Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 106: Love In The Air.

The morning sun filters through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the room.

Ace stirs in Kieran’s arms, feeling warm, safe_ like he belongs here. He exhales slowly, fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on Kieran’s bare chest.

But reality catches up fast.

"Oh God! I have exams today!" Ace snaps sitting up immediately, breaking the peaceful silence.

Kieran, half-awake, pulls him back, tightening his arms around him. "No."

Ace huffs a small laugh. "What do you mean ’no’?"

"I mean why now, do you have to go? You are not." Kieran’s voice is gruff, still thick with sleep. He buries his face into Ace’s neck, inhaling deeply as if memorizing his scent. "Please let’s stay right here the whole day."

Ace sighs, threading his fingers through Kieran’s messy hair. "Kieran, I have to go. I already missed too many days. These exams decide my final grades."

Kieran pulls back, eyes narrowed. "Your grades? I get why this is important to you, but...." His jaw clenches.

Ace props himself up on one elbow, meeting Kieran’s stubborn gaze. "There’s no but, look, if I don’t, I’ll fail. And if I fail, I have to redo the semester. Which means more time in school. I don’t want that."

Kieran’s lips press into a thin line. "Ah... but..."

"I said , no buts... My exams won’t take forever. Just a few hours."

Kieran watches him for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "Fine. Let me drive you."

Ace blinks. "You don’t have to..."

"I said I’m driving you."

Ace knows better than to argue when Kieran’s in his stubborn mode.

They shower together, they can’t resist a moment before getting out of the bathroom.

At the Campus

Kieran’s black car pulls into the campus parking lot, its sleek body gleaming under the morning sun. Ace shifts in his seat, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Thank you." Ace says, leaning in and planting a kiss on Kieran’s lips before going for the door.

But he sees Kieran already stepping out of the car. He wants to walk Ace to his class.

Students walking past slow down, their eyes locking onto Kieran as he rounds the car.

Some whisper.

Others openly stare.

Of course, they do.

Kieran looks like he just walked off a magazine cover_ tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a fitted black shirt that clings to his muscles in all the right places.

His eyes scan the surroundings with cool authority, making it painfully obvious that he doesn’t belong here_ he owns every room he walks into.

Ace sighs, adjusting his bag.

He can already hear some girls giggling behind them. A few guys mutter something, probably questioning if Kieran is some kind of celebrity.

Ace glares at a girl who bites her lip while staring at Kieran.

Back off. He’s mine.

Kieran remains oblivious_ or maybe just indifferent_ as he walks beside Ace, his presence commanding the space around them.

"I don’t need a bodyguard, you know, how many times did I come here alone and I was fine" Ace mutters under his breath.

"I’m not your bodyguard. I’m your husband." Kieran’s voice is smooth, laced with amusement. "And I’m walking you to the door. Just wanna see where you will be."

Ace swears he hears someone sigh dreamily.

They reach the entrance of the building, and finally, finally, Kieran stops.

"Okay now, you can go back." Ace says, the attention they are attracting being too much for him. "Or now you wanna sit there as I do my exams."

"I would be glad to," Kieran says, smirking. "Alright! Don’t look at me like that, am going back." He adds.

But before he can turn, a familiar voice to Ace calls out...

"Ace!"

Ace barely has time to react before his friend, Jack, rushes forward, pulling him into a tight hug. "Where the hell have you been? You just disappeared!"

Ace stumbles slightly at the force of the hug. "Uh..."

Jack pulls back, looking him over. "Dude, I was worried! You weren’t answering texts or calls. And you missed all the study sessions!"

Ace rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh, I got caught up in... things."

Jack rolls his eyes. "That’s not an answer..."

A low, dangerous growl rumbles beside them. "He just had a wedding, did he tell you he was going to get married? Then surprise! He’s married_ actually, to me." Kieran says before he stops himself.

Jack freezes.

Slowly, he turns his head away from Kieran without a word.

Kieran stares at Jack’s arms around Ace, a silent warning.

Ace almost laughs. Oh, now who’s jealous?

Ace sighs, prying himself free from Jack’s grip.

Kieran steps closer, wrapping a possessive arm around Ace’s waist. His eyes still on Jack.

Jake’s mouth opens slightly. He glances between them, seeming to pick up on the tension. "Didn’t mean anything by the hug, man. We’re friends."

Kieran’s grip doesn’t loosen.

Ace elbows him lightly. "Kieran..."

Kieran exhales sharply, his jaw tight.

Jack shuffles back, clearly not wanting to test his luck. "Well, I gotta head to my class. Good luck on your exam, Ace!"

Ace gives a small nod, watching Jack disappear into the building.

Kieran turns to leave as well. "I’ll wait for you in the car." He says.

"...No. Seriously, there’s no need."

"I’m waiting here until you finish." Kieran insists.

Ace’s lips part in disbelief. "Kieran..."

But before Ace talks, Kieran kisses him "Good luck, I love you."

Ace sighs. There’s no point arguing.

He just shakes his head with a small smile. "Alright. I’ll see you after."

°~

The classroom is quiet, save for the faint scratching of pens against paper.

Ace sits at his desk, fingers lightly tapping against the exam sheet.

His eyes scan the first few questions, before his mind rush far from formulas and essay prompts.

Kieran.

He touches his neck, fingers grazing over the mark Kieran left last night.

A warmth spreads through him at the memory, the way Kieran whispered against his skin, the way his arms tightened around him like he’d never let go.

And now, right outside, Kieran is waiting.

Ace smiles to himself. He actually stayed. He actually loves him now.

A soft sigh escapes him as he forces his thoughts back to the exam. Focus, Ace. You can get lost in Kieran later.

He straightens, pushing every distracting thought aside. His brain kicks into gear, and the answers come easily at first. His hand moves swiftly, filling in the answers with confidence.

But then...

Damn. These questions are getting harder.

His pen pauses, hovering over the paper. He rereads the question twice. It’s a complicated one, the kind that would require flipping through a dozen textbooks to find the right explanation.

Bored.

His mind drifts to Kieran again.

After a while he realises time is running out.

As a joke, Ace closes his eyes, playing tricks with his powers.

He feels his chest heat up_ the familiar energy of his powers stirring just beneath the surface.

Wouldn’t it be funny if I could just... find the answers?

The thought is playful, a joke to himself. But as he concentrates, something shifts.

His powers respond.

A slow pulse of warmth spreads outward, reaching beyond him. His mind stretches, connecting_ not with the students, not with the lecturer, but with the library.

Books. Shelves upon shelves of books. He can feel them. And then_there. He puts his mind to the book he wants_

The exact book containing the answer he needs. His mind brushes against the pages, and words unfold before his inner vision, crisp and clear.

Ace’s eyes snap open in shock.

No way...

He glances around. No one seems to notice.

Tentatively, he focuses again, reaching out with his mind. Another book. Another set of pages flipping rapidly, stopping at exactly what he needs. It’s effortless. It’s like his powers are guiding him to knowledge itself.

He smirks. Now, this is cool.

Just as he’s about to explore it further_

"Mr. Ace Carter?"

The sharp voice jolts him.

Ace blinks rapidly, looking up to find his lecturer watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you sleeping? Meditating? Or is that how you think?"

A few students snicker.

Ace clears his throat. "Uh, thinking. Just... deep thinking."

The lecturer gives him a long, skeptical look before moving on.

Ace exhales, shaking his head. What the hell was that?

His powers had never done anything like this before. Sure, they’d burned things, flared up when he was emotional, but this? This was something else entirely.

The moment the exam ends, he rushes out of the room, mind still buzzing with what happened.

Kieran Waits... With Food

Ace pushes through the campus doors, making a beeline for where Kieran parked the car.

And there he is.

When Kieran sees Ace, he comes out of the car.

Wrapping his arms around Ace like he just saw him after so long.

They enter the car.

There’s a bag of food.

Ace grins. "You brought food?"

Kieran smirks. "Figured you’d be hungry after using all that brainpower."

Ace slips into the passenger seat, barely managing to shut the door before Kieran reaches over, pulling him into a kiss.

It’s deep, unhurried, as if Kieran needs to remind himself that Ace is still here, still his.

Ace melts into it, fingers gripping the front of Kieran’s shirt. His heart pounds_ not from nerves, but from the simple fact that this is what he wants.

When they pull apart, Kieran rests his forehead against Ace’s. "How was the exam?"

Ace hesitates. "Uh... interesting."

Kieran lifts a brow. "Interesting how? From what I heard_ exams are always hectic, especially when you didn’t get time to study for them_ just like you didn’t. Or you are that smart one who gets everything without even flipping a single page of a book?"

Ace chuckles, shaking his head. "I’ll explain later. Right now, I wanna eat. You are right, am really hungry right now."

Kieran hands him the food, watching as Ace digs in.

Between bites, Kieran can’t stop leaning in, planting kisses on his face_ neck.

When Ace finally finishes, he says, "Can we pass by the hotel? Jun is going to give me a hell of the time if I don’t show up at work for too long. Wanna see how dad and mom are doing too."

"Sure" Kieran nods, starting the engine.