The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 102

JUNIPER

"Don't," I said, crawling between Nathan and Craig. I knew I couldn't do much against the burly man in front of me, especially in my condition, but my protective instincts took over. I would stand in between Nathan and danger with whatever strength I had left. "I don't need you to prove anything. I see your point." "I think it might be worth a demonstration," Craig said. "Maybe it'll stop you from mouthing off to me and asking so many questions."

I forced myself to my feet, and even though they felt wobbly beneath me, I stood tall. I felt a new power pulsing within me, which was the only reason I was able to fight against the drugs.

"I won't ask you any more questions. Just leave Nathan alone." I mustered up as much power in my voice as I could.

My cheek stung before I knew what had even happened. The back of Craig's hand hit my cheek with an unexpected speed, and any confidence I had crumpled like my body to the floor.

"Get this through your head now. I'm the one in charge. It would serve you best to shut your mouth and worry about self-preservation instead of trying to be a hero." Craig's voice cut through the air and hit my heart. I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of here on my own-at least not alive-and I feared Nathan would face the same fate as me.

I felt defeated before I had even tried anything serious. That was the power of a wolf with an alpha bloodline compared to an omega.

Nathan growled and struggled to his feet. He rushed towards Craig, ready to headbutt the hunter.

Craig pulled out a gun and aimed it at me, making Nathan freeze in his tracks.

"Move another inch, and I'll shoot her," the hunter warned. His eyes were icy, and there was no compassion in them. If Nathan didn't do what he said, Craig wouldn't hesitate to pull that trigger. He needed me alive to manipulate the brothers, but that didn't mean he needed me unharmed. A bullet aimed at the right place wouldn't be fatal, and as an assassin, Craig's aim was excellent.

Nathan saw the look in Craig's eyes and didn't dare to move.

The hunter's eyes flicked to mine, and the smirk that emerged on his face was filled with taunts. "Now sit down like the good doggy you are."

Nathan dropped to the floor so fast that the sound of his knees hitting the hard ground rang out. If I had any doubt about Craig's plan to use me to manipulate the brothers before, it was completely gone.

My breath was heavy as I watched Nathan bend to the will of this hunter before my eyes. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to see him thrive and smile. Even though the connection with Nathan wasn't as strong as it was with his brothers, I still felt the mate bond tugging at my heart. I wanted the chance to build my connection with Nathan and learn who he was now.

I feared I would never get that chance.

I wanted to crawl over to him and hold him, but I didn't dare to move. I had done enough to agitate the hunter, and I wasn't about to do anything else that could cause harm to Nathan or myself.

"Good. It seems you finally understand your situation," Craig said, looking down at the two of us. He lowered his gun, but he didn't put it back in his holster. "I'm glad I snatched this one when I did. I thought he might come in handy. My instincts have never let me down before."

A new wave of nausea settled over me with a new realization. Nathan was here with me. "If Nathan is here with me, then who are Axel and Asher going to rescue?"

Craig raised his eyebrows, as if surprised I had the audacity to ask a question after his little show. "Excuse me?"

I looked up at him, not afraid to make eye contact, even though I should've been deeply afraid of the man in front of me. "You sent them into a trap, didn't you? I thought you needed all of them alive."

"Oh, the twins? I let my sister handle them. If they're not dead yet, they likely will be soon. I don't actually need all the brothers. I really just need Ethan. He's the only one who is supposed to assume a new position of power." He gestured to Nathan. "He's just lucky I needed to test my theory before I go after the real prize."

The hunter turned his back on us and started walking towards the door he dragged Nathan from. "Don't bother trying to escape. The doors are locked, and guards are posted at every exit. Plus, if you try to escape, I'll shoot whichever one of you has pissed me off more."

The door shut behind the hunter, leaving silence in his wake.

I pulled my gaze away from the door and looked at Nathan. His entire body was shaking, and he looked like he was shattering to pieces. I pulled myself to him, despite my bones creaking with pain. I took his hand in mine, afraid to hold him too tightly, since I didn't know what kind of injuries he had sustained before I got there.

"We're going to find a way out of this," I said. I had to believe that, because it would be too easy to give up and stop fighting. However, I knew Ethan was out there, waiting for me. Axel and Asher were somewhere, fighting their way back home. I would've felt it if they had died, so no matter what Craig said, I knew I had to keep going. It was easier to feel that hope when the hunter wasn't standing over me, using his wolf to suppress my will.

"How?" Nathan asked. "They have the upper hand. They have people, weapons, and drugs. We don't stand a chance against them."

"Ethan will find us. Or we'll figure out a weakness of theirs. There has to be a way."

"This isn't just some random group of people," Nathan said, looking down at our joining hands. "I heard them talking. They have been planning to overthrow the alpha for years. Apparently, my father promised to help them with their goal, if they help him get into the alpha position." "What kind of goal do they have?" I asked.

"They want to wage war against the vampires in the north. They are some anti-vampire league, and they tried petitioning Alpha Williams to aid in their cause. He refused because he wanted peace," Nathan explained.

My throat felt dry as I took in the new information. This was so much bigger than Beta Burrell killing Alpha Williams to take over his new position. This was a coup to start a war.

***

AXEL

Asher flew forward, not wasting a single second to attack. I followed his lead, lunging towards the man who was closest to me. He was caught off guard at the sudden attack, and he was off balance when he slashed the silver blade through the air. I ducked under his arm and elbowed him in the back. Another enemy was on me in seconds.

I just barely avoided the attack of the next person by rolling to the ground. I caught a brief glimpse of Asher, and he was fighting three of the assailants simultaneously. His movements were fluid and natural. He was an incredible fighter.

I was on my feet in seconds and tore my gaze away from my brother. He was the better fighter, so he didn't need me to worry about him. I slashed my weapon at the woman closest to my side. She was prepared for the attack and easily dodged it. One of her companions filled the space she darted out of, already in mid-swing.

The dagger in my hand was knocked away, skittering across the floor. I knew I couldn't go after the weapon without turning my back on my attacks, and that was the worst thing I could do. I decided to go on the defense and make them come at me.

The two men came at me first. I kicked one off me and hit the other in the jaw. It didn't knock them down for long, and they came back swinging even harder. It was clear they had years of fighting that I didn't, and I felt them winning the battle. I trusted my instincts, which were enough to get in a few hits and dodge most of their attacks.

However, a silver blade slashed against my arm, and even though it was a shallow wound, it seared as if it had set my skin on fire. I gasped and stumbled backwards, thrown off by the intensity of the pain.

They didn't stop coming after me, and it took all of my energy to avoid another hit. I couldn't keep going this way, and I had to do something to turn the tides. If I changed into my wolf, it would give me a better strength and speed advantage. I just had to be extra careful about being hit with the silver blades. If I made contact with enough silver, it could force me to transform back at an inopportune moment.

I was nearly backed against the wall, and I knew I was out of time. I transformed into my wolf and leapt over the three attacking me. One of them pulled out a gun and aimed it at me. Before he could pull the trigger, I grabbed his arm and ripped it off his body, making him scream in agony.

Before the others could react, I sunk my teeth into the shoulder of the other guy. The taste of warm metal filled my mouth, and it urged my wolf for more blood. I bit into him again, eager to hear his screams. Even though Nathan wasn't here, I knew this man helped take him. He was part of the organization that wanted Juniper dead. I had no remorse for him.

I dropped the man from my jaws when he stopped twitching under my grasp. I turned to the last assailant, but the woman had disappeared, giving up the fighting. I turned to look for her, not even noticing her disappearance in my bloodlust.

The woman had run across the room and grabbed the leader of the pack. They were hurrying out of the room as fast as they could. I started to run after them, but Asher's cry tore my attention away. He still had two of the attackers on him, and he was struggling. As much as I wanted to go after the women who were escaping, Asher's safety came first.