Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 174: Is he really Going to let her touch him?!

The building that houses the detective unit is nothing like the standard police station.

It’s taller, more modern, with tinted glass windows and a grand entrance that makes it seem more like an office for government officials than a place where criminals are investigated.

The lobby is spacious, the floor polished to a shine, reflecting the bright overhead lights.

A large desk sits at the center, manned by a sharp-eyed receptionist who barely looks up as Ace, Jun, and Rey step inside.

To the left, a long hallway leads to several doors labeled with different divisions, Homicide, Organized Crime, Cyber Unit.

But Ace knows where they need to go. The Special Investigations Unit. That’s where all cases involving unidentified threats, like the recent werewolf attacks, are handled.

As they walk through the hallway, their footsteps echo against the marble floor.

Officers and detectives move about, some deep in discussion, others typing rapidly on their computers.

A few cast curious glances their way, but no one stops them.

At the end of the hall, they reach a glass door with bold silver letters: Special Investigations Unit. Ace pushes it open, and they step inside.

The room is busy. Desks are cluttered with files, coffee cups, and half-eaten sandwiches.

A large screen on the far wall displays blurry surveillance footage, likely from one of the attack sites. The air carries the scent of paper, coffee, and faint traces of gunpowder.

A man in his late forties sits behind a desk near the center, flipping through reports. He barely acknowledges them as they approach.

Not far away, there are other detectives sitting around.

Ace doesn’t wait for an invitation. "We have a case to report about the recent attacks," he says, his voice steady.

The detective finally looks up, eyes narrowing slightly. "About the creature?"

"Yes," Ace confirms. freewebnσvel.cøm

Another detective asks with weary voice. "Is it another attack?"

"No," Ace says. "We have found more information about it. We thought it could help."

Before the detective can respond, a woman’s voice cuts through the air.

"Are you people forgetting what Mr. Hale just said?"

Ace stiffens. Jun and Rey exchange glances, already knowing who she’s talking about.

Kieran Hale.

The woman, a detective with sharp features and striking red lips, steps in front of them.

Her gaze flickers between the three of them, then to the other detectives- but she seems more focused on her own words than their reactions.

"He said that anything concerning this case should go through him," she continues, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "So I’m going to inform him about this first."

She doesn’t wait for their response, already turning on her heels and walking away, her posture almost too eager.

Ace clenches his jaw. He doesn’t like her already. Not just because she’s acting high and mighty, but because of the way she says Kieran’s name. Hale. As if she enjoys saying it, as if she fantasizes about him every time she does.

And she’s not the only one.

Ace notices a few other female officers and detectives reacting at the mention of Kieran’s name. Some straighten their backs, others exchange glances, and a few even seem to blush.

Pathetic.

Ace forces himself to stay still, even as irritation simmers beneath his skin.

Minutes pass. Then, the same woman returns, but she’s not alone.

Kieran follows behind her, his long strides making it difficult for her to keep up.

She’s speaking to him, her expression bright, her eyes practically glowing with admiration.

Even when Kieran says nothing particularly amusing, she still smiles, as if just being near him is enough to make her day.

Ace grits his teeth. He feels it in his bones. He hates it.

Then, Kieran’s gaze lifts and meets Ace’s.

The tension between them is immediate, electric. Ace barely resists the urge to step forward toward him, and Kieran looks like he might do the same.

Jun, sensing the shift, quickly holds Ace’s arm secretly , holding him back. They can’t afford to be reckless. Not here. Not now.

They have to pretend they don’t know Kieran. And does Kieran.

Kieran recovers first. His expression remains professional as he turns his attention to the three of them.

"Gentlemen," he says, his voice calm but commanding. "I heard you have something concerning the case that recently attacked our city?"

He walks forward toward them, exuding confidence, authority. His voice alone carries enough weight to make the room pause, his presence drawing attention.

A few women nearby look practically entranced, their eyes glued to him, their admiration obvious.

Especially her, the red-lipped detective. Lucy.

She’s staring at Kieran like he’s the only thing that matters, and Ace hates it.

Kieran continues, "We must say it’s a very tricky case, and if anyone wishes to help, that’s fine. We accept the help."

His words are smooth, diplomatic. There’s not a hint of familiarity in his tone, as if he truly doesn’t know them.

And yet, Ace feels the hidden meaning behind them.

Ace hesitates, glancing around. The women are still watching. The ones who blush when Kieran’s name is mentioned. The ones who think they have a chance.

It makes his blood boil.

He turns back to Kieran, only to find him whisper something to Lucy.

She chuckles. Chuckles.

As if Kieran just said something sweet to her. As if this moment is hers to enjoy.

But the fact is that Kieran didn’t say anything near amusing to her. Whatever was said wasn’t meant to be amusing.

And Ace knows Kieran wouldn’t be entertaining some nonsense with anyone else, especially not at a moment like this. Still, it doesn’t stop the heat from rising in his chest.

His grip tightens around the flash drive in his hand.

Without a word, he steps forward, raising both the flash drive and the papers before shoving them into Kieran’s hands.

"Here," Ace says, his voice clipped. "Look at them. If you have any questions, then ask."

The room is silent.

Kieran’s fingers close around the items, his gaze lingering on Ace.

There’s something unreadable in his expression.

Then, slowly, he nods.

"Sure," Kieran says, his voice smooth and unreadable.

His sharp eyes lower to the papers in his hands, but Ace can tell, he’s pretending to read them. Kieran already knows what’s written on those pages.

Even so, he furrows his brows, letting out a sharp, "What?!" His voice carries just the right amount of disbelief, loud enough to make the surrounding detectives turn their heads in curiosity.

Kieran exhales, shaking his head as if struggling to process the information. "There’s no way this is true!" he exclaims, gripping the papers tightly.

His dramatic reaction makes the detectives even more curious. The room stiffens with tension as they inch forward, tempted to grab the papers themselves, but none of them dare.

Except for her.

Lucy.

She doesn’t hesitate.

Her fingers reach out, brushing against Kieran’s wrist as she lowers his hand, her red nails gleaming under the fluorescent light.

Then, without waiting for permission, she leans in, eyes scanning the documents with interest.

Ace watches the scene unfold, his jaw tightening.

Is Kieran seriously just going to let her do that?

Ace’s pulse hammers as Lucy’s fingers linger on Kieran’s wrist longer than necessary.

Does Kieran not care? Is he really going to let that woman touch him so casually? Right in front of him?

Ace swallows hard, irritation burning at the edges of his control.

Lucy’s eyes widen suddenly. "What?!" she gasps. "Mrs. Crawford?!" She looks up at Kieran, then back at the papers, as if needing confirmation. Then at Ace, Jun and Rey, "She’s a CS in the government! How can you say she did something like this?! And to her own daughter?! She is a victim! She lost her husband because of that creature!"

The detectives murmur amongst themselves, whispering theories, their gazes flicking between the documents and the three men who brought them.

But Ace doesn’t care about their reactions, his attention is solely on Kieran.

Kieran doesn’t react to Lucy’s touch, doesn’t push her away, but he also doesn’t acknowledge her presence. His expression remains neutral, unreadable.

Jun, seeing that, he saves the situation,

"She did," He says sharply. "She lost her husband- yes, but have you asked yourself where her daughter-Blake is? She did exactly what you are seeing in those documents, but she’s not doing it anymore, but that doesn’t erase what happened. And we’re not forcing you guys to believe it. We’ve spent our lives digging into her private affairs, risking everything, because we lost our friends- and she was responsible!"

His voice is steady, controlled, no hesitation or doubt underneath.

"She experimented on people. All those cases of missing people? She was behind them! And worst of all, she experimented on her own daughter. That experiment went wrong. Terribly wrong."

Jun steps forward, his eyes dark, unshaken by the doubt in the room.

"That’s what turned her daughter into that creature. And you know what? If you don’t believe the documents, fine. Check the flash drive. That’ll clear all your doubts."

Rey moves a step forward. "And when you see what’s in the flash drive, you’ll see for yourselves, that creature you’ve all been so afraid of..."

Jun exhales sharply, his gaze cutting through the silence.

"...is Blake Crawford."

The room falls completely silent. Only for a second before someone takes the flash drive stepping where the computer is.

All the heads turn there.