The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 109

JUNIPER

"Wait, so am I dying?" I asked. I kept my hands pressed against my chest, hoping any bit of pressure would slow the bleeding. "I have to be if I'm seeing you."

The Moon Goddess cupped my cheek. "You will die if nothing changes, yes. That silver bullet has invaded your system, and it's poisoning you. Either that will kill you or the loss of blood will."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not ready. I can't. I have to help Nathan and Ethan. And I told Axel and Asher they had to come back to me. What kind of person would I be if I wasn't there for them when they returned?" "Don't worry, child. As I said, it's not your time. I have plans for you." Her touch was gentle, which kept the tears at bay.

"What kind of plans?" I asked.

She smiled, and even that seemed like unreal beauty. "If nothing changes, then there will be a war between werewolves and vampires again. Too many of my children will die if that happens. The Burrell brothers are the ones who can help the future alpha stop it, and they need you to keep them strong."

"Is that why you made all of them my mates?" I asked, hoping I'd finally get the answer I had wanted for too long.

"No. I did that because James made a wish, and I decided to grant it after I saw the way a young boy like him was willing to put himself in danger to do what was right. There are not many like him, and even though I couldn't save him, I could grant his wish." "What wish?" The longer I spoke to the Moon Goddess, the less pain I felt. Just being in her presence felt healing.

"You will learn that soon enough. I must go now. If I stay any longer, then it'll be too late to save you," she said. She leaned in and kissed my forehead, like a mother might do to her child. "I will wait for you to join me, but take your time." The light faded, and then the pain came back full force.

***

ETHAN

The gun went off and my entire body tensed. I felt the pain in my chest as if it was my own after hearing Juniper's cry, and something inside of me broke free. My wolf roared, and Craig's strength no longer mattered. I clamped my jaw around his throat and ripped my head to the side. Craig let out a cry unlike his other ones.

Blood poured out from his throat, and I kicked him off of me. His body collapsed to the ground next to me, and then he started transforming back to his human form. He clawed at his neck, trying to stop the bleeding, but it did little good. The wound was too large. I shifted into my human form and was on my feet a split second later. I moved to the girl holding the gun, unable to look at Juniper. I knew she needed help, but I had to make sure it was safe before I turned my back on the enemy.

"Give me the gun. Now!" I ordered, using every bit of wolf tone I had.

The girl's eyes were wide, and her hands shook. She hesitated to listen, so I twisted the gun out of her hands. "Get out of my sight, before I tear you to pieces."

This time, she didn't hesitate to listen. She scurried away, but I no longer cared about her. I aimed the gun at Craig and shot him three times to make sure he wouldn't get up again.

"Ethan," a voice said from behind me.

I snapped around, aiming the gun at the unfamiliar voice. A woman dressed in a long white gown stood above Juniper. She looked like she was glowing, and I felt like there was something wrong with my eyes. The woman didn't look like she belonged in this dirty basement filled with blood.

"Step away from my mate," I ordered, keeping my gun pointed at her. I didn't know if she was a friend or enemy, and I didn't care. I was ready to pull the trigger if she touched a hair on Juniper's head.

"I'm here to help. Juniper is losing a lot of blood. If you don't do something now, she won't make it." The woman's voice was naturally soothing, and it made me want to trust her.

I fought against that instinct, refusing to back down now. "Step away from her and stay in my sight."

The woman smiled, but her eyes glistened with an unexplainable sadness. "Your parents really messed with your ability to trust." She started walking over to me.

I knew I should shoot her and get to Juniper. Juniper needed help. I had to stop the bleeding, or I would lose her. However, with each step, I felt my defenses falling apart. The woman pushed the gun to the side and cupped my cheek. "I'm not your enemy."

"Who are you?" I asked. Her touch was so light it felt like the whisper of a ghost.

"We don't have time for that. You have to mark Juniper and give her the strength she needs to survive this. Your mate bond is the only way you can save her."

My breathing increased. All I wanted was to mark Juniper and make her my own, but everything was too complicated for that. "She hasn't given me permission to mark her."

"She will die without your mark. You don't have a choice. You have to do this now, or you'll lose her, Ethan."

There was no reason to listen to this woman. I didn't know her. She showed up out of nowhere, and I had no idea if she worked for the Clandestines or not, but none of that logic seemed to matter. I trusted her, and I knew she was right.

The gun fell out of my hands, and I rushed to Juniper's side. Her hands were covered in blood. She looked at me with bewildered eyes. "Ethan. You're okay."

I pressed my hand over hers, trying to add pressure to that wound. "Shh, save your strength."

"You have to get out of here," she said. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were fluttering open and closed.

"Not without you. We're going to make it out together. Axel and Asher are waiting for you. You have to be here when they get back." I slowly lowered Juniper to the ground, allowing me to put more pressure on her wound.

"Tell them I love them for me." Her eyes closed, and her hands slid away from her torso, but her heart was still beating for now. As long as the silver was in her system, she wouldn't be able to heal. Even if I managed to take it out, I had no idea what kind of drugs were in her system to prevent her wolf from letting her heal.

"Tell them yourself," I said, but she didn't respond. I felt her heart rate slowing down, and I knew what I had to do. "I'm going to save you."

My fangs extended, and my wolf stirred inside of me, eager to complete the process. I leaned down and grazed her neck with my teeth. This wasn't how I imagined marking Juniper. I had wanted to do it when she was intertwined with my body. I wanted her to feel the moment we became permanently connected, and I wanted to enjoy it.

However, as much as I craved that, if Juniper died, I wouldn't get everything else that mattered about being mates with someone. I would never get to wake up with her in the morning and see her sleepy smile as she saw me for the first time. I would never be able to take her on a proper first date and show her just how much she meant to me. I would never be able to build a life and a family with her.

I sank my teeth into her neck, and her body jolted under my touch. When I pulled away from her, blood dripped out of the holes pierced into her neck, and I licked the wounds to help the healing process. I kept constant pressure on her wound, knowing I had to stop as much blood from pouring out of her as possible.

I felt her heart grow stronger beneath my hands, and I knew it was working. I felt my own strength returning, and all of the wounds on my body were healing faster than I was used to. Juniper was mine, and she was giving me strength I didn't know was possible. This was what it meant to have a mate. Together we were stronger, but separate we were weakened. I pulled Juniper closer to me and inhaled her scent. I could feel her strength growing as well. I just hoped it would be enough. With the silver bullet still in Juniper's body, she would need proper medical attention, but the stronger her heart grew, the more of a chance she had to make it through this.

"Please be okay," I whispered. Tears fell onto Juniper as the stress of losing my mate washed over me. I prepared myself for the possibility of not leaving here alive, but I never let myself entertain the possibility of Juniper not making it out. Posted by FindNovel.net; visit us for more free novels.

"You have to make it out of here." I closed my eyes, waiting for the mate bond to do its magic.

She moved in my arms, and when I opened my eyes, she was looking back up at me. She reached up and touched my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. She told me it wasn't time to leave yet."