The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 141

JUNIPER

I swatted at Asher's hand as he tried to fix my hat for the umpteenth time. "It's fine."

"It's crooked," Asher said.

I grabbed his shoulders and made him look at me. "You have used the lint roller a hundred times and adjusted my hat twice that. I look fine."

"It's your graduation day. You have to look perfect," Asher said, trying to reach for my hat again. I swatted his hand away with practice precision. "You're acting like it's only my day. It's just as much yours and Axel's day as mine," I said, gesturing to his graduation gear.

"Yes, but you're the one going up on stage today," Axel said, chuckling under his breath. "He wants to make sure you look perfect."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Asher should be on that stage just as much as me." I made a point to direct my comment to Axel. I had already had this argument with Asher too many times to count, so I knew where it would go. "You earned it fair and square, and the school only wants one speech to cut down on the time of the ceremony," Asher said.

While I knew that was Principal Williams' official statement, I also knew we could've convinced Elijah to let Asher and me make a speech. I had a suspicion that Asher went to him in private and asked for the opposite. He insisted I deserved the spotlight more than him, and that was something we would never agree on.

I waved Asher off and peeked out at the crowd of people filling the seat. It wasn't long until the ceremony started, and my nerves were creeping up. I searched for the familiar faces I was eager to see.

"Ethan's going to be here soon. His plane landed a half hour ago," Asher said, touching my back. His touch instantly calmed my nerves.

"I know," I said, trying to act like I wasn't worried about it. It had been a month since I last saw Ethan. We had spent spring break together, but that had been cut short when he had to leave to take care of rogue wolves wandering into the pack. It never felt like enough time together when Ethan and I parted, but after today, that would all be over.

"Do you want to go over your speech one last time?" Asher asked. He was trying to distract me, and I loved him for it.

I shook my head. "I have that thing better memorized than the alphabet at this point."

Axel checked the time. "We have about fifteen minutes before call time. I can think of something we can do in fifteen minutes that would thoroughly distract you." The darkness in his eyes made my wolf stir beneath my skin. As appealing as his offer was, I couldn't imagine doing something like that with so many people around.

Someone cleared her throat behind me, saving me from having to reject Axel's offer. When I turned around, I was surprised to see Moira standing behind me. She had spent the entire semester avoiding me or pretending I didn't exist. After the news of me being the alpha's long lost daughter came out, everyone started looking at Moira as the bully she was. Suddenly, everyone was more protective of an alpha's daughter than an orphan omega.

I hated the change in attitude just as much as I hated the rumors Moira spread in the first place. It made it clear that the students of this school jumped on whatever the hot gossip was without a care for the students the rumors actually hurt.

I waited for Moira to say something, unsure of what to say to her.

"Congratulations on becoming valedictorian," Moira said. Her eyes looked to either side of me, where Axel and Asher stood protectively next to me. Moira shifted uncomfortably, clearly feeling the effects of the betas next to me.

Why don't you guys go find me something to drink? I linked the twins. They growled in response, not eager to leave me alone with my former bully. Please, I added.

"We'll be right over there," Asher said to Moira, making sure she knew she wouldn't get away with anything.

"Sorry. They can be a little protective," I said with a sense of pride.

"I can see that," Moira said, glancing at the twins glaring at her. She shook them off and turned back to me. "Anyway... I just came here because I wanted to say I'm happy for you."

I paused, unsure if I heard my former bully correctly. "You are?"

Moira rolled her eyes and looked to the side. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Why shouldn't I? You've acted like I don't exist ever since I came back to school. I thought the last thing you'd be is happy for me."

"My therapist has helped me realize that I can be happy for others while not being happy myself. She even suggested I look at the people around me to see who I can find true happiness for. So, well... here I am. I've seen you work hard your entire life, and I see how happy you are. You're so much more confident, too, and it suits you. You deserve the spotlight today."

I felt like I had just been slapped in the face. I had given up on Moira a long time ago and never expected a day like this to come. "Thank you. I hope you find your own happiness."

Moira smiled, her face softening just a hair. "I'm working on it. I'm engaged to an alpha, so I'll become luna at the end of the year. He's not my mate, but the alliance will be good for our-for my pack. He seems like a nice enough guy. He sends me flowers." "That's wonderful," I said.

"I want to be a good luna," Moira continued. "I don't want to make anyone feel the way I made you feel. I swear I won't be one of those lazy lunas who don't care about her pack." She was defending herself, as if she had expected me to doubt her abilities to her face. She was strangely nervous, which was not a trait of the old Moira.

I pulled Moira into a hug, and for a moment, it felt like we were friends again. I knew that would never happen, though. Kalli had shown me what a real friend was and the brothers showed me how I deserved to be treated. However, there was a part of me that still remembered the early friendship with Moira. She was there for me when I had lost everything, and I wished her peace in her life.

"I'm happy for you, too, and I hope you find what you're looking for," I said before breaking away from the hug.

Moira knitted her eyebrows. "You are?"

"Don't look so surprised," I said with a laugh.

She opened her mouth to say something, but she changed directions at the last minute. "I think your mate wants your attention."

As I started to turn to look at the twins, a different scent hit my nose, and my heart skipped a beat. Ethan smiled when we made eye contact, and I took off running to him. He caught me in his arms, spinning me around. When my feet hit the ground again, Ethan's mouth was on mine, and I completely melted into his touch.

Even with my other mates nearby every day, there was still an ache for my missing mate. With Ethan here, I felt whole again.

"I thought you were going to be late," I said, lightly smacking him on the shoulder.

"I would never miss this," Ethan chuckled.

Asher picked my graduation hat up from the ground and adjusted it again. "I just fixed her gown."

"Then you're an expert at it," Ethan said, a devious smirk in his eyes.

Asher ignored his older brother and went to work fixing the invisible wrinkles in my gown.

"It's time," Axel said.

Ethan leaned in and kissed my cheek, being careful not to touch my gown. "I'll see you soon."

"Say hi to Nathan for me," I said.

I waved to him and then followed the twins to the line of other graduates. The beginning of the ceremony went by in a blur. Before I knew it, I stood on the stage, looking out at all of the graduates and loved ones who filled the audience. My eyes immediately went to Ethan and Nathan, who were sitting with Kalli and Winston. Then I found Axel and Asher, who gave me smiles of encouragement.

I set my notes on the podium and took a deep breath. "I have been working most of my life to stand on this stage to give a speech to all of you, and just a few months ago, I didn't know if I would make it past the finish line. However, thanks to the support of the most wonderful people, I remembered why I chose to come to this prestigious college in the first place. Now I stand here after accomplishing a life's dream.

"I'm sure many of you have had moments of wanting to quit or wondering if school was something for you. As werewolves, we live a different kind of life compared to humans. We deal with the dangers humans are hidden from, and we have our set roles in werewolf packs. It can be difficult to understand the point of going to college, unless you are studying a field in a specific profession.

"But during the hard nights studying for tests that made me question my sanity, I always remembered what my mother used to say to me. If you predetermine what our life will be like, then you will get stuck in that exact life. However, if you expand your mind and look for other possibilities, it will give you the wings you need to fly higher and faster, and you'll do more than others think possible.

"As I stand here on this stage, I understand my mother's words of guidance more than ever. I have worked hard to break free from a life I didn't want, and now I stand on the edge of a cliff, ready to soar. I don't know exactly what the future holds. However, I have a new life ahead of me with people who care about me on a level I had forgotten is possible, and I'm not going to miss this place for a second, because I'm ready for the next adventure.

"I want to congratulate everyone on their hard work, and I hope you all find your wings to fly to new places you didn't think was possible."

Everyone cheered as I stopped speaking, and my chest vibrated with excitement. I finally did it. I closed my eyes and imagined my parents' faces looking down at me, proud of all of my accomplishments. Then I looked at all of the brothers and smiled. It was time for all of us to go home.