Page 36 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
SETH
The mess hall’s holographic displays painted Tera’s azure surface across our curved viewport—a world of endless ocean dotted with floating continents that drifted like emerald islands through crystal-blue sky.
Atmospheric readings scrolled in gentle cascades of data, promising warm breezes and breathable air that wouldn’t require environmental suits or filtration systems.
Paradise, just as our ship’s name suggested.
Something that our clan needed to stay at after years of endless hard work…and the catastrophe that we’d just left. The only positive thing about it was that our most recent excursion to Syzygy Station resulted in Elara, our clan’s omega.
“I still can’t believe he won’t tell us what kind of place he bought,” Maia groaned, her engineering stylus tapping against her vidtablet in frustrated rhythm. “The suspense is killing me. What if it’s some tiny cabin with one refresher?”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Jaxom scoffed, grunting as he placed a crate overstuffed with things Quinn had told us Elara would enjoy eating on the kitchen counter. “That would be a downgrade to what we travel in now.”
“Knowing our alpha, it’s probably a compound,” Stella countered, her psyblade singing against the metallic rod in long, practiced strokes. “He doesn’t do anything halfway.”
“Could be underwater,” Tobias added with theatrical despair. “You know how he loves his privacy. Underwater dwellings also use less land, and have more sustainable resource management—”
“He wouldn’t,” Sylas protested, though uncertainty colored his voice. “Would he?”
I stood at the preparation station, steam rising from the fresh pot of herbal tea I’d brewed—a blend designed to ease the growing restlessness in our omega’s system.
The atmospheric readings from Tera suggested the planet’s unique electromagnetic field might accelerate heat cycles, something I’d need to monitor carefully once we made planetfall.
My gaze drifted to where Elara sat curled in the window alcove, her empty teacup cradled between her hands like a talisman.
The ship’s overhead panels cast a soft bioluminescent glow, washing her profile in muted gold and rose—catching on the healing mark at her neck, a quiet declaration to the galaxy that she was ours.
She looked contemplative, peaceful—but I caught the way her fingers traced the cup’s rim in restless circles.
The space beside her remained empty where Luca had been sitting before his brother’s transmission called him away. Even absent, his tropical scent lingered in the cushions, a phantom presence that made her lean into the spot he’d vacated as if seeking comfort from memory alone.
“Maybe it’s a treehouse,” Jaxom suggested from his position at the data terminal, inventory lists scrolling past his intent gaze. “Elevated platforms connected by bridges, integrated with the native ecosystem—”
“Or a cave system,” Xavier’s voice crackled through the comm from the bridge, amusement threading his tone. “Underground thermal pools, natural climate control, completely defensible—”
“You’re all wrong,” Stella declared with absolute conviction. “It’s going to be a fortress. Our alpha thinks like a warrior, not a vacationer—especially with everything going on. High walls, strategic positioning, clear sight lines for defense—”
“Against what?” Maia laughed. “Tera’s wildlife? The travel guides say the most dangerous things there are the singing fish that might annoy you to death. Tera’s under Alpha Zeke’s control. The government won’t touch it—and if they try, it risks open war.”
Elara frowned, glancing up from her cup. “Hopefully it never comes to that.”
A quiet fell over the table, the weight of reality settling in despite the earlier teasing.
“Still,” Tobias said, cutting through the tension with a lazy smirk, “no one would dare ruin the hottest vacation planet in the galaxy.”
Maia snorted into her drink. “You’re right. No one would dare.”
The laughter that followed was just what we needed. The mood lightened, the undercurrents of worry tucked away—for now.
The casual banter continued, washing over me as I prepared a fresh serving, adding an extra measure of the calming herbs that seemed to settle Elara’s increasingly restless energy.
It was getting late, and I could see it in the way she shifted—restlessness edging into her movements, her body craving the quiet of nest-time.
That sanctuary would help her unwind, help her make sense of everything that had happened these past few days.
Claiming an alpha, escaping the station’s rigid structure, needing for pack bonds before her upcoming heat—any one of those transitions would stress an omega’s system. All three together created a perfect storm of biological and emotional upheaval that required careful management.
The teacup felt warm in my hands as I crossed to her, noting how her emerald gaze tracked my movement with the focused attention of someone craving exactly what I carried.
“More?” I offered, settling the fresh cup beside her with careful precision.
“You spoil me.” Her smile bloomed soft and genuine, the kind that made my chest tight. “But I think I’ve reached my limit for herbal remedies for the day.”
“The atmospheric pressure on Tera might affect your system,” I explained, though the clinical words felt inadequate for the growing concern I had for her. “Better to stay ahead of any discomfort.”
“Seth.” Her voice cut through the ambient noise of clan speculation, drawing every eye in the room with an authority that still surprised me.
Something in her tone made my pulse stutter—not casual conversation, but intention weighted with significance.
“Do you think you could maybe…help me settle in my nest? I don’t want to be alone. ”
The tea mug nearly slipped from my hands.
Silence descended upon the clan as they exchanged glances heavy with meaning.
Stella’s psyblade stilled against its metallic rod. Maia’s stylus froze in midair, her vidtablet dimming as her gaze snapped to me. Even Tobias paused mid-gesture, that sly knowing grin stretching across his face—heat climbed up my neck before I could stop it.
They understood what this meant—what she was offering.
“I…” The words tangled in my throat. No one had ever invited me into their bedroom before—let alone their nest. Omegas didn’t welcome betas into that space unless they were in deep heat or deeply trusted.
Pack bonds weren’t casual invitations. An omega’s nest was sacred territory, shared only with those she trusted with her most vulnerable moments.
The invitation felt sacred, impossible—a gift I’d never dared imagine receiving, especially so soon. She’d asked me to be her first pack member, yes, but nothing was official yet.
“You’d be honored to help,” Jaxom supplied with barely contained excitement, earning a sharp look from me that he completely ignored. “Right, Seth?”
“I would be honored,” I managed, voice rougher than intended. The admission scraped my throat raw. “If that’s what you truly want.”
Elara’s smile bloomed slowly, soft and sure, transforming her entire face. She stepped out of the window alcove with quiet grace, moving toward me without hesitation.
Then her hand slipped into mine—steady, certain. Her fingers wove through mine, warm and real, sending a sharp current up my arm that stole my breath more than any words could.
“Then come with me.”
The walk from the mess hall to her sanctuary stretched simultaneously endlessly and far too brief. My clan’s knowing looks followed us down the corridor—Stella’s approval, Maia’s barely suppressed excitement, Sylas’s quiet nod, the others’ mixture of surprise and satisfaction.
Xavier’s voice crackled softly through the comm with something that sounded suspiciously like congratulations.
They understood what this meant, perhaps better than I did.
Pack bonds weren’t formed lightly. And Elara had chosen me, in front of them.
We paused before her nest chamber’s sealed entrance, the biometric scanner reading her palm print with soft blue light. The door whispered open on silent servos, revealing the sanctuary beyond.
“After you,” she said, though her voice carried undertones I couldn’t quite decipher.
I stepped across the threshold, and her world enveloped me completely.
The concentrated essence of omega satisfaction crashed over me like atmospheric entry—lavender and vanilla woven through with something deeper, needier.
Every molecule of air seemed saturated with her presence, dense enough to taste on my tongue and feel against my skin like silk made manifest. It made my knees unsteady, my thoughts scatter.
The nest chamber’s environmental controls had been precisely calibrated to her preferences.
Warm light cascaded from hidden sources, creating pools of gold and amber that made her carefully curated fabrics glow like captured starlight.
Flowing emerald and cream layers draped across furniture and walls, transforming the space into something that belonged in fairy tales rather than starship corridors.
She looked magnificent framed against this backdrop of luxury and comfort. Gone were the formal gowns that had marked her station life, replaced by flowing layers in soft emerald and cream that complemented the nest’s carefully curated palette.
The fabrics moved with her like water, outlining curves without constraining them. Her hair fell in loose waves over one shoulder, revealing the still-healing mark Luca had placed with such reverent care.
Beautiful felt inadequate. She was ethereal—a vision of omega grace that made my chest ache with want I had no right to feel.
The door sealed behind us with finality that resonated through my bones. Alone. We were actually alone in her most intimate space, surrounded by scents and textures chosen specifically to comfort and nurture. The magnitude of trust she was showing me left me dizzy with disbelief.