Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 3

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 3**

**KAT**

“Katerina, open this door!”

The urgent command sliced through the silence of my room, pulling my gaze from the pages of my textbook. I paused, a mix of anticipation and dread swirling in my chest. Was today the day Kostas would finally lose his patience and come crashing through? For an entire week, I had meticulously avoided him, seeking refuge behind the relentless matchmaking orchestrated by Mother. It felt like a never-ending cycle: wake up, dress up, endure another date, face humiliation, and then start all over again.

The simmering rage within me was like a pot on the verge of boiling over.

My skin prickled, a restless energy coursing through me, fueled by the strange emotions I was grappling with. I understood their significance; it was almost time for a reckoning.

I craved answers, a justification for the humiliation I had endured, yet the words stuck in my throat. My omega wolf was already cowering, retreating into the shadows of my mind, surrendering to the will of my family as I had been conditioned to do for as long as I could remember.

Kostas must have known about the Carter boys—what they had said and done. I was under no illusion that those guards, who had materialized out of nowhere to rescue me during my disastrous date with Jake, hadn’t reported every humiliating detail.

And yet, despite all that, he had still arranged for me to meet another boy with Carter blood coursing through his veins.

My thoughts were a tangled mess, each thread pulling me in different directions. Until my date with Justin, I had never once questioned my family’s love for me. But ever since that night, doubts had taken root in my mind, swirling like autumn leaves caught in a gust of wind. All week, I had noticed the furtive glances from the servants, their whispers trailing behind me like shadows. I couldn’t hear their words, not yet, as my wolf remained dormant, but I felt their weight pressing down on me.

The humiliation clung to me like a second skin, leaving me feeling exposed, as if I were standing naked before the world.

“Katerina!” Kostas’s voice grew louder, a low growl that reverberated through the air.

With a deep breath, I stood up slowly, smoothing down the fabric of my dress, and forced a smile onto my face, though it felt more like a mask than a genuine expression.

“I’m sorry, Kostas. I had my music on,” I fibbed, pulling my earbuds out as a show of innocence.

His frown deepened, and a silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words. He stepped into my room, the tension palpable. He knew I was avoiding him; I could see it in his eyes.

“It’s the Spring Ball tonight. Mother has prepared your dress and mask.”

His tone was laced with anxiety, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. I had attended the ball for years, initially sneaking in behind the curtains of the grand hall, and when I turned fifteen, I had been presented, fully masked, finally allowed to attend alongside my parents and brother.

Behind the anonymity of those masks, I had tasted a sliver of freedom.

“I know,” I replied, trying to sound reassuring. “I’ll be ready on time, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Your birthday is just around the corner. Are you feeling… anything?”

“No,” I lied again, the word tasting bitter on my tongue.

Did he see through my facade? His gaze drifted past my face, and I felt a pang of guilt. Kostas sighed heavily and moved towards my stack of textbooks, his frustration evident. Even on a night like this, my studies had to take precedence.

“Everything I do is to protect you, Katerina,” he said, running a hand through his hair, a gesture that spoke of his own turmoil.

“I know.”

But the truth was, I wasn’t so sure anymore about what they were protecting me from.

“You didn’t meet anyone you liked this week?”

No. There had been no spark of a true mate bond. They had all left me, just like the ones before. The same fate as the Carter boys.

“No, but I promise I’ll let you know the moment I find someone,” I said, reaching for his hand, forcing a smile. “I’m sure my mate is out there somewhere. Don’t worry, Kostas.”

“I would prefer it if we found him sooner rather than later. Before your wolf presents herself,” he replied, a hint of urgency in his voice.

So, that was the reason for the relentless string of dates? My impending birthday? Had the clock run out on me? Would they settle for any wolf, rather than my true mate? It was easy to think that some great calamity would befall me if I didn’t get marked and mated before then. But what could be worse than mating a wolf who would disregard my boundaries and fail to see me for who I truly was?

“I’ll try,” I smiled, though it felt forced. “But can we forget about that for tonight? Can we just enjoy ourselves?”

His smile returned, faint yet wistful, as if he were reminded of the innocence I still held.

“Sometimes I forget how young you are. Of course, Princess. Let your hair down tonight,” he said, his tone softening. “But be cautious. The world outside our walls isn’t as settled as I would like.”

Kostas rarely spoke of what lay beyond our estate. Was that what was causing my family’s anxiety? Lordswood was the largest pack in my father’s kingdom, and our kingdom was the most powerful of the four. Our estate felt like a self-sufficient city, and it wouldn’t be the first time another kingdom had tried to claim what was ours. Was I too self-absorbed to think their worries stemmed from my own plight?

“Finish your homework. The maids will come to help you soon.”

After planting a gentle kiss on my forehead, he left, leaving my burning questions unasked. I was almost afraid to hear the answers.

An hour later, several maids entered my room, bringing with them my new dress and accessories. Normally, this was a moment I cherished, but today, a heavy weight settled in my chest. Anxiety gnawed at me, dulling my excitement for the layers of sapphire silk, the delicate silver-threaded mask, and the shimmering jewels meant to adorn my hair.

My chest tightened, and I struggled to suppress the thought that threatened to overwhelm me. Behind my mask, the smile faded, replaced by a stark realization.

I was a prisoner.

I had to escape.

As the music swelled in the grand hall, couples twirled gracefully, but the colors around me blurred into insignificance. The decision to leave echoed relentlessly in my mind.

Was I truly going to do this? I knew nothing beyond these walls. How would I survive?

I slipped away from my mother’s side, grabbed a drink, and walked out into the main courtyard. With a deep sigh, I drained the glass in one swift motion and tilted my head back to gaze at the vast sky above. For years, I had envisioned what it would be like to step outside the castle, to discover myself and forge my own identity. I had meticulously planned every detail, from acquiring suppressants from the hospital to packing my clothes. But beyond that, I felt utterly lost.

I was not my own person.

“If you sigh any louder, people might think I’m doing something inappropriate to you.”

I froze at the unexpected voice.

My breath caught in my throat as I turned to the source. He sat casually in one of the ornate chairs along the wall, legs crossed, cloaked in shadows.

A stranger, yet his voice sent an electric jolt down my spine. It was deep and velvety, the kind of sound that wrapped around me like a warm embrace. Everything else faded away as I stepped closer, drawn in by an invisible force.

Who was he?

There was something distinctly different about him, something alluringly dangerous. I didn’t sense an alpha aura, yet his presence radiated power.

“There she is. I wonder if that’s her next date,” a familiar voice broke through my reverie, pulling me back to reality.

The laughter that followed was unmistakably from the Carters, and it reignited the fury that had been simmering just beneath the surface. My hands curled into fists as I turned back toward the entrance, determination hardening within me.

That was it.

I was done.

I was leaving.