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.
Alanis POVThe night of the celebration is here. I am nervous about tonight. Maybe not as worried as Julian. She seems worked up about the arrival of her ex-boyfriend. Julian seems to like her solidarity. She always says I deserve happiness, but she does not realize she deserves the same joy she wants others to have in life.I wash my hair and wrap it in a towel. I wait for Julian to come help with my hair. She has my makeup and hair all planned out for me. I think she enjoys this much more than I do. Anytime I let her fix my hair, it brings her some sort of happiness. I do miss my long hair, but Julian can always make it look gorgeous. I am positive she will have me looking exceptionally beautiful tonight."Are you ready for me?" she asks, standing at my bedroom door, smiling and anxious."I am as ready as I will ever be," I answer her.She removes the towel from my head a
Alpha SebastianSomething about seeing Alanis tonight, everything changed in an instant. I have enjoyed all the time I have spent with her since she has been here, but I thought I was only helping her. I never realized what was happening. How could I not have known that my mate was standing before me? Was I blind to it?The moment I saw her tonight standing there in that purple dress, it triggered something inside me, and I knew right then and there that she was my one and only mate. She is the one for me to live out my days and embark on this journey of life. She is my mate, and I will make her happy, whatever it takes.I could not help myself; I had to take her in my arms immediately and kiss her. I needed to feel her lips and touch her. I need her with me always. After tonight, I cannot be away from her. Just the thought of her not being close to me is more than I can take. I have no idea how to convince her to be min
Alanis POVAlpha Sebastian takes my hand, and we begin the walk to Julian's house. I feel oddly at ease with him. He does not talk so much as we walk back to the house. It is like we are in a moment; something remarkable seems to be happening between us. I think about all of the smiles and laughs we have had over the time I have been here. Was all leading to this moment? A moment of pure joy for the two of us.Alpha Sebastian stops suddenly. I turn to him to see what is the matter. Did I do something wrong? He looks back at his house. "Stay the night with me. I promise to be a gentleman," Alpha Sebastian says.My hands begin to shake at the thought of being all alone with him. He takes my hands and holds them tightly. "I would never hurt you, Alanis, or expect anything from you," he says softly."I know that. The packhouse is loud, and there are a lot of wolves there. I do not want to be there even w
Alpha Sebastian POVI awake in the morning with Alanis lying beside me in a deep sleep. She looks so peaceful. I run my fingers through her hair and kiss her softly on the cheek. I feel like last night was a breakthrough for her. She was able to release her pain. I know that it is not over, but I feel like so much progress was made with simply letting her know that I am here for her and want to help her heal. I want her to heal and be able to have a relationship with me in every way as mates, husband and wife, together.Since she came here, I have tried to be someone she can lean on, but now that we know we are destined to be together, I feel like she trusts me more. I want to give her everything, a good life full of love. I know things will not be perfect, but I want her to feel my love for her. I want to give her family and home. This pack, my pack, can help her heal completely. I can heal her heal and be herself again.
Alanis POVI open my eyes, and I am alone. Alpha Sebastian is not here. I get out of his bed slowly. I feel like last night was a dream. Being with him makes me happy. I walk through the kitchen looking for him, but he is not in the house. I wonder where he went without telling me. Well, he is the Alpha; he does not have to tell me anything.I notice a man who I think is Raul standing outside the front door. Why do I have a guard? Did something happen? I hear some talking and see Alpha Sebastian out on the front porch. I am waiting for him. I do not want to go out, and I only have on his shirt. It would not be appropriate for me to go out like this.I watch him from the kitchen talking to Raul. He finally comes into the house to speak with me. I wrap my arms around him and realize immediately that something is wrong. "What is it? What is going on?" I ask him.Alpha Sebastian hesitates. I can te
Alpha Sebastian POVI take one of my guards, Jamie, and leave to talk with Joshua. I have so many questions. For one, I want to know how in the hell he knew about Alanis and her taking refuge with my pack. I want to know why and how he ended up with Alpha Jordon's pack. I want to know why this son of a bitch thought he could attack my sister and take Alanis from me? Did he really think he could just stroll in here and take her without any repercussions?I get into the truck with Jamie. Raul is staying behind with the other guards to keep an eye on Alanis and Julian. I hope Julian behaves herself. She can be a pistol when she thinks she is not in charge. She has never challenged my authority, but she will let me know how she feels about a situation, especially if she feels like she is losing her independence.Jamie drives me to the pack jail to speak with Joshua. The questions are burning in my brain, and I am trying to r
Alanis POVAlpha Sebastian holds me tightly as I work through the emotions of someone thinking they own me. I know I belong with Sebastian. I can feel it in our touch, our kiss; just being in his presence makes me feel whole. Sebastian is my mate, and I do love him."Are you sure this is what you want? You have a choice, and you know that, right? You can say no. I will not be angry with you if you refuse me right now. We can wait until you are ready to marry," Alpha Sebastian questions me.I hold him tighter and then look up to him. "I do want to marry you; I only thought we would have a little more time to get to know one another; that is all," I say meekly.The thought of taking such a big step like marrying the Alpha should not be made so quickly. We have spent a lot of time together, but do I know him well enough to be his wife? He is so patient with me and kind that I think he will allow me time
Alpha SebastianI take Liam and a few guards with me, leaving Julian and Alanis in the hands of some of my most trusted wolves. I know Julian can defend herself, but I worry about Alanis. The men with them will protect them and look after them, but I still do not want to leave either of them for very long.Liam drives to the pack jail where Alpha Jordon is waiting for me with his wolves. Liam looks nervous. He has come for Joshua and Alanis. Alpha Jordon thinks he can walk into my territory and bark orders he has another thing coming to him. He will not be taking my wife or that asshole, Joshua. Joshua has to pay for what he did, and I want to make sure of it personally.Liam looks more nervous as he drives. He always looks worried, but he seems exceptionally uneasy right now. I do not have time to babysit young wolves today. I need Liam on his game."What happened when Jordon showed up at the