Page 1 of Knot Gonna Lie
CHAPTER ONE
ELARA
My fingers traced the outline of the distant sun through my quarter’s window, a futile attempt to capture warmth that remained forever out of reach. I frowned at my hand, rubbing my fingertips together as if friction might somehow conjure the solar heat I craved.
“What’s it like to be able to travel freely amongst the stars? To sunbathe under real rays whenever you want?” The words escaped as little more than a whisper, directed at no one but the cold, unyielding glass before me. “The virtual room only teases me…reminding me what I want and no longer have.”
“You have everything you need given to you here.” Quinn’s calculated tone cut through my reverie. She swirled her hand in the air, gesturing to my quarters with practiced precision while taking a deep whiff of the air. Her concerned brown eyes assessed me like a scientist studying an unpredictable specimen. “Why are you suddenly interested in what’s outside the space station?”
“Noteverything.”
A heavy sigh escaped as my attention shifted to a space shuttle passing uncomfortably close to my window. Unlike the sleek vessels that typically docked at Syzygy Station, this one was bulky and utilitarian. It lacked the elegant lines of the ships that delivered alphas hoping to prove themselves worthy of sponsoring a position in The Den. Both visiting alphas and merchants displayed their wealth through their vessels, eager to impress anyone willing to give them a moment’s notice.
Only the best for us omegas.
My legs clenched involuntarily at the thought of a room filled with alphas waiting for me, all hoping I would choose them as a potential mate. Their darkened eyes would lock on me with a hunger—a longing.
I’d be presented as a full-course meal placed before a room of starving predators, each one desperate for me to grant them the chance to become their omega, to fill them with purpose as I became the missing link intheirclan—claiming a select few as members ofmypack.
The Elders loved to reminisce about their selections as they spoke about their own experiences, describing the whole thing as whimsical. Compared to how past omegas were treated some generations ago—captured, traded, and often force bonded—the current arrangement was a blessing, regardless of how much I hated being stuck inside Syzygy.
We were safe—I was safe—in the environment they had created for us.
It was a sacrifice omegas had to make for the good of humankind.
At least, that’s what they’d always drilled into us…how could I know the truth of what was out there when I was trapped in here, like a bird in a gilded cage?
I couldn’t imagine what life would be like, treated as property without the opportunity to pick who I wanted to be tied to for the rest of my life.
Scrunching my nose, I held my breath and gently shook my head as I tried not to smell the phantom scents that I had the unfortunate opportunity to whiff.
Being forced to tolerate such an aroma from an alpha and their clan would’ve been torture in itself. I shivered at the thought of having a foul stench ingrained into my nest.
Those poor, unfortunate omegas of the past.
Abused and mistreated, used as a broodmare—there was no way I would allow my nest to become tainted by such a thing.
Curling my raised hand into a fist, I glanced at my temporary nest with its carefully arranged green and cream pillows and blankets. My quarters suddenly felt inadequate with its metallic walls, empty of personal touches beyond the geometric rugs I’d collected over my years aboard the station.
They were the only things that I could callmine.
My quarters had satisfied me in the last twelve years, but now it felt lackluster, as if something deep inside told me I was missing something the station couldn’t provide—scents that weren’t my own, wrapping around me like an oversized comforter, engulfing me with promises of safety and security.
“I know that look, Elara,” Quinn said, her voice holding the familiar concern of a mother speaking to her child. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
Taking one last look at the visitor vessel docking at the wing, I sighed and walked over to my nest, plopping onto the edge. I picked up a green pillow, placed it on my lap, and wrapped my arms tightly around it, cradling it against my chest as I looked at Quinn.
My gamma caretaker was a few years younger than me, though nobody would guess by the way she presented herself.Always dressed in her formal uniform with her station’s rank pin displayed proudly on her chest, showing how seriously she took her position. Her royal purple heels stood out against her form-fitting black suit. Her brown hair was slicked back in a bun, colored tips forming a purple knot high on the back of her head. Her lips wore their usual creamy burgundy, often pinched with her stoic expression as she studied me with rich chocolate eyes.
We’d grown close over the years, but a wall of professionalism always separated us. It served as a gentle reminder that at the end of this journey—this stage of my life—she wouldn’t be with me. That one day, whenever I was finally ready, I would be leaving her behind.
“I have an empty nest, without a pack to call my own. I know you enjoy being alone, but…”
“You are ready to start the process,” she remarked, raising an eyebrow as if the statement were a question.
Opening my mouth to deny her declaration, no words came. Instead, taking a quick inventory of how I felt, including the future loss of my only companion, I discovered my body was starting to tell me what needed to be done.
“I believe so.”
