Beta Hunter led me into the Alpha Kane's Pack office and stood in front of the door.
"Go ahead and knock." Beta Hunter nodded his head at the door, amusement playing in his eyes.
"I don't think you'll stay if he tries to kill me." I raised an eyebrow at Beta Hunter, who was becoming less intimidating by the second.
Beta shook his head, his lips twitching at my words. "Don't count on it. Good luck." And with those last warm and welcoming words, Beta retreated down the hall.
"It's now or never," Nova muttered.
"It wouldn't hurt to be a little more positive." I rolled my eyes.
"He'll be mad either way." Nova shrugged. "I'm sure he'll kill us if we wait to tell him."
I raised my hand and knocked on the heavy oak door. There were a few moments of silence, and I flinched as an irritated Kane called out, "Come in."
I yanked the door open and walked in.
Kane was sitting at a large desk in the center of the room, his pack office not as fancy as his office at the Sterling Empire. There was no hi-fi tile on the floor, but a nice carpet. He converted all the pack houses into apartments. His honey eyes were watching the words on the piece of paper. He hadn't looked up at me yet, and I resisted the urge to fidget.
"Well?" Kane snapped, his eyes still glued to the paper in front of him. He hadn't even noticed me yet.
My stubborn side decided to come out, and I pressed my lips together, just standing there in silence until Alpha Kane decided to look up from his papers.
A few more seconds passed, and he threw his papers down on the table with a loud thud. His honey eyes flashed with irritation as they met mine.
"Zara?" Alpha Kane snapped, his handsome face twisting into a grimace. "Haven't you bothered me enough in one day?"
As a CEO, he comes across as a civilized, arrogant, and handsome billionaire. But as an Alpha, he comes across as a bloodthirsty beast who would tear you apart at any moment.
I felt a distrustful look threaten to appear on my face, and I hid it behind a smirk.
"Sorry, you're just being so cheerful and approachable," I smirked at him. "I just can't help it."
Alpha Kane leaned back in his chair, glaring at me. His honey eyes were darkening with each passing second, and I took the time to notice how good he looked.
He had changed out of his business attire and was now wearing casual jeans. His button-down shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and the top buttons were undone. His chocolate hair was tousled and deliciously messy. My heart pounded as he stood up from his chair and walked slowly towards me like a hungry wolf.
"You have one minute to tell me why you're here, Zara." Alpha Kane growled, his chest rumbled at the depth of his voice.
I pursed my lips and pretended to be lost in thought when I felt a rough hand grab my chin.
"Thirty seconds, Zara." Alpha Kane growled, his hand tightening around my face.
As always with Kane, the pain was mixed with pleasure and sent thrilling tingling down my legs. The thought of his punishments was becoming more and more appealing as time went on.
"I have some information on Marcus." I gritted my teeth as the name left my lips.
Kane's honey eyes returned to her face as he removed his hand from my face.
"Good girl," Alpha Kane commented, his eyes meeting mine. "Explain."
Something stirred between my legs as I heard his rough voice say, "Good girl." It was almost as intoxicating as his deep threats to punish me. I wasn't sure which I liked more.
Knowing he would be furious, I began to tell him what had happened at the pool today.
I had artfully left out the fact that I had been receiving notes from a stranger I had not named. I couldn't fully process that fact myself, and the last thing I needed was for the entire pack to know.
Alpha Kane's eyes gradually darkened as I continued my account of today's events.
"Why were you at the pool, Zara?" Kane's voice took on that deadly calm tone that sent shivers down my spine.
"I don't see why I can't go." I snorted, "It's out of the way, and no one else knows."
"Marcus knows." Kane growled, "You said Marcus doesn't work alone. That means whoever he works with knows, too."
"Okay, I get your point." I snapped, watching the fire in Kane's eyes grow brighter at my disobedience. "Why didn't you call the others?" Kane's voice was deadly calm, and my stomach clenched under his gaze.
"Oh, he's angry." Nova groaned.
I rolled my eyes. "He'd be even angrier if we hadn't told him."
"If I had called the others, we wouldn't have known any of this." I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked into Alpha's dark eyes.
"If you'd called the others, I'd have Marcus in my hands," Kane growled, taking another step toward me.
"Oh, I don't believe it." I shook my head. "Marcus was up to something; there was no way he was going to get caught."
"You underestimate me," Kane growled. "You overestimate your little guy."
Something brighter flared in Alpha Kane's eyes at his own words, but I refused to cower under his fiery gaze. There was no way in hell I was going to give Alpha Kane the satisfaction of making me submit.
"He's not my boyfriend." I snapped at Kane.
Alpha Kane froze for a moment. "You wanted him gone, Zara?"
If any other Alpha had taken over our pack, my next move would have gotten me a death sentence. I wasn't sure what kept Alpha Kane from killing me then and there. I'd like to think it was my charming appearance and complete unwillingness to submit that prompted him to keep me around. However, my next actions were not something I was proud of.
I blushed at Alpha Kane's words. Nova roared, igniting my anger. We both completely forgot who Alpha Kane was and charged at him.