4. Chapter 4
Tarymn
“ Y ou don’t mind having a party, right?” Hym asked the moment the omegas walked out. Tarymn almost snorted. Why did he even bother asking?
Hym had already made up his mind, whether Tarymn agreed or not. Not that he would’ve said no. He’d promised Hym he’d try and that meant putting up with things for the sake of his wards.
“No. Go ahead,” he said evenly.
“You’ll be around?”
“I think so.”
“You should invite your friends. Deltta could use a break from work, and Sirhe too. I haven’t seen him in ages.”
“Why? You heard what Luci said. Strange alphas make Ludiin nervous. Wouldn’t having more of them here make him uncomfortable?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Hym admitted with a shrug. “But he should at least meet some decent alphas, get used to them. It’ll help.” Hym left the cooking station without waiting for a reply.
Tarymn shook his head, watching him go. He finished his food, rose, and went to his office to collect his connector and e-reader.
He was halfway to his office when his steps slowed, his gaze drifting down the hallway toward the narrow stairs.
Before he even realized it, his feet carried him there, up to the space he’d given Ludiin.
What had he called it again? A den? The word filled his mind as he climbed the stairs. But then he froze.
Ludiin was there, bent over the newly installed workbench, lips moving, voice low as though in conversation. Tarymn’s eyes swept the room. Empty. No one was there.
“Are you… talking to yourself?” Tarymn asked.
Ludiin’s head snapped toward him. His eyes went wide, like he’d just been caught doing something wrong. A blush crept over his cheeks, and he dropped his gaze almost instantly.
“I wasn’t talking to myself. I was…” His voice trailed off, his hands visibly shaking.
Shit , Tarymn silently groaned. The last thing he’d wanted was to rattle him, yet somehow, he did.
“It’s fine if you talk to yourself,” Tarymn said quickly, his voice softer than usual. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just came to check if everything was done.”
“Uhh… yes,” Ludiin stammered, fumbling with the edge of the workbench. “They’re done. Thank you… again.”
“Okay,” Tarymn murmured, turning immediately toward the stairs. He didn’t want to rattle the omega any more than he already had. He wondered why he was like that as he collected his things and made his way out of the house and into the waiting pod.
“Let’s go, Pitra,” Tarymn said as the door sealed shut with a soft hiss.
The beta gave a brisk nod, and seconds later the pod hummed to life, drifting down the residential airway.
Tarymn forced his attention to the glowing text on screen of his e-reader, scanning the report for his morning meeting.
But the words bled together, his eyes burning from exhaustion.
He hadn’t gotten more than a handful of restless hours of sleep last night, and he was fucking feeling it.
A dull ache throbbed behind his temples.
Fuck, Tarymn silently groaned, leaning his head against the cool glass of the pod window. His eyelids fluttered shut for a fleeting moment. He wished he could skip work entirely, disappear. But duty called.
The steady hum of the engines filled the cabin as they drifted on. He prayed for a short day, an easy one. But the moment the pod slid into the council’s parking dome, reality crushed that hope. Every slot was filled, the dome buzzing with activity.
“Fuck,” he muttered, sweeping his gaze over the crowded lot. His shoulders sagged.
“I think you should get out here,” Pitra called from the front. “It’ll take me a while to find an open spot.”
Tarymn nodded and stepped out, the artificial light of the dome stinging his tired eyes. He pushed forward toward the council offices, but just as his hand brushed the door panel, a grating voice cut through the air.
“I see the Alpha King’s lapdog is back.”
Tarymn froze, jaw clenching so hard it hurt. Not today. He dragged in a calming breath, reining himself in before he snapped.
Turning, he met Langley’s smirk head-on. As always, the alpha was flanked by his shadows—Pharyi, Biwen, and Gyry.
“Have a nice trip?” Langley sneered.
“Yes, I did,” Tarymn replied politely, ignoring the burning in his chest. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Langley cackled, the sound grating. “Of course. I wouldn’t want you to keep your master waiting.”
A growl rumbled low in Tarymn’s chest. He felt the restraint he’d kept so carefully in check for most of his life splinter.
His vision clouded, his pulse thundering in his ears as the alpha inside him clawed to get out.
He pivoted toward Langley, his calm snapping.
Only for Pitra to slip between them at the last possible second, his body a wall.
“You’re going to be late for your meeting, master,” Pitra said evenly.
Tarymn dragged in a breath, forcing himself to turn away. Each step down the hallway to his office felt heavy, his body strung tight. He was tense, restless, like he was fucking coming out of his skin.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he shoved into his office.
“Are you okay?” Pitra asked.
“I’m fine,” Tarymn said, scrubbing the back of his neck as if he could knead the tension away.
“I’ve never seen you like that before,” Pitra pressed. “What ticked you off? You’ve always ignored Langley and his groupies. Why today?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m tired.” He dropped into his chair, body slumping against the desk. “I didn’t sleep last night.”
And … I fucked my stepbrother… Tarymn shook his head, because deep down he knew that truth might be the reason his nerves were frayed.
“You only have the council meeting, which starts in a few minutes,” Pitra reminded him. “And then the Alpha King requested a one-on-one meeting. I could cancel it, give you time to rest.”
Tarymn straightened, shaking off the pull of weariness. “No. It’s only two meetings. I’ll be fine.” He pushed himself to his feet, smoothing his palms down the front of his long shirt the itching beneath his skin ebbing, replaced by the cool control he wore like armor.
Without another word, he stepped out of his office, falling into step with the other council members as they made their way toward the meeting hall. Inside, the alphas sat in a semi-circle, facing the raised throne at the center—the seat reserved for the Alpha King.
Deltta entered the chamber a few minutes later, his commanding presence drawing every gaze, but his eyes found Tarymn’s first. A subtle nod passed between them.
Here, in this room, Deltta was not his friend; he was the Alpha King, and Tarymn knew better than to blur that line.
Still, lately, it seemed he wasn’t doing such a good job of it.
Tarymn’s focus shifted to Langley, who lounged a few seats away like a predator waiting to strike. The bastard had been bothering him ever since Deltta’s coronation. Tarymn couldn’t fathom what the alpha’s problem was, only that he was tired of it.
He forced himself to shake it off and turned his attention back to the meeting.
It droned on for nearly an hour, adding more to his fatigue.
By the time it wrapped up, Tarymn was worn thin.
He longed to slip away quietly, but Deltta’s sharp glance reminded him of the private summons.
Holding back a groan, Tarymn followed him to his office.
“Damn,” Deltta said as soon as the door closed, his mouth twisting in a half-smile. “Now you’re making me feel guilty for sending you to that remote town.”
“You should,” Tarymn chuckled, lowering himself into the chair across from the desk. “Took me hours to get there and back.”
“I’m just glad you found nothing.”
“Yeah. That alpha only wants to be left alone with his pack.”
Deltta nodded, though his expression was heavy. Tarymn caught it immediately. “What?” he pressed. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
Instead of answering, Deltta’s gaze flicked to the door. “Let’s get lunch.”
“It’s still early.”
“Brunch then,” Deltta countered, gathering a few papers before striding out. Tarymn sighed but rose to follow. His jaw tightened when Langley and his ever-present entourage appeared at the far end, blocking part of the passage.
“Alpha King,” Langley said smoothly, dipping his head in a bow.
Relief loosened Tarymn’s shoulders when the alpha just walked past without another word.
He wasn’t sure he could stomach another round of Langley’s taunts today.
On any other day, he would have brushed the bastard off with practiced indifference.
But right now, he was wound too tight to stay in control.
He trailed after Deltta into the parking dome and to the alpha’s pod. Tarymn slipped in beside him, and moments later they were drifting smoothly down the airway.
Tarymn leaned back in his seat, watching the capital fall away through the window. Buildings gave way to open sky and distant fields. He turned to Deltta, suspicion flickering. “Is there an eatery out here I don’t know about?”
“No,” Deltta said, finally meeting his gaze. “I think this is good enough.”
“Good enough for what?” Tarymn asked, scanning the barren stretch of land around them.
There was nothing but shrubs and a scattering of buildings in the distance, their silhouettes hazy against the horizon.
The hover pod hummed to a stop in a narrow parking bay, and Deltta got out, papers in hand.
The alpha strode a few paces away before halting, his shoulders tense.
Tarymn frowned, unease prickling at the back of his neck. What the fuck is going on? He got out of the pod and followed, boots crunching against the gravel. “Deltta, what is it?”
Deltta turned, his expression shadowed and handed over the papers. “I need you to look into this. I couldn’t speak in the office because I don’t know who to trust yet.”
Tarymn flipped the pages open. Rows of figures and transactions stared back at him. They were financial records. His stomach knotted. “Langley’s the financial officer. Shouldn’t you ask him to handle this?”
“No,” Deltta said decisively. “I don’t trust him. And besides, I don’t think it’s him. He’s not clever enough to pull something like this off.”
“You’re sure?”
Deltta’s gaze hardened. “They fooled me, Tarymn. Me. Langley doesn’t have the balls to do that.”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know. Just… look into it. And do it quietly.” “I might need help. This isn’t exactly my field.” “You can’t bring in anyone. Or lean on your sources. The smallest whisper that I’m digging into them, and I’m fucking finished.”
Tarymn nodded, something heavy settling like stone in his chest.
Deltta glanced toward the distant buildings with a strange calmness, and when he looked back, a hint of a smile tugged at his lips, as if he hadn’t just dropped a live bomb into his hands.
“You should take a few days off,” Deltta said lightly. “You look like shit.”
Tarymn huffed a laugh. “When exactly am I supposed to do that? You’ve been working me to the bone.”
“Do it now. Investigate while you’re on leave. I want your full focus on this. Something about this feels wrong.”
“I’ll find whoever’s behind it,” Tarymn promised.
“I know you will,” Deltta replied, already heading back toward the pod.
Tarymn followed, sliding back into his seat as the doors sealed shut.
Silence stretched between them, heavy, as both alphas thought about what lay ahead.
Tarymn exhaled slowly, before glancing at Deltta.
“My stepbrother’s having a party this weekend,” he said.
“You should come. I’ll invite Sirhe and Wulfric. Could be fun”
“You have a stepbrother?” Deltta asked, one brow arched in curiosity
“It’s a long story,” Tarymn muttered.
“That sounds interesting.” Deltta’s gaze lingered on him, and Tarymn fought the urge to fidget.
“But I have a feeling you don’t want to talk about it right now.
” A faint smile tugged at his lips as though he was seeing more than Tarymn wanted him to.
“I would’ve liked to meet him, but I can’t.
Maxus has already roped me into some work thing. ”
“No problem. Just thought you could use a break and have a little fun. You should try taking a break yourself. You’ve been at it nonstop since you became Alpha King. Though I have to admit, you seem to be enjoying it.”
“I am,” Deltta admitted with a small smirk. “But you’re right. A break wouldn’t kill me. Maybe after you catch whoever’s been stealing from the council. Maxus can handle things while I’m away.”
Tarymn raised a brow. “He won’t like that. He already resents being your second.”
“He’s the second strongest alpha on the planet,” Deltta said with a dismissive shrug. “He’ll get over it.”
Tarymn doubted it.
Maxus despised being in the council of alphas, yet he endured it for one reason only—Deltta. It was as though some stubborn part of him wouldn’t let him stop looking out for his brother, no matter how much he hated the role.
Did Maxus know what was going on now? Tarymn doubted it. The alpha would be here if he knew. The folded papers Deltta had pressed into his hand earlier felt heavier with each passing minute.