Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 45

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 45**

The interview had been a complete disaster for me. Dragging Kitty into that room had yielded nothing but silence from her, her lips pressed firmly together as if sealing away secrets meant to protect that bastard, Rivers. I observed her every movement, every subtle sign that might betray her thoughts—the way her eyes flickered, the tension in her throat as she swallowed, and the nervous dance of her fingers as they braided and unbraided the scarf around her neck. Each gesture felt like a puzzle piece, and I was desperate to fit them together. But my focus was also split; my agents were scattered throughout the room, and the atmosphere was thick with tension after the events of the previous night. My instincts were frayed, raw, and on high alert.

I felt an overwhelming possessiveness surge within me. The thought of any man sharing the same air as Kitty ignited a wildfire of jealousy within my chest. Yet, beneath that smoldering rage, there was a burning need for the truth. I needed to know what had transpired between her and Rivers.

As Kitty pushed her chair back, the scarf she wore slipped slightly, revealing the edge of a dressing on her neck. My heart raced, a primal satisfaction filling me at the sight. The perfect indentation of my teeth on her delicate skin was a mark of possession, a mate mark. But then, guilt crashed over me like a wave. I hadn’t intended to bite her that hard. Waking up to see that mark felt like a stark reminder of my loss of control, a proof of my brutality.

Kitty would heal quickly; her resilience would erase the reminder in a matter of days. But the thought of what I could have done, how I could have broken her, gnawed at me.

She slipped out of the interview room before they could question her about her prolonged absence in Rivers’ building, and my mind spiraled into a dark abyss of possibilities. What had that monster forced her to do to earn the money he lavished on her? Rivers was notorious, a predator known for his sexual depravity, often leaving his human pets on the brink of death, silenced only by the weight of his gold. But I had warned him; he wouldn’t dare cross that line with Kitty. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somehow linked to the murders.

“Bring Rivers in,” I growled, my voice low and menacing, directed at the agent standing beside me.

We had the justification to drag him in, and I wasn’t going to squander this opportunity.

As I stepped back into the lobby, I spotted Elijah waiting just outside the door, his gaze fixed somewhere across the room. I followed his line of sight and saw Kitty slipping out through the main entrance. My beast roared to life, and in a fit of rage, I grabbed Elijah by the collar, slamming him against the wall.

The collective breath of the room hitched, and gasps echoed around us. Guards moved in closer, but I didn’t need to look around to know the crowd had dropped to their knees, feeling the weight of my aura pressing down on them.

“Don’t fucking test me,” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous, my breath a whisper against his ear. “What do you want from her?”

Elijah’s complexion drained of color, and he averted his gaze, the frantic rhythm of his heart echoing in the charged air.

“Nothing, Your Majesty. I was waiting for you,” he communicated through our mental link, his voice trembling.

“Then why were you looking at her like that?” I snapped, my anger bubbling to the surface.

“I didn’t realize you’d claimed her, Your Majesty,” he wheezed, a hint of panic creeping into his tone. “I won’t show any interest in her again.”

His words caught me off guard, and I released him, watching as he crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I had warned him to maintain his distance from her, but I had never mentioned anything about claiming her. He had no idea why I had nearly killed Rivers.

Was he still watching me? A low growl escaped my throat, a primal instinct ready to tear him apart.

“Sir,” he whispered, his head bowed so low that he nearly pressed his face to the floor.

I glanced back, noticing the wolves in the lobby straining under the weight of my aura. Some had already succumbed, their bodies limp, while the humans had retreated, huddled together, eyes wide with fear.

“Who is he?” someone whispered from the crowd.

“What’s happening? Are we under attack?” another voice piped up, panic lacing their tone.

I pulled back, allowing the crowd to scramble for the exits, but Elijah remained on his knees, a picture of submission.

“I didn’t know I had offended you, sir,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“What was your purpose?” I demanded, my voice a low growl.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify