Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 192: Failure is not an option!

Ten minutes feel like a lifetime to Kieran.

He is not used to this waiting. People wait for him, not the other way around. His fingers drum impatiently against the table, his sharp eyes scanning the door as if his sheer willpower alone will summon the missing detectives.

Ace sits beside him, not as anxious but still on edge. They can’t afford any slip-ups.

A moment later, hurried footsteps echo in the hallway. The door swings open, and Sam steps in, leading the rest of the detectives who had been out searching for Lucy.

Their expressions are a mix of exhaustion and curiosity.

"We’re so sorry for the delay, sir," Sam says, slightly out of breath.

Kieran barely acknowledges the apology, offering a stiff nod as they all settle into their seats.

The tension in the room is palpable, the silence expectant. He clears his throat, his voice firm and commanding as he finally speaks.

"First, I want to thank you all for your dedication and hard work," he begins, his gaze sweeping over the room. "And secondly, I want to inform you that we have Lucy."

A wave of reactions ripples through the room. Some faces light up in relief, while others tense with apprehension.

"You found her?" Sam asks, leaning forward.

"Yes," Kieran confirms, his voice unwavering. He launches into the carefully crafted explanation, detailing how they had been investigating Blake’s movements, how they had found themselves closer, and how Lucy had fallen victim to Blake’s manipulation.

He speaks with precision, ensuring that every word sounds both logical and convincing.

Ace watches closely, monitoring their reactions. He can tell they’re buying it, the nods of agreement, the thoughtful expressions. They want to believe it.

"That’s so unbelievable," one of the detectives mutters. "So you mean she could actually manipulate people like that?"

"That’s the conclusion we’ve come to," Ace interjects smoothly. "But as Mr. Hale said, there’s no need to worry. She’s no more. The threat has been eliminated."

"Thank God! I knew it! I knew there was no way Lucy could do something like that! It was totally unreasonable. I’ve known her almost all my life to a be serial killer! Leave alone a serial killer... she can’t even fight nor argue!"

Nodes and agreements feels the room.

There’s a moment of relief, but then, unexpectedly, one of them raises a question that makes Kieran’s stomach tighten.

"What if Blake turned Lucy into... whatever she was? I mean, if she can manipulate people, what other things can she do?"

The entire room goes silent.

Ace stiffens, and for the first time, Kieran feels caught off guard. He hadn’t considered that angle, hadn’t anticipated that someone might suspect Lucy could have been... transformed.

"That’s... an interesting concern," Ace says slowly, trying to keep his voice steady.

Another detective, Miss Angela, leans forward, arms crossed. "I think we should confirm that Lucy is still human. We can’t afford to assume. If there’s even a chance she’s been affected, we need to know before we let her walk free."

The murmurs of agreement that follow send a ripple of unease through Kieran. This wasn’t part of the plan.

But he adjusts quickly, his mind working at lightning speed. He forces a tight-lipped smile, nodding as though he had already anticipated this.

"That’s right. We actually talked about that already," he lies smoothly. "In fact, the doctor is on his way here as we speak." He turns toward Miss Angela, his expression unreadable. "Thank you for bringing it up anyway, miss Angela."

Ace doesn’t hesitate, beneath the table, he swiftly pulls out his phone and sends a message to the pack doctor. Get here immediately. Play along.

"Well, what about Blake’s body, where is it?" Sam asks.

As the murmurs continue, Kieran shifts the conversation. "Blake’s body..," he says, redirecting their focus, "it has already been taken to the morgue. We were actually planning for a burial tomorrow. No need to keep it around because she doesn’t even have anyone who we could be waiting for."

There’s another round of quiet discussion before Sam nods. "That’s probably for the best."

Ace glances at his phone, waiting anxiously for a response. Every second feels like an eternity.

Kieran remains composed, but Ace knows him well enough to recognize the tension in his clenched jaw. They need to control the narrative. Till it gets to the end.

-

Just as expected, the old man arrives, led by an officer into the boardroom. His presence alone seems to silence the room, and Kieran, ever the composed leader, simply nods in acknowledgment.

Ace heads outside to get Lucy. She has woken up now, sitting upright in the car, her eyes clouded with confusion and exhaustion.

Ace watches her for a moment, studying her expression before turning his gaze to Max and Rica, who are standing nearby.

"Well, how is it going?" Rica asks, her voice laced with curiosity and concern.

Ace exhales and leans against the open car door. "Good. They believe it," he says, then pauses, glancing at Lucy again. "Just one last thing... we need to do a blood test to confirm that... whatever happened to you didn’t leave any lasting effects." His tone is gentle, but firm.

Lucy stiffens slightly. "And what if it did?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. There’s genuine fear in her eyes, a flicker of doubt she hasn’t allowed herself to voice until now.

"It’s not possible," Ace reassures her immediately. "We just need to confirm, that’s all. After this, you’ll be free. No more accusations, no more running."

Lucy stares at him for a long moment, then nods weakly. Ace can tell she still feels uneasy, but she trusts him enough to follow his lead. She swallows hard and takes a deep breath before stepping out of the car.

Together, they walk back into the boardroom. The moment they enter, Lucy stops in her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight of someone she hadn’t expected to see.

A man stands at the far end of the room, near the corner, looking tense and desperate. The second Lucy’s eyes land on him, her lips part in shock.

"Babe..." Her voice cracks as she rushes toward him.

The man turns at the sound, and within seconds, he pulls her into a tight embrace. He presses his face against her hair.

His arms wrap around her as if anchoring her to reality, as if she might disappear if he lets go.

She sobs into his chest, gripping his shirt. "I... I...," she mumbles, her body shaking. But no word come out.

"It’s okay," the man murmurs, his voice steady despite the obvious emotion in his eyes. "I’m here now. Let them do what they need to do, they say they need to test you, and then we’re leaving this place for good. We’re leaving this town, I’ll take you away from this town."

Ace watches the scene in silence. For the first time since this ordeal began, Lucy looks like she’s finally found solid ground.

The man’s presence grounds her, gives her something real to hold onto after all the chaos.

Clearing his throat, the doctor steps forward, carrying a small testing kit. "Miss Richards, if you’re ready, we’ll proceed with the test now," he says, his tone professional yet kind.

Lucy hesitates for a brief second before nodding. The man stays close, gripping her hand as she extends the other toward the doctor.

He takes a small, sterile needle and pricks her fingertip, collecting a drop of blood on a testing strip.

The room falls silent as everyone watches him work. It feels like an eternity as he runs the test, checking for any irregularities. Ace doesn’t realize he’s been holding his breath until the doctor finally looks up.

"Negative," he announces, his voice cutting through the thick silence.

There’s a collective sigh of relief. Some of the detectives exchange glances, nodding at one another. It’s over. Lucy is cleared.

Kieran barely reacts, though Ace catches the subtle way his shoulders ease. He’s relieved, too. This means their plan worked. There will be no further questions, no suspicions.

Lucy’s man doesn’t waste a second. "That’s it, then," he says firmly, his grip tightening around Lucy’s hand. Without waiting for permission, he begins leading her toward the door.

Ace steps forward slightly, as if to stop them, but Lucy turns back just before they reach the exit.

"Thank you," she says softly, her eyes meeting Ace’s. There’s so much emotion packed into those two words, relief, gratitude, exhaustion.

She also turns to Kieran, but before she says anything, Kieran nodes at her.

"Take care, Mrs. Richards." Kieran says, his voice low.

And with that, she is gone.

For a moment, no one speaks. The room still hums with the energy of everything that just happened, but the weight that had been pressing down on them for so long finally starts to lift.

Kieran leans back in his chair, "It’s over, the only thing remaining is to write a report about this to the Head management. You can take a break."

He says standing up, heading to the door, he turns to Ace who is still standing, "Ace,"

He calls, the detectives turn to him, brows raised.

Ace follows him.