Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 - Rut

The room was heavy with silence, broken only by Shao’s uneven breathing and the faint scrape of his fingernails against the floor.

Muchen was still crouched in front of him, trying to calm his own racing thoughts, when something hit his senses—hard and unmistakable.

A wave of thick, musky agarwood drifted past his nose.

It was so intense it made him blink and recoil slightly.

”What the hell...” he mumbled, sniffing again, confused. ”Why can I smell it so strongly?”

His eyes went back to Shao.

The taller man was breathing through his mouth now, short and shallow. His cheeks were flushed, and his body visibly tense. Every muscle in his jaw was drawn tight, like he was holding himself back from doing something reckless.

Then he whispered again, voice cracked and desperate. ”Knock me out... please. Or I’ll do it myself.”

Before Muchen could respond, Shao’s hand moved. Fast.

He slammed his head toward the floor again.

”Fuck, stop that!” Muchen barked and immediately grabbed him, yanking him upright. ”Are you out of your mind?! You’re going to crack your skull open!”

Shao didn’t fight him, but he didn’t help either. He just let himself be turned around like a ragdoll.

His head was down, shoulders hunched. He shuffled his feet, avoiding Muchen’s eyes like a guilty kid caught stealing. His bottom lip trembled, and he looked—small. Smaller than Muchen had ever seen him.

Muchen stood up, trying to read his friend’s face, but then his gaze drifted downward—just for a second.

And he froze.

There was a definite bulge pressing against the fabric of Shao’s pants.

Muchen’s brows furrowed, and his stomach twisted uncomfortably.

He looked back up at Shao slowly. ”Shao... it’s normal,” he said quietly. ”To have a reaction to the person you like. You don’t have to feel embarrassed or guilty about it.”

Shao’s head snapped up at that. His eyes were wide, startled—like someone had just pulled a secret out of his chest.

He quickly reached down and yanked at his shirt, trying to cover himself up, face burning red. His hands were fumbling, and it only made things more obvious.

”It’s been like this since last night,” he said, barely able to get the words out. ”After we... after we kissed... I haven’t been able to calm down.”

He took a shuddering breath.

”It’s not going away.”

He sank down again, crouching in place, fingers gripping the back of his neck, digging into his skin like he could tear the need out of him. ”The more time I spend like this, the more insane I’m becoming.”

His eyes darted toward the closed door, as if he could see through it. ”I can smell him from here. It’s like... he’s everywhere. I can smell when he’s happy. I can smell when he’s sad.”

His voice dropped to a whisper.

”I’m losing myself.”

Muchen’s chest clenched tightly.

Shao sounded so.... so broken....

”I don’t want to hurt him, Muchen.”

That last sentence was barely audible.

Shao hunched over completely, burying his face in his hands as if trying to disappear.

”I don’t want to hurt the only person I like...”

Muchen stood there quietly, his heart heavy.

Shao had never said those words out loud before. Not this clearly.

And now that he had, it was like the weight of it all came crashing down on both of them.

Muchen sat down beside him slowly.

He didn’t say anything yet.

He just reached over and gently rested a hand on Shao’s back, keeping it there while the taller man trembled beneath it.

Muchen couldn’t take it anymore.

Watching Shao dig himself deeper into this pit of panic and self-loathing—it was eating him alive too.

”We have to talk to Yunfeng,” he said suddenly, his voice firm.

Shao jolted. ”No!” he said, eyes going wide. ”He’ll tell Jai!”

”I don’t care!” Muchen snapped. ”I can’t sit here and watch you hurt yourself anymore. Get up!”

He grabbed Shao’s arm and yanked him upright. The taller man stumbled but didn’t resist as Muchen practically dragged him down the hallway. His steps were stiff, like his legs weren’t his own. His skin was clammy, and his breathing shallow. Still, he didn’t fight.

They reached Yunfeng’s room. The door was shut.

Muchen knocked gently. ”Yunfeng?”

A soft voice answered from inside. ”Come in...”

Muchen tried to push the door open, but Shao halted in his tracks. His feet dug into the floor.

”He’s inside...” Shao whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

Muchen turned and frowned. ”I don’t care. You both need to talk. Right now.”

And without another word, he grabbed Shao by the arm again and pulled him into the room.

Yunfeng was sitting on the bed, his legs crossed, a datapad in his lap. He looked up with mild surprise as Muchen stormed in, dragging a dazed and miserable Shao behind him.

The bathroom door was closed. Muchen’s eyes darted toward it and then back at Yunfeng.

”He must be in there,” he said.

He didn’t wait for confirmation. He pushed Shao toward the bed.

”Yunfeng! We need to help this idiot!” he burst out. ”He’s—he’s actually having a hard time. Like a very hard time right now.”

Shao let out a noise of pure mortification and buried his face in the pillow beside him. His ears burned red. His entire body curled in on itself like he was trying to disappear into the mattress.

Yunfeng stared at him, brows furrowed slightly. Then he sniffed once. His nose twitched.

”I can smell him so intensely...” he said quietly. ”I think he must be going through a rut.”

Muchen froze in place.

Shao did too. He let out a low, strangled groan into the pillow.

Muchen blinked, confused. ”What’s a rut?” he asked cautiously, sitting beside Yunfeng.

Yunfeng glanced at him, then at Shao.

”Well... in technical terms, it’s like being in heat. You know how some animals get horny during their mating period, right? That’s what a rut is for an alpha. And for omegas, it’s called heat.”

Muchen’s mouth opened and closed. He looked from Yunfeng to Shao, whose groaning had only intensified. ”So... he’s... like... in heat?”

”Exactly,” Yunfeng replied, matter-of-factly.

Shao groaned louder.

Muchen looked helpless. ”So... can we do something for it? He said he’s in pain...”

Yunfeng sighed, tossing the datapad aside. ”There is something, actually. But for us, it’s not an option. Back where I’m from, we use something called inhibitors—kind of like hormone suppressants. They help control ruts and heats. But Shao doesn’t have access to that. And judging by how extreme his reaction is... it’s going to be bad. Really bad.”

He turned to face Muchen more directly.

”It’s better if he quarantines himself. He has to go through it. That’s the only way it’ll pass.”

Muchen looked alarmed. ”He’ll be alone? In that state?”

Yunfeng’s expression was sympathetic. ”It’s painful, yes. Physically and emotionally. For an extreme alpha like him, it’s going to feel unbearable. But it’s the safest route.”

Shao didn’t say anything. He just pressed his face deeper into the pillow and tried not to sob.

Muchen’s brows knit together. ”Isn’t there... any other way?”

Yunfeng hesitated. He looked at Shao. His voice dropped.

”There’s only one other way.”

”What is it?” Muchen asked quickly.

Yunfeng sighed. ”To mate.”