The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 69

JUNIPER

"What's going on?" I whispered, my own heart racing.

Axel didn't respond right away. Instead, he stared into my eyes with a fear that shook his very core. After a moment, he looked around, making a point to keep his body in front of mine. "I think it's safe."

I grabbed Axel's hand, looking out onto the parking lot, trying to figure out what he was looking for. "What are you talking about? Why wouldn't it be safe?"

In the back of my head, a fear tugged at my thoughts, already answering my own question, but I didn't want to assume anything.

Axel ran his fingers through his hair, messing up the perfect style. "For a moment, I thought someone might be following us."

"Someone like the hunter?" I asked, my nerves growing. If the hunter had found us, Axel would've been the one to get hurt, since he jumped in front of me like a shield before I even knew what was happening.

Axel gave a curt nod. "I don't want to be caught off guard. While we're off campus, I just want to be extra careful, since there's no security to keep things safe."

"I thought Ethan said it was probably just a coincidence," I said, trying to get my heart to calm down.

Axel took my hand and started leading me towards the mall. "I'm not sure of that myself. I don't have any proof, but it felt like the hunter was targeting you specifically."

I stopped walking. "What?" The way Axel said he thought I was being targeted felt too off-handed, making it feel like I misheard him.

"Ethan didn't want me to tell you, because he didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, especially because we don't know if it was just some freak accident or if the hunter followed us. I thought maybe he was right, but if there's a chance you're being targeted, you deserve to know the truth," Axel explained.

I looked around the parking lot with different eyes, half-expecting the hunter to jump out and shoot Axel again. "Why are you telling me this now? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Axel's demeanor completely changed, as if he realized he had messed up. He took my other hand and looked me in the eyes. "I wanted to give you a few days of solace before I shattered your sense of safety. I know I should've said something sooner. I'm sorry." "We should go back to the school, if it's safer there. I don't want you to get hurt again." My voice cracked, and I couldn't stop my pulse from racing.

Axel squeezed my hands, and the gesture calmed me a little, but it wasn't enough, not when I knew there was a chance the hunter could come after me again. It was starting to feel like that curse was real, and it made it hard to breathe.

"J.J., I'm not telling this to scare you. I just want you to be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially because I'm not always going to be by your side to protect you. But I don't want you to stop having fun because of a threat we don't even know is real. It'll be okay as long as I'm with you." Axel kissed my forehead and pulled me into a hug.

I wanted to tell Axel that that made it worse. I wanted to tell him I didn't care about my own safety- I only cared about his. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt because of me again.

"If it's this dangerous, we should just go back to the school. If you got hurt..." I couldn't keep talking. My throat closed, stopping any words from coming out.

"We're okay. I made a mistake. No one is following us. I didn't mean to scare you."

I forced a smile, even though I knew it didn't hide how I was actually feeling. "Let's just go back to the dorm. Please."

***

AXEL

"Why don't you head into the dorm first? I'll be right there after I find a parking spot," I said, pulling up to Juniper's new dorm.

She held onto my chest, taking deep breaths. "Okay." She released her grip and slid off my motorcycle.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'll be up in just a moment." If it wasn't for my helmet, I would've leaned in to kiss her.

"Don't take too long, or I'm going to have to come find you." She laughed, but it didn't hide her nerves.

I knew I overreacted in the parking lot, and it scared her. That was the reason I was hesitant to tell Juniper about my theory of the hunter targeting her. I didn't want her to stop living her life because of it, but she also deserved to know the truth. Too many secrets had been kept from her for too long, and the last thing I wanted to do to her was add another secret to the long list.

I watched as she made it through the doors of the building before I moved. Juniper was my heart, and I couldn't stand the idea of anything happening to her. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that I was wrong, and she wasn't being targeted again. However, I also knew I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

I parked my motorcycle and then started heading to the dorm, eager to be with Juniper. The days I was stuck in bed while she had to go on living her life were a struggle. I just wanted to be by her side every moment of every day.

I knew that was excessive, but I couldn't help myself. Ever since I let myself actually go for what I wanted, I couldn't stop the streak of selfishness that came with it. "Axel!"

I glanced behind me to see who had called my name. Asher ran up to me, and instantly, I could tell he was not in a good mood. I paused, unsure what my brother could possibly want. Ever since Juniper came into the picture, he and I had hardly hung out. At first, it was because he was spending all of his time with her. Now, it was because I was spending my time with her, and he couldn't handle that.

"What's up?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets. I hadn't seen Asher since he stormed out of Ethan's apartment after catching Juniper and me making out. It wasn't my intention to have him find out like that. I still cared about him, even though he was a colossal i***t when it came to Juniper.

"Don't act like you don't know," he snapped.

I raised my eyebrows and blinked a few times, expecting him to say he was kidding or something. "I really don't know what has you in a pissy mood. If you're here to see Juniper, I don't think now's the best time. She's really shaken up from the attack, and the last thing she needs is to deal with your pissy mood."

Asher's nose flared. "Oh, don't act like some knight in shining armor. It's your fault you two were attacked in the first place."

"Excuse me?"

"If you hadn't acted like her getaway car, if you didn't sweep her away the second you got the chance, you two would've never been in that forest. If you had just minded your own business-"

"If you weren't a complete a*****e to her, I wouldn't have had to save her from you. If I had known there was a hunter, I wouldn't have taken her a million miles near there, and I know you know that. And in case you forgot, I jumped in front of a gun to protect her and got shot in the process." I curled my fingers into fists, trying to monitor my anger.

"You turned her against me," Asher shouted, losing what little composure he had left.

I turned and started walking away. I didn't have time to deal with this from my brother. "I didn't do s**t against you."

"I finally had her, and then you had to just swoop in and take her." He was desperate and pathetic. It was infuriating.

I turned on my heels. "You are acting like you own her. You didn't have her. She chose to spend her time with you, and you turned around and f****d it up. You hurt her, and I was just there to pick up the pieces. Don't blame me for the mistake you made." "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"But you did." Every muscle in my body was tight with frustration. Asher was one of the golden children. He was used to getting what he wanted, and he couldn't stand the fact that Juniper ran to me when he showed some of his true colors.

He was normally the reasonable one, but there was something about Juniper that made him lose it.

"But-"

"Stop making excuses," I snapped. "You f****d up, and you lost her. Let it go. She wants me now. Not the perfect boy who thinks he's above making mistakes. Stop trying to blame everyone but who is actually at fault. If you don't realize who that is, try looking in a mirror." "f**k you," Asher growled under his breath.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear my perfect twin cussing. That was something he normally left to my degenerate self. "I'm surprised you'd actually say that, risking your perfect reputation."

"Stop! Stop acting like I'm a perfect child! I mess up all of the time, and sometimes the pressure is too much. I should be allowed to make mistakes every once in a while without ruining everything." His eyes were crazed the same way they were the night of Homecoming. It was almost nice seeing Asher like this, wild and letting loose.

"Sure, but some mistakes can't be taken back. How could you actually accuse Juniper of cheating on you? She trusted you, and you destroyed her."

"Stop it," he muttered under his breath.

"Stop what? Telling you how much you hurt her? How you finally got your chance with her, and you pushed her out the window?" While I understood making mistakes, I couldn't excuse the mistake he made with her. Seeing her cry and knowing my brother was the cause was too much. The fact that he wasn't even taking full responsibility made it worse. "Do you actually think you'd still be with her if I wasn't there to pick up the pieces? Because you're wrong. Even if I wasn't there, she wouldn't want to be with you. No one would after what you did."

"Stop!" he snapped.

"Or what?" I taunted. I wanted to see how far I could push him. He was unhinged, which was a rare sight to see.

Asher stepped forward, swinging his fist forward. I easily dodged his attack, but he came at me again. He had training as a warrior, but I knew how to street fight.

I swung my fist, hitting him in the jaw. "Do you really want to do this? You won't get Juniper back this way. You're too late for that. She wants me now."

Asher growled and lunged at me faster than I anticipated. His shoulder slammed into my torso as he wrapped his arms around my waist. My back hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. He pushed off of me and swung at my face. His fist collided with my jaw, snapping my head to the side.

I laughed at the pain, which only made Asher angrier. He hit me again, and this time I tasted blood.

"f**k you," he growled, hitting me a third time.

I laughed harder, knowing it was completely inappropriate, but as he punched me, Asher felt like the brother I used to have. He wasn't pretending to be prim and proper for our father. He was letting himself feel his emotions for once, and it was a beautiful sight. "Asher! Axel!" a female voice screamed.

My body tingled, and I knew it was Juniper screaming. She sounded desperate and horrified, and I didn't want her to see any more of this.

I grabbed Asher's shirt and yanked him forward, before he could hit me again. "Enough of this," I said in a low warning growl. "Fighting me won't change what you did. Accept you f****d up and move on."

Asher grabbed my shirt, breathing heavily. "Appreciate her while you have her, because it won't be long until you lose her, too. Her heart never belonged to us, and it never will. We weren't meant to have her."

He pulled back, and I released him, letting him go. He pulled a photo from his pocket and threw it at me. He stormed off as Juniper reached us. I lay back down and took a deep breath. My face throbbed with pain, and blood dripped down my face. I knew I looked like a mess, and I wasn't sure if Juniper would be mad or worried after seeing the last bit of the fight.