The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 51

JUNIPER

There was zero hesitation this time as Axel slid his tongue into my mouth. His hands ran down my back, sliding over my ribs before moving all the way to my a*s. He squeezed my cheeks, making me yelp and lose balance. He expertly slid his hand around my waist and flipped me over. Snacks cracked and crinkled as they dug into my back, but I didn't care.

I knotted my fingers in Axel's hair, desperate for his mouth to be on mine again. He pressed his knee between my legs, pressing it against my core. The slight friction made a small moan escape my lips. He shifted, causing another snack to crack from the movement. He growled in frustration and pulled away from me suddenly. Once his feet were on the ground, he picked me up and carried me to the other bed before he threw me onto it. His towel fell off as he climbed on top of me, pinning my wrists above my head with one hand. His mouth found my b****t, and he took it in his mouth, sucking roughly. My back arched, pressing my body against him, desperate for every touch.

Axel palmed my other b****t as he greedily sucked on my chest. His hands were rough against my soft skin, and his calluses made my skin tingle. I wrapped my leg around his, desperate to be entangled with him in every possible way.

He pulled away from my chest and moved up, but he took his time to suck every inch of my skin as he kissed me again. His length pressed against my core, rubbing against my bundle of nerves as his tongue slid inside of me. All it would take was a slight movement of his hips, and he'd dive right into me.

My throat tightened with excitement as I thought about it. Every subtle touch, every longing look, every kiss led to this moment. I wanted to forget who I was and everything that happened and just feel for once in my life.

No thinking.

No worrying.

Just enjoying this moment with Axel.

Axel broke the kiss only to kiss my body instead. He left a trail of kisses down my neck, and when he sucked on that sensitive spot on the crook of my neck, my entire body shuddered. An overwhelming need for him to bite into my skin filled every cell in my body. Axel's fangs scraped against my neck, as if the same desire washed over him.

My muscles froze, ready for him to sink his teeth into my skin and mark me as his. He ran his tongue over the spot before nibbling on the skin softly. Before his teeth broke into my skin, he pulled back and focused on another part of my body.

My muscles deflated as if I had been released from some sort of trance. Before I could think about it much, Axel lowered himself down my stomach, kissing in a random pattern as he went. He didn't stop until he reached my core. He pressed my legs apart and dipped his head between them.

His tongue swiped up my folds, and a gasp escaped my lips. I hadn't had someone eat me out before, and the sensation was phenomenal. He swirled around my clit, and my breathing quickly became labored and ragged. I grabbed his hair to steady myself, and he chuckled against my core.

I hated his laughter, knowing it was on my behalf, but the vibrations sent sparks running through my spine that made my body ache for more. I was a puddle in his hands, and he could do absolutely anything to me. The laughter quickly faded as Axel expertly navigated down below. He knew exactly where to touch me, and if my body reacted to his tongue, he continued that motion, reading my body as if it was an open book.

When he moved his mouth to my entrance and pushed his tongue inside, I saw stars. His nose continued to brush against my clit. The combination of the sensations was too much for my body, and my walls started throbbing as a waving of ecstasy washed over me. Axel continued lapping up all of my juices until my body relaxed. He pulled away and wiped his mouth, but his eyes were dark with desire. He brushed his lips against my ear and whispered in a husky voice, "Don't worry. I'm not done with you yet." He nipped my ear and then pressed his lips against mine, reigniting my desire in the process.

He reached down and grabbed my leg, pulling it up as he adjusted his member to my entrance. With a swift thrust, he pushed all of the way in me, making me cry out in pleasure.

Axel captured my mouth with his to silence me. He held still inside of me for a few moments to give me time to adjust, and he used the time to kiss me deeply and play with my n*****s, arousing me more and more. By the time he started moving at a consistent pace, my body was practically begging for him to pound into me.

Axel stopped holding back, and he moved with a sharp precision that left my body reeling. I dug my fingernails into his back, desperate to hold onto anything physical, because my body didn't feel like it belonged to me anymore.

Our breathing, panting, and moans filled the air, and depending on how thin the walls were, there was a high possibility that our neighbors could hear our cries of pleasure, but I didn't care. I wanted them all to hear exactly how Axel made me feel.

We were desperate and passionate in our desire for each other. It was like the world paused around us, and pleasure was the only thing that mattered. I no longer knew where my body ended and Axel's began. He was everything I needed at that moment, and no matter what happened after, I knew I'd never regret this night spent with him.

Axel grabbed my hands and intertwined my fingers with him. His kisses were sloppy and deep, but he kept his pace steady. I wrapped my legs around his waist, which angled my body in just the right way for him to hit the perfect spot. My second release crashed over me, but this one was more powerful and slower. It rushed through every part of my body, making my toes curl from the intense pleasure.

My throbbing walls pushed Axel to his own finish, and he quickly pulled out, spilling onto my stomach. It was the first time I had even thought about protection. I had been ready for Axel to release inside of me, and that thought brought me crashing back to reality. "Let me get something to clean you up with," Axel said. He kissed me softly before rushing to the bathroom. He came back with a damp cloth and carefully wiped me clean, leaving kisses behind as he wiped my stomach.

He cleaned himself off much faster, and when he was done, he pulled the covers from the bed and slid underneath them. He pulled me into his chest, and his hand gently stroked my hair. He kissed my forehead, and it was so gentle and loving compared to the animalistic way he just took me.

I stroked small circles on his chest and listened to his heart beating as I used his torso as a pillow. My body was exhausted, but my mind was wide awake.

There was something different about the way Axel held me that I wasn't expecting. When I first met him, he seemed so rugged and rude. He acted like he didn't care about anyone or anything, but only those who truly knew Axel could see the truth. He cared deeply about those who he deemed worthy..

He let me find my own way into his arms. He didn't push me, desperate to have my love returned. He waited and watched, looking out for me from afar, and when I needed him, he was there.

Despite being twins, Asher and Axel were completely different people. Asher had been so desperate to have me love me back, that it was absolutely suffocating. I cared about him, and maybe I even loved him, but Asher had put his own happiness before my own. "Are you awake?" I whispered.

Axel's breathing was slow and steady, and his hand rested calmly on my body.

"Mhmm," he hummed.

I strained my neck, and his eyes were shut. "That's not very convincing." I kept my voice quiet, because I didn't want to force him awake, in case he was actually sleeping. However, my mind was racing, and I just wanted to talk to him. Axel cracked one eye open. "I'm wide awake."

I shook my head, knowing it wasn't true. "No, you're not. Just go back to bed."

Both of his eyes opened this time, and he shifted, pulling himself into a seated position and pulling me on top of him. "Nope. You're clearly not asleep, and you want to talk."

I tapped his chest and pursed my lips. "I just can't get my mind to calm down."

"What's going on in there?" He gently rapped his fingers against my skull.

"I was just thinking... What if James wasn't ever my mate?"

The question hung heavy in the air as Axel chewed on his lower lip. "I don't know. There's no way to know for sure. Maybe if you could remember him, then you'd know better."

"Maybe." I took a slow inhale. I pushed off Axel's chest and sat upright, so I could look at him better. "But I've been thinking. What if the mate bond isn't this instant connection that everyone fables it to be? I mean, how many true mates do you actually know." His silence was enough of an answer. "What if true mates are different? Maybe over the years, it has changed into something else. Maybe it's this bond that grows into something indestructible."

"I suppose that's possible, but every tale I have heard always describes this instant connection," Axel said. "What made you think about this, anyway?"

"You." I paused, debating about the next part. "And Asher. And Ethan. From the moment I met all of you, I felt this indescribable connection to each of you, and it's hard to imagine that it's just because of our childhood-although that may be the explanation. But with you, the more I tried to pull away, the more a part of me wanted you. You insisted we're not mates because you are convinced James was my mate, but what if that's not true? Maybe we are actually mates."

Axel's face twisted as I spoke, and when I stopped talking, I realized I probably sounded crazy to him. I had just broken up with his brother, and then I jumped into bed with him not much longer. Then I was spouting nonsense about us being mated to each other, despite not feeling any of the regular signs.

I pulled back, feeling the need to run. I felt embarrassed for saying all of that. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that. I'm probably just trying to create something out of nothing to explain everything that doesn't make sense."

Axel grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to him. "Where do you think you're going? I told you that once I had you, I wasn't going to let you go so easily. There's nothing for you to apologize for either. I have wondered if we were mates on some level, but I wrote it off because I thought I was crazy, creating something out of nothing because I wanted to be your mate so badly."

Axel kissed the top of my head and took in my scent. "I don't think either of us is crazy. Ethan has this theory, and that's all it is right now, but it would explain a lot of things. He thinks that when James died, the mate bond with him tried to transfer, and since Asher, Ethan, and I were the closest to you, it broke into pieces and connected you to all of us."