Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 82: Alseep In His Arms.

The door creaks open, and Ace steps back into the dimly lit room, his footsteps hesitant but steady.

In his hands, he carries a small wooden case, its contents clinking softly with every step.

Kieran is still in bed, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. His body remains tense, as if even in sleep, he refuses to let himself rest.

He muffles Ace’s name again, even in his sleep.

Ace isn’t alone.

Beside him, an older man with silver-streaked hair and sharp, perceptive eyes observes Kieran with the practiced gaze of a healer.

The pack doctor, Elder Towan, was one of the few wolves Kieran actually listened to

_ when he bothered to listen to anyone at all.

Towan exhales as he sets his things down on a nearby table. "Still not healing properly?" he mutters, more to himself than to Ace.

Ace folds his arms, watching as Towan moves to the bedside. "Obviously not," he says, voice clipped. "He collapsed earlier. That’s never happened before."

Rowan hums in acknowledgment, pulling back the sheets slightly to assess the deep gashes across Kieran’s torso.

Normally, wounds like these would have begun closing within minutes, but these still look raw, refusing to mend as fast as they should.

"This isn’t just physical," Towan says after a moment, pressing a hand lightly to Kieran’s shoulder. His brows furrow. "His body is exhausted, but his mind is even worse. And his emotions_ worst. That’s what’s slowing his healing."

Ace tenses. "What do you mean?"

Towan finally glances at him, his expression unreadable. "An wolf’s healing is tied to his state of mind. He’s suppressing too much, holding onto too many burdens. His body can’t focus on mending when his mind refuses to let go."

Ace swallows, gaze flicking to Kieran’s face. His features, even in sleep, are lined with tension, as if he’s battling something even now.

Towan turns back to his case, pulling out a small vial. "This will help with the pain, but it won’t be enough. What he really needs..." He trails off, his gaze sharpening slightly.

Ace narrows his eyes. "What?"

Towan exhales, closing the vial and shaking his head. "He needs peace."

Ace scoffs. "Yeah, well, good luck telling him that."

"I don’t mean just silence," Towan says with a knowing look. "I mean real peace. His wolf needs reassurance. Security. He needs to feel safe, not like he has to keep fighting even in his sleep."

Ace shifts, something in his chest tightening at the words.

Towan studies him for a moment longer before continuing, his voice quieter now. "It’s rare, but when an alpha’s healing slows this much, there’s usually only one thing that helps."

Ace lifts a brow. "And that is?"

Towan’s lips twitch slightly, like he already knows the answer but is waiting for Ace to figure it out himself.

"A mate."

Ace stiffens. His fingers curl slightly against his arms. "Are you saying..."

"I’m saying a mate’s presence can bring a certain... calm," Towan says simply. "A bond is more than just emotion, it’s a connection that stabilizes a wolf. If his mind won’t settle on its own, a mate’s presence could help ease the unrest."

Ace doesn’t say anything.

Towan shrugs, placing the vial on the bedside table.

Ace shrugs, "Not that it matters," he muses. "Kieran doesn’t have a mate. We both know that."

"...Right," Towan mutters. "He doesn’t. But he has someone that he is connected to, not by bond , but by his whole being. You, I’ve never seen Alpha that desperate when he poured his heart out."

"Dr. Towan, ain’t you stepping out of your boundaries?!" Ace asks, not wanting to remember the moments that have passed, they make him sick!

Towan lowers his head, feeling ashamed of himself. "He needs to rest. If he won’t do it naturally, it will be better if he is helped by someone." He gives Ace a pointed look. "Keep him still. Don’t let him get up and do anything reckless."

Ace scoffs, shaking his head. "Am not the one who is supposed to stay here, so mayne you tell his staff that."

"I expect you to be here, Noble Ace," Towan corrects, already gathering his things. "Whether you like it or not, Alpha trusts you. And am very sure you are the only one who can say something and he listens. So please."

Ace lets out a quiet breath, glancing at Kieran again.

His face is pale, his breathing slow but uneven. His body is tense, even now, as if prepared for another battle.

Towan turns to leave but pauses at the door. He doesn’t look back as he adds, "And maybe, he needs you."

Then, he steps out, leaving Ace standing in silence. This doctor won’t stop pushing Ace to what he doesn’t want to think about!

Ace lets out a slow, unsteady breath, rubbing a hand over his face. His pulse is too quick, his thoughts too scattered.

This is stupid.

This is Kieran.

The same Kieran who had hurt him, pushed him away, who had made him feel like he was nothing but a burden.

The same Kieran who was still arrogant, stubborn, and impossible.

And yet...

Ace exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair.

"...Damn it."

He moves toward the bed, reluctantly pulling up a chair. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Doesn’t know why he’s still here.

But for some reason, he doesn’t leave.

Kieran won’t stop muffling his name in sleep, Ace , all the time, and that’s what he has been calling since they left the battle field.

Suddenly, Kieran starts trembling, like his body can’t stay still.

Ace has no idea why, he calls but Kieran doesn’t respond.

Ace puts his hand on him, trying to calm him down, it might be a night mare. He thinks.

When Kieran’s body stop , but not entirely, Ace gets in bed beside him, he holds him, wrapping his arms around, even as he sleeps there, he doesn’t want to think beyond just helping someone calm down from maybe his dreams.

Kieran body stops, his body relaxes, Ace could feel that.

And before he notices it, he finds himself in slumber land. Dead asleep , in Kieran’s arms.