Page 25 of Sweet Omega
“You’re not. And I offered to drop you off,” Tarymn said firmly, leaving no room for argument. “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” Ludiin said, his voice smaller than he meant it to be. He walked stiffly toward the pod, clutching the strap of his satchel like a lifeline. “Morning, Pitra,” he greeted softly as he stepped inside.
“Morning!” Pitra replied with his usual cheer, his bright tone slicing through the suffocating tension that had settled in Ludiin the moment Tarymn had snatched the box from his arms. “Did the chair arrive?”
“Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you,” Ludiin said.
“Good. Don’t forget to send me that list,” Pitra reminded.
Ludiin only nodded, lips pressed together. He had no intention of doing that. He wasn’t about to pile more onto Tarymn. The den was already too much.
Sliding into his seat, Ludiin dared a glance at the alpha beside him. His breath caught when he realized Tarymn’s golden eyes were already on him, steady and unblinking. Heat prickled up his neck. Ludiin shivered and jerked his gaze away, staring so hard out the window as if he could will the pod to go faster.
A shuttle would have been better,he thought miserably. At least then he wouldn’t have to sit in this stifling space, where every inhale dragged in Tarymn’s scent and every heartbeat made him too aware of the alpha’s overwhelming presence.
The silence stretched, thick and unbearable. Ludiin’s mind scrambled for words, anything to say, but every thought that surfaced felt too awkward to say out loud.He bit the inside of his cheek, wishing he were like Luci, who could talk to anyone about anything.
Instead, he let his long hair fall forward like a curtain, hiding his face. His fingers found the colorful head tie looped around his wrist, the one Hym had given him, and he tugged on it gently. The memory of Hym’s awkward grin when he’d handed it over warmed him unexpectedly. And for a fleeting moment, the tension eased.
“What’s in the box?” Tarymn asked, dragging the tension back into the air.
Ludiin turned toward him, lips parting, but the words tangled in his throat. Instead of an answer, a strangled, awkward sound slipped out. Heat rushed up his neck, flooding his face.
Damn it.Ludiin silently groaned, mortified. He jerked his gaze away from Tarymn and clamped his eyes shut, dragging in uneven breaths as the world seemed to shrink and press against his chest.
Don’t make me answer.The words pounded in Ludiin’s head in a frantic prayer. His chest squeezed so tight it felt like his ribs might snap.
Tarymn, mercifully let it go.
“Pitra, Wulfric said he’d be there today,” he said, his tone casual, as if nothing had happened.
“Uhh…he did?” Pitra piped up from the front seat. “I haven’t seen him in a while. His last fight was incredible.”
They slipped into an easy conversation about UA fighters, and something called a ‘Play Day,’ their voices bouncing back and forth while Ludiin sat in silence. He let his hair fall forward, hiding behind it, only lifting his head to quietly give Pitra directions to his school.
The beta rewarded him with a bright, encouraging smile, as if he’d accomplished something monumental by simply speaking up. But the small kindness only made him feel worse. He hadn’t done anything right. All he’d managed to do was humiliate himself in front of Tarymn.
His skin prickled with the suffocating need to escape.
I want out of this pod. Now.
He waited until Pitra steered them closer to the main gates before shoving to his feet, words tumbling out of his mouth. “I’ll get out here.”
“Here?” Pitra shot him a look, glancing at the tight stream of pods crawling behind them. The parking bays whipped past onthe right, no room to stop or turn back. “Sorry, I missed it. I’ll have to let you out inside the parking dome.”
Ludiin sank back into his seat, biting down on his bottom lip.
The moment the pod glided to a stop in the parking dome, he pushed to his feet and reached for his box, only to find Tarymn already there. Their hands brushed. The smallest touch, but it lit up his nerves. A sharp gasp tore from his throat before he could stop it, and he jerked back as though burned.
He flicked his gaze up, searching Tarymn’s face for any sign he’d felt it too. But the alpha was already lifting the box effortlessly, stepping out of the pod as if nothing had happened.
“I can…” The words faltered in Ludiin’s mouth as Tarymn turned, golden eyes expectant, waiting for him to follow. “I can go on my own.”
“I know.” Tarymn said matter-of-factly. “But you don’t have to. You have a stepbrother now. And I want to walk you to your classroom.”
Ludiin’s mouth went dry. All he could do was trail after him, his pulse skittering.
As soon as they stepped out of the dome, all eyes were on him. Students, dozens of them, stopped whatever they were doing, eyes wide, as they stared. Not at him. At Tarymn.
