Out of Bounds

9

The alarm suddenly sounded, making Shiloh jolt awake. The sharp noise rang through the quiet room, and he groaned as he reached for his phone on the bedside table. Squinting at the screen, he winced. His head was still pounding, the mild headache from last night refusing to disappear.

With a tired sigh, he slowly pushed himself up to sit on the bed. However, his movement was halted when he felt a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Shiloh froze for a moment before realizing whose arms they were.

"Archer, I have to go," Shiloh said, trying to pry the arms away from his body.

Archer only responded by tightening his hold and pulling Shiloh closer against his chest, clearly still half-asleep.

"Archer," Shiloh called again, a little louder this time, hoping to wake him up.

There was no response.

Shiloh clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Oh, for f**k's sake," he muttered under his breath.

With more effort this time, he forcefully removed Archer's arms from around him and quickly slid off the bed before Archer could pull him back again.

The sudden movement stirred Archer from his sleep. He slowly opened one eye just in time to see Shiloh walking toward the bathroom. The bathroom door closed behind him with a soft click.

Archer stared at it for a second, still groggy and barely awake. Deciding it wasn’t worth getting up yet, he closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

—

"Ugh, my head's killing me," Connor groaned, clutching his forehead.

They had been given a ten-minute break, but the four of them stayed seated together on the bench, quietly thinking about everything that had happened during the game.

"Did Brighton contact any of you?" Kayden asked, looking around at them.

"No, not yet," David replied, shaking his head. "f**k, we lost," he added, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Where did you go, Shi?" Theo asked, raising a brow at him. "You weren't in the room with us earlier," he added before taking a long drink from his water bottle. Theo smirked suddenly.

"Don't tell me you ditched us and got laid?" he asked.

All of them turned to look at Shiloh.

Shiloh only shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, he definitely did," David said with a laugh, and the others quickly agreed, nodding and teasing him.

Shiloh didn't bother correcting them. If that was the story they wanted to believe, then fine. It was much easier than explaining that he had actually spent the night sleeping at Archer's condo.

"Okay, guys, huddle up," Coach Torres called from the court.

The four of them stood up immediately and jogged over, forming a small circle in front of their coach.

"We have a practice match against the Newton Jaguars in two days," Coach Torres said, crossing his arms as he looked at the team. "It's to test our defense after what happened with Brighton," he added.

The players listened closely.

"I'll be selecting the players tomorrow," the coach continued. "So stay sharp." He clapped his hands once.

"That's it for today. Hit the showers," Coach Torres said. And they thanked him in unison.

Before heading to the showers, Shiloh grabbed his bag and searched for his medication. As he rummaged through it, he found his phone and noticed the dozens of unread messages on the screen.

One message immediately caught his attention.

"I'll wait for you."

Shiloh's forehead creased as he read Archer's message.

What does he want again?

Shiloh sighed and quickly typed a reply.

"Can't. I'll go home. They're looking for me."

He hit send, shoved his phone back into his bag, and headed to the showers.

After they finished showering and changing, the group walked out of the gymnasium together. The moment they stepped outside, they were greeted by loud voices and a crowd gathered nearby.

They all stopped, surprised by the sudden commotion.

"What's happening?" Dane, one of their juniors, asked curiously.

The group walked toward the crowd to see what was going on. Just then, a petite boy with long lashes suddenly ran out from the middle of the gathering. The students around him turned their heads, watching him as he rushed away.

"I knew it!" one of the students shouted loudly. "He was seducing all of the boys in the room because he's an Omega!"

"Omega?" Kayden asked, clearly confused.

Theo frowned and looked around at the crowd.

"We have an Omega here?" he asked in disbelief.

"Dumbass, of course we don't have one—unless they faked their third gender and enrolled here," Connor said, making Shiloh gulp as he glanced at the path where the omega had run off.

"I'll go," Shiloh said. "They're looking for me," he added before leaving his teammates and heading toward the school parking lot.

There were no other students in the parking lot. His car was parked at the back. Shiloh walked toward it. He had gone back to Groove Club earlier just to retrieve his car.

As he approached it, he suddenly heard the faint sound of someone crying.

Shiloh looked around and searched for the source of the sound. Soon, he found the student everyone had been talking about—the one they claimed was an Omega.

"Hey," Shiloh said, trying to get his attention.

The boy looked terrified and was ready to run, but Shiloh immediately stepped back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, alright?" Shiloh said gently. "Come on. Where do you live? I'll take you home before they crowd in here again," he added, offering his hand.

The boy hesitated for a moment before finally taking Shiloh's hand.

Shiloh opened the passenger door of his car, and the boy got inside. Shiloh then went to the driver's seat and locked the doors.

"You're in the same year as my brother, right? Or do you know me?" Shiloh asked as he started the car.

The boy nodded.

"I-I do. I know you and Slade," he whispered.

"Are you really... an omega?" Shiloh asked as he began driving.

"I didn't mean to deceive anyone. I merely wanted to attend school and finish with a degree," he whispered.

Shiloh pursed his lips. Society was known for its harsh treatment of Omegas, believing they brought bad luck because of their supposedly lustful nature. Shiloh tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"How did you get accepted to Stathmore?" he asked.

"My grades were above average," the boy whispered.

The boy was clearly smart, but because he was an Omega, people reduced him to nothing more than that.

"What's your name?" Shiloh asked.

"Cyan," he whispered.

"Okay, Cyan. Where do you live?" Shiloh asked.

Cyan then instructed him on the way to his home. When they arrived, the streets were filled with Omegas wandering around. Some were even making out in the alleyways. It felt like an entirely different town.

"I'm sorry," Cyan whispered apologetically.

Shiloh smiled at him, easing his worries.

"Please park here," Cyan said, and Shiloh did as he was told.

The house in front of them was small. Cyan unbuckled his seatbelt and bowed his head.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"What are your plans now?" Shiloh asked.

"I'll probably quit school and find a job," Cyan whispered.

A job that suited an Omega with no degree usually meant working on the streets.

Shiloh felt pity for the young boy and reached into his wallet before handing him a calling card.

"Call the Cross' lawyer. He will defend you at the school. Finish that degree and prove them wrong," Shiloh said.

Cyan trembled as tears streamed down his face while he took the calling card.

"Tha... thank you!" Cyan said before stepping out of the car.

Shiloh watched his back as he walked toward the small house. A small smile appeared on his lips before he finally drove home.