Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 80

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 80**

Kostas’s foot crunched against the shards of broken glass, causing him to falter as he descended the steps toward the car. I remained paralyzed in my seat, my heart racing, when suddenly the door was yanked open. A wave of his familiar, comforting scent enveloped me, stirring something deep within.

“Katerina,” he breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet it resonated through the air like a lifeline.

Slowly, I turned to face him, my gaze locking onto his bloodshot brown eyes that seemed to hold a thousand unsaid words. His face was gaunt, shadows dancing beneath his eyes, and his beard was long and unkempt, mirroring the wildness of his loose hair. It was as if he had been lost in time, waiting for my return. When he inhaled sharply, it was as though he’d seen a ghost, and before I could process it, he was pulling me from the car, wrapping me in his arms.

The warmth of his embrace wrapped around me like a cocoon. I closed my eyes, allowing the tears I had been holding back to flow freely. I clung to my brother, feeling the heat radiate from him, grounding me in this moment. A part of me wondered if this was merely a figment of my imagination, a fleeting dream from which I would awaken in my own bed, back in my apartment. I had envisioned this reunion countless times, yearning for the day I would return as a successful, independent lawyer. Yet, the reality of being home felt surreal, as if I were floating in a dream.

“Is this real?” he murmured into my hair, his words echoing my own doubts. “Have you come back to me?”

He pulled back slightly, his hands reaching up to cradle my face. His fingers barely brushed my cheeks as he searched my eyes, desperation etched in every line of his face. We were both trembling, caught in this fragile moment of reconnection.

“Am I dreaming, Katerina?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“No,” I replied, my voice cracking as I fought back a sob. “I’m here. I’m home.”

Home? Could I still claim that? Or had Mr. Rivers merely returned me to my prison?

“Where have you been? Did someone hurt you?”

His eyes scanned my body with the same intensity he had when we were children, checking for injuries after one of my reckless escapades. My heart tightened painfully at the concern etched in his features.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, my voice firmer than I felt.

He embraced me once more, and I felt the weight of his sorrow as his silent tears soaked into my shoulder. I had hoped they would be okay after I left, that my cowardly note would suffice instead of facing them head-on to fight for my freedom.

I had felt so stifled, my mental health spiraling downward, but in hindsight, should I have fought harder to express my feelings?

My own tears soaked through his shirt as I held him closer, my precious brother who would have torn the world apart for me. I had reduced a once-mighty beta to this state of anguish.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed, the words spilling out like a confession.

I couldn’t say how long we remained there, locked in our grief, in a courtyard that should have been alive with laughter and joy but now lay in eerie silence.

Finally, Kostas released me, wiping his face with the back of his hand before looking down at me again, his expression a mix of relief and sadness.

“Let’s go inside. We’ve been waiting years for you,” he said gruffly, and those words hit me like a lead weight.

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