Page 49 of Knot Gonna Lie
The question hung in the recycled air, tension building like the moment before a lightning strike. I watched my clanmate closely, noting the uncertainty that passed over his face like shifting storm clouds.
“I…” Jaxom’s voice faltered, confusion bleeding through his usual competence. “I don’t really know.” He rubbed his temple gingerly. “I assume she wanted to verify the rumors were true before we disembarked. To see for herself that I was safe and well.”
“Are you sure she’s not going to ask to come along?” Seth’s question carried the weight of clinical observation, his medic’s training reading subtext like symptoms. “To escape this gilded cage they’ve built around her?”
The possibility hung between us, tense and unresolved. Through the bond, I felt Elara’s anxiety spike—her scent sharpened, her shoulders tensed at just the thought of another omega on our ship.
“I know how much you want to save your sister,” I said, choosing my words carefully, not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings. “But we can’t afford to get into any more trouble, Jaxom. Not after tonight. We’re already marked targets.”
“I won’t allow another omega on this ship.” Elara’s voice cut through the air, absolute and unyielding. “Not after everything that’s happened. Not when I’ve just joined your clan, when my heat is so close.” Her emerald eyes blazed with territorial fire. “Maybe once we’ve settled after my heat cycle, once our bonds have had time to strengthen, we could discuss options and return to aid her somehow. But not now. Not when she dared to step foot on my ship uninvited.”
The possessive declaration sent a complex mix of emotions through me—pride at her fierce protection of what was ours, worry about the pain this would cause Jaxom, and relief thatshe was drawing clear boundaries. An omega protecting her territory was natural, necessary even.
Two omegas in the same space during a heat would be catastrophic for everyone involved.
“She’s right,” Jaxom said quietly, nodding, his voice weighted with acceptance. “Nova made her choice when she decided to board without permission. This is Elara’s territory now, her clan. I won’t ask you to compromise that for family sentiment.”
The weight of his sacrifice settled over us. He was choosing clan over blood, present over past, the bonds we’d forged over the ties that had been severed years ago.
“I’m sorry.” I meant it, gripping his shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy.”
“Nothing worthwhile ever is.” Jaxom managed a wan smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But Nova’s resourceful. She’ll find another way, another ship. She always does.”
“Seth.” I turned to our medic, needing practical concerns to ground us in the present rather than drowning in regrets. “Medical status? Are we cleared for departure?”
Seth finished securing the bandage around Elara’s palm with practiced efficiency, his gray-blue eyes meeting mine with professional assessment. “Minor injuries, all of them. Jaxom’s concussion is mild—no signs of intracranial pressure or serious trauma. Elara’s laceration was clean, no foreign debris, should heal without complications.” He paused, clinical detachment giving way to pack concern. “But I’ll want daily checkups for everyone. Head injuries can develop complications even when they appear minor, and puncture wounds carry infection risk despite proper cleaning.”
“Daily checkups,” I said, relief hitting me hard. “Whatever you need.”
“Good.” Seth packed up his supplies with calm, practiced efficiency. “Give me thirty minutes to prepare the medbay for travel, then we can depart. The sooner we’re clear of station space, the better for everyone’s recovery.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
SETH
My hands remained steady as I finished cleaning Elara’s wound, though her proximity—her scent still sharp with adrenaline and territorial claim—made my pulse race like a runaway reactor. The cut was clean but deep, requiring careful attention to prevent scarring that might remind her of this violence for years to come.
“This will sting,” I warned, watching her closely as I applied the antiseptic.
She didn’t flinch, emerald eyes locked on my face with unnerving intensity that made me feel exposed. “Nova rattled me.”
“Understandably.” I kept my voice professionally calm though everything in me wanted to soothe her distress, to wrap her in healing and comfort until the territorial anxiety faded from her scent. “Another omega in your space, especially so soon after claiming—most would have reacted far more violently.”
“I wanted to.” The admission came quiet, almost ashamed, like confessing a crime, not defending her territory. “I wanted totear her away from what’s mine. Is that wrong? She’s Jaxom’s sister—”
“She’s still another omega in your newly established territory.” I began carefully closing the wound with synthetic skin, each layer building protection over vulnerable flesh. “Your instincts are protective, not wrong. You’re still learning to trust us, to believe in your place here. Her presence felt like a threat to that newfound security.”
Luca cleared his throat from across the medical bay, drawing my attention. “Seth, we need to speak with Nova, hoping to convince her that Jaxom is fine, so they can leave. Can you finish here?”
“Take your time,” I said with a nod, watching him and Jaxom head for the door. “I’ll finish treating her, then I’ll pack up and get us ready for takeoff.”
The door whispered shut, leaving us alone in the sterile quiet of the medical bay. Elara’s scent seemed to intensify in the smaller space, wrapping around me, impossible to ignore.
“But she’s not interested in any of you,” Elara muttered, confusion threading through her voice. “I could smell it—her connection to her gamma. Their scents were all over each other, unlike most. She barely looked at Luca, her focus on her brother, Jaxom…So why did I react so strongly?”
“Because trust isn’t built in a few days.” I finished sealing the synthetic skin, hoping it would hold. My thumb brushed over her wrist—just to check the repair, I told myself, though the contact sent electricity racing up my arm. “Because you’ve been isolated for twelve years, told your worth was tied to biological function. Now you’re trying to believe you matter beyond that, and any challenge feels devastating.”
Her eyes widened, pupils dilating slightly as she processed my words. “How do you—”
