The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 159

JUNIPER

Three more loud pounds on the door echoed through the apartment, and I couldn't breathe. I wasn't aware of anyone coming to the apartment, and the knocks sounded urgent and aggressive. Axel took a step towards the door. "I'll see who it is."

Nathan stood in front of me, ready for what Axel would soon find out.

"Let me in!" The voice on the other side demanded.

I knew that voice, but I hadn't expected it. I rushed forward, pushing past Axel, and threw the door open. Ethan stood in front of me, dark shadows under his eyes. His hair was a mess. He looked like he had been up all night.

My body reacted to him first, and I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face into his chest. Ethan pressed his face against my hair and took a slow breath, as if he hadn't been able to breathe the entire time we were apart. "What are you doing here?" Axel asked.

Ethan didn't move as he answered. "I told Asher I would find a way to come here."

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't think Winston would let you leave after Charles escaped," Axel said.

Ethan didn't respond, and something felt off.

"You two should come inside," Nathan said. "It's too dangerous to linger outside right now."

There were warriors guarding the building, but Nathan was right. I was the first to pull away from Ethan. I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Axel shut the door behind us, making a point to put on the deadlock. He eyed Ethan, watching him follow me deeper into the living room.

"I don't understand why you're here." I squeezed Ethan's hand tighter. I wasn't complaining about his presence, but I knew it wouldn't have been easy to get away from the pack, away from his new position. "You were attacked, and with Charles on the loose, I couldn't stay away," Ethan said.

"We have it covered," Axel said. He watched us from the door, hesitating to approach. "I'm surprised Winston agreed to let you come here with so much going on. Doesn't the pack need you to keep it together?" Ethan looked at the floor. He wasn't saying anything. "Juniper is my priority. After everything that has happened, I refuse to leave her unattended. Just look at what happened today."

"Winston didn't let you come here, did he?" Axel asked.

"No." Ethan didn't look at Axel. "I didn't ask permission this time."

"You could be considered a traitor for going against the alpha," Axel said. His tone was flat, but the weight behind his words killed the happiness I felt from seeing Ethan. As much as I wanted him by my side, I didn't want it if it meant he would get in trouble. "I did what I had to do. Asher was poisoned, and Juniper has now been attacked twice. Elijah is missing. I know Winston needs me, but I need to be here," Ethan said. I felt his tension through our mate bond, even though he kept his face neutral. He was worried for my safety and willing to risk everything to be here with me.

"You were already on your way here before all of that happened," Axel said. "In fact, you were probably on the plane, which was why my call went straight to voicemail. I know you don't trust me to take care of things, but I can do more than you think." "It's not that I don't trust you. I know you are more than capable of handling yourself."

"Then why are you here?" Asher challenged.

"Because I'm not going to let anyone hurt Juniper again!" Ethan snapped, moving away from me. "I failed her once. I'm not going to lose her again."

The sudden outburst made me jump, and I suddenly feared our time apart had been worse for him than I had expected. I grabbed his hands and pulled him into me. "I'm fine. You're not going to lose me. I swear to you, I'm not going anywhere." "Charles made it clear he was going to get revenge. If he goes after you as pay back for what I did to him-"

"Then we'll be here to stop it," Axel said. "This doesn't all fall on you. Together, we'll be able to stop Charles, and he'll fail again."

"He successfully poisoned Asher, Elijah, and several warriors," Elijah pointed out. "We failed to realize he lied to us about the rest of his and Anthony's followers."

"We are trying to dismantle decades of your father's planning," I pointed out. "It's not something that is going to be fixed overnight. You can't be this hard on yourself."

I paused, realizing I hadn't been taking my advice. I had been wallowing in fear, frustrated that all of this wasn't over, and I wasn't living my happily ever after yet. I still had my mates who sacrificed so much for me, and even if there were others who hated me purely for my existence, I couldn't let myself miss out on the good of the moment.

"I know," Ethan said, leaning forward to breathe in my scent. "But I'm never going to stop wanting to protect you and undo the damage Anthony did."

"You're not the only one who wants that," Axel said. "So don't be a martyr and sacrifice everything as if you're the only one who could do anything about it."

"You have us to help you," Nathan added.

Ethan sighed. "You're right. I'll call Winston and tell him what I did, but I'm not leaving yet, no matter what he says." He pulled out his phone and stepped into the other room to make the call.

My shoulders slumped as I watched him walk away. "Is it wrong that I'm glad he's here, even if I think it's stupid?"

Axel chuckled, approaching me. "It's not wrong. He's your mate. It's natural to want to be near him." He ran his finger down my arm, and the undertone in his voice made my voice shiver. "If I'm being honest, I'm glad he's here, too." "You made it sound like you hated him coming."

"Winston is nice, but he's still the alpha. I'd be surprised if Ethan goes unpunished for going against him, and I don't want to see him ruin his relationship with Winston so early. However, as a rebel myself, I think breaking the rules is good for the soul sometimes." "Plus, the more of us there are to protect you, the better off we are," Nathan added. He moved to my other side and slid his hands down my side, sending more goosebumps throughout my body.

I looked at both of them, dirty thoughts flashing through my head as I stood sandwiched between them. Axel smirked, as if sensing my sudden change of thoughts, but I forced myself to change my train of thought. Elijah was drugged and kidnapped, Asher was unconscious in his room, and there was a chance Ethan was going to get in trouble for rushing to be with me. Now was not the time to be thinking such thoughts.

I woke up in the middle of the night, sweat drenching my shirt. My hand instantly touched my throat, feeling the remnants of being choked in the dream. I took deep breaths, reminding myself that it was just a dream. That didn't stop the flashes of the nightmare that made it hard to close my eyes again.

In the dream, Charles had been the one with his hands wrapped around my throat, telling me I was finally getting what I deserved.

I slid out of bed, unable to sit still. Ethan was still fast asleep next to me, and the sight of him was instantly comforting. Winston had scolded him for leaving the way he did, but then he said it was good Ethan had come here, especially with the disappearance of Elijah. Winston made it clear that Ethan could only stay until Elijah was safely recovered and Charles was behind bars again.

It felt right to have Ethan with me again. I felt whole with all of my mates nearby, but I also knew it was temporary. Sooner than I'd like, Ethan would have to return to the pack to continue his responsibilities as beta, and we'd be separated for the rest of the semester. Ethan returning to the pack would be a good thing, since it would mean Elijah was safe and Charles wasn't, but my chest ached thinking about it.

I slipped out of the room, being careful not to disturb Ethan. I needed to stretch my legs, and I didn't want to wake him up. I quickly checked on Asher and Axel, who were both fast asleep. Asher still hadn't woken up from the drugs, but he was stable, so I tried not to worry. I checked on Nathan last. His chest rose and fell at a steady pace, and for once, his face was completely calm as he slept. He was getting better, and it made me hopeful for the future.

Things weren't easy now, but one day we would all be able to find the peace I so desperately wanted.

I watched Nathan for longer than I planned too. It wasn't until my eyes started feeling heavy that I slowly shut his door. I was about to head back to my room when a sound in the living room drew my attention. It was subtle and likely nothing, but my heart still raced as I looked down the hallway, waiting for the sound to happen again.

When it didn't, I took slow steps towards the living room, extending my claws in the process. I tried to tell myself I was being paranoid, but I couldn't slow the rate of my heart. As I stepped into the living room, I looked around, but I didn't see anything unusual. I flipped on the lights, and that was when I noticed a small envelope in front of the door.

I picked it up, and my name was scribbled on the front of it. I swallowed hard and ripped it open. My eyes scanned over it, and my chest tightened.

If you want to see Elijah alive, come to the warehouse on Third Street alone tomorrow night. If you don't show up, or if you bring your mates, then Elijah will die.

My hands shook as I looked over the simple message. I didn't want Elijah to die. I hadn't had a chance to get to know him, but this was definitely a trap. If I went, I was giving the enemy exactly what they wanted. However, if I ignored it, Elijah would die, and I'd lose the chance to get to know him.

I folded the letter, knowing there was only one thing I could do.