The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 142

JUNIPER

I jolted awake when I heard the first scream. Grabbing the dagger off my nightstand, I ran out of my room in nothing but the thin piece of silk that I slept in. It was only our first night back at CUW, and I couldn't believe everything was going wrong already. The screaming continued from Nathan's room, and I couldn't breathe at the thought of him being injured again. I burst into his room, ready to attack whoever was harming my mate with my limited skills, but the room was empty except for Nathan. He thrashed in his bed, screaming in terror, and my heart broke as I realized that a nightmare was plaguing him. I heard footsteps behind me and instantly knew Asher and Axel had also woken up from the screaming.

I crossed Nathan's room and sat on the edge of his bed. I placed a hand on his arm to try to calm him down, but he only screamed more, thrashing away from me.

"Careful, June," Asher warned, closing the distance between us.

I understood his warning. My neck still felt the phantom ache from Nathan's hands wrapped around it. However, I couldn't ignore Nathan's cries when he was in anguish.

I placed my hand on Nathan's cheek and spoke softly. "It's me, Juniper. I'm here for you."

He calmed at my touch, but his breathing was still ragged. He had told me bits and pieces about what he experienced under the vampire's touch, but I knew I would never fully know or understand the terrors my mate had been through. "I'm right here," I repeated, pushing the sweat-plastered hair out of his face.

Asher placed his hand on my shoulder, giving me the emotional support I needed to continue comforting Nathan. I knew Nathan would never hurt me intentionally, but there was still a small fear that he would revert to the hypnotic state he had been in and hurt me. If that ever happened again, I knew it would destroy Nathan and possibly our fragile relationship.

Nathan's hand flew up and grabbed mine, making me jump. I was grateful he was asleep, because I didn't want him to know about the lingering fear I held.

"Juny," Nathan muttered, making me question if he was awake. His eyes were closed, and his eyes fluttered under his closed eyelids. I was fairly certain he was still dreaming.

"I'm here," I repeated, unsure of what else to say.

It was our first night in our new apartment, and the brothers had insisted on letting me sleep by myself to get my own space. I had been hesitant at first, especially knowing that Nathan was still struggling, but I had been exhausted from traveling and unpacking. As soon as my head hit my pillow, I had passed out.

I regretted not insisting on staying with Nathan on his first night in a new place. The apartment was at least familiar to the rest of us, but Nathan hadn't even visited it.

I stayed with Nathan until he fell back into a peaceful rest, but even then, I couldn't get myself to leave. I felt the twins staring at me, just as worried as I was, but I knew some of their worry was directed at me.

Can we talk outside for a moment? Asher linked Axel and me.

I looked up at him and then back to Nathan. I didn't want to leave Nathan, but he seemed okay at the moment. I stood up and met Axel's gaze. He stood next to the door, watching me with his arms crossed. I followed Asher out of the room, and Axel put his hand on my lower back, guiding me out as we made our way to the living room.

I sat down, and exhaustion started to settle in my bones. The adrenaline rush I first had when I heard Nathan's screams had amped me up, and now that I calmed down, I just felt drained.

"We have to do something to help Nathan," Asher said, sitting in the armchair kiddie-corner to me.

I ran my fingers through my hair before hanging my head in my hands. "I don't know what else I can do."

"Nothing," Axel said simply. He took my hand, gently guiding it away from my head. He waited until I was looking at him before continuing. "The kind of help Nathan needs is beyond what we can do. We can support him all we want, but he needs professional help if he is ever going to get over this."

"Honestly, we all could use a little therapy after what we've been through," Asher said.

I nodded, knowing he was right. Part of me felt like I should be able to help heal Nathan, since he was my mate, but I was still working through my own issues, and I didn't have experience dealing with issues like Nathan had.

"So we suggest he goes to the school therapist?" I asked.

"I don't think the school therapist is equipped to handle this kind of thing," Axel said.

"Axel's right. I think we need to find the best trauma therapist in the territory and fly whoever it is out here. He deserves the best treatment," Asher said.

I reached over and grabbed his hand with the hand Axel wasn't holding. The pain in his eyes made it clear that he was struggling with this situation, too. He had to watch his younger brother suffer from the cruelty of his father. I didn't want him to feel the same turmoil I did, but part of me was relieved that I wasn't alone. It was just another reminder of why having multiple mates was a blessing. Even though one of my mates was struggling, and I had to be strong for him, I had the others to support me.

"That's going to cost a lot," I said, wondering how much a therapist would want to completely uproot his or her life to help out Nathan.

"Money isn't an issue," Axel said. "We just inherited our father's fortune, and I would spend every last cent of it if it meant Nathan never had to wake up screaming again."

***

When I woke up, Nathan's bed was empty. A moment of panic washed over me, and I flew out of bed. I rushed into the living room but stopped when the smell of pancakes washed over me. I followed the scent into the kitchen where Nathan stood shirtless in front of the stove, adding to the pile of already made breakfast dessert.

He hummed to himself as he cooked, and he looked happy. Part of me wondered how much of that was an act.

Sensing my presence, Nathan glanced over his shoulder. "Good morning, sleepy head. Are you excited for the first day of your last semester of college?"

Sensing my presence, Nathan glanced over his shoulder. "Good morning, sleepy head. Are you excited for the first day of your last semester of college?"

"No," I said honestly, rubbing the lingering sleep out of my eyes. I moved up to Nathan and hugged him from behind, taking comfort in his scent.

He turned off the stove and turned to return the hug. "Someone is cuddly this morning."

"You weren't in your bed when I woke up," I said, giving myself a moment to relish in this version of Nathan. It was better than seeing him thrash from whatever darkened his dreams.

"I was surprised to see you in my bed this morning. I didn't think you'd miss me that much from one night apart." His laugh was light, and there was no evidence of the horrors I had caught a glimpse of last night.

"You had a nightmare," I admitted. I didn't want to lie to Nathan, even though I had thought about it. "I stayed with you until you calmed down, but then I couldn't bring myself to leave. You don't remember anything about last night?"

Nathan's face fell, and I knew that was exactly the case. "No, I don't. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay," I said. "But it worries me. Have you been having nightmares when I don't sleep with you?" At first, I had stayed with him every night, but the last few nights at our pack, I had stayed with Ethan, since we knew it would be awhile before I saw him again. Nathan had seemed fine, so I thought it was okay.

Nathan looked away and grabbed two plates. He piled pancakes on them before bringing them to the table. "I didn't want to worry you. I also didn't want to take away your time with Ethan before we left."

I sat in the chair next to him. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hide this from me."

Nathan poked at his food, but he didn't make an effort to eat any. "It's too much. I can't always burden you with these thoughts and feelings."

This was the perfect opportunity to bring up what the twins and I discussed last night. "What about seeing a therapist? They are trained to help with these things."

"I've thought about it, but I don't know if anyone out there will ever truly understand," he said.

I reached over and grabbed his hand. "It's worth a shot, right?"

Nathan took a moment, conflicted emotions twisting his face. "Would it make you feel better if I tried?"

I chewed on my inner cheek, thinking about how to respond. I didn't want Nathan to go to therapy just because I wanted him to. It was better if he went because he wanted to go, but if this was the only way to get him to agree, then it was better than him not going at all. "It would. I just want to see you happy again."

Nathan cupped my cheek and kissed my forehead. "You make me happy." He pulled away and grabbed my hand. "But if you think this is for the best, then I trust you."