Page 53 of Sweet Omega
His weird feelings for Tarymn were getting out of hand.
They were growing. Not in the safe, manageable way he could ignore. No, they were mutating. A slow-burn craving that lit up every nerve when the alpha was close. It was overwhelming.
And thanks to Deltta’s case, they were practically glued at the hip from the moment Tarymn returned to take his place from Pitra. Long hours bled into longer nights as they combed through every financial document Deltta had ever signed. Every waking hour was spent in each other’s company, shoulders nearly brushing as they worked.
Ludiin closed his eyes, silently begging the universe to give him some space, or at the very least, the courage to ask Tarymn to sit just a little farther away. The couch was big enough, but the alpha sat close. Too close. His thigh brushed against Ludiin’s, and fresh from his heat, he smelled so good. His scent was thicker, deeper, muskier. Ludiin inhaled without meaning to, then cursed himself.
Fuck.
A shiver ran down his spine as he gripped the e-reader like it was his lifeline. He edged away.
Tarymn leaned closer.
Ludiin silently thanked God it was finally over. The endless hours, the constant proximity. It was done.
“Does this mean the documents Deltta signed weren’t real?” he asked, brows pulling together. He looked boyish in that moment, all curiosity and confusion. Adorable. Ludiin’s breath caught.
“Uhm… They were real,” he managed. “But they hid something. The overlays were created using visual forgery software. It presents legitimate-looking documents but buries the altered numbers beneath.”
“How do we prove that?”
Ludiin tapped the e-reader screen and handed it to him. “Here. Pitra helped me weave a disabling software into the system. Now we can see the embedded data.”
“Sonofabitch,” Tarymn muttered, then paused. "No one’s going to pick up on the software, right?”
“No, I deleted it the moment we uncovered the evidence. Unless someone’s shadowing the Alpha King’s every move in real time, there’s no trace.”
“Then let’s hope no eyes were on him,” Tarymn muttered, exhaling sharply. A grim smile ghosted over his lips. “Even if they were, we’ve got enough to prove Deltta’s hands are clean. Now all that’s left is to dig up the evidence that points to those bastards, not Langley.” His eyes hardened. “It’s time for the official investigation to begin.”
Ludiin stood and made a beeline for the workbench, stretching his arms over his head as though the movement could loosen the tightness inside him.
He needed distance. Not that it would help. His feelings clung like a stubborn screw. Too tight, too deep, impossible to untangle.
Then…he froze as arms slipped around his waist. Warm. Solid. And very much Tarymn.
“What…?” Ludiin gasped.
“Thank you,” Tarymn murmured, lips brushing the side of his neck in a soft, unexpected kiss. Before Ludiin could react, the alpha pulled away. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” Ludiin asked breathlessly.
“I’m making you a midnight snack,” he said, already tugging Ludiin toward the stairs.
“It’s late. I should go to bed,” Ludiin tried to protest, but his feet were already moving, heart thudding a little too loud in his chest.
He should pull away. Say he was tired. Yawn and make some excuse. But the truth was…he wasn’t tired at all. If anything, he was too awake, nerves tingling like he’d swallowed a live wire.
And as much as he tried to stay away from Tarymn, being around the alpha felt… good. Too good. Addictive. Dangerous. Maybe he was a masochist. Or maybe he just liked feeling wanted. Either way, he stayed, sliding onto the counter and watching Tarymn move around the cooking station like it was his stage. The alpha was humming…. and it made something warm curl in Ludiin’s chest.
“You’re happy,” Ludiin observed, a small smile playing at his lips.
“Yes, I am,” Tarymn said, sauntering over. He leaned in, bracing his arms on either side of Ludiin, caging him in without touching. “You’re my little genius.”
Ludiin’s breath caught. The world shrank to just the two of them and this sliver of space in between.
Would it be weird if I kissed him?His heart thudded. They’d kissed before. It wouldn’t bethatweird… right?
No.
