Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 184: Something Off About her!

Ace stares into Kieran’s eyes, his lips parting, ready to say it, to throw out the accusation that has been gnawing at him.

But the moment their eyes meet, the words die in his throat.

Kieran’s gaze isn’t just honest, it’s raw. There’s no flicker of deception, no trace of guilt. Instead, there’s pain. Real pain. A deep, unspoken wound carved into his expression, etched into every tense line of his face.

Ace looks away, his thoughts spiraling. He hadn’t thought it through before, but now the pieces shift in his mind.

Kieran was asleep when I came in. Fully dressed. Not even his coat was off him. Could it be... could it be that Lucy faked everything?

The realization makes his stomach twist uncomfortably.

"I don’t know what you want me to do to earn some trust from you," Kieran says, his voice strained, heavy with exhaustion. "So that, at the very least, you can doubt everything else about me, but not this way. At least don’t think I could ever betray you like that, Ace."

Ace swallows, guilt creeping in. But still, he hesitates.

"I found her dressing up. Buttoning her shirt and skirt. She said she wanted me to keep the secret." Ace finally mutters, barely above a whisper.

The image flashes in his mind again- Lucy fastening the last button, standing there as if caught in the act.

Kieran exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. His shoulders sag, as if he’s tired of explaining himself.

"I don’t know what she’s trying to do," he admits. "But whatever you found or saw... even if one day, you walked in and found her completely undressed in here, it still wouldn’t be what it seems. Because I’ll say it again, Ace, I only desire you. And you will always be enough for me. I wish I could just have a way of making you understand that."

His voice is softer now, yet the underlying disappointment lingers, weighing heavy between them.

Ace presses his lips together, his mind racing.

Something isn’t right.

Why does this feel too convenient?

"Something is fishy about her," Ace mutters, stepping out of Kieran’s hold and pacing across the room. His movements are restless, agitated.

Kieran watches him. "How so? I mean, I can’t shake the feeling either, but I can’t pinpoint why."

Ace turns to him, his expression serious.

"Kieran, if she’s doing this deliberately, then she’s someone who knows more about us than she lets on." Ace’s voice is tense with certainty. "She knows we’re together. No one knows it here, but she seems to know, and she must have a reason why she is trying so hard to make us fight."

Kieran frowns, shaking his head slightly. "No... I don’t think so. She’s just being a woman. Maybe you’re right, maybe she’s trying to get intimate with me. But I get it, some women can be persistent, even unsettling around a guy."

Ace narrows his eyes. That’s not it. That’s not all it is.

"You’re underestimating her, am telling you, she is something... and that something is not innocent as she seems." Ace mutters.

Kieran exhales through his nose, rubbing his jaw. "She actually has great insights into this case," he admits.

Ace scoffs. "And where are you going with that? You think her brilliant mind justifies whatever game she’s playing?"

"No, I just think you are overthinking." Kieran says, hesitantly.

Ace doesn’t argue with Kieran about that, he doesn’t want to. He’s tired of arguments, and every time they make him seem like the bad guy here.

But that doesn’t mean that he is giving into the idea of lucy being just-- this smart detective who is trying to get into Kieran’s pants. And that’s all about her.

She gives hints that Actually lead somewhere in the case, the hints that no one else would think of, no normal. That means she actually knows something related to the case, she not just thinking and guessing.

"Call for an update," Ace says, trying to connect some patterns. "See if there were any attacks last night."

Kieran picks up his phone and makes the call. The response he gets on the other end makes him wonder.

"There were no attacks last night," he murmurs, his brows knitting together.

Ace’s breath catches. A slow, creeping dread curls in his gut.

Lucy have ideas that really lead to the solving of the case, she was here last night, and there were no attacks... she is trying to fake a relationship between kieran and her. Especially for me to believe that it’s true, for what? Just for fun? No way....

Kieran watches Ace closely, noticing the way he’s gone silent, his brows knitted together in deep thought. The tension between them from earlier still lingers, but now, it has shifted.

"Why are you quiet?" Kieran asks, his voice breaking the silence. "What are you thinking about?"

Ace exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Just like I told you, something is off with that woman." His voice is firm, but there’s an edge to it, like he’s still piecing things together.

Kieran folds his arms. "You want us to investigate her?"

"Yes, why not? Anyone can be a suspect, even myself."

Kieran nods. "Okay then."

Before either of them can say more, Ace’s phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out, glancing at the caller ID. Jun.

He answers immediately. "Hey."

Jun’s voice comes through. "You guys okay?" freewёbnoνel.com

"Yeah, just trying to figure some things out," Ace replies, sharing a quick glance with Kieran.

"Okay... Honestly, I don’t feel fine. Not because I’m sick or anything, but all the time, I feel like someone is behind me, ready to attack. But whenever I turn around, there’s no one there." Jun pauses. "I know you’ll probably think I’m imagining things, but it’s real. Something is off out here."

Ace straightens at Jun’s words. His eyes meet Kieran’s again, and this time, there’s a flicker of something like understanding.

"I’m guessing this is the same thing," Ace murmurs. "I keep telling you, whatever is running loose out there is connected to us in some way."

"But you just said you think Lucy is behind all this..." Kieran counters, watching him carefully.

"She has a connection," Ace insists.

Jun exhales over the line. "So you guys feel it too?"

"Not exactly a direct attack," Ace admits, "but something just doesn’t feel right."

Jun hums in thought. "Rey doesn’t feel it. Not even any of the other wolves. But think about this, guys, the three of us... what do we have in common? Who is our common enemy?"

Silence.

Then, Jun lets out a nervous laugh. "No... that would be ridiculous."

"What?" Kieran asks.

"You guys are thinking of who I’m thinking of?" Jun asks.

Ace stiffens, his throat tightening.

"Lila?"

The name alone sends a chill down all their spines.

"No, that’s not possible," Ace argues quickly, shaking his head. "It’s been years. I don’t think she exists anywhere, whether in hell or on earth."

"Then we have more to figure out," Jun says seriously. "By any chance, will you guys be home today?"

"Not sure," Kieran responds. "But we’ll try."

The call ends.

Kieran and Ace exchange another long look before stepping out of the room. Kieran quickly informs the head detective that he might have a lead and will be out for a while. "I’ll update you if anything connects,"

With that, they set off, determined to dig deeper into Lucy’s background.

They start at the records office, searching through her official documents. Lucy’s birth certificate, school records, and employment history paint a picture of a normal, law-abiding citizen.

She has an innocent-looking family, a retired father, a mother who used to be a teacher, and an older brother who moved overseas years ago. Nothing alarming. Nothing suspicious.

Ace taps his fingers against the desk, frowning. "It’s too clean."

Kieran looks at him. "Too clean?"

"Yeah. Like... there’s nothing at all. No gaps, no missing information. That’s not normal. Even regular people have things in their past that don’t add up."

Kieran leans forward, scanning the documents again. "So what? You think she fabricated her entire life?"

Ace exhales. "Not necessarily. But I do think we’re looking at the wrong things. If she’s connected to what’s happening, it’s not going to be in official records."

Kieran nods in agreement. "So what next?"

"Neighbors. People who knew her before she joined the department. Let’s see if her past matches the records."

They drive to Lucy’s childhood neighborhood, a quiet suburban area lined with small, identical houses.

The air is still, and the streets are almost too quiet for a place that should be bustling with activity.

Ace and Kieran approach an elderly woman sitting on her porch. She watches them with mild curiosity as they come closer.

"Good evening, ma’am," Kieran says politely. "We’re detectives looking into an old case. We were hoping to ask you a few questions about Lucy, your former neighbor."

The woman blinks. "Lucy?"

"Yes, Lucy Richards. She used to live here, right?"

A shadow flickers across the woman’s face. She nods slowly. "She did. But that was a long time ago."

Ace catches the hesitation in her tone. "Do you remember anything about her?"

"Yes, she was one of our favourite youth in this village, we couldn’t even get over her after she left." The woman says.

Ace exhales slowly.

This doesn’t add up.

This isn’t just some desperate woman trying to get close to Kieran. Ace refuses to accept that.

Kieran’s voice is quiet when he finally speaks. "I told you, she is just a woman, maybe we are following a wrong person."

Ace shakes his head. "No."