Realisation

Kieran stares down Xiao Jun through the wrought iron gate.

The faint morning light casts long shadows over Jun's disheveled figure.

He's not just desperate—he's wild, dangerous, and ready to do whatever it takes.

"Open this gate right now!" Jun growls, slamming the butt of his gun against the bars.

His voice cracks with raw emotion, a mix of fury and anguish.

His desperation is palpable, and Kieran feels it like a blade cutting through the early dawn stillness.

Kieran doesn't move, his wolf snarling in the back of his mind, pacing with agitation.

This man—this boy—has no idea what he's meddling with. Yet, there's something about the fire in his eyes, the unrelenting determination, that keeps Kieran rooted in place, studying him.

"How do you know Ace?" Kieran asks, his voice low but laced with authority.

Jun scoffs, his grip tightening on the gun. "You've got some nerve asking me that after I saw you! On my goddamn CCtv! You dragged him into that car like a sack of garbage. What did you think I'd do? Just sit around and wait for him to call home?"

By now kieran can guess , this young man here is who Ace was talking about , the boyfriend.

Kieran being quiet , not saying anything, Jun snaps again. "Where is he?"

"Back off because you habe no idea what you are dealing with , whoever Ace is to you, get over it, because it's never going to be the same , ever again." Kieran says quietly yet warningly.

"Back off?! You mean, I back off from the person that I've dedicated my whole being too? I... I just don't understand what is happening especially to him anymore , so come on man, I just need to see him , to hear from him what the future holds." Xiao Jun says , now his emotions getting the best of him.

His desperation.

Kieran's wolf growls jealously , this person here is so attached to his mate the way he shouldn't.

"He is not here, he was but he left." Kieran say.

"Oh yeah!? I said I just wanna talk to him, that's all , you know I could report you for abducting him since I have evidence!"

"He is not here!" Kieran repeats irritated.

Jun's expression darkens, his knuckles white around the gun. "Then let me in," he demands, his voice dangerously calm now. "Let me in, let me confirm that he is really not here, hu—"

Kieran raises a hand, cutting him off. "Enough." His voice reverberates with a commanding edge, the Alpha in him breaking through. "Let him in."

The guards hesitate for a beat before obeying, their movements cautious as they unlock the gate and step aside.

Jun storms through without hesitation, brushing past Kieran but keeping his gun close.

As the gate clangs shut behind them, Kieran fixes Jun with a cold stare. "You have five minutes. Search the mansion if you must. But don't waste my time."

Jun glares at him, the distrust clear in his eyes. "That's even more than I need," he bites out.

Kieran follows as Jun moves with purpose, his eyes darting around every corner, every shadow, as if expecting Ace to appear at any moment.

The mansion's grand halls feel suffocating in their emptiness, the silence amplifying the tension between the two men.

The moments stretch into taut, charged minutes.

Jun throws open doors and peers into rooms, his frustration mounting with every fruitless search.

His movements grow sharper, more frantic, until he finally rounds on Kieran.

"Why did you take him? Who are you and where did you take him."

"I told you he's not here," Kieran says ignoring Jun's questions.

Jun takes a step closer, his eyes blazing. "Then start talking. Why did you take him? And don't give me any of that 'protection' crap. What's really going on?"

Kieran clenches his jaw, his wolf pacing restlessly in the back of his mind.

This boy is a problem.

He should have thrown Jun out the moment he stormed into the mansion, but something holds him back.

The fire in Jun's eyes is undeniable, and Kieran knows that forcing him to leave now would only escalate the situation.

The boy might bring others—police, media, anyone who'd listen—and that would draw far too much attention to a world that cannot afford to be exposed.

And killing him___ no , he never touches an innocent soul. Unless a person has wronged him, he never hurt him.

So Kieran decides to take another route. He exhales sharply, the Alpha dominance in his stance softening slightly as he meets Jun's furious gaze. "You want the truth?" he says, voice calm but edged with feigned exhaustion. "Fine. I'll tell you. Ace is my nephew."

Jun freezes, blinking as though the words don't compute. His grip on the gun slackens slightly, though his suspicion remains etched in every line of his face. "Your... nephew?" he repeats, incredulous.

"Yes," Kieran says firmly, seizing the opening. "I'm his mother's brother. I've been searching for him for years. When I finally tracked him down, I asked him to come home, to reconnect with his family. He refused." He pauses, letting a sigh escape, feigning regret. "I had no choice but to bring him here. I didn't want to drag him, but I had to."

Jun's face twists in disbelief, his emotions a storm of anger and confusion. "Uncle?" he spits, stepping closer. "Ace has no family! He's never mentioned anyone, let alone an uncle. What kind of lie is this?"

Kieran's wolf snarls at the accusation, but he keeps his composure, his tone steady. "That's because he doesn't remember us. He was taken from his family when he was just a baby. By the time I found him, he'd already been placed with strangers."

Jun scoffs, shaking his head. "Strangers? You mean the couple who rescued him? The only people Ace ever called family? They found him abandoned by the roadside! And you expect me to believe you just happened to show up now, claiming to be his long-lost uncle?"

Kieran feels the weight of Jun's words settle over him. Abandoned? Found by the roadside? His mind races, piecing together fragments of information he didn't have before.

Ace's past is even murkier than he thought, and it only deepens the mystery of who—or what—Ace truly is.

He now feels the guilt hit from a higher level. Ace really didn't know what was happening to him, he needed help , but he ignored him.

Accusing him.

Now the need to find Ace escalates.