The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 12

JUNIPER

I summed up what happened with Moira to Asher, but I left out the part about Ethan showing up. Asher's face always twisted when his brother's name was brought up.

When I finished talking, his strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into his chest. He placed a hand on the back of my head and held me closely. I pressed my cheek against him and let my body relax. His warmth surrounded me, and my breath slowed down as he held me. For a moment, everything else disappeared. It was just the two of us. It was a level of comfort I wasn't used to. He pulled away, but he kept his hands on my arms. "Come on. I have something that I think will cheer you up."

"What?" I asked.

Asher grabbed my hand and started leading me through the school. "You'll see."

"You like your surprises, don't you?" I wasn't used to getting surprises, so it was a little strange that Asher was so keen on keeping things a secret until the last minute.

"It's fun to surprise people," Asher said, leading me along. He led me to his dorm and stopped in front of it. "Okay, wait right here and close your eyes."

"Where are you going?" I didn't close my eyes.

Asher turned around, walking backwards. He pointed at me, saying, "Close your eyes. I'll be right back!"

I rolled my eyes, but then I closed them. Asher left me standing on the sidewalk in front of the Archer dorms. The dorm rooms were meant for seniors, but they were on the pricier side compared to my dorm. I heard rumors about how nice the suites were, but I had never been inside of the building.

"What are you doing?"

My eyes snapped open, and Axel stood only a few feet in front of me. His presence felt like a sudden intrusion, and irritation rang through my body. "That's none of your business."

Axel smirked. "I like the aggression. You're getting better at being assertive. Keep up the good work." The way he looked down at me only irritated me more. "What are you doing here?" I snapped.

"I live here. You're the one standing outside of the building with your eyes closed. Kinda weird, don't you think?" He twirled his keys in his hand, and the sound it made was grating.

I tried to snatch the keys from his hand, but he pulled it away just before I could get it. "Just leave me alone."

He shoved his keys in his pocket and tilted his head. "You seemed to enjoy my presence last time we met. Why the sudden change?"

I grounded my teeth, frustrated that I had enjoyed the kiss with Axel as much as I did. Asher was sweet and caring, but Axel only seemed to want to push my buttons. There was a clear choice between the two of them. "We can just forget about that. Just because we kissed, it doesn't mean anything."

"I know. Do you think I like you just because I kissed you? Because you'd be foolishly mistaken. A kiss doesn't mean anything." He looked behind him suddenly. "I should go. Have fun with Asher!" He walked past the entrance of the building, but then he turned to say, "You better close your eyes." He winked, and then turned the corner, disappearing from view.

I heard footsteps from inside of the building, but my heart still raced from the interaction with Axel. He was cocky and annoying, but there was also something exciting about him. I huffed, trying to erase him from my mind.

"Your eyes are open," Asher said.

I looked away from where Axel had disappeared, unable to get the frown off my face. "Sorry."

"Did something happen?"

"You're brother is a jerk," I muttered.

Asher's face fell. "Which one? Was it Ethan? Did he say something to you?"

I was surprised Asher assumed Ethan was the one I ran into, since he didn't live in this dorm. "No, it wasn't him. Nevermind, just forget it. You have a surprise for me, right?" I noticed Asher was holding something behind his back. "I'll close my eyes, so we can do it right." I closed my eyes and clasped my hands behind my back. I swayed forward and backwards, waiting for Asher to say something. I hoped he would just move on from the topic of his brother.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Asher said, but his previous excitement had faded.

When I did as he said, I was surprised to see him on one knee with a bouquet of roses in his hands. "Will you do me the honor of going on a date with me, June?" he asked.

"You bought me roses," I said, looking at the bright red flowers. "No one has bought me flowers before."

"Is that a yes?" Asher asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

"Isn't this a little overboard for asking someone out on a date?"

Asher stood up, smiling. "You said I needed to properly ask you out, so here I am, roses in hand, asking if you would do me the honor of going on a date."

I bit my lip, trying to hide the excitement buzzing within me. I didn't want to seem too eager, but that was hard to hide. "I'm free Friday night." I took the flowers and smelled them. I used to think flowers were a wasteful gesture, but now that I was on the receiving end of them, I understood why people loved them so much. "I'll pick you up from your dorm at 7pm. Dress nicely," Asher said.

"I suppose you're not going to give me specifics?" I asked, not hopeful. Asher liked his surprises.

"Nope! It'll be a night filled with surprises."

"Fine. I won't pester you more about it now," I said. "I have to get to class anyway."

Asher held out his hand. "Come on. I'll walk you back to your dorm so you can find a vase for those flowers, and then I'll walk you to class."

I eagerly took Asher's hand, excited to have the company. When I was around Asher, it was easy to forget my other troubles.

***

AXEL

A kiss doesn't mean anything. Only if that were actually true. I pressed my back against the brick wall, letting the stone s**k the heat out of my body. I needed to clear my head, because when I saw Juniper standing there with her eyes closed, all I wanted to do was kiss her again.

With others, a kiss didn't mean anything, but Juniper was special. That kiss infected my every thought. I knew Asher was actively pursuing her, and because of that, he was ignoring a direct order from Ethan. I liked that side of him. I wanted him to ignore the orders passed down to our family more, and I wanted him to be happy for once.

For years, I watched him constantly compare himself to Ethan and our father. Even if he never said it, I knew he always felt inferior. Our father put unreasonable pressure on all of us. No normal werewolf could live up to his standards. Ethan wasn't an ordinary wolf though, which only made things worse for the rest of us.

I watched it crush Asher for years, feeling the same pain. We were twins after all. If Juniper could pull him out of that spiral, I wanted that for him, even if I wanted her for myself. As painful as it was, I needed stay away from Juniper to give Asher the chance to be happy.

Even still, I couldn't stop myself from listening in on their conversation.

"You said I needed to properly ask you out, so here I am, roses in hand, asking if you would do me the honor of going on a date."

I had a feeling that was what Asher was up to last night. He was a romantic through and through. He was the perfect guy for her: sweet and caring. He was better than I would ever be. I was just a rebel, scolded for not living up to the family name. "What are you doing, skulking in the alley?" Nathan stared at me, crossing his arms.

"I'm not skulking."

"Are you listening to Asher ask her out, too?" Nathan asked.

So he didn't run into me by coincidence. I didn't want to admit the truth, though. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Nathan leaned against the wall next to me. "Just because he managed to ask her on a date before us doesn't mean we don't have a chance."

I side-eyed him. Despite his age, Nathan had gumption if he thought he had a chance with Juniper. "Don't."

"Oh, come on. I know you're jealous, too. We thought we'd never see her again, and for father to send us here of all places... It's kind of a miracle. Why should only Asher get a chance with her?"

I rolled my eyes, even though I agreed with him. The difference was I didn't plan on doing anything to mess up Asher's plans. If Juniper wanted to go on a date with him, that was her choice. If she decided she didn't want to be with Asher-and only then-I wouldn't hesitate to swoop in. "Didn't you hear her just say yes to him?"

"Ah, so you were listening to them." He pushed himself off the wall. "Do what you want, but I'm not going to give up so easily. She's not his girlfriend. He can go on his little date with her, but that doesn't mean she's off limits."

"Nathan." He was a child compared to us. He was barely eighteen, and he still didn't understand how the world worked. He was one of the few optimists left. He was sheltered in a way the rest of us never got the chance to experience. He was lucky and naive, and he was too young to truly remember what happened to our brother.

"Don't worry. I play fair. I'm just not going to let Asher win without a challenge. You can join the game or watch from the sidelines. Up to you."

I pushed off the wall, done with this conversation. This wasn't a game-not to me. Juniper deserved the best, and that was what I intended to let her have. "Whatever. I'm going for a walk."