Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]
Chapter 286 - 287 - Deep breaths

Chapter 286: Chapter 287 - Deep breaths

A low, guttural growl tore through the quiet of the house.

Everyone in the room stiffened.

Jai, who had been lounging on the floor beside the bed, ran out and stared at the window. Muchen followed his gaze. Kailun narrowed his eyes. The sound wasn’t just a random snarl—it was coming from the other house. From Shao’s house.

Another scratch followed. Harsh, ragged. Like claws digging into a wall or the floor.

"He’s in pain," Jai mumbled, biting down on his bottom lip. "He’s hurt... we should check on him, right?"

His eyes flicked to Yunfeng, who was sitting upright on the bed, his milky eyes fixed on the ground. He didn’t speak, but his brows were tightly furrowed. His hands clenched the sheet beneath him.

He didn’t need perfect eyesight to know what was happening. He had heard enough of it before in his past life. The signs were too familiar.

Ruts.

And not just any kind. This sounded bad.

Yunfeng swallowed, his throat dry. His fingers trembled slightly, unseen under the blanket. He remembered it too clearly—his father’s ruts had always been violent, even though his mother had tried her best to calm him, to guide him through it with affection and touch. But sometimes... sometimes it hadn’t been enough.

Not every omega made it through.

He had read the stories—heard the whispers of some omegas who never returned from their alphas’ arms. When the rut hit too hard, too deep, and there was no proper connection to anchor the alpha...

They died.

Ripped apart from the inside out. Devoured by love that turned into something monstrous.

A louder snarl echoed again, more broken this time.

That wasn’t just pain.

That was suffering.

Jai flinched. "That’s it. I’m going!" he blurted, shooting to his feet.

"Wait!" Yunfeng called out, turning his head toward the sound of Jai’s voice, feigning blindness even though he could make out the blurry outline of his friend.

"You shouldn’t go," Yunfeng said more calmly, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Not you."

"I want to see him!" Jai said, frustrated, voice cracking as he ran to the door.

Yunfeng reached out instinctively but missed, grabbing only air.

The door slammed shut behind Jai as he disappeared into the fading light.

Yunfeng sat frozen on the bed. His fists curled in the sheets.

Shao wasn’t just dangerous right now—he was unpredictable. An alpha in full rut without a bonded omega could destroy anything, anyone. And Jai... Jai was the worst possible person to go right now. He was emotionally entangled. He cared. That made him vulnerable.

Yunfeng clenched his jaw.

They couldn’t afford to lose anyone.

Jai’s feet slapped against the pavement as he ran, stumbling slightly over a crack in the walkway. "Shit—" he cursed under his breath but didn’t stop. He heard another pair of footsteps behind him—Muchen was running too, his breath sharp and uneven.

"Wait up!" Muchen called, catching up.

They weren’t alone. Behind them, the rest of the group followed, drawn out by the strange noise and the panic that had rippled through the air like a silent alarm. Even Hana and little Yuki had followed, wide-eyed and tense, clinging to each other as they reached the front of Shao’s house.

Jai was already at the door, his knuckles tapping lightly against it.

"Shao," he called out, trying to keep his voice steady. "It’s me... I’m here. It’s okay... don’t hurt yourself, alright?"

From inside, the sound of scratching got worse—sharp claws raking across wood, urgent and frantic.

"Shao!" he shouted louder, heart pounding. "Calm down, okay?! You’re not alone!"

There was a pause. Silence, except for the faint hitching of breath from the other side of the door.

Jai pressed his palm flat to the wood. "Shao... everything’s going to be okay. Just... breathe with me, yeah? Just follow my breathing."

He exaggerated his inhale, chest rising visibly as he took a slow breath in through his nose. He let it out slowly, loudly.

"In... and out..."

On the other side, the scratching stopped. There was a sound—almost like a soft, pained whimper.

"That’s it..." Jai whispered, lips trembling just slightly. "You’re doing great, Shao. Just hang in there, alright?"

He slid down to sit on the floor, his back pressed against the door. He could feel it—the heat radiating through the wood. Shao was just on the other side, leaning against it too. They were barely a few inches apart now, separated only by a thick wooden door.

Jai kept talking, voice soft but steady. "I know you’re in pain... but just hold on a bit longer, okay? You’re strong. You’ve got this."

He laughed quietly, trying to lighten the tension in the air. "You know what? When this is over, we’re going on a proper date."

There was a shuffle behind the door. No words—just quiet breathing, strained but attentive.

"Let’s go to the shopping market. We’ll find somewhere that still has ice cream—though it’s probably all melted by now. Guess you’ll have to settle for the soggy cones."

Behind him, someone snorted. Muchen, standing nearby, gave him an encouraging nod. Hana and Yuki had stepped back but watched on in silence, eyes wide.

Jai rested his head against the door and kept going.

"We’ll get hot dogs too. I haven’t had a good hot dog in forever," he said. "And maybe pizza. I mean, I’ll try to cook something for once. Don’t laugh! I can follow a recipe if it’s written in giant bold letters and has pictures for every step."

He smiled, even though Shao couldn’t see it. "You’ll have to be the brave one and taste it first. If you survive, then I’ll try it too."

From the other side, there was a muffled sound. Not quite a laugh—but it wasn’t a growl either.

Jai kept talking, just casually, like they weren’t in the middle of a dangerous standoff with a man barely holding onto himself. He talked about flavors of ice cream, about wanting to see if Shao liked mint chocolate or hated it. He talked about stupid things like how pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza, and how he wanted to see Shao in some ridiculous vacation hat with sunglasses.

And the more he talked, the quieter it became inside.

No scratching. No snarling.

Only soft, uneven breathing. And the presence—Shao’s overwhelming alpha presence—hovering quietly behind the door, clinging to the sound of Jai’s voice like a tether.