Page 53 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)

“A few hours. Maybe more.” Luca’s eyes found mine, alpha-gold softening at the edges. “Pack business that predates you, little omega. Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

Pack business. The kind that required Seth and Jaxom’s presence, their strength flanking their alpha while deals were struck or threats neutralized. The kind that left omegas wandering through empty villas, counting heartbeats until reunion.

“I’ll stay with—” Jaxom started, but Luca’s growl cut through intention like a blade through silk.

“You’ll stand with me. Both of you.” Command laced every syllable, the kind that brooked no argument. “This concerns all of us.”

The air shifted, testosterone and unspoken communication flowing between my alphas in currents I could feel but not decipher. Seth’s thumb pressed harder against my spine, a promise or apology written in pressure.

“Elara needs—”

“I’ll take her.”

Stella materialized in the doorway behind Luca, Maia hovering at her shoulder like a shadow. Both betas wore expressions of practiced understanding, the kind that came from years of being the ones who waited while their mates carved up worlds for them.

“The omega market plaza just opened for the morning.” Stella’s smile held genuine warmth beneath its careful construction. “Perfect timing to get everything you’ll need for your next heat. And decorations for the villa, of course.”

“We know all the best vendors.” Maia stepped forward. “The ones who understand what a newly bonded omega actually needs, not just what alphas think we need.”

Shopping. Such a mundane word for what felt like exile, like punishment for crimes uncommitted. But beneath the surface, I recognized the offering—sisterhood extended like a lifeline while pack bonds stretched across distance for the first time.

“That sounds...” Perfect. Terrible. Necessary. “...lovely.”

Luca crossed the space between us in three strides, his hand cupping my jaw with possessive gentleness. “Three hours. Four at most.” His thumb traced my lower lip, marking territory even in leaving. “Stella and Maia will take care of you.”

The kiss he pressed to my forehead burned like a brand, like promise, like chains made of devotion.

Seth claimed my mouth next, desperate and deep, as if he could pour enough of himself into me to last the separation.

Jaxom’s embrace surrounded us both, his lips finding the junction where neck met shoulder, where Luca’s bite mark throbbed with sweet ache.

“Be good.” The words rumbled against my skin, command and plea tangled together. “Stay close to them.”

Then they were pulling away, taking warmth and certainty with them. Already, the bond ached with distance that hadn’t even begun.

“Come on.” Stella’s hand slipped into mine, her beta scent wrapping around me like comfort I didn’t know I needed. “The best fabrics sell out early, and you’ll want specific textures for nesting. Trust me, your next heat will be nothing like your first.”

Maia flanked my other side, creating a barrier of feminine solidarity against the anxiety crawling up my throat. “Plus, we need to discuss exactly what kind of statement you want the villa to make. Subtle power? Dangerous beauty? Or something uniquely yours?”

Uniquely mine. As if anything could be mine alone anymore, when every breath carried their scent, when every thought filtered through bonds still raw from formation.

The males departed through another door, their voices already dropping into tones that meant strategy, meant violence held in careful check. The distance stretched between us, invisible tethers pulled taut but holding. For now.

“Feeling the effects of your first time apart?” Maia’s question held no judgment, only understanding.

“Since the claiming.” The admission was nothing compared to their goodbye kisses. “It feels...”

“Like missing a limb?” Stella squeezed my hand. “Like the world tilted off its axis and you’re the only one who notices?”

Yes. Exactly that. The vertigo of separation when every instinct screamed to follow, to stay close, to never let them beyond reach of desperate hands.

“It gets easier.” Maia guided us toward the main dome’s exit. “The bond settles. The anxiety fades. But that first separation after forming?” A laugh, dark and knowing. “I cried in three different shops and bought enough nesting silks to drown in. And I’m not even an omega!”

“I threw up.” Stella’s confession came wrapped in remembered embarrassment. “Right in the middle of the crystal vendor’s stall. Sylas had to carry me home and wouldn’t leave my side for a week after.”

Their stories wrapped around me, proof of survival, of bonds that stretched but didn’t break. Outside, the purple sky had shifted toward lavender, and somewhere across the villa, my pack conducted business that required closed doors and omega absence.

“The plaza’s only a short walk.” Stella tugged me forward, into a world that suddenly felt too large without pack shadows at my back. “And I promise, once you see the selection of heat supplies, you’ll forget all about the separation anxiety.”

A lie, sweetly meant. Nothing could make me forget the ache of distance, the way my skin felt too tight without their touch, the way each breath came harder without their scent filling my lungs.

But I walked forward anyway, flanked by women who understood the particular agony of being left behind, even temporarily. The path wound through rainbow grass that caught morning light like scattered jewels, toward a market that promised distraction if not relief.

Behind us, the villa held my alphas and their secrets. Ahead, the plaza waited with its own form of salvation—the kind that came wrapped in silk and possibilities.

The bond stretched with each step, a silver thread pulled to its limit but holding firm.

Three hours. Four at most.

I could survive anything for that long.

Even the howling absence where my pack should be.