Her revengeful Bastard

A stroll with his sister

Present time

*Kai*

Kai Tempest, that would be me, and I am intimately familiar with The full moon gardens, or full moan gardens as it is sometimes teasing called, but as a rule I limit my visits to the later hours when loose women can be had cheaply, cutthroats is plenty, decadence flourishes, men well into their cups are willing to spill secrets, and those who has once offended me can be paid back in full.

But wandering along the path this early into the night … as twilight is beginning to settle in and full darkness is but a whispered promise of seduction …. It makes my skin itch and my tailored clothing feel far too tight. Decent People is parading about enjoying the evening’s innocent entertainments, some taking pleasure in doing little more than leisurely strolling through the gardens that the Blackstone river keeps lush and green.

I can’t imagine having so few cares, of being so relaxed that my laughter would easily fill the air. Although in all fairness, I am not known for laughing … at least not with joy. My harsh bark tends to make people wary, especially when it is directed at them. With good reason. It is usually a signal that I am on the verge of claiming my retribution.

She clears her throat discreetly. “Why are we following that couple ?”

I have always known that the young beauty on my arm is no fool, but I had hoped that finally satisfying her curiosity about the gardens would have distracted her from my purpose. “I have no idea what you are talking about”.

“Liar”. With one arm entwined around mine, she slaps me with her free hand. I hadn’t given any thought to the fact that, in escorting her publicly, she might undermine my hard earned reputation for being the unforgiving kind of man. Although I doubt any of my acquaintances are here at this early hour.

“A throng of different people have passed in front of us, and you have not even given them a withering glance. When someone gets in our way, you stiffen and hurry around them as though they are an obstruction to your goals. You have totally ignored the jugglers and entertainers no matter how hard they strive to catch your attention. I have long ago figured out that your reason for bringing me here was not as a gift for my birthday … as you claimed … but because you decided you would be less noticeable with a woman on your arm”.

I give her a small smile. “Oh but you are just a girl, pet”.

“I’m seventeen. That is old enough to choose a mate and marry”. She huffs.

I return the huff. “You’re not marrying … or mating, yuk”.

“Someday I will”. She simply states.

I shake my head. “There’s not a man alive to whom I will grant approval to take you as his mate”.

She stops and glares at me. “It’s not your decision to make”.

“With no father about, as your oldest brother, the Alpha of the family, it damn well is.”

The little brat slaps at my upper arm again. “You are just trying to distract me so I won’t pester you with my questions. I won’t fall for it Kai”.

The couple in front of us stops to listen to a small orchestra playing a soft yet somber tune. Stopping as well, I glance down in order to see my sister’s triumphant expression as I half growl, “You’re too smart by half”.

With the praise, she squeezes my arm excitedly and smiles brightly. “Tell me everything about them”.

“Shh. Keep your voice low”. I don’t need someone pushing past us to hear my words or to know that I do indeed have a keen interest in the couple.

“I will”. She whispers back. “Now tell me, who are they ?”

I sigh. “He is the son of the Alpha of the Kipley pack, a title he will one day hold”.

She stretches her neck for a better look. “Something about him seems familiar. Can’t we move to the other side of them so I can see him more clearly ?”

“No … Not yet anyway”. I have no desire for her to examine the man too closely, to figure out precisely why I have a keen interest in this particular future Alpha..

“Do I know him ?” She asks.

I shake my head slightly. “I doubt it. He doesn’t exactly frequent your circles”.

“Does he frequent yours ?” She looks at me curiously.

I just give her a knowing smirk. “He will . . . eventually”.

“And the woman on his arm ? Tell me what you know of her”. She glances at them.

Because she had only recently come to my attention, I have to admit that I do not yet possess a great deal of information about her, but that will change in time. If my plan goes accordingly, she will more than eagerly fill in the particulars. “She is Anna Aimes, daughter to the late beta of the Kipley pack. Although she has been the Alpha’s ward since her parents died when she was a girl”.

Sorrow runs over my sister’s face. She is far too sensitive for the world in which she lives. “Then she’s an orphan, like you”.

She is nothing like me. No one is like me.

“Do you know how her parents died ?” Lea asks, sadness woven through the curiosity in her voice, perhaps because she has never known her own father and has always referred to herself as a half orphan, a much kinder term than the one attributed to me.

“Not yet” But eventually I will know every small detail about her: her likes, her dislikes, her dreams, her fears, her hopes and her worries.

“She’s rather pretty. I always think when someone is beautiful she … or he for that matter … is immune to misfortune”. Her tone is dreamy.

I shake my head. “No one is immune to misfortune”.

The couple begin strolling off, obviously having grown bored with the music. Lea doesn’t hesitate when I start walking again, quickening my pace to keep them within sight as they enter an area where the crowd thickens and more entertainers seek to earn a living, presenting small performances, hoping a coin or two will be tossed their way.

“So why are we following them ?” Lea asks.

“I’m seeking an opportunity to make the acquaintance of the future Alpha”. I wink at her.

She c***s her head. “To what purpose ?”

“I intend to take from him everything he holds dear … including the lady at his side”.