Alanis POV
Julian 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 is my favorite part of my day.
"Alpha Sebastian," I say as I approach him. He reaches for my hand. I take it and follow him out of the kitchen.
"We should talk," Alpha Sebastian says with a smile.
He leads me out onto the front porch. I am finally able to go outside without sunglasses. My daily visits to the lake and sitting on the porch have helped with the light sensitivity. I am still afraid to be around many people, but I am working my way up to it. I did manage to go into the Alpha's house with Julian to pick up some things one of the she-wolves sent me.
"Alanis, I want you to come to our end of summer celebration tomorrow night with me as my guest or my date," Alpha Sebastian says.
I stand in front of him, shaking. Why would he want me to be his guest or date? "I .. I .. I would love to come, but I am afraid to be around a lot of people, Alpha Sebastian, but I do not want to disappoint you," I say softly.
"I know, but I want you to come. I want you to meet everyone. If you become overwhelmed, then I promise to get you out of the party personally. It would mean so much to me if you would be my date," Alpha Sebastian says.
How can I say no to the Alpha? My father would be so disappointed if I were rude to someone that has helped me so much. Alpha Sebastian brushes my hair behind my ear and touches my face so gently. "I will not let any harm come to you, Alanis," Alpha Sebastian says. His hand is so gentle; how can I say no.
"I know you will protect me, Alpha. I will be your guest," I answer him. Alpha Sebastian leans down and kisses me on the cheek.
"Tomorrow night, I will come for you and Julian. I will escort the two of you to the party," Alpha Sebastian says.
He leaves, walking toward the pack house. I stand on the porch watching him for a moment. Julian comes out to see what Alpha Sebastian wanted. I have a feeling she already knows, but she wants to see what my answer was to his invite.
"Well, so what did my brother want to speak with you about in private?" Julian asks. She brushes up beside me, waiting for my answer. She is almost giddy with anticipation.
"He asked me to be his guest at the end of summer party," I answer.
Julian stands close to me. "His guest or his date?" Julian asks me.
"I am not sure, his date, I guess. He said he wanted me to be his date, but I have no idea why," I say.
"I think he likes you," Julian says. I look over at her, smiling.
"Maybe, he does. I do not know why, but he is very kind to me. You both are very kind to me," I say.
I turn to go back into the house. I am not sure how to feel about all of this. I have only been here a few weeks, and I am still trying to acclimate myself to living outside the cage. Alpha Sebastian does not need the burden of someone like me. He needs someone stronger and more stable. I am only a scared little wolf that is broken with baggage and fears the unknown.
"You know, Alanis, you are very humble, brave, and beautiful. My brother would be lucky to have you as a friend or more than a friend," Julian says.
I shake my head to acknowledge I understand her, but I have no idea why the Alpha would want me. Why me? I am sure there are plenty of she-wolves that would love to be his date.
"He has not dated or even tried to date in a very long time. There has to be something special about you for him to ask," Julian says.
I stop halfway through the door and turn back to Julian. "I do not feel special, and I do not want him to feel sorry for me," I say.
Julian pulls me into her arms. "He does not feel sorry for you. He cares about you and your wellbeing. I can see it all over him. You make him smile," Julian says.
"Well, then, there is only one thing left to do," I say with a smile on my face.
Julian looks at me, puzzled. "What is that?" Julian asks.
I shrug my shoulders. "I have nothing to wear to this party," I say.
Julian laughs. "Well, good thing I like to shop," Julian says.
"I could wear something of yours. No need to buy me anything," I say.
Julian shakes her head. "No. If you are going to be Alpha Sebastian's date, you need to wear the best and be the most beautiful. I am just the wolf to make sure you are perfect," Julian says.
"I guess I am in your hands," I say.
I have a feeling my afternoon will be spent being Julian's doll to fix and dress up. She is beaming with the thought of dressing me up and shopping with me. I can see her mind going and planning my outfit.
"He loves purple. How do you feel about purple?" Julian asks.
"I love it. It is my favorite color," I say.
"Good, let me grab my phone and keys. There is a she-wolf that makes the most fantastic dresses. We will go see her," Julian says.
Panic begins to set in, and I feel like I cannot breathe. Am I really doing this? I will be Alpha Sebastian's date for a massive event with the entire pack in attendance.
"You okay?" Julian asks. She stops scrambling to get us out the door to check on me.
"Yes, I only worry that I will mess this up for him. Does he want to spend an important night babysitting me?" I ask.
Julian pulls me over to the couch. I sit down beside her. "Listen to me, carefully. You are not someone we took in as a burden. Stop thinking that, please. I have enjoyed you being here. Alpha Sebastian checks on you because he cares about you not only as a member of his pack, but I think it is more than that. Just go with it. Have some fun. Be a woman. Leave the cage behind and be yourself," Julian says.
Julian's words are nothing but the truth. "I can do that. I know I can leave it behind eventually with your help," I say.
"Now, let's get to Becca's and see what she can make you. I want to see you shine tomorrow night at the party. No need to worry; I will be there by your side the entire time," Julian says.
Julian stands to leave. "Thank you," I say as she takes my hand to go.
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.
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