Page 42 of Sweet Omega
Alpha Force operated outside the law, beyond even the council of alphas. They handled the unspeakable shit that happened on their planet.
Tarymn crossed the room and pulled his twin into a hug, locking his jaw against the surge of protectiveness.
“Come back intact.”
“Always,” Hym said, pulling away. “Take care of our brothers.”
“I will,” Tarymn said. “Do they know you’re leaving.”
“Yeah, they only know I’m going away for work. They don’t know the details. I didn’t want them to worry.”
“Yeah, that’s for the best. Take care of yourself,” Tarymn said, clapping Hym’s shoulder before turning and heading upstairs to his room. As he walked, he tried not to think about the dangers Hym might face out there, wherever “there” was this time.
He bathed, dressed, and returned to his office, but his mind refused to settle again. This time not from frustration but the fact that his brother was going somewhere he couldn’t protect him. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, willing his mind to focus.
It didn’t.
Then he…
Tarymn didn’t know why, couldn’t explain it, but he closed his eyes and reached out with his senses. Listening, breathing deep and… there he was. Ludiin.
Without thinking, Tarymn got to his feet, walked out of his office, down the quiet hallway, and climbed the narrow staircase to the third floor.
He found Ludiin bent over one of the workbenches, utterly absorbed in whatever he was sketching. The soft scratch of stylus on glass was the only sound in the room. The omega hadn’t even noticed him enter.
Something pulled Tarymn forward, something irresistible, something he couldn't deny. He stepped closer—tooclose. Closeenough to feel the gentle warmth radiating from Ludiin’s body, to see the curly hairs at the back of his neck stirred by his breath. He leaned over Ludiin's shoulder, curious to see what he was busy with.
Ludiin flinched violently, startled.
Tarymn’s arms came up without thinking and wrapped around Ludiin. “It’s just me,” he said gently. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I…” Ludiin inhaled sharply, trying to calm himself. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You were deep in thought,” Tarymn murmured, still holding him, eyes dropping to the e-reader in front of them. The image on the screen made his brows lift. It was an anatomical figure, detailed…nude.
“And I can see why.”
“It’s not what you think,” Ludiin said quickly, shutting off the screen with a flick of his finger. He slipped out of Tarymn’s arms and moved to the other workbench, face flushed. “It’s for reference.”
“Reference?” Tarymn echoed. “I didn’t know your machines involved nude sketches.”
“They don’t,” Ludiin said, cheeks going a deeper shade of red. “I build heavy machinery, not…ugh…whatever you’re thinking. But I could go into medicine. Maybe.”
“Oh, I see,” Tarymn replied, grinning faintly. His eyes shifted and landed on the new couch in the corner. “Ah, I see the couch has arrived. That was quick.”
He walked over to it and collapsed onto the cushions with a long, contented sigh. “It’s a good couch.”
Ludiin didn’t respond. Tarymn glanced over, only to find the omega watching him with a confused, slightly guarded expression, as if he was trying to figure out what, exactly, Tarymn was doing here.
And honestly… Tarymn didn’t know either. This morning had made sense. But now? Now he was here without a reason.
Well, not one that made sense, even to himself.
He just… needed something. A moment. Something quiet. Like this morning. Listening to Ludiin work had calmed him in a way nothing else ever had.
Tarymn frowned at the thought, then turned his attention back to Ludiin. “Why didn’t you want to go out?” he asked, hoping the question would shift the focus away from himself.
Ludiin jolted, clearly not expecting the question.
