Page 53 of Knot Gonna Lie
“Nova!” Jaxom’s shock rippled through the room, and I felt my clan tense around us like a collective held breath. “Do you have any idea what they’d do if they found out? To both of you?”
“Separate us. Banish Alleria. Force me into The Den every day until I claim an alpha out of desperation.” Nova’s voice held steel beneath silk, the kind of strength forged in secret rebellion. “Which is why we need to get out of here…Together. I don’t want to be forced to live a lie due to our society’s rigid caste system.”
Through the nascent bond, I felt Elara’s emotions spike—raw frustration and a fierce protectiveness that made my own pale in comparison.
She was coming—wild and fast.
I straightened, instincts already on edge. The last thing we needed was her walking in and demanding Nova be gone. She had every right to—this was her clan now, her territory. And if her instincts flared hard enough, no one could stop her from acting on them.
They weren’t part of our clan—not really. But Nova was Jaxom’s little omega sister, and that made things complicated. My instincts pulled in two directions, loyalty stretching thin. I didn’t want to be forced to choose between them. But if it came to that…I would. No hesitation.
Elara wasmine—our clan’s present and future. And mine in every way that mattered.
Nothing would change that.
Not even an omega-gamma pair, bonded against every law. Living proof that the system’s rigid categories meant nothingwhen hearts chose their own paths. And they’d trusted us with this secret that could destroy them.
One that I know deep down, Elara and the rest of the clan would protect.
After all, I’d risked everything forher—my honor, my clan, my company. Even my bond with my brother, whose name I’d used to claim her.
“How?” Stella asked, psyblade forgotten in her hand. “The suppressants, the monitoring—”
“Love finds a way.” Alleria spoke for the first time, her voice carrying enforcer steel softened by something infinitely tender. “We found each other during Nova’s first heat. I was supposed to guard her door, keep her safe. Instead…” She looked at Nova with naked devotion that made my chest tight. “Instead, I found my reason for breathing.”
“I didn’t want any unfamiliar scent near me,” Nova said, correcting gently. Then she looked at Alleria with a soft smile—the kind you only gave someone you loved. “She was safe…and I didn’t want anyone else.”
The mess hall doors slid open as Seth entered with Elara tucked close beside him. The sight hit hard. My omega moved in sync with him—too in sync—and something between them had changed. And yet, there was no scent of a claiming—I would’ve tasted it in the air between them—but the shift was there.
Subtle. Unmistakable. Permanent.
My clan noticed too.
Stella stilled completely, Sylas straightened from his casual lean against the bulkhead and grabbed her shoulders, comforting her. Maia shot a smirk at Tobias, knowing full well Seth’s brother would tease him about it later. Even Xavier’s perpetual smirk softened into something more thoughtful.
We all watched as Elara crossed the room and settled against my side like she belonged there.
My arm came around her, drawing her into the shelter of my body where she belonged.
Our scents merged—my tropical paradise with her lavender fields creating something entirely new, something that made my alpha instincts purr with satisfaction.
The bond between us pulsed, still new, still raw. I felt it the moment she reached for Seth, her fingers stretching out like she was anchoring both of us.
She dragged him to her other side, shooting me a look that carried volumes—permission sought, boundaries tested, new clan dynamics shifting into new configurations like stars realigning.
I understood without words. She’d chosen her first pack mate, the bonds still gossamer-thin but strengthening with each shared breath. No jealousy stirred in my chest, only warm approval that bloomed like sunrises. She was claiming what she needed, building what her instincts demanded.
One day, I hoped to claim her hurt as well.
“Why are you here?” Elara’s question cut the silence, delivered with the authority of an omega who’d found her voice. “On my ship, when I should be celebrating with my clan?”
Nova studied her closely, recognition passing between them—two omegas who had taken risks, who knew what it cost to go against what was expected.
“Because my brother deserves the truth before he leaves,” Nova said, her voice tight. “He needs to understand why I’ve been avoiding him—and that it wasn’t my choice.”
“Which is?”
“I’m in love with my gamma.” Her words hit like a challenge, daring Elara to argue. “And I want her in my life. In my nest. In my future. Away from this station and its broken rules.”
