I Bought A Male Escort, Turns Out He's The Lycan King novel Chapter 42

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 42**

**KAT**

Sixty-five vouchers.

The weariness that had settled deep within me after the match clung like a heavy fog, refusing to lift as dawn broke. The gnawing dread in my stomach felt like a boulder, weighing me down with the realization that I would likely have to return home soon.

If Rivers had tossed me into that match as a twisted ‘screw you’ to my family, how many others had done the same over the years? How many false hopes had been dangled before them, only to be cruelly snatched away at the last moment?

During my two years as an intern at the Bureau, I had witnessed enough deceptive leads to know just how endless and demoralizing they could be. Was Kostas sifting through each one of those leads? Was that the reason he had come to town after increasing the reward?

I was aware of my own selfishness. Even with that thought gnawing at me, I couldn’t bear the idea of going back. Returning meant slipping back into the role of the princess who couldn’t navigate the world on her own, even among humans. The thought of being the useless omega haunted me.

Hunter had slipped away in the night, leaving no note, no message. It shouldn’t have affected me, but the thought of it had cast a shadow over my entire day at the desk. And that scared me, because he had begun to occupy so much space in my mind and heart. This was no longer just a physical connection; it had grown into something deeper.

How on earth was I supposed to manage this when the time came for me to leave?

No one had inquired about my limp or the way I favored my side—not even Edward. The case everyone had been preparing for was on the brink of going to trial, but my mind was too clouded to care. I was leaving soon, anyway.

Law school felt just as distant. I submitted my final paper for the semester and walked out without exchanging farewells. Two years had passed, yet I had kept myself at arm’s length from my classmates.

As I unlocked Hunter’s car, I froze when a sheet of paper slapped against the windshield, fluttering wildly in the wind. My own face glared back at me from the crumpled poster. The constant threat of someone discovering my true identity loomed over me like a dark cloud.

I yanked the poster down and crumpled it in my fist, my eyes darting across the street. The prickling sensation on my skin persisted, even after Rivers had confessed to being the one who had been watching me. I had learned to live on that knife-edge, numb yet hyper-aware. I had to maintain that balance for the sake of my sanity. If I allowed myself to dwell on it, the haunting image of that girl nailed to the wall would invade my thoughts once more.

I crushed the paper further and tossed it onto the passenger seat. On any other day, I would have gone to the gym to blow off steam, but the mere thought of stepping foot in there again turned my stomach. Instead, I drove home, my mind swirling with thoughts of finally seeing Hunter again.

The apartment was cloaked in darkness when I stepped inside, but I could sense his presence. It was strange how I could feel him there, even with my wolf suppressed. My chest loosened, and I took a deep breath, allowing the tension to slowly dissipate. My gaze fell on the couch, where the faint glow of city lights outlined his silhouette, but he remained turned away from me.

That familiar feeling of unease returned. I didn’t want to entertain such thoughts, but they crept back in uninvited. Had I done something wrong? Was he upset that I had been hurt again? Was he angry about my silence?

I kicked off my shoes and dropped my bags before I approached him. The stillness enveloping him only intensified as I settled down beside him, but the questions lodged in my throat, refusing to come out. A glass glimmered in his hand, and I wondered how many he had consumed before I arrived.

“We need to start being honest with each other, Kathrine. What have you done?”

Kathrine? I was usually Kitty. Miss Munroe when he wanted me to take charge. But now, I was Kathrine. The name struck me like a knife; it wasn’t even my real name.

Yet, his words sank in, and I searched his face in the dim light. Honesty? That concept had never been on the table for us.

“What happened?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady. I didn’t want to outright reject his request; even in my turmoil, I sensed something was amiss. Something had shifted.

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