Elena POV
I couldn’t believe how foolish I had been, even for a mont. That stupid jerk had actually fooled into thinking he was Kane. How could I have fallen for it? Sure, they looked alike, sounded alike, even slled alike—but there were things, small things, that set my Kane apart.
Too bad I only figured it out after I’d kissed the imposter.
The worst part? He had cooked breakfast. And not just any breakfast—divine breakfast. But my appetite had evaporated completely, the realization of his deception souring my stomach. My Kane didn’t cook. Not like this.
I shoved the plate aside, the sll of the food mocking . No matter how good it looked or tasted, it wouldn’t change the fact that for a mont, I had let myself believe that phony was my mate. Disgust bubbled up in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I was storming into the bathroom.
I turned the faucet on and scrubbed at my mouth, determined to erase the mory of that kiss. How had I let it happen? I had noticed the kiss was different, but I hadn’t questioned it. I’d stupidly thought maybe Kane was trying sothing new. Breakfast in bed? Sweet gestures? Of course, it wasn’t him.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I muttered, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
Where was Kane, anyway? He never left in the morning without waking up or waiting for to wake on my own. Yet today, he was gone without a trace, leaving vulnerable to this... thing.
Just then, I heard the door to the room creak open. My body tensed instantly. I knew it was him—the imposter.
"Hey, hon, why aren’t you eating?" ca his voice, light and casual.
Hon.
Another red flag. Kane didn’t call "hon." He called "love." Always.
I stepped out of the bathroom, glaring at him. There he stood, casual and infuriatingly smug, like he hadn’t just made my skin crawl.
"You’re not Kane," I said coldly, my arms crossing over my chest.
Dean—because that’s who it was—tilted his head, that arrogant smirk growing on his face. "Oh, co on now. Don’t be like that. You didn’t seem to mind earlier."
Rage bubbled up in my veins. "Earlier? You an when you tricked into thinking you were my mate? You’re disgusting!"
His smirk didn’t falter, and he took a step closer. "Disgusting?" he echoed mockingly. "Is that what you really think? Because that’s not what it felt like when you kissed back."
My stomach twisted in disgust. "You’re lying."
His smirk deepened. "Am I?" he asked softly, leaning just slightly closer. "Tell , Elena—when I touched you, didn’t you feel it? That twinkle, that spark? It was exactly like the one you feel when Kane touches you, wasn’t it? Because you know as well as I do..." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper, "...I’m just as much your mate as he is."
I froze, his words slamming into like a wrecking ball. No. No, it wasn’t the sa. It couldn’t be. Could it?
Dean chuckled softly, clearly pleased with my reaction. "Oh, don’t look so surprised, little wolf. You might not want to admit it, but you felt it. That connection, that pull. It’s there because you’re mine, just as much as you’re his."
"And ooh about the kiss just say it. You enjoyed it as much as I did." he taunt,
His smirk didn’t falter, and he took a step closer. "I didn’t hear you complaining when I kissed you."
That was it. My hand moved before I even thought about it, slapping him across the face with all the strength I could muster. His head snapped to the side, but when he turned back to , he was laughing.
"Oh, feisty," he said, rubbing his cheek like it was a badge of honor. "I like that."
I wanted to throttle him. "Where is Kane?" I demanded.
Dean’s smile faded slightly, a flicker of sothing darker flashing in his eyes. "Out," he said simply. "Handling so... pack business."
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want, Dean? Why are you here?"
He leaned casually against the wall, his smirk returning. "What I want, little wolf, is you. But you already knew that."
My stomach twisted in disgust. "Well, that’s never going to happen," I spat. "So you can take your breakfast and your fake charm and get the hell out of my sight."
Dean chuckled, shaking his head like I was so amusing child throwing a tantrum. "Oh, Elena," he said, his tone mocking. "You don’t get it, do you? Whether you like it or not, you’re mine as much as you’re his. You can fight it, scream about it, deny it all you want—but it won’t change a damn thing."
His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I forced myself to stand tall. "The only thing that won’t change is that you’re not Kane. You’re nothing but a shadow. A mistake. And you’ll never be my mate."
Sothing flashed in his eyes—anger, maybe—but he masked it quickly. "We’ll see about that," he said smoothly, pushing off the wall and heading toward the door. "Enjoy your day, little wolf. I’ll be around."
And with that, he was gone, leaving alone to simr in my rage and disgust.
I sank down onto the bed, my heart pounding.
I needed Kane back. Now.
How was Kane going to react when he found out I had kissed Dean?
My chest tightened at the re thought. I paced the room, wringing my hands, unable to sit still. Kane wasn’t just my mate; he was my everything. How was I supposed to explain what had happened? How could I tell him that, even for a mont, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t him?
Would he be angry? Hurt?
The thought clawed at my mind, guilt sinking its sharp talons into . I knew it wasn’t entirely my fault—Dean had deceived , tricked into thinking he was Kane. But that didn’t change the fact that it had happened. That, for a mont, I had believed it. And worst of all... a small, horrible part of had enjoyed it.
I hated myself for it.
Kane would try to understand; I knew that about him. He wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions, especially when it ca to . But even his understanding nature couldn’t erase the truth: I had kissed his darker half. And no matter how I frad it, no matter how much I told myself it wasn’t my fault, it still felt like a betrayal.
I stood in the middle of the room, pacing back and forth, my thoughts racing a mile a minute. My fingers twisted together, and I bit down on my bottom lip as I tried to co up with a solution. Sothing. Anything.
We couldn’t let this happen again.
This kind of mix-up—it wasn’t just confusing or embarrassing; it was dangerous. Dean was too clever, too manipulative, and now that he had found his way back, there was no telling what he would do next. He had proven that he was willing to exploit every advantage, and I couldn’t risk falling into his trap again.
I needed to talk to Kane as soon as he got back. We had to co up with a plan—a way to prevent Dean from ever deceiving like this again.
Maybe there was sothing Kane could do, so way to differentiate himself from Dean. A mark, a scent, sothing only he and I would know. Sothing that couldn’t be faked or mimicked, no matter how identical Dean was to him.
Because this wasn’t just about protecting myself from further deception. It was about protecting us—our bond, our trust.
I sank onto the bed, burying my face in my hands.
Whatever it took, we needed to find a way to stop this. I couldn’t let Dean’s presence tear us apart. And I couldn’t let my guilt over what had happened consu , even if it felt like it was already doing just that.
Kane, please co back soon.
The image of Kane’s face twisted in anger flashed in my mind, and my heart broke at the possibility.
The worst part? Dean’s words still lingered, taunting . That twinkle, that spark? It was exactly like the one you feel when Kane touches you.
"No," I whispered fiercely, shaking my head as if to dislodge the thought. Dean was wrong. Whatever I’d felt wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
But how was I supposed to explain any of this to Kane when I couldn’t even make sense of it myself?
After hours of bashing myself for being so stupid. I finally sank down onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands. The door opened suddenly, and I jumped, my heart leaping to my throat. Kane stood there, his presence commanding the entire room.
His dark eyes swept over , concern flickering across his face. "Elena? Are you okay?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the silence.
My chest tightened, guilt and fear crashing over in waves. I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t know how to face him.
Because sooner or later, he was going to find out. And I had no idea how he’d react.
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