The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 24

JUNIPER

I didn't know what to wear to a sports event. I stared at my closet, realizing my normal school clothes were probably too fancy for watching people throw a ball around and try to score points. I decided on a simple blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans.

I walked to the stadium, and crowds of people were swarming in the same direction. Several people had their faces painted with our school colors of blue and gold and were wearing jerseys of our teams. People smiled and laughed, and everyone was excited for the game. I wondered if I was the only one nervous about the event.

I got my ticket and entered the stadium. It was still early for the game to start, but over half of the stadium was filled. There was a section for the visiting team to sit, and it was decorated with red and black, making it obvious where our rival supporters sat. I found a corner of the bleachers that was hardly occupied. It was next to one of the goal posts, but it had a poor view of the entire field, making it obvious why hardly anyone sat here. I didn't mind that, though.

From what I understood, wolfball was a form of football with rules adjusted to add werewolf aspects. The game could be violent, so it was illegal for anyone non-werewolf to participate in the game. Werewolves could handle a little extra violence, because our bodies healed at a faster pace than humans. If a human were to sustain the same injuries as a werewolf, it could take them weeks to heal, while it took the werewolf only a few days for the same result.

Other than the violence, I couldn't tell anyone anything specific about the game. I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with a game that often resulted in broken bones. It was only part of the reason I had never bothered to go to a game before. I snapped a picture of the goal post and added it to a message to Nathan.

Good luck on your game today! I'll be rooting for you. I

I waited for a response, but one never came. He was likely busy preparing for his big game. I tapped my foot while waiting for the game to start. There were voices all around me, but for once, I didn't hear anyone say my name. They were all talking about how excited they were for the season to start and how they had heard amazing things from the newest player, Nathan Burrell.

Despite the crowd increasing, my anxiety lessened. I had worried that people would say something to me if they saw me in a public place. After the incident earlier in the week, either Nathan or Asher walked me to class, and there were no other bullying attempts. It made me realize that what Asher said about him helping me improve my status in the school could actually work.

Everyone was excited to see Nathan today, and no one bothered me when I was with one of the brothers. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let Asher have the party he suggested. Maybe it'd let everyone around me see that I'm nothing like what the rumors said.

Cheering rang throughout the stadium, and everyone started standing up. I followed their lead, looking out onto the field. The players ran onto the field, and despite the slight chill in the air, none of them were wearing shirts. They only had on blue spandex shorts- the ones designed to stretch when transforming into wolf form.

I caught a glimpse of Nathan in the group of guys running out onto the field. They did a loop around the field, amping up the crowd. I watched in awe at how everyone cheered for the players as they came out. I knew people loved sports, but it felt different being in the crowd. It was thrilling in its own way.

The other team jogged out, and the section dedicated to their fans erupted, but it was hardly anything compared to the cheers our own team got.

The players lined up on the field, and a referee dressed in black and white stripes walked between the two groups. He held out a coin, looked at the captain of each team, and then flipped it. I couldn't see which way the coin landed, but based on the cheers that erupted around me, our team got what they wanted.

The other team took the ball and set it on the ground. Our team backed up in preparation. The opposing team kicked the ball and sent it flying towards our team. Roars erupted as players shifted into wolf form.

My eyes were glued to Nathan, and I watched him shift. His wolf was larger than many of the others, but he was still slender. The leader of the team was roughly the same size, except he had significantly more bulk to him, making him look larger than Nathan. Nathan beelined it for the ball, and then he jumped into the air, snatching the ball before it hit the ground.

Nathan took off running at a speed I didn't even know was possible. Several wolves from the opposing team tried to tackle him, but he was too nimble for them. He dodged and weaved, avoiding everyone until he made it to the other side of the field. The crowd erupted into thunder as Nathan scored the first goal of the game.

"Our new super star, Nathan Burrell, scores the first goal and exceeds our expectations," an announcer boomed over the intercom. The crowd cheered even more.

The opposing team seemed to shift nervously as they set up for the next round. Nathan scored a goal in the first minute of the game, which seemed to be an incredible feat, and the morale of the other team was quickly fading.

The opposing team started with the ball this time, and everyone shifted back into their human forms. Each team lined up, each having their own formation. CUW's team put the biggest guys in the front of the line, and Nathan and a few others stood in the back. The leader of the opposing team shouted a few things before tossing the ball back to the biggest guy on their team. Even in his human form, he was taller and thicker than Nathan. He looked like a human tank. The tank ran forward at a much slower pace than Nathan. Several of our school's team members tried to ram into the big guy, but they bounced off of him like he was made of rubber.

It ended up taking three of our team's biggest players to take down the tank, but he still gripped the ball while on the ground. A whistle blew, and everyone reset, just farther down the line.

Both teams lined up again, and the leader of our team took a moment to say something to Nathan. I inched forward, wishing I could hear the instructions Nathan was given. Something about it made me anxious to watch.

The game started up again, and the ball was tossed to the same tanky player as before. This time, our own teams' tanks shifted into werewolf form immediately. The other team responded by mimicking their own actions, and soon the field was half filled with werewolves. Four of our players leapt over the front line, aiming directly for the tank. They landed on him, and my entire body flinched, looking away.

Even from my seat, I heard the crunch of bones. The ref blew the whistle, and the crowd was a mix of "ow's" and cheers. When I looked back, refs were pushing werewolves off of a pile in order to get to the player at the bottom. He didn't stand up, even when the others were off of him, and when I squinted, it looked like his leg was in an unnatural position.

A total of three players were escorted off the field with injuries, one from our team and two from the opposing team. The tank from the opposing team had to be lifted off on a gurney. A few of our players high-fived each other, and it made my stomach churn. I knew the sport was violent, but I didn't expect everyone to be so... happy about the violence.

"I'm surprised to see you here."

I turned my attention away from the field in time to see Axel hop onto the bleachers and take a seat next to me. His scent filled my nose, and I resisted the urge to move closer to him.

"I thought you said we should stay away from each other," I said, looking at Axel carefully. He didn't seem like the type to show up to wolfball games either, and I wondered if he actually knew I was going to be here, despite him feigning ignorance. "About that... I've been thinking." Axel leaned back, placing his elbows on the seat behind us. It didn't look like the most comfortable position.

"Thinking can be dangerous," I said. I turned my attention towards the game to stop myself from staring at Axel.

"You love thinking, don't you? That's why you're obsessed with school."

"I'm not " I cut myself off, knowing I didn't really have an argument against his words. School has been my life for the past decade. Calling it an obsession wasn't too far off base. "Okay, what are you thinking?"

Axel leaned forward and propped his elbows onto his knees. He watched the game for a moment before answering. "I don't think we should stay away from each other after all."

I looked at him, and his face was only a few inches away from mine. It made my heart thump like crazy. I turned away, pretending to watch the game. "I'm dating Asher."

"I know, and I'm all for you two." Axel paused, and I could feel his eyes on me. "I think we should be friends, though."

I looked at him again, but this time the proximity wasn't as intimidating. "Just friends?"

"Just friends," he repeated.

"Why?" I asked. Axel's behavior confused me. One moment, he kissed me, and the next he acted like the kiss meant nothing. Or he complained about my presence and said we needed to stay away from each other, and now he wanted to be friends. "You're dating Asher. I didn't think you wanted to be more." He smirked, knowing exactly what I meant.

I glared at him. "Why do you suddenly want to be friends?" I clarified, even though I didn't feel like I needed to.

Axel shrugged. "You could use more friends when nearly the whole school hates you."

"Is that the only reason?" I wasn't interested in a pity friendship.

"Are you actually going to make me say more, like some sort of cheeseball?" he asked.

"If you want to be my friend, then yes." I crossed my arms and straightened my back. I didn't want to continuously deal with Axel's hot and cold moods, but I couldn't deny my pull towards him. It would be easier if we were friends, but I also needed to know he was serious about it.

"Because the more I thought about it, the more I realized I would rather be just friends with you than not have you in my life at all. Is that answer satisfactory?"

I took a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I didn't want him to know just how much he affected me. "Yes."