Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 81: "Please Stay. Stay Please"

The grand doors of Kieran’s mansion swing open as they step inside.

The scent of blood follows them in, clinging to their skin, mixing with the faint traces of old wood and the lingering embers of the fireplace.

Servants rush toward them, eyes widening at the sight of their wounded alpha.

"My lord..." one begins, but Kieran raises a weak hand, silencing them.

They carry Kieran up the stairs, his weight making every step feel heavier. By the time they reach his room, his body is trembling slightly.

"Why isn’t he healing?!" Ace asks, concern making it’s way in his voice.

"I think it’s because he feels weak now." Rey says.

"Maybe we should clean him first, before we lay him to sleep. We can fine a doctor to check him up." Jun suggests.

"No need, all he needs is rest, once his body and mind relaxes, he will heal instantly." Rey answers, looking at Jun, longer than he should, even in this situation, he is busy admiring his mate a little bit.

"Ace..." Kieran calls for tenth time since they left the battle field.

"Just... what? Stay quiet and focus on healing." Ace says. They lead him in the bathroom, sitting him on a plastic chair, a comfortable one.

Obviously, someone need to help hel, he can’t help himself.

The three of them look at each other awkwardly before all their eyes turn to Ace.

"What?!" He asks.

No one answers before Jun and Rey walk out of the bathroom. Ace yells at them but they don’t even look behind as they walk out.

Ace lets out a deep breath, staring at the door where Jun and Rey just disappeared.

"Unbelievable," he mutters.

Kieran, slumped in the chair, lets out a rough exhale, his body too weak to hold itself up properly. His head tilts slightly toward Ace, his gaze heavy-lidded but unwavering.

"They left you with me," Kieran murmurs, voice raw.

Ace clenches his jaw.

He steps closer, kneeling in front of Kieran, his hands moving before he can think too much about what he’s doing.

Blood streaks the alpha’s face, dried along his jaw and smeared down his neck. There’s too much of it_ too much proof of how brutal that fight was.

Ace dips a cloth into the warm water and wrings it out. "Hold still."

Kieran doesn’t argue. He just watches, unmoving, as Ace lifts the cloth to his face. The first swipe is careful, dragging over the cut on his cheekbone. Kieran barely flinches.

Ace’s hands are steady, but his chest feels tight. This is the closest he’s been to Kieran since the day they slept together a second time.

Kieran watches him, and Ace can tell that he wants to say a lot, but he doesn’t, and Ace wishes that he doesn’t because he hasn’t figured out most of the things.

But even as Kieran stares at him, Ace feels tense.

He should be angry. But for some reason, he is not. And even if the he was, he can’t lush at him now.

Because Kieran is a mess of bruises and exhaustion, and Ace doesn’t know what’s worse_ the injuries, or the fact that his body isn’t healing the way it should.

He works in silence, wiping away the blood, dragging the cloth down Kieran’s throat, along the line of his collarbone.

He doesn’t mean to hesitate when his fingers brush against warm skin, but he does.

And Kieran notices.

And for the first time his lips twitch_ almost like he wants to smirk_ but he doesn’t have the energy.

"You’re quiet," he rasps.

Ace scoffs. "Maybe because I’m too busy wondering if I should just let you sit here and bleed."

Kieran hums, the sound low and almost amused. "You won’t."

Ace clenches his jaw and scrubs harder at a stubborn stain of dried blood on Kieran’s chest, making the alpha suck in a sharp breath.

Ace pretends not to notice the way Kieran’s fingers twitch against his thigh.

He continues, wiping down his arms, his sides.

He tries not to linger on the marks

_ finger-shaped bruises along his ribs from where Rehan grabbed him, deep gashes where claws tore into him.

The worst ones are on his stomach, barely closed, sluggish in their healing.

"You’re not healing fast enough," Ace mutters, more to himself than to Kieran.

Kieran doesn’t reply. He just watches Ace, his gaze half-lidded, unreadable.

Ace swallows, ignoring the way the silence feels heavier than it should. He grabs a fresh cloth and moves lower, wiping away more of the mess, avoiding Kieran’s eyes.

He’s too close.

The air between them is thick with something unspoken, something Ace isn’t sure he wants to face.

"Done," he mutters eventually, standing up abruptly.

Kieran watches him for a beat, then exhales slowly. "So eager to leave, huh?"

Ace shoots him a glare. "Yeah, because being stuck in a bathroom with you is exactly how I wanted to spend my night."

Kieran huffs a quiet laugh but winces immediately after.

He helps him back in the room.

Ace sighs, running a hand through his hair before grabbing a fresh set of clothes from the dresser. "You need to change."

Kieran doesn’t move.

Ace narrows his eyes. "Don’t tell me you’re too weak to..."

Kieran gives him a pointed look.

Ace groans. "Unbelievable."

Ace brushes Kieran’s hair away. His fingers brush against bare skin, and Kieran inhales sharply...not from pain.

Ace’s breath catches, but he doesn’t say anything.

Neither does Kieran.

Ace moves quickly, grabbing the clean shirt and helping Kieran into it, his hands moving with more care than he wants to admit. When he reaches for Kieran’s pants, he pauses.

Kieran arches a brow.

Ace glares. "You’re lucky you’re half-dead right now."

Ace works fast, dressing him, trying not to think about the way Kieran’s body is warm and solid under his hands.

Once he’s done, he stands, grabbing Kieran’s arm and pulling him to his feet.

Kieran’s body sags against him immediately, his weight pressing into Ace’s.

Ace clenches his jaw, ignoring the way his pulse stutters.

Kieran doesn’t reply. His body is trembling slightly now, his exhaustion hitting him hard.

Ace shifts, hooking an arm around his waist, guiding him toward the bed.

Helping him to the bed.

Kieran’s face is close, his breath warm against Ace’s neck.

For a second, neither of them move.

Then Kieran murmurs, so softly Ace almost doesn’t hear it...

"Ace..."

Ace stiffens before cutting him. "Please, don’t say anything to me that is not related to your health right now."

Ace swallows hard, forcing himself to move, helping Kieran onto the bed. He eases him down carefully, pulling the blankets over him.

When he turns to leave, a weak hand grabs his wrist.

Ace glances down, his heart thudding.

Kieran’s eyes, heavy-lidded with exhaustion, hold something raw.

Something unguarded.

Something Ace isn’t ready for.

"Stay, please. Please stay." Kieran murmurs.

But before Ace can say anything, Kieran’s grip slackens, and his eyes slip closed.

Ace exhales shakily.

He stands there for a long moment, watching Kieran breathe.

Then he pulls his wrist free, turns, and leaves the room, closing the door softly behind him.