The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 56

JUNIPER

"Almost got it," Ethan said, as if to reassure Axel, but I was sure Axel couldn't hear him over his own screams.

Ethan dug the tweezers deeper into Axel's chest. Axel's body tried to lurch forward, and I had to use my entire body weight to keep him down. My muscles ached, and I felt light-headed at the sight of him in so much pain. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted him to be okay. Ethan pulled the tweezers free, and clipped between the ends of them was a shining bullet. Even through the blood coating its surface, the silver coat glimmered.

"There," Ethan said triumphantly. "Press this gauze against his wound." He walked into the kitchen and dropped the bullet into a cup, and the clink resonated in my ears. It was incredible how something so small could cause so much damage.

I grabbed the gauze and pressed it against the open wound. Axel's screaming had ceased, but his breath was ragged and irregular. Blood seeped against the cloth, and his blood was warm against my palms.

"Please be okay," I whispered, terrified we had wasted too much time getting to Ethan. We should've stopped or gone straight to a hospital.

Axel's eyes cracked open, and he grabbed my wrist. "I will always protect you, even if it costs me my life."

His words felt too familiar, and I hated it. "Don't say that."

Axel's eyes closed again, and his grip loosened. A cry escaped my throat, terrified that this was it.

Ethan was by my side a split second later. "I've got it."

I couldn't move my hands. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. This all felt too familiar, but I still couldn't remember why. It was like the memories were pounding against a wall in my head.

Ethan touched my shoulder, and his voice softened. "Juniper. He's going to be okay. The doctor is almost here, and now that the bullet is out, his body has started to heal. You can let go."

I took a step back, and Ethan immediately pressed his hands against the wound to hold the pressure. The moment I let go, nausea washed over me, and I couldn't hold back anymore. I dashed out of the kitchen and ran straight to the bathroom. I folded over the toilet and expelled the contents of my stomach. I heaved until there was nothing left.

I knew I should go back out and help with Axel, but I couldn't bring myself to stand up. I slumped against the wall and pressed my hands into the cool tile floor. This morning had started out wonderfully, and I didn't understand how it turned into this. There shouldn't have been a werewolf hunter out there-especially so close to the school.

I thought of the wolf mounted above the receptionist's desk at the motel, and I felt queasy again, wondering if that was once a werewolf. If I had anything left to throw up, I was sure I would be heaving over the toilet again.

The front door opened, and other voices filled the room. They were muffled and distant, so I couldn't hear anything that was being said. If I tried, I could tap into my werewolf abilities to increase my hearing, but I didn't have the energy to even try.

***

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door. When I didn't answer, the door cracked open, and Ethan poked his head through. When he saw I was just sitting on the floor, he slipped inside and shut the door behind him. He knelt in front of me, and his eyes scanned me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. It was like he was trying to soothe a terrified child, which probably wasn't that far off the target.

I nodded, unable to actually say it. I wasn't injured, but I didn't feel okay. I also didn't have the right to complain when Axel nearly died from a hunter protecting me.

Ethan stood up and grabbed a washcloth, wetting it with warm water from the sink. He gently wiped my hands, removing Axel's crusted blood off of them. "It's okay if you're not okay. You don't have to pretend to be strong."

My throat tightened, fighting against his words. "He jumped at the hunter to protect me. He could've died... He still might."

"Axel will be okay," Ethan said confidently, but his eyes were tight with worry. "The doctor is here and is taking care of him. We got the bullet out in time."

I watched Ethan continue wiping the blood off my hands. There was something almost soothing about the way he touched me.

"James died protecting me, didn't he?" I asked. Axel had only said that James and I were attacked, and James didn't make it. He didn't know the specifics of what happened, but something told me that Ethan would know what happened by the river. Ethan froze when he heard James' name. "Did your memories come back?"

I shook my head. "Axel told me about James and what happened from his perspective, but he didn't see the attack. He didn't describe how James died, but when I heard that gunshot..." My chest filled with pressure, fighting against the block in my memories and failing. "I just knew it wasn't the first time someone jumped in the way to save me."

Ethan's chest deflated at my answer. "I see." He continued wiping away the blood, using it as a distraction to think. "That day by the river, I don't know exactly what happened either. All I know is that James was already hurt by the time I got there. The assassin was there, ready to turn his attention to you, but when he saw me, he ran."

His eyes grew distant, and the heavy air clung to him like a cloud of despair. He set the wet towel down, now stained with blood.

"James was still alive when I got there. He told me he was sorry he wasn't stronger, and then he made me promise I would always look out for you."

My hands shook as Ethan confirmed my suspicions. "No one should protect me. I'm a bad omen. Next time-"

"No," he said, cutting me off. He held my face and made me look at him. "Don't ever say such a thing. You're not a bad omen. You are a wonder that needs to be protected. Axel is fine."

"He was shot." My voice came out more exasperated than I had expected. "I'm not a wonder. I'm just an omega orphan. There's nothing special about me. I don't understand why anyone would risk their life for me."

Something inside of me broke. I had never let myself believe I was any less because of my status. Even through all of the rumors Moira spread. Even as Asher broke my heart. I never doubted myself.

But this made something break inside of me. The Burrell's were one of the most powerful werewolf families in the country, and one of them had already died to protect me. Axel almost died doing the same thing. It made me feel small, like I didn't deserve that level of protection.

"Listen to me," Ethan said, lowering his voice an octave. "You are so much more than that. You are smart, brave, kind, and strong. You always have been. You also have this air about you that makes those around you want to be closer to you. Even as a kid, all of the other werewolves were jealous of how close we were to you. You are special in more ways than you realize."

"But-"

"You are Juniper, the disheveled, forward girl who ran into me in her attempt to run away from or towards something. Your chocolate hair and amber eyes, your plump lips and soft skin live in my dreams. Your voice sounds like a siren's song and your face looks like an angel's beauty. That is how I always have and always will remember you as. No matter what you think, you are special to me and my brothers at such a deep level that it is all-consuming."

Ethan's words made my head swim. His hands were firm and steady on my face. He sounded more confident than he ever had, and even though I still didn't fully understand why the Burrell family felt so connected to me, I believed Ethan. For whatever reason, I was special. Tears poured from my eyes as my terror and relief washed over me all at once. I hadn't been able to let myself feel, knowing I had to keep it together as much as possible until Axel was taken care of. It was as if Ethan's kind words gave me permission to fall apart. He sat on the floor and pulled me into his lap. He stroked my hair and held me close. "Shhh, it's okay. You're safe." His voice was soft and soothing in my ear. His warmth and his scent surrounded me, and I knew I was safe. Even still, I couldn't stop crying. "I was so scared he was going to die," I said between sobs.

"I know. I know, but he'll be okay. He has to be." There was something broken in Ethan's voice, and for the first time I realized I wasn't the only one experiencing the pains of the past. He had watched one of his brothers die before, and he almost had to do it again with Axel.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head in his chest, hoping to give him at least a fraction of the comfort he was providing me. We sat on the bathroom floor, holding each other, and I lost track of how long we were sitting there. I was grateful to have Ethan here to bring me back from the edge, and I knew without a doubt he would always be there for me.