Page 109 of The Sterling Acquisition
“But how do they prevent it?” Orion asked, his mind racing through the implications. “If it’s biological, if it’s built into the virus...”
“Control,” Tallulah said, her voice hardening. “Gensyn pumps everyone full of suppressants and blockers, matches people based on their version of ‘compatibility’—which conveniently never includes anyone who might trigger a real Scent-Sync.”
She gestured between them. “You two never should have met. But SVI doesn’t use Gensyn’s pharmaceutical approach—they prefer brute force and ownership contracts.”
“No suppressants, no scent management,” Dante said, working through the logic.
“Which created the perfect conditions for a natural Scent-Sync to occur,” Tallulah finished for him. “And once that happened, the rest was just a matter of time. Especially with you two fighting all the damn time.” Her eyes gleamed with amusement. “Nothing gets blood mixing faster than two people trying to kill each other.”
“And Elysian?” Dante asked. “What’s their approach to stop it?”
Tallulah’s expression darkened. “Let’s just say they have their own methods. Ones we don’t discuss.”
She closed the journal with a soft thud. “The point is, the Primal Triad can’t exist in corporate society because it’s fundamentally incompatible with their control systems. When people bond naturally, they make decisions based on wants and needs instead of profitability and corporate usefulness. They challenge authority. They prioritize each other over corporate directives.”
Her gaze moved between them, assessing. “Which is what you two have done. You’ve broken out of their system .”
“So they buried it,” Orion said, the enormity of the deception dawning on him. “Scrubbed it from the records, eliminated anyone who knew the truth, replaced it with their versions. Made everyone forget that Omegas were ever anything but victims to be claimed.”
“Some of us keep the old knowledge alive.” Tallulah’s expression was fierce. “And some of us wait for the day when someone like you two proves that their lies can’t hold forever.”
Lilac cleared her throat from her corner. “Granny Lu, maybe we should let them process this over dinner? The community’s already talking about wanting to meet them .”
“Dinner,” Tallulah agreed, her stern expression melting into something warmer. “Good idea. Nothing like a family meal to help reality sink in.”
She maneuvered her wheelchair toward the door, then paused. “Oh, and boys? You might want to prepare yourselves. Word’s already gotten around about what you are. You’re about to be the most popular dinner guests this settlement’s had in decades.”
As she wheeled out, Orion was left staring at the closed journal, his mind reeling with implications he wasn’t ready to process. He felt Dante’s gaze on him, heavy with unasked questions.
“Wait,” Dante called after her. “You’re younger than the Adjustment. How do you know all this? Where did that journal come from?”
Tallulah paused in the doorway, glancing back with that infuriating smile. “Now that’s an interesting question. Maybe we’ll talk about that over dinner.”
And then she was gone, leaving them alone with more questions than answers.
Orion ran a hand through his hair, feeling like his entire world had been turned upside down. All his life, he’d defined himself by his resistance—his refusal to be claimed, to be owned, to be reduced to his designation. He’d viewed his Omega status as a burden, a biological prison he had to fight against every day.
And what did it mean for him and Dante? If what Tallulah said was true, if he had somehow claimed the Alpha through this natural biological process...
He stole a glance at Dante, finding him looking equally shell-shocked. The bite mark on his neck stood out against his skin, a visible symbol of everything they’d just learned. Orion felt a fresh wave of possessiveness at the sight, followed by immediate guilt. He didn’t want to own Dante.
But the thought of being separated from him was physically painful, a visceral reaction that went beyond conscious thought. Was that the bond? Or something else, something deeper?
“This is fucked up,” Orion said, the words inadequate for the magnitude of what they’d just learned.
“Thoroughly,” Dante agreed, though he didn’t sound as shaken as Orion felt. More... analytical. Like he was already trying to fit this new information into some kind of framework. “But it explains a lot.”
“Does it? Because I feel more confused than ever.” Orion ran his hands over his face, trying to organize his thoughts. “If what she’s saying is true, then everything I’ve been told about what I am, what my place is in the world... it’s all been a lie.”
“Not a lie,” Dante said. “A deliberate perversion of the truth. Which is worse.”
Orion looked up, struck by the clarity in Dante’s voice. “You believe her? Just like that?”
“The evidence is compelling.” Dante’s hand moved to the bite mark on his neck, fingers tracing the edges with something like wonder. “My bio-monitor was malfunctioning when we got up. My body feels... different. More responsive. More mine, somehow.”
His gaze met Orion’s, steady and unflinching. “And I’m starting not to give two flying fucks about what Gensyn wants from me anymore.”
The implications of that settled heavily between them. If Dante—meticulous, corporate-conditioned Dante—was experiencing that level of detachment from his training, something profound had happened.
