Alpha Sebastian POV
I 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.
I do not want to move from the bed. I want to lay here and hold her. I want to kiss her and let her feel safe in my arms. I gently touch her body as she sleeps. She smiles in her sleep, and she knows she is safe with me. I will protect you with my life, Alanis.
There is a knocking at the door. Knock Knock. I look to see what time it is. I should just let them knock, but it could be urgent. The knocking continues more persistent. I kiss Alanis gently on the cheek and get out of the bed. I look at her sleeping as I grab a shirt and pants to put on before going to the door.
I go to the door. The knocking is more persistent as I get closer to the door. What the hell is going on? I open the door to see Raul standing at the door.
"This interruption better be important," I growl at him. I only wanted some time with Alanis. I had hoped to have the morning with her in my arms, talking and laughing.
Raul steps into the house. He looks around and then back at me. "It is Alpha. I am sorry to disturb you, but it is Julian. Someone attacked her last night," Raul says. His voice shakes and breaks as he tells me the bad news.
"Where is she?" I growl.
"She is at home. She is okay, but she will only talk to you. Liam is with her now, but she is insistent that she see you now. You know how she is; we cannot do anything with her," Raul says.
Alanis is still sleeping. I do not want her to know what is going on right now. "Stay here with Alanis. She is sleeping. If she wakes before I get back, tell her to stay here, those are my orders, Raul, got it," I growl.
Raul shrinks beneath me. "Yes, Alpha," he says.
"Do not upset her. I do not want her to know what is going on until I know all the facts myself," I growl at Raul.
I go out the door and run as fast as I can to Julian's. Who would attack my sister? Why would anyone want to hurt her? What if they were after Alanis? Then, it hits me. If Alanis had been at Julian's, this would have set her back so far. I do not know how I will tell her that Julian was hurt.
I rush past the guards outside my sisters' house. I go straight to her bedside. She is beaten and bruised. "Julian," I say softly.
Julian opens her eyes. "Brother, I am okay. It is not as bad as it looks," Julian says. I look her over. She looks bad. Liam is with her but leaves quickly so I can talk to Julian in private.
"What happened?" I ask her.
"Joshua is not exactly himself these days. He is now in a new pack, and his Alpha is Jordon, Alpha Raymond's son. They want revenge for Alpha Raymond. He wanted Alanis. He wanted to take her. I would not tell him where she was. That is why Joshua came here. He came to take Alanis to Alpha Jordon," Julian says.
I sit down on the side of the bed. "I am sorry I was not here to defend you, sister," I say.
Julian laughs. "Oh, please, I kicked his ass," Julian says.
"That's my girl. Where is he, and please tell me you did not kill him?" I ask.
"I did not tell Raul, Liam, or anyone. They heard the commotion and came to check on me. I did not know how much you would want them to know or who to trust. I want to know how Joshua knew Alanis was here. Someone told Joshua and that someone is in our pack," Julian says.
"Julian, where is Joshua?" I ask her. I am starting to panic about what she did to him. I need him alive to get answers, not bleeding out somewhere.
Julian smiles at me. This little devil. "I kicked his ass and put him in the basement. Let him live as Alanis lived for a while," Julian says.
I shake my head at her. "We have to move him to the jail. We are not like them. We cannot be barbarians like Alpha Raymond, sister," I say.
She shakes her head and begins to cry. "What do they want with her? I'm not too fond of the thought of anyone hurting her. I lost it, Sebastian. I wanted to kill him, but I did not. I knew if I killed him, we would never know why they want her," Julians says.
I lean down and kiss her on the forehead. "That is because you are better than they are, sister. We are not like them. I will move Joshua to the pack jail, and then we will figure out together how they found out she is here. I need to know everything the two of you have done and where you took her. Everything Julian, even little insignificant places and people she has talked to since she has been here," I say.
I get up to retrieve Joshua. "Wait, where is Alanis?" Julian asks me. She is worried about Alanis more than her own safety.
"She stayed with me last night, and I asked her to marry me," I say.
"And what did she say?" Julian asks. She is waiting with so much anticipation. She wants me to marry Alanis.
"We talked, Julian. I have never talked to anyone the way we talked last night. I love her, and she will be my wife," I answer her.
"Good, I am happy for you," Julian says.
"Liam will stay here with you while I move Joshua, okay. Do not give him any shit, Julian. Please," I say to her sternly.
She growls at the thought of being under a watchful eye, but she will have to get over it for now. She needs to be watched; Julian and Alanis both do until I sort all of this out. I cannot let anything happen to either of them.
I go out to the front porch and collect the guards from their post. "The man that attacked Julian is locked in the basement," I say, leading the way to the back entrance.
We go into the back door of Julian's basement. Joshua is tied to a chair. He sees me and immediately becomes afraid. I growl at him as I approach. I stand over him as he looks up at me, terrified.
"I am not like you, Joshua. I am not going to hurt you, at least not yet. You have the information I want, and you will give it to me," I say to him.
Tony and Travis, two of the guards, grab Joshua. "Take him to the pack jail. I want him in solitary confinement. No one talks to him, but me," I say.
"Jordon will have the little pet back, Sebastian. You cannot keep her. She belonged to Alpha Raymond, and now she belongs to Jordon by default," Joshua says as he is being dragged from the basement.
I watch Tony and Travis load Joshua in a truck. I have to tell Alanis what is going on with Joshua. I have to be careful with my words. I do not want to lie to her, but I cannot upset her. Like it or not, Alanis and Julian will be staying with me so I can watch both of them. I do not need Julian killing anyone, and I cannot have Alanis getting hurt.
As I make my way back to my house, I see Raul standing outside. I hope Alanis is still sleeping. That will give me time to move Julian and figure out exactly how to break this to her. I stop at the pack house and instruct guards to inform my sister that she is moving to my house. The two men look terrified of Julian. I do not blame them. She can be scary at times, especially when she is given an order she does not like. She is not going to like this order.