The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 81

ASHER

"What's taking them so long?" I asked, checking my phone for the time again.

"Every time you ask that, blood boy's glare deepens,"Axel said.

Blade's nose twitched with Axel's comment, and I wished he used a little more tack when we were in the den of a magic user and a vampire. Now was not the time for disrespectful nicknames.

"I'm just worried," I said. This whole situation was uncomfortable, and it made me want to go home. I knew this whole trip was important to Ethan and Juniper, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling eating away at me. Something felt wrong, but I didn't know what it was. Remy seemed nice enough, and while Blade was a scowling statue, I didn't get a sense of danger from him. There was something else that I couldn't put my finger on.

"There's nothing we can do, so try to relax." Axel had shifted, so he was lying down a while ago. I didn't understand how he could lie down like that, as if everything was normal. I preferred to stay on edge in case something went wrong. The door opened, and Axel and I shot to our feet.

Remy walked through the door first, and for that split second, I couldn't breathe. Then Juniper followed her, and I still couldn't breathe. The sight of her still made my heart race, even after everything that happened between us. When she looked back at me, there was a sparkle in her eyes, and it made me hate that I had lost her. It made me hate myself. I knew what I had done wrong, and even still, when she looked at Axel, a piece of my heart cracked.

It wasn't as bad as it was before. After what Axel had told me, it made it easier. If it was true that Juniper shared a mate bond with my brothers, then I couldn't blame her for wanting them. What hurt the most was knowing that I messed up my chances with her, and I had a hard time believing she would ever see me the same way after the things I said to her.

I could apologize all I want. I could change my actions. However, there would always be a part of her that would remember the things I said.

"See, I told you I'd bring her back in one piece," Remy said.

Axel strode up to Juniper and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she said, hugging him back.

Axel's body seemed to melt at the touch of her. Even his eyes seemed to soften, and I wasn't sure if I had ever seen him look so at peace-not after James died. For the first time as I looked at them, I wasn't jealous. Juniper was good for Axel in a way I didn't even know he needed.

As much as I wanted Juniper to be mine again, I knew this time I had to put Axel's feelings before mine.

Remy's eyes met mine for a brief moment, and her lips went taut, as if she could read my mind and felt sorry for me. It could've been my imagination, though, because a moment later, she clapped her hands together and turned to everyone else. "Let's get this started then."

***

JUNIPER

All of us went back to the room that Remy and I had been in before. Asher, Axel, and Blade stood lined up against opposite walls. Remy took my hands, and she was surprisingly warm. I felt calmer as she touched me, and it made me wonder if she was using some sort of magic to soothe my nerves.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to do this?" Remy asked, staring into my eyes. It felt strangely intimate.

"Yes," I said confidently. Any nerves I had before were gone now, and I was just ready to find the answers I had been waiting for.

Remy turned to Axel and Asher. "Are you sure you want to be in here for this? It may not be easy to watch, and I can't have you interfering. It could make things worse."

"I'm not going anywhere," Axel said. His jaw was set in a hard line, and his arms bulged as they crossed his chest.

"Me neither," Asher agreed.

Remy glanced at Blade, and they seemed to share a thought. Then she turned her attention back to me. "Ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be."

Everybody in the room stopped breathing.

Remy closed her eyes, and her hands started glowing with a warm light. The warmth spread through my hands where she was holding onto me, and then I could feel the warmth spread throughout my body, running through my veins. When the heat crawled up my neck, it suddenly stopped, as if it had hit some sort of barricade.

Remy's grip tightened, and I felt the push of her magic in my body. It slammed against the barricade multiple times before I felt a shatter. The warmth poured into my head, and everything grew fuzzy. My vision turned black, and my body felt heavy. "Juniper!" That voice felt distant.

"Don't touch her. She has to work through this. She'll be okay." That was definitely Remy's voice, but I couldn't see her. I could only feel her. "Juniper, you're okay. I promise. Just keep going, and you'll find the memories you once held close to your heart." Everything was so dark, but I listened to Remy's voice. I kept moving forward, searching for something. It was like I was walking through a dark room, and each step I took felt colder and colder until a bright, white light pierced my eyes.

***

"Juniper! Juniper! Over here!"

I ran through the forest, moving so fast that it felt like I would trip at any moment, but I kept running like my life depended on it.

This was my body, but I had no control over it. It was like I was watching while trapped within myself. "James! Where did you go?"

"Follow my voice." His voice echoed all around me, but I caught a whiff of his scent. I could always find him by smell alone.

I turned my body, and it listened to me with ease, even at an intense speed. I caught a glimpse of James through the trees. I could recognize him anywhere. He was my best friend, and we spent every second we could together.

I ran after him, and when I was close enough, I leapt forward, tackling him in the process. We slammed to the ground rolling around and around. Rocks and twigs scraped up my arms, but I didn't care. When we finally stopped rolling, I was on top of James, pinning him to the ground.

"Got you!"

"Ow! Did you have to tackle me?" James complained.

"Did you have to run away from me?" I dug my hands into his wrists, keeping him pinned down, even though he wasn't fighting against me.

"What else am I supposed to do when we're playing tag?"

"I never agreed to play tag! You just punched my shoulder and said, 'Tag! You're it!' And then you ran away." I bared my teeth at him, frustrated he ran away the second I went outside.

"How else am I supposed to start a game of tag?" he asked, looking up at me with a smug expression.

That smug expression made me want to punch him in the face. We had been friends for years now, ever since my parents moved here to start working for the beta and alpha. I liked all of the Burrell brothers, but there was something about James that irritated me more than the others. He was always picking on me, unlike the rest of his brothers. "There has got to be a better way than punching me."

James hooked his legs around my waist and flipped us over so he was on top of me. He pinned me down, and I wiggled, trying to break free, but he was too strong for me. He had just been letting me stay in control before, and it made me only want to punch him

more.

"What if I did this instead?" James leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. My entire body froze, not understanding what was going on.

His lips sent a spark through my body, and suddenly all of the frustration melted away, leaving different strong feelings in his wake.

When he pulled back, he was grinning like a maniac.

"Why are you smiling like that?" All of the fight had left my body. Only confusion stayed in its wake.

"Because I'm going to marry you one day," he said with full confidence. He was only nine, but he acted like someone who owned the world.

"What makes you think I want to marry you?" I snapped back, some of the irritation returning.

"Well, do you?" His eyes widened, waiting for the answer. The hesitation in his eyes made me realize this wasn't some joke. He truly liked me, and he planned on marrying me one day.

That was my first kiss with James. It was the moment that I realized we were more than just friends. He wasn't picking on me to be annoying. He was picking on me because he liked me, and I kept chasing him because I liked him.

I had just been too young to understand that.

But this wasn't the memory I was looking for. I pulled away, now understanding why everyone thought James and I were mates. That one moment, that one kiss was enough for me to realize James was someone I always wanted by my side.