Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 79

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 79**

**KAT**

The echo of Mr. Rivers’ words reverberated in the silence that enveloped us, a haunting melody I had desperately tried to silence. My mind, a fortress of denial, began to crumble under the weight of his declarations. I focused my gaze straight ahead, forcing my features into a mask of serenity, all the while battling the rapid rhythm of my heartbeat that threatened to betray my calm facade.

It couldn’t be true. I refused to believe it. That bite—there was no way it had altered anything within me.

My hand twitched with the urge to tear away the bandage, to feel the ridges of that mark once more, to reassure myself it was nothing more than a bruise, a fleeting moment of pain. But I kept my fists clenched tightly in my lap, a physical reminder of my resolve.

“Whatever you believe might happen, it’s not your place to take me back to my family,” I stated, my voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil inside. “Just drop me off here.”

A chuckle escaped him, devoid of any humor, a sound that sent a chill down my spine.

“Not up to me?” he retorted, his voice laced with a simmering fury. “You are truly as selfish as they say.”

“Shut up,” I snapped, my pulse quickening, a wildfire igniting within me.

“You want to be set free, and then what? Let your wolf summon every unmated wolf within miles?” he spat, his words sharp and cutting. “What then? You think they can mend a pain that’s beyond repair? Watch as that Lycan tears them apart before he has his way with you over their lifeless bodies?”

Each of his words pierced my heart like daggers, each one sharper than the last, but my mind stubbornly resisted the truth he was laying bare. He hadn’t witnessed the bond—or lack thereof—between Hunter and me. There were no signs of connection: no mindlink to comfort me, no shared strength to bolster my resolve. I couldn’t even sense where Hunter was at that moment, and that realization gnawed at my insides.

“Let me out,” I insisted once more, my voice firmer, but the tremor of desperation lingered beneath.

“I can’t believe I ever thought you were different,” he said, his aura flaring around me like a storm. “Just sit there and be quiet.”

My body obeyed his command, muscles tightening as if bound by invisible chains, but I was too emotionally drained to summon any anger. Numbness wrapped around me like a blanket, shielding me from the impending breakdown. I turned my gaze to the window, watching the scenery of the wolf kingdom unfold before me—so foreign, so vibrant, yet so utterly unwelcoming. I had never been allowed beyond the castle walls, and now I was witnessing a world I had only imagined.

The forests were lush and alive, stretching endlessly, sunlight dancing through the leaves, but as we drove further, the sight shifted. Settlements emerged, and as we passed, people turned to watch our car. Some dropped to their knees, while others bowed low, instinctively sensing the raw power radiating from Mr. Rivers. His anger clung to me like a second skin, oppressive and suffocating.

I bit back a whimper that threatened to escape, forcing myself to ignore the ebb and flow of the wolf power within me. I felt it retreating, cowering, desperately trying to hide from the alpha who held us captive. But she was still there, lurking beneath the surface. And he was right. If I shifted and succumbed to my heat, my wolf would reveal herself even to him. A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and the numbness I clung to began to unravel, giving way to a grim acceptance. I couldn’t stop this. I wasn’t strong enough.

I would never be strong enough.

When I finally pulled myself from the depths of my thoughts, the landscape had transformed dramatically. The air felt different, heavy with an unspoken sorrow. The vibrant colors of Lordswood—royal blues and shimmering golds—still fluttered proudly on flagpoles, yet the forest around us appeared sickly. Trees that should have been robust and vibrant were brittle and brown, their leaves drifting down like ashes. Their branches reached out like skeletal fingers, grasping at the sky in despair.

How could one side of this kingdom be so full of life while the other lay in decay?

I shifted in my seat, yearning for a clearer view, but the alpha’s command held me firmly in place.

“What the hell happened here?” I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh, so now you care?” Mr. Rivers shot back, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

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