The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 72

JUNIPER

I couldn't stop pacing back and forth in my room as I waited for Axel to arrive. After Ethan left, I knew I had to tell Axel about our kiss as soon as possible. I wasn't sure if I had technically done anything wrong, but I learned from the mistake I made with Asher. I However, knowing I was about to tell Axel I had kissed his brother made me want to throw up. After how the conversation went with Asher, I was terrified that Axel would walk away and not want anything to do with me.

wasn't about to make the same mistake with Axel.

The easy thing to do was to keep the kiss to myself. If Ethan failed to find a witch to help me in the week I allotted, then I'd be leaving Axel anyway. I didn't want to lie to him, though. As terrifying as it was to tell him, I was more afraid of lying to him and hurting him even more by keeping it a secret.

Even if Axel chose to walk away from me after I told him what happened, I knew the only real option was to admit the truth to him now.

The knock on my dorm made my stomach jump into my throat. I took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hey," I said, trying to hide my nerves as I let Axel in.

The bruise on his jaw from where Asher hit him was already starting to heal, and he looked normal. Part of me expected him to walk into my dorm angry, like he knew I had kissed his brother already, but he didn't seem none the wiser.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, stopping to pull me into a hug. He kissed the top of my head, and guilt ate away at my stomach. "You sounded distressed on the phone."

So much for trying to act normal, I thought. There was no point in delaying the conversation, especially because each second that passed only made me more nervous.

"I have something to tell you," I said, pulling away from Axel. I didn't want to touch him when I admitted the truth of what happened to him.

"You're really worrying me, J.J. Did something happen?" Axel tried to grab my hands, but I pulled them back before he could touch me.

"I kissed Ethan," I blurted. It didn't come out the way I wanted it to, so I quickly tried to recover. "I mean, he kissed me, and at first I didn't do anything, but then I kissed him back."

Axel's hand fell to his side. "I see."

"I know you're probably furious with me. I had no intention of kissing anyone else. It just happened. I know that doesn't make it any better, and I'd understand if you never wanted to talk to me again." I was speaking almost too fast for my tongue to handle, and the words

"Do you want to be with Ethan?" Axel's voice was overly calm, and I waited for him to explode on me or call me names.

"I don't think so, but I'd also be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the kiss. I know it was wrong, and I'm sorry." I dug my nails into my arm, trying to stop the guilt from tearing me apart.

"Why are you sorry?" Axel asked. His was a blank slate, completely unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was angry or just didn't care or if he felt anything in between.

"I was afraid I'd hurt you."

I waited for Axel to yell. I waited for him to call me names, but it never came.

"Do you regret kissing Ethan?" he asked instead.

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to regret kissing him, but I didn't. As much as I didn't want to hurt Axel, kissing Ethan made me realize I had been denying a part of myself.

"No."

He nodded, the thoughts churning in his head. I held my breath in the silence, waiting for him to say he never wanted to see me again. Instead, Axel walked over to me. He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me closer. His lips met mine, and he swiped his tongue across my lips.

I parted my mouth, eager to give Axel what he wanted. He bit my lip and then sucked away all of the pain. He tasted like bliss, and as he touched me, everything else disappeared.

When he pulled away, it felt too soon, but then the cool air rushed around me, making me realize how easy it was to fall into the touch of one of the brothers.

"Did you regret that kiss?" Axel whispered in my ear, his voice husky and deep.

"No," I whispered. I didn't know what this meant. I enjoyed kissing both Ethan and Axel, and it made my head swim.

"Good." Axel licked behind my ear, making my body shiver in the process.

"So you're not mad at me?" I asked, still half-expecting the shoe to fall.

Axel grabbed my hands and started playing with my fingers. "I'd be lying if I said I was happy about it." He pulled my hand to his lips. "But how can I be mad at you? If the mate bond did break and transfer to Ethan, Asher, and myself when James died, I can't fault you for being interested in exploring your other options."

He led me towards the couch and then pulled me into his lap as he sat down. He kissed my inner wrist, sending goosebumps up my arm. Just a moment ago, his kiss was rough and passionate, but these kisses were soft and gentle.

"I thought you'd be furious when I told you the truth," I whispered.

"Knowing Ethan kissed you and you liked it has only made me feel more determined to fight for you. I wasn't lying when I told you I planned on fighting for you no matter what. I already gave you up to one brother. Ethan can kiss you all he wants, but until you tell me you don't want to be with me, I'm not going anywhere."

Axel and Asher may have been twins, but they were nothing alike. Asher cared about me, but his possessiveness got the best of him. He let an incident from before we were even official get to him, and then he wouldn't accept that I didn't want to be with him. Despite being the ideal student, he was the one starting fights with Axel.

Axel was supposed to be the bad boy. He skipped class, disregarded his family's wishes, and even rode a motorcycle. Yet he was the one who showed me kindness every step of the way and didn't judge me for kissing his brothers.

I shifted so I was straddling Axel and draped my arms around his neck. "You're too good for me."

Axel frowned and took a piece of my hair between his fingers. "I'm not good enough for you."

"Good thing I don't agree." Before he could say anything, I kissed him, keeping it light and playful.

His hands started at my hips and slowly lifted up, lifting my shirt in the process. He tossed the garment to the side before his hands found my hips again. We connected at the lips, and at first the movements were soft and gentle, but the longer we kissed, the less gentle it became.

Axel's fingers dug into my hips as he started rocking my hips against his. The friction made my core burn, and I hated every piece of material separating our bodies. Axel seemed to share the same sentiment. He stood up, picking me up with him. He walked to my bed and dropped me down before undoing his belt.

I shimmied out of my jeans as Axel stripped the rest of his clothes before climbing on top of me. He grabbed my head with a fierceness that left my core aching for him, and he plunged his tongue into my mouth. His hand slid down until it was between my legs, and he gently rubbed circles over my bundle of nerves.

I arched my back into the sensation, wanting more and more. I was dripping with excitement, and Axel growled as my scent washed over him. He slid his fingers into me and started pumping vigorously with two fingers. He curled just enough to hit the perfect spot, and my head swam with dizziness.

My body craved Axel to be inside, filling me to the brim. I wanted so much more than just his fingers.

I hooked my leg around his and rolled us over so I was on top of him. Axel looked up at me with a lazy smirk. "Someone's eager."

I bit my lip trying to stop his cockiness from embarrassing me. There was no reason to be embarrassed for wanting him. I wrapped my fingers around his girth and stroked him a few times to make sure he was hard for me. The motion made Axel's eyes flutter shut, and he started bucking into my hand.

I leaned forward, pressing my hands against his chest. Whispering in his ear, I said, "Now who's eager?" I nipped his lip before reaching into my side dresser and pulling out a condom. I had them prepared ever since I moved into my new dorm, not wanting to be caught off guard again.

I rolled the condom onto Axel and then situated myself over him. Slowly, I sank my hips down onto him. I leaned my head back as I took in every inch of him. Once he filled me completely, I took a moment to adjust to his size before moving up and down. Axel watched me, biting his lip as I began to bounce faster and faster. He let me do all of the work for a moment, but then he grabbed my hips and held them still as he thrusted into me from below. I cried out as the pleasure overtook my body, but Axel didn't stop. He only increased his speed, chasing his own release.

It didn't take long for him to find it, and with a final thrust and final groan, he froze, letting himself spill out.

I collapsed on top of him with him still inside of me. I pressed the side of my face against his chest as my body recovered. Axel stroked small circles on my back, relaxing me, and all of the fear and stress from before was gone. "You're making it difficult to imagine being with anyone other than you," I whispered, closing my eyes. I listened to Axel's beating heart, which made me feel safe and loved.

"Glad I'm succeeding with my plan," Axel said. He chuckled, and I felt the vibrations from his chest against my face. He leaned forward just enough to kiss the top of my head. "But I want you to know that if I have to share you while you figure out what you want, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, J.J. I love you more than I thought possible, so I'm going to give everything I have to keep you in my arms."

I pushed against Axel's chest and stared down at him. My heart raced, thinking about the last time a Burrell said those words to me. Something held me back from saying it last time, but there was something about the way that Axel said it to me that didn't feel as terrifying.

"I love you, too."

Axel's entire face brightened. "You do?"

I nodded, butterflies taking off in my stomach.

"In that case, I think we should celebrate," Axel said. He flipped me over, still inside of me, and I felt him harden again. He pushed the hair out of my eyes and looked down at me. For once, there was only a calm sea in his eyes, as if those few words were enough to heal a part of his soul that had been broken for a long time.

Axel sealed the sentiment with a kiss, and then he started moving his hips, starting round two.