𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚́𝐧 || 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥

Chapter 9

Seungcheol knew his hangover would have been far worse had it not been for Jeonghan’s intervention. Whatever the omega’s motive, Seungcheol appreciated it all the same. He made sure Junhui knew that he was free to take the truck when he wanted, but he wouldn’t stand for him drinking and driving.

If he’d had too much, he should sleep it off in the truck or call Seungcheol to come get him.

“Let’s take today off,” he said over breakfast, suspecting Junhui was feeling as worse for wear as he was. Even Jeonghan was looking a little peaky, which was surprising for one small measure of whiskey. “We deserve a break.”

“I’m gonna go hunting,” Junhui said immediately. “Kyle said there’s deer in the forest west of here.” He paused and added, “I’m more of a solo hunter, normally, but you’re welcome to join me.”

Ordinarily, Seungcheol would have jumped at the chance to hunt, but he wasn’t feeling it that day.

“Maybe another time. Just stay off the farmland past the crossroads. That’s Fred Croke’s land. He has a fondness for shotguns and great aim.”

Junhui laughed but nodded seriously. “Don’t get shot. Good advice.” He got up and cleared his plate. “I’m going to head out now, make the most of the day. I’ll be back by dinner time.” He strode away, leaving Seungcheol with Jeonghan.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked the omega.

Jeonghan considered the question while he sipped his water.

“I thought I might get a start on cleaning the bedrooms. If the mattresses were aired out, we could probably sleep on them.”

Seungcheol frowned at him in bemusement. “We’re taking the day off, Jeonghan.”

“You and Junhui should. You’ve been working really hard.”

“And you haven’t? All that scrubbing, cooking, cleaning, fetching, and carrying? Not to mention keeping drunk alphas company and keeping the peace between me and Junhui.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Oh, it definitely is. You’ve earned a day off, Jeonghan. What would you like to do?”

The omega bit his lip, glancing out the window.

“I’ve always wanted to explore outside the orchard.”

“Oh? Want to wear in those hiking boots of yours?”

“Not… not exactly.”

Seungcheol figured it out a second later. “Ah, you want to explore in your shifter form. Do you want some company?”

Jeonghan nodded eagerly, then hesitated. “It’s your day off too. It isn’t fair for me to take up all your time.”

Seungcheol grinned at him. “I’d love to go exploring with you. Even better if we’re going in our shifter forms. It’s been too long since I last changed. My skin feels tight.”

“Mine too,” Jeonghan admitted, wriggling in his seat. “It itches.”

Seungcheol laughed and drained the last of his coffee from the cup. “We’ll head out right after breakfast, then.”

“The dishes…”

“Leave them. We’ll do them later.”

He went into his room, sending a message to Junhui to let him know their plan in case he checked his phone at some point. When he stepped back out, he found the front door open and a white-furred fox sitting on the doorstep.

At the creak of a floorboard, the fox turned to watch him.

“I never thought to ask what your shifter animal was. An arctic fox, huh? That’s… unusual.”

As far as Seungcheol knew, it was a rare form except in communities in the far north. He dropped to a crouch in front of Jeonghan, holding out a hand. The fox sniffed it gingerly, then nuzzled his nose against Seungcheol’s palm.

“You’re very beautiful. A regular Snow White, huh?”

He wasn’t expecting the tiny nip Jeonghan gave him before darting off the porch. Laughing long and loud, he stood and started stripping. Folding his clothes and piling them neatly on the windowsill, he felt the brush of soft fur against his legs and glanced down at Jeonghan. When he bent down and stroked a hand through Jeonghan’s coat, the omega practically purred. Seungcheol was surprised that Jeonghan’s shifter animal was so tactile when the omega himself seemed so reserved. But maybe that was a learned behavior, and he felt free to be himself, to give in to his nature, in his animal form.

Taking a few steps away from the house, and Jeonghan, he crouched and shifted. It felt good to free his tiger, to feel its power under his command. But when he turned to look for Jeonghan, he found the omega huddled against the wall of the house, watching him with ice-blue eyes. Seungcheol padded toward him, moving slowly, trying to make himself look smaller. When he bent down to scent Jeonghan, the omega moved to meet him, their noses touching. Seungcheol was reminded of what he’d known since the first moment they’d met, when he’d tackled Jeonghan to the ground—they were undeniably compatible as alpha and omega. He had ignored it then, and he would continue to ignore it. Maybe there had been a time when he might have bonded and settled down, but he couldn’t see that future for himself. Not now.

He lowered his head and nuzzled Jeonghan’s flank, sharing their scents as a way to ward off anyone they came across who might see the omega as unclaimed. There wasn’t much chance of them meeting anyone, but loners and vagrants could be found anywhere. Jeonghan leaned into his touch, scenting Seungcheol in turn and growing a little bolder. When they took off through the woods, he stuck close. Seungcheol led him along a familiar path first, giving him a chance to get his bearings as they crossed the brook. Jeonghan paused there, scenting the air, and Seungcheol knew he was looking for the ducks he liked to feed. But the omega didn’t linger, rightly sensing that the birds would be disturbed by the presence of predators in their midst.

They left the orchard through a secret passage Seungcheol had known since childhood. A thicket of ivy covered the wall, hiding the fact that there was a way through. For a moment, Seungcheol worried the bramble was too thick for them to make it past as he ducked low and crawled forward, his belly pressed to the ground. His tail brushed against Jeonghan, and he could hear the soft sound of the fox’s panted breaths. Ahead of him, the undergrowth was in darkness, but Seungcheol saw a chink of light and pushed toward it. In seconds, he was through the gap in the wall and out the other side. Light flooded around him as he pushed up onto his paws and stretched. He turned just in time to see Jeonghan emerge, his fur smudged with dirt. The omega blinked around curiously before his gaze settled on Seungcheol. He let out a quiet bark as if to ask, “What next?”

Seungcheol jerked his head east and started making his way through the woods. Jeonghan raced to catch up, walking by his side. The land around the orchard was hilly and strewn with trees and hedges, the stream winding its way around them. Most of the land was his grandpa’s—his, now—bordered by roads on two sides, a fence on the third and a river on the fourth. His grandfather had always said boundaries were important: the key to a good relationship with your neighbors. Seungcheol didn’t like to think what his grandfather would say if he could see him now. His little grandson all grown up, but not how he wanted. They had his dad to thank for that.

Jeonghan seemed excited to be out in the wilderness, his ears constantly twitching, his tail in motion. The color of his coat was a disadvantage—he stuck out like a sore thumb. Any prey to be had saw him coming a mile away.

But he and Jeonghan weren’t there for the hunt.

Seungcheol hoped the break from the orchard would give his some perspective. His timetable for selling kept getting pushed back as he found more and more things to do to get the place ready. He had to be careful not to fall into the trap of complacency. He could spend a lifetime getting the orchard ‘up to scratch’ without much to show for it. At some point, he had to get back out into the world. Back to his responsibilities. This life, with Junhui and Jeonghan, was nothing more than a fairytale.