The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 33

JUNIPER

I felt torn as I stared into Axel's eyes. I knew he was trying to make this easier for me, but as he told me to choose Asher, my chest ached. However, as I thought about choosing Axel over Asher, my chest hurt even more. Axel's eyes glazed over, and I knew one of his brothers was linking him. When his eyes cleared, he frowned. He took a step back, creating space between us. "Asher's coming up here to check on you."

I nodded slowly, knowing why Axel stepped back. If Asher saw us so close, it would only hurt him. "I don't know if it's easy to simply pick Asher-not when I feel this connection with you."

Axel smiled, but his face was strained. "Make it simple, because when Asher comes up here, he's going to ask you to be his girlfriend. Say yes, and forget about our connection, because once you say yes to Asher, it closes the bridge between us. I won't break his trust like that."

"What if I don't say yes?" I appreciated Axel trying to make the choice easier for me, but I didn't like how he assumed I'd choose Asher.

Axel thought about my question for a moment. It was as if he hadn't thought about the possibility. "If you don't say yes, then I'll be waiting for you in front of the library. I wish I could say I hope you choose Asher, but if I'm being honest, the selfish part of me wants you to choose me."

I wanted to tell Axel that I would meet him at the library, but I didn't know if that was true. I didn't know what I would tell Asher when he asked me to be his girlfriend. If he had asked before the party, I wouldn't have hesitated to say yes, but after admitting my feelings for Axel, it didn't feel that easy.

I slid Axel's jacket off my shoulders and handed it to him. "Thank you for the jacket, and thank you for stopping Josh. Please get your wounds cleaned up."

"I will." Axel took a few steps back, making his way to the stairs. He made a point to continue looking at me as he walked backwards. "And J.J., if you do choose Asher, I won't be mad. I just want you to be happy."

He turned away and rushed for the stairs, leaving me alone with the breeze. I inhaled the cold air, relishing the shock to my lungs. Without Axel or Asher nearby, my head quickly cleared.

Asher was coming up here to ask me to be his girlfriend, and that thought both excited me and terrified me. I cared about him, and part of me knew that I was even falling in love with Asher. He was sweet and fun, and most of all, he made me feel safe. Before he rushed into my life, I was surviving, and I didn't have anyone looking out for me the way he had. He made me feel like everything was going to be okay, even when everything was falling apart.

Then there was Axel. He had a way of showing up out of nowhere and knocking me off my feet. He made me swoon and feel things I wasn't used to, but almost as fast as he showed up, he disappeared. He liked me. That was perfectly clear now. However, he also walked away too easily.

I knew he didn't want to hurt Asher, but he also made it too easy to walk away from him. I cared about Axel, but as the fresh air cleared my mind, the decision became crystal clear.

The door to the roof swung open, and Asher rushed towards me, bursting the bubble of clarity I had.

"June!" Asher wrapped me in his arms and buried his nose into the crook of my neck.

I melted into his touch, and relief washed through me.

Asher pulled back and cupped my cheeks, inspecting my face. "I heard about the fight. Are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said. "A little shaken up still." My conversation with Axel had distracted me from what had happened with Josh, but now that he was gone, the pent-up stress made my body shake.

"I heard Axel got into a fight with one of the wolfball players because he was touching you. Did he hurt you?" Asher's wolf energy rumbled, and I felt his anger vibrate through my body.

"Josh was drunk, and he was hitting on me. When I rejected his advances, he slapped me," I said. The ache in my cheek had faded, but there was still a small thrum against my skin. "That's when Axel stepped in."

"I'm going to kill him for touching you," Asher growled.

He started to pull away, but I grabbed his wrists, keeping his hands planted on my face. "It's okay. After what Axel did, I don't think Josh is going to bother me again."

"I don't get why he was bothering you in the first place."

"Josh is my ex boyfriend, and he thought I would be an easy hookup because of the rumors," I explained. "He always acted entitled like that, so I shouldn't be surprised." Even if I wasn't surprised, it didn't make the interaction any less terrifying. "I'm going to kill him," Asher muttered again.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Just hold me. That's all I want right now."

Asher sighed, shaking off his rage. His wolf calmed down, and he pressed his lips against my forehead before wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I never seem to be in the right place at the right time when you need me most." "You're here now. That's what matters." I buried my head into Asher's chest, and the feeling of safety washed over me. Asher always made me feel safe and cared for in a way no one else did, not even Axel. It was why I knew the choice was obvious. "I know, but is it wrong for me to be jealous that Axel got to be the hero and rescue you?" Asher asked, squeezing me tighter.

"No, it's not wrong." He was completely right to be jealous of Axel. Part of me knew that if Asher had been there to pull Josh off me, then I wouldn't have had any hesitation in choosing Asher. "But don't be jealous. I don't need you to be my hero to know that I want you."

Asher pulled back just enough so he could look me in the eyes. "I want you, too. I want all of you. In fact, I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I want you to be my girlfriend. I know we haven't been dating for very long, but I have never felt this way about anyone else before. Please don't say it's too soon. Please be my girlfriend, June."

"Yes," I said without hesitation, and it felt right.

I still didn't understand why I felt drawn to so many of the Burrell brothers. It was confusing and didn't make any sense. However, what I did know was that Asher was kind and caring. He made me laugh and smile. He supported my passion for school and even shared it. Asher was the perfect boyfriend for me, and I didn't want to mess that up because of a crush on Axel.

"Really?" Asher said.

"Yes," I laughed.

He picked me up and spun me around in circles, making me laugh even more. When he set me down, he pulled me into a kiss. His lips moved with mine as if we were made for each other. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to find a mate, because things already felt perfect with Asher.

Asher slowed down the kiss and then pulled away slightly before resting his forehead against mine. "I can't believe you actually said yes."

"Why do you seem so surprised?" I brushed my nose against Asher's, resisting the urge to kiss him again.

"Because you're stubborn," Asher said. "And I was worried you'd think we were moving too fast."

"It is fast," I admitted, "but it also feels right. Me from a year ago would call me crazy. I wasn't supposed to date anyone after graduation, but here I am, dating a son of the Burrell family no less." "Once people learn you're dating me, maybe that will help squash some of those rumors," Asher said.

I cupped Asher's cheek, loving how much he cared about me and my reputation. "I don't care about my reputation anymore. Those people aren't worth trying to convince. I have you and your brothers now. As long as Ethan can stop the school from suspending me or taking anything away from me, then I'm done caring about what students think. In a year, the rumors won't matter anymore. I'll be free from all of this."

Asher frowned, which wasn't the response I was expecting. He pulled away from me and looked to the side. "June, there's something I need to tell you." Asher's energy suddenly shifted, and my stomach twisted, thinking he was about to tell me some really bad news. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what he was about to say. "What's wrong?"

"I tried to fight against it. I swear I don't want it." He wouldn't look at me as he spoke.

I reached for his hand and held it tightly, even when he tried to pull away. "You're freaking me out. Just tell me what's going on."

"I'm being made co-valedictorian with you." He finally looked at me, and he looked completely distressed.

I knitted my eyebrows as I waited for the bad news to come, but he didn't say anything else. "That's it?"

"I don't want to take the title away from you," he said.

I smiled at him, and I knew with every inch of my body that he was the right choice. I grabbed his other hand and pulled him closer. "That's fantastic news! I didn't know you were in the running for that." "You're not mad?"

I chuckled, confused by his reaction. "Why would I be mad?"

"Because you've been working hard for this title, and then I showed up out of nowhere and forced you to share credit."

"You haven't done anything wrong. You are brilliant and a hard worker. If I have to share the title with anyone, I'm happy it's with you." I didn't need the full attention on me as long as I earned the credit I deserved. In fact, sharing the spotlight with Asher would likely make graduation much easier.

Asher still didn't look convinced, but his features softened. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

I grabbed the back of his neck and lifted onto my toes. I swiped his lips with my tongue, and he easily parted for me. It was clear my words weren't going to convince him, so I was ready to use other methods.

Asher stopped trying to argue and melted into the kiss instead. His fingers stroked my hair, and my body ached for more. The feeling was more intense now, especially knowing that I had no doubt I wanted to be with Asher.

When we parted to catch our breaths, I whispered, "I'm sure."