Chapter 80 - Ineffable

"What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere too?" 

No. Jian Yu shook himself awake and smacked both of his cheeks with his palms. Though some dreams should stay dreams, Jian Yu knew it was sick to live in one continuously. 

Zeke blinked in surprise, looking quite dumbfounded when Jian Yu suddenly slapped himself and stood up. With a disgruntled face, the Beta marched towards the door and slid the lock to its place. He then took a few large strides and stood directly in front of where Zeke was resting. 

Rut was easily forgotten when he was in pain or overwhelmed and distracted with many things but now, at this moment, Zeke was once again being reminded he was going into rut very soon and it wouldn't wait any longer. In fact, it seemed to want to arrive earlier. 

Spontaneous rut was not what he wanted and not something he wanted to experience. He had heard stories about how brutal it might be as one would not be in his right mind when it happened. Injuring Jian Yu was far from his agenda. 

He wanted Jian Yu to get away from him. A few feet away was definitely a recommendation. The Alpha felt his whole body stiffened when his sense of smell was ȧssaulted by the sweet smell of the Beta. 

Scents of woods and dews came down hard on his nose and Zeke almost choked on it. It was intense. 

Frankly, Zeke always had one thing bugging his intelligent mind. How could a Beta like Jian Yu have such a strong effect? He knew, he learned from textbooks and though he rarely met one before Jian Yu, Beta was known to have a calming effect on both Alpha and Omega. 

But why was his, Jian Yu's, much stronger than he expected? 

He hadn't met enough Betas to compare so he couldn't judge and draw a conclusion immediately but somehow his guts were telling him that it wasn't supposed to be that way. 

A hand slammed right beside his head and Jian Yu leaned over. The oppressive feeling he brought over challenged the Alpha inside him and Zeke felt a sense of crisis. He leaned back, trying to keep a small amount of distance until his shoulder pressed against the brick wall behind him. 

In any kind of situation, he would have loved this position, however, in this very second, all he wanted to say was 'Get away!' but the expression on Jian Yu's face startled him. 

Holy hell, what a scary expression you got there. 

He did attack the Beta and hadn't once even apologized for his behavior. Instead, he was running at every opportunity he had. 

"I think we have something to talk--"

"I'm really sorry about--" 

They both started at the same time. But for whatever reason he knew nothing about, Zeke noticed Jian Yu's face distorted into an ugly expression and seemed fueled and even displeased by something he just said. 

"What?" 

Jian Yu's voice was very soft but it held an ice cold quality in it that slitted a piece of the black-haired Alpha's heart. 

Zeke was about to cry. 

Even saying sorry was a mistake? 

"What exactly are you apologizing for?"

Every action he was going to take seemed to be wrong, like he would be adding oil to the fire if he ever spoke wrongly. 

However, the situation didn't side with him this time around. His mind was clouded and his ċhėst thumped vigorously as his rut was rushing in with the speed of lighting. Aggressiveness was creeping like a peeping tom. 

Zeke's breathing was getting harsher and harsher, whether from inhaling too much of Jian Yu's scent or from him holding back his dominant nature because his inner Alpha felt challenged by some ignorant Beta, he didn't know anymore, but the other took the action quite offensively. 

He was so ready for an outburst to happen and a retaliation on his part and Zeke dreaded the future of his relationship with the Beta. He would have no chances left! 

He waited and waited. Yet nothing came. 

Here he was, still locking gazes with Jian Yu's obsidian orbs until he finally figured that the Beta wasn't going to say anything. He reached his hand out to push Jian Yu back, trying to put a safe distance between them because, fuċk, it's too close right now-- 

"I love you." 

A bomb finally dropped. 

Zeke blinked. His brain was trying so hard to process those magical words. 

He didn't know why he decided to just drop the bomb like this, but his mouth was running on its own. The silverette's face grew red as he wasn't receiving any response yet. 

He wanted to run. Far away and never looking back. 

But that would be cowardly, and he had promised himself not to be a coward. 

"I love you," Jian Yu repeated, much less steady than what he aimed for. "That's what you told me before, right?" 

"Then why?" He choked out. "Why are you avoiding me-- if not for this tournament, are you planning on ignoring me like you did all this time?" 

The dam had been broken and the rocket had been launched. "Did you regret your decision? Did you--" Jian Yu wetted his dry lips. "Did you finally realize I'm just a dull and boring Beta? Did you think I would feel nothing at all?!" 

*Z junior gonna third-wheeling so hard in his dream XD*