Lost in each other.

Lucian had already gotten off Aiden and dressed up when the knock came at the door. He used the opportunity when the boy was talking outside the door.

And when he entered, Lucian was already sitting on the edge of the bed, looking as indifferent as ever, while Aiden stood nearby, still processing the haziness of what he had been doing with Lucian.

The boy still stood there, furrowed his brows, visibly puzzled.

"Oh? Sorry, man. Just got woken up by Lucian right now. I mean, he just came in... That liquor was something, hah… I didn't feel myself after it went down my throat." Aiden struggled with his words, faking his voice to rough one with sleep.

The boy chuckled nervously but didn't say anything more, leaving an awkward silence in his wake. His eyes lingered on longer on Lucian.

Lucian stood up, brushing nonexistent dust from his clothes, his expression unreadable as always.

He moved toward the door, and without hesitation, Aiden bid the boy a quick goodbye before rushing after him.

The moment they stepped outside, the brightness of the mid- morning sun hit them, making Aiden squint. His stomach twisted when he noticed how high the sun was in the sky.

Morning was long gone. The room had been dark and sound proof.

He turned to Lucian, panic bubbling up in his chest. "Shit... We missed school." His voice dropped as realization sank in. "Even you missed school. That's gonna raise questions."

Lucian didn't respond immediately. He was staring at the car he had parked at a distance, his jaw tightening just slightly.

His face betrayed nothing, but Aiden had been around him long enough to know he wasn't as calm as he seemed.

"What if the Alpha finds out?" Aiden pressed, his voice lowering further.

"How is he gonna know? I mean, he won't if none of tell him." Lucian cut him off smoothly, heading toward the car without looking back.

Aiden narrowed his eyes at him, a slow smirk spreading across his lips. "I see you... Ain't you a bad boy you've always pretended not to be... huh?"

Lucian chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Stop. We're really going to face the music for this."

Aiden exhaled sharply. "Okay, seriously, we can't go back now. If we do, it will be obvious that we skipped school. And we can't go to school now either... They won't let us in this late," he said as they entered the car.

And added, scheming. "So, the only thing we can do is, we keep ourselves busy until school ends. Then we go home like normal. No one will suspect a thing. Thank God we don't wear school uniforms to school like other highschools."

"Sounds reliable. We'll just keep ourselves busy then," Lucian agreed, immediately pulling Aiden closer, ready to capture his lips.

But Aiden pulled back, laughing. "I didn't mean we should keep busy doing this. We almost got caught, and you want to do this around here?" Aiden asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Should we go a little farther then?" Lucian teased, already gripping the steering wheel.

"Sounds reliable," Aiden replied, mimicking him, amused.

From there, they drove aimlessly for a while, winding through the city streets.

Lucian let Aiden take the lead, allowing him to pick where they went.

They stopped by every street food stall Aiden loved, his excitement infectious as he introduced Lucian to foods he had never touched before.

At first, Lucian had been hesitant. The grease, the strong spices, the casual way food was served straight from sizzling pans- it was all unfamiliar.

But after his first bite, his expression shifted, surprise flickering in his eyes before he masked it.

He wouldn't admit it outright, but Aiden caught the way he reached for another skewer without hesitation.

"See?" Aiden grinned, watching him. "Told you. You've been missing out."

Lucian only hummed, finishing his food in silence.

They continued driving until they reached the town where Aiden had lived with his parents.

Nostalgia settled over Aiden as he pointed out different places, his old house, the park he used to play in, the bakery that had the best bread he'd ever tasted.

Lucian listened quietly, but every now and then, he would pull Aiden close, stealing a kiss, refusing to let go even when Aiden half-heartedly protested.

For once, Lucian didn't seem like the untouchable, indifferent guy everyone knew him to be.

Here, away from responsibilities and prying eyes, he was just a boy discovering life outside of rigid rules.

Their adventure eventually led them to the edge of the forest, where the road grew quieter and lonelier.

Trees towered over them, their branches swaying with the afternoon breeze.

It was peaceful, secluded, the kind of place where no one would find them.

They got out of the car and wandered deeper into the woods, chasing each other between the trees.

Every time Lucian caught Aiden, he would pin him against a trunk or the soft forest floor, capturing his lips and kissing him breathless.

Aiden laughed between kisses, pushing at Lucian's chest. "You really can't keep your hands to yourself, huh?"

Lucian only smirked, pressing another kiss to his lips. "Why Should I, when I can have them on you..."

That really made Aiden happy. The fact that Lucian couldn't get enough of him. The fact that they were not fighting each other anymore. The fact that Lucian was accepting "them" bit by bit.

For the first time since his parents died, he felt happy, safe, loved, wanted.

Playing around, they lost track of time.

By the time Aiden glanced at his phone, his stomach dropped. "Shit."

The time they usually returned from school had long passed.

Lucian cursed under his breath, rushing them back to the car.

The drive home was tense, both of them gripping the weight of their mistake. But they couldn't stop glancing at each other, smiling silently before Aiden could say something funny forcing Lucian to laugh.

~By the time they reached the packhouse, their expressions had shifted back to their usual masks, detached, indifferent.

Everyone knew they didn't get along, so they acted accordingly, barely acknowledging each other as they stepped inside.

But the moment they entered the house, they froze.

Sitting in the living room, waiting for them, was the former Alpha, Noman. His expression was unreadable, but the air around him was suffocatingly heavy.

Beside him, the Luna sat with an unsettling stillness, her eyes sharp as they landed on them.

And standing just a little off to the side, Jackson.

Aiden's stomach twisted violently. His mind raced, every worst-case scenario flooding his thoughts at once.

Had Jackson told them?

Lucian's posture stiffened beside him, though his face remained unreadable. But he knew, he couldn't afford mistakes, ever. Especially not when his father found out.

The silence was unbearable.

Aiden swallowed hard, forcing a casual tone he didn't feel. "Uh… Something wrong?"

Alpha Noman didn't answer immediately. His gaze swept over them slowly, lingering just long enough to make their skin crawl.

Especially on Lucian.

There was disappointment on the Alpha's face already. And Lucian knew that look very well.

Way too much.