Alpha's Dark Desires
Chapter 45: Death Leap

Chapter 45: Death Leap

KANE’S POV:

My mate is going to drive me insane. At this rate, I’m convinced she’s trying to kill me—not just emotionally, but physically. This is the second time I’ve had to watch her throw herself into near-death situations, and it hasn’t even been a week since she became mine. I swear she’s aging me by the second, and my wolf, Ash, isn’t helping. He’s just as volatile and possessive, a dangerous cocktail of fury and desperation when it comes to her.

And yeah, okay, I’m a jerk. I’m a bastard. Call me whatever names you want—I deserve every single one of them. I royally messed up by letting Ashley anywhere near me, and the fact that I didn’t actually cheat doesn’t change the fact that I crossed a line. Technically, it’s not infidelity, but emotionally? Yeah, it’s cheating.

I knew I was in deep trouble the second Elena caught the faint scent of Ashley on me. But then she said it—that threat, that vow to find another man to "fuck the hell out of her." That was the moment my wolf lost it.

Ash couldn’t process those words. Couldn’t fathom anyone else touching her, much less having her in the way only I’m supposed to. It didn’t matter what I had done—or nearly done. My wolf’s instincts overtook me entirely, and I grabbed her, desperate to keep her close. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe it was cruel. But I couldn’t let her go.

And yet, even as I carried her upstairs to keep her safe and locked in while I showered, guilt gnawed at me. What kind of mate was I? The thought of someone else having her made me feel murderous, yet I’d let Ashley—Ashley!—get close enough to taint me with her scent. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t slept with her. It didn’t matter that it was all tied to a stupid contract I never should’ve signed.

The point is, I screwed up. And now I was paying for it.

I stepped into the shower with my head spinning. I wanted to scrub away every trace of Ashley, not just for Elena’s sake but for my own. I couldn’t stand the idea of my mate being hurt because of my stupidity.

The water scalded my skin as I stood under it, trying to drown out my guilt. But something felt... off. Too quiet.

That’s when I realized: the sound of her fiery tantrum, her screaming or cursing, was gone. I froze, listening closely, before my eyes darted toward the door to the bathroom. Fuck it I took peek in the room. No one. My heart dropped into my stomach as I rushed out of the bathroom, barely grabbing a towel to wrap around my waist.

The window was open.

No... no, no, no.

"Elena!" I roared, my voice echoing through the room. I ran to the window, and sure enough, there she was, climbing down like the walls of my mansion were some kind of playground.

What the hell was she thinking? Did she have a death wish?

"Get back up here!" I barked, but she barely spared me a glance, her jaw set with stubborn determination.

"Go to hell!" she shouted back, and I swear that broke something inside me.

My wolf growled low in my chest, furious and restless. She’s ours, Ash snarled. She doesn’t get to leave us!

Before I could respond, she slipped.

Time slowed as I watched her foot miss its hold, her body tilting backward. Her arms flailed, but there was nothing for her to grab onto. My heart stopped as she fell, and before I could think, before I could breathe, I leapt after her.

The world blurred as I hurtled through the air, catching her just in time. My arms wrapped around her, and I twisted mid-air, forcing myself to take the impact of the fall.

Pain exploded in my side as we hit the ground, the force of it rattling through my bones. I felt the sharp crack of a rib breaking—maybe two—but I didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was safe in my arms.

For a moment, she just stared at me, stunned. Then her expression shifted from shock to anger as she realized what had happened.

"Let go of me!" she hissed, shoving at my chest.

"Not a chance," I growled, tightening my grip. My wolf was still on edge, demanding I hold onto her like my life depended on it. And maybe it did.

She squirmed, her fists pounding against my chest, but then she froze. Her cheeks turned pink as she realized the towel I’d wrapped around my waist was barely holding on, and I was effectively naked beneath it.

Her fists paused for only a second before she resumed her assault, hitting me harder. "You’re such an idiot! Do you even think before you act?"

"You’re calling me an idiot?" I shot back, my tone incredulous. "You’re the one who tried to climb out of a third-floor window!"

"Maybe I wouldn’t have to if my mate wasn’t such a cheating bastard!" she screamed, her voice cracking.

I flinched at her words, the guilt hitting me like a punch to the gut. "I told you, I didn’t cheat," I said, my voice quieter now.

"You smell like her!" she snapped, tears pooling in her eyes. "You reek of Ashley, and you expect me to believe nothing happened? Do you think I’m stupid?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. How could I explain the situation without sounding like the world’s biggest asshole?

Her tears broke me. I could feel her pain, her betrayal, and it tore at me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. She was hurting because of me, and there was nothing I could say to make it better.

She broke down completely, her sobs shaking her small frame as she leaned against me. I didn’t know what to do, so I did the only thing I could.

I held her.

Carefully, I cradled her in my arms, ignoring the searing pain in my ribs as I stood, Ash was already fixing it murmuring how I deserve it. Her fists had gone limp against my chest, her tears soaking into my skin as I carried her back inside.

I didn’t say anything. There was nothing I could say that would fix this. All I could do was hold her tighter, silently promising myself—and her—that I would do better.

As I walked through the doors and back into the house, I realized something.

I’d nearly lost her today, not just emotionally but physically. And if I didn’t find a way to fix this—to fix us—I wouldn’t get another chance.