Baiting My Stepbrother: The Outcast's Revenge

Tresia

I was going to drag my father and his family down to hell with me. After what he'd done to my mother and me, they deserved nothing less.

I twirled the wineglass in my hand, peeking beneath my lashes at my dear brother across the room. His hazel-green eyes were still on me, even with the flock of women surrounding him, trying to get his attention. Emereo was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular build that made him stand out in any room. His dark hair fell over his forehead, and his handsome face, coupled with that cold aura of his, was enough to have women throwing themselves at him.

As the only legitimate daughter of an Alpha, I should have been standing beside my father too, welcoming the guests at tonight's Moon Festival. Instead, I was tucked away in a corner like some unwanted rogue while he paraded his precious family before the entire pack.

Just then, my stepsister Karen walked up to me with her usual mocking grin, her curly dark hair falling over her shoulders and her green gown clinging to her curves.

“Oh, Sister, you should be with Father. What are you doing here?” she sneered. She glanced at my dress, and her smile widened. “Right, you're not dressed for the evening. I suppose it's better than showing your face to our honourable guests. Just return to that hole you crawled out of.” She leaned down as she uttered the last few words.

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. She was mistaken. She probably thought I was here moping around because I wasn't part of the family. No, I could have spent my time in my room, but tonight, I had the perfect plan. I turned to her, handing my empty glass to the server.

“And miss out on the fun? Please. There are so many handsome men in the room tonight. Have you forgotten the rumours? I fuck around like a whore, and I'll be leaving with the best wolf who takes the bait, just like you, Sister.”

Her jaw tightened. There it was. The little crack in that perfect princess act.

Father treasured Karen as though she could do no wrong. He'd probably faint if he knew his precious daughter had been sneaking into Emereo's room for years, only to be thrown out every time. Everyone else mistook her obsession for innocent sibling affection. But I knew better.

And for someone who had taken everything I ever owned, including every valuable thing my mother left me, and a father who seemed to cherish his adopted son, I was going to take that one thing away from them and make him mine. It would definitely be fun to watch the smug look on my father's face fall when his precious heir and his shame of a daughter got caught in a forbidden scandal.

I could still feel that predatory gaze from across the room fixed on me like a headlight.

Karen straightened up, looked around, and turned to leave, but not before pushing me hard enough to make me lose my balance on my only working leg. My back hit the pillar, and my hand knocked over the table of drinks. The room gasped as the glasses shattered on the floor, every eye fixed on me.

My father's murderous glare reached me in no time. Soon, he crossed the room, his palm landing a hard slap on my cheek. My head whipped to the side, and my lip tore.

Shit! That fucking hurt. My grip tightened on my dark dress.

“You imbecile!” His voice rang out in the room. He leaned down to keep the guests from hearing him. “Didn't I warn you not to show your face today and disgrace me? You have a death wish?”

My hand rubbed my cheek to ease the sting. I looked up at Emereo behind him, his jaw visibly locked as he watched us.

Save me? He'd never. I'd come to accept that after all the years we'd lived in this pack house. He had never touched or abused me, but he would never interfere, no matter how much it hurt. He would only show up later to treat my wounds like a caring brother. Even though he clearly saw Karen push me, knowing my left leg was bad, he'd never speak up for me.

The night Karen and her mother entered our house was the night my mother passed away. Karen had pushed me down the stairs, and I'd broken my left leg. Even though my father could easily have asked the healers to perform surgery on my leg, it was barely treated. My father believed Karen's tears and her claim that I'd tried to push her before falling down the stairs myself. I was locked in my room with a broken leg for days until the chief maid sent a healer to treat the surface wound. My bone was still broken.

Since then, I'd been limping on one foot. And Karen knew that just a little push would cause this much trouble.

Once again, my father didn't give me a chance to explain.

“Get the hell out of my sight, or find a corner to sit in, far away from the pack members and my guests. Useless limp!”

I'd heard those words so many times that they no longer hurt. I watched him walk back to his VIP section and wave at the crowd, signalling that it was a simple matter and the party could go on.

Karen's lips twitched as she tried hard to hide her laughter. Just then, a voice spoke from where Emereo was standing.

“Who is that? Goddess, she's so gorgeous, even in a dark dress.”

Karen scoffed, hooking her hands into his. That was Alpha Lincoln Timber, Emereo's close friend, known for always catching the prettiest girl in the room wherever he went. His face was always in the news, with a different she-wolf every time.

“Gorgeous?” Karen said. “Who wears a dark dress on such an occasion? Look at her. I'm embarrassed to tell you she's my elder sister, Tresia Bellamy.”

I'd managed to scramble off the floor. Damn it, did I now need to change into something else? But I couldn't leave this place without going through with my plans.

I was still processing everything when the footsteps stopped in front of me. I looked up to see Alpha Lincoln standing before me.

“Oh dear, that must have hurt. Still, I can't believe how pretty you are with a red face.”

Right then, I felt my brother's gaze intensify.

Maybe it was just a hunch, but I'd thought about it so much that I couldn't ignore it anymore. Emereo's gaze lingered on me far too often for him to be merely looking out for me.

If not, why did it feel like he was trying so hard not to smash Lincoln's head against the pillar?