Page 33 of Knot Gonna Lie
“There are no promises regarding that, but I’ll do my best.” She gave a small nod, hand resting briefly on the screen. “It would be best if I didn’t bring any more unnecessary attention to you, but you should be prepared to have an explanation if I am unable to succeed.”
“I will.” I shot a glance at Elara and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She looked back at me, her eyes searching mine. I offered a small smile—soft, sure, full of promise. “I will come clean to my brother as soon as it’s the right time.”
Quinn let out a quiet sigh, running a hand over her face before dropping it to her side. The tension in her shoulders hadn’t eased, and the weariness behind her eyes said more than words could.
She was willing to fall onmysword—to bear the consequences—all to fulfill her liege’s command—me.
“I’ll let you handle the family politics,” she said, voice tight with exhaustion. “I’ll do what I can to clean up the mess here.”
Then she turned her gaze to Elara. The hard lines of her face softened, just slightly, as she looked at her—something gentle flickering in her expression.
“Once things settle,” she added, “I’ll tell the Matron I need to do an in-person check-up. I’ll come visit you—wherever you are—and have a more fulfilling farewell from your services.”
“Are you saying that you are not able to say goodbye today?” Elara sobbed as tears flowed from her eyes. “When do you think I can see you again?”
“I’ll try to visit once your heat is over,” Quinn soothed. “There is no room for a gamma at that time unless you need me to take you out of an abusive situation.”
“I willneverhurt my omega,” I snarled. “I may have lied and worked your system to be able to stand on that arena floor…but if anything, I just showed you the flaws in your own program.”
“That’s a unique way of viewing what you’ve done.”
“Because it’s true,” I clipped, holding back a growl. “You know it. Stating otherwise would be yet another lie.”
“We can discuss that another time. Right now, you need to gather what you need and be ready to leave. Today.” Quinn’s voice was firm, no room for argument. “I’ve got fires to put out before they turn into full-blown infernos.” But as her gaze settled on Elara, the edge softened with the tone of her voice. “I am only one call away.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
JAXOM
Luca pressed a gentle kiss to Elara’s forehead before reaching for her empty plate, his movements tender but purposeful. “I need to handle a few business matters,” he announced, stacking the dishes with careful precision. “Jaxom, Seth—could you help Elara figure out what she needs before we leave?”
“When are we departing?” Stella asked, her blade maintenance pausing as she studied our alpha’s tense expression.
“After dinner,” Luca replied, his voice carrying an edge of urgency that made my stomach clench. “It’s crucial we complete our business at The Center and gather everything Elara requires. Quinn gave me a warning—the other alphas aren’t pleased with me. I can’t afford for my deception to be exposed and find myself forced to face the Matron.”
“Seth and I will review what we gathered last night and determine what still needs collecting with Elara,” I said, catching the tension in his shoulders and offering a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry—we’ve got this covered.”
“Thank you.” He nodded. “I know I can trust you to be thorough.”
As Luca stepped away, I pulled out my vidtablet and brought up the inventory system. The holographic interface bloomed into existence, casting ethereal light over my hands. I scrolled through the logs from last night—the crew had done adequate work tagging Elara’s essentials, but her personal items remained scattered, waiting to be relocated.
I flagged what still needed moving to the nest room, then switched to our ship’s broader manifest.
“So what exactly do we still need from The Center before we leave?” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. The system filtered through categories: medical supplies, nesting materials, food reserves—everything we’d need to keep her comfortable. “I don’t want to miss anything important.”
A shift in the air, warm and close—her arm brushed mine as she settled into the adjacent seat. My pulse quickened before I could stop it.
Elara leaned in, eyes bright with curiosity as she studied the floating data. “What is that program?”
Pride swelled in my chest like a warm tide. No one had ever shown genuine interest in my work before—most crew members only cared when supplies ran low.
“It’s my inventory management system,” I explained, unable to suppress the excitement creeping into my voice. “I both programmed and designed it to track everything from medical supplies to food stores, even down to cleaning materials and personal hygiene products.”
“Was it difficult to create?” She moved closer, her sweet scent wrapping around me like silk—now carrying hints of our alpha’s coconut and sunshine, the claiming scent that marked her as his.
“The basics weren’t too challenging, but mastering the advanced features took months.” I couldn’t believe she wasgenuinely interested in my work. “Would you like me to show you how it functions?”
“Please.” Her smile bloomed genuine and warm—sending my heart into double-time.
