The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 115

JUNIPER

Axel extended his fangs, brushing them against my skin. My body shuddered in anticipation. I thought about the night under the stars and about the future we could have together. I wanted nothing more than to be marked by Axel.

I closed my eyes, ready for this moment. "I'm ready," I whispered to encourage him to stop hesitating. This wasn't how he wanted to mark me, but it was something we both wanted.

Axel sank his teeth into the crook of my neck, and I was distinctly aware that his mark was right next to Ethan's. Pain radiated out as he bit me, and I let out a hiss. Axel's body tensed in response, but he didn't pull back. I reached for his hand, and he grabbed it, squeezing in reassurance.

Then a wave of energy crashed through my body, sweeping away the pain and any remaining weariness. I sucked in a breath as I felt my body strengthen in response to Axel's mark.

Axel licked the mark, making goosebumps attack my entire body. His breath tickled my skin, and I became hyper aware of every part of him. I could hear his heart thumping like crazy and the insurmountable amount of bliss he was feeling. I knew every part of him that was touching me: the way his thighs brushed against mine, his hand on my lower back, his hair brushing against my neck. It was wonderful and exhilarating all at the same time.

Wow, I tried to link, wanting to hear his voice in my head.

Wow, indeed, he linked back, chuckling.

I opened my eyes, and Axel was watching me. His skin looked as if it was glowing with euphoria. I reached out and touched his face, wanting this moment to last forever. "Hi," I whispered, unsure of what else to say.

"Hi," he said back with a whisper of a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." There was a vigor in my veins that wasn't there before. I still felt tired, but I wasn't ready to fall asleep. "Thank you."

Axel chuckled again. "Why are you thanking me? I was only fulfilling my own desires."

I knew his statement wasn't true. If it was, he would've marked me sooner. He waited for my sake, and he marked me for me. It was something he wanted too, but he wasn't only fulfilling his own desires. "For being you," I said. "Sometimes I don't feel like I deserve you."

"You deserve the world." He cupped my cheek and leaned in to press his lips against mine. He tasted even sweeter than I remembered, and if it weren't for the lingering pain in my chest, I knew I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from diving into the moment. When we pulled back, both of our hearts were racing. Axel stroked my face, and then something shifted inside of him. The bliss from a moment ago was fleeing, and I knew there was something bothering him.

"I have something to tell you," he said. "It's kind of a lot. The others thought it might be best to wait to tell you, so you have more time to recover. I thought you would want to know anyway, so I'm going to leave the choice up to you."

Axel's fear and frustration rose to the surface, and I knew this wasn't just bad news for me. It affected him deeply.

"You're scaring me," I said. "Just tell me."

"It's about Nathan. He disappeared after you got shot, and no one has been able to find him or our father since that night," Axel said. He looked down at our hands as he played with my fingers. I could sense his guilt, as if it was somehow his fault that his brother was taken.

I had to take a breath to center myself. I knew Nathan had chosen to go with his father, but a small part of me had hoped he would have found a way to escape. I was the only one who knew what had happened in that moment, but I hadn't had a chance to tell anyone.

"He didn't just disappear. Your father gave him a choice. He told Nathan that if he didn't go with him, Ethan would die. He told Nathan it would be his fault if Ethan died. Nathan only agreed to go if your father promised to save Ethan and leave me alone." I fisted the blankets, unsure of what to do about the building frustrations. "I told him not to go. I begged Nathan not to listen to his father, but I couldn't stop him."

"It's not your fault," Axel said. "None of what happened that night was your fault, and from what I hear, you were incredible."

"I just wish I could've stopped Nathan," I said.

"Me too," Axel agreed. "I still wish there was something I could do to help find him."

"He'll find his way back to us," I said, hoping it was true. I barely had any time with Nathan, but I still felt like there was a gap in my chest. It was like my body knew something was missing.

***

"Ready?" Asher asked, holding his hand out to me.

"No," I admitted.

"Doctor Tensen says you need to start physical therapy. You've healed enough to start moving, and this will help you get back up to full speed faster," Axel said.

I resisted rolling my eyes. I knew the twins were just trying to help me, and I knew they were right. It didn't make the idea of physical therapy any easier. "Okay, let's get this over with."

Asher helped me to my feet, and Axel grabbed my other arm as soon as I was standing. The two of them were supporting me enough that standing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

After Axel marked me, my body started recovering at an astonishing rate, according to the doctor. It made me wonder how much faster it would be if Asher marked me too. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I hadn't had a chance with him one on one since Axel marked me. It was almost like he was trying to avoid the conversation.

"Just one lap around the building, and then you can rest," Asher said.

As we started moving, I had to focus all of my energy on walking. My muscles ached from lying in bed for days on end, and even though my chest wound was healing faster, it still ached when I moved too fast. When we were only halfway done, I was sweating and exhausted.

"Can I take a small break?" I asked.

"Of course," Axel and Asher said simultaneously.

We started making our way to some chairs when I heard Ethan's voice from across the room. My entire body was in tune with him, and the need to go to him spiked. He was talking to two people I didn't recognize.

"Who's that?"

Axel and Asher followed my gaze, but Asher was the first one to speak. "That's Winston-the future alpha-and his mate, Kalli. Ethan has been working with them to help with the investigation."

"Kalli has been dying to meet you, but Ethan's been keeping her at bay while you recover," Axel added.

Kalli and Winston oozed power as they stood there talking to Ethan. Despite that, they still had smiles on their faces, and they looked approachable. Out of all of the alphas and authority figures I had met, the majority of them made my skin itch, as if their very presence was too much to handle. I didn't get that sensation at all as I looked at the couple talking to Ethan.

Kalli glanced over, and when her eyes met mine, she gasped, interrupting Winston mid-sentence. She walked away from them, leaving Ethan and Winston confused until they both saw me. She didn't stop until she was directly in front of me.

Kalli looked me up and down and smiled. "You have to be Ethan's mate! Juniper was it? There's no doubt about it. Although he didn't tell me how stunning you were. Your eyes are so captivating."

"Oh, thank you," I said. "You're Kalli, right?"

"I am! It's so nice to finally meet you. Ethan has been too protective of you." Kalli pushed out her lower lip. "I guess I get it. You are his mate, after all."

"She's our mate," Axel said with a low growl.

Kalli studied Axel and then Asher for a moment before a giant smile filled her face. "That's right. Ethan was telling us about that." Kalli leaned in and whispered in my ear. "You are going to have to tell me about the s*x with the three of them. I bet that is to die for!" My face instantly flushed from her comment, and I didn't know how to respond. Asher looked just as flustered as I did, but thankfully, Ethan showed up to rescue us.

"Kalli, this is exactly why I was keeping you away from Juniper," Ethan said. He looked at me with an apologetic smile.

Kalli rolled her eyes. "We're just going to have to talk deets when the boys aren't around."

"Kalli," Winston said, trying to caution her, but it didn't work.

"In fact, why don't we spend some time together now while the boys talk strategy. We are going to be spending a lot of time together after you move into the pack house, so we might as well get to know each other now." Kalli looked between Asher and Axel. "I can help Juniper walk just fine, so you don't have to give me those dirty looks. I promise to return your mate in one piece."

"I'd prefer to continue walking Juniper myself," Axel said, tightening his grip on my arm.

Kalli gave him a disarming smile. "I understand. I can't imagine what it has been like to have your mate injured, especially while you were away. However, as the future luna, I do insist on spending some time with Juniper, and since Winston and I have other obligations to attend soon, I insist on getting to know my second lady while I have time.

"Of course, if Juniper would rather stay with the two of you, I will respect her wishes."

All eyes turned to me, waiting for an answer. Initially, I wanted to tell her I wanted to stay with Asher and Axel, but as her words sank in, I knew I should take this opportunity to get to know her better. I knew accepting the mate bond with Ethan meant becoming second to the luna, but I hadn't thought about what that entailed exactly. This was my chance to find out.

"It's okay. I'll go with Kalli."