Sold To The Alpha

Aurora’s POV “Aurora?” I woke up to someone knocking softly on my bedroom door I smiled before I even answered. There was only one person who still knocked like that instead of simply walking in. “Come in.” The door opened, and Julian stepped inside with a small gift box in his hand. For a moment, I just stared at him. My brother hadn’t been around much lately. For months, the company had been struggling, and I had watched the pressure slowly wear him down. He spent most of his time working, making calls, going to meetings, and coming home late. Even when he was home, his mind never seemed to be completely there. So seeing him standing in my room that morning, smiling at me, felt special. “Happy birthday.” I sat up, pushing my hair away from my face. “You remembered?” He gave me an offended look. “Of course I remembered.” I laughed. “You’ve been so busy lately.” “That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my little sister.” He walked over and handed me the box. I opened it carefully, then stopped when I saw what was inside. A delicate gold bracelet rested against the white padding, with a tiny star hanging from the chain. My face lit up. “You like stars.” I picked up the bracelet and ran my finger over the little charm. “I love it.” “I know.” He took the bracelet from me and helped fasten it around my wrist. “I remember everything about you,” he said. I looked at him and smiled. For the first time in a long time, it felt like I had my brother back. “Thank you.” He pulled me into a quick hug, and I laughed against his shoulder. “Twenty-one already,” he said. “Don’t remind me.” “You’re getting old.” I pushed him away. “You’re older than me.” “Exactly. You should respect your elders.” I laughed again, and for a few minutes, everything felt normal. Just me and Julian. No company problems. No late nights. No phone calls that interrupted dinner. Just my birthday. The rest of the morning passed quietly. I stayed home, enjoying the fact that I didn’t have to rush anywhere. I usually worked part-time at a small bakery, and I was glad I had the day off. By the time evening came, I was standing in front of my closet, staring at the clothes scattered across my bed. I changed three times. The first dress was too simple. The second one felt too uncomfortable. I almost gave up after the third, but then I remembered a dress Julian had once told me he liked. I pulled it out and held it against myself. “This one.” When I walked downstairs, Julian looked up from his phone. His eyes moved over me, and he smiled. “You look beautiful.” I felt my cheeks warm. “Really?” “Really.” I smiled as I reached for my bag. “Then let’s go before I change my mind again.” He laughed and opened the door for me. The drive started normally. On the way, Julian asked about the bakery, and I told him about the sales we’d had recently and some of the little things that had happened there. It wasn’t a long conversation, but I enjoyed it more than I expected. We hadn’t talked like that in a while. There was something comforting about sitting beside him and talking about ordinary things again. I had missed it. Maybe we could have more moments like this. I rested my head against the seat and watched the scenery outside the window. At first, everything looked familiar. Then the buildings became larger. The streets became quieter. Soon, the small shops and busy roads disappeared, replaced by tall buildings, expensive cars, and neatly lined trees. I turned toward Julian. “Where are we going?” “You’ll see.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He smiled, but there was something different about it. He looked nervous. I didn’t think much of it. Maybe he was just worried about whether I would like wherever we were going. A few minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a large hotel. I stared through the window. “Julian” He turned off the engine. I looked at the hotel again before turning back to him. “You didn’t have to spend so much.” “I know.” “But this place looks expensive.” He gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t exactly been the best brother lately.” My expression softened. “That’s not true.” “It is.” He looked at me for a moment. “I’ve been busy, and I’ve missed a lot. I just wanted to do something nice for you.” I smiled. “You could have just taken me somewhere to eat.” “I know.” “Then why a hotel?” “Because I wanted to.” He opened his door before I could argue any further. I followed him inside. The hotel was even more beautiful than I expected. Everything looked polished and expensive, from the bright lights to the quiet lobby and the people moving around in clothes that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. I stayed close to Julian as he led me through the building. We eventually stopped in front of a private suite. He opened the door. I stepped inside and froze. The suite was beautiful. There was a large living room, a dining area, huge windows overlooking the city, and a bedroom that looked like something from a magazine. I turned around slowly. “Julian” He smiled. “Happy birthday.” I couldn’t help laughing. “You really did all this for me?” “You deserve it.” I walked farther inside, still taking everything in. For once, Julian wasn’t thinking about work. He was thinking about me. That thought made my chest feel warm. I turned back to him. “Thank you.” He nodded, but his smile looked a little forced. “I just need to make a few inquiries.” “Inquiries?” “Yeah. There are a few things I need to take care of.” “Oh.” “I won’t be long.” I nodded. “Should I come with you?” “No. Stay here. Relax. Enjoy yourself.” I smiled. “Okay.” He stepped toward the door, then stopped. “Aurora?” “Hmm?” “I really hope you like it.” I smiled at him. “I do.” He looked relieved. “Good.” Then he left. I stood there for a moment after the door closed. I looked down at the little star bracelet around my wrist. It was still hard to believe that Julian had gone to this much trouble for my birthday. Maybe this was his way of making up for all the time we’d lost. I walked toward the windows and looked out at the city below. The lights had already begun to fill the streets, and I wondered how long Julian would take. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. I sat on the edge of the sofa, checking my bracelet absently. He was probably still taking care of whatever he had mentioned. There was no reason to be worried. I stood up and walked toward the window again. A few moments later, I heard the door open behind me. I smiled, assuming Julian had finally returned. “For a second, I thought you wouldn’t return” I turned around and frowned. A man stood by the door. Not Julian. He looked at me for a moment before speaking. “You must be Aurora.”