---- Beginning: The first part or earliest stage of something. ----

*Knock Knock*

We were standing in front of the massive wooden door, silent. I knew I should stay still, but I couldn't help but tug at my brother's t-shirt by instinct. I could see he was trying to pose as the brave older brother, but his clenched fists gave him away. It was slightly reassuring seeing I was not the only one nervous.

A grunt from inside the room pulled me out of my train of thoughts and Gamma Josh wasted no time on opening the door, without any consideration toward my feelings. I pulled Max's t-shirt a little stronger and he slapped my hand away, lifting his chin and preparing to enter after Gamma Josh.

"Alpha Donovan..."

My stomach flipped when we stepped into the room and I saw my father lift his gaze from the papers he was holding, fixing it on our little figures. He was clearly annoyed.

"Is it already the time?" He growled to his Gamma, as if we could not understand what he was saying.

His third nodded briefly and Max stepped towards father, standing very straight with his hands on the back, waiting for a command.

I swallowed hard and moved next to my brother, taking the same military-like position. Father looked at us with an arched eyebrow, not even trying to hide his annoyance. I clenched my fists and suppressed a whimper that wanted to leave my lips. I had started to believe that he thought of our monthly meetings, or rather of us, as an utter waste of time.

"Today's especial training will be..." Father looked through the window and smirked to himself "on your own." Gamma Josh gasped and was going to say something when father lifted his hand and continued. "You are already... ¿8? ¿9 years old? ..."

"Seven, father." Answered Max proudly.

"Don't interrupt me!" Father hissed at my brother, sending a chill through my spine. After a minute of silence, during which I barely dared to breathe, he continued. "As I said, you are already old enough to have a small mission."

I could feel Max next to me trying to contain his excitement, already recovered from the shock I was still trying to brush off. Maybe the fact that he was the first born -and consequently the next Alpha- gave him some extra confidence, which I obviously lacked.

"You have to bring me a Dawn Flower." He paused for a second and then continued. "Make it within this morning."

Max nodded and started fidgeting, anxious to get out and start with the challenge. I wanted to join, but I realized that father had hurried the deadline probably because he didn't want to be interrupted during the afternoon again. He didn't was to see us.

"The first one to come back here with it... will be able to have a special training with Gamma Josh this week." He smirked again, satisfied with the outcome, and brushed us off of his office with a hand gesture.

We bowed and were about to leave when his commanding voice stopped us on our tracks. We turned to face him, but his eyes were already glued to the papers he was holding. "Whatever you do, do not come back until you have one. The Turner blood doesn't run inside weak-willed wolves."

"Yes sir!" Max and me answered in unison, bowing one last time before leaving the room.

Gamma Josh stayed a moment longer, trying unsuccessfully for the Alpha to notice his disapproving look. He gave up and headed after us, leaving Donovan Turner immersed back again in his paperwork.

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"A Drawn Flower?" Asked Max, jumping around Gamma Josh in excitement while making our way to the rear garden, directly connected to the forest.

"A Dawn Flower, Maximilian." Corrected the man with a soft tone and a smile.

I mirrored his smiled and got closer to him, offering my hand to hold. Gamma Josh caressed my head lightly and took my hand with a small squeeze. My lips pulled even wider when I felt his familiar warmth.

Gamma Josh was very busy with pack work, but he always made time for us. He was present in most of our trainings and was nice to my brother and I. I wished I could have all of my trainings with him and none with father.

"What is a Dawn Flower?" This time it was me asking.

"A Dawn Flower is a flower that only grows during this time of the year, Winter, and only on top of the highest trees of our forest."

We had reached the first floor and he was just opening the door to the backyard while saying that. Max and I gaped in awe, looking at the forest like it was the first time, proud of our property.

"Only in our forest?" Repeated Max, running in increasingly bigger circles. "Only in the highest trees?"

"There is more..." Gamma Josh winked at me with a half-smile and continued. "It is said only the Turners are able to smell it."

My eyes sparkled with excitement. If it was like that, finding the flower would be a piece of cake! Max and I were more than used to climbing trees and, if we could smell the flowers, we would finish the mission in no time! I jumped and let go of Gamma Josh's hand, running after my brother towards the forest.

"Maximilian, Riley! Be careful!" The Gamma's voice reached us only faintly, as we were already entering the forest at full speed, concentrating on our target.

Once we run for a while, we slowed down the pace and started to sniff around, looking for any unfamiliar smell. I was decided on winning this time because I deeply wanted to have an extra training with Gamma Josh.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. 'A scent only Turner's were supposed to detect...' Before I could think any further, it struck me. The delicious smell of my grandma's house. It had to be that one! I opened my eyes trying to control the thrill and moved around, sniffing for the source.

I noticed Max was tailing me, pretending to be following the same trail, but I knew he hadn't recognized it yet. I smirked and strayed away in different directions, confirming my suspicions. He had no clue. I giggled a little, relishing in the idea of me being so much better than him when it came to wolves' senses, even though they were still not fully developed.

Anyhow, he was my older brother and the future Alpha. I knew from the moment we were born that I was going to be there for him no matter what. My mission as his twin sister was to support him and help him whenever he needed me. That was one of the little thing father had drilled into my brain since I could remember.

After a short while, I headed towards one of the many sources of scent I had found while playing around. I sniffed the bottom of the tree, making sure Max noticed it. I took a few steps away, acting unsure about it and checked on him from the corner of my eye.

Max was really trying to get some special scent but, as he got nothing, he decided to look up. Immediately his face lit up with a big grin. He had seen the flower on the top.

He bolted towards the tree I had just signaled and I did the same towards a neighboring tree, which had the same scent on it. I climbed with all my might, not wasting any second in checking how far up was Max.

It was a tricky tree with many small branches that served for no support and scratched our bare hands easily. Anyhow, I ignored the pain and I pushed further. I had to win this time, I had to show Gamma Josh how strong I was getting with his trainings.

When I finally reached the top, I found myself in front of a very beautiful flower.It was bigger than my hand and had hundreds of tiny petals forming a sphere. The bottom of each petal had a yellowish color, which turned into white, and then pink, and finished with a beautiful purple color on the border.

I admired the flower for a couple of seconds, taking in the so familiar scent until a victory cry snapped me back to reality. I turned towards the source and I saw Max about to rip the flower off. I needed to hurry up.

I carefully grabbed the flower by the bottom and pulled softly. The flower didn't budge. I applied a little more strength and, still, the flower was firmly attached to the tree. I hugged the tree trunk firmly with my legs and used both hands to pull the flower with all of my might.

Before I could realize what was happening, I was falling down from the top, with the flower between my hands. The next moment, everything turned black, the flower scent surrounding me.

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"Riley." A distant worried voice started to sound closer and closer. "Rie, please, wake up"

I recognized the trembling voice. It was Max. Slowly, the rest of my senses started to come back, revealing an uncomfortable feeling in my hand I tried to shake off, but was unable to.

"Maximilian," that was Gamma Josh. My heartbeat increased and I tried to open my eyes, I wanted to see him, "do not squeeze her hand so hard, she needs all of her energy to recover..."

So that was it, the uncomfortable feeling. He was crushing the blood out from my right hand. I had to wake up and get myself free from his grasp.

Besides my body not responding and my brother about to rip my hand off, there was a lingering distressing feeling that I could not recognize.

"She is going to recover, isn't she? She won't leave me alone, will she?"

"Oh, Maximilian," I could hear a note of sadness in the Gamma's voice, "she's your sister, she will definitely wake up. You will be training together again in no time."

When hearing the answer, Max squeezed my hand a little harder and I felt a bolt of energy run through my arm, spreading throughout my body. It was just enough energy for me to open slowly my eyes and letting out a tiny whine.

"Rie!" Max jumped off his sit, not letting go off my hand and fixing his watery green eyes on mine. "You're back!"

He tried to hug me, but Josh grabbed him just in time before he abused my already battered body any further.

"Riley," I looked at Gamma Josh, who was smiling at me obviously relieved, "it is so good to see you awake." He forced Max to sit again on the chair next to me and grabbed his shoulders, fixing him to the seat and hindering any further movements. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled back and checked my own body, finding multiple scratches and bruises at first glance. I tried to move my different body parts carefully, making sure each one of them was still responding. Despite the general uneasiness, everything passed the check. Still, I felt a piercing pain in my chest at every breath intake, and I noticed it was better not to move my left ankle.

I traveled my gaze around and studied the room. It was a normal hospital room, like the one grandma was in the last months before she passed away. The same colored walls, the same furniture, the same smell... Wait, no. Not the same smell.

This time, the room didn't smell like anything at all, which I was thankful for. I couldn't stand the smell of hospitals. They brought back bad memories and made my stomach twits.

I kept looking around until I stumbled with the Dawn Flower I had picked, sitting on top of the night side table. I smiled at its beauty and closed my eyes to enjoy the familiar scent, but nothing came. I furrowed my eyebrows and sniffed harder.

There was nothing.

I felt my heart beat faster and I tried changing the target. This time, I concentrated on Josh's and Max's scent, which I found missing too. I started sniffing desperately, unable to stop the anxiety taking over my body.

"Riley," I heard Josh's questioning voice, worried about my behavior, "what's wrong? Please, calm down a little. I will call the Doctor  Williams and your father. You Max, stay right here."

I opened my eyes and looked at my brother in panic. I could see he felt something was wrong too. He raked a hand through his hair, concern reflected in his eyes.

"Sis, everything is going to be alright..."

Neither of us truly believed it.

A/N

Well, there goes the first chapter! First of all, thank you for reading! I hope you liked it for the moment. The first chapters might seem a little slow, because I have to establish some things before I can plunge completely into the plot, but I promise it is all important -and I hope interesting!!- to read ;)

I am very sorry if there is any misspellings or weird grammar. I would be very grateful if you could please ignore them, or correct them in a kind way! I do this for fun and would appreciate if you do not trash me for it =) .

Now... What do you think about it for the moment? Any comments, votes or follows will be gratefully returned in shape of more chapters and visit to your profiles in case you have any story you recommend!

Love XXX