Page 61 of Knot Gonna Lie (Syzygy Omegaverse #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

JAXOM

The commons felt different in the aftermath of heat—like a battlefield where victory had been won through surrender rather than conquest. Twelve days. The number still echoed in my bones, a testament to what we'd survived together. What we'd become.

Elara sprawled across the oversized couch, her head in Luca's lap while her legs draped over mine.

Seth occupied the floor at her feet, one hand absently stroking her ankle.

We existed in this tangle of limbs and contentment, the rest of the clan wisely giving us space to decompress.

Her scent had softened from that desperate vanilla-lavender storm to something gentler, content—but traces of our mingled claiming still perfumed the air.

The vidscreen dominated the far wall, dark and waiting.

I'd sent the message to Quinn hours ago, knowing Nova would need time to process what I had to tell her.

My sister, brilliant and fierce, trapped by biology that turned her to omega prey.

The irony that I'd found my place in a pack while she remained isolated wasn't lost on me.

"You're nervous." Elara's observed, her fingers found mine, tracing the fading marks where her teeth had claimed me that night. The memory alone sent happiness spiraling through our bond.

“Nova doesn’t trust easily.” Understatement of the century. She trusted exactly two people—Alleria and me. Adding an unknown alpha to that equation, especially one as powerful as Zeke…

The screen flickered to life before I could spiral further.

Quinn's face filled the display, her girlfriend visible just behind her shoulder.

Relief bloomed across her features the moment she saw Elara.

"Thank the stars. When Jaxom said twelve days, I thought—" She cut herself off, but we all heard the unspoken fear.

Twelve-day heats could break omegas, especially first ones off suppressants.

"I'm fine, Quinn. Better than fine." Elara shifted, sitting up straighter though she maintained contact with all three of us.

The movement revealed the constellation of claiming marks across her throat—Luca's deep and possessive, mine careful and reverent, Seth's precise and deliberate.

Quinn's eyes tracked them, something like approval warming her expression.

"They're treating you right?" The question came loaded with threat. Behind her, her girlfriend smiled at the protective display.

"They're perfect." No hesitation, no qualification. Just truth that resonated through our bonds and made Luca's chest rumble with satisfaction.

The screen split as two more figures joined the call. Nova appeared first, her dark hair pulled back severely, sharp eyes that matched mine scanning the scene. Alleria flanked her, protective even through video, her gamma presence palpable despite the distance.

"Brother." Nova's greeting carried cautious warmth. Her gaze shifted to Elara, cataloging everything from her satisfied glow to the way we curved around her like living shields. “So your clan’s omega who finally caught you.”

"Caught all of us, actually." Seth's interjection surprised everyone, including himself. Color rose in his golden skin, but he didn't retract the claim.

Nova's eyebrow arched—an expression I knew preceded either cutting sarcasm or grudging respect. "A full pack. How... traditional."

"We survived her first heat off suppressants." Luca's alpha pride colored every word. "Twelve days, and she's blooming."

"Twelve days?" Alleria leaned forward, her concern sharp. "The average is five to seven, even for rebounds."

“I’m apparently above average.” Elara’s dry humor broke the tension, pulling a snort from Nova that might’ve been approval.

"Speaking of above average," Luca straightened, his business voice emerging. "We have news."

The words hung in the silence. If it wasn’t for the connection symbol, I would’ve thought the call had froze. I felt Elara's hand tighten in mine, offering support for what came next.

“We’ve found an alpha willing to take you both.” My voice felt too loud in the sudden quiet. “Powerful enough the matrons wouldn’t dare challenge his claim.”

Nova went still—the kind of stillness that meant her mind was running through calculations faster than I could follow. Alleria’s hand settled on her shoulder, grounding

"What does he want?" Alleria's question cut straight to bone. "Alphas that powerful don't offer protection for free."

"An alliance with my company." Luca said evenly. “And his mark on Nova’s neck.”

Nova’s expression flickered through half a dozen micro-emotions before locking down.

"He's serious about protection," I added, needing her to understand. "Alpha Zeke controls the asteroid mining consortiums, has private military contractors, enough wealth to build his own space station if he wanted. The matrons might scheme, but they wouldn't dare move against him directly."

"And in return, I become what? His omega trophy?" Bitterness edged her voice.

"His queen." Elara's interjection surprised us all. She leaned forward, addressing my sister directly. "Of his business empire. It's contracted—formal terms, legal protection. You'd have autonomy within the arrangement."

“A business deal dressed up like romance.” Nova’s laugh was hollow.

"He said..." I swallowed, pushing past the knot in my throat. "He said he'd support your programming work. The systems you wanted to develop before—before your sweetness came. Full funding, no oversight."

Nova's inhale was audible even through the feed. Before her scent changed, she'd been developing revolutionary programs that could change the tide against the matrons.

"What about me?" Alleria spat, her voice held a possessive edge could have cut steel. "Alphas don't typically tolerate gammas claiming their omegas."

"He knows about you." Seth's clinical tone helped defuse the tension. "The arrangement explicitly allows for your bond to continue. He's... unconventional in his approach to pack dynamics."

"Unconventional." Nova rolled the word. "You mean he doesn't care who else I'm with as long as I wear his mark and play corporate queen?"

“Essentially.” Luca’s bluntness cut through any illusions. “He wants the alliance, the public claim, and an omega who can match him. The rest is negotiable.”

Silence stretched taut. Elara’s hope pressed warm against our bonds.

"It's too perfect." Nova finally spoke. "Protection, funding, freedom to maintain my existing bond with Alleria? Where's the trap?"

"Maybe there isn't one." Elara’s voice carried lived truth. “Sometimes alphas surprise you. Sometimes they want partnership more than possession."

Luca’s hand slid to her waist at that, pride bleeding through until even I felt it.

"You'd vouch for this Alpha Zeke?" Nova addressed Elara directly, recognizing omega to omega communication as the most trustworthy.

“I’d vouch for the contract. And I’d want to meet him myself. Words can lie. Scent can’t.”

Nova and Alleria exchanged one of their silent conversations, entire conversations passing in micro-expressions I couldn't decode despite growing up with her.

"We'll meet him." Alleria spoke for them both, her protective instincts clear. "But if this is some elaborate trap—"

“It’s not.” The certainty in my voice surprised even me. “Zeke is ruthless, yes. But practical. He’ll want her skills, not just her scent.”

"Ruthlessly practical." Nova's smile held its first real warmth. "I can work with that."

Quinn had remained silent throughout the exchange, but now she leaned forward, her face filling the screen.

"For what it's worth, I think you should consider it.

The offer, I mean. Freedom to pursue your work, protection from the matrons, keeping Alleria?

" Her expression softened. "Sometimes the best rebellions look like compliance. "

"Send us information about meeting him." Nova's decision rang with finality. "We'll hear what Alpha Zeke has to say. But Jaxom?" Her gaze speared me. "If this goes badly, I'm holding you responsible."

“Understood.” The weight settled familiar on my shoulders. I’d been trying to shield her until she was taken. Maybe this time I wouldn’t fail.

"Elara?" Quinn's attention shifted back to our omega. "You're really okay? The heat, the bonding, everything?"

"I'm home, Quinn." Simple words that carried everything. "For the first time in my life, I'm exactly where I belong."

Seth's hand tightened on her ankle. Luca's purr rumbled beneath her words. My chest swelled with something too big for a name.

“Then I’m happy for you.” Quinn’s smile glistened with tears she’d never admit. “I hope to visit soon.”