Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 87

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 87**

**HUNTER**

Kostas emerged from the cabin, stepping onto the porch with a glass in hand, laughter bubbling from his lips. But the moment his gaze landed on me, that laughter fell away like autumn leaves. His eyes, usually a calm blue that signified his beta status, now glowed a fierce yellow, a warning sign that sent a shiver down my spine. A brief snarl twisted his lips before he looked away, the momentary ferocity replaced by silence.

In all the times he had come to plead for my help in locating his sister—his lover—I had never seen a smile grace his face. But now, there he stood, laughter ringing out, a stark contrast to the deadness that had previously enveloped him.

Though he remained quiet, I could sense the tension radiating from him. His fingers tightened around the glass, and I noticed his fist clenching at his side, a reminder of the arrogant Lordswood who had nearly challenged me at the masquerade ball. That arrogance was creeping back, and I couldn’t help but feel the weight of it pressing down on me.

A subtle scent wafted through the clearing, reaching my nostrils like a whisper of a forgotten promise.

I froze, my body going rigid as if a sudden chill had seized me. Every muscle tightened, locking into place. I could feel the stirrings of my wounded beast, restless within its cage.

Molten amber, smoked vanilla, and chocolate peppermint.

Damn it. I should have pieced it together the moment I laid eyes on Kostas. If he was here, then his sister was undoubtedly nearby. I should have turned and fled, but instead, that intoxicating aroma seeped into my lungs, coursing through my blood, igniting a fire in a body still reeling from the chaos of the previous night. Against my better judgment, I inhaled deeply, even as my mind screamed for me to stop. My beast remained hidden, so the scent was faint, merely a shadow of its true potency.

My traitorous body reacted instinctively, recalling the warmth of her bedroom—the very room that had haunted my dreams, as if we were somehow destined for one another.

I forcefully shoved those thoughts aside, willing my body to remain calm.

“What can I do for you, Your Majesty?” Kostas finally broke the silence, his tone dripping with a forced politeness that felt insincere.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts as I took a step back.

“Why are you here?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

What was he doing here with the princess in the same vicinity as Kitty? The bond tugged at me, pulling me toward her with a ferocity I had never experienced before. My worst nightmare was unfolding right in front of my eyes.

Katerina—or Kitty?

The only advantage I had in this twisted scenario was that my beast was incapacitated. I was certain that if it were free, it would choose Katerina without hesitation. But I had made my choice long ago. I would always choose Kitty.

“Spending time with my sister, Your Majesty,” he replied, though his tone was laced with tension.

His fist remained tightly clenched, as if I was no longer welcome now that he had what he desired.

I opened my mouth, ready to demand that he summon Kitty to me when the door creaked open, and out stepped the last person I wanted to see. Unlike Kostas, he didn’t bow or show any sign of deference. He met my gaze head-on, and something flickered in his eyes before he turned to Kostas.

“You should go back inside. Princess Katerina is looking for you,” Rivers said, his tone commanding.

Kostas hesitated, his jaw tightening, but eventually nodded and bowed to me in a gesture that felt more like a dismissal than respect. I watched him retreat into the cabin, my attention shifting fully to Rivers—the man who might very well be the source of the turmoil I felt through the bond. What was this, some kind of twisted double date?

Rage surged through me, my jaw clenching as heat exploded within my veins. It was a volatile mix of heartbreak and fury, a primal instinct that demanded I destroy him. I wanted to tear him apart, to sink my teeth into his flesh and crush his bones, to grind his skull into the ground and revel in the chaos. Yet, I remained rooted in place, knowing that stepping closer meant stepping toward that cabin.

My body trembled with the effort of restraint, the desperate urge to pull Kitty from that place and run, to eliminate every man who dared to approach her.

Rivers must have sensed the storm brewing within me because his gaze flicked back toward the cabin, and then he hurried down the porch steps. He approached me with an unusual seriousness, the cocky bravado that usually adorned his face replaced by a look I rarely witnessed, even during the times he had stood in my Bureau facing accusations about his reckless behavior.

Sighing, Rivers ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his demeanor. “Look, I know I said some things before. But I know she’s yours,” he said earnestly. “She’s special to Malcolm, so she’s special to me, and I swear that’s where it ends. Just catch that bastard so we can return to our lives. You know I hate it here.”

My gaze drifted back to the cabin, and my heart ached for the woman inside. Or was it for both of them?

“You can’t reveal the nature of your relationship without compromising her safety. You know that better than anyone,” Rivers continued. “Your uncle has already made himself at home not far from Lordswood castle. Last I heard, he was asking questions about the Lycan King’s girlfriend.”

What? Did Jasper have eyes on me even in the human world? I had taken great care to conceal my movements, even from Elijah, yet Jasper had somehow uncovered the truth. Perhaps I hadn’t been cautious enough.

I stepped back, my anger morphing into something deeper. Jasper had shattered my parents’ lives with his own hands; killing a mere human would be nothing to him.

The desperate need to see her, to breathe her in and ground myself, was replaced by an overwhelming instinct to protect her at all costs. She was my life. I could endure a few more days without her touch if it meant eliminating the threats first.

“If anything happens to her,” I said, stepping closer until my face was mere inches from Rivers’, “I’ll kill you first.”

His throat bobbed, and I sensed the flicker of fear beneath his calm exterior, but he nodded in understanding. I cast one last glance at the cabin before turning my back to the chaos and heading into the forest.

“Three days, Your Majesty,” Rivers said, his voice steady. “Meet her here in three days, before nightfall.”

Frowning, I turned back, wondering why he had set such a specific timeframe again. I would have thought he would want me to meet her after I had dealt with Elijah and Jasper.

But I didn’t voice my questions, because I was resolute in my determination to end this madness by the day’s end. Then I would take Kitty back to the human world where she belonged, and I would spend the rest of my life proving to her that she was mine.

I would never approach Princess Katerina again.