Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 82

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 82**

**KAT**

The once quiet and desolate castle suddenly erupted with life, as if the very stones were awakening from a long slumber. My senses, which had been flickering in and out like a faulty light bulb, were now acutely aware, absorbing every sound and whisper that filled the air.

“She didn’t die.”

“She should have. Look what she did.”

“She’s even brought that rogue here. It’s a disgrace to the pack.”

I fought desperately to shut out those voices, but it felt like trying to block a tidal wave with my bare hands. Guilt gnawed at me, a relentless beast. What would they say once the truth came to light? Once they realized I had formed a bond with a Lycan?

I found myself in my old room, a space that seemed frozen in time. It was immaculate, as if someone had been diligently dusting and polishing everything in my absence. Yet, the bedding remained untouched, my scent still faintly lingering, a ghost of the past. The clothes I had hastily discarded when I transformed into a servant’s outfit were now neatly folded at the foot of the bed, a stark reminder of who I used to be.

As I stepped into my study, memories flooded back. The familiar pile of books still lay there, and the homework I had abandoned was left open, as if waiting for my return. Kostas’s shawl, the one he had always draped around my shoulders to fend off the cold, was folded neatly on the back of my chair, a comforting yet painful reminder of our bond.

I was still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions. After the tears and warm embraces, something had shifted within my parents. They had fallen back into the frantic urgency that had consumed them before my departure. The warmth I had felt upon returning to this life was slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.

It felt eerily similar to three years ago. The familiar sting of disappointment and the feeling of being a useless omega washed over me. It was as if I had never left the castle, and the oppressive walls were closing in once more.

“We can still save her. What on earth did they mean by that?”

A soft knock on the door jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. It was Kostas. I recognized his presence immediately; I had sensed him pacing the hallway for what felt like an eternity, his anxiety saturating the air around me. Yet, fear gripped me, preventing me from asking why his emotions were so tumultuous.

“Katerina? It’s me,” he called softly, his voice a soothing balm amid the chaos.

My throat constricted, a lump forming as I struggled to respond. What would he ask? Would he confront me about my departure? Would he demand to know why I had severed contact? I wasn’t prepared for that confrontation, especially now that it felt like everything was reverting to its former state.

“Katerina,” he repeated, his voice a gentle plea.

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the storm brewing in my mind before finally opening the door. Kostas stood there, dressed sharply in a suit, his face clean-shaven. Without the beard, his features appeared even more gaunt and weary, yet there was a spark in his eyes that hinted at something more—hope, perhaps?

“I just wanted to check if you’ve settled in,” he said, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. “Mother and Father asked if you’d like to join us for dinner.”

His hesitation was palpable, a stark contrast to the confident leader I had always known. The man who commanded warriors across the packs, the beta who could make alphas bow to him, now seemed uncertain.

“It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to,” he added quickly, his words tumbling out in a rush. “I mean, we haven’t really shared a meal together since you left…”

Family meals had been a cherished tradition, a time for us to gather and connect. I recalled the image of Mother and Father sitting at opposite ends of the courtyard, a painful reminder of the emotional chasm that had grown between them. Guilt washed over me again, pressing down like a heavy weight.

“Of course I want to,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.

Kostas nodded, relief flooding his features as he stepped back, gesturing for me to go ahead of him. He didn’t take my arm, as he used to, and I could feel the weight of his furtive glances. The journey to the family dining room felt both agonizingly long and fleetingly short. My thoughts were still a jumbled mess when he opened the door, allowing me to enter first.

At the dining table, Mother sat at one end, while Father occupied the other. They both rose to their feet, an unsettling formality in their movements.

“Katerina,” Mother said, her voice warm yet laced with something I couldn’t quite decipher, as she extended her hand toward me.

Hearing my name so frequently in a single day felt surreal, as if it belonged to someone else.

I approached her, taking her hand as she guided me to the chair beside her.

“Are you hungry?” she inquired gently, and I nodded, though my stomach churned with unease.

She had dressed elegantly for dinner, her makeup flawlessly applied, yet the underlying fatigue in her eyes betrayed her. She glanced at my attire—the same clothes I had worn upon my arrival—but chose to remain silent for now. I knew her well enough to anticipate that she would eventually address it, or perhaps have the omega servants dispose of my clothes when I retired for the evening.

The dinner was steeped in silence, punctuated only by the sound of utensils scraping against plates. I observed my parents pushing their food around, their eyes darting toward me every few seconds, as if I were a fragile piece of glass. Though I hadn’t eaten all day, my stomach was too knotted with anxiety to accept any food.

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