Alpha's Dark Desires
Chapter 80: Ex Was Mate Sub

Chapter 80: Ex Was Mate Sub

Kane POV

Just as I thought the drama at the door was over and Derick—Elena’s ex—was about to slink off, the universe decided to throw another curveball my way. Because, of course, why would things ever be simple?

Before Derick could fully disappear, another scent hit me—a familiar one that made my stomach churn.

And my ghost stepped through.

Ashley.

My sub.

The one person who had been the bane of my relationship with Elena. Her presence was a constant shadow, a reminder of mistakes made and trust broken. And now, of all times, she was here, standing at the threshold with that familiar defiant look in her eyes.

Before I could demand an explanation, her attention wasn’t on me.

"Derick?" she said, her voice laced with disbelief and irritation. "What are you doing here?"

The way she said his name—it was personal. Too personal.

Ashley crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "I thought we agreed mutually that we weren’t going to interfere in one another’s lives."

My mind froze, gears grinding to a halt as I processed her words.

Agreed? Interfere?

Derick stiffened, his pale face now somehow even paler. "Ashley," he stammered, "I didn’t mean to... I didn’t know you were here."

I narrowed my eyes at both of them, my wolf practically snarling now. Whatever this was, I needed answers.

Turning to Ashley, I demanded, "Who is he to you?" My voice was low and dangerous, every word edged with the power of an alpha’s command.

She hesitated, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes—regret? Guilt? It was enough to make my blood boil.

Finally, she looked down, unable to meet my gaze, and mumbled, "He was my mate."

What.

Her mate?

Ashley lifted her gaze then, her expression shifting to one of desperation—pleading, almost, but not for Derick. No, it was directed at me.

"But we agreed on rejection," she said quickly, as though it would absolve her. "Can’t you see, sir? I rejected him for you."

The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode.

My jaw tightened, my fists clenching at my sides as I stared at her. "You rejected your mate... for me?"

Before Ashley could respond, Derick stepped forward, his expression darkening as realization seemed to hit him all at once. "So he’s the reason," he spat, his voice shaking with rage. "It was for him that you agreed to reject me."

Ashley flinched but said nothing.

Both Ashley and Derick fell silent, their eyes turning to me.

This wasn’t my mess to clean up. They clearly had their own issues to sort out, but I wasn’t about to let them do it on my doorstep. Especially not in front of Elena.

Elena, who had been watching the entire exchange with wide eyes, her confusion and discomfort growing with every word.

I reached out, taking her hand in mine and pulling her gently but firmly behind me. My focus was on Ashley and Derick now, my voice cold and unyielding.

"You two clearly have your own problems to deal with," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "But you’re not going to deal with them here. This is my territory, and I won’t have it tainted with your unresolved drama."

Ashley’s eyes widened, her lips parting as if she wanted to protest, but I didn’t give her the chance.

"And you," I said, my gaze locking onto Derick, "are trespassing. You should have been gone the moment you knew whose territory this was. Don’t make me repeat myself."

Derick’s jaw clenched, but he nodded stiffly, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I’ll leave," he muttered.

Ashley hesitated, looking at me as though hoping for some kind of reprieve. When she saw she wasn’t going to get it, she sighed and turned to follow him.

As soon as they were both out of the doorway, I slammed the door shut behind them, the sound echoing through the house.

I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving, trying to push down the anger that threatened to boil over.

Turning back to Elena, I saw her watching me, her expression a mix of concern and... something else I couldn’t quite place.

The moment I slammed the door shut, I hoped I’d left the mess of their drama outside. But their raised voices, barely muffled by the thick walls, told me otherwise.

Derick’s accusing tone sliced through the air like a blade. "You rejected me for him?" he demanded, his voice dripping with bitterness.

And then Ashley, who I rarely ever saw lose her composure, snapped. Her voice rang out loud and clear.

"You dare act like the innocent one in all this?" she yelled, her tone venomous. "You told me—you told me—that you were involved with an alpha’s daughter. That the mate bond wasn’t going to stop you from doing whatever it took to become an alpha yourself!"

I froze at those words, my wolf stirring with a mixture of disbelief and fury.

Ashley wasn’t finished. "Don’t you dare play the victim now," she spat. "I said we should reject each other because it was clear neither of us wanted the bond! And guess what, you agreed. You agreed, Derick!"

Her voice cracked slightly, but the anger didn’t waver.

Inside, Elena moved closer to me, her expression confused but wary. "What’s going on?" she asked quietly, but I held up a hand to signal for silence. I needed to hear this.

Derick’s response came, his voice no longer loud but sharp enough to cut. "I agreed because I thought you wanted out just as much as I did. I thought it was mutual!"

Ashley’s bitter laugh followed, tinged with mockery. "Mutual? Oh, please. Don’t lie to yourself, Derick. You agreed because you thought rejecting me would make her"—there was no doubt who her referred to—"yours. You thought you could swoop in, charm Elena, and become the alpha of her pack through her father."

Elena stiffened beside me, and I saw her hands curl into fists.

Ashley wasn’t done yet. "And don’t think I don’t know why you’re here now," she added, her tone dripping with scorn. "You’re not here because of me. You’re here because Elena chose someone else. Because she chose Kane. And now, you’re left with nothing."

I exhaled slowly, my mind piecing together the tangled threads of their deceit.

So, this was what it boiled down to.

This idiot, Derick, had agreed to the rejection not because he wanted freedom or independence, but because he thought it would clear a path to Elena. He’d been plotting to use her, her family, and her legacy to secure a title he could never earn on his own.

And Ashley? She’d played her own game, thinking she could twist the rejection into an opportunity to win me over. It was all clear now—the calculated glances, the way she always lingered too close, the subtle manipulation. She’d thought I’d fall for her eventually.

But the one thing neither of them accounted for was me.

I wouldn’t have let Elena reject me, not even when she wanted to. And I definitely wouldn’t have agreed to a rejection, not when I knew the mate bond was too precious to squander.

Elena and I would’ve been left mateless, vulnerable to the scheming of these two manipulative fools. Ashley would have clung to me, and Derick would have sunk his claws into Elena.

But fate—or perhaps the goddess—had other plans.

"Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair as I stared at the door.

Outside, Ashley and Derick’s voices grew quieter as their argument continued. But I was done listening.

Pulling Elena into my arms, I pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "Let them sort out their mess. It’s not our problem anymore."

She nodded, resting her head against my chest.

A thought gnawed at me like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I tried to push it aside, to focus on the warmth of Elena in my arms, but the doubt lingered in the back of my mind.

Elena had said she’d try to make this work—to give me, us, a chance—but the arrival of her ex had shaken something loose in me.

If I hadn’t been here, would that fool Derick have managed to charm her, to remind her of what they once shared? Would she have run off with him?

I clenched my jaw at the thought, my wolf snarling inside me. Childhood sweethearts

. The words had been casually thrown at me by her father the day I found out she was my mate. He’d told me about their history like it was some harmless little detail, something I should brush off. But how could I?

I remember that conversation vividly.

I looked down at her now, still resting in my arms, unaware of the storm raging inside me.

I wanted to believe that she was past all of that—that whatever connection she and Derick once had was nothing more than a distant memory. But the doubt lingered.

It wasn’t just about Derick. It was about me.

I wasn’t blind to the fact that I’d made mistakes—mistakes that had pushed Elena further away instead of bringing her closer. I hadn’t always been the mate she needed. Hell, I’d probably been the opposite of what she wanted for a long time.

But things were different now. I was trying. She was trying. And yet, the fear that it might not be enough was like a weight pressing down on my chest.

I couldn’t lose her. Not to Derick. Not to anyone.

My wolf growled, the sound echoing in my mind. She’s ours. She chose to stay. Trust her.

Easier said than done.

But as I held her, as I felt the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against me, I forced myself to breathe. To push the doubts aside.

She’d told me she’d try. She’d told me she was willing to give us a chance.

And I’d be damned if I let anyone, least of all Derick, take that away from us.

Still, the thought of their shared history left a bitter taste in my mouth. Childhood sweethearts. The idea of someone else knowing her so intimately, of someone else sharing parts of her life that I would never get to experience, made my wolf bristle with possessiveness.

But it wasn’t just about her past. It was about her future. Our future.

Derick was a threat, yes. Not because I thought Elena would willingly go back to him, but because he clearly thought he still had a chance. And people like him—arrogant, manipulative, and opportunistic—were dangerous.

I’d seen it in the way he looked at her when I stepped into the room earlier. The way he pleaded with her, like he thought he could convince her to leave with him if he just said the right words.

But what he didn’t understand was that Elena wasn’t the same person she’d been back then. She wasn’t some naive girl who could be swayed by sweet talk and empty promises.

She was stronger now. Smarter.

And she was mine.

I tightened my arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Everything okay?" she murmured, looking up at me with those wide, curious eyes.

"Yeah," I said, forcing a small smile. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how lucky I am," I said, the words coming out more easily than I expected.

She rolled her eyes but smiled softly. "You’re ridiculous."

"Maybe," I admitted. "But it’s true."

She rested her head against my chest again, and for a moment, the tension eased.

Derick could try all he wanted. He could plead, manipulate, and scheme until he was blue in the face.

But at the end of the day, Elena was here. With me.

And I wasn’t going to let her go. Not now. Not ever.