2. Chapter 2 #3
Tarymn bit down hard on his tongue, the sharp tang of blood blooming in his mouth as he fought his instincts, but his damn body betrayed him, moving on its own.
And before he knew it, he was pulling out of Ludiin’s tight hole and slamming back in.
His hands tight on the omega’s hips, holding him still for every thrust and roll of his hips.
But it wasn’t enough. God, it wasn’t fucking enough. A need, raw and primal, lit up his spine, clawing beneath his skin, leaving him trembling, unraveling. Confused. So, fucking confused.
Maybe it was the way Ludiin clung to him, desperate and breathless. It reached into the hollow places Tarymn had locked up tight. Touching something deep and buried. He’d spent his whole life with a leash around the beast inside him, keeping his aggression contained, caged behind iron control.
But right then? He barely recognized himself. It was like watching someone else take over. Like the version of him he kept buried had finally risen and taken the reins.
Like a man possessed, he folded Ludiin in half and fucked him in hard and fast thrusts, the sound of the headboard slamming into the wall with each powerful thrust, blending with Ludiin’s needy moans.
“I’m sorry,” Tarymn murmured even as he pulled out and flipped Ludiin to his hands and knees.
He grabbed him by the back of the neck, fingernails digging in like claws, and slammed him face-first into the mattress.
With one brutal thrust, he drove into him, burying his cock deep.
There was no pause, no moment for the omega to catch his breath, before he started to fuck him. Every thrust hard, jarring, merciless.
Ludiin screamed, his knees buckling, body folding under him. And still, Tarymn didn’t stop. His massive body pushed Ludiin into the mattress, demanding submission. Surrender.
Tarymn watched him with a dark satisfaction, savoring each tremor, each ragged breath.
Ludiin thrashed beneath him, his body taut with strain, every muscle locked in place as if caught between agony and ecstasy.
A sound tore from his throat as his body shattered. He flung his head back, screaming in bliss as he came, over and over.
“Easy,” Tarymn soothed, kissing Ludiin’s shoulder softly. His cock pulsed deep inside Ludiin, a throbbing sensation begun as the base started to swell and slide into place. He knew he should pull out, stop before things went too far.
But his body refused to move. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to.
The first shot of his cum was ecstasy.
A white haze bled into his vision, blinding and all-consuming. His breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. His body trembled as a bone-deep pleasure washed over him. It felt like he was dying. Slowly. Beautifully. Terrifyingly.
Ludiin screamed, his body trembling beneath him as he came again, squeezing around his knot.
Then…he went completely limp.
Tarymn’s heart lurched. He stared down at the omega, panic rising like a tidal wave.
“Ludiin?” he called, voice tight with alarm. He gripped his chin gently, tilting his face up, searching for any sign of awareness, but Ludiin didn’t stir.
Tarymn closed his eyes with a silent groan, regretting the moment he’d let himself lose his fucking mind. He couldn’t move. Not now. Not when his knot pulsed deep inside Ludiin, locking them together for the foreseeable future.
He reached into his pockets with fumbling fingers and pulled out his connector, quickly tapping in Sirhe’s code. If anyone could help, it was Sirhe, his friend. The alpha was a doctor.
“Sirhe,” Tarymn said the moment the line connected. “I need your help. Emergency. My place. Now.”
“Now?” Sirhe echoed, alert.
“Yes. Something’s wrong. I don’t have time to explain. Just come.”
“I’m on my way,” Sirhe said, then the line cut.
Tarymn let the device fall from his hand to the bed with a soft thud, his focus already back on the omega in his arms. He shook him gently again, but still there was no response, not even a flicker behind his closed eyes.
Fuck .
He shifted carefully, adjusting them so Ludiin was resting more comfortably against his chest, then wrapped his arms tightly around him, holding him close.
“Hold on,” he whispered, pressing his cheek to Ludiin’s damp hair. “Just hold on. Everything’s going to be fine.”
By the time Sirhe arrived, Tarymn was going crazy.
As soon as his knot subsided, he’d dashed to the washroom, soaked a cloth with cold water, and returned to gently wipe the sweat from Ludiin’s flushed skin, murmuring the omega’s name over and over hoping he’d wake up.
Nothing.
Ludiin didn’t stir.
A ball of dread twisted tighter in Tarymn’s gut with every minute that passed. Was I too late? The question hammered in his chest, unrelenting.
When his connector buzzed, he nearly dropped it in his rush to answer.
“I’m outside,” came Sirhe’s voice.
Tarymn didn’t hesitate. He stormed down the stairs and yanked the door open, only to stop short. Sirhe stood there, calm and composed as ever. Beside him was a young omega nurse clutching a med bag.
Tarymn’s gaze narrowed. “Did you have to bring him?”
“You said emergency,” Sirhe replied coolly. “I didn’t know if I’d need assistance.”
Tarymn gritted his teeth, but nodded sharply. “This way.”
He led them up the stairs to Ludiin’s room, words tumbling out as they climbed. “He’d been in heat for six days. I tried to help him but in the end, he passed out.”
Sirhe shot him a sideways look. “When you say help, you mean…”
“Yes,” Tarymn said, jaw tight, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in a restless motion as he stepped aside to let Sirhe into Ludiin’s room.
He watched, silent and tense, as the alpha moved to the bed, already pulling instruments from the nurse’s bag.
He knelt beside Ludiin, checking his pulse, and temperature.
The nurse stood silently beside him, prepping a syringe.
“He’s sleeping,” Sirhe said at last, his tone softening. “But he’s completely depleted. His body’s been pushed to the limit.”
Tarymn’s stomach sank. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Yes,” Sirhe said. “I’m giving him a sedative to ease the residual heat symptoms and help him rest. What he needs now is sleep.”
Tarymn exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
“One more thing.” Sirhe glanced at him, his gaze intense. “Did you come inside him?”
Tarymn nodded. The guilt crept in again, thick and unwelcome.
“Okay. I’ll give him something to prevent any unwanted pregnancies,” Sirhe said. The nurse handed him another syringe. “He might not even remember this.”
Tarymn's head snapped up. “Are you sure?” he asked, a thread of hope lacing his voice.
“No. Every omega is different,” he said gently. “But it happens. Sometimes, when the body is overwhelmed, the mind shuts down. It’s possible he won’t remember much.”
“Okay,” Tarymn sighed. If Ludiin remembered, he’d explain everything. The state he found him in. The decision he had to make. Everything. Sirhe finished up, packing away the last of his tools, and Tarymn walked him to the front door.
“Thanks for coming,” Tarymn said sincerely.
Sirhe paused, then clapped a firm hand on Tarymn’s shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up for what happened. You saved him. That’s what matters.”
Tarymn gave a stiff nod. “Yeah… thanks again,” he muttered, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
He turned and made his way back to Ludiin’s room. The omega was fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady. Peaceful. Tarymn watched him for a second longer than necessary, then quietly stepped back into the hallway.
His gaze landed on the stack of boxes still cluttering the hallway. He sighed, the tension in his chest making it hard to breathe. Sleep was out of the question, his blood still hummed, his mind too restless. He needed to do something. Anything.
He crouched beside the nearest box and pried it open, lifting a tangle of metal parts and wires. He stared at the components, not understanding what any of them were for. But they couldn’t stay there. The hallway looked like a storage facility.
He hefted the box into his arms and walked toward the narrow staircase that led to the third floor at the end of the hallway, dropping it at the top landing. Then he went back for another. And another.
The repetitive motion helped. Kept him from spiraling. From thinking too hard.
“What are you doing with that?” Hym’s voice broke the quiet as he appeared at the other end of the hall.
Tarymn glanced up, box in hand.
Hym stared at him for a long moment, nostrils flaring slightly as if he’d caught a scent that didn’t belong. Tarymn held his breath, waiting. He knew exactly what Hym had picked up. Ludiin. His scent clung to Tarymn like a brand. Hym’s gaze sharpened, but he said nothing. Just looked at him.
“That’s Ludiin’s stuff,” Hym said after a while.
“Yeah, and it’s clogging the damn hallway. I could barely reach my room,” Tarymn replied curtly. “You couldn’t find a place to put this junk?”
Hym smiled sheepishly. “I hadn’t gotten around to it yet. He’s… kind of a genius, you know? Builds machines and all sorts of tech stuff.”
“I figured,” Tarymn muttered, turning away and carrying the box up the stairs. “He can use the third floor as a workspace.”
Hym blinked. “He can? Wait. Why are you being nice?”
Tarymn shot him a sideways glance. “Can’t I be nice?”
“No. You fucking left.”
Tarymn paused at the top of the stairs, the words hitting harder than he expected after what just happened with Ludiin. The omega could have died tonight because no one was here to look out for him. He wasn't here. If he’d come back just a second too late…
Tarymn turned slightly, his voice quiet. “And now I’m back. I’ll do what dad wanted. I’ll be their guardian.”
Whether he was ready or not. Whether it tore him apart or not.
And if Ludiin asked, he’d tell him everything that happened tonight. Then they’d pretend it never happened. He clenched his jaw and turned toward the stairs.