Page 1 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)

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? ”

“Not everything. ”

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 in their clan—claiming a select few as members of my pack.

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 call mine .

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.”

Biting my bottom lip, I didn’t miss how her eyes dimmed as they held mine.

Our time together would diminish once I entered The Den. No more shopping trips in The Center. No more late nights watching dramas while doing each other’s hair and makeup.

Instead, my days would be filled with alphas courting me until I decided who I wanted to tie my life with, forever bonded to them and their clan.

“How much time do we have?” Quinn pressed the back of her hand against my forehead. A subtle hint of her calming scent washed over me, grounding my nerves with its familiar morning dew on long blades of grass.

She scrunched her eyebrows, frowning as her concerned brown eyes locked onto mine. “Your skin’s temperature is slightly heightened, but nowhere near heat levels…We still have time to renew your suppressant if you need more time to prepare yourself. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied, nodding as confidence washed over me with my declaration. “I’ve been stuck in this space station long enough. It’s time for me to start the next chapter of my life.”

“I will report to Matron Jacques that you are ready.” She grinned, backing toward the door. “Tomorrow, we will begin your preparation.”

As the door whispered closed behind her, I clutched the pillow tighter.

The vastness beyond my window called to me with possibilities I’d only ever dreamed of—planetary surfaces beneath real sunlight, unfiltered air carrying scents of nature rather than station ventilation, and most of all, freedom from these walls that had been both my sanctuary and my prison.

Tomorrow would mark the beginning of the end of my time on Syzygy Station.