's officers, they keep the peace within the store and protect it from thieves who try to steal anything," her mother said.
"That's right Alpha, the men in the blue are the good guys. The ones who help you out to their best abilities," Mark said behind her.
"Papa, why don't they just split it between them?" Alpha asked.
"It can't be done like that Alpha. You can't rip the clothing in two to satisfy two woman who want the same thing," Mark explained.
"But why not? If there were two than they won't need to fight for it," Alpha said looking at them both.

"Alpha, people need a full shirt if they wish to cover up their chest and stomach area like what you are wearing." Alpha looked down at her black shirt with a skull on it.
"It's inappropriate to wear anything that was ripped in two," her mother said.
"Oh," Alpha muttered.
"Come on, we are done here. Let's go pay ok?" Mark asked.
"Sure!" Alpha said eagerly and followed them to the cash register.

Alpha stood by the wall while Mark paid for the clothing, she knew to stay away from parents when they are dealing with money, she also knew that cashiers get nervous when children get too close to the register. Looking around, Alpha took in her surroundings when all of a sudden she picked up on a strange scent in the air. Confused at how she could smell it when obviously everyone else didn't. She looked at her dad and said.
"Papa, something smells funny, like it's burning or something." All three adults looked at her and her mother asked.
"What do you mean Alpha? I don't smell anything." Sighing Alpha said.
"It smells like it's burning or like rotten eggs."
"Oh no," the cashier said and pulled a handle that made a piercing sound thunder through the store.

Alpha screamed and covered her ears from the wailing sound that pierced her ears like knives through skin. Kneeling down by the wall she was trying to keep the sound out with her hands but she could still hear the loud wailing of the alarm and sprinklers soon came on. The store police instantly rushed everyone out the door and in the chaos, no one noticed Alpha sitting by the wall, her eyes squeezed tightly and her hands pressed hard against her head in an attempt to get the sound away from her ears. Smoke soon filled up the store as the fire ate the clothing and anything burnable that it encountered. The metal racks burst into hot shards from the intense heat. Shoes melted away as the rubber melted from the heat and the fabric caught on fire.

The sprinklers were working over time trying to stop the raging fire from consuming everything in the store but they could not keep up with the whole fire as it spread to the front entrance blocking Alpha and trapping her within the burning building. Smoke floated up Alpha's nose as she breathed and choked her from time to time with its rancid smell. Looking at the flames nearing her, Alpha felt a sense of fear. She had never felt what fear was truly like until she was now facing the rage of the fire as it inched closer and closer while consuming everything in its path.

To Alpha it looked like it had a mission to finish and that was to destroy everything in the store, even her. Alpha couldn't believe this was all happening to her, she didn't understand why on her first day of real shopping this all had to happen. As the fire came closer to her she was surprised that the heat wasn't burning her like it did the items in the store. Confused at how this could be, Alpha held up her hand to the raging flames and within an instant a bit of the fire came rushing at her hand and floated gently above her palm.

Using one of her fingers she gently put her finger in the small flame she was amazed to not see it get burnt, in fact she didn't even feel the sharp bite from the fire that was so clearly destroying everything it touched in the store. Amazed even further she held her hand out to the big flames in front of her as if she was trying to stop it like a car and the small flame burst at the fire like a flame thrower. Alpha's eyes widened at what had just happened, at what she had just found about her. Could she really be able to control the fire? And if so is that why she didn't get burnt or feel the heat? Standing up Alpha used both hands this time and as if she was moving things from side to side she moved her hands and the fire followed.

One minute it would be on the left and the next it would be on the right, all as how Alpha moved her hands. Smiling Alpha shouted.
"COOL!" Using her left hand Alpha bunched it up into a fist and the flames came together in a tight ball so that there was a huge ball of fire floating right in front of Alpha's face. She could see the fire within the ball moving around as if it was trying to escape its imprisonment but couldn't. Looking at the sprinklers releasing their water Alpha used her right hand and did the same thing as with the fire.

Within moments Alpha had the same size of a ball as the fireball but with water. Moving both her fists together Alpha fused the fire and water balls together until they both were merged. Alpha watched as the fire looked like it was squirming away from the water as the water drenched it's rage in it's refreshing, cool liquid like water would quench your parched throat on a hot, dry day. When the fire was extinguished, Alpha released the water ball and all the water came splashing on the all ready charcoaled floor of the building. Whipping her hands on her jeans leg as if she had gotten them wet she made her way out the store, leaving the smoked room behind her for the fresh air of the outside. Once outside Alpha didn't notice quite yet the huge crowed of pedestrians looking at her with shocked faces until she finally looked their way, her father however didn't match the crowds expression, instead he bolted up to Alpha and wrapped her body in his arms and hugged her.

"I was so worried about you Alpha, I thought I had lost you!" Mark said worriedly, he even had the hint of tears in his voice. Pulling away, Alpha looked at him and sure enough tears were brimming his eyes as she said.
"Papa, no need to worry about me. I can handle myself, but did you see what I did papa? How could I have done such a thing?" Alpha asked him.
"Honey, there is more about you than you know, what you did was only a small piece of what you have within you," Mark said.
"There's more?!" Alpha asked in amazement. Just what exactly am I? Alpha asked herself.
"Yes honey, but now that you found this out, we must train you. You pose a great threat to everyone here without some sort of training of your powers, you don't want to hurt anyone do you Alpha?" Mark asked her.

"No papa, I don't want to hurt anyone but what is a power?" Alpha asked him, completely lost in what he just said.
"A power is a special ability that not many people have, in fact it is rare for anyone to even have them. But when they do, if they do not seek out guidance and teaching of how to control their power than they pose a huge threat to everyone around them," Mark said.
"So I'm like a weapon?" Alpha asked him, not liking where this was going.
"No, not like a weapon although some people will view you as one, you are just a very special girl that needs to learn more about herself and how to control it," Mark said. Alpha sighed and looked around for her so called mother but when she could not find her she asked.

"Papa? Where is Mama?"
"That is indeed a good question Alpha, since the time we were brought out by the police she has disappeared from my sight. I looked everywhere for her but couldn't find her," Mark said.
"So she ditched us? Why?" Alpha asked.
"She probably went to just go get help," Mark said but he was doubting it.
"Papa, what if Mama set the fire? She wasn't always with us when we first went into the store. Remember when she said she had to go use the bathroom? What if instead she had made a small fire and came back to us before it spread than when it did she ditched us?" Alpha asked.

"If that is true than your mother is a traitor and should be watched for," Mark said.
"Ok Papa, can we go home now? I don't like how everyone is staring at us like a freak show," Alpha said, looking at the crowd from the corner of her eye.
"Yes dear, let's get going, it's time to teach you of your powers," Mark said and together they walked away. Chapter 3

he man grinned as he watched the TV set, the news was showing the burnt clothes store and interviewing the people who explained of a girl about 18 who had controlled the fire into a ball and made a ball of water from the sprinklers and put the fire out. Cracking his knuckles, the man said to himself.

"Found you Alpha, now I will soon have you" he chuckled deep in his chest. Turning the TV off, he went downstairs to his basement where he held a bunch of werewolves who he had trained to be his guards. Going up to one cage in particular, he looked at the white she-wolf inside and said.
"Hello Mindi, it's good to see you again." Mindi growled at him, her eyes were full of hate. Out of all the wolves there, she was the only one who refused to be his guard.
"Oh I thought you would love to know, I found your daughter, the one that was taken away from you as she was still developing?" Mindi stopped growling and the man smiled, now pleased that he had her attention.

"Yup, she is with two humans who are claiming to be her parents, and today she even prevented a building from being burnt down. Quite unique your daughter is."
"Paul, you best leave her alone," Mindi said snarling.
"You think I'm going to listen to you? I've been wanting to get my hands on Alpha since the day Mark said he was going to create her! She will be mine and