7. Chapter 7
Tarymn
“ D id Deltta give you the documents?” Tarymn asked as he sank into the chair. It felt strange, sitting here instead of being at work.
“Yes,” Pitra replied, handing over an e-reader. “He loaded what he could onto this. Said downloading more would’ve raised suspicion. He hopes it’s enough for you to find something.”
Tarymn nodded, already scrolling through the files, his jaw tight. He just needed one solid lead to drag those three bastards down.
A low scraping noise broke the silence, dragging across the ceiling. Tarymn stilled, eyes lifting.
“What the hell is he doing up there?”
“I don’t know,” Pitra said quickly, though Tarymn hadn’t really been expecting an answer. The beta walked to the door. “I should head back. Your office still needs to run even if you’re not there.”
“Thanks, Pitra. With any luck, I’ll be finished with this soon.”
“Don’t rush. Everyone thinks you’ve been suspended for knocking Gyry flat on his ass,” Pitra said with a crooked grin. “I wish I’d seen it.”
Tarymn groaned. “Go.”
Pitra’s chuckle trailed after him as he slipped out the door. Alone again, Tarymn tried to refocus on the e-reader, but the scraping above grated on his nerves. Finally, he shoved to his feet and made his way to Ludiin’s den.
At the landing, he stopped.
Ludiin was hunched over a half-finished contraption, murmuring to himself.
“Just a little more…” His hands twisted the screwdriver until a screw clicked neatly into place.
With a small grunt, he braced his body and lifted, the machine’s metal legs screeching against the wooden floor as he heaved it upright.
The thing wobbled wildly, threatening to topple.
“Careful!”
Tarymn lunged forward, catching both Ludiin and the machine. Air rushed out of his lungs as Ludiin stumbled into him. For a moment, everything tightened— searing heat rippling through him at the simple contact. He swallowed a groan and set the contraption firmly down before releasing Ludiin.
“Uhh…thanks,” Ludiin mumbled, stepping back quickly, cheeks flushed.
“You need to be careful, or you’re going to get crushed,” Tarymn said, his voice tight. “Fucking hell, that was close. Why would you…?”
“I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it,” Ludiin murmured, lifting his gaze for the briefest moment before darting it away again.
“Next time, call for help if you need to move anything heavy. I won’t have you getting hurt.” Tarymn stepped closer without thinking, the distance between them shrinking until the air felt charged. His pulse hammered in his chest. “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Ludiin nodded quickly.
“Good.” Tarymn forced the word out, then turned away pressing a hand against his chest as if he could steady the frantic pounding of his heart, the fear from nearly watching Ludiin get hurt lingering.
The rush of it unsettled him, putting him on high alert.
He descended the stairs to his office and returned to work, but his ears stayed tuned to the faint sounds above, ready to leap up the stairs at the first sign of trouble.
By midday, the silence from above nagged at him.
He gave in and made his way to the den. The moment he stepped inside, a steady, monotonous voice droned through the space, carrying the sterile cadence of a lecture hall.
Ludiin glanced up from his e-reader, blinking at him as as if he didn’t understand why he was there, before muting the sound with a flick of his fingers.
“Need a hand moving anything?” Tarymn asked awkwardly.
“Not yet. I think I’ll be done after dinner. You can help me move it to that wall.” He gestured to the one beside the steel shelves.
“Okay.” Tarymn turned to leave, then stopped halfway down the stairs, looking back over his shoulder. “Don’t move it without me.”
“I won’t,” Ludiin said softly.
Satisfied, Tarymn returned to his office and forced himself back into the mess Deltta had handed him. He combed through the documents again and again. But there was no evidence of foul play. Everything was in order. The more he scrutinized, the more his frustration grew.
“Fuck.” Tarymn dragged a hand down his face, the e-reader blurring before his eyes as a pounding ache hammered at his temples. He shoved the device aside and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as if the answer might be written there.
Then he remembered.
With a muttered curse at himself, Tarymn pushed to his feet and made his way upstairs.
“I’m here,” Tarymn said as he climbed the stairs, his voice carrying into the den. “I almost forgot. Are you ready to move it?”
“Yes,” Ludiin mumbled, still bent over the hulking machine. He gave the screwdriver one last twist before stepping back. The thing looked like some oversized food warmer, rectangular in shape with a heavy door, big enough for a person to fit through.
“What is this supposed to be?” Tarymn asked as he stepped closer, curiosity lacing his voice. He grabbed one side while Ludiin took the other. Together, they heaved the contraption across the floor until it sat neatly against the wall Ludiin had indicated.
“Sometimes I sculpt stuff. This is where I dry them,” Ludiin explained, brushing dust from his hands.
“You sculpt?” Tarymn arched a brow, intrigued. “Is that part of your course?”
“No,” Ludiin said. “I take extra classes to entertain myself.” With that, he walked past him as though it were nothing remarkable, disappearing down the stairs.
Tarymn lingered for a beat, staring after him with something like fascination tightening in his chest.
“You take extra classes to entertain yourself. Who does that?” Tarymn asked, trailing after Ludiin.
“Me,” Ludiin replied matter-of-factly, not even slowing his stride. “It’s fun and easy.”
“Easy?” Tarymn barked out a laugh, the sound rolling out before he could stop it.
“What’s funny?” Ludiin asked, narrowing his eyes at him, clearly serious.
“You don’t even hear how arrogant that sounds,” Tarymn said, shaking his head with amusement.
“It’s not arrogance if it’s true,” Ludiin countered.
Tarymn chuckled again, the sharp ache in his temples dulling with every step. “There’s an arrogant little devil beneath that shy exterior, isn’t there?”
“Stop calling me arrogant,” Ludiin snapped, coming to a sudden halt. His long hair whipped around him in a silky cascade, catching the light as he spun toward Tarymn. “Or… or…”
“Or what?” Tarymn stepped closer, crowding into his space. An intoxicating feeling thrumming through his veins as he watched Ludiin's perfectly sculpted nose wrinkle in defiance, his sharp eyes blazing.
God, he was stunning.
The thought slipped into Tarymn’s mind uninvited, startling but he couldn’t deny it, because it was true.
His gaze traced the sharp cut of Ludiin's cheekbones, the slope of his nose, the curve of his lips. His lips… Tarymn’s breath caught.
The memory of their taste from that night flooding his mouth, and he ached to kiss him again, to taste him.
Before he realized it, his body was moving.
Just then, Ludiin huffed, breaking the moment as he stomped down the stairs, stopping him from doing something stupid.
“Fuck,” Tarymn muttered, shock radiating through him.
What the hell was wrong with him? Where was his fucking control ? he shook his head, standing there for a full minute before he followed Ludiin to the cooking station.
Hym was already seated at the table, halfway through his meal. From the counter, Ludiin shot him a glance, piercing and fiery. If looks could kill, he would’ve dropped where he stood.
“Hey, brother,” Tarymn greeted lightly as he moved to the counter, grabbing a plate. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the storm in Ludiin’s expression. Leaning closer, his voice dropped. “I was kidding,” he murmured, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“I’m not arrogant,” Ludiin whispered back, his shoulders stiff.
“I know,” Tarymn said.
“What are you two whispering about?” Hym asked, pausing mid-bite to glance between them.
“Nothing,” Ludiin answered quickly, grabbing his plate and heading to the table.
Tarymn’s smile lingered as he watched him retreat. He scooped food onto his plate and joined them at the table.
The three sat together, the air rich with the scent of food, and peaceful silence.
Then Hym just had to open his mouth.
“Roc asked about you today,” he said, smiling at Ludiin.
And just like that, the pounding in Tarymn’s skull returned full force.
***
Ludiin
Ludiin tried not to squirm as every pair of eyes at the table shifted toward him, pinning him in place. His fork hovered uselessly above his plate.
Why did Hym have to bring this up now, of all times?
“He did?” Ludiin asked tightly.
“Yes,” Hym said excitedly. “I think he likes you. Do you mind if I give him your code?”
Heat surged up Ludiin’s neck, crawling to the tips of his ears. Ludiin’s gaze dropped instantly to his plate as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
“I… I guess that’s okay,” he murmured, his words barely audible as he pushed his food around to avoid looking at anyone.
“Must we talk about that now?” Tarymn’s voice cut through the tension.
“Yes. I’m helping Ludiin. Who knows, him and Roc might hit it off,” Hym said with a shrug, shoving food into his mouth.
“Does he want that?” Tarymn asked darkly as he turned to his brother. Ludiin froze, every muscle tight as he glanced between them. “Have you even asked him if he likes Roc or not?”
Hym’s chewing slowed. He stared at Tarymn for what felt like forever, the silence stretching thin before he finally turned to Ludiin. “Do you like Roc?”
Ludiin shook his head quickly, mortification twisting in his gut. He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
“Fuck. Why didn’t you tell me?” Hym asked, genuine surprise in his tone.
“You didn’t ask me,” Ludiin muttered.
Hym sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Ludiin said softly. “I should have spoken up.”