The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 119

ETHAN

By the time I made it to CUW, Alpha Williams, Winston, and Kalli were already in the conference room. They continued chatting as I shut the door behind me and settled into my seat. I waited for a break in the conversation before I said, "Sorry I'm late."

Alpha Williams looked at me with a knowing smile. "Did that mate of yours settle in okay? Juniper was it?"

"She seemed to, and Asher and Axel are making sure she is comfortable," I said. Based on the look in Axel's eyes, I was sure he was making her very comfortable.

"Good. From everything I've heard, she was a hero for figuring out where to find that evidence against your father. She's braver than some warriors I know," Alpha Williams said.

"She's a very special person," I said. Juniper was always looking out for others in a way not many people did. For having lost as many people as she had, she had one of the biggest hearts. It made her the perfect person to be blessed with multiple mates, and I was sure the Moon Goddess knew that.

"I'm sure she is. I'm looking forward to meeting her," Alpha Williams said.

"You have met her before," I said. "Although, it's been a while, so I'm not sure if you'll remember her."

Alpha Williams tilted his head. "I don't recall meeting a Juniper."

"She was only a child at the time. Her parents used to work for my father and you, and she used to spend long periods of time at our house. She's met both of you before." I gestured to Winston. As far as I remembered, Juniper only met the alpha and his son on a handful of occasions, and it was usually at some party or celebration, so it didn't surprise me that Alpha Williams didn't remember her.

The alpha's face tightened, but he kept the same smile on her face. "Who were her parents?"

"Bob and Crissa Johnson. They worked for you for years, but I'll admit I don't know what they did or how closely they worked with you. They also left promptly after James was killed." Even as the eldest child, I had been kept out of official business at that time, and I couldn't remember what Juniper's parents' role was in the pack.

"Juniper is Crissa's daughter?" Alpha Williams said, losing his composure for the briefest moment. There was an intimacy in the way he said Juniper's mother's name.

"Oh, I think I remember Juniper," Winston said before I could ask Alpha Williams for any details. "She was that little girl you all followed around, huh?"

I chuckled, remembering the way we all fawned over Juniper. Even though she wasn't my mate at the time, I had always admired her. She had been fearless and loving, and I hadn't known another girl like her. I still didn't know anyone like her.

"Yes, that was her," I said. I smiled, thinking fondly back on the days of our childhood before everything exploded.

"It's kind of crazy how everything worked out, isn't it?" Winston said. "With her turning out to be all of your mates and all."

"She's one lucky girl," Kalli said. "Having all of those attractive guys fawning over her. If only it was me."

Winston raised a single eyebrow at his mate. "Am I not enough satisfaction for you?"

Kalli grabbed Winston's cheeks. "Of course you're enough for me."

Alpha Williams turned away from his son and his mate. "Well, enough of that. We asked you here to discuss a couple of things, and I don't want to delay you from your mate any longer."

"Is there any news on the whereabouts of Nathan and my father?" I asked. That was the first question I asked every time I saw either Alpha Williams or Winston. Knowing my father forced my youngest brother to go with him kept a part of me at constant unease. I knew I wasn't the only one. I saw the look in Juniper's eyes every time Nathan's name was brought up.

She tried to stay positive, but she couldn't hide her feelings from me any longer. I was her mate, and I could sense what she was going through from our deeper connection. Nathan was her mate, and she feared she would never see him again. I wanted to be able to tell her Nathan would be home soon, but I couldn't lie to her like that.

"No. We have searched every location you gave us. Your father is a smart man. He wouldn't hide out at a known location knowing his secret was out," Alpha Williams said. "We are going to continue looking for him, but at this rate, I'm not confident we'll find him until he either makes a mistake or goes after either your mate or you and your brothers."

I nodded, feeling the ball of guilt grow just a little larger. Everyday without news on Nathan made my stomach twist just a little bit more. I was his older brother, and I failed to protect him.

"That brings me to why I asked you to come here, though," Alpha Willaims said.

I already knew I wasn't going to like what he had to say. "Why did you ask me here?" I didn't want to hear the answer, but Alpha Williams was still the alpha. He was my superior and deserved my full respect.

"We were discussing our options, and we think it would be best to lure your father out into a trap," Alpha Williams said.

"No." Even without details, I already knew where this was going.

"Just hear us out before you go rejecting the plan," Alpha Williams stated, slipping in a touch of his alpha tone. It was his way of reminding me who was in charge.

"Tell me this doesn't involve Juniper, and I'll hear you out," I said, fighting against the wolf energy Alpha Williams was putting out.

His mouth pulled into a tight line, and he wasn't the one to respond.

Winston gave me a sympathetic smile and said, "I know she's your mate, and you don't want to put her at risk, but-"

"Exactly. I don't want to put her at risk. I refuse to put her at risk. She has been through enough." I stood up abruptly. I knew I wasn't going to be able to have a logical conversation about this anymore. "Juniper will not be used as bait, and that's final." "Your father is a risk to all werewolves. If he is truly trying to start a war between werewolves and vampires, then more werewolves than just your mate will be put at risk," Alpha Williams said.

"She was shot in front of me," I said, my voice cracking. I had never been this emotional in a professional meeting before, but things were different now. Before marking Juniper, all I wanted was her to be happy with anyone, even if it meant my brothers and not me. Things were different now. When we were in the same room, I felt her heart beat in rhythm with mine. When we were apart, all I could think about was returning to her side.

I couldn't imagine a life without her, and I didn't want her to live a life without me.

Winston stood up and looked me in the eyes. "This was not an easy thing to ask of you. We did everything we could to avoid this option, but we're getting desperate. We know your father thinks Juniper is the key to manipulating you and getting you on his side. If he thinks he has a chance to snatch her, there is a good chance he will take it. He must be desperate at this point."

Logically, I knew exactly why Alpha Williams and Winston were asking me this, but I hated it. There was nothing they could say or do that would make me willingly agree.

I looked Winston in the eyes. "Think about if you were being asked to put Kalli in danger instead of Juniper? Could you live with yourself if you asked your mate to do something to protect werewolves, and then it ended up getting her killed?" Kalli stood up and straightened her shoulders. "As the future luna, I would be honored to risk my life for my people."

"No." This time the objection came from Alpha Williams, which was surprising. "Ethan's right. We shouldn't ask his mate to risk her life like that, especially after everything she's been through." He stood up, and something about him felt off. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I promise you we are doing everything we can to find your brother."

"Dad?" Winston said, looking as confused as I was feeling. "This was your idea. What are you talking about?"

Alpha Williams started walking towards the door, pausing only to say, "Being blessed with a mate is a sacred bond. If Ethan isn't willing to risk Juniper's life, then that's the end of the discussion."

NATHAN

My body ached with bruises and fractured bones. The floor was cold and wet, and all I wanted to do was give up. I didn't want to go through another day of this pain, day in and out. It was dark all of the time, and I had lost track of all time. I didn't know if I had been in this cell for hours, days, weeks, or longer.

The worst part was, I didn't know if Ethan and Juniper were alive or dead. As my father dragged me out of the library basement, I heard the gunshot go off, and I felt the echo of pain in my chest. It broke a piece of me, and I tried to break free from my father to run back and help Juniper. A blow to my head stopped me, and I woke up in this jail cell with no hope.

I wanted to die. Death sounded like a sweet release from the hell I was living in. No. This wasn't living. It was barely surviving, and I was ready to give up. I knew my father would never willingly let me go, and if this was my fate, I didn't want it.

Then a blinding light filled my eyes. I strained my neck, hoping this was the moment I had been praying to the Moon Goddess for. I hoped she was standing in the doorway, ready to greet me with open arms. Instead, I saw the devil staring down at me.

"I hope you have learned your lesson, son, because I have someone special to introduce you to."

A figure appeared next to me, and all my eyes could focus on was her red lipstick and her eyes that were the same color.

She smiled, and I swore I saw sharp teeth poking past her lips. "Yes. This shall do. It's much easier to mold them when they're broken."