Page 17 of Sweet Omega
“He looks sullen as always. But…”
“But what?” Ludiin asked, climbing out of bed with a growing sense of dread. He tugged at his shirt, pulling it down to cover as much of himself as possible before padding barefoot toward the washroom.
“He moved all your boxes to…”
“What? Why?” Ludiin’s feet halted mid-step, his breath catching as his heart slammed against his ribs. A knot of panic tightened in his chest.Was Tarymn throwing them out? But if that were true… why did Luci look so calm?
“Hey?” Luci got up from the bed, his face scrunching with concern as he stepped closer and took Ludiin’s arms gently. “You’re pale. Are you sure everything’s okay? You’re kind of scaring me right now.”
“I’m fine,” Ludiin said. “I just…You said Tarymn moved my boxes. Why would he do that?”
“I was getting to that,” Luci said with a huff. “You cut me off before I could explain. Come on, it’ll make more sense if you justseeit. Go get cleaned up.”
“See what?” Ludiin hesitated.
“Go,” Luci said, giving him nothing.
Ludiin swallowed hard and turned away, feet dragging as he stepped into the washroom. He shut the door behind him and let his weight sag against it, the cool metal grounding him for a moment. His chest rose and fell with shaky breaths.
You can do this.
You can go out there and face whatever Tarymn had done.
Ludiin ground his teeth, his stomach twisting tighter with each breath.
Shit.
Facing Tarymn felt like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing he had to jump but not sure if the landing would kill him or not. Alphas always made his skin crawl with nerves, their energy too big, too loud. He never knew how to be around them.
Ludiin dragged his hands down his face, a soft whimper escaping his mouth.
“I can do it,” he whispered into the quiet, over and over as he bathed and dressed, his hands trembling.
When he stepped out, Luci was still there, waiting. Without a word, his brother took his wrist and pulled him gently forward, leading him toward the narrow staircase that led to the third floor.
Toward Tarymn?
Ludiin stared at the stairs. He’d seen them before but never dared go up. He hadn’t wanted to be a nuisance.
But I ended up being one anyway.
He sighed, shame curling low in his stomach. If he could turn back time, back to before his heat, before the begging, beforeTarymntouchedhim.He would.
Luci led him up into a vast open space with polished wooden floors, white-painted brick walls, and a skylight that flooded the room with a golden shaft of morning light. Ludiin blinked at the sudden brightness and at the sheersizeof it. It took up the entire third floor.
His boxes were stacked neatly against one wall, and in the middle of the room, a group of betas were busy assembling metal shelves and sturdy workbenches. Tools clinked, soft chatter, and the scent of fresh sawdust lingered in the air. At the center of it all stood Pitra, directing the workers with calm authority. He turned when he heard them approach, offering a warm smile.
“Morning,” he greeted.
“What... what’s going on?” Ludiin asked, still trying to make sense of everything. And he was shocked that he’d slept through all of it.
“Master Tarymn said you could use this space,” Pitra explained, gesturing to the entire studio-like room with a small nod. “I picked up a few things I thought you might need to get started. If I missed anything, just make a list. And feel free to decorate however you like. It’s all yours now.”
Ludiin turned to Luci, stunned.
“Tarymn did this?” he asked in disbelief. “Forme?”
“Yes,” Pitra said.
