Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 112

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 112**

**ΚΑΤ**

The look on his face was a mix of shock and disbelief, as if he had just been dealt an unexpected blow. Why was he so surprised? Hadn’t my journey of running away, surviving alone, and battling every obstacle thrown in my path been a clear indication of my resolve?

“Katerina, this isn’t you,” Kostas murmured, his voice low, almost pleading. “You know how crucial this ceremony is.”

“Crucial? Yes, but I’m still left in the dark about why,” I retorted, my words dripping with sarcasm. My wolf stirred within me, teeth bared, ready to lash out.

She was restless, pacing back and forth, her fury intensifying with every syllable that slipped from Kostas’s lips. I could see the way his gaze softened, the yellow hue in his irises fading, replaced by an earnest brown that seemed to plead for my understanding. Even the way he inhaled, deeply and slowly, grated on my already frayed nerves.

But confronting him through this barrier was one thing. Despite the tempest of rage swirling inside me, my omega instincts were a force I couldn’t easily defy.

“I’ll share what I can,” he said, urgency lacing his words. “Time is slipping away from us. I sought the king’s permission to reveal everything, but… if you don’t mate with me, Katerina, you will die.”

My anger remained unyielding, a stubborn flame that refused to be extinguished. I had already learned that grim truth from my mother’s desperate declaration: “It’s not too late; we can still save her.”

“Then I will die, Kostas. Anything is preferable to being trapped here.”

His reaction was instantaneous, as if I had physically struck him. He stumbled back, shock etched across his features.

“How can you utter those words? Do you even grasp the impact of your actions on us?” he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of hurt and frustration. “Do you realize why the pack is in this state? Why our parents can barely stand to look at one another anymore?”

On any other day, guilt would have surged within me, a familiar companion that I had grown accustomed to. I would have recognized the selfishness that colored my choices. But we had reached this impasse because they still failed to comprehend the reasons behind my departure.

“No! No one has bothered to enlighten me. If you refuse to share the truth, then you might as well return to where you came from,” I shot back, my voice sharp. “You can’t manipulate me into a mating ceremony by heaping all the blame on my shoulders.”

With that, I turned away, seeking something—anything—else to unleash my pent-up frustration upon.

“Katerina!”

The sharpness of my name cut through the air, causing me to whip around. The crowd parted like the sea, revealing my father striding toward me, flanked by his guards.

“How did you escape your room?” he demanded, his voice low and menacing.

A surge of fear coursed through me, and I instinctively took a step back. Kostas’s aura had nearly shattered my defenses; my father’s presence threatened to obliterate me entirely.

“It was Nathan,” Kostas hissed, his fury palpable. “He’s cloaked everything and reinforced the wards around her room. He’s relying on Sterling.”

A silent exchange passed between my father and brother, their expressions darkening. The king’s jaw tightened, a sign of his simmering rage. A mere alpha had dared to defy him, with a Lycan backing him up. The offense must have stung deeply.

And that only fueled my anger further. Even amidst my fury, they still viewed me as nothing more than a pawn in their game. To them, the only future I had was as Kostas’s mate, perhaps bearing him a child or two to ensure the continuation of the Lordswood lineage. My worth was reduced to that singular role.

My father’s glare pierced through me, and for the first time, I sensed a flicker of irritation in his eyes. Perhaps he had always felt it, but I had only now begun to perceive it as my wolf’s presence grew stronger.

“The Bureau is wrapping up. The preparations for your ceremony are complete,” he declared, his tone brooking no argument. “Allow the servants to proceed.”

“Even now, you’re coercing me into this as if my voice holds no weight?” I growled, my frustration boiling over.

“You’ll have everything you desire for the rest of your life, with the entire kingdom standing guard over you,” Father replied, his tone almost pleading. “How have I wronged you?”

“I refuse to mate with a man I grew up believing was my blood brother,” I snapped, my voice laced with defiance.

“No one else wants you, Katerina!” Father shouted, his words landing like a physical blow.

The sting of his proclamation left me breathless, stumbling back as if I had been struck. How could my own father utter such a thing? How could he reaffirm every whispered judgment I had fought so hard to dismiss?

“We searched the entire kingdom for a true mate, for anyone willing to claim you,” he continued, his tone hardening. “Now it’s time for you to put on your big girl panties and do as you’re told.”

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