Broken yet so strong

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 know she can do it. I have never seen such a strong little wolf.

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 killed her parents and then treated her like an animal, for what? Because her father and his pack stood up to Alpha Raymond.

What kind of sick gratification did that asshole 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. She will need understanding and patience from all of us.

"Thank you," Alanis says as I scrub her back. The filth is unbelievable.

"You are so welcome, little wolf," I say to her as I scrub layers of dirt and grime off of her. Her body is frail, and her skin is dry and scaley.

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 as I think how to answer her question.

"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 choose to feel. 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 as I look through the knotted hair.

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. I help her step out of the tub. She is so weak and so strong at the same time.

"When we get back to my home, I have much better soaps and products for you to use. I have tons of clothes I can share with you. I will make sure you have everything you need," I say.

"I do not want to be a burden to you, Julian," Alanis says. Her eyes speak to me: so much pain and sadness behind those eyes.

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. She holds me tightly— this poor little wolf.

"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, smiling at her. I want her to be at complete ease with me.

"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. He touches her upper arm, and she looks at his hand on her. Is she afraid or at ease with us?

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, looking at Alanis for her input.

"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 my house, and I can help you take care of your hair," 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 packhouse she has been trapped in for so long and then looks at me. Broken, but strong she will survive all of this.