The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 114

AXEL

We all stood outside of Juniper's room in a half circle, facing her doctor. It had been nearly two days since she was shot, and she could only remain conscious for a few minutes at a time. The time in between when she was awake was slowly decreasing, but every time she fell back asleep after ten minutes at most, I felt helpless. I wanted to help her wake up. I wanted to talk to her about everything that had been happening.

"Her body is struggling to heal," Doctor Tensen said. "I thought the drugs would've cleared her system by now, but something is making it stay in her blood longer than usual. We may have to give her blood transfusions to help diffuse the drugs faster." "Is that why she can't stay awake for very long?" Ethan asked. He was asking all of the questions, which I didn't mind. I was exhausted after sleeping several nights in uncomfortable chairs, and I didn't know where to start with my questions.

"I suspect it's part of the reason, but the main factor is her body is struggling to recover from the bullet wound and surgery. Her wolf isn't reacting as strongly as I'd hoped. I suspect that might be a direct response of the drugs, but it's impossible to know what is a result of the drugs versus the injury itself, since we don't know the exact type of drug they used." The doctor gave a sympathetic smile. It was clear he wanted better news for us than this. "Give her time. She is healing. It's just slower than us werewolves are used to." "Isn't there anything else we can do than just wait and hope she gets better?" I asked. I was tired of waiting and doing nothing. I couldn't help Juniper. I couldn't help Nathan. I was going crazy locked up in this hospital all day, but I couldn't leave Juniper. Last time we were apart, she was shot. I never wanted to leave her side again.

"You can mark her." Doctor Tensen made direct eye contact with me. Then he looked at Asher. "Both of you. Mate marks make werewolves stronger. Maybe it'll be enough to help her wolf start healing her properly."

"I don't know if I can do that," Asher said. "Not like this."

The doctor shrugged. "That's your personal business. You asked if there was anything you could do to help her, and I simply gave you a suggestion. I have other patients I need to check up on, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." He walked away, leaving the three of us in the hallway.

"What other patients does he have?" I muttered under my breath. I wished he had given more concrete answers. Even the mate mark was a hopeful solution-not a guaranteed one.

"Mostly wolfball players, setting bones to heal properly. Stuff like that," Asher said, but I didn't fully hear him or care. After everything she went through and sacrificed, Juniper should've been the only priority.

"Marking her will help," Ethan said to my surprise. "When I marked her, I felt her grow stronger. I felt our bond solidify, too. If she has your marks on her, too, I'm confident it will help her heal."

"I want to mark her, but not without talking to her," I said. I had wanted to mark her since the day at the cabin, but it had never felt right. Back then she didn't feel like mine, and now the circumstances felt wrong. I wanted so much more for that moment. I wanted the opportunity to give her exactly what she deserved.

"Of course," Ethan said.

I glanced at Asher, waiting for him to respond, but he was looking down the hallway as if something really interesting was going on down there. I knew he and Juniper had talked things out, but I was sure he was hesitant to mark her. Things were raw between them, and only time would fix that. I just hoped they'd be able to get to a place where things felt easy between them for both of their sakes.

"There's something else we need to discuss before we go back in there," Ethan said, and I knew it was about the conversation he had with Winston. He hadn't told us any details yet. He had hardly spoken since the meeting, and I knew something had gone down between them. I just didn't know what.

"Does he think we had anything to do with what Father was planning?" Asher asked. "We sent the pictures of the documents, and I will give them whatever information they need to incriminate him."

"No, it's not that. I'm going to have to return to Vinly City once I'm the official beta," he said.

"Does that mean we have to return with you?" I asked. I knew coming to CUW was meant to be a temporary assignment. We were originally supposed to join Ethan here while he dealt with the rumors, but then we were supposed to return home after. That was before running into Juniper and before learning our father was a traitorous bastard.

"No," Ethan said. "You only have one semester of school left before the two of you and Juniper graduate. I want you to stay here and finish your degrees. School has always been a dream of Juniper's, and I don't want to take that away from her now, and I will not leave her here by herself. After you graduate, then I want all of you to join me in Vinly City."

"Does Juniper know about this?" Asher asked. "Does she understand what kind of duties she is going to have?"

"She doesn't have specific details, but I did warn her. She was kidnapped before I could tell her everything," Ethan said. There was guilt written all over his face. That wasn't the life he wanted for Juniper. If he had a choice, he would give Juniper an easier life. However, he never had a choice about who he was meant to become or the kind of responsibilities his mate would be tasked with.

"If anyone can handle it, it'll be Juniper," I said. "And we'll all be there to support her."

Ethan didn't smile. "I know she's strong and capable. I just wish she had more time to adjust to her new life. She didn't grow up like we did, and with everything going on, it feels like too much. She doesn't even know Nathan is missing yet." "She'll be okay," I said, hoping that was true. "And I'll tell her about Nathan when I talk to her about marking her."

"Shouldn't that wait until she recovers more?" Asher asked. "The stress could hinder her healing process."

"If you were Juniper, wouldn't you want to know that Nathan was missing as soon as possible?" I asked. I remembered the promise I made to Juniper, and I intended to keep it. No more secrets to protect her. She deserved the entire truth, even if she had just been through a lot.

***

JUNIPER

Every time I opened my eyes, I just wanted to close them again. I knew part of that was the pain medication that was constantly being pumped into my veins, but it was mostly from the traces of silver that were left behind when I was shot. It made my body weak, and the thought of sleep was like a luring dessert. It was within reach, but I fought against it. As much as I wanted to sleep, I wanted to talk to the brothers about what the future held for all of us.

I forced my body to move, wanting to sit up. A split second later, Axel's hands were on me, helping me sit up.

"Be careful. You shouldn't be moving too quickly," he said. His hand slid to my back, taking the pressure off my muscles.

"I'm too tired to lie down. I'll just fall back asleep," I said. I looked at Axel, wanting even more of his touch. This was the first chance we had been alone since I woke up in the hospital-at least from what I could remember. "Your body needs sleep to recover." Axel slid onto the bed next to me, keeping his hands on me to steady me.

I took a shallow breath, trying to limit how much my chest moved. Each breath was painful, even with the medication I was on.

"I'm tired of being tired," I said. I leaned my head against Axel's shoulder, knowing it was a fast track to falling asleep. I couldn't help myself. I wanted Axel's scent to surround me. It had been too long since he held me like this.

"I know something that could help you," he said. His voice was like a lullaby.

"What?" My body felt heavy, and I knew it wouldn't be long until sleep won the fight.

"If I mark you, it will help your body heal faster-at least the doctor thinks so."

My eyes snapped open, and Axel's comment pushed the sleep away. "You want to mark me?" My heart raced as my fingers brushed over Ethan's mark. I had never thought about having two mate marks before, but it made perfect sense. If I accepted all of the brothers' bonds, I would end up with four marks on my body.

"Of course I do. I have wanted to mark you for a while," he admitted. His hand slowly ran up my back, sending goosebumps spreading across my skin. "This isn't how I wanted to mark you, but if you want me to, I will."

I turned my head so I could look into his eyes, being careful to keep the rest of my body still. "How did you imagine marking me?"

Axel smirked, making my core tighten. "I'm not sure it's appropriate to say while you're in a hospital bed."

I licked my lips, which suddenly felt very dry. "Tell me anyway."

The storm in Axel's eyes roared to life. He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear. "First, I'd take you on a romantic date. I would have a blanket set up under the stars with fruit and chocolate to snack on. We'd watch the shimmering stars, counting the comets that pass by us. We'd lie there for hours, talking and laughing. Then, as the night grows colder, we'd get closer and closer, until the only thing separating us is our clothes. Our lips would meet, and it would be slow at first. We would have no obligations. Nothing to rush to.

"I would treasure every inch of your body, taking time to kiss every part of you, until you can't take it anymore. Only then, would I give into your wishes as we make love under the stars. Then, as your body can't take much more, I would mark you, showing you that you'll be mine no matter how far away we are or whose arms you're in."

Axel's hand brushed against my throat, and he let out a single puff of air. "Your heart is racing."

"I want that night more than you can imagine," I said.

"Oh, I can imagine." Axel lightly pressed his lips against my neck.

"But until I'm recovered, we can't do any of that." I closed my eyes, focusing on the way Axel's breath tickled my neck.

"I know."

I couldn't catch my breath as I thought about the things Axel could do to me. I didn't want to be in this hospital for a second longer. "That's why I want you to mark me now."