Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 108: "By The Way, Ace Cheated In Exams"

As the evening sets in, Ace, Kieran, Jun, Rey, Marsel, and Elira gather around the dining table at Marsel and Elira’s house.

The atmosphere is warm, filled with laughter and conversation.

The food is spread generously across the table, and the scent of home-cooked meals fills the air.

Elira occasionally glances at Ace, her eyes softening as she watches him interact with the others.

Though he has been gone for a while, she doesn’t want to smother him.

Marsel is the same, though less obvious about it. He talks to Ace like he always has, treating him no differently from Jun.

But there’s a moment when he reaches out, patting Ace’s shoulder lightly as he pours him a drink.

Jun and Rey, meanwhile, are their usual lively selves. Jun teases Ace every chance he gets, and Rey playfully backs him up.

"Oh, by the way..." Kieran says suddenly, as if he has just remembered something important. He looks at Elira and Marsel. "Ace cheated in his exams today."

Ace’s eyes widen, he didn’t expect, at all. "Hey! You snitch! Oh my God!"

Jun and Rey laugh at that. Marsel chuckles.

Elira raises an eyebrow, though not mad. "Ace?"

"It wasn’t real cheating!" Ace huffs. "It was... accidental." he turns to Kieran eying him, "I’ll deal with you later!" He mumbles.

At this time, kieran is as quiet as if he hasn’t said a thing.

"Accidental cheating?" Rey snickers. "That’s a new one."

"But hey! I’ve known Ace from when I can remember, he is smart, I was once his parent when he was in highschool. And I was the father, so when I went for parent_ teacher conference... I was always recognised for my son’s brightness."

Jun says making everyone burst out laughing.

Laughter fills the room, making the house feel alive. It’s a comfortable kind of warmth, the kind that only family can create.

"How are you going to deal with me?" Kieran asks Ace silently, "Am I allowed to choose how to be delt with?" He adds, smirking.

"No, you are not! And trust me you won’t like it." Ace retorts back, his voice as silent as Kieran’s.

Only to realize later that everyone went quiet long ago, and they are staring at them.

Feeling embarrassed, they ignore everyone at the table and go on with their meal.

But it doesn’t take long, throughout the dinner, they keep stealing glances at each other.

Even though they’re sitting right next to each other, it’s like they can’t stop themselves.

Their knees brush under the table, fingers occasionally grazing when they reach for the same dish.

Kieran takes Ace’s hand under the table, holding it, occasionally squeezing it slightly..

Ace bites his lip, trying to focus on the meal, but every time he looks up, Kieran is already watching him.

There’s a quiet intensity in Kieran’s eyes, something possessive and soft at the same time.

"Do you do that intentionally?" Kieran asks when Ace bites his lip again, it’s just too much for him.

It’s a habit that Ace has, but it’s like Kieran just started noticing it after they got together. It really makes Ace look overly attractive.

Especially to Kieran. It drives him nuts, and for a moment he almost kissed Ace few minutes ago.

"Do what intentionally?" Ace asks, licking his lips before he bites at it again. Oblivion of how it is affecting Kieran. He is not doing it intentionally.

"Stop." Kieran warns quietly.

"What?" Ace asks, turning to him. Confusion laced in his voice. "Stop what?"

"Stop biting your lip like that." Kieran says.

Ace hearing that, he chuckles, now licking and biting intentionally.

He could see Kieran, literally moving his head, his eyes intense. Ace turns away immediately.

And that’s when he realises everyone is watching them again.

They both snap out of it, looking around as if just remembering they aren’t alone.

Jun smirks, resting his chin on his hand. "You know, we are still here, Right?"

Rey chuckles. "Yeah, maybe you should jist get a room. This is embarrassing." he fakes a disappointment.

"Sorry about," Kieran says, looking at Marsel and Elira before he turns away in embarrassment.

Elira just shakes her head with a knowing smile. "Young love."

Marsel grunts. "As long as you remember to eat and not just stare at each other."

Ace’s ears burn as laughter erupts again,

After dinner, the warm glow of the lanterns bathes the room in a golden hue.

Laughter still lingers in the air as Jun leans back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. "I swear, mom, you’re trying to make us all be overweight."

Elira chuckles. "A full stomach makes for a happy heart."

It doesn’t take long before Ace and Kieran get lost in each other again.

The problem is that, once their eyes meet each other, they become like magnets, it’s not easy to tear apart.

Even now, their legs are pressed together under the table, and every now and then, Kieran’s fingers brush against his. It’s ridiculous how much he still craves his touch, even after everything.

Jun suddenly clears his throat loudly. "Okay, this is too much! You two gonna eat each other with your eyes, or are we still pretending you’re not making everyone at this table feel single?"

"Am gonna catch some air outside." Ace says but Kieran pulls him back to his chair.

"Finish your food, you barely touched it."

Ace sits back, yes he knows he hasn’t eaten, also his mother did all this, and just leaving the food almost untouched, might feel rude.

Talks here and there... laughter fades and the conversation shifts, something tugs at the back of Ace’s mind.

A strange sensation.

His chest feels strangely cold_ from his mark. He frowns slightly, rubbing over his mark.

Kieran notices immediately. "You okay?"

Ace hesitates, then nods. "Yeah. Just... I think I need some air."

Kieran doesn’t question it. "I’ll come with you."

The two step outside onto the veranda.

The cool night air greets them, a stark contrast to the warmth inside.

Ace can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

He lets out a slow breath. "You ever get that feeling like something’s about to happen?"

Kieran leans against the railing, eyes scanning the darkness. "Yeah. Every time I think things are finally settling down." He glances at Ace. "You feel something?"

Ace shrugs. "I don’t know. It’s not... strong. Just a weird feeling."

Kieran pulls him close, resting his chin atop Ace’s head. "Maybe exhaustion? You must be tired, with sleep, do you wanna go back with me?"

Ace closes his eyes, letting himself relax against Kieran’s warmth. "I don’t think it’s that."

The moment lingers, peaceful yet tinged with an unspoken tension neither of them can quite place.

Then...

They see a shadow of someone approaching.

Ace tenses, and Kieran’s body stiffens against him.

A guard, a guard from Kieran’s mansion.

"Alpha_ there are people at the mansion."

Kieran straightens, his whole demeanor shifting. "Who?"

The guard shakes his head, eyes wide. "I don’t know, but... there’s many of them."

Jun is already pushing back his chair, after feeling some tension outside.

Rey stands as well, his usual playfulness vanishing.

Elira and Marsel exchange glances before heading out too.

"He says some intruders at the mansion," Kieran explains. "Stay here, I’ll come back for you in a while, let me see what it’s about." Kieran says refering to Ace.

"Are you serious right now? Suddenly treating me like a helpless kid?!" Ace says making his way out first.

Other’s follow.

And just like that, the peace of the night shatters as they rush toward the mansion.

_

As they approach the mansion, the air shifts.

It’s thick, almost suffocating. A strange, unnatural stillness settles over the grounds, pressing against them like an invisible weight.

The trees, usually rustling with the night breeze, stand eerily motionless.

Even the guards stationed around the perimeter seem frozen, their hands gripping their weapons tightly, eyes locked on the figures standing in the open courtyard.

The witches.

A dozen of them stand in formation, their robes blending into the darkness, yet their presence is impossible to ignore.

They are cloaked in deep, inky shades

, some with long, flowing garments, others in more structured, ceremonial attire.

Their faces are sharp, unreadable, some masked, others fully visible with eyes that gleam like polished obsidian.

Their expressions range from cold calculation to seething anger, but one thing is clear_ every single one of them is looking at Ace.

At the front, their leader stands with an air of quiet menace, their gaze locked onto him with an intensity that makes the mark on Ace’s chest prickle.

Their fingers twitch at their sides, almost as if itching to reach for something, power, revenge, something neither Ace nor Kieran’s pack will allow.

Kieran steps forward, his presence commanding, his crew flanking him without hesitation.

Jun and Rey are close behind, their stances tense but controlled. Elira and Marsel remain near, their expressions unreadable, though their postures scream readiness.

Ace stays beside Kieran, heart pounding, but he refuses to look away from the witches.

Even as their eyes burn into him. Even as the night itself seems to pulse with something wrong.

It’s obvious that it’s him_ it’s him that they have a problem with.