𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚́𝐧 || 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥

Chapter 17

Seungcheol hustled Jeonghan out of the shower and wrapped a towel around him. There was no sign of Junhui returning or of Jeonghan calming down. The omega’s clothes were a lost cause, the bag soaked right through, so Seungcheol led Jeonghan to his bedroom, urging him to sit on the side of the bed.

“I’m sorry,” Jeonghan croaked again.

That was all Seungcheol could get from him: apologies. When he wasn’t trying to run from him or fight him off, at least. It made more sense when he caught sight of Jeonghan’s stomach and his obvious pregnancy. Jeonghan had promised that he’d taken the pills Seungcheol got for him, but Seungcheol suspected that was not the problem. Jeonghan had to be at least a few months along, not the scant few weeks since they’d shared his heat. It raised a lot of questions, but it was clear Jeonghan wasn’t in any condition to be giving answers.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said again, crossing to his dresser and pulling out some clothes.

The most important thing was to get Jeonghan warm and dry. The rest could wait. When he took the towel away, Jeonghan’s arms shielded his stomach again, his eyes scared.

Seungcheol crouched in front of him and pressed his hands lightly to Jeonghan’s knees. “You have nothing to fear from me. Nothing.”

With gentle hands, he dressed the omega in his own clothes: T-shirt, sweatpants, sweater, even a pair of thick socks. Then he gently urged Jeonghan to lie down on the bed, under the blankets. The omega lay down on his side, shivering, his arms once more protecting his stomach.

Junhui still hadn’t returned, and Seungcheol’s instincts were going haywire with a distressed, inconsolable omega so close at hand. He climbed onto the bed behind Jeonghan, on top of the bedspread, and laid an arm across him.

“Shh. I’m here, Jeonghan. You’re safe.”

When the omega didn’t push him away, he chanced moving closer, pressing against the blanket-covered body.

Jeonghan shuddered and curled up tighter, and Seungcheol tucked himself closer, shielding Jeonghan as best he could with his body.

“You’re safe here,” he murmured into Jeonghan’s ear. “You and your baby.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Jeonghan’s shivering gradually slowed and stopped. His breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. Seungcheol stayed with him until he heard Junhui arrive back, then gently extricated himself, checking to make sure Jeonghan was still sleeping before he headed downstairs.

“How is he?” Junhui asked, shedding his sodden clothes while Seungcheol tossed him a towel.

“Sleeping.”

“Did he tell you why he took off?”

“Not in so many words.”

He hesitated before plowing forward. Junhui needed to know, and he might have some answers. They couldn’t help Jeonghan if they didn’t know what was wrong. Seungcheol didn’t want to have to drag him out of another river or some worse situation a few days down the line.

“Jeonghan’s pregnant.”

Junhui stopped and stared at him. “Come again?”

“A few months along, from the look of things. Any idea how that might have happened?” Neither Jeonghan nor Junhui had given him the impression there was any alpha except their father involved in Jeonghan’s life. And Seungcheol didn’t even want to think about the implications of that.