My Brother, My Spouse

Chapter 3 A Failed Prank

The coming-of-age ceremony took place at Avril's house. Avril's father was a Beta, so she had inherited his strong and robust lineage, complete with a sharp, intense gaze.

Her family had high hopes for her to become the next Luna, and Avril, in turn, wanted a mate who was a powerful, aspiring Alpha.

Tonight, Avril wore a red dress with a rose tucked at her waist, radiating confidence and flair.

This was her night, and she intended to be the center of attention.

As Brian stepped out of the car, he saw Sylvia's friend, Selina, approaching.

"Oh, honey, are you really..." Selina trailed off, struggling to understand Sylvia's barefaced look. Finally, she nodded to herself. "You're going for a natural look to make a point about Avril, right?"

Brian sized up the girl before him, her blonde curls and sparkling green eyes. She was pretty but not his type—too dull.

Brian preferred women who were bold, clever, and ambitious.

"Sure, let's say that." Brian played along with a smirk.

Just then, Avril approached, wearing her signature smug look. "Sylvia, why'd you show up looking so plain? Can't compete with my beauty, so you gave up entirely, huh?" she sneered.

Brian raised an eyebrow. "Your 'beauty'? You mean your toad-like charm?"

Selina stifled a laugh and gave him a thumbs up.

Avril looked taken aback; Sylvia usually retaliated but never so bluntly. Her face twisted in anger. "Well, no wonder Vincent doesn't like you."

Vincent Balmore, renowned for his gentlemanly demeanor, was admired by many unattached young women.

Brian shot back, "First off, I couldn't care less about any other guy's opinion. I'll meet my mate eventually. And second, for all your arrogance, didn't Daniel reject you multiple times?"

Daniel Cruz was one of Brian's closest friends, and he'd confided that Avril was annoyingly persistent, but he had zero interest in her.

Avril flushed in embarrassment, wondering how Sylvia knew about Daniel's repeated rejections.

'Brian must have told her,' she thought. "He's Daniel's friend."

But no—that was hardly possible. Brian and Sylvia didn't get along at all.

When Avril spotted "Brian" nearby, a wicked idea crept into her mind. She sauntered over to him, hoping to drive a wedge between him and Sylvia.

"Hi, Brian. I'm Avril," she introduced herself, sweetly.

Sylvia felt a pang of disgust at Avril's syrupy tone, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Hello."

"That's your stepsister, right? Sylvia? She's pretty insufferable, isn't she?" Avril sneered, "I can't stand her either. Teachers seem to adore her for some reason. How about we play a little prank on her together?"

Sylvia, genuinely curious about what Avril had planned, played along. "What kind of prank are we talking about?"

Avril's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Sylvia can't swim. How about we push her into the pool? It's shallow, so she won't get hurt. And since you're her stepbrother, and tonight is my special night, no one would dare blame us, right?"

"Sounds like a fantastic idea," Sylvia said with a grin, knowing full well that Avril didn't realize she was speaking to the real Sylvia.

Avril smiled, oblivious. "You get her to the pool, and I'll push her in from behind. Deal?"

"Deal."

Sylvia walked over to Brian, who was standing by the refreshments. "I need to talk to you," she said.

Brian raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Just follow me," she replied.

Leading Brian toward the pool, Sylvia explained, "Avril wants to push me—you, I mean—into the pool."

Brian rolled his eyes. "That's low, even for her. Should I just call her out?"

Sylvia shook her head, grinning. "Nah, let's play along. When I say 'move,' step aside, and she'll go right in instead."

Brian chuckled, recalling Sylvia's pranks on him when they were kids. 'Women,' he thought, 'can be downright ruthless.'

When they reached the pool, Avril was poised to strike, her face twisted with determination.

She was sure everyone would witness Sylvia's humiliation.

"Move," Sylvia mouthed.

In unison, they both sidestepped, and Avril, unable to stop herself in time, toppled into the pool with a loud splash.

The resulting wave caught everyone's attention, and soon, people rushed over to help Avril out of the water.

Despite her elaborate attire, she had become the laughingstock of the evening.

Dripping wet, Avril shot a furious glare at Sylvia, disbelief written all over her face. Why had Brian, of all people, helped Sylvia humiliate her?

"You... you..." she stammered, trying to accuse "Brian" but realizing she couldn't admit to her plan to push the Alpha's daughter into the pool.

That would earn her the scorn of the entire pack.

Forcing a bitter smile, Avril gritted her teeth and said to the onlookers, "Just... an accident."

As midnight neared, Avril sat at the center of the gathered wolves, who formed a circle around her.

The group chanted hymns to the Moon Goddess, asking for her blessings to ease Avril's first transformation.

The clouds parted, and moonlight spilled down on Avril, touching every inch of her skin.

"Ahh!"

She cried out in pain as her human form began to shift, giving way to her wolf form.

Her fur, sleek and radiant, marked her as a strong, agile wolf.

The crowd howled in celebration, welcoming another wolf into adulthood.