Ace ignores Kieran's expression and asks, "Jun… how comes you know Kieran and everything? About the pack? And all that." he asks curiously.
"When you disappeared," Jun starts, his voice low, "I didn't know what to think. I searched everywhere, but it was like you vanished into thin air. Then I found the security footage."
Ace's heart skips a beat. "The footage?"
Jun nods, his hands clenching at his sides. "I saw him." He glances at Kieran, his voice hardening. "I saw him take you."
Kieran's jaw tightens, but he doesn't interrupt.
"At first, I thought—" Jun pauses, shaking his head as if to dispel the memory. "I thought it was something worse , like you were seeing someone else, am sorry babe for even daring to think that you would cheat on me because I know you would never do that to me.
I tracked him down. I confronted him. We had quarrels here and there, he didn't tell me immediately, we focused on one thing and that was to find you, but I couldn't keep calm anymore when everything around him screamed abnormal, so he told me."
Ace digests that painfully. Then asks, "And you believed whatever he told you?"
"Of course not at first! It sounded insane—wolves, packs. But then…" He trails off, his gaze dropping.
"Then what?" Ace presses, his voice sharper than he intended.
Jun exhales shakily. "Then he shifted. Right in front of me. His eyes, his claws—everything. He didn't hurt me, but after that, I couldn't deny it. It was real."
Ace's stomach churns. "So you just accepted it? Just like that?"
"It wasn't easy," Jun admits, his tone softening. "But every time I thought of you , all my fear vanished. All I cared about was finding you. I needed to know you were okay."
For a moment, Ace doesn't respond, his emotions warring within him. He glances at Kieran, who remains silent, his expression unreadable now.
"I was afraid,Ace. I didn't know if I would ever see you again, but when I recieved your letter I was extremely happy that you were okay." Jun adds.
The weight of Jun's words settles heavily over the room. Kieran's wolf stirs restlessly, bristling at the connection between Ace and Jun.
"You should rest," Jun says after a moment, his voice gentler now. "We've been through enough for one night."
Ace doesn't respond, but his gaze lingers on Jun, a mix of gratitude and pain in his eyes.
Jun's phone ring and Once he steps out of the room to answer a call, the silence between Ace and Kieran becomes unbearable.
Kieran breaks it first, his voice low and tense. "You know you are not supposed to be that close to him."
Ace turns sharply to face him, his frustration evident. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Kieran says, stepping closer. "You're letting him hold onto something that isn't his anymore."
Ace's eyes narrow, his anger flaring. "That isn't his? What are you even talking about?"
"You," Kieran snaps, his golden eyes glowing faintly. "According to the bond , you're mine. You're my mate. And yet, you're standing here, letting him call you 'babe' like nothing's changed."
Ace's chest tightens, the bond between them pulsing faintly as if in response to Kieran's words. "You don't get to pull that card," Ace retorts, his voice trembling. "You didn't even tell him, did you? About us."
Kieran's silence speaks volumes.
Ace takes a step closer, his voice rising. "You told him everything else—about the pack, about the wolves—but not that we're mates. Why?"
"Because it's none of his business," Kieran growls, his tone defensive.
"No, I don't think that's the reason , the reason is that you still don't accept me , that's why!" Ace retorts bitterly. "You know what? Am glad you didn't tell him because that would have just hurt him. And also, I can keep being with my boyfriend who actually cares about me and wants me wholly , once these mess ends , I will not care about the f*cking bond between us!"
Kieran's wolf snarls loudly, the sound rumbling in his chest. "He's not your boyfriend anymore. You need to end things between you or I'll end them!"
Ace stares at him, his heart pounding. The words hit harder than he expects, stirring something deep within him. But he forces himself to shake it off.
"You know, you telling Jun everything except for our relationship just confirms to me how seriously you don't want me! You still don't want to admit it, do you? And with that fact am not going to be with someone who doesn't want me!"
Kieran's jaw tightens, his fists clenching at his sides. "That's not true."
"Isn't it, Kieran?" Ace challenges, his eyes searching Kieran's face for answers he knows he won't find.
Before Kieran can respond, the sound of footsteps interrupts them.
_
Jun enters the room, his phone in hand. "That was my dad," he says, his tone steady despite the tension lingering in the air. "He's glad you are fine and back Ace , he says he'll visit you soon."
"You told him everything too?!" Ace asks.
"No , of course not." Jun responds .
Ace nods relief washing over him , though still caught in the whirlwind of emotions from his conversation with Kieran.
"I just thought of a plan," Jun announces, his voice firm. "But first, is everything okay? You two look like you've been fighting."
"We're fine," Ace says quickly, his tone clipped.
Jun doesn't press, though he looks unconvinced. Instead, he focuses on his ideas. "We need to stop her—Lila. That's the only way to end this. She's the one controlling those wolves, right?"
Ace nods slowly. "Yeah. But how do we even get to her?"
Jun steps closer, his expression determined. "We don't. Not yet. First, we figure out how to weaken her hold over the pack. If we can disrupt her control, even temporarily, it'll give us the chance to come up with a real plan to stop her for good."
Kieran's wolf stirs, but he nods. "That could work. But we'll need more information about her magic."
"Ever since you told me she's using magic , I've been trying to accumulate information about it. Our chinese ancient books do have some of those, and I've gathered a few things." Jun says determined.
"That's clever." Ace compliments.
"Thank you, babe," Jun says with a smile, his voice softening.
Kieran bristles, his wolf growling low in his chest, but he says nothing.
For now, the uneasy alliance holds. But as the three of them prepare for the battle ahead, the tension between them promises to reach a breaking point.