Alpha's Dark Desires

Chapter 43: Angry Mate

KANE’S POV:

The moment I stepped out of my car and onto the driveway, the weight of my mistake hit me like a freight train. Ash, my wolf, growled low in my mind, not out of anger toward Elena this time but toward me. noveldrama

You reek of Ashley. This is bad, Kane. Really bad.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, realizing I hadn’t showered before coming home. The faint scent of Ashley’s arousal still clung to my clothes, and no amount of air or distance from her would cover it up—not with Elena’s sharp sense of smell. Why the fuck didn’t I think to shower before I got back?

Panic clawed at my chest as I opened the front door as quietly as I could, hoping to slip past Elena unnoticed. My plan was simple: get to the guest room, take the fastest shower of my life, and pray to the goddess she wouldn’t catch wind of anything before I fixed this mess.

But luck wasn’t on my side. The faint clinking of utensils in the kitchen stopped me dead in my tracks. I glanced toward the doorway and froze. There she was, sitting at the counter, finishing what looked like an omelet. She looked so at ease, so unaffected—completely unaware of what I was trying to cover up.

For a brief moment, I thought I might make it. If I could just keep my distance—

"I’m going to shower," I said quickly, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Then we can go." I didn’t even wait for her response, turning on my heel, heading straight for the guest room. Just a few more steps, Kane. You’ve got this.

But then, her voice rang out, sharp and suspicious. "What’s that?"

The words froze me mid-step, and Ash cursed in my head. You’re busted, idiot. She’s no fool.

"What’s what?" I said, feigning confusion, not daring to turn around. If I could just keep moving—

But no. She wasn’t buying it. I heard her chair scrape against the floor, and the sound of her soft footsteps approaching sent a chill down my spine. When she got close enough, the faint sound of her sniffing the air sealed my fate.

I could see it in her eyes when I finally turned around: anger, disbelief, and pain. Pain I had caused.

"Why do you smell like another woman’s arousal?" she asked, her voice trembling but cold enough to cut through steel.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What could I say? The truth? Or lie that Ashley had thrown herself at me again and I hadn’t done enough to avoid the fallout? That even though I hadn’t touched her in that way, I hadn’t stopped her from getting close enough to make a mess of things? None of it would matter—not to Elena, and not to me. Because deep down, I knew I had no excuse.

"And why does that scent smell so much like Ashley’s?" she demanded, her voice rising, her anger bubbling just below the surface, ready to boil over.

"Elena, let me explain—" I started, desperate to calm her down, to get her to listen. But she wasn’t having it.

"Explain what?" she snapped, her voice breaking. "That you went and fucked Ashley after I specifically told you not to touch me with the hands that touched her? Is that what you’re trying to explain?"

The venom in her words cut deeper than any wound, and the worst part was that I couldn’t even defend myself. I wanted to tell her that I hadn’t crossed that line, that I hadn’t actually slept with Ashley. But the truth wouldn’t matter. I’d allowed Ashley too close, and the scent clinging to me was damning enough.

I reached out instinctively, desperate to console her, to fix this somehow, but she recoiled like I was poison.

"Don’t touch me!" she shouted, stepping back, her voice shaking with fury. "Don’t you dare touch me!"

Her laugh was bitter and hysterical, the sound of someone breaking apart right in front of me. "To think," she said, tears welling in her eyes, "that I was saving myself for my mate. A mate who’s nothing more than a fucking cheat."

My chest tightened at her words. I’d never wanted to hurt her—not like this. But how could I fix this when everything I said or did only seemed to make it worse?

And then she snapped. The words that came next made Ash and I see red.

"You know what?" she shouted, her voice trembling with rage. "If you can go off and get your little fix from Ashley, then I can find someone too. I’m going to find another guy to fuck the hell out of me!"

Ash roared in my mind, his possessiveness crashing over me like a tidal wave. No. Fucking. Way. Before I even had time to process it, my wolf took over, his instincts kicking in like a primal reflex.

Before she could storm out the door, I was on her, my hand gripping her arm as I growled, "Oh no, you don’t. You’re mine."

She turned to face me, her eyes blazing with fury. "I said don’t fucking touch me!" she screamed, her hand flying up before I could react. The slap echoed through the house, sharp and stinging, but it only made Ash dig his heels in deeper.

She was mine. No other man would lay a finger on her, no matter how angry she was, no matter how much she hated me in this moment. I couldn’t let her go.

Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her, lifting her off the ground. She fought like a wildcat, her nails raking across my face, her fists pounding against my chest, and her teeth—goddess, her teeth—sinking into my arm hard enough drawing blood.

Ash growled in approval, even through the pain. She’s fierce. Our mate is a fighter.

"Put me down!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with rage, but I didn’t let go. Couldn’t let go.

"You can fight me all you want," I growled, my voice low and rough with the wolf’s dominance. "But it’s not going to change anything. You’re mine, and I’m not letting you go."

Her claws tore at my arms, drawing blood as she thrashed, but I held her tighter. Every scratch, every bite, every curse she hurled at me only fueled the fire in my chest. She could hate me all she wanted. She could tear me apart piece by piece, but no one else would ever touch her.

"You don’t own me!" she spat, her voice shaking with fury. "You might be my mate, but I will never be yours."

Her words stung like silver against my skin, but they didn’t weaken my resolve. If anything, they made me more determined.

Ash rumbled in my mind, his possessiveness echoing in my voice as I growled, "You can deny it all you want, Elena, but you’re mine. And no one else will ever have you."

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.