Page 20 of Sweet Omega
“Me too,” Luci whispered. “It’s just you and me now.”
“Not anymore.” A deep voice cut through the air. Ludiin turned to see Hym standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a big grin on his lips. “You’ve got me now.”
Ludiin laughed, amused by Hym’s blend of macho swagger and boyish immaturity. He was the wild card between the two brothers. The fun twin, unpredictable and loud in the best way. Tarymn, on the other hand, was distant, polished, and always a little too serious.
“We do?” Ludiin asked, a spark of mischief curling at the corners of his lips.
“Yes.” Hym said as he strode toward them, his presence filling the space. Ludiin tipped his head back to meet the large alpha’s gaze. Strangely, there was no instinctive prickle of fear, or the urge to step back, only a sense of calm, of safety. A first for him. “I promise to be there for you two. We’re a family now. That’s what Dad wanted.”
“Tell that to your evil twin,” Luci muttered under his breath.
Hym chuckled, the sound rumbling around them. “Here I thought I was the evil one.”
“No,” Luci said, leaning against the counter with a smirk. “You’re all loud and hotheaded. It’s the quiet ones you should be worried about, you never know what they’re planning.”
“Luci!” Ludiin hissed, heat flaring in his cheeks as he shot his brother a warning look. They really shouldn’t be badmouthing their host. And besides, he wouldn’t call Tarymn evil.
“Tarymn is kind,” Hym said. “He just takes time to warm up to people.”
Kind? The word stuck in Ludiin’s mind. He wasn’t entirely sure it fit, but Tarymn had helped him through his heat, and even gave him his den. Maybe that was his way of… warming up to them. Ludiin hoped so.
“Here,” Hym said, thrusting a lumpy, oddly wrapped package into his hands. “I tried to wrap it, but… yeah, I’m terrible at it. I left without giving it to you. Happy birthday.”
Ludiin bit down on a laugh, but it bubbled out anyway as he accepted the gift. “Thank you,” he murmured, peeling away the wrinkled paper. The wrapping came apart easily, revealing a bundle of brightly colored hair ties. He blinked up at Hym, caught off guard.
“It’s for your hair,” Hym added quickly. His cheeks flushed pink. “I thought… you could use them.”
Ludiin’s chest warmed. “Thank you,” he said softly. Hym stepped forward to hug him. Ludiin stiffened at the sudden contact.
The door to the cooking station creaked open. Tarymn walked in, and Ludiin’s stomach flipped in a strange, fluttering dance. Hym pulled back, glancing down at him just as Tarymn passed by without a word, moving straight to the counter.
“We should have a party this weekend,” Hym said suddenly, his voice bright with excitement.
“I… don’t… my birthday was… days ago,” Ludiin said, but no one seemed to be listening.
“That’s a great idea,” Luci cut in, clapping his hands, his eyes sparkling.
Ludiin’s gaze slid toward Tarymn, searching, but the alpha didn’t even look their way. He was busy preparing his food, silent, detached, as if the entire conversation didn’t concern him. Ludiin’s chest tightened.
Shouldn’t he say something? It was his house after all. Just a word from him would ease the awkward knot twisting in his stomach.
“It’s settled then,” Hym declared. “You should invite your friends.”
“I don’t have any friends,” Ludiin admitted quietly.
“What?” Hym gave him a look of disbelief, eyebrows shooting up. “No friends at school?”
“Ludiin attends classes online,” Luci announced far too casually.
Heat rushed to Ludiin’s cheeks, and he winced, glancing instinctively toward Tarymn. The alpha’s gaze was fixed on him, sharp and unblinking.
Fuck. Now he was interested.
“Why?” Hym asked, leaning forward curiously.
“It’s nothing,” Ludiin said quickly, cutting off Luci before he could dig the hole deeper. “I just… feel more comfortable at home. It’s no big deal. The classes are offered online anyway, for long-distance students. I go when I have to submit a project.”
“He gets nervous around strangers. Especially alphas,” Luci added anyway, as if the words weren’t slicing into Ludiin’s skin. “This one time he…”
