Chapter 369 - Sneaking out

Chapter 369: Chapter 369 - Sneaking out

By the time Shao finally loosened his arms around Jai, neither of them had much energy left to do anything.

Jai was sprawled against his chest, one leg thrown carelessly over his thigh, his hair sticking to his forehead. The room had grown quiet except for their breathing and the occasional sounds drifting up from downstairs. At some point, Shao had pulled the blanket over them, but Jai had immediately complained about being hot and kicked half of it away.

"Stop moving," Shao murmured, catching his waist when Jai shifted again.

"Then stop holding me so tightly. I’m sweating."

Shao loosened his grip.

Jai immediately frowned and dragged his arm back around himself.

Shao looked down at him. "What do you want?"

"Don’t ask stupid questions. Just sleep."

Shao smiled and kissed his forehead. Jai grumbled something about him being annoying, but he was already settling comfortably against his chest. It had been weeks since they’d slept together like this, without having to worry about patrols or someone calling them away. Even with Shinju downstairs, Jai felt strangely content. His father’s strict rules had become such a nuisance lately that he had almost forgotten how nice it was to simply lie beside his mate.

Shao’s hand rested against his back, moving occasionally in slow, absent strokes. Jai listened to his heartbeat for a while, intending to stay awake and enjoy the rare opportunity. Unfortunately, his body had other plans. Within minutes, his breathing evened out, and Shao, feeling Jai grow heavier against him, closed his eyes as well.

Neither remembered that three hours could pass remarkably quickly.

Shao woke first.

For a moment, he didn’t recognize the room. The unfamiliar ceiling, the photographs on the shelf and the clothes hanging over the chair confused him until he felt Jai shift against his chest.

Then everything came rushing back.

Jai’s bedroom.

Shinju downstairs.

The vegetable soup.

Shao turned his head toward the window. The light outside had faded considerably.

He sat up so abruptly that Jai slid off his chest with an offended grunt.

"What the hell..." Jai mumbled, reaching blindly for him. "Come back."

"Jai. Wake up."

"No."

"Your father."

That worked.

Jai’s eyes snapped open.

They stared at each other.

"How long?" Jai whispered.

"I don’t know."

Jai scrambled for the clock on his bedside table. The moment he saw the time, the remaining color drained from his face.

"Shit."

He had barely managed to sit up when footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Both men froze.

A knock came at the door.

"Jai? Dinner’s ready."

Shinju.

Jai grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to his chest as though that would somehow make the situation less disastrous. Shao was already looking around for his clothes.

"Coming!" Jai called, his voice cracking embarrassingly on the last syllable.

Outside, Shinju didn’t leave immediately.

"You awake? You’ve been making quite a racket up here."

Jai stopped breathing.

Shao’s hand froze halfway toward his trousers.

"What racket?" Jai asked, trying desperately to sound normal.

"The banging. I heard it all the way downstairs earlier. What were you doing, moving your bed around?"

Jai slowly turned toward Shao.

Shao looked back at him.

Neither dared speak.

"Jai?"

"Ah! Yes! I mean, no. I wasn’t moving the bed."

"Then what were you doing?"

Jai’s mind went completely blank.

Of all the things his father could have heard, why did it have to be that?

"I was exercising," he blurted.

There was a long silence outside.

"Again?" Shinju sounded genuinely baffled. "Didn’t you exercise before coming upstairs?"

Jai squeezed his eyes shut. He was never using that excuse again.

"Just some stretches, Dad. My muscles were stiff."

"What kind of stretches involve banging furniture against the wall?"

Shao pressed his lips together.

Jai saw his shoulders shake.

He grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

Unfortunately, Shao caught it before it could make a sound.

"Anyway, I’m fine!" Jai shouted, his face burning. "I’ll be down in a minute."

Shinju muttered something about young people having too much energy. "Wash your face before coming down. You sounded exhausted earlier, so I let you sleep. The soup’s ready now."

"Okay!"

"And Jai?"

Jai’s stomach twisted. "What?"

"If you’re going to exercise in your room, move the furniture away from the wall. I thought something was breaking up there."

Jai wanted the floor to swallow him.

"I will!"

Only when the footsteps finally retreated did he collapse backward onto the mattress.

Shao let out a quiet laugh.

Jai turned his head and glared at him. "You think this is funny?"

"A little."

"My father heard us!"

"He thinks you were exercising."

"He thinks I was exercising for three hours!"

Shao laughed harder.

Jai snatched the pillow back and smacked his shoulder with it. "Stop laughing and put your clothes on! If he comes back up here, I’m telling him you broke into my room."

Shao caught his wrist and pulled him closer for a quick kiss before climbing out of bed.

He dressed hurriedly, searching beneath the bed for one sock and discovering his shirt had somehow ended up behind the chair. Jai wasn’t doing much better. He pulled on his clothes with trembling hands, repeatedly glancing toward the door as though expecting his father to burst through it at any moment.

Once Shao was dressed, Jai caught his arm.

"How are you getting out?"

"The same way I came in."

"That’s not reassuring. I practically dragged you in while Dad was distracted."

"I’ll manage."

"What if he sees you?"

"Then I’ll say I came to deliver food."

"At this hour? Looking like that?"

Shao glanced down at himself. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and his hair was a mess.

He ran a hand through it.

Jai immediately reached up and tried to straighten it properly, his expression growing increasingly miserable.

"Honestly, you’re going to get me killed."

"Your father likes me."

"He likes you when you’re standing outside the gate with food. I don’t think he’ll like you quite as much when he discovers where you’ve been sleeping."

Shao smiled, caught Jai’s hands and kissed his cheek.

"Don’t worry. I can sneak out."

Jai looked at him for a moment. Despite all his complaining, he didn’t want Shao to leave. Three hours had felt like nothing after spending so many days apart.

Shao seemed to understand. His expression softened, and he brushed Jai’s messy hair away from his forehead.

"I’ll see you tomorrow."

"You’d better."

Jai caught his face between both hands and kissed him properly. It lasted longer than either intended, and when they finally separated, Jai gave him a reluctant little shove toward the door.

"Go. Before I change my mind and lock you in the closet until tomorrow."

Shao chuckled, listened for movement downstairs and quietly slipped out.

The hallway was empty.

He moved down the stairs carefully, keeping close to the wall. From the kitchen came the sound of running water and Shinju moving dishes around. The smell of thoroughly overcooked vegetables filled the entire ground floor.

Shao almost smiled.

Jai was going to regret that soup.

He had nearly reached the front door when he noticed someone sitting on the sofa.

Grandpa Kailun.

The old man was holding a cup of tea.

For one terrible moment, neither moved.

Kailun stared at Shao.

Shao stared back.

The old man’s gaze traveled from his disheveled hair to his wrinkled shirt, then toward the staircase behind him.

Understanding slowly dawned.

His eyebrows rose.

Shao’s heart sank.

He immediately lifted a finger to his lips, silently begging the old man not to say anything.

Kailun’s mouth twitched.

Shao pressed his palms together in a pleading gesture.

The old man looked positively delighted.

For several seconds, he simply enjoyed watching the large, intimidating alpha stand in the middle of his living room looking as though his entire future depended on one elderly man’s mercy.

Then Kailun tilted his head toward the front door.

Go.

Shao didn’t need to be told twice.

He bowed his head gratefully and hurried out, closing the door so carefully that the latch barely made a sound. Within moments, he had crossed the yard and disappeared beyond the gate.

Kailun watched the door for a while.

Then he started laughing quietly into his tea.

Shinju emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl. He paused when he saw his father smiling to himself.

"What good news did you hear?"

Kailun shook his head, still chuckling. "Nothing."

"Then why are you grinning like that?"

"Can’t an old man be happy?"

Shinju gave him a suspicious look before setting the bowl on the table. "You’ve been in a good mood all evening. Did something happen?"

"Nothing worth troubling you about. Go call your son before his soup gets cold."

Shinju grumbled that Jai had better not complain after making him stew the vegetables for three hours, then headed toward the staircase.

Kailun took another leisurely sip of tea.

His grandson had grown up.

And judging by the state that young alpha had been in, those two were getting along extremely well.

The old man’s smile widened.

Hmm. At this rate, perhaps I’ll be holding a great-grandchild before long.