Elena POV
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped, glaring at Dean—fake Kane—who was standing at the front door with a smug grin, holding it open like he owned the place.
His presence was unnerving, to say the least. Everything about him scread Kane: the way he stood, the way his voice carried, even his scent. But there was sothing... off. A darkness that lingered around him, like a shadow that didn’t belong.
Dean smirked, unbothered by my tone. "That isn’t a nice way to talk to your guest now, is it?" he said smoothly, stepping aside and motioning for to enter.
Behind , I heard a low growl. Kane was off the car in an instant, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. He was at my side, his eyes locked on Dean, every muscle in his body tense and coiled like a spring.
I felt his anger like a wave crashing against , but my attention remained on the imposter.
Dean’s smirk widened as he leaned casually against the doorfra, clearly enjoying the chaos he was causing.
"Ushering into my house? That’s rich," I said, crossing my arms and holding my ground.
"Your house?" Dean echoed, his tone mockingly innocent. "Sweetheart, this house belongs to Kane. And , of course, seeing as we’re essentially the sa person."
The venom in Kane’s growl deepened, and his hand lightly brushed against my arm, as if silently reassuring himself that I was still there.
Did I ntion how utterly weird it was to see two people with the sa looks, the sa voice, and even the sa scent? It was disorienting, like looking in a mirror that reflected not just one image but two overlapping realities.
Kane stepped in front of , his broad shoulders blocking my view of Dean. "You’re not welco here," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Dean chuckled, the sound grating against my nerves. "Co on, brother. Don’t be so hostile. I’m just here to... catch up." His gaze shifted to , and the way his eyes lingered made my stomach churn.
"I swear, if you so much as look at her again—" Kane began, his voice like thunder.
Dean held up his hands in mock surrender, a devilish grin plastered on his face. "Relax, Kane. I wouldn’t dream of touching what’s yours." His words carried a double-edged implication that made my skin crawl.
I had no idea what I’d just stepped into, but one thing was clear: whatever Kane was keeping from , it was about to blow up in both of our faces.
"I can’t help but notice how overprotective you are with this one," Dean began, his voice dripping with amusent. His gaze darted between Kane and , lingering on like he was piecing together a puzzle. "She even calls this her ho... Wait. Don’t tell ... Is this—?" His eyes lit up with dawning realization. "You really did find her, didn’t you?"
Kane’s expression darkened. His body tensed, every muscle taut with restrained fury. Whatever Dean had figured out, Kane was not happy about it.
Dean tilted his head, looking genuinely curious for once. "Is she our mate?" he asked, his tone smooth, but his eyes were locked on with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
"Our?" I repeated, the word catching in my throat. What the hell did he an by that?
Kane’s growl rumbled low and nacing, shaking the room. "Mine. She’s mine," he snapped, his voice barely human. His wolf was close to the surface, his form trembling with the effort of holding back the shift.
Dean, of course, didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. He only smirked wider. "Oh, so she’s the one." He took a step closer, ignoring Kane’s warning growl entirely. "Well, technically, that makes her my mate too, if we’re being logical about it." He pointed lazily at Kane, then back to himself. "You and I are one and the sa, just... a different breed."
That word—breed—landed like a slap.
Before I could process his words, Kane erupted into motion. A guttural roar tore from his throat, and he launched himself at Dean, shifting mid-air into his massive wolf form. His fur bristled with rage, and his golden eyes burned with feral intensity.
Dean was faster than I expected. He moved like a shadow, zooming to the far side of the room with inhuman speed. Kane’s claws slashed through the air where Dean had stood monts before, leaving gouges in the hardwood floor.
Dean smirked as he straightened, his voice calm despite Kane’s feral growling. "Mine," Kane snarled, his wolf’s voice thick with unrestrained possessiveness.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Kane, you’ve always been so territorial. Calm down. I’m just stating the obvious."
But his fangs... That’s when I saw them. Long, gleaming fangs that caught the dim light of the room. His eyes glowed red, his claws sharp as daggers. And his presence—it wasn’t just dark; it was suffocating, like the air itself recoiled from him.
Different breed.
The words clicked into place with an almost audible snap in my mind. Dean wasn’t a wolf. He was sothing else entirely—sothing far worse.
A vampire.
The realization hit like a freight train. My knees wobbled, and my breath ca in short, shallow gasps. My chest tightened as my mind tried to catch up with the spiraling chaos around .
Kane, my mate, had a doppelgänger—a twisted reflection of himself that wasn’t just a nuisance but a blood-sucking vampire. And he was claiming as his mate too.
My world was crashing down, and I couldn’t stop it.
Dark spots danced in my vision as the weight of everything pressed down on : seeing my mate—no, Dean—cheating on with Ashley, learning about Dean’s existence, his claim to , and now this—the revelation that he wasn’t even a wolf but a wolf’s natural-born enemy.
The room spun.
I couldn’t breathe.
The darkness ca for , cold and consuming.
Before I succumbed completely, I felt hands catch . They carried the familiar tingling of the mate bond, but they didn’t feel like Kane’s. My mind barely registered the thought before the blackness took over entirely.
I ca to slowly, the soft surface beneath cradling my body. My head throbbed, but the murmur of voices nearby sharpened my focus. I kept my eyes closed, feigning unconsciousness, trying to make sense of the words being exchanged.
"Why did you co back?" one voice growled, low and venomous. The familiarity of the voice imdiately gave it away—it was Kane.
"Ah, by now, you should have gotten over it," ca the reply, equally familiar but carrying a cold, mocking edge. Dean.
"No one gets over the fact that you were responsible for my parents’ death," Kane spat, his voice filled with a fury that seed to shake the walls.
There was another laugh, this one darker, more nacing. "Our parents," Dean corrected. "You always did love to sideline , didn’t you?" His tone was mock-hurt, but the malice beneath it was palpable.
I held my breath, my heart pounding as I tried to make sense of what they were saying. My mind struggled to process it, but Dean’s next words made my stomach drop.
"I ca to tell you the witch who tore away from you is dead," he said, almost casually.
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to stay still. What witch? What does he an by torn away? I struggled to piece together the fragnts of their conversation. Kane had said earlier that Dean was his darker side, split from him sohow. But how could that be, when one was a wolf and the other—a blood-drinking vampire?
"I told you," Kane said, his voice hard and unyielding, "we’re not fusing back. Not now, not ever."
Dean’s laugh was cut short by a knock at the door. Kane’s footsteps moved toward it, each one deliberate and tense.
No, no, no. Don’t leave alone with him.
The mont the door clicked shut behind Kane, I felt it—the oppressive, suffocating energy Dean carried with him. It pressed against my skin like an unwelco touch.
"I know you’re awake," Dean purred, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. I didn’t move, hoping he was bluffing.
But then I felt it—a cold presence leaning closer, his breath brushing against my neck. "Your blood calls to , little wolf," he murmured, his voice darkly amused.
My eyes snapped open, panic surging through .
Dean was right there, his face inches from mine, his red eyes glowing with a predatory gleam. His lips curled into a smile that revealed sharp, gleaming fangs. He was leaned over , close enough that I could feel the chill radiating from his skin.
"What the fuck?" I gasped, jerking back instinctively, but I was pinned. Dean’s hand pressed lightly against my shoulder, keeping in place with a strength that sent a wave of panic through .
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