Chapter 1 Betrayal

• Jennifer's POV:
• "Are you really going to marry that jerk?"
• As I, Jennifer Hudson, admired myself in the mirror wearing the wedding dress I had always dreamed of, Brian Carney was staring at me. His face clouded with disapproval.
• I knew he never liked my boyfriend, Claude Miller. However, Claude loved me. He had never cared that I was an Omega, and I was thrilled to be marrying him.
• I hooked my arm through Brian's, smiling as I tried to soothe him. "Brother, trust me. I'll be happy."
• "Jennifer, how many times have I told you? Stop calling me brother."
• Brian grumbled, his brown eyes fixating on me. I could tell he wanted to say more. When I gave him an encouraging look, he clamped his mouth shut.
• After a while, he ruffled my hair with a grumpy sigh. "Tomorrow, you won't be mine anymore."
• There was an undertone of sadness in his words, but they left me confused. I always thought he didn't care much for me.
• My father used to be the Beta of the Red Moon Pack, but he disappeared during a battle against the rogues. They searched for him for a long time but never found him. The Alpha of the pack, Marcus Carney, who had been close friends with my father, took me in as part of his family.
• That was how Brian became my stepbrother. I always believed he didn't like me. I'd heard that the day the Alpha suggested adopting me, Brian had protested. It wasn't surprising, really. Even when we were kids, he would tease me. Brian was the future Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, while I was a weak, shiftless Omega—he had every reason not to like me.
• Brian even argued with his father, but no one could defy the Alpha's decision. Just like that, I became the Alpha's youngest daughter and Brian's stepsister. From that day on, Brian gave me the cold shoulder and forbade me from getting close to him.
• At first, I tried to mend our relationship. I made him delicious macaroni once, but he didn't appreciate it. If I accidentally touched him, he would push me away so hard that it sometimes hurt. That's right; he couldn't stand me touching him, as if I was something filthy.
• Yet, when others bullied me, Brian always stood up for me. I figured it was probably because his father ordered him to protect me.
• Our relationship only started improving when my father returned. Three years ago, I caught his scent and found him unconscious by a stream. He was battered, his neck scarred from burns. My father had endured so much pain to make it back. I was no longer an orphan. I was freed from the Alpha-daughter bond. That day, for the first time, I saw Brian smile, though it was fleeting.
• After that, Brian became kinder, though he still refused to let me call him brother. Still, he would always be my family in my heart.
• "No, you'll always be my brother."
• After I said that, his expression darkened. I looked into his eyes, trying to understand why. Brian turned his head away and left the room quickly.
• "Weird!" I muttered, brushing it off. Brian's odd behavior wasn't exactly new.
• I twirled happily in front of the mirror, but then I noticed something missing—the veil!
• "Oh no!" I quickly took off the wedding dress and threw on some casual clothes. After that, I drove to Claude's house. That guy always forgot things, and today it was my veil. If I went to his place now, we'd get to see each other for a bit, and that made me happy. I was sure Claude would be happy to see me, too.
• I didn't call ahead because I wanted to surprise him.
• As I thought about our future together, a smile crept onto my face. After tomorrow, Claude and I would finally be together forever.
• When I arrived, I slipped off my shoes and headed for the living room. Suddenly, I heard a woman's moaning coming from the master bedroom.
• What the hell? Why is there a woman's voice here?
• Shocked, I noticed the bedroom door was slightly ajar. The woman's moan was unmistakable as it drifted through the door crack.
• Rage flared up inside me. My legs felt heavy, yet I couldn't stop myself from moving closer.
• I stood in the doorway, each sensual sound hitting me like a sledgehammer and tearing a new wound in my heart.
• The door was ajar. A light push opened it further.
• There, on the floor, lay a pair of beige high heels. A woman's bra and panties were tossed carelessly beside them.
• Fighting back the fury and panic rising within me, I turned my gaze toward the bed. And with just one glance, it felt as though a dagger had sliced through my chest, leaving me gasping for breath.