Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 73: "I Refuse To Present Someone Else If Not Ace!

The weight of his words_ the revelation that the Moon Goddess herself had bound him to Ace before he rejected the bond_ spreads like wildfire through the gathered wolves.

An elder steps forward, his face stern, lined with years of wisdom. There is deep disappointment in his gaze. "Alpha, tell us, is it true?" His voice cuts through the noise, commanding attention. "The Moon Goddess gave you a mate, and you refused her gift? And then you brought disaster upon our pack? You let that woman into our ranks

_ we couldn’t eat, we couldn’t sleep, we were restless. But it was your doing all along?!"

Kieran’s jaw tightens. "Yes."

Gasps ripple through the crowd. A few wolves instinctively step back, as if physically recoiling from his admission.

"I have no excuse for what I did. And this is not an excuse," Kieran states firmly, his voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "Never in history have I known the Moon Goddess to mate two men. It was against everything I had ever been taught. You all pressured me about finding a mate. I couldn’t present a man to you and say, ’Here, this is my mate.’ You wouldn’t have accepted that. So, I did what I thought was best for the pack. But clearly, I was wrong. Instead of leading us to prosperity, I brought disaster upon us. I apologize for my reckless decision."

The moment he finishes, murmurs break out again, filled with disappointment and lingering disbelief.

Another elder steps forward, her sharp eyes scrutinizing him. "You brought Lila into this pack, knowing she was never your true mate? That is deception. A true leader does not deceive his people, Alpha. You lied to us_ and to the Moon Goddess herself!"

A cold wind sweeps through the gathering, but it is nothing compared to the chill settling in Kieran’s chest.

He clenches his fists at his sides, forcing himself to meet their accusing gazes. "I believed it was the right decision at the time," he admits.

The murmurs grow louder. Some wolves shift uncomfortably, uncertain. Others glare at him, their eyes burning with betrayal.

"She divided us," a deep voice growls from the crowd. A warrior steps forward, his tone thick with resentment. "You made us fight for her. You made us believe in her."

A younger wolf, barely past his first shift, shakes his head. "How are we supposed to trust you after this?"

Another wolf steps forward, his voice booming with accusation. "And did the Moon Goddess truly grant you permission to choose another mate? Or was that just another lie to keep us from questioning you, Alpha?"

Murmurs of agreement rise from the crowd.

"Tell us, Alpha! Was it truly her will, or were you simply masking your deception?" another wolf demands.

Kieran’s gut twists.

He knew this moment would come the second he spoke the truth, but facing it now_ the doubt, the anger_ it’s worse than he imagined.

He takes a deep breath, his voice steady as he responds. "She punished me accordingly. I have suffered the consequences of my actions in silence. Lila’s dark, corrupting presence never left me alone until the day we ended her. I have paid for my mistakes. And yes, the Moon Goddess did give me permission to choose someone."

"Then why didn’t you?" another voice challenges. "Why now, after all this time, do you suddenly want the mate you rejected?"

The head of the elders steps forward, his expression hard with disappointment. "Alpha, we have every right to be angry. And as the leader of the elders, I believe punishing you for your actions is not unreasonable, don’t you agree?" His voice rings through the air, carrying the weight of judgment.

Kieran remains silent.

"If you still wish for us to believe in you, to trust you, and to let you remain as Alpha, then you must accept your punishment!" another elder declares.

"You will marry a woman, just as you wished before. You will present a female from this pack to the Moon Goddess tonight. Only then will we know that you truly regret what you have done_ not because we reject your relationship with Noble Ace, but because this is the price of your deception!" the elder’s voice rings with finality.

Kieran stiffens. His breath catches in his throat.

For a moment, he is too stunned to speak. Then, his disbelief turns to defiance.

"No," he snaps. His voice is firm, unyielding. "I will not do that. I refuse to present another person as my mate. Ace remains the one I want to be with. I love him, and I will get him back. If that means I cannot be Alpha anymore_ then so be it!"

"So are just willing to drop your people? Your pack, the one thing we thought it meant everything to you _ just for your personal issues?!" Another asks really disappointed.

Silence crashes over the crowd like a tidal wave.

Every wolf stares at him, their expressions a mixture of shock and something else

_something unreadable.

Then, a slow, amused chuckle slices through the tension.

Rehan.

He steps forward, his golden eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.

He glances around at the uneasy wolves, taking in their uncertainty, their unrest. Then, he smirks.

"Well," he drawls, tilting his head, "this is quite the mess, isn’t it?"

Kieran stiffens, his gaze sharpening as he watches Rehan carefully.

Rehan’s smirk widens as he gestures toward the crowd. "You all trusted him," he says smoothly, his voice laced with amusement. "You followed his lead. And now, you’re learning that the great Alpha of Alphas has been lying to you all along."

Murmurs swell into full-blown discussions. Some wolves nod in agreement. Others cast wary glances at Kieran, their faith shaken.

An elder eyes Rehan warily. "And what exactly are you trying to imply?"

Rehan exhales dramatically, shaking his head as if the answer is obvious. "I’m simply pointing out the truth," he says, gesturing toward Kieran. "Your leader is unstable. Weak. He lets personal mistakes cloud his judgment. He brings in strangers and calls them his mate. And now, after years of deception, you’re left wondering if you’ve been fighting for a lie."

A dangerous silence falls over the crowd.

Rehan takes a slow step forward, his voice dipping into something almost hypnotic. "A true leader does not let personal failures bring down an entire pack," he continues, his gaze flickering over the wolves, searching for doubt_ and finding it.

Then, he shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "Perhaps it’s time for a leader who does not deceive his people. One who does not hesitate. One who puts his pack first."

Kieran’s eyes narrow. His voice is low, edged with warning. "Careful, Rehan."

Rehan smiles, unfazed. "Why? Afraid they might agree with me?"

For the first time, Kieran realizes_ his pack is slipping from his grasp.