The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 53

JUNIPER

The smell of toast stirred me awake. Axel shut the door behind him with his foot while holding a tray stuffed with food. My stomach roared at the prospect of real food, and I started to crawl out of bed. "Stay right there. This is supposed to be a breakfast in bed situation," Axel ordered.

I settled back into the bed, pulling the sheet around my torso. In the light of day, I suddenly felt self-conscious about being exposed in front of Axel.

Axel sat on the edge of the bed and placed the tray in front of me. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I grabbed a little of everything."

The tray was filled with various fruits, two different types of eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, toast, biscuits, and multiple types of drinks. It was an impressive haul for a small motel like this.

"You are a saint." I grabbed a piece of toast and nibbled on the edge, testing the strength of my stomach after hardly eating for over a day.

"I know. Please feel free to sing my praise all day." The corner of his lip quirked in his usual teasing manner. The familiarity of it warmed my heart. Despite everything that happened last night, he wasn't treating me any differently.

"In your dreams." I rolled my head and took a bigger bite of the toast, my stomach suddenly opening up to full hunger levels.

He leaned in, his smirk turning devilish. "In my dreams, we are doing more of what we did last night. A lot more."

I choked at his comment. It shouldn't have flustered me the way it did. He explored my body so thoroughly last night, so there was no reason to be embarrassed. I didn't regret any bit of what we did, either, but his scent hit my nose, making me feel like a flustered school girl.

He handed me a glass of orange juice to clear my throat. "Once you finish up breakfast, get dressed. I got some clothes from a little shop nearby for us."

"I'm surprised you want me in clothes," I countered.

Axel raised his eyebrows, a playful smile forming his lips. "If you'd rather, we can just stay in the motel naked all day. I was just trying to be innocent and suggest we get some fresh air."

Axel had already changed into his new clothes. It was different from his normal style. This t-shirt had a picture of the lake plastered on it with the words "Lake Vena" curved above it. The shirt clung to his chest, outlining his body. His jeans were a lighter color than usual, and he looked just like an average college guy, instead of like the edgy college drop out style he usually adorned.

Yet, the back of my throat dried looking at him. He made even the plainest clothes look cool.

"I think some fresh air would do me good." As tempting as the other offer was, my body felt stiff, making me feel stiff.

"So what do you feel like doing today?" Axel asked. He sat on the other side of the bed from me and talked between bites. I wanted him to sit closer, but I didn't want to come across as needy or desperate. "I'm not sure," I said. "I hadn't really thought about it."

He wiped his hands clean. "I was thinking-if you feel up for it-we could go for a hike and then maybe a run in our wolf form.."

"That sounds nice." I hadn't fully shifted into my wolf form since before the semester started. Focusing on school left little time to stretch my wolf, and sometimes it caused that part of me to grow antsy.

I finished eating and then changed. Axel asked the front desk for the best hiking path in this area, and then we were off.

Clouds hung in the sky, making the air damp and cold. Each breath I took stung my lungs a little, but I didn't mind it. It made my body feel alive by sharpening my senses.

Axel held out his hand for me to take. He smiled, but his eyes seemed to say something different, as if he was worried I would change my mind about him now that I wasn't sleep deprived and emotional.

I took his hand and tugged his arm, bringing him closer to me. I lifted onto my toes and pressed my mouth against his. I hadn't thought about what last night meant for us in the future, but I wanted him to know I didn't regret anything that happened. "Let's go," I said, squeezing his hand.

We started on the path, and it was a little overgrown. It looked like it had been several weeks since someone had come along this path, which was perfect. As werewolves, it was our responsibility to make sure humans never saw us transform. Werewolves who failed to follow this command had to have trials where their alpha and two other alphas determined if it was a necessary break in the law, and if not, they decided the severity of the punishment they received.

We walked for several miles before stopping. There was a slight pinch in my side, reminding me just how out of shape I was. While I was able to maintain my figure, I was not athletic. Hours in the library left little time to go to the gym, but this hike made me want to be better about that.

Axel stopped walking and looked around. "I think this is far enough." He turned to the side and started venturing into the forest. "What about the path?" I asked.

The ground dipped down, and the ground was loose compared to the path. I was grateful to have Axel's hand to keep me stable.

"We can't transform this close to the path, just in case anyone happens to come by. Can't have that, can we?" Axel looked back at me, and he winked.

His footsteps were light, and even on the unstable ground, his stance was steady and guiding. I stared at his shoulders and the back of his head. His hair was still down and unusually fluffy without his styling gel. It made me want to run my fingers through his hair. It also made him look softer. He wasn't wearing his leather jacket either, since it was still drying from the rainstorm. Instead, he had on a sweatshirt that matched his t-shirt. It was an extremely different look from the one I was used to, but it matched the side of him I knew. His other look was the hard, uncaring exterior he put up in front of him, but this was the side of him that drew me to him. The soft, vulnerable side.

Flashes of the way he treasured my body filled my head, and my face heated, despite the chill in the air.

I wasn't focusing on my path, and my foot hit a rock, knocking me off balance. Axel tightened his grip on my hand and twisted to stabilize me. He held me for a moment, gazing down into my eyes. "Careful there."

"Thanks," I muttered, looking away from him. I only tripped because I was too distracted by the way he looked, and it would mortify me if he ever found that out.

He pulled back, keeping only his hand in mind. Looking around, he said, "I think this is far enough. We can put our clothes on that boulder, so we don't damage them."

"What if someone finds our clothes?" I asked. It had been a long time since I had transformed in a forest that wasn't owned by werewolves. It was unnerving to know that any regular human could find us.

"Then I guess we'll have to be naked forever." He quirked his eyebrow, his eyes glimmering. When his eyes met mine, he realized the joke wasn't hitting the way he had anticipated. He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. "There's no need to worry."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, wishing I didn't feel as nervous as I did. The initial idea of a run in the forest sounded wonderful and freeing, but now that we were actually about to do it, I was losing my nerves.

"But what if someone sees us?"

Axel closed the distance between us again. He cupped my cheek and kissed me. At first it was soft, but then he slid his tongue between my lips, asking for permission. I parted my mouth, unable to deny him. One taste was all it took to make me fall into his every touch.

When he parted, my body ached for more, feeling empty as the cool air swirled around me, instead of his warmth.

"Feel better?" he asked.

My worry had settled, being replaced by the heat he stirred in my core. It didn't completely disappear, though. "A little."

"As long as you're with me, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." His voice was firm, and I knew this promise wasn't made lightly.

I thought of the memory Axel had recalled, finding James dead and me unconscious.

We ran so fast, but it wasn't fast enough.

Even though he hadn't said it, when Axel recalled the story, I saw the blame he placed on himself for not being there when James and I were attacked. He never wanted to lose anyone again.

I pushed through the tightness in my chest and let go of Axel's hand. I pulled my jacket off and then stripped my shirt. "Guess there's nothing to worry about then."

Axel's eyes lowered, taking in my exposed skin. He bit his lip as he watched me undress, making me keenly aware of each article of clothing I was taking off. Before I took off my underwear, I folded the rest of my clothes.

"Are you going to undress, are you just going to watch me?" I asked, acting like my heart wasn't racing a million beats per minute.

Axel stepped forward with a dark haze in his eyes. The storm raged, and the corner of his lip pulled up. This look was nearly irresistible, and it was a wonder I was able to keep off of him for as long as I had.

"I haven't decided yet. I quite like watching you undress." He licked his lips, closing the distance between us.

The air grew thinner with each step he took towards me. "We're supposed to be going for a hike," I reminded, my heart pounding like a drum.

Axel slid one hand around my back and buried his head in the crook of my neck. His other hand played with the hem of my panties, making tingles run throughout my body. He took a deep inhale, making my body shiver. "We can still do that. After."