Out of Bounds

13

Monday came, but Shiloh and Archer never talked about what happened the other day. Archer took him back to the place where they usually met and then went home. That was just the kind of relationship they had—no strings attached, no questions asked, and purely s*x.

"Shiloh, have some breakfast, dear. I made it for you," Maria said—his auntie and also the helper in their house. Shiloh smiled at her warmly and walked to the table. He sat beside Slade, who was already halfway through his breakfast.

"Did you do something?" Slade suddenly asked.

"What?" Shiloh replied, slightly confused as he reached for his glass and drank some water.

Instead of answering, Slade handed him his phone. Shiloh frowned as he looked at the screen, his forehead creasing.

"What am I supposed to be looking at here?" Shiloh asked, glancing at his brother.

"Can't you read?" Slade replied dryly, making Shiloh glare at him. "It says they saw our lawyer early this morning with the omega you asked me about," Slade added casually, though his eyes remained fixed on Shiloh as if studying his reaction.

"What?" Shiloh asked again, clearly confused by the statement.

"Nothing," Slade said with a small shrug. "Just brace yourself for the rumors that are going to spread around campus," he added. He took another sip of water before standing up from the table.

"I'm heading out first," Slade added before leaving the dining area.

Shiloh remained seated, staring at the phone in his hand, his brows still furrowed as he tried to understand what his brother meant.

Shiloh heaved a sigh as he finished his meal and headed out of the house. A few minutes later, he was already driving toward the school.

When he parked his car and stepped out, he immediately noticed the way the students in the parking lot looked at him. Their eyes followed his every movement as if he were some kind of spectacle. Some of them were whispering to each other, their gazes shifting between him and their phones.

Shiloh didn’t care.

He simply slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, shoved his hands into his pockets, and started walking toward the training area.

By the time he arrived, several of his teammates had already gathered there. The moment they saw him, they immediately surrounded him.

"You and that omega are a thing?" Connor asked bluntly.

Theo, who was standing beside him, glanced at Kayden before looking back at Shiloh, clearly waiting for his answer.

"No. Where did you get that idea?" Shiloh asked as he continued walking toward the locker room.

As he moved, the rest of the team followed him closely, curiosity written all over their faces. They were clearly eager to find out the truth about the rumor spreading around campus—the one involving their basketball captain and the omega who supposedly faked his gender just to enter the school.

"It was spreading online and around the campus," Kayden said.

Shiloh placed his duffel bag on the bench and slowly looked at each of his teammates one by one.

"I'm not in a relationship with him," Shiloh answered firmly.

"I see," Theo said, crossing his arms. "So you're in THAT kind of relationship with him. Well, we all get it. We Alphas need a release."

Shiloh’s forehead creased as he stared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shiloh asked. "I told you, we don't have that kind of relationship—or any relationship you're thinking about," he added.

Without waiting for another response, he turned around and walked out of the locker room.

"But—"

"Oh, shut up, Theo, and get ready," Shiloh said over his shoulder.

Kayden tapped Theo on the shoulder and shook his head slightly. He could already sense that Shiloh was about to get irritated with the constant questions being thrown at him.

The door of the gym suddenly opened, and the loud echo of footsteps made the players straighten. Their coach had arrived.

"Alright, enough talking," Coach Ramirez said as he walked toward the court with a whistle hanging around his neck. His sharp eyes swept across the team.

"On the court. Now."

The players immediately moved, jogging out onto the hardwood floor. Shiloh grabbed a basketball on the rack as he stepped onto the court with the others.

Coach Ramirez blew his whistle once.

"Warm-up laps. Five around the court. Move!"

The team immediately started running around the court. The sound of their shoes squeaking against the floor filled the gym as they circled the court repeatedly. By the fourth lap, their breathing had already grown heavier.

"Don't slow down!" the coach shouted from the sideline. After the fifth lap, the whistle blew again.

"Stretch!"

The team formed a line and began stretching—hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and arms. Some bent forward to touch their toes while others rotated their shoulders to loosen up.

"Alright, ball handling next," Coach Ramirez said. The players each grabbed a ball.

"Two minutes. Stationary dribbling."

The gym quickly filled with the rapid thumping of basketballs against the floor.

"Right hand!" the coach called. The players dribbled low and fast with their right hands.

"Left hand!" They switched immediately.

"Crossover!"

Shiloh bounced the ball from one hand to the other in quick, controlled motions while keeping his eyes forward. Coach Torres can be hard when he wants and this is just the beginning.

"Behind the back!"

Balls snapped across the floor as players performed the drill. After several minutes, the whistle blew again.

"Shooting drills! Two lines!" The players formed two lines at the free-throw lane.

"Layup drill. Basic. I want speed and accuracy."

The first player sprinted forward, took two steps, and made a clean layup. The next player grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to the next man in line.

Soon the drill turned faster. Players ran down the court, finishing layups one after another.

"Miss a shot, run a suicide!" Coach Ramirez warned. Theo missed a layup.

"Dammit," he muttered while panting heavily.

"You know the rule, Alvarez!" the coach said.

Theo groaned and immediately ran a suicide drill—sprinting from the baseline to the free-throw line, back to the baseline, then to half court, and back again. Next came passing drills.

"Partner up!"

Shiloh paired with Kayden.

"Chest passes. Fifty!"

The ball moved quickly between them—sharp and precise.

"Bounce passes. Fifty!"

The drill continued until the coach blew the whistle again.

"Defense!" The players lined up again.

"Defensive slides from baseline to baseline!"

They bent their knees and shuffled sideways across the court, arms wide.

"Stay low!" the coach barked.

After several intense minutes, sweat was already running down their faces. Finally, Coach Ramirez clapped his hands.

"Scrimmage. First team versus second team."

The players split into two groups and took their positions on the court.

Shiloh bounced the ball once as he stepped to the top of the key.

"Let's go," he said to his teammates.

The whistle blew, and the scrimmage began.

"Shiloh! There's someone looking for you," Coach Torres called out, which made everyone on the court stop what they were doing. "John, go take his place," he added.

Shiloh immediately stepped back from the court and grabbed the towel hanging around his neck. He wiped the sweat from his face before nodding at the coach.

"Thanks, Coach," he said.

Coach Torres only gave him a short nod before turning his attention back to the players.

Shiloh jogged out of the gym. When he stepped outside, he immediately spotted their family lawyer standing near the entrance—with Cyan beside her.

"Sir Shiloh," the lawyer greeted with a polite smile.

"Atty. Ericka, thanks for accepting this," Shiloh said as he approached them. Ericka smiled warmly at him.

"You do know I'm your family lawyer, right? Of course I would accept this. Besides, Cyan here is a good kid. He didn't give me any trouble earlier," she said lightly. Cyan smiled shyly beside her.

Ericka Smith had been personally handpicked by Shiloh's mother years ago. She was known for defending Omega rights, which was one of the main reasons she eventually became the trusted lawyer of the Cross family despite her young age.

"How was it?" Shiloh asked, his tone turning more serious.

"He's safe from expulsion now," Ericka replied. "But he has to do community service as an alternative punishment for two weeks for lying about his gender," she added. Shiloh let out a small breath of relief. At least it's just a community service and nothing harsh.

"Well, that's good! Thank you, Atty. Ericka," he said sincerely.

"Alright, Sir Shiloh. I'll leave you two to talk. I still have work to finish," she said as she adjusted the strap of her bag.

Shiloh thanked her again, and both he and Cyan watched as she walked away from the campus premises.

"Congratulations, Cyan. You get to continue studying here," Shiloh said with a small smile.

Cyan blushed slightly and smiled back at him.

"It's because of you, Shiloh," Cyan said gratefully. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I can repay you," he added. Shiloh chuckled softly and ruffled the younger boy's hair.

"Just continue excelling in your studies and befriend my brother, will you?" Shiloh said jokingly, but Cyan nodded eagerly.

"Of course I will!" he said enthusiastically. "I should go now. Thank you so much!" he added. Shiloh smiled and watched as Cyan walked away.

What he didn't notice, however, was the quiet click of a camera somewhere in the corner—capturing the moment without his knowledge.