Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 53: Why Is He So Unpredictable?!

Ace stirs awake, the light slipping into the room is so bright it blinds him for a moment, but then he notices another light.

It takes him a second to realize it’s coming from his chest—the mark is glowing brilliantly.

His powers are back, in full force.

Excitement surges through him.

Without a second thought, Ace bolts out of bed and rushes out of the room.

His footsteps echo down the hallway until he finds Elira alone in the living area. She looks up, startled, as he bursts in.

"Look! Look, they’re back!" Ace exclaims, his face alight with joy to match the glow on his chest.

Elira’s smile spreads across her face, warm and proud. "Your body must have needed rest—real rest. As much as you’ve had, you must be starving. Come, I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. I made your favorite dish."

Ace pauses, still catching his breath. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three and a half days," Elira replies, folding her arms lightly.

Ace’s eyes widen. "What?! Thr... three days?!"

"Yes."

"Oh, God, I need to go! A lot must have happened, and Kieran must think I was caught by Lil—" he begins rushing toward the door, but he suddenly collides with someone.

The instant his body reacts, he knows exactly who it is.

He freezes in disbelief, confusion gripping him, as his head lifts to meet the one face he never expected to see here.

Kieran.

"I see your chest glowing. Your powers must be reactivated," Marsel says, stepping into view beside Kieran, his voice laced with mild amusement.

Ace moves back from Kieran, "What is he doing here?!" He snaps, his voice rising. He turns his glare on Marsel. "Did you call him here even though you know I don’t want to see him?! This is the only place I come to for peace, and now you’ve ruined that too! Maybe you don’t want to see me here again either!"

Ace storms toward the door, ignoring Elira’s worried call after him.

He can’t help but stop to speak to her, he cannot ignore her calls.

But as he turns to thank her for everything_ for her kindness and care_ his eyes land on Kieran.

The sight stops him in his tracks.

Kieran is bowing deeply before Marsel, his posture radiating an almost sacred reverence.

Ace stares, stunned.

Kieran? Bowing?

Ace has always believed Kieran to be second only to the Moon Goddess herself, yet here he is, showing this level of respect to Marsel.

It makes him wonder if he’s been too casual with someone so significant all this time.

After exchanging a few words with Elira, Ace continues his journey out. But Kieran follows him.

"No one called me here," Kieran begins, walking after him. "They didn’t summon me. I was looking for you and ended up finding you here. Ace, can you stop already? These emotional problems between us..."

"There’s nothing between us! Not even the emotions you are talking about." Ace cuts him off sharply. "I’m angry because I didn’t want anyone knowing about this place! Especially not you! This was the one place I could come to clear my head, to know no one would come after me!"

"If that’s the case, then you should have told me you were somewhere safe so I wouldn’t have to think something happened to you!" Kieran fires back.

"Whatever. Like you care!" Ace retorts.

Kieran exhales. "Anyway, did you already know?"

Ace halts, confused by the sudden question. "Know what?"

"About the Veilwalkers, that they are your..." Kieran trails off, realizing too late he’s said more than he should.

Ace’s curiosity flares. "The Veilwalkers? You mean Marsel and Elira?"

"How can you address them by just their names?!" Kieran exclaims, appalled. It’s as though Ace has committed an unspoken crime.

"Why not?" Ace asks, his curiosity deepening.

Kieran shakes his head. "Never mind."

But Ace’s sharp gaze doesn’t falter. "They’re my what?" he demands, recalling Kieran’s earlier sentence.

Kieran hesitates, then lies smoothly. "Your guides on how to use your powers." Yes they are, but that’s not what Kieran wanted to say earlier.

For a moment, Ace studies him. The answer feels... incomplete, like there’s more Kieran isn’t saying. But for now, he lets it go.

"So, did you find those two?" Ace asks as they resume walking.

"No," Kieran admits, "but something happened, and I have a suspect."

"What happened?" Ace asks, his voice a hint of impatience. "Just say everything at once."

Kieran sighs. "Xiao Jun came over. He said he wanted to speak to me about..."

"Who’s your suspect, and what did they do?" Ace interrupts, cutting off what he doesn’t want to hear.

Kieran hesitates briefly. "Xiao Jun. After he left, we lost three wolves, including Dren, to poisoning. I don’t know how it got to them, but the vet said it was the poison."

Ace stops dead in his tracks. "What are you saying? Dren is dead?!"

"Yes," Kieran confirms grimly. "Him and two others."

Ace feels the weight of the news settle heavily on his shoulders. "Who’s your suspect? I told you before, there’s someone else in your territory working for that Lila."

"Xiao Jun," Kieran says without hesitation.

Ace turns to him, disbelief written all over his face. "You think Xiao Jun is working with Lila? That he poisoned Dren and the others?"

"Yes."

A bitter laugh escapes Ace as he shakes his head. "That’s ridiculous. I can’t believe you’d go this far. You know, I’ve been meaning to ask_ do you even have a heart, Kieran?"

"This isn’t personal, Ace. Open your eyes," Kieran retorts. "The day Justine and Leo disappeared, Xiao Jun was at the mansion. He also told the pack members about Lila not being my real mate. Then, the other day, he came back, claiming he wanted to set things right. After he left, that happened. Think, Ace."

Ace falls silent, trying to piece it all together. Could Xiao Jun truly feel so betrayed that he’d side with their enemy?

But no matter how hard he tries to believe it, something in him refuses. "I’m going to see him. If he came looking for me, I need to talk to him," Ace says, changing direction.

Kieran grabs his arm, stopping him. "We can’t afford to be reckless right now. Please, let’s work together. Lila wants you badly, and I know Xiao Jun is working with her. He feels betrayed, and it’s driven him to working with her, he wants to get back at us. And if Lila gets to you... I don’t know if I could move on from that. I’ve already lost so much, and I am not willing to let you be among what I’ve lost."

For a moment, Ace freezes. Kieran’s words sink in, igniting a flicker of hope before he forces it away.

Shrugging off Kieran’s hand, Ace steps back. His buried feelings for Kieran begin to resurface, threatening to overwhelm him.

"I’ll be careful," Ace says firmly. "I just want to talk to him. He’ll listen to me."

"If that’s the case, then we’ll face him together," Kieran says, his tone resolute.

Ace studies him for a moment, wondering why he is talking like that today.

His mind flashing back to the day Kieran held him so tenderly, as if he were the most precious thing in the world—only to reject him moments later.

Sometimes he barks at him, and now here Kieran is, acting so concerned, so kind.

Ace wonders_ Is he a chameleon apart from being a wolf and a human. Changing every second.