The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 156

ETHAN

I burst into the prison, causing the door to slam and the ricochet against the wall. "What do you mean Charles escaped?" I snarled. Kalli, Winston, and I got the news at the same time, but they were busy dealing with other matters and asked me to head over to the prison immediately. They would both come as soon as they could get away from the meeting with other alphas.

The guards paled and shrank in my presence. They weren't the most skilled warriors in the pack, but Charles was not someone who could fight against multiple trained warriors. He should've never gotten past the guards. He shouldn't have been able to escape from his cell door in the first place. The metal was reinforced with silver to prevent werewolves from shifting and escaping from their pure strength.

"I don't know what happened," the guard nearest to me stammered. He was young, roughly Nathan's age, and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"I found him unconscious when I came to take over his shift, Beta Ethan," Finn said. He was in charge of the set of guards designated for the prison.

Relief washed through me hearing that. It meant that someone broke into the prison to break Charles out. My first thought was there was still a traitor among us. It was still a possibility, but at least it wasn't the guards. Hopefully. "Have you reviewed the security footage?" I asked.

"Yes. There's not much though. Whoever helped the prisoner escape also disabled the video cameras," Finn said. He spoke calmly and knew exactly what was expected of him. That was the reason Kalli gave him this position in the first place. "Show me," I ordered.

They led me to the security station, where the monitors showed the live footage of the cameras set up around the pack. The guard sitting at the desk replayed the hour around the time Charles disappeared. One by one, the cameras went out, showing the path the stranger took to enter the pack until they reached the prison.

The footage turned to static before anything suspicious showed up each time, except for the camera outside of the prison. That clearly showed a hooded figure walking up to the guard outside. He didn't stand a chance against the assailant. As the guard collapsed to the ground unconscious, the hooded figure looked up directly at the camera. The shadows covered his or her face, making it impossible to identify the person.

Despite not being able to see their face, I could almost feel their smile. For whatever reason, they wanted to be seen. The other cameras going out before they were in view was proof of that. But why would they want us to see them? Was it a power play to prove to us that we couldn't touch them? Were they taunting us?

The camera outside of the prison went out, and then the one inside went out as well. We couldn't see what transpired in the cells. The screens were static for several minutes of footage, but the guard sped past those unimportant moments.

"This is where the cameras go back to normal, Beta Ethan."

At the exact same time, all of the security cameras resumed working, nothing suspicious in any of them.

"Why did no one notice this happening last night?" I asked. We hadn't received the news until morning, despite the breakout occurring around midnight.

"The guard on post fell asleep during the time the video cameras went out, and when he woke up, they were normal," the guard at the desk explained.

I ran my fingers over my face, digging them into my muscles. There was a lot f work to do to get this pack in shape if a prisoner of this importance was able to slip away in the dead of night without being noticed. We were supposed to be one of the most important packs in the entire territory, but we were weak.

There was too much to do to fix the mess of our fathers, and I felt like there was never a time to catch my breath. There was enough to deal with before Charles escaped.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. When I pushed it out, I saw Asher's name on the caller ID.

"Excuse me," I said before slipping out of the security room. I quickly answered the phone. "Hey, now's not really a good time."

"Juniper was attacked," Asher said.

I nearly crushed my phone at the news. "What?"

"She's okay," he quickly added. "She's a little shaken up. She won't admit it, though. She's trying to put on a brave face, but I can tell it unsettled her."

I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair, pulling at the roots. I wanted to scream and punch someone at the same time. Instead, I took a breath to steady my emotions. "Who attacked her?"

"He doesn't seem to be anyone important. He was captured, but he's just in a holding cell. Elijah said he's going to take care of the interrogation," Asher said. He tried to keep his tone calm, but I felt his irritation as he spoke.

"You should be there to help with the interrogation." I trusted Asher to be an extension of myself.

"I offered, but I don't exactly have any authority. I don't have an official title, and Elijah is the former alpha. What do you expect me to do? Break into the interrogation room and demand he let me help?"

I wanted Asher to do exactly that, but I knew that wasn't something I could ask. "Look, I'll talk to Winston to see what I can do. Until then, stay by Juniper's side. Don't leave her for any reason."

"Axel is with her right now, and they're at the apartment with Nathan."

"I want you with her, too, and I want extra warriors watching that apartment. She doesn't go anywhere without at least two guards and either you or Axel. Understood?"

Asher hesitated. "I don't know how that is going to fly with Juniper. She already thinks we're hovering too much-although, she probably doesn't think that now."

"Make it three guards," I said, unable to get my heart to calm down.

"Look, Ethan, I know you're worried, but isn't this a little overboard?" "Charles escaped from prison last night," I said.

Asher cursed under his breath. "Do you think he's the one who sent that guy to attack Juniper?"

"I would bet a lot on that. He wants revenge, and now that he's out of prison, I don't think he's going to stop until he gets it," I said, feeling the weight of my words.

After the information Charles gave us, we had already sent warriors to dispose of his followers. We found the hideouts he described to us, but no one had been in them. It was almost as if someone had warned the followers. "I won't leave her side," Asher swore.

"Good. I'll be there as soon as I can to help, too," I said.

"What about what Winston said? He needs you there."

"I don't care. Juniper is a target. I'm not going to risk losing her again," I said firmly. Winston could punish me later. I knew I could handle whatever came my way as long as I knew Juniper was safe.

JUNIPER

I glanced at the warriors who escorted Asher and me as we walked to Elijah's office. Elijah wanted to talk to us about the attack to get my statement. I felt uneasy as we walked towards his office. I couldn't tell if the unease was because I didn't want to talk to Elijah or if this whole attack had me on edge. Posted by FindNovel.net; visit us for more free novels.

I glanced at the warriors again. They were from neighboring packs. The packs had been resistant to provide support, but they didn't dare to refuse Winston's orders. Two of the warriors walked in front of us and two walked behind. It felt excessive, especially as students gawked as we walked by. I understood the concern, and it did make me feel better, especially after finding out Charles had escaped. However, it also made me just want to go back to the pack. If the rest of my semester was going to be like this, it felt like too much effort.

Asher squeezed my hand. I was sure he felt my anxiety through our bond. His presence made me feel better, but I knew I wouldn't be able to feel safe knowing Charles was out there in the world, counting the days until he got his revenge.

The warriors opened the doors to the administration building and entered first, making sure they could survey any potential dangers before Asher and I entered. When it was deemed safe, Asher held the door open for me.

"Oh my!" Barbara said, putting her hand on her chest and practically flying out of her chair. "I would've thought you were a celebrity with the security detail you have, darling."

I forced myself to laugh, hoping it'd make me feel better.

"After everything that has happened, I would rather be over the top than risk Juniper's safety," Asher said. He flashed Barbara his signature smile, and she brightened in response.

"Of course. Such a lucky young woman she is to have a caring and attractive mate at her side," Barabara said.

Careful. She was feeling up Axel's arms when she met him, I linked, biting back the laugh that threatened to slip from my mouth.

Asher nudged me in the side, making me smile.

"I'm the lucky one," Asher said to cover up our secret conversation. "I couldn't have asked for a better mate."

My cheeks burned from the embarrassment, so I changed the subject. "Is Elijah in? He asked me to come here as quickly as possible."

"He's here," Barbara said. "You can go in now. Oh! But you should have a cookie!"

She held up a plate of sugar cookies. This batch was pirate themed. They looked delicious, but my stomach churned at the thought of food, too anxious to want to eat.

"I'm okay. Thank you," I said as politely as I could.

"If you're trying to be health conscious, you don't have to worry about it. You already look so beautiful, and you have so many mates who wouldn't care. One cookie can't hurt." She pushed the plate towards me.

Asher swooped in and grabbed a cookie. "I will gladly take one. Thank you." He took a bite and said with crumbs still in his mouth, "These are amazing."

"Thank you! My daughter helps me make them." She waved at the warriors who were standing still. "Come on. All of you should have a cookie, too. You're working so hard."

The warriors' faces brightened at the offer, and they each took one.

Barbara pushed the plate towards me again. "Come on. You can't be the only one not taking one."

I hesitantly reached for the plate and picked up a cookie. I didn't want one, but I also knew she was the type of person who wouldn't stop until I took one. I had no intention of eating it, but maybe I could take it back to Nathan after the meeting. "Thank you," I said, forcing a smile. "We're going to talk to Elijah now."

I hurried to the principal's office before Barbara had a chance to force any additional cookies into my hand. Elijah was on the phone when we entered, and Asher and I lingered by the door for him to finish. When he was down, an exasperated sigh left his lips. He rubbed his temples for a moment before finally looking up and acknowledging our presence.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said. He smiled, but there was no feeling behind it. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to postpone. There was an attack on the eastside of the school."

"Oh," I said. My heart pounded, and I couldn't tell if it was from relief or disappointment.

"I'm sorry. I know you came all of this way, but I can't be in two places at once," Elijah said. He started gathering his stuff, but then he paused to look at Asher. "Actually, maybe I can. Winston told me that I should be relying on you Burrells more. Asher, why don't you check out the attack for me, and I'll stay here to talk to Juniper about everything that's going on. She can fill you in later."