11. Chapter 11 #2
“What?” Luci froze. “Ludiin, you haven’t checked the news?”
“No,” Ludiin said flatly. “What happened?”
Without another word, Luci snatched the e-reader from the workbench. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the design Ludiin had been working on. “Are you seriously making another one?”
“I’m thinking about it,” Ludiin mumbled.
“You might want to think a lot harder, because there’s no way you’re getting that job now or graduating.” Luci shook his head and flipped the e-reader around, holding it up for Ludiin to see.
A breaking news headline scrolled across the screen in bold, blaring letters. Behind it, footage played of crowds flooding the walkways in every major town, their chants rising in unison.
CALL FOR REMOVAL OF OMEGAS FROM PUBLIC SPACES.
Ludiin’s stomach dropped. “What happened?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
As if summoned by his question, a soft, compelling voice filled the space.
“The people have come out in their numbers to make their fears known. This comes after the Alpha King was forcibly removed from office, following his involvement in a scandalous encounter with his omega assistant. Sources confirm that the omega unexpectedly went into heat, triggering the king. The Alpha King is currently being held at Dladr Academy Health Center under evaluation. We await the results of those tests.”
Ludiin lifted his gaze slowly to meet Luci’s eyes.
“This is…”
“I know,” Luci said as he continued pacing the room like a caged animal.
“I can’t believe it either. They want to put us in cages now.
As if we’re threats. We already don’t have rights, and now they want to take the scraps we’ve been clinging to?
” He threw his hands in the air. “No. No, I won’t let them do that to me.
I won’t let them fucking reduce me to an animal.
” He kept pacing, voice rising, spilling into a furious rant, his words coming out faster than his body could keep up with.
But Ludiin barely heard him.
A low, high-pitched ringing filled his ears, cutting through Luci’s voice like static. The room tilted.
He shook his head, struggling to process. None of this made sense. He’d just helped Tarymn with the Alpha King’s case. And now this? Everything was falling apart, fast.
What the hell happened?
Ludiin turned toward the stairs, his mind spinning, searching for answers he didn’t have. Then he froze.
Tarymn stood at the landing, watching him with unreadable eyes.
Ludiin’s heart slammed against his ribs at the sight of him. Everything around him blurred into nothing, leaving only the memory of last night and the reckless choice he’d made. His chest tightened as panic clawed at his insides.
God, what was he going to do? The question burned in his mind, over and over, and Tarymn’s unyielding stare only made it harder to breathe.
“I should check on my friends,” Luci said, his voice breaking through the tension. He stopped pacing, concern flickering in his gaze. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Ludiin replied, not meeting his eyes.
Luci turned and then saw Tarymn. He sighed, shaking his head as he made his way past him. “You guys really fucked this one up,” he muttered.
Tarymn didn’t respond, just let out a slow, strained breath. He crossed the room in silence, dropping onto the couch like his bones could no longer hold him up. He buried his face in his hands and let out a guttural groan, the sound raw and heavy.
Ludiin swallowed hard. Fuck.
Last night. He’d messed everything up…again.
He moved toward the couch slowly, each step heavy with regret. Words scrambled in his head, none of them enough. He had sworn it would never happen again. But it had.
It fucking had.
“Tary… I…”The words caught in his throat when Tarymn looked up at him.
His golden gaze shimmered with barely restrained emotion—hurt, betrayal, maybe even fear. He looked exhausted.
“I’m sorry,” Ludiin whispered, because it was the only thing he could say.
Tarymn reached for him, fingers closing around his hand before pulling him down into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Ludiin and buried his face in his neck, holding him so tightly Ludiin could barely breathe.
Ludiin went still, his breath catching. Tarymn’s scent swirled around him, dizzying and overwhelming. It made his head spin.
But he didn’t move. He couldn’t.
“I couldn’t stop it,” Tarymn said, his voice hoarse.
A wave of guilt curled tight in Ludiin’s gut. He’d done this to him. He pushed him over the edge. It wasn’t Tarymn’s fault. It was his.
“It’s not your fault. I should have…”
“There was nothing you could have done,” Tarymn cut in, lifting his head, eyes haunted. “We were too late. If only I’d figured it out sooner… they wouldn’t have gone after Deltta like that.”
Ludiin blinked. Deltta?
He thought they were talking about last night.
“Last night…” Ludiin murmured, but Tarymn was already shaking his head.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he repeated, softer now, regret thick in his tone.
“I should’ve been stronger. But I needed something to take my mind off what was happening.
And when you walked into my room… and you smelled so good…
I couldn’t fucking stop myself. I’m sorry,” he whispered before pressing his face into the crook of Ludiin’s neck again, arms tightening around him as if he was afraid to let go.
Ludiin sat there, frozen in his embrace, heart crumbling. He knew he should be glad that last night meant nothing, that Tarymn had used him as a distraction, an escape from the chaos happening around them.
Ludiin had used him too.
But God, it fucking hurt.
It hurt so much, it felt like invisible hands were tearing his heart apart piece by piece. His throat tightened, eyes burning until tears welled up. He blinked furiously, trying to chase them away, but the sting refused to fade.
“Next time, I’ll find you an alpha,” Tarymn said suddenly, voice muffled against his skin. “Someone good. This won’t happen again, okay?”
Ludiin didn’t reply.
“Ludiin?” Tarymn pulled back to look him in the eyes.
“…okay,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.
“What happened to the alpha you said you arranged? He didn’t show up?”
“I…”
But Tarymn didn’t wait. He eased both of them down onto the couch with Ludiin still wrapped in his arms. They lay face to face, breath mingling, bodies close.
“It doesn’t matter,” Tarymn murmured. “Next time, I’ll find someone reliable. Someone who’ll take care of you.”
Ludiin swallowed hard. He could feel everything—every brush of skin, every breath Tarymn took against his throat.
What was Tarymn doing? Ludiin didn’t understand.
Tarymn’s arms were around him, solid and warm, but his words were about another alpha. It was strange, almost funny in a twisted way, like Tarymn didn’t realize how fucked-up he sounded.
Did he really feel nothing for him?
“Speak to me,” Tarymn murmured, eyes drifting shut.
“What?”
“Speak to me.”
“And say what?” Ludiin whispered again, barely trusting his voice.
“Anything,” came the reply. “Your voice… it soothes me.”
Ludiin bit the inside of his cheek, pain flaring in his chest at his words. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
Tarymn let out a low grunt, arms pulling Ludiin closer, confusing him further.
Ludiin watched the alpha’s face, so peaceful now, a stark contrast to the storm that had churned behind his eyes earlier. Was he helping him somehow? Calming him just by being there?
Then maybe…He reached out hesitantly, and let his fingers graze Tarymn’s brow, tracing the soft skin with a featherlight touch. “What is that grunt supposed to mean? I told you I don’t know what to say.” Silence met his words. “Are you even listening to me?”
“I am,” Tarymn replied. “It doesn’t matter what you say. Your voice soothes me. Just… keep talking.”
A warm flush bloomed in Ludiin’s cheeks. “When did you find out my voice soothes you?”
“The first day we met. In the pod,” Tarymn said without hesitation.
Ludiin blinked, taken aback. He remembered that day too—how tense Tarymn had looked, how cold and distant. He’d been sure the alpha couldn’t wait to be rid of him.
“I was terrified that day,” Ludiin admitted softly. “Happy too, I guess… but mostly scared. I couldn’t even speak at first. You looked so angry. So distant. I didn’t know what to do with myself…”
He kept talking, rambling on. He didn’t even know what he was saying, just that Tarymn was listening. At some point, the alpha drifted off, breathing steady, face slack with sleep.
Ludiin stayed in his arms a little longer, his cheek pressed to Tarymn’s chest, listening to the quiet thrum of his heartbeat. A part of him wanted to stay like that. But he couldn’t. Not when he knew it meant something different to both of them.
This…whatever it was…had to end.
And it was up to him to end it.