The Four Beta Brothers – Chapter 71

JUNIPER

I forced myself to stand tall, despite Ethan’s fury threatening to crush me. I had been so worried about Axel discovering my plans before I was able to execute them that I forgot that Ethan was technically a staff member at the school. I shouldn’t have been surprised he found out about my request for a leave of absence, especially since I ran into him right after making the request.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I said, surprised my voice sounded as confident as it did.

your life, and you are just throwing that away, like it doesn’t even matter. I

to discuss my life decisions with yo

bout him? Don’t you care about any of us?”

eave.”

w the incident with Axel scared you, and your instinct is to run, but we’re the ones who can protect you. I have to prot

with you, you would jump in front of a bullet for me, just like Axel.

use of me. I can’t do it again. I won’t do it again, so you can try to make me stay, but I love you too much to do that.” My chest was heaving by the time I was done yelling at

culous or something along those lines. Instead, he stared at me with wide eyes. The air was thick between us, and there w

ace was unreadable.

didn’t have a choice.

ell you or anyone else, because I didn’t think any of you would understand. And I didn’t want any of you to ask me to stay, because I know it would make it nearly impossible to leave. So please don’

would let me protect him and his brothers in return for all of the kindness they had given me over the years.

ord, and it was making me antsy. “Please just say something. Even if you have to yell at me. I don’t care. Just say something.”

is question would change the course of his life.

umming like a drummer as I thought back to the words I said. I hadn’t meant to tell Ethan I loved him. It slipped out in the middle of ranting, but while I didn’t intend to

e you,” I said

arm around my waist. Before I knew what was going on, Ethan’s mouth pressed against mine. It was like every

racted to him, but it was never an idea I entertained. Ethan was my TA, and when we met, I had been accused of sleeping with professors fo

e I knew I could go to if I ever needed help. I started looking at him almost like an older brother, because there were no other options. I couldn’t let myself fall for someone so above me.

matter anymore.

n I gripped it, needing to ground myself as everything else disappeared around me.

e.

dle pressing into my lower back. I yelped from the sudden pain, but it didn’t stop the k

in our desperation, made me feel his love deep within my soul.

first to break the kiss. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

d suddenly the kiss felt wrong. It felt so right in the moment, but it was too complicated. I was with Axel.

y. We weren’t a couple, and we were too new t

touched me.

ay from Etha

I shook my head, putting more distance between us. “I have to go. I can’t stay here any longer.”

. “Please stay.”

ing to scare me when he said I was cursed, but I’m not so sure. I can’t risk staying around you or your brothers, because if the curse is real, you’ll only end up dead, too.”

o me.

t’s why Axel nearly died. That’s why I have to leave. I have to find a witch to break this curse. Maybe then I can come back, but it’s too dangerous to stay until then.”

you have been surrounded by a lot of death, and

feeling exasperated. I had kept things bottled up

ked.

p this conversation between the two of

the words came out of my mo

ou were l

rgency in his voice.

those kinds of qu

Is that why you are planning on leaving?”

l of you, so he begged me to leave before he lost any more sons.”

never said anything about a curse to me.” Ethan knitted his brows together, struggling to understand what his father told me. “He never

self. “Maybe that’s true. Maybe what Beta Burrell said is true. I don’t know, but I do know that if there’s a chance the curse is real, I can’t risk your lives.

to know whether or not my father lied.”

d better.

e yet. If after a week I’m unsuccessful, then you can choose what you want to do. But you should know that curse or not, it’s not going to stop my brothers and me from loving you. It’s not going to stop us from searching for you wherever you run to.

an choose to leave, but you can’t stop us from coming after yo

ve you a week.”

dangerous.