Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 287: Chapter 288 - Orders from above

Just outside Shao’s barricaded house, a few houses away, several soldiers sat crouched behind their windows, eyes locked on the sealed windows and the closed front door. One of them scribbled notes rapidly onto a small digital pad, glancing up every few seconds to track the scene unfolding.

”Subject Jai appears to have influence over Subject Shao,” he muttered aloud as he wrote, speaking just loud enough for the recorder to pick it up. ”Alpha subject entered unstable rut state, displayed aggressive behavior... subdued or calmed only by the presence and voice of Jai.”

They shifted in their positions uneasily. No visual access—every window had been barricaded, every curtain drawn shut with thick, heavy layers of fabric. It was a complete blackout. They hadn’t anticipated the emotional reaction Jai could cause... and they hadn’t anticipated how tight-lipped and private Shao would be.

Another soldier adjusted his earpiece. ”No audio either. Room wasn’t bugged. We’re blind.”

One of the radios on their lap crackled, and a shrill ring cut through the tense silence. One of the soldiers quickly picked it up.

”Base this is Unit Four—”

A firm voice spoke on the other end. His expression shifted almost immediately, going from neutral to tight and stone-cold. ”Yes sir. I understand. We’ll follow through immediately.”

He hung up and exhaled hard through his nose. The sound was loud in the quiet air.

”What did they say?” asked the second soldier, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

”They want us to continue observation,” the first replied, tone clipped. ”But if Subject Shao acts violently again... we’re to neutralize him.”

”What?” the second soldier straightened, eyes wide. ”Isn’t he one of the ones we need alive?”

”They don’t care about him. They said we can’t afford our test subject being injured. The white haired guy is the priority now. Not Shao.”

A long silence stretched between them. The only sounds were the faint whispers of wind and the occasional creak from the old structure of the house.

”...They also asked if the new drug is showing any signs of effectiveness,” the first soldier added.

The second man scoffed softly, pulling up a thermal readout screen. ”He seems to be in the same condition. No signs of change. Same fever readings, same rut response.”

The first nodded. ”Let’s report that in.”

******

Jai still sat silently outside Shao’s door, his back pressed against the thick wooden panel that separated them. He didn’t speak constantly now—just every few minutes, he whispered something calm, something mundane. Little pieces of peace. A part of him knew that even if Shao couldn’t speak back, even if the man inside was writhing in pain, the sound of a familiar voice might anchor him.

That was when Zei appeared, casually munching on something, holding a bowl of soup in one hand. ”Hey, thought you might be hungry,” he said, lowering the bowl toward Jai. The steam curled up warmly, the scent rich and spicy.

Jai hesitated.

His eyes fell on the surface of the soup, heart skipping a beat. The smell was normal, the color was fine—but that didn’t mean anything. Ever since Yunfeng’s warning, Jai hadn’t touched anything that hadn’t been handed directly by someone he trusted. He couldn’t be sure... this could be poisoned.

He forced a small smile and shook his head. ”Thanks, but I’m not really hungry. Stomach’s acting up.”

Instead, he pulled out a small, crumpled energy bar from his back pocket. It was the last one Yunfeng had given him earlier that day. Tearing it open, he took a slow bite, hoping Zei wouldn’t press further.

Zei blinked at him, frowning. ”Seriously? You’re turning down soup for that brick?”

”It’s safe,” Jai mumbled through a mouthful.

Zei shrugged. ”Suit yourself.” Without missing a beat, he sat down next to Jai and began slurping down the soup himself. ”Tch. Waste not, right?”

As he scraped the last bits from the bowl, he licked his spoon clean and leaned back, eyes scanning the night sky. ”You know what we really should do? Raid that supermarket down the block. The electricity’s gone out already. If we don’t grab the frozen stuff soon, it’s all gonna rot.”

Jai nodded slightly, still distracted by the quiet breathing he could hear from the other side of the door. ”Yeah... let’s do that,” he murmured, though his tone lacked energy.

Zei didn’t notice. He was too busy talking, eyes lit up as he pointed at the sky. ”Look at that. Full moon tonight. Haven’t seen a sky like this in weeks. Not bad, huh?”

Jai tilted his head, gazing upward too. The moon hung huge and round above them, a silver eye watching in silence.

He chuckled under his breath.

Shao... you’re like a werewolf, aren’t you? He remembered once joking to Yunfeng about that—how Shao’s rut transformation reminded him of those movie monsters, wild and completely unhinged under the full moon. And here it was. A perfect full moon tonight.

”You’re like a werewolf, Shao...” he muttered softly under his breath, just loud enough for the man inside to possibly hear. ”See? You’re transforming on a full moon, just like I predicted.”

Zei snorted beside him. ”Yeah, right. What’s next? Should I go grab a silver bullet?”

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from inside the house.

Jai’s entire body jolted, heart skipping. He scrambled back toward the door, placing his palm gently against it. ”Shao! It’s okay... calm down for me, yeah? I’m right here.”

The invisible pressure that had been steadily growing in the air suddenly vanished—like a balloon deflating. The air felt breathable again.

Zei blinked. ”Jeez. He’s touchy, huh?”

Another sharp thump echoed from inside, as if Shao had responded directly to Zei’s voice.

Jai sighed, rubbing his temples. ”Zei, go back. He’s getting pissed off hearing you.”

Zei put a hand over his chest dramatically. ”Wow. I’m so offended. Why, is he annoyed by my incredibly pleasant company?”

”Yes,” Jai deadpanned.

”To inform you, people like my company,” Zei muttered as he stood up. With a final exaggerated huff, he turned and walked away, waving his hand behind him. ”Fine, fine, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone!”