Page 39 of Sweet Omega
“Ask your question,” Tarymn said, finally letting his hand fall away. Ludiin inhaled sharply, grateful to breathe again.
“I don’t have a question,” Ludiin mumbled, flustered.
“You do,” Tarymn countered.
“No, I don’t.”
The alpha didn’t move, just kept watching him.
“Fine,” Ludiin huffed, grabbing one of the boxes and lugging it over to the workbench like it owed him answers. “What do you do?”
“I work for the Alpha King.”
Ludiin paused, eyes snapping to Tarymn. “You work for him?” he asked, stunned. “You’ve met the Alpha King?”
“I said I work for him. Of course I’ve met him,” Tarymn replied, taking another step closer. “That’s a stupid question, Ludiin. I thought you were a genius.”
“You gave me a stupid answer first,” Ludiin shot back. “I asked what you do. Not who you work for.”
At that, Tarymn stilled. Whatever humor was in his face vanished, and something unreadable flashed in his eyes.
Oh shit, Ludiin thought, panic curling in his stomach. He scrambled to take back what he’d just said.
Then Tarymn burst out laughing. A rich, unguarded sound that bounced off the walls, warm and contagious. He wiped at his eyes, still chuckling. “Okay, you got me,” he said between breaths. “That’s how we usually answer that question, isn’t it?”
“I guess,” Ludiin murmured.
“Well, that’s how I answer when I can’t really say what I do.”
Ludiin tilted his head, curiosity blooming. “Are you a secret agent or something?”
“No,” Tarymn replied with a grin. “I’m in security.”
Ludiin’s brows furrowed again, then remembered what happened. He rubbed his fingers over his brows, putting some space between him and Tarymn. “You’re his bodyguard?”
Tarymn laughed again. “No. I don’t guard the Alpha King. I’m in security intelligence.”
Ludiin’s eyes widened. “Is that why you look tired? Are we in danger or something?”
“No,” Tarymn said, jamming his hands into his pockets. “That’s exactly why I hate talking about my job. Everyone thinks it means something bad is happening. This time, it’s just… something the Alpha King asked me to figure out. And I haven’t cracked it yet.”
“Oh.” Ludiin’s voice softened. “I’m sorry for asking. You didn’t have to tell me.”
“I know,” Tarymn said simply, then turned toward the stairs. “I’ll leave you to get back to your work.”
“Okay,” Ludiin said, watching him leave. Then, impulsively said, “wait. About that thing you’re stuck on. I don’t know if this helps, but… when one of my machines doesn’t work, I take it apart. I lay out every piece and study them one by one. Sometimes it’s easier to find the flaw in the parts than in the whole.”
Tarymn paused, a flicker of a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As his footsteps faded down the stairs, Ludiin stood there, heart hammering in his chest like he’d just jogged up the stairs. He slumped against the workbench and let out a long breath, burying his face in his arms.
“Ugh, that was too much,” he mumbled into the table.
Chapter 8
Tarymn
“You look happy,” Pitra remarked the moment he stepped into the office.
