Kane opened the door and waited for her to enter first. The courtesy should have been polite, but coming from him, it felt more like a trap. Still, she stepped inside, refusing to let him intimidate her.

His office was exactly as functional and empty as she had expected. A heavy desk stood near the window, while maps of the territory covered one wall. Stacked piles of what looked like patrol reports covered part of the desk. But none of the items provided any clues to what interests Kane Marrick had outside of his job. Most likely, his life was only about duty and nothing more.

Making her life difficult was probably the only entertainment he had in his bland existence.

Kane closed the door, making the latch click loudly.

Serah turned at once.

“Just admit that you want to close me down.”

Kane crossed to his desk but didn’t sit.

“You think I denied your application because I want to ruin your business?”

“I know it was.”

“You know nothing. The western area isn’t safe. And it will never be safe while Alpha Varic is still pack leader of the Hollow Creek Pack.”

The words came out sharper than he had probably intended. Serah studied him more intensely. There was something off about him today. His shoulders were tense, and he held his hands still at his sides. It was obvious that he was working hard to stand still. His jaw clenched, as if he were fighting to remain in control. For some reason, the control seemed to cost him more than it normally did.

She remembered his scent in the waiting room and the sudden warmth beneath the pine. Her eyes narrowed as the truth finally dawned on her. There was no longer any doubt about what was troubling him. No wonder he looked about to snap any second.

“You’re going into rut, aren’t you?”

Kane stiffened as if he hated to be found out. His expression didn’t change much, but the way his body tensed told Serah he wasn’t happy about her discovery. He probably thought it was a weakness she planned to exploit. Still, he didn’t deny her statement, but his silence told her more than any denial could have.

“So that’s why you refused to give me a permit?”

“No.”

“You did.” She stepped closer to the desk, her anger rising again. “Just admit that you blocked my business because your rut is making you unable to think rationally.”

His eyes flashed gold. The sight of his wolf so close to the surface should have frightened her. But it also sent a warm feeling through her body so fast that she almost lost her train of thought.

Damn. Kane’s scent was getting to her in ways that were all too obvious.

“The building isn’t safe,” he said.

“Stop using the building as an excuse for your mess.”

His gaze snapped back to hers.

“Back off, Serah. You shouldn’t push me right now. It’s obvious you don’t know how to deal with an unmated alpha near rut.”

“I understand enough to know that you’re not thinking straight right now. You can’t base your judgements on your hormones.”

Kane moved before she could react. One moment he stood behind the desk and the next he was in front of her, close enough that she had to tilt her head back. Serah refused to retreat, although both his scent and body seemed to surround her. Every instinct in her body screamed that she had pushed him into dangerous territory.

Kane’s scent wrapped around her, stronger now. Much hotter than when he had kept his distance. His control was still there, but the wolf beneath it was close enough that she could almost feel it watching her. He leaned closer, and she felt his warm breath against the naked skin on her neck.

For a second, she wondered if he intended to bite her head off or do something much worse, like claiming her. But that wouldn’t happen. This was Kane Marrick, one of the most influential alphas in the entire pack. He could choose between any omega he wanted, and they would fall all over him in elatedness. Well, most omegas would.

It was more likely that he was trying to intimidate her.

“Do you think this is a game, Serah?” Kane asked quietly, as if he could read her mind. “That you can push me to ignore the obvious threat and just accept your application?”

“I think you’ve got used to people obeying whatever you say just because they are afraid to say no to you.”

Her voice came out hoarser than she intended. She needed to stay calm. Or Kane would make her wolf bow to him just because he was an attractive alpha who threw out commands. It took more strength than she expected, but she forced herself to step away from him. Feeling irritated with herself, she looked up at him.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth before his hand closed around her wrist. His fingers circled her easily and sent a shock through her body as his touch felt warm and far too intimate. Once again, she felt a powerful urge to submit to him. Was he using her instincts to conquer her?

Serah looked down at his hand, then back at him, feeling distracted by his presence.

What the hell was wrong with her?

This was Kane. A man she didn’t even like. He may look like god’s gift to women, but his personality was more like vinegar. Still, she couldn’t deny that his pheromones appealed to her so much that she wanted to move closer and offer herself to him.

Serah knew she needed to get the hell away from him, or she would do something she would regret.

“Let go of me!”

He released her immediately.

His face changed as he stepped back. The anger was still there, but to Serah’s surprise, he looked ashamed of his own actions.

Good, she thought fiercely. Kane deserved to feel ashamed after he had cornered her and used his scent to bend her to his will. Even if it hadn’t been a conscious move on his side. But based on what she had heard about this man, he would use every weapon in his arsenal to get what he wanted.

The skin around her wrist still burned where he had touched her, and that made the victory feel hollow. It was like some secret part of her enjoyed seeing him lose control and just grab what he wanted.

Why would she possibly enjoy something like that? And from him?

Kane dragged one hand through his hair, breaking the perfect order of it. His sheepish frown made her feel a lot more at ease. It made him look more like a real person than he had before, and it softened her views about him.

“You should stay away from the western district until my rut passes.”

Serah stared at him. The momentary softness vanished into thin air.

“You are unbelievable. You can’t just decide where I can walk or not.”

“I’m dangerous.”

Oh for crying out loud. Some men had the ego the size of a planet.

“You’re insufferable.” She held up the refusal letter. “I will appeal this decision.”

“It will be denied.”

“Then I will appeal again.”

“Serah.”

The way he said her name felt almost like a caress. She hated how it affected her and made her pulse quicken. It was time to get out of here. She stepped back and opened the door.

“You can’t frighten me away from the western district.”

Something in his face shifted again. For a moment, he didn’t look like a cruel, arrogant enforcer, but more like a man fighting something inside himself. Then the mask returned, and he was just as cold and aloof as usual.

“If you keep pushing this, there will be consequences.”

“Good. I was worried this would become boring.”

‘Famous last words,’ Serah thought as she left before he could annoy her even further. It was unwise to make an enemy of someone as powerful as Kane. But his insufferable behaviour made it impossible to ignore.

The self-conceited scumbag thought he could prevent her from expanding her business, and she refused to let him win. That also meant that she would have to find another way to expand her business.

But how?