Alpha's Dark Desires
Chapter 106: His Fault

Chapter 106: His Fault

Kane POV

What the actual fuck?

The weight of his words sank in, dragging me down into a pit of disbelief and rage. He fucked Ashley? My wolf roared in my head, a visceral snarl of fury that rattled my skull.

And he was the reason for all of this.

The reason my mate—my Elena—was in a blind rampage, furious with me for something I didn’t do. The reason she thought I had betrayed her, broken her trust, and crushed whatever fragile bond we were building.

He was the reason she’d been running around tonight, throwing herself into the arms of other men, kissing them in some twisted attempt at revenge.

All because of him.

Because of his stupidity, his recklessness, and his utter disregard for consequences.

My reputation. My name. Everything I’d worked to protect as alpha. It was all in shambles because of this piece of shit.

"You absolute bastard," I growled, my voice shaking with barely controlled fury. My hands trembled, itching to close around his throat. "You’re the reason she—"

Dean just laughed, that same cocky, infuriating smirk plastered on his face. "Oh, don’t be so dramatic, brother. She’ll get over it."

"Get over it?" I roared, taking a step toward him. My wolf surged forward, desperate to rip him apart. "You used my face, my name, my fucking life to ruin everything! You’ve put her through hell, you son of a—"

"Careful," he interrupted, holding up a finger as if scolding a child. "You’re going to hurt my feelings."

His mocking tone only fanned the flames of my anger. I lunged at him, but Elena stepped between us again, her hand on my chest stopping me in my tracks.

"Kane, enough," she said, her voice low but firm.

I looked down at her, my chest heaving, my wolf howling in frustration. She didn’t meet my eyes, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"You still don’t trust me," I said, my voice quieter now, heavy with hurt. "You really thought I could do that to you."

She flinched, but before she could answer, Dean’s voice cut through the moment like a knife.

"Oh, isn’t this touching?" he sneered. "A lover’s quarrel. How quaint."

My fists clenched, my teeth grinding together as I turned back to him. "You’re done here," I said, my tone deadly. "Get the hell out before I end you."

Dean’s smirk faltered for just a second, but then it was back, as smug and infuriating as ever. "Fine," he said, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. "I’ll let you two lovebirds figure this out. For now."

And with that, he turned and strolled down the alley, disappearing into the shadows like the ghost of my worst mistakes.

I let out a shaky breath, the weight of the moment crashing down on me.

Elena’s voice broke through the silence. "So, are you going to explain, or do I get to keep piecing this mess together on my own?"

I turned to her, my jaw tightening. "You’re not going to like the truth."

Her eyes met mine, blazing with the same fire that had drawn me to her in the first place. "Try me."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "That wasn’t me, Elena. That was Dean."

"And Dean is...?"

"My shadow," I said bitterly. "The worst parts of me. A mistake brought to life."

Her brows furrowed, confusion and disbelief warring in her expression. "What the hell does that even mean, Kane?"

"It means," I said, my voice low, "that tonight was just the beginning of a much bigger problem."

Her lips parted, a question on the tip of her tongue, but I didn’t let her finish.

"Let’s get out of here," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "We’ll talk about it back at the house."

I didn’t wait for her response. If she wanted answers, she was coming with me. And if Dean wanted to keep messing with my life, he’d have to face me first.

I was angry. No—scratch that—I was fuming. Elena’s words kept replaying in my head like a broken record, each time stinging more than the last. How could she think that of me? After everything I’d done, everything I’d said, all the ways I’d shown her she was the only one I wanted.

What hurt the most wasn’t just her accusation. It was the lack of trust.

I had assured her time and again that she was it for me—my beginning, my middle, and my end. I’d been patient, understanding, giving her space when she needed it, holding her close when she let me. And still, she thought I’d throw all that away for some meaningless fling? Much less Ashley.

Anger pulsed through me, hot and sharp, as I gripped the steering wheel tightly. The silence in the car was suffocating, pressing down on us like a heavy storm cloud. My knuckles turned white, my wolf snarling just beneath the surface, demanding answers, demanding justice.

Elena sat beside me, her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on the window. She didn’t look at me, didn’t acknowledge the turmoil brewing in the air between us. Her silence was a dagger to the chest.

I couldn’t stop the images flashing in my mind—her on that dance floor, her body moving in ways only I should see. The way those men had touched her, kissed her, their hands where only mine belonged. Just thinking about it made my blood boil, my claws threatening to break through my skin.

But beneath the fury, there was something else. Something deeper.

Hurt.

She thought so little of me, so little of the promises I’d made to her, that she could believe I would betray her like that. That I would throw away everything I felt for her for someone like Ashley.

I had reassured her time and time again that she was everything I wanted. That there was no one else. And yet, in one twisted moment, all of that trust had unraveled.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She looked so small, so fragile sitting there, but I knew better. Elena was a storm wrapped in human skin. Fierce, untouchable...and yet, tonight, I’d seen cracks in her armor.

She thought she’d seen me with Ashley. Thought I’d been the one she saw. And while I wanted to be furious with her for doubting me, I couldn’t.

Because I could imagine how she must have felt.

How her heart must have shattered.

Seeing her tonight, with her lips on someone else, her body pressed against strangers, had nearly driven me insane. The mere thought of her being intimate with another man sent rage coursing through me, sharp and unrelenting.

But for her? Thinking she’d caught me with Ashley? That I had betrayed her in the most intimate way? I couldn’t even fathom the depth of her pain.

My hands tightened on the wheel, the leather creaking under the pressure. I hated this. Hated the distance between us, the walls she’d built to keep me out.

"I didn’t do it," I said finally, my voice low but firm.

She didn’t respond, didn’t even flinch.

"Elena," I said again, glancing at her. "I didn’t. Whatever you think you saw...it wasn’t me."

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "And I’m just supposed to believe that? After everything I saw?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Because I would never do that to you. To us."

Her head snapped toward me then, her eyes blazing. "Do you have any idea what it felt like, Kane? To walk in and see—"

"It wasn’t me," I interrupted, my voice louder now, more forceful.

She blinked, startled by the intensity of my tone.

"I don’t know what you saw, Elena, but I swear to you, it wasn’t me," I said, my voice softer now. "It was Dean. He’s the one who’s been doing all of this."

Her brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her face. "Dean? You mean that...that thing back in the alley?"

I nodded, my jaw tightening. "Yes. He’s not just some random guy. He’s...he’s a part of me. A mistake from my past."

Elena stared at me, her eyes searching mine for answers, for truth.

"I didn’t cheat on you," I said again, my voice breaking slightly. "I wouldn’t. I couldn’t."

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. The only sound in the car was the low hum of the engine and the distant rustle of trees as we sped down the road.

Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know what to believe anymore. I still can’t believe that I saw an replica of you"

Her words hit me like a blow to the chest, but I didn’t falter.

"Believe in me," I said, my eyes locking with hers. "That’s all I’m asking."

She turned away again, her gaze fixed on the dark road ahead. And as the silence settled over us once more, I realized that tonight wasn’t just about clearing my name.

It was about proving to her that I was worth trusting.

Even if it meant reviving that what was buried in the dark.