Moment of bonding and understanding.

The night is heavy with silence as Kieran trudges through the dense woods, after burying the witch's ash.

The weight of the past few hours pressing on him like a millstone.

His boots sink into the damp earth, still loose from where he buried the witch's body—a secret he never thought he would carry.

He can still smell the charred remains faintly clinging to his skin despite the hours spent scrubbing.

He pauses, leaning against a gnarled tree, his breath uneven.

The guilt is relentless, clawing at him from every corner of his mind.

This isn't how a leader should act.

He's supposed to be steady, rational, someone his pack can rely on. Yet here he is, burying secrets in the dead of night like a common criminal.

He rubs his temples, willing the voice in his head to quiet, but it only grows louder.

How did things get this bad? His decisions lately have been reckless, his actions impulsive.

The old Kieran—the alpha everyone respected—feels like a distant memory.

His thoughts drift, unbidden, to Ace.

That strange, enigmatic young man who has turned his life upside down.

Ace's face flashes in his mind: the defiance in his eyes, the trembling vulnerability beneath it. Kieran's wolf stirs uneasily, torn between trust and suspicion.

Can I trust him? Kieran doesn't have an answer, and it infuriates him.

By the time he returns to the mansion, his head is spinning with doubt and exhaustion.

The grand halls feel suffocating as he strides purposefully toward Ace's room, driven by the need for answers.

His wolf is restless, pacing within him, urging him to confront the one person who might hold the truth.

The door to Ace's room bursts open with a force that startles him.

Inside, Ace sits on the edge of the bed, his head snapping up at the intrusion. His dark eyes gleam in the dim candlelight, alert and unyielding.

"Kieran?" Ace's voice is steady, though a flicker of unease crosses his face.

Kieran doesn't answer immediately. He strides into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

His chest heaves as he struggles to contain the storm inside him. "Enough," he growls. "I want the truth. Now."

Ace stands, his posture defensive but calm. "I've told you Kieran, I don't know what this is, you saw it , even that night we met , there was light coming from my birthmark." he says evenly.

"Don't mention that night to me ever again! And for the record , I was wrong to think that it was some kind of a torch or something, or maybe I wasn't conscious enough to notice!" Kieran's voice rises, echoing off the walls. "You're hiding something. You've been hiding something from the start. Whatever is happening, whatever happened— you have a hidden agenda!"

Ace flinches at the accusation but holds his ground. "I don't know what's happening to me," he says, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "I swear, Kieran, I don't."

The raw sincerity in Ace's tone slices through Kieran's anger like a blade.

His wolf, too, begins to quiet, soothed by the sound of Ace's voice. The desperation in his voice affects Kieran in a way that he can't stand seeing Ace in these kind of emotions, or rather , his wolf can't stand it.

His resolve faltering.

Ace takes a hesitant step forward, his eyes searching Kieran's. "I feel it too," he says, his voice a low murmur. "Something about Lila… she smells of danger. I can't explain it, but I know she's hiding something."

Kieran stiffens, his wolf growling at the mention of Lila, but he doesn't interrupt.

Ace reaches out, his hand trembling slightly as it rises to Kieran's neck.

His fingers graze the alpha's skin, tracing a slow, tentative path to his cheek. "Trust me, Kieran," Ace whispers, his voice a gentle plea. "I'm not your enemy. Please, help me figure this out. I need you. It's getting out of my control."

For a moment, time seems to stop.

Kieran's wolf quiets completely, its usual snarling replaced by an unfamiliar sense of calm.

Kieran can feel the warmth of Ace's hand, the steady rhythm of his breath.

Their eyes meet, and the tension between them shifts, becoming something neither of them can name.

Ace rises onto his toes, his hands resting on either side of Kieran's neck.

His face tilts upward, his lips desperate to find Kieran's__ inches away. Kieran's breath catches as he leans in, his movements slow and almost hesitant.

Just as their lips are about to touch, the door creaks open.

Lila stands in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "Kieran?" she gasps, her voice trembling.

The moment shatters.

Kieran pulls back sharply as if out of daze again, out of bond.

Ace's wolf bristles at the intrusion, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The air around him begins to shift, growing heavy with power.

Kieran can already feel the heat radiating from Ace.

It's the same fiery intensity that burned the witch to ash. He turns to Lila, who recoils as the heat reaches her.

A sudden flare of blue flame like sears her upper arm, and she cries out, clutching the burn.

Ace's eyes glow with a dangerous light, his power spiraling out of control. "No!" he chokes out, his voice strained.

Kieran moves between them, shielding Lila from the brunt of the heat. To his surprise, it doesn't affect him.

The flames that once burned with destructive force seem to recognize him, leaving him untouched.

Ace collapses onto the bed, trembling but still conscious. Kieran stares at him, his mind racing. "Why didn't it hurt me?" he whispers, more to himself than anyone else.

When he snaps out of that, he snaps at Ace. "You wanted to burn her too, didn't you? Why doesn't it affect me? What are you up to?!" Kieran can't think anymore.

Lila steps forward, wincing as she holds her injured arm. "I can't believe you were falling for his tricks, Kieran!" she yells. "You were going to kiss him! He's manipulating you, can't you see that?"

Ace's head drops into his hands. "I didn't mean for any of this," he whispers.

Kieran pulls himself together, his face hardening as he grabs Lila's arm. "I can't take this anymore," he says coldly.

He locks the door behind him, leaving Ace alone.

Outside, Lila tries to speak, but Kieran raises a hand to silence her.

He storms out of the mansion, the cold night air biting at his skin.

In the woods, Kieran howls, a deep, sound that echoes through the trees. He calls for the elders, the only ones who might help him with answers.

He's torn—between his suspicion of Ace, and the strange pull that keeps drawing him back to the young man who has already upended his life.