Julian POV
Alanis is terrified but trying so hard to be brave. She has been through so much. She needs to let it out so she can move on with her life. I will help her. Alanis will be my priority. I want to see her get past this horrible event in her life and grow into a beautiful young woman.
I cannot imagine having parts of my life stripped from me. How would I feel if everything was taken from me and shoved into a cage? They left her down there to die. Barely any food or clean water and hosing her down with cold water. What kind of monster does that? They kill her parents and then treated her like an animal, for what?
What kind of sick gratification did that get from doing this to her? Two years of her life have been robbed from her, two long years in that cage. This poor girl is going to need a lot of help. I want to make sure she has everything she needs to readjust to her life. Our pack can provide her with a home, but she will need so much more from us.
"Thank you," Alanis says as I scrub her back. The filth is unbelievable.
"You are so welcome, little wolf," I say to her.
Alanis looks back at me. "Why do you call me little wolf?" she asks.
"I am sorry. You are the same age as my sister, and I always called her little wolf," I answer.
"Is she with you?" Alanis asks. I stop scrubbing her for a moment. I let her enjoy the warm water for a moment.
"No, she was killed by Alpha Raymond about six months ago when he attacked the wolfpack where she and her husband were living. Alpha Sebastian has hunted him ever since," I answer her.
Alanis begins to shake and cry. "I am so sorry that happened to her. There have been times I wished he would have just killed me, but I guess I should be grateful to be alive," Alanis cries out.
"You are entitled to feel any way you chose. It is your right after everything he put you through, Alanis," I say.
I start back scrubbing her. We finally get all of the dirt off of her. I help her wash her hair, but it is matted and breaking in so many places. "Alanis, we will have to cut your hair, sweetie," I say.
Alanis nods her head. "If it has to be done, then it has to be done," she says. I know she does not want to cut her hair. No young woman wants to lose their long hair, but this is not salvageable.
"I can do it for you. I will try to save as much of it as I can, little wolf," I say to her.
Alanis smiles back at me. She is at ease. Someone cares for her and is looking out for her for the first time in a long time. I grab a towel and wrap it around her.
"When we get back to our pack house, I have much better soaps and products for you to use. I have tons of clothes I can share with you," I say.
"I do not want to be a burden to you, Julian," Alanis says.
I hug her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight. She takes a deep breath. It has been a long time since she has had a human touch from someone.
"I do not mind sharing with you. I have plenty of room in my house and plenty of everything to share with you. My brother, Alpha Sebastian, will ensure your safety," I say.
"I have nothing to put on for tonight, Julian," Alanis says.
"Hold tight, I will be right back," I say to her.
I step out of the bathroom, and right on time, Liam, my brother's second in command, comes into the house with my bag of personal belongings.
"Thank you, Liam," I say as I take the bag from him.
I go into the bathroom. Alanis is standing there, wrapped in the towel, looking in the mirror at her hair. I sit my bag down on the sink. I dig through it until I find a pair of pants and a shirt. I hand these to her to put on for the night.
"They might be a little bit big, but you can put some weight on soon enough," I say.
She takes the clothes from me and begins to dress slowly. My clothes are too big on her. I am thin, but she is way too thin. I will have to get some weight on her and get her healthy again.
"Come on. I will see if I can find some scissors to trim up your hair," I say.
Alanis follows me out of the bathroom. The wolves and Alpha Sebastian are waiting for us. They have cleaned up the bodies, so she does not have to see them. I do not think she even noticed when we brought her up, but it might have been too much to look at after everything she has been through here.
"How do you feel?" Alpha Sebastian asks her.
She looks up at him slowly. "I feel cleaner," Alanis says.
"I need some scissors. Look around and see if you can find something," I say.
"Can it wait until we get back home? I thought we would go ahead and get on the road since she is moving around. If not, we can wait a while," Alpha Sebastian says.
"I think I am okay to ride. I am sorry I did not come straight out of the cage. I did not know what you wanted from me," Alanis says.
Alpha Sebastian puts one hand on each shoulder. "We are going to help you, Alanis, and that is all we want to do, just help," he says.
Alanis shakes her head. She looks back at me and smiles. I think she will be okay after a few days. This girl is stronger than she looks. I take a bandana out of my bag and wrap it around her head.
"There that will cover your hair until we get back to the pack house," I say.
"Thank you," Alanis says. She looks down at her fingernails. They are ragged but clean. I wonder how she feels right now. I take her hand as we leave the house. She is leaving all of this behind her. The horror, the terror of being locked away, we will mend you little wolf, that I can promise you.
I help her into my car. Liam sends Raul to ride with us, just in case we run into any trouble or if I need him to drive. I put my bag back into my trunk. She looks back at the pack house she has been trapped in for so long and then looks at me. Broken, but strong she will survive all of this.
Julian POVAlanis watches everything as I drive us by the pack house. She is scared yet so brave. How did she survive down there for two years? It is remarkable that she is not entirely insane. I do not think I could have survived the way she did. She must be a very unique young woman."Are you alright, little wolf?" I ask her.Alanis continues to stare out the window of my car. She nods her head and then looks back at me. "I am okay. I think I am overwhelmed, maybe. I am not sure. I have a lot of feelings. I really do not know how to explain it. I feel shame, guilt, and fear, but I am happy to be released," Alanis says.I understand her feelings. Her family and friends are all gone, and she is still here. I can only imagine the feelings she is having. "Feel whatever you need to feel. Do not lock yourself inside yourself. It would help if you let it all out," I say.Alanis smiles
Julian POVAlpha Sebastian leaves after eating with us. I clean up the kitchen, and Alanis sits quietly at the table. She is unsure what to do with herself. All I see is pain and fear in her. She is afraid to move. At times she seems okay, but right now, she looks uneasy."Alanis, I can cut your hair now if you like," I say to her.She nods her head but remains silent. I walk up behind her and gently touch her shoulder. She jumps. "You are safe, little wolf," I remind her.She turns her head slowly, looking up at me. "I would very much like for you to cut my hair. It is heavy, and it hurts my head," Alanis says.I pat her shoulder. "Okay, little wolf. I will have your hair unmatted and perfect in no time," I say to her.I go to the bathroom and retrieve some conditioning spray, a comb, and a pair of scissors. I set everything on the table. She begins to cry a
Alanis POVJulian shows me so much patience and kindness. Everyone here has been extremely kind. I have not felt anything like this since before Alpha Raymond took me. Being around everyone is hard, but I am trying to figure it out. I want to be a part of the pack. I want to make this my home."Alanis, honey, Alpha Sebastian is here to see you," Julian calls out to me from the kitchen.Alpha Sebastian has made it a regular occurrence to check on me every morning before he gets busy. He is kind and compassionate yet stern. I see so much of my pack in him. I walk out of the bedroom to greet him."Good Morning, Alpha Sebastian," I say softly.Alpha Sebastian is very handsome. His long dark hair and scruffy beard make him look rugged and sexy. His deep voice is comforting when he speaks to me. His sweetness makes me look forward to seeing him every morning. This time with him i
Julian POVThe 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 be
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.