Page 40 of Sweet Omega
“What?” Tarymn blinked, caught off guard. It took him a moment to realize the corners of his mouth were still curved upward. He scrubbed a hand over his face, as if he could erase the evidence, and crossed to his desk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said smoothly as he dragged the e-reader closer— the one he’d shoved away an hour ago because he couldn’t fucking concentrate.
“I’ll leave you to your work then,” Pitra said, though his eyes lingered on him a second too long before he turned for the door.
“Do you have something to say?” Tarymn asked.
“Uhh…no. Its nice to see you so relaxed, that's all," Pitra said, then slipped out without another word.
Tarymn stared at the closed door Pitra's words running through his mind.
Relaxed. What the hell was he talking about?
His whole body was wound tight because of what was happening in the damn council. And he still hadn’t found the evidence they needed. With a sharp shake of his head, he shoved the thought aside, forcing his focus back to the e-reader glowing in front of him.
The documents stared back at him, offering nothing new. Frustration clawed at him. He wished there were more files to sift through, but this was all Deltta had managed to download.
“This will have to do,” he muttered under his breath, settling in to comb through every word again, hunting for the evidence he knew had to be there.
He got into a rhythm, so much so that when he looked up again, it was already midday. And he was starving.
He pushed away from the desk and made his way to the cooking station, where the smell of delicious food instantly lifted his spirits. The place was buzzing, everyone was there. Hym gave him a nod as he walked in. Ludiin was whispering something to Luci, head ducked, a small grin playing on his lips.
Tarymn strode to the counter, loading his plate with food before circling back to the table. He dropped into the seat beside Hym, directly across from Ludiin.
Tarymn’s eyes briefly wandered to the omega. His hair was now tied up in a messy bun, and the little curls at the nape of his neck had sprung free, sticking out like tiny springs. It was oddly endearing. Distracting.
Tarymn found himself glancing at them more than once during lunch — even though he tried hard not to— while still half-listening to the chatter around the table.
Luci was campaigning hard for an outing, his voice animated. Hym chimed in, backing the idea with a grin.
Ludiin, however, shook his head. “I want to stay in,” he said quietly.
Hearing him say that sent an unexpected flicker of satisfaction through Tarymn, catching him off guard. He stared down at his plate, confused.
“I promise it’ll be fun,” Luci insisted, undeterred.
“No,” Ludiin said, rising from his chair. “I have a project to finish. I want to graduate.”
“Ludiin,” Luci called, trailing after him.
Tarymn turned his head, only to find Hym staring at him.
“What?” Tarymn asked, a ripple of self-consciousness crawling across his skin.
“You’re really doing this,” Hym said, studying him like he couldn’t quite believe it. “Honestly, I thought you’d be gone by now.”
Tarymn raised a brow, not telling Hym he couldn’t leave even if he wanted to. Deltta was in trouble. He couldn’t go anywhere until he found a way to put those bastards away.
Not that he would have left anyway. His chest tightened as his gaze flicked upstairs, to where Ludiin and Luci had run off to. “I told you I was going to take care of them,” he said. "I take my duty seriously."
“I know you did.” Hym grinned, giving his arm a firm clap. “It’s going to be fun having more than just the two of us rattling around here. The place finally feels like a home.” Hym’s voice turned soft with excitement. “I can’t wait to find my own mate. We can all live here together.”
Tarymn blinked. “You’re not planning to move out? Get your own place?”
“Nope,” Hym said with a faraway look, eyes slightly glazed as if picturing a perfect domestic setting. “I think I would’ve liked living in a pack. Big, noisy, a little chaotic. You know… family.”
Tarymn shook his head with a quiet laugh. “And who’s supposed to be the alpha in this imaginary pack of yours?”
“Me, obviously,” Hym said, straightening up with a playful puff of his chest. “I’d give the orders, you’d all pay your respects, and I’d finally get to boss you around for once.”
