I Bought A Male Escort, Turns Out He's The Lycan King novel Chapter 48

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 48**

**HUNTER**

Fifty-five vouchers.

I found him lurking in the stairwell like a spider waiting for its prey. He stood at the top, his gaze fixed on me, as if he had been anticipating my arrival.

“Your Majes—”

Before he could complete his sentence, I lunged at him, my hands wrapping around his throat with a fierce grip. I slammed him hard against the wall, the plaster crumbling and dust swirling around us like a fog. Surprisingly, he didn’t resist. Part of me craved a struggle, a reason to unleash the rage boiling within me. I wanted him to fight back, to challenge my authority, to test the limits of my dominance.

Elijah wasn’t like Rivers. He was my beta for a reason, the second most powerful Lycan in my realm. He had the heart of a warrior, and I would relish the opportunity to demonstrate why I was the king.

My claws emerged, tearing into his flesh as I tightened my grip on his windpipe. My clothes felt constricting, straining against the primal force surging through me, and my teeth ached with the desire to sink into his throat, to taste the blood of my adversary.

“Are you challenging me, beta?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you need me to demonstrate that I meant every word I said?”

“I’ve followed your command, Your Majesty,” he replied, his voice strained, the anger barely concealed beneath his clipped tones. Yet, he didn’t fight back. His gaze remained cast downward, even as he struggled to breathe, the color draining from his face.

“Then why the hell are you here?” I barked, my frustration boiling over.

“Rivers! We’re here for Rivers.”

We?

I released him, watching as he slumped against the wall, gasping for air, his body trembling.

“The case. You ordered us to bring Rivers in,” Elijah coughed, struggling to regain his composure.

I had indeed given that order. Elijah had informed me that he couldn’t stay at the Bureau due to the ongoing investigation. But there was a nagging feeling in my gut, a suspicion that his explanation was merely skirting around the truth. Had I misjudged him so severely?

“Sir, if you wish for me to step down as your beta, I will. I never intended to provoke you,” he said, his voice laced with sincerity.

Once again, I felt a flicker of doubt. Was I losing my grip on reason, allowing my territorial instincts regarding Kitty to cloud my judgment? Had I truly attacked my most trusted ally without cause?

“Stay out of the case from now on,” I commanded, my tone brooking no argument.

Elijah’s eyes widened in shock, his disbelief evident.

“Sir, we’ve been in this together from the very start,” he protested. “I’ve sacrificed so much to catch this guy.”

Guilt washed over me, heavy and suffocating. He was right. We had poured our hearts and souls into this investigation, sifting through every detail, uncovering clues where others had failed, yet we still hadn’t cracked the case.

“He’s changed how he operates,” Elijah continued, his voice steady despite the tension. “Do you really want me to—”

“Yes,” I interrupted, my patience wearing thin.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify