The Alpha's Companion

Chapter 37 - Is She Safe?

After Lacey was safely inside, Julien and the rest of the Harvest Moon Pack checked to make sure that the rogues had fled. And through it all, he noticed that everyone had pulled their weight.

Scar walked purposefully out of the castle in her human form, assessing the damage, dressed in a pack robe that one of the maids must have given her.

"Report,” Julien said.

"Well, it looks like there were no casualties on either side,” Scarlett said. “But there’s damage to the south wall and other parts of the perimeter. The castle is still intact.”

Julien nodded. “Thank you for following orders, Scarlett.”

"It was my honor, Alpha."

“Go ahead and help with cleanup.”

Scarlett nodded once. “May I say something… as a friend?”

Julien nodded once. “Make it quick.”

“Don’t be too hard on Lacey,” Scarlett said. “She was doing what she thought was her job.” Then Scarlett turned and headed toward Rock to start on cleanup, as ordered.

With that, Julien headed into the castle to check on Lacey. He walked through the foyer and then up the staircase, tempted to take two stairs at a time, but didn't. During the fight, he had been so caught up with protecting her, that he almost didn't protect the pack like he should have. As Alpha, his first priority, over everything, had to be the welfare of the pack. And today, it wasn't. Far from it.

When he saw Lacey explode into her wolf and start fighting alongside him, he nearly had a heart attack. The only thing he could think of was keeping her safe when he should have been thinking of the pack. Also, by keeping Caleb with Lacey, the south wall was exposed… until he sent Scarlett to take his place. Julien would have never made that mistake before… and he couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

But Julien didn't know what he would have done if something had happened to her. There was only solution: He had to keep her out of the fight and force her to obey orders. She was his Warrior Trainer, after all. And as such, she had to obey his orders. If they were ever attacked again, which was inevitable, he could not allow himself to care more about her than the pack. No, the pack had to come first.

Julien barged into his suite, not sure if Lacey would be there or in her own room. "Lacey? Are you here?"

Silence.

Julien checked every room and she wasn't there. So, he ran down the hallway as quickly as he could to her bedroom. He tried the door, but it was locked from the inside.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He pounded on the door. "Lacey? Are you in there?"

She opened the door, looking at him expectantly, wearing a white dress. It wasn't her wedding dress, but she still looked lovely.

He quickly pulled her to his chest, glad that she was alive and safe. He let her go a moment later and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Lacey nodded. "I’m fine. Are you okay?" she asked, taking him in with concern in her eyes.

He sighed. “Lacey, why didn’t you do as I asked and go into the castle right away?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Because I’m not only the Alpha Queen, I’m your Warrior Trainer. How could I expect them to fight if I didn’t?”

“Lacey, as my Warrior Trainer, you disobeyed a direct order.” Julien bit his lower lip, considering. “If any other of my men disobeyed a direct order like you did, they would no longer have their position.”

“So, what are you saying?” Lacey asked.

“Lacey, I don’t want to have to strip you of your position, but I need you to do as I ask… please.” He bit his lower lip, running his fingers through his hair. “I can’t worry about you and the welfare of the pack at the same time. Caleb should have been protecting the south wall, but instead, he was there protecting you because you would not follow my order.”

“I’m sorry,” Lacey replied. “I never thought—”

“Lacey….” He held her shoulders, looking into her eyes. “In a fight, I can’t always be there to protect you. I don’t know what I would do if something were to happen to you.”

She placed a hand on the side of his cheek. “You don’t have to protect me. As a member of this pack, it is my duty to protect and defend it.”

“From here on out, as my Warrior Trainer, you will not disobey a direct order.” He looked into her eyes. He was glad she was safe, but right now he had to be her Alpha. “If you do, you will be stripped of your position. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Alpha.” She started to go back into her room, but he caught her hand.

“I will give you orders as the Alpha and then requests as your husband.” He sighed.

“I understand,” she replied, folding her arms over her chest.

He stared at her for a moment and then said, “Come with me.” Julien led her down the hallway. "Are your things packed?"

"Yes," she replied, trying to keep up.

Julien took her to his bedroom and stood her before the spare room in his suite. "This is your new room."

Lacey looked at him with her mouth open. "Isn't this your room, too?"

"No, my room is on the other side of the living room," he replied, cringing internally, knowing how it sounded.

Lacey sighed. "Julien, I hate to say this, but I have to tell you something... about Scarlett."

Julien rolled his eyes and smirked. "So, we're not even married ten minutes and your jealousy is flaring?"

Lacey folded her arms across her chest. “Are you asking as my Alpha or as my husband?”

He rolled his eyes. “I will give you orders in battle as your Alpha. But I am always your husband.”

Lacey nodded. "No, this is about Scar and I’m not jealous.”

This time, he knew to listen to her. After she tried to tell him about her parentage and he didn’t listen, he wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. "What?" he folded his arms across his chest expectantly.

"Do you remember at the reception… when Scar congratulated us... before everything went haywire?" Her eyebrows rose nearly into her hairline.

"Yes." Julien kept his arms folded across his chest to keep from reaching out to her. His wolf was seething to claim her as his, but he had to take care of the pack first.

"If you remember correctly, no sooner had she congratulated us, all h*ll broke loose." She sighed. “It just seems too coincidental for me.”

Julien shook his head. "No, Lacey. Scarlett followed my orders. I had to send her to protect the south wall because Caleb was with you.” He let out a deep breath as he turned toward the window, and then turned to face her. “She even told me not to be too hard on you because you thought you were doing your job.”

“Seriously?”

Julien nodded once. "Have the staff move your things in and get settled. I'll be back once everything is squared away downstairs." Also, if she were in her room, he would know that she was safe.

"Julien, I can help—"

"No! You’ve done enough!" he yelled, adding the Alpha timbre to his voice without meaning to. "Stay here… please." Then he walked purposefully out the door. On his way downstairs, he sighed. With her upstairs and safe, he could now concentrate on helping the pack. That is.... if she did as he asked.