Page 35 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

LUCA

Coco Pharmaceuticals’ emblem flashed brilliantly on the primary panel, rotating slowly against the blackness of space. The corporate emblem pulsated with warm white light, casting swirling shadows on the curving walls of my private office.

Strips of flickering blue illumination where the ceiling met the walls acted as a continual reminder that Eli was waiting while I stalled.

I sank deeper into the high-backed command chair, which had withstood countless difficult conversations, its adaptable surface molding, accommodating the stress in my shoulders.

Three holographic displays bathed my office space with its ambient light—our trajectory through the void, business contracts awaiting signatures, galactic news feeds scrolling with their endless parade of distant conflicts and political maneuvering.

Beyond the reinforced bulkhead separating my office from Elara’s nest chamber, I could sense rather than hear the warm pulse of her contentment bleeding through our nascent bond.

The connection was still too new, too raw, to carry actual thoughts or words—but emotion flowed between us like a gentle current, her happiness threading through my consciousness like sunlight through crystal.

She was settling in with our clan, carving out her place with the same fierce determination she’d shown when she chose me.

The sensation was intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure.

I lifted the crystal tumbler to my lips, letting the amber fire of aged whiskey trace molten paths down my throat. The alcohol did nothing to ease the weight pressing against my chest—guilt and anticipation twisted into a knot that no amount of liquid courage could untangle.

The logo pulsed brighter, Eli’s growing impatience manifesting as increased transmission priority. I couldn’t delay any longer.

I touched the accept key with fingers that trembled slightly despite my efforts at control.

“Brother.” Eli’s familiar features dissolvedfrom pixels into sharp reality, his dark hair perfectly styled despite the late hour, ice-blue eyes that mirrored my own studying me with casual interest that would soon transform into something far more penetrating.

“Eli.” The name felt heavy on my tongue, weighted with secrets and the bitter taste of necessary deception.

“You’ve been notably absent from our usual communication schedule.

” His tone carried the mild reproach of a business partner accustomed to predictable patterns, not yet the suspicion that would surely follow.

“And according to our tracking systems, you’ve just departed Syzygy Station.

I was under the impression your delivery run was completed two days ago. ”

Heat bloomed along the neural pathways of my bond, sudden and overwhelming—Elara’s contentment washing through me like summer rain on parched earth.

The sensation was so pure, so unexpected, that my eyes slammed shut without conscious command.

My fingers gripped the chair’s armrests until the synthetic leather creaked in protest, and before I could stop it, a purr rumbled from deep in my chest.

The sound hung in the office air like an admission of guilt.

“You’re bonded.”

Eli’s words cut through my euphoria like a psyblade—sharp and direct, each syllable dropping into the silence like explosions in the void of space. My eyes snapped open to find my brother leaning forward in his chair, every line of his body sharp with sudden attention.

Dread flooded my system, cold and merciless, chasing away the warmth of Elara’s emotions like a sudden blizzard on a sunny day. I sat frozen, watching understanding dawn across features that shared too much with my own reflection.

“It happened quickly,” I said, the words feeling inadequate even as they left my lips.

How could I explain the force of inevitability that had driven me to risk everything?

“On our final day on station. We’d wrapped up deliveries and trade talks, so I gave the clan a day to pick up a few luxuries before departure.

” The half-truth sat heavy on my tongue.

“That’s when I saw an omega being cornered by a desperate alpha… and stepped in.”

Eli’s eyebrows rose and then narrowed. “Where was her gamma during this harassment? And how exactly did a rescue evolve into a bonding?”

The question I’d been dreading, wrapped in my brother’s characteristic precision. I took another sip of whiskey, using the gesture to buy precious seconds while my mind raced for the right words—truth balanced against revelation, honesty without confession.

“Her gamma was attempting to defuse the situation,” I said carefully.

“But something compelled me to act more directly. The alpha was…persistent in his advances, unwilling to accept refusal.” The memory of Owen’s hands reaching for Elara sent fresh anger coursing through my veins.

“After the incident, the omega sent her gamma to our vessel with a request—she wanted me to register for her debut session in The Den.”

Eli leaned back, fingers steepled under his chin—same habit he used when we argued over shared toys and divided responsibilities. But his gaze tracked me differently, sharp and measuring, like he was reassessing a person he thought he understood completely.

“I was under the impression you weren’t interested in claiming an omega for a while.

That you were sane, and completely under control,” he said slowly.

“Your focus has always been on expanding our company’s reach, maintaining our competitive edge in the health industry.

You’ve consistently declined opportunities to participate in Den selections. ”

“I was,” I corrected, feeling the weight of absolute truth in those words.

“This wasn’t planned, Eli. It was instinctual—something beyond rational calculation.

” The bond pulsed with Elara’s distant contentment, reinforcing my conviction even as guilt gnawed at my conscience.

“After hearing directly from omegas about their treatment—not whispers and rumors, but their lived reality—I knew intervention was the right choice.”

Even if I used your name to do it. Even if I committed fraud to stand in that arena. Even if I’ve built our future on borrowed identity and desperate lies.

The thoughts crashed against my consciousness like waves against unyielding stone, but I kept them locked behind a careful expression and steady voice. Some truths were too fragile for transmission through communication arrays, too important for the impersonal distance of holographic displays.

I needed to tell him the truth in person…and pray to the Stars he would forgive me.

Eli straightened, planting his elbows on his knees. The casual interest slipped away, replaced by something sharper. His eyes narrowed, like he was starting to piece together a bigger picture—recognizing patterns he hadn’t seen until now.

“What exactly is happening on that station, Luca?”