AGAINST THE RULES: their scentless omega-Chapter 77: Mysterious package
The car door shut with a muted thud.
Lucian stood outside the gates of the house for a second longer than necessary, his fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. The evening air felt heavier here. Thicker.
His stomach twisted.
He hadn’t seen Hunter properly since that moment. Since the distance. Since the shift.
The silence between them had grown sharp like glass you could accidentally cut yourself on.
And the thought of running into him now?
Lucian wasn’t sure he was ready.
He stepped inside.
The house greeted him not with silence , but with loud, upbeat music echoing from the sitting room. The bass vibrated faintly through the polished floors.
What the hell ? Is someone throwing a party in here? He thought
He frowned slightly and followed the sound.
When he reached the doorway, he paused.
Merida, his step mother, stood in the middle of the room on a bright yoga mat, hair pulled into a messy ponytail, dressed in fitted gym wear. She moved awkwardly yet determinedly to the overly enthusiastic instructor on the television screen.
Lucian blinked.
"What in the world are you doing?"
Merida turned slightly, breathing heavily. "Oh -hi, Lucian," she puffed out between counts. "How was school?"
Lucian stood still in the doorway, eyes scanning the scene with quiet disbelief.
"it was fairly well , it was even better if I continued to stay there than coming... to this."
Merida waved him off, already bending into another stretch. "Don’t worry about this at all."
"I am actually quite concerned regarding all of this honestly," Lucian said flatly, his gaze subtly drifting around the room.
Looking.
Checking.
Listening.
"Oh, don’t worry," she said casually. "Your father and Hunter stepped out for a business proposal. They probably won’t be back for a while."
Lucian didn’t realize he had been holding his breath until it left him.
A quiet exhale.
Relief slipped through his chest.
At least he wouldn’t have to face Hunter tonight.
Not yet, he couldn’t celebrate any longer
But there was still something uncomfortable sitting in the room.
He looked back at her. Yeah he couldn’t understand if this was yoga or a ritual used to scare off demons
"But can I know why you are... doing all of that?"
Merida straightened, placing her hands on her hips dramatically. "That is because your father said I’m fat."
Lucian’s brows lifted slowly. "Oh really?"
"Well , he didn’t say it directly," she corrected, turning back toward the screen. "He asked if I was eating too much, imagine after my second serving. And I noticed my fupa is getting a little big, and my clothes are getting a littlebit tighter for my liking."
She didn’t have a fupa, and your clothes are getting small because you are growing, however Lucian didn’t say it upfront since it will go to deaf ears
"Abs, Lucian. You can’t be seen lacking in figure," she continued, tightening her core unnecessarily. "I better be in shape before some young, sexier girl catches his attention."
Lucian stared at her.
For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Something about the desperation in her tone , disguised under humor, felt uncomfortably real.
He swallowed.
"I’m going to my bedroom," he said finally, deciding not to dig further.
"Oh — right!" she called out suddenly. "You also have a parcel delivered this morning. I placed it on your desk."
Lucian paused mid-step.
"A parcel?" His brows furrowed. "I didn’t order anything."
"Well, it had your name on it," she shrugged, already moving back into position. "So I assumed it’s yours."
Lucian hesitated.
A strange feeling crept up his spine.
"Oh. Alright... I’ll check it out."
He turned slightly. "Good luck on your weight loss journey."
Merida gave him a thumbs-up without looking away from the screen.
"Okay, Lucian! Make sure to eat something before you sleep!" she shouted over the music.
Then louder—
"1... 2... 3... come on!"
Lucian walked up the stairs quietly, the sound of her counting fading behind him.
The house felt large.
Echoing.
Too many things unspoken inside its walls.
And as he reached his bedroom door, the thought of that mysterious parcel waiting for him suddenly made his chest tighten for reasons he couldn’t explain.
Lucian stepped into his room and barely had time to close the door before Coco came rushing toward him, tail wagging wildly.
He laughed softly and crouched down just in time to catch the small body bumping into his chest.
"Hey, Coco... did you miss me?" he murmured, running his fingers through the soft fur. The dog whined happily, licking at his hand.
Lucian gently examined his leg. "Looks like your leg is getting even better," he said with quiet relief.
He stood, poured dog food into the bowl, and placed it on the floor. Coco immediately began eating as if he hadn’t seen food in days.
"Slow down or you’ll choke," Lucian said with a small smile, leaning against the desk.
For a moment, the tension from earlier faded.
"Ethan asked how you were doing," he added casually. "I bet you miss Ethan too much, hmm?"
Coco’s tail thumped against the floor.
Lucian straightened, stretching his arms over his head before placing his bag on the chair. That’s when his eyes landed on the box sitting on his desk.
"Oh right... the parcel."
He picked it up, flipping it over to check the receipt. His brows furrowed.
"The parcel is from four months ago?" he muttered. "Wow... I don’t even remember what I ordered back then."
A strange curiosity stirred in him.
He walked to his bed and sat down, placing the box on his lap. Carefully, he peeled away the tape and opened it. Inside was plastic wrapping.
He unwrapped it.
And froze.
His jaw dropped slightly.
It was a bunny lingerie set , soft fabric, delicate lace, complete with the unmistakable ears and tail.
Lucian stared at it in stunned silence.
"What the—"
His mind scrambled, trying to remember when , or why ,he would have ordered something like this.
Four months ago...
His grip tightened around the fabric slightly as memories began to stir , faint, blurred, tied to a time when things were very different.
And suddenly, the room didn’t feel as calm anymore.
