Page 95 of Sweet Omega
Luci’s voice shattered the fragile sleep he’d barely managed to slip into, dragging him awake.
Ludiin muttered a curse under his breath, yanking the covers over his head. The mattress dipped with Luci’s weight as he sat down.
“Are you awake?”
Ludiin silently groaned. “No.”
“You wouldn’t be talking to me if you were asleep.”
“What do you want, Luci?” he snapped, voice muffled by the blanket.
“Don’t be mad okay,” Luci said.
“What have you done this time?” he asked, dread curling in his stomach.
‘“Ford is coming over.”
“What?” Ludiin threw the covers off him. He blinked at his brother in disbelief. “You invited him over? Without asking me?”
Luci shrugged, unbothered. “You’ll be fine. You already talked to him. The hard part is done.”
Before Ludiin could get a word in, Luci sprang to his feet and strode toward the door. “He’ll be here any minute. You should get ready.”
“Luci!” Ludiin shouted, hurling a pillow across the room. It missed Luci’s head by an inch.
“Don’t be mad. I’m only trying to help,” Luci called. He slipped out into the hall, but not before tossing one last grenade over his shoulder: “If you don’t come down, I’ll send him up here.”
“Leave me alone, Luci!” Ludiin yelled, too furious to care who heard the outburst. His chest rose and fell sharply, heat prickling under his skin. His whole life was being flipped upside down again. And he had no say in it. Helplessness burned like acid in his chest. He fucking hated this. Hated Luci for cornering him like this again, for never trying to understand, for pushing when all he wanted was space. He hated himself for being the way he was.
With a weary sigh, he dragged himself out of bed and stumbled into the washroom. The cool splash of water on his face did little to calm the storm inside him. He dressed in slow, jerky movements, and finally made his way downstairs toward the cooking station.
But the moment he pushed the door open, his steps faltered. Hym, Jamue, and of course, Tarymn were already seated at thetable, halfway through breakfast. The chatter at the table faded, the shift in the room instant. Tension simmered in the air, thick and oppressive. Tarymn’s eyes followed his every movement, trailed over his body with a heat that made Ludiin’s breath catch.
Fuck. What was happening?
Tarymn had never looked at him like that before. Like he wanted to devour him. Something twisted in Ludiin’s chest, quickening his heartbeat until it pounded in his ears. He gripped the plate so tightly, forcing himself to ignore the alpha’s presence as he piled it with food. Without sparing him a glance, Ludiin stalked to the table and sat down, then shoved mouthful after mouthful of food past his lips. He didn’t care what the food tasted like; he wanted to get the hell out of there.
“You’re finally up,” Jamue said, slicing through the tension. “Was last night that exciting?”
Ludiin’s cheeks burned, the warmth crawling up to the tips of his ears. Against his better judgment, he lifted his gaze only to find Tarymn still watching him, his eyes heated. Air snagged in Ludiin’s throat.
Shit. Was he thinking about last night too?
“I’m sure it was, but I haven’t heard a word of it,” Luci said, with a disapproving shake of his head. The room stilled, and suddenly every pair of eyes swung toward him. Heat rushed up Ludiin’s neck, his skin prickling as if he were pinned beneath a magnifying glass.
“It wasn’t exciting,” Ludiin blurted as he turned on Luci. “Baron and his friends laughed at me. He invited me out because his friends wanted to meet the joy inventor, to see how someone they thought was mentally challenged could create the best pleasuring bots.”
“He what?” Luci’s voice rose, disbelief widening his eyes. “He wouldn’t dare.”
“He did.” Ludiin pushed up from his chair so fast it screeched against the floor. He grabbed his plate and stalked to the counter, his shoulders tight with rage. “You’re the worst judge of character, Luci. I wonder what kind of disaster Ford will turn out to be.”
“Ludiin…” Luci’s voice faltered, horrified. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
“You shouldn’t have invited Ford without my consent,” Ludiin shot back, slamming his plate onto the counter. His chest heaved. “You never listen to me. I get it you're trying to help and you're afraid I might end up alone, but this is too much. You should have asked me.” He turned, glaring at his brother, waiting for him to say something, anything. But Luci just stood there, staring at Ludiin as though he’d lost his mind.
Maybe he had.
The sharp chime of the front door sliced through the heavy silence.
