Page 85 of Knot So Lucky
Jenna looks around the garage again, making absolutely certain no one's within earshot. Then she leans in close, voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
"Remember the old rules? About Omegas potentially needing to participate in professional racing?"
My blood runs cold.
"It's coming back," she says simply. "The racing commission announced it as part of the qualifier regulations. Any team that advances to the top twenty has to field at least one Omega driver in competitive races. Starting with the main Formula One season."
Fuck.
The curse echoes through my mind with devastating clarity.
This is exactly what I was afraid of. The rules that allowed Auren Vale to compete—the progressive experiment that lasted exactly one season before being quietly shelved—are being reinstated.
Which means every team is going to be scrambling to find Omega drivers. Which means increased scrutiny on everyone's designations. Which means my suppressants and binding and carefully constructed male persona are about to face the most intense examination they've ever endured.
I look around the garage, confirming we're still alone in this corner before leaning in and whispering, "You know."
Not a question. A statement.
An acknowledgment of the secret I've kept for years.
Jenna shrugs, the gesture casual despite the weight of what we're discussing.
"I've known," she admits quietly. "But that's mainly because I saw you with Cale one time. You two are basically in your ownorbit when you're in closed spaces. The way he looks at you, the way you respond to him... that's not how two male Alphas interact."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, closing my eyes briefly.
"Why didn't you say anything?" The question comes out more vulnerable than intended.
Jenna's expression softens, and when she speaks, there's steel beneath the compassion.
"It took me twenty-seven interviews to get this position. Twenty-seven. With connections and references from the top of the best in the industry. You know why?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. "Because I'm a Beta woman in a field dominated by Alpha men who think we're only good for administrative work."
Her jaw clenches, old frustrations rising to the surface.
"Why the hell would I rat out our best tech because you're an Omega? Not to mention, you have to be taking some seriously heavy suppressants to maintain the emotional bandwidth to be around cocky Alphas all fucking day. That's some dangerous balls you're playing with."
She's not wrong.
The suppressant doses I take would make most Omega doctors refuse to continue treatment. The side effects—the zoning out, the occasional nosebleeds, the way my biology fights against the chemical dampening—are getting worse.
But it's the price of existing in this space.
The cost of doing what I love.
Jenna lets out a breath, and when she continues, her voice carries something that sounds like admiration.
"When Auren participated in Formula One two years ago, everyone lost their minds. But it was some of the most empowering shit I've ever seen. An Omega not just competing,butwinningat the highest level. Proving that designation doesn't determine capability."
She locks eyes with me, intensity burning in her gaze.
"Frankly? I want to see it again."
The admission makes my chest tight with emotions I don't have names for.
Hope. Fear. Desperate yearning for a reality where I don't have to hide.
"If I come out," I say slowly, testing the words, "I'll be fired."
