Alpha - Forever #1 (Complete)

The thud of a fist hitting flesh echoed in the gym, followed by a grunt of pain. Scarlett grinned, her chest heaving slightly as sweat beaded on her forehead. She bounced lightly on her feet, a safe distance from Gary, who was rubbing his abdomen with a grimace.

"Now who is the slow one?" she teased, her eyes sparkling with challenge. He glared back, but she knew it was playful.

"I'm done," Gary said, throwing up his hands in defeat, reaching for a towel. "You're showing your age."

She laughed, taking a long gulp from her water bottle. "To my seventeen years, you're not exactly young." It was an old joke between them. Gary, her guardian and the closest thing she had to family, had known her her whole life.

"Come on, there are some boxes with your name on it," he said, turning to leave the gym. Scarlett groaned. Unpacking was tedious.

"I don't want to," she whined like a five-year-old. Gary shot her a warning look, and she playfully glared back.

"The moving company unpacked everything, except your personal boxes," he informed her, heading upstairs. Her new house was huge, a sprawling testament to her inherited wealth, but right now, all she saw were the four unopened boxes at the foot of her bed, holding memories she wasn't ready to face.