"Jun!" Ace calls out, his voice hoarse.
Jun still doesn't stop.
Finally Ace catches up with him as he steps into the clearing where the car is parked.
"Jun, wait!" Ace grabs his arm.
Jun turns sharply, pulling free from Ace's grip. His face is pale, his jaw tight. "What?"
"What do you mean 'what?! I want to know what's going on," Ace says, frowning. "Why are you acting like this? We just won—those wolves are free, and you're safe. Why aren't you even looking at me?"
Jun exhales sharply, his eyes darting at Ace. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Why not? Did Lila's magic do something to you?" Ace's voice is filled with concern, and he steps closer. "You can tell me. We'll fix it—"
"It's not Lila!" Jun snaps, his voice louder than he intended. He takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "Just… drop it, okay?"
"Jun…"
Before Ace can press further, the sound of footsteps behind them makes both of them turn.
Kieran strides into the clearing, his presence immediately filling the space with tension. "What's going on?" he asks, his golden eyes flicking between them.
None of the answers.
"I don't know." Ace says when Kieran's eyes stick on them.
"You just left in the middle of all that? What could be more important than what is happening back there, you needed to help me , help those people back there!," Kieran says, his tone sharp than intended.
"Jun is not okay, can't you see that?! Well , we should be concerned just incase something happened!" Ace replies, his frustration clear. "I wanted to make sure he was okay."
Jun lets out a bitter laugh. "Oh, so now you care about me being okay?"
Kieran narrows his eyes. "What exactly is your problem, Xiao Jun?"
"You know exactly what am talking about," Jun snaps, stepping closer to Kieran. "How could you do that? How could you just—"
"Because it was necessary," Kieran cuts him off, his voice low and dangerous. "There was no other way."
"Necessary?" Jun's voice rises, trembling with anger. "You think that justifies it? You think that makes it okay? Why do I feel like am missing something here?! There's something that am missing, isn't there?!"
Ace steps between them, holding up his hands. "What are you two talking about?"
Neither of them answers.
Instead, they circle each other like wolves about to clash.
"You're overreacting for nothing! You saw the situation we were in." Kieran retorts, his tone clipped.
"Guys, stop!" Ace shouts, his patience snapping. "Can someone please tell me what is going on? Why are you fighting? What did Kieran do?"
Jun clenches his jaw, looking away. Kieran crosses his arms, his face a mask of calm.
The silence is unbearable, and Ace's frustration boils over. "Fine. If you're not going to tell me, then stop dragging me into whatever this is!"
Jun looks at Ace, his eyes softening for a moment. But then he glances at Kieran and stiffens again. "I'm done here. I'm going home."
He turns and walks toward the car.
Ace stands frozen , no idea what to do or say anymore.
Jun stops beside the car and looks back at him. "Ace, Aren't you coming home with me? Why are you still standing there?"
Ace freezes, caught off guard by the question. "I…"
"He's not going with you," Kieran says, stepping forward. "We have unfinished business to handle. Lila isn't done, and neither are we. So he's coming with me."
Jun whirls around, his eyes blazing. "You don't get to decide that for him!"
"And neither do you!" Kieran snaps back.
The tension between them spikes again, their voices rising in the stillness of the clearing.
Ace throws his hands up. "Okay! I can't do this anymore!"
They stop, turning to look at him.
"I'm not some bag you can pull around!" Ace says, his voice shaking with anger. "I get to decide where I go, not you two pulling me in different directions."
Jun opens his mouth to speak, but Ace cuts him off.
"And you know what? I'm not going with either of you. I've had enough of this. We just had the fight of our lives, and now you're acting like this? If you're not going to tell me what your problem is, then figure it out yourselves. When you're done, let me know so we can focus on the real issue—Lila isn't over!"
With that, Ace turns and walks away, his steps heavy but determined.
He doesn't look back.
"Tell me honestly, Kieran , do you have feelings for Ace?" Jun asks after Ace walks away.
He wants to be convinced that it was just a thing that doesn't mean anything , but for some reason he can't.
Every time he sees Ace and Kieran together , it feels like there's some tension between them.
Kieran hesitates for a moment before answering. "No"
"Then wh..."
"I've told you , no, I don't have any feelings for him, so don't ask me anything else about it!" Kieran says before storming away.
Jun stands at that spot for a while before entering his car and drive away.
The next Morning,,
Last night, after Kieran dwelling on where Ace went again, his tiredness took over his whole being and fell asleep.
..
The morning sun breaks over Kieran's territory, casting a golden glow on the gathered wolves.
The remnants of Lila's magic still linger, a faint, unsettling aura that refuses to fade completely.
Kieran stands before the group, his expression grim but resolute.
"You've been through something unimaginable," he begins, his voice carrying across the clearing. "But you're free now. And you'll heal. We will not let anything light that happen again!"
The wolves nod, some still looking shaken, their memories of Lila's control fragmented and unclear.
"It was like being trapped," one wolf says, stepping forward. "We could see… feel… but couldn't act. And now, it's like a shadow is still there."
Kieran's jaw tightens. "That's her magic. It leaves a mark, but it will fade with time. You're safe now."
"Why would the moon goddess five us such an evil luna?!" Another asks.
"Does that mean you don't have a mate anymore, Alpha?" Another says.
As they still wonder , Dren appears out of the crown , going on his knees infront of Kieran. "Alpha... I am... I am so sorry... I..." Kieran.
"Stand, it was a controlled act." Kieran says.
The wolves murmur.
"Apla Kieran," an alpha from another pack says. "What's next? Lila's still out there, isn't she?"
Kieran nods. "She is. And we're not done until she's stopped for good."