The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 25

NATHAN

The thrill of the game pumped my adrenaline. For as long as I could remember, my dad had put me in a training camp. Apparently, even at a young age, I surpassed my brothers in speed and agility. He wanted to foster those abilities and turn me into the greatest

wolfball player of all time.

Somewhere along the lines, his dream had become my own. Or perhaps it was always mine. That was a blurred memory for me, but it didn't really matter. What I did know was that as I scored the first goal of the night, I etched myself into this school's history. I up to the hype surrounding my skills for the game, and I planned on showing everyone my true value.

Before I was done with this season, scouts for pro teams would be begging me to sign onto their teams.

I ran across the field again and again, showing up right where I needed to be. One of the opposing team's players fumbled the ball, and I snatched it in my teeth and bolted for the goal line.

I lived

Juniper was in the crowd tonight, and today she would see me for all that I could be. I could see in her eyes that she still thought of me as a child. She always had. I was three years younger than her, so I understood where she was coming from. It was only natural for her to gravitate towards my brothers. Asher and Axel were her age, and Ethan was older than all of us.

My age didn't matter, though. My father never let us just be children-not after the incident. He expected us to grow up and work hard to become exactly what others expected from our name. My childhood was taken away even younger than the others. No one understood that I had just as much experience as them, even if I was younger.

One day I would make Juniper see me as someone who could take care of her, even if I had to work harder than my brothers.

The game was nearly halfway over when I made my third goal of the night. That wasn't counting the other two goals my teammates were able to achieve. The other team was struggling. They had nearly made a goal before Josh intercepted it, and then I snatched the ball, almost immediately making a goal for our team instead.

If things kept going the way they were now, then tonight was going to be a shut out. The morale of the opposing team was quickly diminishing. Scowls were aimed at me, and normally I hated anyone being upset with me, but during the game, it filled me with pride. It meant my skills were so overwhelming that they felt hopeless.

Less than two minutes until half time. The ball was passed to me, and this time I caught it in my hands. Even in my human form, I was faster than some werewolves. I was rubbing my speed into the other players, dodging werewolves with ease. The crowd started cheering, getting louder and louder the closer I got to the goal. I was ready to hear their cheers explode as I made the final goal before the time out.

I was nearly there when a large body slammed into my side. He came out of nowhere, and teeth sank into my arm. My side hit the grass so hard everything went black, and I couldn't move.

***

ASHER

I tapped my foot as I waited in Ethan's apartment. Dealing with Ethan was one thing, but dealing with my father was so much worse. Ethan knew he was better than me and made a point to remind me with his subtle jabs, but my father made a point to pick at my every flaw. I was not ready for tonight.

"Sit still," Ethan said as he tidied up his apartment. "If Father sees you like that, he'll dig his claws into you right away."

I forced my foot to stop moving, but it only made my anxiety worse. All of my pent-up energy had nowhere to go. "What about you? You haven't stopped moving since I got here. Do you really think he's going to nitpick about a little dust on a shelf?" Ethan stopped and raised his eyebrows. "I know we've been away from home for several weeks now, but have you forgotten who the man who raised us is?"

"Fair point." I leaned back and took a deep breath.

"Sit up. You're going to wrinkle your shirt."

I looked at Ethan, and he was completely serious. "Why are you so nervous? You're the golden child." I wasn't sure if I had ever seen Ethan like this before. It was a nice reminder that he wasn't a robot.

"Because when someone has the title of 'perfect,' it means there is no room for error. On top of that, I was sent here to fire a professor and squash rumors. Father expected everything to be solved by now, but the rumors about Juniper are worse than ever. There is bullying around every corner. This is not a prime example of a school. The principal doesn't seem to respect my authority, and the woman we were told to avoid years ago is not only here, but you are basically dating her."

He stopped dusting and looked at me. There were more wrinkles on his forehead, and he seemed to age in the minute it took to spew everything out. "So, yes. I am nervous about his visit. It's why I wanted you here."

I blinked at Ethan, wondering if I had slipped into an alternate dimension. "You wanted me here for morale support?"

"Just forget it and sit up straight." Ethan turned back to cleaning.

I had seen him with my father before. Ethan constantly received praise from our father, and he looked perfectly calm. I didn't even think it was possible for my older brother to feel nervous.

I leaned back in my chair, suddenly feeling less nervous. "You needed me. I didn't think that was possible."

Ethan paused only to glare at me. "I'm not as perfect as you might think. I have plenty of flaws. I'm just better at hiding them. Don't get too cocky. You're here to just take some of the heat off of me."

His words had turned bitter, but he couldn't take back what he said. It changed my perspective of Ethan, and I planned on holding onto this new perspective. It made Ethan more human, and I liked that side of him. "If you say so." Three loud and precise knocks rang out from the door, and both Ethan and I snapped our attention to the sound, freezing in the process.

Ethan looked at him, his eyes wide. "Don't bring up Juniper's name or the fact that you're dating her if you can help it."

I nodded, knowing how important it was to protect Juniper from our father. He hated her-something I never fully understood-and the less he knew about her, the better. I stood up and approached the door with Ethan. I tried to brush the wrinkles out of my shirt, suddenly regretting not wearing something nicer.

Ethan opened the door, and our father stood on the other side. He was in a full businessman outfit. His blazer was black, along with his shirt, which made his red tie stick out. He was wearing his diamond cufflinks, showing off his status. He didn't care if he was meeting with family or with business-he always dressed his best. His beard was perfectly trimmed, and his coal-black eyes were as harsh as ever. We got the blue in our eyes from our mother-one of the few things she left behind for us. There wasn't a single wrinkle on his clothes, and it was like he had scared the wrinkles away. I didn't blame them. Even though I knew the man in front of me was the man who raised me, his wolf energy was nearly suffocating. It took more effort to stand up straight and look him in the eyes. If I backed down under his pressure, he'd call me weak without hesitation. He was testing to see if we had gone soft in our time away from home.

"Beta Burrell," Ethan said, dipping his chin just slightly.

"Ethan, I wasn't expecting you to bring your brother along to this meeting." Our father was already upset with Ethan, but if it affected my brother, he didn't show it.

"I thought you might like to see him. Please come in. I have hot water ready for tea." Ethan gestured for our father to come in.

Our father took a step through the door and instantly ran his finger over the closest shelf. He rubbed his fingers together and scowled. Apparently, dust on a shelf would've been a strike against Ethan. "I prefer coffee."

"Yes, of course. I also have a fresh pot of coffee brewed. Let me get that for you." Ethan walked to the kitchen and started grabbing mugs. "Asher, would you prefer tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please." I moved to the table, but I waited to sit down, knowing my father preferred to sit first. It was a show of power, and I learned at a young age that he always sat at the table first.

My father looked around the room, inspecting every little detail. Only when he seemed satisfied with what he saw, he took a seat at the head of the table. I had never realized the level of scrutiny he looked at Ethan with before. I always thought Ethan was the perfect child who worked harder than the rest of our brothers, so our father simply trusted him. However, I saw no trust in our father's eyes. He searched for any mistake, as if he was waiting to pounce the moment Ethan messed up. Posted by FindNovel.net; visit us for more free novels.

Ethan brought out the two cups of coffee before grabbing his tea. "Would you like any cream or sugar?"

"I take my coffee black," Beta Burrell said, picking up the cup and taking a deep inhale. "This is high quality coffee grounds. Impressive."

"Only the best for you, father," Ethan said.

"I'll take cream and sugar," I said, knowing I couldn't drink coffee black. It was only tolerable when it was filled with sugar.

"No, he won't," our father instantly said. He turned to me with his signature scowl. Just the right side of his mouth turned down, and his eyes were harder than normal. "Sugar makes you crash, and cream is unnecessary calories. Black coffee is for grown-ups, so I suggest you start learning to drink it that way now."

"Yes, Father," I said, holding back what I wanted to say. When I was younger, I used to fight against what he said, but I learned I always lost when it came to him. I learned to say, "Yes, Father," whether or not I agreed with him. Things went smoother that way. "Now that we have our drinks, it's time for us to discuss the reason I had to make this trip in the first place," our father said. "Ethan, I'm curious to know why you kept the fact that Juniper Johnson is here and that Asher is dating her."