Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

KAT

The sleek black Maybach slid to the curb outside my law school. I almost rolled my eyes. Until I’d left my father’s side, I hadn’t realised how pretentious it looked to others when wealthy people shoved their wealth in their faces.

The driver rushed to open the backseat door for me. People around me stopped to stare, some whispering into each other’s ears. Great. The gossip would spread before my next class. I’d be the poor student with a sugar daddy.

I kept my head down as I ducked inside.

“You didn’t have to pick me up,” I said to the man waiting in the backseat.

I’d insisted on meeting somewhere else, but Mr Rivers had said he would pick me up from work instead. It sounded like a threat. I’d yet to figure out if he’d said it because he knew I wouldn’t want that attention at work, or if he just didn’t want me to escape.

Either way, going with him was probably the dumbest thing I’d done lately. No, agreeing to go on a date with a wolf was the dumb part.

“We have a reservation,” he said smoothly. “I didn’t want to miss it.”

He’d dressed in another expensive suit, a dark blue one, with the top two buttons of his shirt undone. His light brown eyes darted to me, and briefly glowed gold. His aura felt more tempered, almost non-existent, so I wondered if his display of dominance at the gym had been intentional.

“My roommate will be waiting for me, so I can’t be out too long,” I lied. It was the safest, most human excuse in uncertain situations.

“Roommate? What a lucky guy,” Mr Rivers said.

I stiffened. Was he watching me?

“Why do you think it’s a guy?”

That smirk formed on his face again.

“Lucky guess,” he said.

That smile said otherwise. My guard rose as I watched that slight smile on his face.

“Why did you invite me to dinner, Mr Rivers?” I asked directly.

“Please call me Nathan,” he said. “The night is still young. Let’s eat first before we talk about business.”

Relief washed over me. The only business I had with him was about the gym. I’d been overthinking things again. Resting back in the seat, I watched the city go past, not bothering with any small talk. What would Mal

say if he knew I was in the enemy’s car?

The car stopped in front of a restaurant that I was severely underdressed for. It was a gleaming fortress of glass and steel, lit up so brightly I’d bet it could be seen from space. Reservations were made a year in advance because they hired several famous chefs. I suddenly didn’t mind eating with the enemy just this once.

When I stepped out of the car, Mr Rivers was suddenly beside me, offering his arm like he was a gentleman. Except I knew this was a trap. If I touched him, I’d be falling in with his hidden agenda.

But I wouldn’t know what it was until I ate with him. This was a public place. What could he possibly do to

me?

The doormen didn’t stop me, despite my cheap work suit, and they welcomed Mr Rivers as if he were a regular. Wasn’t he the king of Thornhill? Why was he so respected in Stockton?

We were taken to the top, a large circular space with glass walls and the tables spaced out for privacy. There was only one other occupied table. So much for relying on safety in numbers.

The moment we sat, servers appeared out of nowhere and efficiently and unobtrusively did their jobs. I was reminded of dinners at home. A pang of loneliness hit me again, but I brushed it off. Now wasn’t the time. Nathan Rivers was known throughout the human world for his ruthlessness. I had to stay sharp.

The small talk was pleasant, but he didn’t fool me. As I ate with the nighttime view of the city around me, Nathan spoke about art, books, and politics. He was quite charming. Dangerously so. Probably the type of man my father would have approved of if he’d been on their list.

When the last plates were cleared, I sat back, bracing myself to hear what this whole charade was really about.

“That was quite pleasant, Miss Munroe. We should do this again,” Nathan said with a smile that wasn’t a smirk, but one I couldn’t trust either. “Let me take you home.”

“What? You said this was about business,” I stated.

“And I realise how foolish that was. You will never give up your teacher’s gym,” Nathan said.

My eyes narrowed. He was messing with me. Playing a game. Did he take me for a fool?

“Mr Rivers, this is the first and last time we’ll meet like this. I don’t play these games,” I said, my tone firm as I folded my arms. “Say what you want to say, or don’t. I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Challenging an alpha was a death wish, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Ouch. You’re lethal inside and outside the ring,” Nathan chuckled.

“Then get to the point, Mr Rivers.”

“How long has Mal been your teacher?” he asked.

And his gaze was suddenly sharper. I remembered I was dealing with a wolf who could sniff out the slightest change in my mood and reaction. I forced my heart to remain calm.

“What’s it to you?”

My mind raced back to my earlier suspicions. If he knew when I left home, the timeline would be very suspicious.

“You’re very good on the mat. Working together will be great business,” Nathan said, casually sipping his

drink.

But his eyes flickered gold, and they were still focused on me.

“I have no interest in working with you. Especially after how you threw your newly signed fighter under the bus,” I stated.

“What happened with Dax was unfortunate,” Nathan said. “But he proved he was useless. There was no reason to keep him.”

So cold.

“So tell me. When did you meet Mal?” he asked again.

When I met him, not when he became my teacher. He’d rephrased his question. I was right. This was some sort of trap.

Still keeping my heart steady, I picked up my bag and stood.

“Goodnight, Mr Rivers. I don’t know how you got my number, but delete it. There’s no need to ever meet again.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll meet again,” Nathan stated.

I walked away from the dangerous alpha on steady feet. Even when I waited for a taxi outside, my heart was steady. But when I was almost home, I couldn’t help the panic that pressed my chest.

Someone knew about me. Someone was trying to put the pieces together. Someone was watching me.

My gaze darted around as I let myself into the building, and by the time I finally closed my apartment door behind me, I could hardly breathe.

It was over.

“Are you going to tell me not to ask questions again?”

I nearly screamed when I noticed Hunter standing by the windows with a glass of whiskey in his hand. His gaze pinned me to the door, a frown forming on his brow.

He placed the glass on the table and stalked closer, his frown deepening. His nostrils flared a little, but my vision was already blurring. I couldn’t be sure if I’d imagined that.

“Who were you with, Kitty?”