Chapter 3 My Stepbrother

• Jennifer's POV:
• "Urghh!"
• I screamed and tried to turn around, but Brian was faster. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me, gripping my shoulders, preventing me from moving.
• "Jennifer, are you crying? Why? Who hurt you?"
• His closeness made me instinctively shut my eyes. I could clearly see everything, even though Brian's lower body remained submerged in the water. He was ... enormous, especially when compared to Claude.
• The thought made me shiver. Oh no, Jennifer, how could you even think like that? Brian is your brother! You didn't see anything!
• He only rushed over because he's worried about you! How could you, dear Jennifer, misunderstand your beloved brother's intentions?
• I scolded myself internally, trying to block out the image I had just seen. "Brian, you should put on some clothes."
• "Tell me who hurt you!" Brian shook my shoulders urgently and demanded an answer. "Was it that jerk, Claude?"
• I could tell from his voice that he was furious, but I wasn't afraid. Instead, I felt his deep concern underneath his anger. Suddenly, a wave of sorrow surged from within me. My emotions were on the verge of spiraling out of control. I covered my face and sobbed. "Yes, Brian, you're right. He's a jerk! He betrayed me with Maya!"
• Seven years. For seven years, I never suspected there was something between them, because they were the two people I trusted the most.
• But now, these two—these two people I thought I knew—betrayed me. How could anyone be more pathetic than I am right now?
• Images of Maya, naked, moving wildly on top of Claude flashed through my mind. Maya's twisted face conveyed a mixture of laughter and disgust.
• And then Leo ... it turns out he's Claude's son. They weren't just having an affair—they had a child. I always thought Maya didn't talk about Leo's father because it was too painful. Because of this, I had tiptoed around the subject for years. Now, I realize just how absurd I had been.
• I cried so hard that I could barely breathe, forgetting everything around me, lost in my grief. Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable cracking of bones. Did Brian just shift?
• Stunned, I was confused. Before I could react, I felt something soft and furry nudge my arm gently, as if afraid to hurt me.
• Brian's voice came through our telepathic connection, "Get on."
• I opened my eyes in surprise and found myself face-to-face with a magnificent wolf. His eyes glowed faintly blue in the moonlight, and his thick fur shimmered with an ethereal sheen. He was beautiful.
• It was Brian. I hadn't seen his wolf form in years. Now, he was bigger, stronger, and more imposing than I remembered. His presence demanded respect. Brian's destiny to become the most powerful Alpha was evident to anyone who saw him.
• Yet, in this moment, Brian crouched slightly. It was waiting for me to climb onto its back.
• I was stunned. No one could ride Brian, the future Alpha of the Red Moon Pack.
• No one, except maybe one person—his future Luna.