Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 71: Kieran’s Fear.

Ace is not thinking.

He is consumed by the words Kieran just accused him of. Never, even for a second, did he ever think that Kieran would go as far as accusing him of wanting many people at once.

Yes, he mentioned Rey, claiming that he was going to present him. But that was a lie_ he never talked to Rey about anything related to mates or bonds.

He thought that maybe, by using that, Kieran would finally speak up. But he didn’t.

And about Rehan... Ace was just curious about him, not that he was thinking of making him his mate.

But now, anger is making him present the man he just met a few hours ago.

By the time they arrive, the placed is packed.

The air hums with energy, thick with the anticipation of the gathered wolves. Each in pairs.

A great bonfire blazes at the center, its flames licking at the sky, casting flickering shadows over the stone altar carved with intricate markings_ symbols of the Moon Goddess’s eternal rule.

Wolves in both human and wolf form fill the sacred space, their murmurs blending into a low, expectant hum.

The scent of earth, fire, and something distinctly primal lingers in the air.

The ritual is not just a ceremony_ it is a declaration. A moment where the Moon Goddess watches, where fate is sealed, and where bonds, once spoken, cannot be undone.

At the front of the gathering, a raised platform stands, reserved for the Alpha of Alphas_ the one who must open the ritual.

It is Kieran’s place.

The weight of leadership, of expectation, of everything this night stands for, rests on his shoulders.

The ritual is only waiting for Kieran to give the go-ahead. And more than anything, everyone is waiting_ waiting for the Alpha of Alphas to present the person he has chosen.

Jun spots Ace through the thick crowd. Relief washes over him as he rushes toward him.

"Ace?! What the hell? Where have you bee...?" He stops mid-sentence when he realizes who is standing next to Ace. His heart sinks.

Is Ace really going to present someone else?! Didn’t Kieran go to confess to him?! Is he really that mad not to listen to Kieran?!

"Ace, what the fvck are you doing?! Even after Kieran apologized to you, told you how much he really loves you, you’re still going to present someone else?!" Jun demands, his voice low but filled with frustration.

Ace lets out a bitter laugh, his expression unreadable. "Oh? He must have confused you for me, because I haven’t heard something of that sort from him, and I also don’t know that sort of thing is going on in his mind. And even if I did, I would still choose someone else. So leave me alone."

Without another word, Ace turns his back on Jun, his attention shifting to Rehan.

Jun, fuming, pushes his way through the crowd until he finds the one person he needs to talk to right now.

"You didn’t tell him?!" Jun snaps.

"I didn’t have a chance," Kieran answers, his voice tired. It’s almost like it’s not even him at all because of how he looks.

After saying that, he walks passed Jun, leaving him even more frustrated and giving up on them.

Kieran steps onto the raised platform, his figure illuminated by the glow of the bonfire.

The entire gathering falls into silence as his presence commands attention.

The air is thick with expectation, wolves standing still in both their human and wolf forms, waiting.

He lets his gaze sweep over the crowd before speaking, his voice steady and powerful regardless on the storm inside of him. "Tonight, we stand beneath the full moon, beneath the gaze of the Moon Goddess herself. As it has been for centuries, this night is sacred, a time for fate to reveal what is written in the stars. We honor the bonds that strengthen our kind and the destiny that calls each of us forward."

A deep, resounding howl echoes from the gathered wolves in agreement.

The flames of the bonfire seem to flare higher, casting dancing shadows against the trees.

Kieran extends a hand, and from the side of the platform, the elders of the pack step forward, each carrying a small silver bowl filled with water from the sacred spring.

One by one, they pour it into a larger ceremonial basin at the center of the platform, symbolizing unity among the packs that have gathered here tonight.

"The Moon Goddess watches over us," Kieran continues. "She guides us through the paths we cannot see, binds us in ways we do not always understand. Tonight, we welcome what she has written, and we honor the traditions passed down through generations."

At his words, the younger wolves, those of age to receive their mates, step forward, bowing their heads in silent prayer.

A pack elder moves through them, sprinkling the sacred water over their heads in blessing, murmuring ancient words in a language only the oldest wolves still understand.

Then, the drums start.

A deep, rhythmic pounding that vibrates through the ground, setting the air thrumming with energy.

Wolves begin to shift, their howls rising in unison, bodies moving with an almost instinctual pull, their senses heightened by the season.

This is the moment where the primal force of their kind is strongest, where instincts take over, and where fate whispers in the wind.

And yet, as Kieran stands there, prepared to continue the ritual, his mind is elsewhere.

Because he knows that soon, the most awaited moment of the night will come

_ the presentation of the one he has chosen to present to the moon goddess to solidify the bond.

Yet he has no one, he hasn’t had a chance to create interest in someone, all this time he has been consumed by Ace. He has been busy struggling with his feelings for Ace.

He can’t seem to shake off the feeling that Ace is really going to present Rehan, and he knows very well he cannot stand that, he cannot watch that happen.