Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 112: Risk To Save.

Ace sits by the window, staring out at the darkened courtyard.

Torches still flicker, their glow barely pushing back the weight of the night. The pack is quiet.

He exhales, fingers tracing absent patterns on his thigh.

They did it.

They fought through the illusions, proved their strength, but it didn’t feel like a victory.

Not when some were still trapped in their minds. Not when the real fight was still ahead.

Behind him, Kieran paces, his agitation vibrating through the room like a storm waiting to break.

"It’s been days, and they haven’t shown up," Kieran mutters, running a hand through his hair. "I’m sure whatever they’re planning is really dangerous."

Ace turns, watching him.

Kieran hasn’t stopped since the day the witches showed up. Even now, his body is tense, his wolf restless. He wants to fight. He wants this over.

"I told everyone that the best move is to attack first," Kieran continues, voice edged with frustration. "This, this_sitting around in oblivion is driving me insane!"

Ace leans back, letting a small smirk tug at his lips. "We’re ready now. Everyone’s protected. We can sense them, so what’s there to keep worrying about, my dear husband?"

Kieran stops pacing long enough to look at him. "Oh yeah? You have the nerve to joke right now?"

"Of course." Ace shrugs. "What’s life without a little fun?"

Kieran groans, dragging a hand down his face. "Yes, I know we’re ready, but I just want this to end already!"

Ace softens, pushing off the window to approach him. He rests a hand on Kieran’s arm, grounding him. "Babe, the problems never end. Not for us. We’ll finish this, and another one will come knocking."

Kieran exhales sharply, looking away. "I know that. But maybe... the next conflict won’t be directed at you. Especially."

Ace stills.

Kieran has been like this ever since the witches showed up. Not because he doubts their strength.

Because Ace is the target.

Ace squeezes his arm. "Don’t worry. I’ve told you a hundred times, no one will ever be able to separate us."

Kieran doesn’t answer right away. Then, quietly, "I’m sorry. I know I make it seem like you’re weak, but that’s not it. I just... I don’t want anything to happen to you, to us."

Ace tilts his head, searching Kieran’s face. "And it won’t."

A long pause. Then, finally, Kieran nods. "Yeah. I know that."

A knock on the door interrupts them.

Jun steps in, his face unreadable, but there’s something in his stance that puts Ace on edge.

"I think they just made a move," Jun says.

Kieran stiffens. "What happened?"

Jun hesitates. "The people instructed to guard the border seem to be disappearing one after the other today_ I mean, two are gone."

Silence falls.

Ace’s stomach twists. Not an attack, but a message.

Kieran clenches his jaw, stepping away from Ace. His entire body is coiled tight, his wolf pushing against his skin. "Where was he last seen?"

Jun meets his gaze. "Near the eastern border."

The same place the witches had last been spotted.

Ace and Kieran exchange a look.

"Let’s get there." Kieran says firmly, walking out.

Ace and Jun follow him.

~

The forest is eerily quiet. Too quiet.

They move through the trees, heart pounding in sync with the rhythmic footfalls of the pack.

The warriors surround him, their senses sharp, their forms blending into the darkness.

The scent of damp earth and lingering magic clings to the air, thick and unnatural.

Beside him, Kieran’s jaw is tight, his golden eyes scanning the surroundings with lethal focus. "Why aren’t they showing up! They really think this is some kind of..."

Before Kieran can finish his sentence, the air shifts.

A cold, unnatural energy spreads through the trees, prickling against their skin like needles. The wolves stiffen, their instincts screaming a warning.

Then, out of the shadows, they emerge.

The witches appear as if pulled from the night itself, hooded figures with eerie smiles, their eyes glowing faintly with magic.

But it’s not just them.

Held in their grasp, bound by invisible restraints, are the ones Kieran ordered to be taken to safety_ the elderly, the children, the ones too vulnerable to fight.

Gasps ripple through the pack. The warriors step forward, fangs bared, but Kieran lifts a hand, stopping them. His face hardens as he takes in the sight before him.

Among the captives are familiar faces. Parents. Friends. Little ones who should have been miles away, safe from this war.

Ace’s breath catches. His heart pounds wildly as his eyes scan the hostages. How? How did they find them?

A figure steps forward from the witches, tall and draped in dark robes, a smirk playing on their lips. The leader.

"Surprising, isn’t it?" he says smoothly, amusement dripping from their voice.

No one speaks. The weight of the moment hangs thick in the air.

Kieran’s hands clench into fists at his sides. His golden eyes burn with fury, but he stays still. Controlled. Watching.

Ace steps closer to him, their shoulders brushing. He feels the heat of Kieran’s rage like a fire ready to explode.

"It’s really quite simple," the witch continues, his gaze flicking lazily over the gathered wolves. "You give us what we want, or you lose them. Not just them... but everyone else. We only want to protect ourselves like you want to protect yourselves."

He goes quiet for a minute before he adds, "The choice is yours."

Ace stiffens as every gaze turns to him.

"Hand over the Forbidden Firecracker," they say, voice dripping with mockery, "and you can have them back, unharmed."

Ace tenses at the name.

Kieran, can hardly breathe. His wolf thrashes beneath his skin, pushing forward, demanding blood.

"Say that again," he growls, stepping forward, the air around him crackling with danger.

The witch chuckles, unfazed. "Oh, don’t be so sensitive, Alpha. Surely you can have anyone in this wolf world, but why him?!" they flick their fingers toward him "He’s a problem. A threat. And we can’t have threats walking around freely, now can we?"

The pack bristles.

Ace’s jaw tightens. He feels Kieran’s fury, the way his hands twitch as if moments from tearing into flesh.

But the hostages...

The witches knew exactly what they were doing.

"Your problem is about Ace harming you! But we already told you! He is not a threat! Unless you are a danger yourself_ that is when he will be a threat to you," Kieran says, voice like steel. "We do not have to do this the hard way... let’s confirm that he is not a threat, and you will live, having nothing to worry about." Kieran says, trying to find a better solution.

The leader sighs, shaking their head in mock disappointment. "No, no , we can never live in peace knowing that something is out here. Threatening to end us just because we are doing what we were meant for! We do not have time for this,"

They lift a hand, and one of the witches behind them grips an elderly woman tighter.

The woman lets out a strangled gasp as magic pulses around her, binding her movements.

The wolves snarl. A few step forward, barely held back.

Ace’s blood turns cold.

"Stop!" he snaps. "Stop it!" He steps forward even when Kieran stops him. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

The witch tilts his head, lips curving into a taunting smirk. "Now we’re making process, see? It wasn’t too mich of a choice to make."

"Let them go, I promise you I keep my promises, and once I’ve told you that I’ll come with you, then I will,"

"You keep promises?! Do you actually?" Kieran snaps.

Marsel and Elira are quiet and tense_ yes they agreed with the moon goddess that they will never get in the way of their son’s mission.. but this... it’s becoming too much for them.

"First, drink this... only then we will let them go, we keep our promises too, and we would never break them." The witch leader says. "Don’t worry, it’s not poison, we can give you some time to,"

"Alright! I take a sip, you let them go_ one sip... you let go the three of them." Ace says as he tightens his grip around the vial, his heartbeat pounding against his ribs.

He can feel Kieran’s fury, the way his body practically vibrates with the need to rip the witches apart. But that’s exactly what they want.

"Kieran," Ace says softly, stepping closer. "Yes I keep my promises, especially to you, trust me I’ll find my way back to you, it doesn’t matter what it will take, we can save these people, they are families, friends, parents... do you want your strong warriors to lose their family? You wouldn’t, so just trust me."

As much as Kieran wants to fight, he doesn’t, maybe he should really trust his mate, instead of loosing many people.

-Witches are tricky, and jumping to them blindly is calling for more trouble, so they should deal with them in a tricky way as well_ Ace thinks.

He gives his parents a knowing look before he turns around, taking a sip.