Page 68 of Sweet Omega
“How do you know?” Tarymn whispered.
“I just do,” Sirhe said, giving Tarymn’s shoulder a firm squeeze before letting go with a low chuckle. “If it were Hym, then I’d really start to worry.”
A rough laugh escaped Tarymn. He rubbed his arms, wincing when his palms came away slick with sweat, his skin clammy from hours of punishing his body.
“We should grab a drink,” he muttered, trying to shake off the heaviness in his chest. “I’m sure you need one. I know I do.”
“Sure.”
“Let me clean up first,” Tarymn added, turning toward the door. His mind already focusing to what he needed to do.
He had to bring Deltta back.
***
The meeting room fell silent the moment Tarymn stepped through the door. He’d timed his entrance just right, arriving late just to savor the bastards’ reactions. As expected, the three alphas fixed him with unwelcoming stares, like he was some outsider trespassing in their territory, someone who didn’t belong.
Tarymn swallowed the growl burning in his throat, locking his jaw as he turned to Maxus. He gave him a short, respectful bow before striding toward his chair.
“Let’s continue,” Maxus commanded. “We have a lot of decisions to make.”
Tarymn barely heard a word of it. His attention wasn’t on the council’s droning voices but on keeping himself from snapping. Every time Pharyi or one of his cronies opened their mouths, his wolf bristled, the itch beneath his skin worsening until it felt like fire crawling through his veins. Their scents were suffocating, acrid and offensive, carrying across the room and clawing athim. His nails dug into his thighs under the table as the urge to lunge across the room became unbearable.
Just hold on, he told himself, jaw aching from how hard he clenched it.
When the meeting finally adjourned, a rush of relief tore through him. He was on his feet and out the door in seconds, greedily dragging in the cleaner air of the hallway. But before he could escape, Maxus’ voice cut through behind him.
“Let’s talk.”
The alpha didn’t wait for an answer, already striding down the hall. Toward Deltta’s old office.
Tarymn’s stomach knotted as he sighed and followed him. His gaze swept across the room as soon as he entered. Everything was still the same. Deltta’s books were lined neatly on the shelves, the heavy metal desk untouched, even the faint scent of the alpha lingered in the air. Maxus hadn’t changed a thing, as if he were only a guest passing through.
“You’re back,” Maxus said, the relief in his voice unmistakable.
“You made sure I came back, you sent Sirhe,” Tarymn replied.
Maxus chuckled, humorlessly. “I didn’t think he’d actually convince you. But I’m glad he did.”
So was Tarymn. That single hour in the company of those bastards had been enough to show him just how close he’d come to making the biggest mistake of his life by walking away.
“How are you planning to bring them down?” Maxus asked, leaning forward slightly, his question hanging between them.
“I don’t know yet,” Tarymn admitted, rubbing at the tension coiling in his neck. “But whatever I do, it has to be quiet. If they even suspect we’re moving against them, they’ll retaliate and none of us can afford that. The best thing for now is to lay low, keep our heads down, and pretend nothing’s happened.
“Fuck.” Maxus’ jaw tightened, but after a beat he gave a short, reluctant nod. “Okay.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work,” Tarymn said.
“Okay.”
Tarymn gave a slight nod and walked out of the office, his boots tapping steadily against the floor as he made his way down the hall. The air was subdued, filled with hushed voices and quick glances, as if everyone was waiting for something to go off. Their unease was clear, and he couldn’t fault them. Even he didn’t know exactly how they were supposed to get back to normal, but somehow, they would.
They had to, Tarymn thought as he stepped into his office.
He paused when he spotted Langley standing in front of the wide window, shoulders hunched.
Tarymn’s gaze immediately swept the desk, checking for anything he might have left exposed. There was nothing.
