Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 171: Just A Shower, I promise"

Blake thrashes violently as she’s dragged into a secured room deep within the pack house.

The strongest alphas barely keep their grip on her, muscles straining as they force her forward.

The door slams shut behind her, locking her inside. She growls, pacing restlessly, her claws scraping against the wooden floor.

She wants out.

But above all, she still feels the lingering pull of that summon, thrumming in her veins like an unbreakable chain.

Outside, the weight of the moment still lingers.

Ace’s gaze remains locked onto Kieran.

Even as the others move, even as the air slowly settles from the raw force of Kieran’s presence, Ace doesn’t look away.

Kieran catches it.

Standing atop the pack house, still in his full Alpha form, he watches Ace watching him.

And he wonders.

Does Ace fear him?

Looking like this, like something monstrous, like a beast made for war, does Ace see him differently now?

Kieran doesn’t wait to dwell on the thought.

In one powerful leap, he descends.

Ace barely has time to react before Kieran lands with a heavy thud, the sheer force of it sending a shiver through the ground.

The impact stirs the air, sending a gust toward Ace, ruffling his clothes, making his heart pound.

Kieran watches him closely.

Then, he moves.

Kieran wants him to come closer.

Ace hesitates.

His heart is racing, his pulse hammering in his ears. Kieran, is standing before him, enormous, wild, barely restrained power coursing through his veins.

It’s intimidating.

But it’s also familiar.

Kieran stretches his arms- if they can still be called that in this form. Large, powerful limbs reach toward Ace, open, waiting.

An invitation.

Ace swallows hard, his breath shaky.

Then, hesitantly, he steps forward.

One step.

Then another.

Until he’s there.

Kieran doesn’t wait.

The moment Ace is close enough, he wraps him in his arms.

Protectively. Possessively.

Ace’s breath stutters. The heat of Kieran’s body surrounds him, strong and solid. He closes his eyes, pressing against the thick fur, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of Kieran’s heartbeat.

And just like that, the fear vanishes.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

This is Kieran.

His Kieran.

Ace stays there for a long moment, letting the tension drain from his body, letting himself feel the warmth, the safety of being held like this.

Eventually, he lifts his head. Realising how people have stopped what they were doing, now watching them.

Ace knows Kieran cant shift back like that, he would be totally naked- only the thought of other people seeing Kieran like that makes Ace’s wolf growl possessively.

He is the only one who is supposed to see Kieran in that state. "Come on," he murmurs, his voice quiet, steady.

Kieran rumbles low in response, a sound Ace can feel more than hear.

Ace pulls away just enough to take Kieran’s hand, clawed, rough, but still his.

And he leads him inside.

Back to their room.

~

Shifting back to his human form is effortless for Kieran, like drinking water.

Once they’re in their room, he shifts seamlessly, and Ace goes to find him some clothes while Kieran heads into the bathroom.

But barely a second later, he steps back out, water dripping down his torn body. Ace turns around, raising a brow.

"That was pretty fast," he remarks.

"Shower with me," Kieran says simply.

"Hey! Seriously? I’m waiting for you to finish quickly so we can move forward with the plan. We don’t have time for romance right now. You need to get that job, and here you are, asking me to..." Before Ace can finish, Kieran silences him with a kiss, pulling him into the bathroom.

Kieran pulls Ace under the shower, fully dressed, the warm water quickly soaking through his clothes.

He watches Ace’s lips part in protest, but before he can say anything, Kieran leans in and captures them in a slow, deep kiss.

Water trickles down their faces, mixing with the heat of their breath as Kieran’s hands move to Ace’s waist, tugging him closer.

His soaked clothes cling to his body, leaving no space between them. Kieran’s fingers slide up Ace’s spine, his touch sending shivers down Ace’s skin despite the warmth surrounding them.

With deliberate slowness, Kieran peels off Ace’s shirt, his lips trailing down his jaw, to the spot just beneath his ear, where he presses a lingering kiss.

Ace tilts his head back slightly, his hands resting against Kieran’s chest, gripping onto the fabric of his wet shirt.

Kieran chuckles softly, his breath warm against Ace’s skin. "You’re not stopping me," he murmurs, his voice thick with amusement.

Ace lets out a breathy sigh, "Seriously, we don’t have time for this."

"It’s just a shower, I promise. Nothing else. Can’t I shower with my baby? Just showering." Kieran promises while his hands goes on undressing Ace.

Ace exhales sharply when Kieran presses their bare bodies together, the heat between them intensifying.

He fists his hands in Kieran’s hair, pulling him into another kiss, one that quickly turns desperate, hungry.

Kieran groans softly against Ace’s lips, his hands roaming lower, tracing the curve of his waist before settling on his hips. He grips them firmly, pressing him against the cool tiles of the shower wall.

For a moment, they just breathe each other in, foreheads touching, the sound of rushing water filling the silence.

Kieran’s hands goes beyond his promise, Ace snaps back reality.

He swallows hard, gripping Kieran’s shoulders. "You promised," he whispers, though his voice lacks conviction.

Kieran smiles against his lips, giving him one last slow kiss before pulling back slightly. "Can we please just..."

"No, absolutely not." Ace forces himself to say firmly.

Kieran nuzzles Ace’s cheek, pressing a final kiss against his temple before reaching for the soap. "Just showering,"

Ace exhales, his lips curling into a small smile as Kieran begins washing him, his touch gentle but firm.

Their hands move in sync, as if washing one body instead of two, each touch lingering longer than necessary.

By the time they finish, their skin is flushed, not just from the heat of the water.

Kieran rests his forehead against Ace’s one last time, sighing. "We should get out before we end up back where we started."

Ace chuckles breathlessly. "Yeah, before you forget what ’just showering’ means."

Forcing themselves to pull away, they finally step out of the shower, knowing if they stay a second longer, neither of them will want to leave.

They finish drying off and get dressed, preparing to leave so Kieran can go after the job he wants.

"It’s embarrassing how we haven’t even taken a second for our son," Ace suddenly says.

"Our son?" Kieran repeats, almost laughing.

"Yes, the baby. Or did you already forget there’s a baby in this compound?"

"No, no, I can’t forget that. But why say he’s ours?"

"Because he is. We risked everything, went through hell to save him. We lost a lot to keep him safe. Blake rejected him, so we take him in as his parents. I want to... but if you don’t..."

Again, Kieran silences Ace with a kiss, pulling him closer.

"Don’t say it like that. Nothing would make me happier, especially if I’m doing this with you, Ace," Kieran murmurs.

Ace smiles, standing on his toes, brushing his lips against Kieran’s. "Perfect. Then we need to make some time for our baby. Want to name him together?"

"Sure."

"Okay, come on, we gotta go."

After leaving Rey and Jun in charge, Ace drives toward the heart of the city. Kieran sits in the passenger seat, wearing a suit-- a sight that looks so out of place on him that Ace can’t stop teasing him about it.

"By the way, are you still calling yourself a student?" Kieran asks, voice laced with concern. "I know, I know, I sound unsupportive, but seriously, when was the last time you even stepped into class? I know it’s hard to balance everything, and if it’s too much, you could consider taking a differ..."

"As long as I haven’t missed an exam, it’s fine," Ace cuts in.

"Right," Kieran says. "I know you can handle it. Just worried about how you’re keeping up. But everything will be fine soon, I promise. We won’t have to keep running around anymore."

"Yeah, I hope so."

"How’s the hotel holding up?"

"It’s fine. Jun found someone to manage it, so everything’s running smoothly."

"Perfect."

The car comes to a stop.

"Here we are. Heart drumming?" Ace asks with a smirk.

"Not even a little bit," Kieran answers, gripping the door handle but not opening it yet.

"Well, well. Break a leg, my dear husband."

Kieran bursts into laughter. "What was that again?"

"What? Isn’t that a proverb for wishing someone success? Or are you referring to the fact that I called you husband?"

"No, I’m not. And you’re not just calling me that-- I am really your husband. One day, I want to make that official," Kieran says, his voice warm.

Ace laughs. "I see."

Kieran leans in, cupping Ace’s cheeks. He pecks his lips before parting just slightly, close enough for Ace to still feel his breath.

"I love you. I really love you," Kieran murmurs. He pauses for a moment, then smirks. "Bye. I’ll really break a leg."

Ace chuckles as Kieran steps out.