The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 79

JUNIPER

Remy opened the door, making Axel, Asher, and myself jump. She hadn't been away for long, but the waiting was agonizing.

"I'm ready for Juniper," she announced.

I jumped to my feet, and the brothers followed me.

"Actually, I only need Juniper right now," Remy said.

"She's not going anywhere by herself." Axel's voice came out in a soft growl, and he moved closer to me.

Asher didn't say anything, but he also moved closer. Their scents surrounded me, making my head dizzy. I never thought it'd be so exhilarating to have two men acting so protectively over me. I never thought I'd even have one treating me this way. I stepped away from Asher and Axel. "I'll be okay. Just wait here."

"We will just be in the next room. You'd be able to hear if anything goes wrong," Remy said.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Axel asked. "You said there was danger to this whole process, and now you want to isolate Juniper while you do who knows what? I don't think so."

"May I remind you that you came here for help," Blade said. These were the first words he had spoken in our presence. "Remy is offering you assistance without even asking for compensation. You should be grateful, not doubt her."

"Forgive us for being on edge about this whole situation," Asher said. His words were kinder than Axel's, but he sounded just as upset. "We don't know you. We can't be expected to just trust you without reason." "Then you should just leave," Blade said.

The tension in the room grew so thick it made it hard to breathe. "I trust her," I said before an argument could break out. I turned to Remy. "I trust you."

"Then follow me," she said, opening the door behind her. She looked back at Axel and Asher. "You can be there when I actually attempt to remove the spell, if you insist, but this preliminary part needs to be done in private."

I looked back at the two of them, finding each of their eyes before I said, "I'll be fine. I promise."

Axel pulled his lips tight and gave me a curt nod. He trusted me, but he didn't like the situation. Asher looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact all together.

I followed Remy through the door, which led into another hallway, similar to the one we took to get here. She went to the closest door, gesturing for me to enter first. Nothing felt or looked off, and my instincts were telling me I could trust this girl. It didn't feel like she was trying to hide anything, and she was willing to help me without a second thought. She hadn't even asked for anything in return.

The room was plain compared to the other room we were in. There were only two chairs that faced each other. The walls were painted black, and no decorations were hung up to break up the darkness.

As if sensing my questions, Remy said, "I learned that some people are more comfortable in a one on one setting. It's not exactly normal for a werewolf and a vampire to be together, so it's easier for me to talk to werewolves without Blade present, and he talks to vampires without me around. The system usually works pretty well."

"I understand why people might be uncomfortable in this situation," I said, still scanning the room as if there was something else to find in the emptiness. "So what is it you need from me that the others couldn't be around for?"

"I needed to talk to you," she said simply. "I got the feeling there was more to everything going on than just some memory block, and I also got the feeling there are things you haven't told those two guys who are head over heels for you."

Heat creeped into my face at the mention of Axel and Asher. I hadn't realized the dynamic between the three of us was so obvious to someone who had just met us. "I actually have two questions for you that I'm not sure if you'll be able to help me with." "Why don't we sit for this conversation?" she said, gesturing to the chairs. "So what are these questions you have?"

I took a deep breath. "I have no idea if this is something you'll be able to tell me or not, but if a werewolf's mate dies before the mate bond clicks into place, is it possible for it to be transferred to someone else or even multiple people?"

Remy pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "I have never heard of that situation before. There's no way to prove someone is your mate until the mate bond clicks when you come of age," she said. "But I've known situations where it seems like two werewolves are drawn to each other before their eighteenth birthday, and then once they are eighteen, the mate bond clicks, and it makes sense. I also know that if a mate dies, sometimes the Moon Goddess blesses someone with a second-chance mate. So I suppose the situation you described is possible."

"Are you able to see mate bonds with your magic?" I asked, not satisfied with the answer she gave. I didn't need to know if it was possible. I need to know if that was my case.

"You don't have to have magic to see the bond you share with those two," Remy said. When I frowned, she added, "But I can do a little magic, if you need the confirmation."

I opened my mouth to say I didn't need the confirmation. I knew what I felt between the brothers wasn't just a normal connection. Never before had I felt so drawn to someone, let alone three different brothers. It couldn't have just been from a friendship I couldn't even remember.

Even though I knew the connection was real, it was also confusing. If it was like a full mate bond, it would make everything easier. It would give me a clear path to move down.

"I would appreciate that," I said, wishing I didn't need the validation I so desperately wanted.

Remy smiled and then cupped her hands in front of her face. She took a deep inhale and then blew into the space she created. She held out her hands, and when she opened them, little specks of yellow lights shimmered in a ball.

"Moon Goddess, hear my cries, find the bond once created under true love's guise." She blew on the shimmering magic, and it swirled around the room, dancing like fireflies. Then the lights found their mark, and in a line, they dove straight for my chest.

I jumped when they hit my skin, but it didn't hurt. Instead, it felt warm and loving. I could feel the magic dancing around my chest, as if searching for the answers I had been looking for. When the magic touched my heart, goosebumps flooded my skin. A shock rang out through my body, and then four lines dove out of my chest, still tethered to my heart.

Two of the lines were bright with light, and they disappeared into the wall to my left where I knew Axel and Asher were waiting for me. Then there was a third line that snaked into the ceiling above me. That line was fainter than the other two. The fourth line was barely visible, going in a completely different direction. It was so faint that I wasn't even sure if it was real.

I reached out in front of me and tried to touch the strings of magic, but my fingers just passed right through them, leaving only a warm, tingly feeling behind.

Remy leaned in, inspected the lines closer. "Interesting. I have never seen a connection with this many people before. I've seen people with two mates at most."

"So that's what this means?" I asked, feeling my throat tighten. "Are all of these connections with my mates?"

"I believe so, yes. It's strange, though. Usually, the bonds are strong and defined. These two are fairly weak for mate bonds. This one is especially weak." She pointed to the stream going into the ceiling.

"Could it be because he's far away?" I asked. I was sure that stream represented my connection with Ethan.

Remy shook her head. "That doesn't matter. I have cast this spell countless times. Werewolves come to me to find their mates, since it can be really difficult to find your mate in this territory. It doesn't matter if their mate is in a completely different territory. The bond always looks nearly blinding."

"Then why are my bonds different?" I asked.

"Why don't you tell me more about this possible mate who died? Maybe we can figure it out together," Remy suggested.

I went into details about what I knew about James, the reason the memory block spell was placed on me, and even Ethan's theory about the mate bond splitting between the three brothers. Then I told her how I reconnected with the Burrell brothers, but I left their last name out of my story. I explained the history between Asher and me and how I was with Axel, but not officially.

After I was done telling my story, I felt exhausted. It sounded almost insane when I spelled it out for a stranger like that.

"Wow," Remy said once I was done talking. She had mostly listened to my story, only asking for clarifications here and there. "I was not expecting that story," she said. She tapped her fingers together as she processed everything I had said.

I ran my fingers through my hair, slumping in my chair. The magic she had used earlier had faded, and the lack of its warmth made me feel almost empty. "I know. I still don't fully believe everything that's happened."

"I'm sure it's a lot, but I have a theory. You have been with Asher and Axel, and their bonds looked the strongest. Ethan-who you've only kissed-has the weakest connection with you. I think, based on what you said, James was most likely your mate, and when he died, the Moon Goddess wanted to keep your attachment to the same bloodline, so it transferred to the other brothers.

"As you have reconnected with them, the bond has grown stronger, and I think if you continue to build the relationship, the connection could possibly turn into a full mate bond."

"What does that mean for me then? I have three possible mates that if I choose to build a connection with, they could become a full-fledged mate?" I asked.

"Four mates," Remy corrected. "There was a fourth line that was hardly visible. I'm assuming that could be the fourth brother. What was his name again? Nate?"

"Nathan?" I said, scrunching my forehead. "But he wasn't there when James died."

Remy shrugged. "Perhaps this Ethan's theory was on the right track but was just a little off. Maybe it didn't transfer to the others because of proximity to James when he died. Maybe it transferred to the other brothers because you already had a close bond with them. Of course, this is just a theory, so I don't know how accurate any of this is."

"Four brothers, four choices," I said as I tried to process this new theory. "So I have to pick one and solidify that bond with him. Will the bond with others go away if I do?"

"It might," Remy said slowly. She wasn't sure about this at all. "It might not. There's no way to know until you try."

I frowned. This was not the news I wanted to hear. I wanted answers, not more choices.

"There's another option you haven't mentioned yet," Remy continued. "You don't necessarily have to choose just one of your mates. It's clear Asher and Axel love you deeply and would do anything to make you happy, and if theothers are anything like them, then maybe you don't have to choose just one of them."