Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 62

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 62**

**HUNTER**

“Rivers is at the gym.”

The words hit me like a thunderclap, and I clenched my phone tightly in my hand, rising abruptly to my feet. My contact didn’t need to elaborate further; my mind was already racing with horrifying possibilities. My inner beast surged to the forefront, instinctively taking control.

“Sir?”

I turned to my deputy, who had been in the midst of updating me on the happenings I’d missed during my absence. I attempted to rein in my beast, but it was a futile effort. Kitty’s safety was paramount, eclipsing everything else in my world.

“I’ll be back later. Keep everything under control,” I commanded, my voice firm and unyielding.

With that, I flung my office door open, not caring as it slammed hard against the wall, leaving a crack in the plaster. The sound startled those in the hallway, and they instinctively stepped aside as I strode purposefully toward the elevator. When the doors slid open, the last person I wanted to encounter stood there, his head bowed as if he could sense my presence even before I arrived.

“Get out,” I growled, my tone leaving no room for argument.

I had no desire to entertain another plea regarding Kostas’ sister. Allowing him access to sensitive files had already been a grave mistake, one I regretted deeply. Lordswood slipped past me silently, his head still lowered. Yet, as I stepped into the elevator, his gaze snapped up, and I could see the flare of his nostrils, as if he caught a whiff of the turmoil brewing within me.

I was acutely aware of what he could sense; I had already been through enough of this since arriving at work. But when his eyes widened, he hesitated, taking a small step forward as if he were tempted to join me in the elevator.

“Don’t come near me, Kostas,” I warned, my voice low and threatening.

The prince dared to hold my gaze, and I could see the internal battle raging behind his eyes. But before he could say anything, the doors slid shut, cutting off our connection as the elevator whisked me down to the lobby.

The atmosphere was unusually quiet, as most people had already left for the day, and nobody stopped me as I exited the building. For a fleeting moment, I wished I could shift and sprint to the gym, bypassing all the traffic and red lights. But I had foolishly imposed a rule against shifting within the city limits. Instead, I would have to endure the thirty-minute drive, weaving through speeding cars and ignoring traffic signals, just to reach the gym parking lot.

As soon as I swung the door open, I froze in my tracks. Elijah. His scent hung in the air, and it ignited my beast with a feral intensity. A wave of icy fury coursed through my veins, propelling me toward the front door. My senses heightened, I scanned the surroundings for my so-called right hand, all while keeping a firm grip on Kitty’s heartbeat. It was easier to track now that she belonged to me.

Elijah was gone, but I could feel him lingering nearby, taunting me through our bond. It was as if he reveled in the knowledge that I was on his trail.

I cast a glance at the blinking security camera, aware that my eyes glowed a fierce red, a clear sign that I was partially shifted.

“I’ll hunt him down. Get out of here, Kitty. Now!” I growled, my voice deepening into a primal growl. The only sanctuary was that cabin.

The more I pondered, the more I berated myself for not connecting the dots sooner. The killer never left his scent at the scene; he had the ability to control it, just like my beta.

The forest loomed ominously on either side of the road, stretching endlessly. I scanned the area, relying on our bond rather than the unreliable scent. Then, above the wind and the distant echoes of the city, I heard it. A rustling in the trees, reminiscent of that night when I had almost ventured up the mountain to find Kitty.

Elijah had been waiting for me even then.

My beast roared as I lunged into the trees, shouldering branches and trunks aside with unrelenting force. The heartbeat I had been tracking quickened, and I was closing in on him.

‘Do you think you can escape from me?’ I snarled through our mind link, my voice dripping with menace.

‘You know I can, Your Majesty,’ he taunted back, his smugness igniting a fire within me. The bond tightened, stinging like a whip, and for a fleeting second, Kitty’s fear flickered before my eyes. He was showing it to me deliberately.

The last remnants of my human restraint burned away, leaving only the monster that had triumphed over every challenge for my father’s title since childhood. The monster that people liked to pretend didn’t exist—the one capable of hunting anything or anyone to the ends of the earth.

Somewhere ahead, Elijah’s laughter echoed through the trees, a sound that felt like a direct challenge.