Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 123

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 123**

**HUNTER**

My eyes locked onto Jasper’s, narrowing with an intensity that made him splutter and avert his gaze. After the last incident, I had expected him to tread carefully, yet here he was, barging into my space without so much as a warning. Accompanying him was a gaggle of omegas, their nervous energy palpable, unable to maintain their composure in my presence.

I shifted my focus to the woman who had clumsily dropped the tray laden with various items meant to ‘serve’ me. Behind her, the others stood, trembling as they clutched fresh bedding and food, their hands shaking so violently that I half-expected the contents to spill onto the floor. On a good day, I wouldn’t touch food prepared by my uncle’s people, and today was hardly a good day.

If Katerina’s expression hadn’t been haunting my thoughts, I might have dealt with Jasper right then and there. The audacity he displayed, especially now that my uncle had returned to his domain, was infuriating. He had the nerve to question me, as if he held any authority over my actions.

“It will never be your place to question me,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

He had the gall to label Katerina a werewolf. Did he truly have no idea who I had brought back? Had he neglected to leave any spies in the werewolf kingdom? Given his earlier indignation, I could only assume that no one had witnessed her transformation. They remained blissfully unaware that she was a unicorn among wolves.

“Of course,” Jasper replied, his eyes still cast downwards, “but the Elders—”

“Fuck the Elders,” I snapped, cutting him off. “I ordered everyone away. Why are you still here?”

I had sensed his presence when he had stealthily returned to the house half an hour ago. The fact that he had constructed this monstrosity, yet I could still toss him out as if he were an unwelcome stranger, must have bruised his pride. But I couldn’t care less where he had spent the night. His people were scattered throughout the pack; he could find refuge in their homes instead of mine. I was far from finished with Katerina, and the mere thought of extracting myself from her warmth to deal with this fool grated on my nerves.

“The order was for last night,” Jasper explained, his voice trembling slightly. “When there was no word all day, I worried something had happened.”

Right. I hadn’t anticipated my desire for Katerina to linger this long.

“The day you genuinely worry about my well-being will be the day I leave this place for good and never look back,” I growled, turning my back to him. “Take your people and leave. I don’t need anyone here.”

“But I have to explain to the pack—”

I snarled and pivoted back to face him, watching as he staggered back, a faint scent of fear wafting through the air.

“It’s not your place to say anything to my pack either,” I hissed through the mindlink. “You’re not an Elder, not even a beta or gamma. Get the hell out of my house, Jasper. And don’t return without my permission.”

More trays clattered to the floor, and I almost snapped at the omegas before forcing myself to hold my tongue. This wasn’t their fault.

“I don’t need you here. Leave the clean bedding and go back to your families,” I commanded, watching them scramble to retreat from my presence.

A muscle in Jasper’s jaw twitched. He must have exerted his alpha command to lead them into this beast’s lair, but my simple words had shattered his hold over them.

I released a sliver of my aura, or at least I intended it to be just a sliver. It surged from me with more force than I anticipated, and I could see Jasper pale, his head bowing lower. I sensed his struggle as he fought to remain upright.

“Don’t come back through these gates without my permission,” I spat through clenched teeth before retracting my aura.

Katerina would walk back through those doors, her big blue eyes pleading for their lives. The bond between us would compel me to grant her every wish, even at the expense of my own soul.

She wouldn’t leave until the matter between us was resolved.

I grabbed the bedding from outside and made my way back into the room. The sound of the shower running drew my attention to the ensuite door, and I was halfway there when I forced myself to halt.

My beast was no longer the one in control; this was all me.

With a growl, I redirected my focus to the bed. I stripped it bare, breathing through my mouth to escape her intoxicating scent, but it was futile. By the time I had remade the bed and tossed the dirty laundry into the basket, my robe could do little to conceal my arousal.

The door creaked open, and Katerina emerged, her hair still glistening with droplets, a large towel wrapped around her. Steam billowed from behind her, and I forgot to breathe through my mouth. Her scent enveloped me once more, as it had in that manor. I wanted to worship every inch of her body. I wanted to promise her the world.

I wanted to plead with her, to swear that I would never take another life if she would just tell me once that I wasn’t losing my mind and that she loved me too.

What kind of sorcery was this? Even during our time together in her apartment, it hadn’t felt like this. I had loved an illusion of her, not this raw, captivating woman. I would keep telling myself that until the part of me that felt that way faded away.

Without uttering a word, I turned and grabbed the basket on my way out. I would not beg her for anything, especially since—

Katerina would never let me forget my mistakes. But I was done begging.