Page 20 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LUCA

Waking up with Elara in my arms was something I believed alphas often dreamed about doing. Knowing that for the first time in my life, ever since I had matured into an alpha, I no longer needed to fear if it would be the day I would slip into insanity.

I was the clan’s protector, shielding them from the darkness that lurked in the universe.

And she was the light to bring me home, creating a sanctuary for our clan.

The Matron and her gammas that ran Syzygy Station knew what position they were in. They held the true power over the universe with their sanctuary built. By controlling the omega population, and who had access to them, they held every alpha by their throat.

Omegas weren’t required to have an alpha nearby whenever they were in heat.

Between the suppressants that my company supplied, willing betas, and the number of pleasure toys designed by the same gammas that housed them, the modern generation of omegas could live without ever feeling an alpha’s knot.

This created a new problem for our generation.

Gammas had removed almost all of the inconveniences for omegas—all but one, and that was an omega’s desire to have a loving mate, pack and clan.

By doing this, gammas had tilted the scales of power amongst the role genders.

It wasn’t alphas at the top anymore. No, they had found a way to take our throne by standing between alphas and omegas.

Betas were still victims to both sides of the power struggle, regardless that over half of the population identified as one.

Regardless of all the protections that were put in place, it was the bond mark that created problems for omegas. Once bitten, it was impossible to remove the psychic connection forged between a mated pair once it healed.

The only known way to sever the bond was to kill one.

In the past, omegas were targeted by other mated alphas, hoping their death would tilt their enemy into insanity, which would lead to a kill on sight order placed on them.

If a rival alpha were unmated, they would torture the omega until their alpha came and then murder them to instantly claim the newly freed omega for themselves.

It was a dark and uncivilized time.

And yet, our ancestors should’ve foreseen where we are today.

Alphas were no longer in charge—not when it came to the position the gammas placed us in. We may have been capable of barking commands and had the physical strength that wasn’t mirrored in another role gender.

Because gammas were able to resist an alpha’s bark and an omega’s whine, along without being affected by aromas, they were able to govern the universe.

If an alpha wanted to not spiral into insanity, they needed to come up with the funds to provide tithes to the station to have the opportunity to be investigated.

If they continued to raise their fees and requirements to enter The Den, the Matron and her enforcers would have a problem on their hands. Alphas were already at their limit. Make enough alphas frustrated and they would revolt, ending the gamma’s control over the omega population.

Now that I had Elara, my only wish was not to be at the station when it happened. Instead, I needed to focus on what my clan wanted, and that was to buy an exotic house of our own, away from the Coco Pharma, so we could enjoy a relaxing vacation whenever we weren’t needed.

I would calm down once we established a base at a beta-owned resort, away from all of the fighting that would break out.

Sitting up on my side, I carefully brushed back loose strands of Elara’s hair from her neck to see how my claim was healing. She winced. I halted and held my breath as I waited to see if she would wake up. Instead, she let out a sigh and rubbed her ass against my softened cock.

Over our newly formed psychic connection, I could feel her thoughts muted as she remained in a peaceful slumber. It would take time to get used to having another intimately know my mind. The closer we became, the more we would be able to pick up from each other.

That was how omegas tamed alphas, preventing them from spiraling.

How could an alpha be able to abuse someone that was an extension of themselves?

Careful not to let her soft curves stir me awake, I shifted slightly, angling my hips away so I wouldn’t press against her in my sleep. As much as I wanted to take her—anytime she asked—I needed to hold back. Let her rest. Let her neck heal.

We weren’t out of the asteroid field yet.

Her heat was getting closer by the day, and I needed my claim to be completely healed by then.

I wouldn’t be able to settle until it had.

Witnessing how red and angry it appeared, it took all of my control to not jump out of her nest and gather Seth to scan her to make sure it wasn’t infected.

The last thing I wanted was for her to wake up and think I’d abandoned her—especially after everything we shared.

I knew how vulnerable the morning after could feel, and I didn’t want her mistaking my absence for regret.

I needed to be the first thing she saw, to reassure her if she needed it…

and help her clean up before we faced the crew—if she wasn’t in pain.

A ding vibrated through the silence of the room as the wall vidcom lit up with Syzygy’s logo. I cursed at the crew member who allowed an outsider to interrupt my first morning as a bonded alpha.

Elara yawned and twisted in my embrace, her body instinctively curling closer before she blinked up. Her hazel eyes found mine, and she jolted awake.

She stilled.

A flicker of confusion crossed her face—then realization. Her breath caught. The bond thrummed between us, thick with surprise.

Her dazed appearance transformed into annoyance as she bared her teeth at the ringing vidcom.

“Can’t you shut that up?” Elara complained with a frown. “Why would someone at the station want anything to do with me?”

“Not anyone,” I corrected. “There is only one person who is bold enough to contact us at this time.”

“And that would be Quinn.” Elara let out a sigh. “She has always been a stickler when it comes to me needing to wake up early. She hated letting me sleep in even though I wasn’t needed somewhere or to do something until later in the day.”

“If I don’t answer it, she will think I’ve taken you hostage or something,” I hedged. “I don’t need a swarm of enforcers at my bay door, demanding entrance.”

“Then answer it.” Elara picked up a nearby discarded blanket, threw it over our lower bodies, and repositioned herself against my side. “So I can go back to bed.”

“System. Open coms.”

“About time.” Quinn huffed before the screen updated to the view of her face. “I was starting to think the both of you were still mating from the amount of time it took you to answer.”

“We were sleeping,” Elara complained to her old caretaker and frowned. “You know how much I love it.”

“It’s good for you to create a habit out of it.” Her sharp brown eyes locked onto Elara’s neck, and she grinned. “It seems I have to congratulate the two of you for establishing a sacred connection between alpha and omega.”

“Should I have my medic look at it?” I asked the gamma, hating the feeling of potentially failing Elara with my hesitation. “Or is it normal?”

“Her mark isn’t something for you to be worried about,” Quinn replied, her brown eyes focused on the healing process of Elara’s angry wound. “If it starts to ooze and become unbearable, then it would be smart for you to visit your medic—or the infirmary on the station.”

“I believe it’s fine.” Elara lightly tapped on the mark on her neck and let out a slight hiss. “It seems to be healing nicely.”

“I’m glad to hear.” The gamma scanned my omega once over and nodded. “Has your alpha treated you well?”

“Very.” Elara grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers together. Then, squeezing it, she placed them on her stomach and gave me a wink. “I had to convince him it was okay to mark me, but I had no complaints once he did.”

“I have a final request that I would like you to follow.”

From the tune of her voice and the serious look on her face, an uneasy feeling fell upon me. Elara let out a sigh as if she were unconcerned about what her old caretaker was about to say.

“Have at it.”

“Unfortunately, due to what happened during your session in The Den, there have been multiple complaints about what occurred and how to prevent such things in the future.”

“I’ve marked her,” I growled, squeezing Elara’s hand for reassurance. “What are they going to do about it?”

“Demand a refund.” Quinn raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. “Demand for your company to pay what you stole.”

“I didn’t steal anything!”

“Tell that to your peers,” Quinn snapped. “You aren’t the one trying to clean up the mess. I am. While you two were too busy bonding, I’ve been up all night, neck-deep in vidcalls.”

“Luca hasn’t done anything wrong,” Elara countered. “They are just poor sports about everything, and after a week or so, I will become old news.”

Quinn’s eyes sharpened, focusing on Elara with laser intensity. “Luca?” she repeated slowly. “You used his real name.”

The blood drained from my face as I watched understanding dawn across Quinn’s features.

“You told her already?” Quinn’s voice carried both surprise and something that might have been respect. “Most alphas would have waited until after the heat, when the bond was irrevocably sealed.”

“I couldn’t live a lie with her,” I said, my voice rougher than intended. The words scraped my throat like broken glass. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t tell her the truth before claiming her. She deserved to know who she was really choosing.”

Quinn didn’t say anything at first. Her gaze pinned me, steady and sharp, giving nothing away. Then her eyes narrowed. Shoulders squared. When she finally spoke, her voice came low and tight, each word precise—like a threat wrapped in restraint.

“It would be wise if you gathered everything you needed for Elara—clothing, nesting supplies, everything—and left today.”

“There shouldn’t be a rush,” I protested, straightening against the headboard. “I have rights to purchase anything Elara needs at The Center.”

“That would be the case if it wasn’t for your deception.” Quinn’s words cut like a blade through my confidence. “These complaints are only the beginning. What’s going to happen when your brother—the true Eli—finds out? Or when the Matron discovers what you’ve done?

“And how am I supposed to explain this to the Matron?” Quinn demanded. The intensity of her voice would’ve been equivalent to an alpha’s bark if she weren’t a gamma. “Oh, by the way, my omega has just bound herself to an imposter on top of all of the complaints.”

“I was hoping you would keep it our little secret,” I explained. “I am sure you have connections with the records department. If I send you the funds now, under my name, would you be able to find someone to smudge our files?”

“You know it doesn’t work like that—”

“No,” I countered. “I know there are a lot of things behind the public’s eye that happen on the station that most of the population ignore.

For example, there are about the same number of alphas as there are omegas, and yet, The Den’s arena continues to fill up with more and more alphas needing a mate, but the number of omegas has stayed steady this whole time. ”

“What are you getting at?”

“No matter the fact that alphas have to travel here from all over the galaxy, shouldn’t there be an omega roster in equivalent size needing a mate?”

“That is a matter beyond you,” Quinn replied, shooting a glance at Elara. “All you need to worry about is taking good care of your omega and getting as far away from here as possible until things cool down.”

“And my records?”

“I require double my normal fee,” Quinn huffed. “No need to come in. Your face alone will anger many of the alphas who are still lingering around, hoping to get lucky today.”

“I’ll pay triple if you can guarantee my brother will never know.”

“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 on my sword—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 will never hurt 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.”