Chapter Seven

Julian POV

The day is a whirlwind of running and shopping with Alanis. She is nervous, but she does not need to be anxious at all. My brother is a beautiful person, not just a great Alpha. He will be kind and respectful toward her. I am not sure of his intentions of inviting her to be his guest/date, but I have a strong feeling he really cares about her and wants to get to know her more. I cannot wait to see how this unfolds. I hope it turns into something more than a friendship. He deserves happiness, and so does Alanis.

"Alanis, honey, what do you think about the dress?" I ask her as we drive back to the house. She looked amazing in it, and I cannot wait to see my brother's reaction to her in that dress. He will be floored.

"I love it. It is beautiful. You really did not have to get me all of this stuff," Alanis says, looking back at the car full of packages.

"I could not help myself. You looked beautiful in everything you tried on; besides, you deserve all the good and beautiful things life has to offer you, and I love to shop, my dear," I say.

My words make her smile. "You should do that more often," I say.

"Do what?" Alanis asks. Her brow is furrowed, and she looks puzzled.

"Smile, sweety. You have a beautiful smile. It could light up the world," I say to her.

Alanis beams as we drive back to the house. We listen to the radio and roll the windows down. Seeing her so happy makes me happy. I know the past few weeks have been tremendously hard on her. Her nightmares and dealing with life outside the cage have been brutal for me to watch, but I promised her we would get through this together, and that is all I want for her. I want her to be happy and live a full life. I want her to leave the cage behind her and rejoin life. I think Sebastian is the light at the end of the tunnel for her.

We pull into the house and get out of the car to unload all of our shopping bags. I see Alpha Sebastian coming out way. He is smiling as he walks toward her. Seeing him happy makes me happy. He hurries to help us.

"Did you get her everything she needs?" Alpha Sebastian asks me.

"Yes, brother. I bought her everything her heart desired. She was very gracious and thankful for the gifts. I did not tell her that you paid for everything, but I will," I say.

"No. Do not do that. I do not want her to feel obligated to come tomorrow night if she decides it is too much for her. I want her to come with me as my date because she wants to, not because I bought her a lot of expensive dresses," Alpha Sebastian says. He looks over all the bags. I hope it does not think I overdid it. I want her to have everything, and he is footing the bill so that I may have gone a little overboard.

Alanis comes out of the house after taking in the first round of bags. "We got it, if you want to start dinner," I call out to her.

"Sure, I would love to help with dinner," Alanis says.

Alpha Sebastian watches her go back into the house. "You like her, don't you, brother," I tease him.

"She deserves the world, and I just might be the person to give it to her. That is if she will have me," Alpha Sebastian says.

He stares at the door for a moment. This courtship is more serious than I thought. I wonder what it is they talk about on his morning visits. "Do you want to come in and eat dinner with us?" I ask him.

"I have a few things to do for the end of summer celebration. I will be back within the hour, but do not wait on me," Alpha Sebastian says.

I take the last few packages into the house. Alanis is busy working in the kitchen. She is an excellent cook. Something she learned from her mother, and it seems to help her through the grieving process. Being with Alpha Sebastian is her favorite part of the day, and cooking is a close second. She always seems at peace cooking.

"What scrumptious meal did you decide on tonight?" I ask her as I walk through the kitchen with more of her bags.

Alanis cackles. "I would not say scrumptious, but I am making something special for you since you were so kind to me today," Alanis says.

I take the reminder bags to her room and place them on the bed. I take everything out and lay it neatly for her to put away later. Her room is so tidy. I have never seen someone so neat and clean. My sister, when she stayed with me, was a slob. I miss her so much. It seems odd to me to have someone so clean in my house.

I come back to the kitchen. "Alanis, do you need my help?" I ask her.

She continues cooking. "No, I got it. Is Alpha Sebastian joining us?" she asks. Her eyes sparkle as she turns and asks about him.

I snicker at the puppy look on her face. "Yes, I believe Alpha Sebastian is joining us, but he said not to wait for him. He has a few things left to do, and then he will be over," I say.

I leave Alanis to cook while I put away my things. I bought a new dress for the celebration and need to put it away before it wrinkles. I can hear Alanis humming as she cooks. It is a part of the day I enjoy. Alanis is winding down and relaxing. No nightmares or worries, only her cooking and enjoying herself.  I sit down on the side of my bed and let her have the kitchen to herself.

I begin to cry. I am not sure why I am crying. Maybe I miss my sister. Perhaps I am worried for Alanis and her future. I am not sure, but I take my own advice to let it all out and cry in private. I hear my front door open and realize Alpha Sebastian has arrived. I stay put and let him go into the kitchen with Alanis. I listen to them talking and laughing. It makes me smile. I wipe the tears from my face and join them in the kitchen.

"How is it coming?" I ask as I enter the kitchen.

The two of them look back at me. "I think everything is just about ready," Alanis says.

Alpha Sebastian helps her set the table. It always tickles me to see him doing ordinary non-alpha things. He would have never done this for anyone else, no one but her. She has ignited something in my brother, and I love it.

We sit down at the table. The three of us, it feels like family. The two of them look perfect for one another. I can only hope that something sparks between the two of them that is more than a friendship. My wonderful brother deserves all of the happiness in the world, and I honestly believe she can give it to him.

"I forgot to tell you, sister. Joshua is coming to the celebration tomorrow night?" Alpha Sebastian says.

I almost drop my fork. Joshua is coming; that is a name I have not heard in a while. Not since we broke up a few years ago. Alpha Sebastian stares at me, waiting for my response. I am not sure how to respond.

"Good, do you have business with him?" I ask. He better have business with my brother and not be coming to see me.

"No, he is coming to see you. He called and asked if it would be alright for him to attend the celebration, and I told him you would love to see him," Alpha Sebastian answers. He smiles happily with himself as he drops the news on me.

Why would he want to see me? Our breakup was not bad, and it was mutual. We were in different places in our life. This is fine. I will be fine. I can handle this. I spend the rest of the meal thinking about Joshua while Alpha Sebastian and Alanis talk and laugh.

Alpha Sebastian touches my shoulder as he and Alanis leave the kitchen. They go outside to talk. I am still stunned by the declaration of Joshua coming tomorrow night. I bet he has known for a while and waited until the last minute to spring it on me. He wants me to be happy. I have too many responsibilities to the pack to have a relationship right now or ever.

I look out at the two of them talking. Maybe it is time for me to have a real relationship again. Perhaps it is time for me not to be alone. I am getting ahead of myself. Joshua could be coming for many reasons. He may not be coming to rekindle an old flame, or maybe he is. Whatever the reason for his visit, I have responsibilities, and I cannot be engaging in a relationship with Joshua. It ended for a reason, and damn... I guess it would be okay to see him as a friend. Only a friend. Nothing more.