Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 168: Reality Calls.

The first thing Ace feels when he stirs is warmth. A steady, unyielding warmth pressed against his back, encasing him like a shield against the world.

The weight of an arm draped over his waist, the slow, even breaths ghosting over his shoulder, the faint scent of Kieran lingering in the sheets, everything is still, calm, as if the night before had been a dream.

Ace doesn’t move.

For a long moment, he just lies there, eyes half-lidded, listening to the rhythm of Kieran’s breathing.

It’s steady, deep, peaceful in a way Ace hasn’t seen in a long time. Like, for once, Kieran isn’t carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Ace exhales slowly, his fingers brushing over the arm wrapped around him, feeling the firm grip, the quiet possessiveness in the way Kieran holds him even in sleep.

A part of him doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to break this fragile silence, this moment where nothing else matters but the warmth between them.

But reality is waiting.

Ace shifts slightly, and the movement is enough to make Kieran stir.

His grip tightens for a second before loosening, his breathing changing as he begins to wake.

Ace can feel the way his body tenses, the way his fingers press into his skin like he’s grounding himself in the present.

Then, Kieran’s voice_ low, groggy, still thick with sleep, murmurs against his skin.

"Just a little bit longer."

Ace’s heart stutters.

Kieran’s arm pulls him in closer, pressing their bodies together. His lips graze Ace’s bare shoulder, a silent plea rather than a command.

Ace swallows. His mind is tangled, caught between the echoes of last night and the reality of what comes next.

He wants to stay in this moment, to let himself be selfish just this once, to pretend that the outside world doesn’t exist.

But it does.

He finally turns in Kieran’s arms, their eyes meeting in the early morning light.

Kieran looks different like this, his usual sharpness softened by sleep, his hair slightly disheveled.

Ace hesitates.

He lifts a hand, fingers brushing over Kieran’s cheek, tracing the faint lines of exhaustion that even rest couldn’t completely erase.

Kieran leans into the touch instinctively, his eyes slipping shut for a second before opening again, dark and unwavering.

"Ace..." His voice is quieter now, more careful.

Ace exhales. "We should get up."

Kieran doesn’t move. His gaze flickers over Ace’s face, searching, waiting, before he finally nods, a reluctant sigh escaping him.

But just as Ace starts to shift, a firm knock on the door disrupts the quiet.

Ace tenses.

Kieran doesn’t let go of him immediately. His fingers remain curled around Ace’s waist, his body still half-draped over him, as if unwilling to acknowledge the interruption.

"Guys..."

It’s Rey.

Kieran lets out a slow breath, his jaw tightening. Ace feels it, the way the moment shatters, the weight of responsibility creeping back in.

Ace pushes himself up, barely managing to pull the sheets over his waist before Kieran sits up beside him.

His expression is unreadable, but Ace knows him well enough to see the tension behind his eyes.

Rey knocks once more. "Are you alive in there or you murdered each other? It’s morning, are you forgetting what needs to be done?! Well, am coming in."

There’s no hesitation in his voice, no patience left. The door opens a second later.

Rey steps inside, his gaze sweeping over them.

His eyes flicker between them, the tangled sheets, the barely dressed state of their bodies, the undeniable intimacy of the scene.

Neither Kieran nor Ace cares how they are found.

And Rey says nothing about it too.

Instead, his expression remains firm, his posture tense, his voice steady when he finally speaks.

"Well well, I know, but you guys gotta wake up and do some justice to reality outside." Rey says teasingly. He can’t almost believe it.

These two always fight like they are gonna kill each other, but when they are left alone, they are found in tangled sheets, holding each other like their life depends on it.

Kieran exhales heavily, rubbing a hand down his face before nodding.

"Well, don’t just node, you should be getting off that bed. Everyone is out there, waiting just for you," Rey continues, his voice quieter now.

Ace watches as Kieran straightens, his shoulders rolling back, his face unreadable. The Alpha mask is back in place, pushing aside whatever vulnerability had existed only minutes ago.

Kieran doesn’t want to move though.

Even after Rey leaves, his words lingering in the air, Kieran finds himself reluctant to step away from Ace.

The warmth of the bed, the scent of him still clinging to the sheets, walking away feels almost unbearable.

Ace shifts slightly, dragging himself up just enough to lean against the headboard.

His body feels the weight of last night, a dull ache settling in his muscles.

It’s not exhaustion, but there’s a quiet soreness, a reminder of everything that happened between them.

But he is werewolf after all, all of that would just disappear in no time.

Kieran exhales through his nose, finally forcing himself up. The blanket falls away, and the cold air prickles against his skin.

He doesn’t like this distance between them, but they don’t have the luxury of staying in bed any longer.

Ace watches as Kieran walks toward the bathroom then back to the closet, expecting him to pick out his own clothes first.

But Kieran surprises him. Instead of reaching for himself, he pulls out something for Ace, neatly folding the set in his arms before turning back to the bed.

Ace blinks, fingers curling slightly around the blanket still pooled over his lap.

Kieran places the clothes beside him, then meets his gaze.

"Are you feeling okay?" His voice is steady but softer than usual, a quiet concern threading beneath the words.

Ace gives a slow, cool nod.

But then Kieran speaks again, something unreadable in his tone. "You want me to help you dress up?"

Ace huffs out a laugh, the unexpected question catching him off guard.

"Don’t be ridiculous." He shakes his head, lips curling faintly as he takes the clothes from Kieran. "Come on, dress up. We have a lot waiting for us."

Kieran hesitates, as if gauging whether Ace is really okay. But seeing him chuckle, seeing the lightness in his expression, eases something inside him. He nods once before turning back to grab his own clothes.

The atmosphere shifts, not quite returning to normal but no longer weighed down by the tension of the night before.

They get dressed in quiet companionship, the space between them smaller than before.

Ace exhales softly as he adjusts the collar of his shirt, rolling his shoulders to ease the lingering stiffness.

Kieran is beside him, fastening the last few buttons on his own shirt, his movements fluid but slightly distracted.

They step toward the door together, and the moment Kieran pulls it open, Ace feels a shift in the air.

Eyes.

Waiting.

Ace pauses mid-step, and Kieran stiffens slightly beside him.

Several wolves stand just outside, their postures straight, their expressions carefully neutral, but there’s something else beneath the surface.

A quiet, knowing look in their eyes, like they know exactly why the two of them had taken so long.

Heat creeps up Ace’s neck.

Kieran exhales sharply through his nose, clearly unimpressed by the silent stares, but Ace catches the slight tick in his jaw, the tiniest sign that he isn’t immune to this either.

A long beat of silence stretches between them and their onlookers.

Kieran, ever the composed one, simply steps forward. "Is there any Report from overnight?"

The teasing air from the wolves fades instantly, their expressions sharpening into something more serious. The leader of the group, a tall man with dark eyes, inclines his head.

"We kept track of Blake throughout the night. He stayed low, no suspicious movements. But..." His voice drops slightly. "We also kept an ear on the police."

Ace tenses slightly at that, straightening. "And?"

The wolf glances around as if checking their surroundings before continuing. "The situation is evolving. We overheard some of the officers talking, they’re not dismissing last night as just another incident anymore." His gaze sharpens. "They’ve done research. Real research. It seems there are people--historians, researchers, maybe even hunters, who’ve been digging into ancient records."

Ace frowns. "Ancient records?"

"They’ve uncovered enough to confirm that Blake isn’t alone, that creatures like us existed in history. Not as myths, not as legends, but real beings who walked among humans."

A sharp silence follows his words.

Jun sighs irritated, "Ugh!"

"They’re starting to connect the dots. They know we can blend in, look human, act human." His voice drops lower. "They’re trying to find a way to identify us."

Ace’s fingers curl slightly at his sides.

It’s not just paranoia anymore. It’s not whispers of suspicion that could fade with time. It’s real. And the more the humans dig, the closer they get to uncovering the truth.

The wolf takes a measured breath. "For now, they’re still in the early stages. They don’t have a method yet, but they’re looking for patterns. Connections."