Alpha's mate is a male? Chapter 80: Kieran’s Victory

The battlefield is eerily silent.

For a long, breathless mont, no one moves. The dust is still settling, and the only sound is the heavy breathing of the wolves who fought, their bodies battered, so leaning on each other for support.

And at the center of it all stands Kieran.

Blood stains his skin, his body littered with wounds that should have healed by now

_ but they don’t.

His breathing is ragged, his stance unsteady, but his eyes remain fierce, locked onto the figure lying on the ground before him.

Rehan.

The once-mighty alpha is on his knees, his face twisted in pain and disbelief. His chest rises and falls sharply as he struggles to push himself up, but his strength is gone.

Kieran has won.

For a second, no one reacts.

Then, slowly, murmurs ripple through the crowd, voices rising with mixed emotions.

"He did it..." soone whispers.

"He really won."

There’s hesitation in so faces_ those who doubted him, those who cursed his na when Rehan challenged him. But even they can’t deny the weight of this victory.

So of Kieran’s pack mbers exchange uneasy glances. They had followed him blindly, believing he was the stronger alpha, the rightful leader.

But now, as they look at their defeated leader and the way Kieran still stands despite his wounds, doubt flickers in their eyes.

"This fight wasn’t for us," one of Rehan’s pack mber mutters. "Rehan just wanted power." I heard how he was talking to Alpha Kieran, and it is true, all he wants is power!

A few of them take hesitant steps forward, toward Kieran’s pack. It isn’t an instant shift, but the divide is clear.

Rehan may have been their alpha, but loyalty isn’t just about power_ it’s about trust. And many of them are realizing, maybe for the first ti, that they never truly trusted Rehan.

And even if Kieran’s loyalty is also questioned, he has great repetition, not as their alpha’s_ Rehan.

Kieran sways slightly on his feet, but he doesn’t fall. His chest rises and falls in heavy breaths as he watches Rehan struggle to lift his head.

"It’s over," Kieran says, his voice hoarse but steady. "Yield."

Rehan’s jaw clenches.

For a second, it looks like he might resist, might try to lunge at Kieran with whatever strength he has left. But then his arms give out beneath him, and he collapses fully onto the ground.

The fight is over.

A beat of silence.

Then the crowd erupts.

Cheers, howls, relief flooding through the air like a wave crashing over them. Even those who doubted Kieran are swept up in it.

"He’s still our alpha!"

"Kieran!"

"Long live the alpha!"

Despite the victory, Kieran doesn’t soak in the praise. His body is exhausted, every nerve screaming in protest, but none of it matters right now. His eyes scan the crowd, searching.

His pack mbers rush toward him, servants among them, hands outstretched to steady him, to tend to his wounds, but he brushes them off.

Their voices blur together, urging him to sit, to let them help, but he ignores them all.

He needs to move.

His legs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds, but he forces them forward, one step at a ti, his breath coming in shallow pants.

Sowhere in the crowd, he sees a figure standing still amidst the chaos.

Ace.

He doesn’t stop to think.

He stumbles toward him, pushing past hands that try to stop him, try to support him, but none of them matter. His vision wavers slightly, the edges of his sight dimming, but he keeps moving.

His pack watches, murmurs of concern rippling through them as they realize sothing is wrong.

But Kieran doesn’t stop.

The pain doesn’t matter. The exhaustion doesn’t matter.

Only reaching him matters.

He pushes forward, his steps growing heavier, his limbs weaker. The mont he reaches Ace, his body finally gives in.

His knees buckle.

And before he can hit the ground, strong arms catch him.

The last thing he hears before everything fades is the panicked sound of his na.

Kieran collapses into Ace’s arms, his body heavy, his breath ragged. Blood stains his skin, his wounds still open_ unlike before, they aren’t healing instantly. Ace catches him, barely able to support his weight.

"Kieran!" Ace’s voice is sharp with concern.

Around them, murmurs ripple through the gathered wolves. The sa ones who had doubted him, cursed him, now look on with a mix of awe and relief.

He won.

Their alpha won.

Jun rushes forward, Rey close behind. "We should get him out of here," Jun says, voice firm but laced with worry.

Kieran stirs slightly at the sound of their voices, his eyes fluttering open just enough to lock onto Ace. His lips part, as if to say sothing, but no words co out. Just his na, "Ace..."

"He’s burning up," Rey murmurs, pressing a hand against Kieran’s forehead. "His body’s struggling to heal."

Ace grits his teeth. "Then let’s move."

Together, they lift Kieran, supporting his weight between them.

The crowd parts as they make their way through, whispers and shifting gazes following them.

So of Rehan’s pack mbers watch in silence, their expressions unreadable.

Others_ those who had only followed Rehan out of obligation, not true loyalty_ bow their heads slightly as Kieran passes.

A few even take a step forward, hesitant but resolute. They have seen the truth today. Rehan was not the leader they thought he was. He was just an alpha who wanted power, not one who deserved it.

So of them kneel. A quiet, unspoken acknowledgnt.

Kieran doesn’t see it. His head slumps against Ace’s shoulder, his body barely holding itself together.

As they reach the outskirts of the battlefield, Rey glances back. So wolves stay behind_ so celebrating, others tending to the injured, and a few simply standing in stunned silence, uncertain of what cos next.

But for now, getting Kieran back is what matters.

Rehan remains unconscious as so on his loyalties tend to him.

So are confused_ both from each pack,,, so wondering who they should trust since both Alphas have showed their dishonesty.

But most Join Kieran’s pack.